Ayumi Kurihara

1.1. Birth and Upbringing

Born on July 13, 1984, Ayumi Kurihara is the daughter of a former professional boxer. Her family owned and operated a yakiniku barbecue restaurant in Ushigome-Kagurazaka, Tokyo, called "Three Jewels" (三宝_Sanpō^Japanese). This restaurant became a frequent dining spot for professional wrestlers, exposing Kurihara to the sport and its practitioners from a young age. Beyond wrestlers, the restaurant was also frequented by Olympic weightlifting medalists Yoshiyuki Miyake and his daughter Hiromi Miyake, with Hiromi even featuring the restaurant on a television program. Several professional wrestling figures also worked at the establishment, including Shuu Shibutani during her time with Pro Wrestling Wave, and former Pro Wrestling Noah wrestler Takuma Sano, who trained there before opening his own business.

1.2. School Days and Early Activities

During her school years in Tokyo, Kurihara was actively involved in sports, particularly playing basketball in high school. After graduating from high school, she worked for a period at her family's restaurant. Her initial venture into professional wrestling training was with the Major Girls' Pro-Wrestling AtoZ promotion, though she later transferred to M's Style.

2.1. Debut and Early Career

Kurihara began her training with the women's professional wrestling promotion AtoZ before transferring to M's Style. There, she honed her skills under the tutelage of prominent Japanese female wrestlers including Gami, Mariko Yoshida, Akino, and Michiko Omukai. She made her professional debut at the age of 20 on April 24, 2005, at M's Style's first-anniversary show, "Mab ~ Yume o Shihai ~". In her debut match, part of a one-day tournament, she remarkably defeated her trainer Gami by reversing a pin attempt into a roll-up. However, she was subsequently defeated by Toshie Uematsu via a flying body press in her next tournament match.

M's Style ceased operations in the fall of 2006, with Kurihara participating in the final six-person tag match, where she teamed with Tojuki Leon and Bullfight Sora to defeat Akino, Michiko Omukai, and Mariko Yoshida. Following the closure of M's Style, Kurihara began working as a freelancer, making appearances for various promotions including Neo, JWP Project, JDStar, Ibuki, and Pro Wrestling Sun. Towards the end of her tenure at M's Style, Omukai helped her develop a stronger finishing maneuver, teaching her how to perform a Uranage. This move contributed to her tag team victory with Omukai against Ayako Hamada and Cherry. In December 2006, Kurihara and Shuu Shibutani competed in a special match showcasing rising wrestlers, which was voted the best match of the night by fans, earning both women trophies.

2.2. Major Injuries and Comebacks

Kurihara's career was significantly affected by injuries, most notably a severe clavicle fracture. On July 16, 2007, during a Pro Wrestling NEO "Summer Stampede '07" show at Korakuen Hall, while teaming with Shuu Shibutani against Aoi Kizuki and Nagisa Nozaki, Kurihara suffered a broken clavicle after receiving a forceful flying clothesline from Kizuki. Despite the injury, she bravely finished the match, executing three more missile dropkicks before securing the pinfall.

She initially returned to action on December 9, 2007, for the main event tag match at Michiko Omukai's retirement show. However, this appearance re-aggravated her injury, necessitating surgery. On December 20, 2007, Kurihara underwent a surgical procedure where bone and bone marrow were harvested from her hip to reconstruct her clavicle, along with the insertion of a titanium plate and screws. After a period of recovery, she began light training with Mariko Yoshida at the U-FILE Dojo around mid-March 2008. Her official return match was set for December 14, 2008, at her self-produced show "Starting☆Over" in Tokyo's Shinjuku Face. At this event, she wrestled twice: first defeating Shuu Shibutani in the opening bout, and then teaming with Natsuki Taiyo in a two-out-of-three falls tag team main event against veterans Akino and Nanae Takahashi, marking a triumphant return.

