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Get ready to grapple with one of the most pivotal eras in professional wrestling history, now finally getting the Netflix treatment in The Queen of Villains. The Japanese semi-biographical drama, which first hit screens in 2023, centers on none other than Dump Matsumoto — the baddest heel wrestler you’ve probably never heard of, but definitely should have. She was the ultimate foil to the beloved Crush Gals, the unstoppable idol-pop duo of Lioness Asuka and Chigusa Nagoya, who combined wholesome charm with serious in-ring talent and some pretty good J-Pop.
These three icons, along with Matsumoto’s gang of misfits known as The Atrocious Alliance, helped catapult All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling into the big leagues and revolutionized the sport for both men and women. So, before The Queen of Villains drops stateside, we’re giving you a crash course on the legends, the rivalries, and the epic matches that took these women to the top in Japan.
What are AJW and Joshi Proresu?
For some context, The Queen of Villains takes us back to the chaotic, high-stakes world of 1980s pro wrestling, focusing on Joshi Proresu — the Japanese term for women’s wrestling that cuts through gender divides in a way you won’t find in WWE or All Elite Wrestling. Unlike its Western counterparts, Joshi wrestling didn’t treat women’s matches as an afterthought. Instead, it put them front and center, demanding the same level of fast-paced, hard-hitting, and emotionally charged storytelling that male-dominated promotions like New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan were known for. It’s a sports meets spectacle, with an intensity that rivaled anything the guys were doing.
Founded in 1968 by Takashi Matsunaga, All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) was the place for joshi wrestling in Japan — and for a long time, the only one. This is the company that booked the legendary clashes between Matsumoto and the Crush Gals during the mid-80s, captivating the entire country. AJW first found success in the early ’80s thanks to stars like Jaguar Yokota and Devil Masami, but it was the unprecedented mainstream fame of the Crush Gals — and their explosive rivalry with Matsumoto — that really took things to the next level, even topping TV ratings across Japan.
AJW dominated the Joshi scene until the 1990s when the forced retirement of the Crush Gals started a slow decline. A series of bad investments led to bankruptcy in 1997, and the company lost media deals until it eventually folded in 2005.
AJW was an absolute breeding ground for innovation, giving us some of the most iconic moves in wrestling, courtesy of its stars like Manami Toyota, Bull Nakano, and Kyoko Inoue. Ever heard of the Jackhammer? The Air Raid Crash? How about the Vertebreaker or Death Valley Driver? Yeah, those were all created by Joshi women, and they’ve become staples of the wrestling world. These trailblazers weren’t just redefining women’s wrestling — they were reshaping wrestling as a whole, leaving a lasting imprint on the sport’s DNA that’s still felt in the ring today.
AJW matches can be hard to find whole on the internet but if you’re curious about the company’s body of work, you can find a match guide on Cagematch.
Who are the Crush Gals?
In the 1980s, The Crush Gals were the faces of pro wrestling in Japan, rivaling the similar cultural zeitgeist Hulk Hogan had in the US with Hulkamania. Formed in 1983, Lioness Asuka (Tomoko Kitamura) and Chigusa Nagoya captured the hearts of Japan with a mix of youthful charm, fierce in-ring skill, and a massive following of teenage fangirls — not to mention their successful run as pop idols. Together, they dominated the scene, winning AJW’s World Women’s Wrestling Association Tag Team Championship four times.
But it was their blood feud with Dump Matsumoto and her Atrocious Alliance that really solidified their legacy. In 1985, their rivalry pulled in a jaw-dropping 12.0 TV rating on Fuji TV, meaning that around 14 million people in Japan were glued to their screens every week. Just to put that into perspective, even during WWE and WCW’s Monday Night Wars in the ’90s, the best they could pull was 8.1 and 6.0 ratings, respectively. The Crush Gals were bigger than big — they were a phenomenon.
The Crush Gals’ rivalry with Dump Matsumoto hit its dramatic peak on August 28, 1985, with one of the most important matches in wrestling history — a brutal hair vs. hair showdown between Chigusa Nagoya and Matsumoto. It’s a must-watch for any serious wrestling fan. While the Gals finally triumphed over Matsumoto’s stable in the 1987 Tag League the Best tournament, by then, Nagoya and Asuka had made names for themselves as singles stars.
