Azumi Hyuga announces retirement

Azumi Hyuga held a press conference to announce that she will retire on JWP's year end Korakuen Hall show on Dec. 27. Azumi has had several knee surgeries including one last year so I can only assume that her knees aren't getting any better. She's always performed at a high level and probably doesn't want to slip into mediocrity like other veterans who hung on too long. Of course it hurts JWP but after fifteen years, it's time to go while she can still walk. She was born Tomoko Kuzumi Jan. 5, 1975 in Matsudo City. She debuted on Dec. 4, 1994 and by the time she changed her name to Azumi Hyuga in 1999, she had already become one of the top wrestlers in Japan. Despite JWP's financial problems, she remained loyal to the company when she probably should have left to make more money. Back in 2003, she was the only reason to watch JWP. Azumi Hyuga is not only a tremendous technical wrestler capable of almost any move you can imagine, she is a main event performer who always rose to the occasion and delivered superior matches routinely. A great example of this is her Dec. 2006 60 minute draw against Yoshiko Tamura. Tamura is a notoriously inconsistent performer equally capable of delivering great performances and stinking out the joint. Hyuga's consistency was a big reason for that match being hailed as 2006 match of the year. She's a very dependable performer. Of course JWP and NEO botched following up on that match. Maybe we'll see a rematch now. So it's a sad day for joshi puroresu but I'm sure all fans wish Azumi Hyuga the best in whatever she does upon her retirement.