Kaori Yoneyama doesn't retire

Commando Bolshoi, Kaori Yoneyama, Kayoko Haruyama

A funny thing happened on the way to Kaori Yoneyama's retirement show today at Korakuen Hall. She didn't retire. I'm not kidding. In all the years I have covered joshi puroresu, and I've been around a long time, this has never happened before. Sure, sometimes wrestlers retire and return. It doesn't happen that much but it happens. But a wrestler has never gone through a retirement show complete with ceremony and ten bell salute and decided not to go through with it. After the ceremony, Yoneyama grabbed the mic and said that she is being replaced by Yoneyama Revolution Chapter 2 and she's coming after Hailey Hatred's JWP Open Weight Championship. So why did Yoneyama want to retire in the first place? Well, after twelve years in the joshi business, a lot of wrestlers think about retirement. She had also just ended a run with the JWP Open Weight Championship and she thought she was satisfied with that. But the main reason Yoneyama wanted to retire is she was off with a broken jaw last year and she admitted it took a lot out of her and was concerned about her health. So the retirement show was booked and Yoneyama went on her retirement tour. But at a press conference last week to promote the retirement show, her long time pal and retirement match opponent Kayoko Haruyama told Yoneyama she didn't want her to retire. Yoneyama had a stunned look on her face. But these two have worked together for years. You can be sure they discussed this. Of course by this time it was too late to cancel the show. So Yoneyama went through the motions of the retirement show and then announced that she changed her mind. I think she decided a while ago not to retire and should have announced it earlier. I guess it's hard to give up that Korakuen Hall full house and the residual merchandise sales. The reaction has mostly been positive There were some boos but the crowd at the show mostly cheered. I'm sure no one will believe her the next time she announces her retirement. It was also announced that Arisa Nakajima will return to JWP after quitting in June 2009. She trained at A To Z back in 2006 and looked to have some potential. But severe depression forced her to quit. Well, that's two pieces of good news for JWP owner Commando Bolshoi.