So, what does AJW do with a duo that’s launched their company into mainstream superstardom? Force them to retire at 26, of course. Yep, despite the Crush Gals’ insane popularity, AJW had a strict rule that women had to hang up their boots by that age. The rule was partly driven by societal expectations in ’80s Japan, where women were expected to settle down and embrace domestic life. Plus, considering the physically intense style of Joshi wrestling, early retirements might have been a smart call — AJW ran 250-300 shows a year and pro wrestling already has a troubling premature death rate.
Despite this, AJW never saw the same level of success after retiring the Crush Gals and yet the company still kept the policy in place.
After their forced retirements in 1989, both Nagoya and Asuka took a break from wrestling, but it didn’t last long. Nagoya made some brief returns in the ’90s with AJW and JWP Joshi Puroresu, eventually founding her own promotion, GAEA Japan, in 2000. Asuka returned to AJW in 1994, though not with the same star power she had in the ’80s. The two reunited in GAEA, reforming the Crush Gals for semi-regular matches until GAEA folded in 2005.
Nagoya would retire two more times, with her most recent send-off match happening in 2024 with West Coast Pro in San Francisco. As for Asuka, her career was sadly cut short in 2004 due to a neck injury, with her final match fittingly being one last tag team bout with Nagoya.
Crush Gals Recommendations:
Crush Gals vs. Devil Masami & Jaguar Yokota (September 26, 1984)
Crush Gals vs. Dump Matsumoto & Crane Yu (February 25, 1985)
Lioness Asuka vs. Jaguar Yokota (August 22, 1985)
Chigusa Nagayo vs. Dump Matsumoto (Hair vs. Hair) (August 28, 1985)
Crush Gals vs. Dump Matsumoto & Bull Nakano (October 10, 1985)
Chigusa Nagayo vs. Lioness Asuka (Feburary 26, 1987)
Crush Gals vs. Jumping Bomb Angels (September 14, 1986)
Who is Dump Matsumoto?
Credit: Etsuo Hara/Getty Images
Dump Matsumoto (real name Kaoru Matsumoto) was the living nightmare of 1980s pro wrestling and the ultimate heel. With her menacing face paint, wild hair, and a collection of weapons that would make even the most hardcore wrestler flinch, Matsumoto redefined what it meant to be a villain in the ring. We don’t get The Road Warriors without Matsumoto.
Her brutal, no-holds-barred fighting style was a stark contrast to the pop-idol charm of the Crush Gals, cementing her as the quintessential “monster” heel of her time.
Leading the Gokuaku Domei, also known as the Atrocious Alliance, Matsumoto and her gang of misfits were perfectly positioned as the nemesis of the fan-favorite Crush Gals. They didn’t just play the part of villains — they were the villains, bringing extreme violence and chaos wherever they went. Matsumoto’s use of chains, kendo sticks, and sheer brutality pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable in women’s wrestling at the time. Her matches weren’t just intense; they were groundbreaking, forever changing the landscape of the sport and redefining what joshi wrestling could be.
After the feud that cemented her as one of the most iconic villains in wrestling, Dump Matsumoto tried her hand at the global stage. In 1986, she popped up in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), pairing with Bull Nakano as “The Devils of Japan.” Their time in the U.S. may have been brief, but it showcased Matsumoto’s heel brilliance to a whole new audience.
She didn’t stay away from AJW for long, coming back for various matches and storylines in the late ’80s. But by 1988, she officially retired—well, sort of. Like most wrestling icons, Matsumoto wasn’t done. She came back to the ring multiple times over the years, and as of now, she’s still keeping a foothold in the wrestling world.
Dump Matsumoto Recommendations:
Dump Matsumoto & Bull Nakano vs. Jumping Bomb Angels (August 22, 1985)
Dump Matsumoto vs. Chigusa Nagayo (Hair vs. Hair) (August 28, 1985)
Dump Matsumoto vs. Yukari Omoroi (March 20, 1986)
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An explainer about the real-life pro wrestling icons Dump Matsumoto and the Crush Gals at the center of Netflix’s ‘The Queen of Villains’
