EDEN-1 Pro Wrestling is a Japanese women’s wrestling promotion co-founded by legendary Joshi superstar Miho Imagawa. It emerged—furious and phoenix-like—from the ashes of Ribbon-Rev Joshi Pro, a now-defunct indie promotion that had languished through much of the past decade due to gross mismanagement and mistreatment of its roster. Despite its earliest creative promise, Ribbon-Rev eventually squandered all of its momentum and good will through a number of disastrous managerial decisions, driving the company into a creative tailspin that led to its inevitable bankruptcy. Chief amongst its failures was sidelining much of its core roster, instead elevating idols with limited in-ring experience over its veterans and early prospects. This decision led to the departure of the promotion’s two most celebrated stars: “The Devil’s Right Hand” Ai Adachi (who signed a multiyear contract with a major US company) and “Celestial Striker” Miho Imagawa.

Imagawa—a long-storied legend within Japanese pro wrestling—spurned the advances of two major American promotions to found EDEN-1. Envisioned as a promotion that emphasized athleticism and in-ring competition over gimmickry and crude theatrics, EDEN-1 became a veritable Shangri-La for both talented up-and-comers and international superstars from across the globe. This handpicked roster formed the backbone for this fledging company, showing their commitment to presenting Joshi wrestling in a different light. Imagawa also spearheaded the creation of the EDEN-1 Dojo, which sought to bring to the public the next generation of wrestling superstars.

But Imagawa’s idyllic vision for EDEN-1 came under immediate threat. First, there was the rift that came between two of her top students: Shino Sakamoto and Arcadia Naruse. Former tag team partners, the two drifted apart and became the bitterest of rivals. In retaliation against Sakamoto and her former teacher, Arcadia Naruse declared herself the de facto leader of The Furies, a faction of "wrestling outcasts" dedicated to rebuilding the legacy of women’s wrestling outside of the shadow of Imagawa and her ilk. Then came the hiring of Jocelynn Wahl, a woman once hailed as one of the most dominant and iconic women wrestlers in all of America. At first, this was deemed a major coup for EDEN-1 — but it immediately became a source of angst and friction. Wahl—long blackballed and shut-out from every major American promotion for her bullying attitude and backstage politicking—quickly grew incensed when she realized that upper management hired her as a secondary attraction to newer, fresher talents. She decided to take matters into her own hands. Dubbing herself “the People’s Ace,” Wahl formed an insurgent faction of gaijin talents known as Martial Law. She then challenged Imagawa to a match on the promotion’s inaugural’s show to determine the first ever holder of the EDEN-1 World Championship — a long-fabled match-up between veterans that immediately electrified the landscape of Japanese wrestling. Imagawa accepted, in part to save the promotion that she had given everything to build.

And then there’s Ai Adachi, whose US contract is said to expire sometime before the end of the year.

YOUTUBE:
www.youtube.com/channel/UC5cQeHdBo8RcmhwtFxpqjAw/

SCHEDULE:
Shows run biweekly on Tuesdays at 7pm EST on YouTube. Cards announced a week in advance.

EPISODES:
Episode 1
Episode 2 (in production)