2.3. International Exposure

Kurihara had an extensive international career, gaining significant exposure in Mexico and the United States. In August 2009, she traveled to Mexico City, Mexico, to participate in Último Dragón's Dragonmania IV show at Arena México. During this tour, she also wrestled in smaller independent events and debuted a new masked persona named A☆YU☆MI (A☆YU☆MI^Japanese). She returned to Mexico in late May and early June 2010 for her second tour. On May 29, at the Lucha Fan Fest in Circo Volador de Mexico City, A☆YU☆MI captured the X-LAW Women's Extreme Championship, a title from Xtreme Latin American Wrestling. Later that day, she returned to Arena Mexico for Dragon Mania V, where she and Marcela defeated Mima Shimoda and La Comandante in a tag match. She also competed in an eight-woman tag match for Alianza Universal de Lucha Libre (AULL) on May 30. Following a non-title loss to Tomoka Nakagawa for IWRG on June 3, A☆YU☆MI successfully defended her newly won X-LAW title against Nakagawa on June 5. She made her first appearance for Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) in Mexico in September 2010, participating in multi-woman tag matches, including the Mexico Independence 200th Anniversary show where she teamed with Dark Angel and Marcela to win a two-out-of-three falls match.

In February 2010, it was announced that Kurihara would participate in Shimmer Women Athletes shows in Berwyn, Illinois, USA, as well as Jersey All Pro Wrestling (JAPW) during the same month. On April 10 and 11, 2010, she participated in Shimmer's tapings for Volumes 29 to 32, defeating Tomoka Nakagawa, Nikki Roxx, and Sara Del Rey before losing to Daizee Haze by countout. She returned to Shimmer on September 11 and 12, 2010, for Volumes 33-36, defeating Daizee Haze in a rematch, challenging Madison Eagles unsuccessfully for the Shimmer Championship, and defeating Cheerleader Melissa. She also participated in an elimination tag team match. Her final appearance in the United States was on April 6, 2013, at Shimmer Volume 53, where she lost to Mercedes Martinez.

2.4. Championships and Tournament Success

Ayumi Kurihara accumulated numerous championships and tournament victories throughout her career across various promotions:

• In NEO Japan Ladies Pro-Wrestling, she won the NEO Tag Team Championship once with Yoshiko Tamura, and also held the NEO Single Championship and the NWA Women's Pacific Championship once each.
• She held the Shimmer Tag Team Championship once with Ayako Hamada.
• For Pro Wrestling Wave, she won the POK Championship once, the Wave Tag Team Championship once with Kana, and was the winner of the 2012 Catch the Wave tournament. She also won the 2011 Dual Shock Wave tournament with Kana.
• She became the CMLL World Women's Champion once.
• She captured the Oz Academy Tag Team Championship once with Akino.
• She was a two-time holder of the Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship from Dramatic Dream Team.
• She won the X-LAW Women's Extreme Championship once.

2.5. Retirement

On March 28, 2013, Ayumi Kurihara announced her retirement from professional wrestling, citing cumulative injuries, particularly the lingering issues with her collarbone, which had become too severe to continue her career safely. Her retirement event, titled "Thank You for Everything," was held on August 4, 2013, at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. The event was supported by Zabun, the company behind Pro Wrestling Wave, with her mentor Gami serving as the representative, as Korakuen Hall rentals are limited to corporations.

The event began with a ten-count gong and a moment of silence in tribute to Yoshiharu Imai, a former All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling ring announcer who had passed away on July 29. Kurihara wrestled two matches during the event. In the opening bout, she faced and defeated her trainee, Mika Iida, with Michiko Omukai and Fumi Kawabata (Fukagawa Yui) serving as their respective seconds, marking the first time in 12 years that the "Natural Twin Bee" duo from Arsion had appeared together. The second match was her official retirement match, a six-woman tag team main event where she teamed with Mika Iida and her trainer Akino, forming the "Autumn Chestnut Rice" trio, against Aja Kong, Gami, and Tomoka Nakagawa. In a significant moment, Kurihara pinned Aja Kong to secure the final victory of her career. During the match, Aja Kong initiated a "train attack" which saw not only wrestlers participating in the event but also unannounced guests and former rivals like Fuka, Nanae Takahashi, Natsuki Taiyo, and Io Shirai from World Wonder Ring Stardom join in the attack, marking a rare occasion where the Shirai sisters (Io and Mio) were in the same ring after two years.

