Yuka Yasukawa, better known by the ring nameAct Yasukawa, is a Japanese retired professional wrestler. Making her pro wrestling debut in 2012, she wrestled exclusively for the joshi puroresu promotion Stardom. Yasukawa was known for temporarily incorporating the blindness in her right eye, an effect of Graves' Disease, into her persona by wearing an eyepatch. She was also known for commonly carrying a bottle of rum to the ring to spit at people as part of her performance.
Yasukawa made her pro wrestling debut in a winning effort against Yuuri Haruka at the Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan. In the first month of 2013, Yasukawa captured her first pro wrestling championship alongside tag team partners Natsuki☆Taiyo and Saki Kashima. The trio won a tournament to decide the inaugural Artist of Stardom Champions. However, the team was forced to vacate their title three months later as a result of Act Yasukawa injuring her cervical spine. On November 4, 2013, Yasukawa defeated Dark Angel to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship in the puroresu-honored venue, Korakuen Hall. Yasukawa retained the championship until June 2014, when she was forced to vacate the title due to thyroid deterioration related to Graves' Disease. During this time, Yasukawa underwent cataract surgery. While in recovery,Yasukawa continued to be involved in Stardom shows by selling merchandise and being part of the ring crew. Yasukawa returned to the ring on December 7, 2014, teaming up with Kellie Skater in a losing effort against Kairi Hojo and Koguma. At the Stardom 4th Anniversary Show at Korakuen Hall, Yasukawa defeated Mayu Iwatani to win her second Wonder of Stardom Championship. She is the first of only three people thus far to hold the title twice. On February 22, 2015, Yasukawa was scheduled to challenge Yoshiko for the World of Stardom Championship in the main event of a Korakuen Hall show. However, the match resulted in a no contest when Yoshiko began to shoot on Yasukawa, legitimately assaulting her to the point that the match had to be stopped. Following the match, Yasukawa, with a bloody and badly swollen face, was rushed to a Tokyo hospital, where she was diagnosed with fractured cheek, nasal and orbital bones, which would require surgery. The incident received mainstream attention in Japan and became known as. On May 1, Yasukawa was forced to vacate the Wonder of Stardom Championship due to the facial fractures inflicted on her earlier in the year. Yasukawa eventually returned to the ring on September 23, 2015. On December 1, Yasukawa announced she would retire from professional wrestling on December 23. In her retirement match, Yasukawa and Kyoko Kimura defeated Haruka Kato and Kairi Hojo. Afterwards, Yasukawa continued working for Stardom as the manager of the Oedo Tai stable.
Personal life
Yasukawa was born in Misawa, but her family moved regularly due to her father's work in the Japan Self-Defense Forces. As a child, Yasukawa dreamed of becoming a samurai. Her parents supported her passion by guiding her into Kendo. However, when Yasukawa reached middle school she was informed there were no samurai in modern Japan. During this time, Yasukawa suffered from a near-blindness in her right eye, mental illness, and bullying. At some point during her childhood, Yasukawa attempted suicide. In high school, Yasukawa found solace by joining the drama club: Yasukawa attended the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. After being cast in the 2011 stage production of Wrestler Girls, Yuzuki Aikawa approached Yasukawa and offered her a chance to audition as a wrestler for Stardom. She agreed, but after training for only three months, Yasukawa fell ill and was advised by her doctor not to wrestle. Instead, Yasukawa chose to take medication that would leave her infertile but strengthen her body enough that she would be cleared to join Stardom. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and gardening. Yasukawa's life was the subject of the 2015 Japanese documentary Gamushara.
