It's an exciting time for women's professional wrestling in Japan, and particularly a great opportunity for fans around the world to check out the scene from overseas with expanded accessibility. Ice Ribbon is a promotion that has been home to some of the top wrestlers and matches going in the country. Now their new Club Ice Ribbon YouTube subscription service is delivering that to a global audience.

To get a feel for Ice Ribbon's part to play in Japan's wrestling landscape, we at grape Japan sat down with wrestling icon and heart and soul of Ice Ribbon, the great Tsukasa Fujimoto! The interview was conducted on February 19th, following the Ice Ribbon 1180 event at their dojo.

On Ice Ribbon and international fans

grape Japan (gJ): Japan has a lot of women’s pro-wrestling organizations, what do you feel makes Ice Ribbon stand out?

Tsukasa Fujimoto (TF): It’s kinda the oldest of the promotions today. It was also really the first women’s promotion to OK wrestling as a side project, so there’s been wrestlers who are still students in it. So you really get to see their own personalities and stories.

gJ: Today watching a show at the dojo, it seems very different than the type of show you might see at a bigger venue.

TF: Yep! The distance between the wrestlers and fans in the seats is different than other venues. There’s a lot of matches we do at Korakuen Hall and the like, but people might be thinking “what exactly is a dojo match?” and really not know what it’s like. If you can make it out to Nishi-Kawaguchi for an event, you’ll realize “whoa, this is so close, I can actually talk to the wrestlers” and have a fun time.

gJ: With the Club Ice Ribbon YouTube channel and an English Twitter account, Ice Ribbon is becoming very easy to access for overseas fans. Has that been a conscious effort or goal?

TF: We want to appeal to our fans in Japan, but also abroad. We’ve gotten a presence in Mexico by working with CMLL, but in order to be known in places like the U.S., we decided to strengthen our contents on YouTube, which is watched all over the world. We want to spread our net out more.

gJ: Were you surprised by the fan reaction you’ve had abroad?

TF: To be honest, I had no idea people would even know who I am. The first time I wrestled overseas was in the United States for Chikara. I suppose that’s when, thanks to the internet, people were seeing more of older Ice Ribbon. People would come up to me and say “hey you’re Tsukka! I know you!” or in Mexico, fans would hold up signs with pictures of me from Weekly Pro Wrestling Magazine. That’s when I felt the potential of overseas and felt like wanting to be there for a bit.

gJ: Would you like to wrestle abroad again?

TF: Yes! I really want to go! There were a lot of chances for it but the pandemic canceled them.

gJ: Speaking of fan reactions abroad, your move, the Tsukkadora, went viral on Twitter last year.

TF: It did! You noticed that? That’s a move I’ve treasured ever since I was a rookie.

gJ: It’s quite a move--was it something you came up with or were taught?

TF: I thought of it on my own. There’s a technique called the cazadora, and I just thought “what if someone did that from behind?”

On Ice Ribbon in 2022 and its up and coming wrestlers

gJ: It seems like every day there’s big news breaking in the world of Japan’s women’s pro-wrestling these days, what’s that like from your view?

TF: Hmm, well that just means that the world of women’s pro-wrestling in Japan is getting more exciting, so I can’t say it’s good or bad news.

gJ: As things get more exciting, what kind of year does 2022 look like for Ice Ribbon?

TF: Oh, to be honest, this year I believe it’s going to change dramatically. Really. I think to the extent that you’ll be able to forget about the things at the end of last year...so I hope you’re prepared! (laughs)

gJ: Yuuki Mashiro is making an appearance in SEAdLINNNG on February 21st (editor’s note: this interview took place before that event), can we expect to see Ice Ribbon and other promotions interacting more this year?

TF: Well, we’ve been doing that up until now and currently as well, but in the case of Yuuki Mashiro , we didn’t particularly offer her up, SEAdLINNNG themselves requested her, which speaks to the appeal of her wrestling. With promotions doing that with our wrestlers, it makes me feel very proud.

gJ: You’re both a veteran top wrestler and a teacher for younger wrestlers, how do you balance being both?

TF: Well, as you saw today with Saran crying after the show (during a surprise birthday celebration) and seeing Kaho try so hard in the main event, I can’t help but tear up. I end up having feelings like a mother to them, but as I feel happy for their growth and success, if I don’t make myself a rival to them then I’ll lose myself as a wrestler, so I’m very conscious about rivaling them while being a senpai to them.

On opponents, rivalries, and matches

gJ: You’ve had a lot of great matches in your career. Is there a particular one you look back on and are proud of?

TF: Well, I’d say the matches that really put my name out there in the pro-wrestling world were my title matches against Arisa Nakajima.

gJ: To this day, the Best Friends connection is strong.

TF: Well, we certainly weren’t friends then (laughs). We were really beating each other up...I think those matches are the reason we became friends. In pro-wrestling, you get to really know each other by beating up one another. That was the first time I felt that, and the first time in a match I learned a killer instinct (laughs).

gJ: Whether you’re teaming or against one another, it’s an intense match.

TF: That’s right, particularly when we teamed against Yoshiko and Sareee (Sarray in WWE), and matches with Nanae Takahashi are intense.

gJ: The next question was going to be who you think you’re biggest rival is but it sounds like it’s safe to say it’s Nakajima?

"She's the opponent I don't want to lose to!"

TF: I suppose so. We’re both friends and rivals and that’s why I think we have a special relationship. She’s the opponent I don’t want to lose to!

gJ: Is there any opponent, in Japan or overseas you haven’t wrestled that you’d like to have a match with?

TF: I’ve been able to wrestle many opponents in Japan, and have faced just about everyone. When I first went to England I wrestled with Kay Lee Ray. Today she’s a really big superstar, right? I’d like to wrestle the Kay Lee Ray of today.

A message to fans

gJ: Lastly, is there something you’d like to say to fans around the world?

TF: Right now in this pandemic, it’s become a time where we can’t all gather and meet directly. Fans can’t cheer the way they used to. However, I don’t want the intimacy between our hearts to go away. Ice Ribbon was made for such times, and I hope we can always be connected that way. I don’t want the flame of pro-wrestling to be extinguished. I’d like people to believe in that and follow us going forward.

To follow Tsukasa Fujimoto and Ice Ribbon, you can watch by joining Club Ice Ribbon, as well as check out their official online store and English Twitter below.