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by Joutei Boshoku, January 10th, 1999 
It is just a little over one year ago in Super Japan Pro Wrestling and
already there is one feud that is quickly catching up with the fan interest
of Super Tengu/Shinji Hamada. However it is not Lance Smith vs. Mr.
Big, or Ed Dean vs. Onslaught... in fact it doesn't even involve the men's
division at all. It is "Heartbreaker" Robin Blaze vs.
"Blazing Cherry Blossom" Rekka Sakura, and it is rapidly becoming
one of the most intense feuds in the sport. It begins when Robin Blaze
attacks "Queen of Gamblers" Hanako Wu, Rekka's scheduled first
round opponent in the tournament to crown the first SJPW Women's
champion. Robin then takes Wu's place and defeats Sakura. The
feud would continue for months, and ends only when SJPW closes it's Ladies
Division. Since that time, Robin has vanished from the Japanese
puroresingu scene, competing in the U.S. based NPWA and the globetrotting
IEWA. However, with the reopening of the JIWWA, rumors are flying that
Robin Blaze may indeed be heading back to Japan.I contacted the JIWWA, who confirmed that they have in fact had telephone conversations with the notorious rulebreaker. They would not say whether or not a contract has been signed, only that Robin was the one to make the first contact. She apparently has expressed interest in competing in the JIWWA, but that was all that the JIWWA would state for the record. Next I contacted the NPWA, hoping they could shed some light on the subject. After all, between the IEWA's world tours and the NPWA's weekly U.S. based action, it would seem impossible for Robin to compete in Japan as well. As it turns out, Robin gave her notice to the NPWA before her match with Lady Apocalypse a couple of weeks ago. Adding that to the IEWA's financial troubles, that have left that fed with a shaky and inconsistent schedule as of late, and it certainly looks like Robin is putting affairs in order. From there it's not a far stretch of the imagination that she could be heading for the JIWWA. Even after the months away, she remains a popular figure with the fans of women's puroresu, and both the "Best of SJPW's Ladies" tape and "The Heartbreaker of SJPW: The Best of Robin Blaze" tape (available from SJPW Home Video) continue to be hot-sellers both in Japan and on the overseas markets. As a final act of desperation, hoping to learn something solid, I placed a call to the United States... to the Wildside Inc. School of Wrestling. The wrestling school is owned by the Blaze family as a whole, and while I didn't talk to Robin, I did manage to speak briefly with one of her brothers, Randy Blaze. He told me that Robin had always been disappointed about the closing of SJPW's ladies division and that she had found the NPWA to be "a bad mistake on her part" (a direct quote from Mr. Blaze). When asked if she had mentioned the JIWWA to him, Mr. Blaze declined comment, saying that (and I quote) "hey, Robin will let everyone know when she makes a firm decision." Read into that what you will. Will Robin Blaze return to Japan? It certainly seems possible at this point, and many fans seem ready to welcome her back. Despite her rulebreaking status, she remains a highly charismatic and talented competitor, and her marquee value would certainly help the resurgence of the JIWWA. In the end though, it seems Robin will only let us know her plans when it suits her best interests. Hopefully she'll let us know soon. 
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