The conversation recently resurfaced during an episode of Official WOW Podcast With Nigel Zane, where Animal Instinct tag team partners Goldie Collins and Katarina Jinx discussed their mutual interest in the Japanese wrestling style and how they bond over it. Jinx hit on a point that demonstrates the emotional aspect of the true power of joshi puroresu.
"It brought the physicality to a new height," Katarina Jinx said regarding Japanese wrestling. "they are so invested in that moment and it it brings out a different kind of fierceness that I think most people would shy away from it...this almost sense of honor that they have to prevail and there's so much strength there...for us especially here in the US you get that 'oh well, maybe I'll get them next time.' In Japanese wrestling, you have less of that. It’s more of like, "I have to do it now."
This fierceness that she described elevates joshi matches beyond athletic contests; they become compelling dramas that present the theme of the human spirit. When a wrestler adopts that Japanese sense of urgency, the match goes to another level. That excitement sells tickets and further builds a brand.
Goldie Collins, who watches Stardom, noted how Japanese wrestling has brought out the best in talented wrestlers. "I just think that anyone who comes back from their training is better for it," she said. "I think that there's a lot to aspire to."
She also explained how even though she has not wrestled in Japan, observing the style of Japanese wrestling has influenced her as a wrestler, which shows the impact of Japanese wrestling on the global wrestling scene: "I think it's easy for me to be like, 'Oh, I came from this performance background and one of the harder things to step into was the physicality. I knew how to be a showman, but did I really know how to get gritty and fight?' And I watched these women throw their bodies like they do was like, 'Oh, okay. So like you really have to lean in and commit and put it all out there and that's how you succeed.' And so yeah, I just have really admired anyone and everyone who I have ever watched."
This professional passion isn't something new- it's the foundation for some of the most resilient careers in the business. Before former CZW star and No Holds Barred - The Chains owner Danny Demanto's 26-year journey began, he would sit in high school counting down the minutes until he could leave and go to the Doghouse wrestling school, where he would watch Japanese tapes with his trainer. Along with experiencing his fandom, seeds were planted as Japan became Demanto's main pro-wrestling goal. In 2025, that decades-long objective culminated in him doing it his way and taking his promotion to Japan. A wrestler who looks at the industry outside of their home base puts themselves into a position where they can eventually navigate the global market.
Some of the keenest watchers of Japanese wrestling can be found watching it in the early hours of the morning. AEW star Bryan Keith knows what it's like to be up after midnight watching Japanese wrestling, and that degree of enthusiasm likely played a role in his pro-wrestling career, taking him to Japan in 2024 to wrestle for DDT, where the matches he participated in included an opportunity to wrestle MAO, who was defending the DDT Universal Championship.
Beau James, who has wrestled for over four decades (crossing the 90s, 00s, 10s, and 20s) and today is also the promoter of Southern States Wrestling, represents a generational bridge in the business. While James has only watched the Japanese style here and there over the years -and is currently shooting for his fifth decade in the ring- his work ethic reflects the exact same grit that Western talent sees when watching Japanese wrestling. For a traditionalist like James, the focus has always been on the timeless psychology of the industry- proving that whether a wrestler studies southern style wrestling or Japanese wrestling, physicality and competitiveness are a universal language.
Sam Adonis is a star in Mexico's AAA, where he is a former AAA World Trios Champion. But the main focus of his pro-wrestling fandom since age seven was Japanese wrestling, as he obsessed over FMW and later also NJPW and AJPW, dating back to the 1970s. This helped in his eventual travel to AJPW, where he wrestled from 2017 to 2019.
American professional wrestlers who never stop studying Japan see a place for showmanship in the ring, but also see value in prioritizing a display of emotion and fighting spirit. Promoters generally view this type of wrestler as the most valuable asset in the industry, as this hybrid style bridges the gap between the American and Japanese wrestling styles. Showmanship ensures the spectacle and character-driven moments that sell tickets and merchandise, and the displays of emotion and fighting spirit make the match more compelling, as the wrestler builds a connection with the audience that is a foundation for support, increasing the drama of the action. By blending these elements, a wrestler satisfies the promoter’s need for a complete package: someone who can play to the cameras and social media clips while maintaining the intensity required to keep fans emotionally invested in the outcome of the match.
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