TJPW’s Suzume Discusses Summer Sun Princess, Teaming with Mei Suruga | INTERVIEW
TJPW’s Suzume discusses Summer Sun Princess, what inspired her to become a wrestler, teaming with Mei Suruga, and so much more.
Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (TJPW) is set to have one of the most impressive cards in the history of the promotion this Saturday as Summer Sun Princess airs live on Wrestle Universe from the Ota City General Gymnasium in Tokyo. The show will feature the TJPW roster as well as legend Aja Kong and four AEW stars including Ryo Mizunami, Hikaru Shida, Riho, and reigning AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa.
One of the premier matches of the night includes Riho as she teams with Arisu Endo to take on the team of Gatoh Move’s Mei Suruga and Suzume. We got a chance to talk with Suzume ahead of Summer Sun Princess to ask her about several topics including facing her tag team partner (Endo) at the big show, what inspired her to become a wrestler, competing in AEW in the future, and so much more.
Here’s what Suzume had to say:
Q: What makes TJPW so special in your opinion?
A: Everyone’s so lively! And one of the charms is that all the wrestlers here love TJPW!
Q: What inspired you to be a professional wrestler? Do you style your in-ring after anyone?
A: I was a fan of Rika (Tatsumi)! I yearned to be like those girls intensely fighting (in the ring) and I decided to become a wrestler. I’m working my hardest to be an all-rounder like (Shoko) Nakajima and Yuka (Sakazaki) one day!
Q: There are so many international stars on the Summer Sun Princess card. How does it feel to have one of the most highly anticipated matches as you team with Mei Suruga against Arisu Endo and AEW’s Riho?
A: To be highly anticipated is an opportunity! I hope that many people who came to see Riho and Mei (Suruga) would come to love watching TJPW through this match!
Q: Arisu Endo and you form the team Daisy Monkey — how do you feel about opposing her at Summer Sun Princess?
A: Arisu is my wonderful partner but also a rival I can’t lose to, so I’m very excited! And for us to team up with Riho and Mei going against each other would be an important experience for Daisy Monkey.
Q: You wrestled Mei Suruga at her 4th anniversary show with Gatoh Move. Would you like to compete against her in a TJPW ring soon? Or would you like to continue teaming with her instead?
A: It’s so enjoyable to go against Mei, I’d like to wrestle her many more times! It’s fun to go against her and team up with her. I’d like to get my revenge on her in a singles match again of course!
Q: You finished first in fan voting for the International Princess Title #1 Contendership Battle Royal last year — what did it mean to you to receive that support from fans?
A: I was so glad to see once again how much the fans supported me through this poll! That’s why I was frustrated in leaving a good result in that match. I’d like to become someone able to live up to their expectations going forward.
Q: Would you like to compete in AEW down the line?
A: It so amazing to see my seniors travelling all over the world. I’d love to meet many wrestling fans all over the world! Everyone in TJPW wants to go overseas!
Q: Is there anyone you’d like to face outside of TJPW?
A: Recently I’ve been really interested in Gatoh Move’s Chie Koishikawa!
Q: Besides your match, what is one match fans should keep an eye on for Summer Sun Princess?
A: Shoko Nakajima vs Rika Tatsumi. I love seeing the belt around Nakajima. However, I want to see Rika go wild in the ring.
Q: What personal goals do you have for the rest of the year?
A: To try out something new!
Q: What do you hope to accomplish throughout the rest of your career?
A: For Daisy Monkey to win title belts together! My number one goal is for fans to start watching TJPW because of myself and to become their favourite wrestler!
First off a big thank you goes to Suzume for taking the time ahead of the big show to discuss her career. Also, a huge thank you goes to CyberFight and TJPW for helping make this happen.
You can follow Suzume on Twitter: @suzume_tjpw
Make sure to follow TJPW (@tjpw2013) as well to never miss updates, announcements, and news on their upcoming shows.
Here’s the full card for Summer Sun Princess (7/9):
- Hikaru Shida & Hikari Noa vs. Yuki Kamifuku & Mahiro Kiryu
- Aja Kong, Yuki Aino, Raku & Pom Harajuku vs. Hyper Misao, Nao Kakuta, Kaya Toribami & Haruna Neko
- Miu Watanabe vs. Ryo Mizunami
- Moka Miyamoto vs. Juria Nagano
- International Princess Championship: Maki Itoh (c) vs. Alex Windsor
- Mei Suruga & Suzume vs. Riho & Arisu Endo
- Thunder Rosa vs. Miyu Yamashita
- Princess Tag Team Championship: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) vs. Yuki Arai & Saki Akai
- Princess of Princess Championship: Shoko Nakajima (c) vs. Rika Tatsumi
Summer Sun Princess airs live on Wrestle Universe this Saturday at 1 a.m. EST.
