Saya Kamitani makes history in Tokyo Sports Awards
Stardom wrestler Saya Kamitani has made history in the 2025 Tokyo Sports Awards, becoming the first female to be named MVP.
The award winners were unveiled today with Kamitani taking the top prize. She follows Zack Sabre Jr., Tetsuya Naito, Kazuchika Okada, and Shingo Takagi as the most recent winners.
Kamitani is the current NJPW Strong Women’s Champion and World of Stardom Champion. Speaking in character, Kamitani said she shattered all preconceptions by becoming the first female to win this award. She vowed to take pro wrestling to new heights that cannot be imagined.
A double title match featuring Kamitani is scheduled for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 20 on January 4. It will be Kamitani vs. Syuri in a match where the Strong Women’s Championship and IWGP Women’s Championship are both on the line.
Hiroshi Tanahashi, who is set to retire at the January 4 Tokyo Dome show, finished second in MVP voting but was recognized through winning the Technique Award.
The Tokyo Sports awards have existed for five-plus decades now and are considered very important to the legacy of wrestlers in Japan. Here is the full list of this year’s winners:
Tokyo Sports Awards 2025 —
- MVP: Saya Kamitani
- Best Match: OZAWA vs. Kaito Kiyomiya from NOAH The New Year 2025
- Women’s MVP: Saya Kamitani
- Outstanding Performer: Konosuke Takeshita
- Fighting Spirit Award: Sareee
- Technique Award: Hiroshi Tanahashi
- Best Tag Team: Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice)
- Rookie of the Year: Kaisei Takechi of DDT Pro Wrestling
- Special Topic Award: Teppei Arita of the comedy duo Cream Stew for his pro wrestling YouTube channel
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.