Kyoko Kimura

Kyoko Kimura (Japanese: 木村 響子, Hepburn: Kimura Kyōko, born March 19, 1977)[1] is a retired Japanese professional wrestler and mixed martial artist. Throughout her 14-year career, she competed in Big Japan Pro Wrestling, Ibuki, Ice Ribbon, JWP Joshi Puroresu, NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom, among other promotions. She is best known for her Jamaican flag shirt and puffed afro that at one point stood at roughly one foot tall. She is known for wrestling in barbed wire deathmatches as well as her singles bouts. She retired from professional wrestling in January 2017.

Kyoko Kimura
Kimura in March 2012
Born (1977-03-19) March 19, 1977[1]
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan[1]
Spouse(s)
Isao Kobayashi
​
(m. 2016)​
ChildrenHana Kimura
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Caribbean Kim
Kyoko Kimura
Yanbaru Queen Na
Billed height1.64 m (5 ft 4 1⁄2 in)[1]
Billed weight62 kg (137 lb)[1]
DebutJuly 20, 2003[1]
RetiredJanuary 22, 2017[2]

Professional wrestling career

Kimura started her professional wrestling career in the JWP Joshi Puroresu promotion, making her debut on July 20, 2003.[1] She remained with the promotion in a small role for over two years, before quitting in late 2005 and becoming a freelancer.[1] During the following years, Kimura made appearances for promotions such as Ibuki,[3] Oz Academy,[4] and Pro Wrestling Wave,[5] while also making her debut in death matches.[1]

Kimura's first major role in professional wrestling came in the NEO Japan Ladies Pro Wrestling promotion, where, in 2008, she became the leader of the villainous Revolucion Amandla stable, which also included Tomoka Nakagawa and Atsuko Emoto, with whom Kimura held the NEO Tag Team Championship.[6][7][8] In October 2009, Revolucion Amandla also made a tour of Mexico.[9][10] Kimura remained a regular for NEO until the promotion folded in December 2010, with her stable being involved in major storyline rivalries with Las Cachorras Orientales (Etsuko Mita and Mima Shimoda) and Passion Red (Kana, Nanae Takahashi and Natsuki☆Taiyo).[11][12]

In May 2012, Kimura began working regularly for the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion, where she joined the villainous Kawasaki Katsushika Saikyou Densetsu Plus One stable.[13] However, after losing a battle against Natsuki☆Taiyo for the leadership of the stable, Kimura quit the stable on August 5 and formed the new Kimura Monster-gun stable with Hailey Hatred.[14] From August 19 to September 30, Kimura took part in the first ever 5★Star GP, making it to the finals, before losing to Yuzuki Aikawa.[14][15][16] In September, Kimura also began working regularly for the Ice Ribbon promotion, culminating on her and Sayaka Obihiro winning the International Ribbon Tag Team and Reina World Tag Team Championships on December 19, 2012, the latter title owned by the Reina X World promotion.[17][18][19] On January 14, 2013, Kimura received her first shot at Stardom's top title, the World of Stardom Championship, but was defeated by the defending champion, Nanae Takahashi.[20][21][22] On March 17, Kimura and Hatred defeated Kawasaki Katsushika Saikyou Densetsu (Natsuki☆Taiyo and Yoshiko) to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship.[23] The following November, Kimura teamed with two other Monster-gun stablemates, Alpha Female and The Female Predator "Amazon", to win the Artist of Stardom Championship.[24] During November, Kimura also teamed with Act Yasukawa to win the 2013 Goddesses of Stardom Tag Tournament.[24] On January 26, 2014, Kimura became the first two-time Goddess of Stardom Champion, when she won title alongside Alpha Female.[25] On May 4, Kimura teamed with Command Bolshoi to defeat Rabbit Miu and Tsukushi for JWP Joshi Puroresu's vacant Daily Sports Women's Tag Team and JWP Tag Team Championships.[26] On October 15, Kimura and Tomoka Nakagawa, the reformed Revolucion Amandla, won Pro Wrestling Wave's 2014 Dual Shock Wave tournament and the Wave Tag Team Championship.[27] On January 18, 2015, Kimura formed a new version of Monster-gun, named Oedo Tai, with Act Yasukawa, Dragonita, Heidi Lovelace, Hudson Envy and Kris Wolf.[28]

On April 11, 2015, Kimura made her American debut for Shimmer Women Athletes.[29]

On August 7, 2016, Kimura defeated her daughter Hana in the first match between the two. Following the match, she announced she would be holding her retirement event on January 22, 2017.[30] Kimura went on to win a championship with her daughter, when the two, along with Kagetsu, won the Artist of Stardom Championship on October 2, 2016.[31] Kimura held her retirement event, entitled "Last Afro", on January 22, 2017, in Korakuen Hall. In what was advertised as her retirement match, Kimura teamed with her daughter Hana and husband Isao in a six-person tag team match, where they were defeated by Aja Kong, Meiko Satomura and Minoru Suzuki with Satomura pinning her for the win. Afterwards, Kimura wrestled one more bonus match against her daughter, refereed by her husband. Hana pinned Kyoko with a big boot to end her career.[2]

Personal life

In 2016, Kimura married professional wrestler and mixed martial artist Isao Kobayashi, better known simply as Isao.[2][32] Her daughter Hana was also a professional wrestler until her death in 2020.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts career

Kimura made her mixed martial arts debut against Megumi Yabushita at Pancrase Impressive Tour 11 on November 12, 2011 (2011-11-12).[42] She won the fight by TKO (doctor stoppage) after Yabushita suffered an ankle injury in the first round.[43]

Kimura next faced Mizuho Sato at Pancrase Progress Tour 1 on January 28, 2012 (2012-01-28).[44] The match ended in a unanimous draw.[45]

On April 1, 2012 (2012-04-01), Kimura faced South Korean Kim Sung Eun at Pancrase Progress Tour 4, winning the match via TKO in 61 seconds.[46]

On May 20, 2012 (2012-05-20), Kimura suffered her first MMA loss when she was submitted by Rin Nakai at Pancrase Progress Tour 6.[47]

Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown
4 matches 2 wins 1 loss
By knockout 2 0
By submission 0 1
Draws 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 2-1-1 Rin Nakai Submission (armbar) Pancrase Progress Tour 6 May 20, 2012 1 4:32 Okinawa, Okinawa, Japan
Win 2-0-1 Kim Sung Eun TKO (punches) Pancrase Progress Tour 4 April 1, 2012 1 1:01 Ariake, Tokyo, Japan
Draw 1-0-1 Mizuho Sato Draw (unanimous) Pancrase Progress Tour 1 January 28, 2012 2 5:00 Ariake, Tokyo, Japan
Win 1-0-0 Megumi Yabushita TKO (doctor stoppage) Pancrase: Impressive Tour 11 November 12, 2011 1 5:00 Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan

References
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