Emi Sakura

Real Name: Emi Motokawa
Height: 5’1″
Weight: 150 lbs.
Date of Birth: October 4, 1976
From: Kimitsu, Chiba, Japan
Pro Debut: August 17, 1995
Trained By: Keisuke Yamada
Finishing Move: Firebird Splash

Biography

– Motokawa was turned away by LLPW and Gaea Japan before being accepted into the IWA:Japan dojo in 1994
– Motokawa wrestled her first professional match against Kiyoko Ichiki on August 17, 1995. Since Ichiki and Motokawa were the only two female wrestlers employed by IWA:Japan, the two solely wrestled each other between August 1995 and June 1996, when they were joined by Yukiko Kadota
– On August 13, 1997, Motokawa defeated Luna Vachon to win the AWF Womens Title
– In September 1997, Motokawa began working primarily for All Japan Women
– On January 24, 1998, Motokawa defeated Momoe Nakanishi to win the AJW Title
– On February 14, Motokawa defeated Miho Wakizawa to retain the AJW Title
– On February 17, Motokawa defeated Miyuki Fujii to retain the AJW Title
– On March 7, Motokawa defeated Kayo Noumi to retain the AJW Title
– On March 13, Motokawa defeated Sumie Sakai to retain the AJW Title
– On April 29, Motokawa defeated Tomohiro Nakano to retain the AWF Womens Title
– On June 24, Motokawa defeated Sayuri Okino to retain the AWF Womens Title
– On July 19, Motokawa defeated Sachie Nishibori to retain the AWF Womens Title
– Motokawa began competing full time for FMW in August 1999
– Following the demise of FMW, Motokawa joined the GTKN promotion, working exclusively as a trainer for her first year with the company
– Motokawa returned to in-ring action in December 2002 and would change her ring name to Emi Sakura early the following year
– Sakura would win and lose the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Title on March 25, 2006
– In April 2006, Sakura formed her own Ice Ribbon promotion, where she served as promoter, head trainer, booker and in-ring talent
– On May 5, Sakura defeated President Koda to win the DDT Iron Man Heavy Metal Title, but would lose it back to Hinata that same day
– On April 22, 2007, Sakura wrestled 11 consecutive matches against her various trainees at an Ice Ribbon event
– On July 16, Sakura & Yoshiko Tamura defeated Haruka Matsuo & Misae Genki to win the NEO Tag Team Titles
– On May 3, 2009, Sakura defeated Nanae Takahashi to win the NWA Womens Pacific Title and the NEO Title, but would lose the titles to Yoshiko Tamura two days later
– On July 5, Sakura & Nanae Takahashi defeated Yoshiko Tamura & Fuka in the final of the NEO Mid Summer Tag Tournament
– On July 19, Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama defeated Command Bolshoi & Megumi Yabushita to win the JWP and Daily Sports Tag Team Titles
– On September 21, Sakura & Yoneyama defeated Minori Makiba & Nanae Takahashi to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On October 12, Sakura defeated Makoto to win the ICEx60 Title. Over the next month, she would defend it against Mai Ichii, Hikari Minami, Chii Tomiya, Riho, Tsukasa Fujimoto, Makoto, Sachie Abe & Misaki Ohata
– On November 23, Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama defeated Hamuko Hoshi & Kazumi Shimomouma to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On November 29, Sakura & Yoneyama defeated Passion Hotty & Natsuki Taiyo to retain the JPW and Daily Sports Tag Team Titles
– On June 5, 2010, Sakura defeated Tsukasa Fujimoto & Tsukushi to retain the ICEx60 Title
– On September 25, Sakura & Nanae Takahashi defeated Mai Ichii & GENTARO to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On October 10, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Hamuko Hoshi & Sayaka Obihiro to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– The next day, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Tanny Mouse & Yuki Miyazaki to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On October 20, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Tsukasa Fujimoto & Hikaru Shida to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On October 27, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Mimori Makiba & Makoto to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On November 13, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Hikaru Shida & Riho to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On November 23, Sakura & Takahashi defeated Miyako Matsumoto & Hikaru Shida to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On December 11, Sakura & Takahashi fought Yoshiko Tamura & Hikaru Shida to a time-limit draw to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On March 26, 2011, Sakura & Ray defeated Muscle Venus (Tsukasa Fujimoto & Hikaru Shida) to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On April 9, Sakura & Ray defeated Lee Yoneyamakao & Hikari Minami to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On April 16, Sakura & Ray defeated Tsukushi & Riho to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On May 5, Sakura & Ray defeated Hikaru Shida & Syuri to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On May 18, Sakura & Ray defeated Makoto Oishi & Neko Nitta to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On August 13, Sakura & Makoto defeated Hamuko Hoshi & Mochi Miyagi to win the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On August 17, Sakura & Makoto defeated Hikari Minami & Riho to retain the International Ribbon Tag Team Titles
