Raku (らく, born December 5, 1997) is a Japanese idol and professional wrestler working for the Japanese promotion Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling.

Raku
Raku in July 2022
Born (1997-12-05) December 5, 1997 (age 26)[1]
Tokyo, Japan[2]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Raku
Billed height160 cm (5 ft 3 in)[3]
Trained byMakoto Oishi
DebutJanuary 4, 2018

Professional wrestling career

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On August 12, 2017, in a new project in collaboration with DDT Pro-Wrestling, an Up Up Girls (Pro Wrestling) audition was announced, and four successful candidates were chosen, Miu Watanabe, Raku, Hinano, and Hikari Noa.[4] Raku changed her name in katakana and made her stage debut at @JAM EXPO on August 27.[5]

Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (2018–present)

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On January 4, 2018, at TJPW Tokyo Joshi Pro '18, Raku made her professional wrestling debut, where she teamed up with Hikari Noa as "Up Up Girls", losing to fellow stablemates Pinano Pipipipi and Miu Watanabe in a tag team match.[6][7] On March 31, at TJPW Yokodai Station Pro Wrestling 2018, she wrestled her first singles match against Yuka Sakazaki in a losing effort.[8] On June 1, 2019, Raku participated in the Tokyo Princess Cup for the first time, where she lost to Maki Itoh in the first round.[9] On April 29, 2023, at TJPW Precious Time, Raku, along with Pom Harajuku and Yuki Aino won the Shinagawa Three Woman Festival.[10][11]

DDT Pro Wrestling (2018–present)

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Due to TJPW being under the same CyberFight flagship, Raku has competed in various of DDT Pro Wrestling's events. She made her first appearance at DDT Tokyo Idol Festival 2018 on August 3, where she teamed up with her Up Up Girls stablemates Hikari Noa, Pinano Pipipipi, Miu Watanabe, and Danshoku Dino to defeat Hyper Misao, Makoto Oishi, Yuki Kamifuku, Akari Saho, Aya Kajishima, Mayu Yoshikawa and Sanshiro Takagi.[12] On August 2, 2019, at DDT Street Pro Wrestling In Tokyo Idol Festival 2019, Raku competed in a battle royal for the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship won by Momomi Wagatsuma who dethroned the previous champion Yukio Sakaguchi. The match also involved other notable opponents such as Yukio Naya and other idols like Natsumi Misake and Rise Shiokawa.[13] Another signature event in which Raku competed was the DDT Ultimate Party, making her first appearance at the Ultimate Party 2019 edition on November 3, where she teamed up with Haruna Neko, Mirai Maiumi, Pom Harajuku and lost to Hikari Noa, Mahiro Kiryu, Suzume and Yumi.[14]

Pro Wrestling Noah (2021)

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At CyberFight Festival 2021, a cross over event promoted by all DDT, TJPW and Pro Wrestling Noah on June 6, 2021, in where Kaya Toribami also debuted, Raku teamed with Toribami, Nao Kakuta, Pom Harajuku and Mahiro Kiryu [ja] to face BeeStar (Mirai Maiumi and Suzume), Haruna Neko [ja], Moka Miyamoto and Arisu Endo. In the end, Maiumi hit Kiryu with a lariat to win the match via pinfall.[15][16] On June 12, 2022, at CyberFight Festival 2022, she teamed up with Aino, Misao, Harajuku and Neko in a losing effort against Kakuta, Kiryu, Miyamoto, Endo and Toribami.[17]

Championships and accomplishments

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References

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  1. ^ Joshi City. "Profiles/Raku". joshicity.com. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  2. ^ Saalbach, Axel. "Raku • General Information". wrestlingdata.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  3. ^ Kreikenbohm, Philip. "Miu Watanabe/Career Data". cagematch.de (in German). Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  4. ^ "アップアップガールズ(プロレス)練習生が決定!! 生オーディション開催決定! | DDTプロレスリング公式サイト". www.ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  5. ^ "@JAM EXPO2017でアップアップガールズ(プロレス)がお披露目ライブ | 日刊エンタメクリップ". entameclip.com (in Japanese). 10 September 2017. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  6. ^ "アプガ(プロレス)4人がデビュー戦「夢かなった」 - 芸能 : 日刊スポーツ". nikkansports.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  7. ^ DDT Pro Wrestling (January 4, 2018). "DDT ProWrestling" 東京女子プロレス’18. ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "◆2018年3月31日(土) 神奈川・JR根岸線「洋光台」駅前広場特設 | 東京女子プロレス". www.tokyojyoshipro.net. Retrieved 2018-04-21.
  9. ^ "第6回東京プリンセスカップのトーナメント組み合わせが決定!". DDT ProWrestling. DDTプロレスリング. May 17, 2019. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  10. ^ a b Peterson, Karen (April 29, 2023). "Dream Slam Monthly Vol. 4: Graduation Season". Post Wrestling. Archived from the original on May 5, 2023.
  11. ^ Daly, Wayne (April 29, 2023). "TJPW Results: Precious Time – Tokyo, Japan (4/29)". Wrestling News Net. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023.
  12. ^ Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling (August 3, 2018). "DDT ProWrestling" TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL 2018. ddtpro.com (in Japanese). Retrieved October 29, 2022.
  13. ^ DDT ProWrestling [@ddtpro] (August 2, 2019). "▼アイアンマンヘビーメタル級選手権エニウェアフォール・バトルロイヤル <王者>●大石真翔 vs 我妻桃実○<挑戦者> 9分59秒 逆エビ固め ※大石が防衛に失敗、我妻が第1391代王者となり、試合終了。 #ddtpro #TIF2019 #ハコムス @ponyo_mo9 https://t.co/JB5hFrskZ5" (Tweet) (in Japanese). Retrieved June 11, 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "Ultimate Party 2019~DDTグループ大集合!~". DDT ProWrestling. DDTプロレスリング. November 3, 2019. Retrieved 2022-04-21.
  15. ^ Pro Wrestling Noah (June 6, 2021). 2021年06月06日 (日) CyberFight Festival 2021|サイバーファイトフェスティバル2021. noah.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  16. ^ Voices Of Wrestling Stuff (June 6, 2021). "CYBERFIGHT FESTIVAL 2021 (JUNE 6) RESULTS & REVIEW". voicesofwrestling.com. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  17. ^ Lambert, Jeremy (June 12, 2022). "CyberFight Festival 2022 Results (6/12): DDT, NOAH, TJPW, NJPW Talent In Action". fightful.com. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
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