Following the match, a retirement ceremony was held. A video message from Akira Hokuto, a wrestler Kurihara greatly admired, was played. Among those presenting flowers was Olympic weightlifting medalist Yoshiyuki Miyake, a long-time patron of her family's restaurant. The wrestling mat used for the ceremony featured the logo of M's Style, her only professional wrestling promotion, and Akino presented her with the M's Style championship belt. On December 31, 2013, Kurihara concluded her blog updates to coincide with Gami's retirement. She made a brief public appearance on June 1, 2014, at Korakuen Hall for Natsuki Taiyo's retirement ceremony, where she stepped into the ring.

The results of the retirement event, "Thank You for Everything", held at Korakuen Hall on August 4, 2013, with an attendance of 1,813 people, are as follows:

3.1. Signature Moves

Kurihara's move set featured several impactful techniques, many of which became her signature.

• Uranage: This was her primary finishing hold. Her execution of the Uranage was often described as being similar to an Exploder suplex, characterized by a powerful back-arching throw. In women's professional wrestling, this specific form is commonly referred to as a Uranage. She was directly taught this move by Michiko Omukai and later personally passed it on to Sareee.
• Lift Clutch Uranage: A variation of her Uranage, where she would grapple the opponent's left arm from the front, tuck her head under their right armpit, and then execute a backward arching throw to drive the opponent headfirst into the mat. She also personally taught this variation to Sareee.
• Nevagiba: A jumping double knee attack where she would place both knees onto the opponent's shoulders and push them down into a pinfall. This move was often used as a decisive finisher in critical moments. It is distinct from the move of the same name used by Saki Maemura and is identical in execution to Akira Tozawa's "Tozawa-juku Hiden: Gonki".
• Vertical Suplex Hold: A high-speed Brainbuster that ends with her maintaining a bridge to secure the pinfall. This move is a long-standing technique in women's professional wrestling but is rarely seen in men's wrestling.
• Dropkick: A fundamental but impactful move in her arsenal since her early career. She often executed it with a distinctive screw motion, a technique she considered her こだわりのドロップキック_{signature dropkick}^Japanese. She also had a variation where she would run towards an opponent seated against the ropes, delivering the kick with such force that their upper body would fly over the ropes.
• Missile Kick: A variation of the dropkick, delivered from the top turnbuckle. Before executing the move, she would typically clasp her hands together in a prayer-like gesture from the corner post. Like her standard dropkick, it often featured a screw motion. She passed on both her standard dropkick and missile kick to Mika Iida.
• Miracle Kick: A further derivative of the missile kick, specifically used for opponents outside the ring. This move became less common in her later career.
• Double Knee Attack: Primarily used as a running corner attack, often after she would incite the audience with claps. She also used it against opponents slumped in the corner.
• Back Cracker: Frequently used as a change-of-pace maneuver. She sometimes targeted the opponent's face, similar to Chris Jericho's Codebreaker, or executed it with one leg, reminiscent of The Hurricane.
• Koinobori (Neck Hanging): Also known as a flying neckbreaker drop, which she would often perform in rapid succession. This move involved wrapping an arm around the opponent's neck and then taking a forward bump, characteristic of the "joshi style" neckbreaker.
• Plancha Suicida: Her signature high-flying move to the outside, typically performed by diving over the top rope onto an opponent outside the ring.
• Headbutt: An unexpected strike often delivered during sequences of elbows or other striking exchanges.
• Maroll: With the opponent seated, she would position her hips against the back of their head, hook her legs around their armpits, and then roll forward, scooping the opponent into a pin.

3.2. In-Ring Character and Traits

Kurihara was known for her willingness to engage in hard-hitting exchanges, leading American wrestler Steve Corino, who faced her in a mixed tag match in Pro Wrestling SUN, to affectionately refer to her as "lil' Kawada girl," a nod to the notoriously stiff-striking wrestler Toshiaki Kawada. During her time wrestling in Mexico, she adopted a masked persona, A☆YU☆MI, presenting a villainous version of her masked identity. Her public image also contributed to her popularity, with fans often referring to her as the かわいすぎるレスラー_{kawaii sugiru wrestler (too cute wrestler)}^Japanese.