– On December 25, Sakura & Tsukushi defeated Meiko Satomura & Sendai Sachiko to win the vacant International Ribbon Tag Team Titles. They would lose the titles to Hikaru Shida & Maki Narumiya a few days later
– On January 17, 2012, Sakura lost her Ice Ribbon farewell match to Tsukushi and she became a freelancer
– In February 2012, Sakura formed the BKK Pro company in Bangkok, Thailand
– On May 4, Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama defeated Command Bolshoi & Rabbit Miu to win the JWP and Daily Sports Tag Team Titles
– In mid-May, BKK Pro was renamed Gatoh Move
– On June 17, Sakura & Yoneyama defeated Manami Katsu & Arisa Nakajima to retain the JWP and Daily Sports Tag Team Titles
– On July 15, Sakura & Yoneyama defeated WANTED14 (Maury & KAZUKI) to retain the JWP and Daily Sports Tag Team Titles
– On October 28, Sakura defeated Kayoko Haruyama to win the JWP Openweight Title
– On November 10, Sakura defeated Kay Lee Ray to retain the JWP Openweight Title, then defeated Nikki Storm to win the EVE Title
– On December 20, Sakura fought Hiroyo Matsumoto to a time-limit draw to retain the EVE Title
– On June 1, 2013, Sakura defeated Kappa Komachi to win the vacant AWF Womens Title
– On July 15, Sakura defeated Kiyoko Ichiki to retain the AWF Womens Title
– On August 10, Sakura defeated Pollyanna to retain the AWF Womens Title
– On November 16, Sakura defeated Kyonan Shihan to retain the AWF Womens Title and win the IWA Heavyweight and Junior Heavyweight Titles
– In December 2013, Sakura wrestled Riho on a pair of Wrestle-1 events
– On January 25, 2014, Sakura defeated Antonio Honda in a Wasabi Cream Deathmatch to win the IWA Triple Crown Title
– On February 7, Sakura defeated DJ Nira to retain the IWA Triple Crown Title
– On May 18, Sakura defeated Helanto to retain the IWA Triple Crown Title
– On March 28, 2017, Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi defeated Riho & Kotori to win the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles
– On August 5, Sakura defeated Riho to win the vacant IWA Triple Crown Title
– On August 11, Sakura & Takanashi defeated Kaori Yoneyama & Madoka to retain the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles
– On December 21, Sakura & Takanashi defeated Chon Shiryu & Baliyan Akki to retain the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles
– On February 28, 2018, Sakura & Takanashi defeated The Man Brothers (Jeff & Kevin) to retain the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles
– On April 28, Sakura & Takanashi won the Go-Go Green Curry Koppun Cup Tournament, defeating Kaori Yoneyama & Baliyan Akki in the final
– On October 12, Sakura defeated Kanji to win the vacant 3CW Womens Title
– On October 20, Sakura defeated Yuna Mizumori to retain the 3CW Womens Title
– On December 11, Sakura defeated Ancham to retain the 3CW Womens Title
– On January 13, 2019, Sakura defeated Sayaka Obihiro to retain the 3CW Womens Title
– In May 2019, Sakura signed a part-time deal with the new AEW promotion, working as both an in-ring talent and as a trainer and talent scout. She would appear on the first AEW PPV, competing on the losing side of a six-woman tag team match
– On November 23, Sakura defeated Jonathan Johnson, Shivam & Paksa to win the One And Only Title
– On March 20, 2020, Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama defeated Tropikawild (Yuna Mizumori & SAKI) to win the Asia Dream Tag Team Titles
– On March 28, Sakura worked the first ChocoPro event in Hiroba, Tokyo
– Sakura worked the Japanese bracket of the AEW Womens Title Eliminator Tournament, defeating VENY before losing to Yuka Sakazaki
– In July 2021, Sakura announced that she would be moving to the US for a full-time run with AEW, but would make only one televised appearance before the end of 2022
– On December 10, 2022, Sakura defeated Raychell Rose to win the DPW Womens Title
– On February 25, 2023, Sakura defeated Sumie Sakai to retain the DPW Womens Title
– On April 27, Sakura defeated Miyuki Takase to retain the DPW Womens Title
– On July 5, Sakura defeated Hagane Shinnou to win the Super Asia Title
– On July 11, Sakura wrestled Masahiro Takanashi to a time-limit draw to retain the Super Asia Title
– On August 13, Sakura defeated Killer Kelly to retain the DPW Womens Title