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Wrestling Voice Actress Ai Shimizu Wins Triangle Ribbon Championship
posted on by Eric Stimson
Voice actress Ai Shimizu (Minawa in Mahoromatic: Something More Beautiful, Serafall in High School DxD New, Road in D.Gray-man) made a surprise career move in 2013 when she participated in a pro wrestling event. She has since trained in lucha libre, made wrestling masks, and introduced anime fans to the world of wrestling.
On July 3, she won her first belt in a three-way match at the Triangle Ribbon Championship in Kōrakuen Hall in Tokyo. Working together with Kyūri, she pinned down Maruko Nagasaki and defeated her using moves such as Kamikaze and Tsuri Girl Shiki Bakudan Katame (Fishing Girl Style Bomb Clamp). The match was over in 4 minutes and 51 seconds.
"I never expected this day would come, when I could touch this belt like this," said Shimizu afterward, moved to tears. "I'm older than everyone else [Shimizu is 35], and I was about to give up, thinking that I wouldn't have a chance to compete again before I retire. But if you keep at it good things will happen." She vowed to work hard outside of the ring as well to become a model for others to respect. "It's not like I'm going to become an honors student, but I want to be someone that everyone admires," she explained.
In other wrestling-related news, the 55th volume of Yudetamago's Kinnikuman (Ultimate Muscle) manga went on sale on July 4, and the series' total sales topped 75 million. To celebrate, idol/pro wrestler Reika Saiki will attempt to recreate ten finishing moves from the classic wrestling manga: Tower Bridge, Spinning Toehold, Palo Special, Screwdriver, Apache Battle Cry, Camel Clutch, Red Rain of Berlin, Hurricane Mixer, Face Flash, and Kinniku Buster. Her opponents are members of Tokyo Joshi Pro Wres (a Japanese women's wrestling group).
Here Saiki attempts to pull off Robin Mask's Tower Bridge.
Here she tries (and fails) to demonstrate Terryman's Spinning Toehold.
More wrestling moves will be posted here in the coming month.
Sources: Yahoo! News Japan and Comic Natalie