4.1. Family and Marriage

Ayumi Kurihara is married to fellow professional wrestler YOSHI-HASHI, who is affiliated with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Her birth name is Yoshihashi Ayumi.

4.2. Post-Retirement Activities

Following her retirement from professional wrestling in August 2013, Ayumi Kurihara publicly stated her aspiration to become a nursery teacher. Since her retirement, she has largely withdrawn from public appearances, focusing on her new path, though she did attend Natsuki Taiyo's retirement ceremony at World Wonder Ring Stardom in 2014.

6.1. Self-Produced Events

Ayumi Kurihara personally planned and organized several professional wrestling events throughout her career:

• On July 16, 2006, she co-produced "Animal Marron Kōgyō" (Animal Marron Show) with Bullfight Sora and Tojuki Leon.
• On December 14, 2008, she held her first solo self-produced show, "Ayumi Kurihara Comeback Show," at Shinjuku Face.
• On April 24, 2010, she held a "Ayumi Kurihara Debut 5th Anniversary Match" at the event space in front of Chiba Marine Stadium.
• On December 12, 2010, she held her "Debut 5th Anniversary Show" at Shinjuku Face.
• On April 24, 2011, she held a "Ayumi Kurihara Debut 6th Anniversary Match" at the Welcome Stage of Fukuda Denshi Arena.

6.2. Media Appearances and Publications

Kurihara made several appearances on television and radio, and also had magazine serializations and published photo books.

• She was a regular on the MBS Radio program "Motto Gucha Mazze!" (もっともゴチャ・まぜっ!^Japanese).
• Her television appearances included Nippon Television's "Majo-tachi no 22-ji" (魔女たちの22時^Japanese, Witches at 10 PM) and TV Asahi's "'Pusu' Suma" (『ぷっ』すま^Japanese) and "Ameagari Kesshitai no Talk Bangumi Ame Talk!" (雨上がり決死隊のトーク番組アメトーーク!^Japanese, Ameagari Kesshitai's Talk Show Ame Talk!).
• She had a magazine serialization titled "Henachoko Tsūshin" (へなちょこつうしん^Japanese, Rookie Correspondent) in Weekly Gong and later Lady's Gong (now RINGSTARS).
• She released two photo books:
  • A-STYLE (December 20, 2010, Genryusha)
  • A-STYLE 2ND (December 1, 2011, Genryusha)

6.3. Entrance Theme

Ayumi Kurihara's entrance theme song was "Kibouhou" (希望峰^Japanese, Cape of Hope) by the band Strawberry JAM. This song was also the opening theme for the anime series Spiral - Suiri no Kizuna. Atsuko Emoto reportedly recommended this song to Kurihara.

7.1. Public Image and Popularity

Throughout her career, Kurihara cultivated a strong public image, often being affectionately referred to as the かわいすぎるレスラー_{kawaii sugiru wrestler (too cute wrestler)}^Japanese by fans. This nickname reflected her significant popularity and the general positive reception she received, distinguishing her among her peers. Her charming persona, combined with her tenacious in-ring performances, garnered her a devoted fanbase and contributed to her widespread appeal within the industry.

7.2. Impact on the Wrestling Industry

Kurihara's influence extended beyond her own matches, notably impacting other wrestlers. She directly passed on her signature Uranage and Lift Clutch Uranage techniques to younger talent, such as Sareee, ensuring the continuation of these impactful moves within the next generation of wrestlers. Similarly, she taught her distinctive dropkicks and missile kicks to Mika Iida. Her career, marked by overcoming significant injuries and achieving success both domestically and internationally, served as an inspiration. Her retirement, due to the physical toll of her career, also brought attention to the demanding nature of professional wrestling and the cumulative effects it can have on athletes. Her final match, where she pinned a formidable opponent like Aja Kong, solidified her legacy as a formidable and respected competitor in the history of joshi puroresu.