Kaoru Maeda, a Japanese professional wrestler, is better known by her ring name Kaoru, stylized in all capital letters. She is recognized as the "Original Hardcore Queen" for her unique wrestling style that combines high-flying moves with hardcore wrestling. Trained by All Japan Women's Pro-Wrestling (AJW),Maeda initially worked in Japan and Mexico during the late 1980s and early 1990s before making her breakthrough in Gaea Japan, where she was a founding member of the D-Fix stable.
After Gaea Japan ceased operations in 2005, Maeda became a freelancer, closely affiliated with Oz Academy. She eventually returned from a three-year-long injury break and began teaming with Jungle Jack 21 in 2010. Kaoru made her way to the top, defeating Ozaki-gun member Yumi Ohka and Takako Inoue, and eventually winning the Oz Academy Openweight Championship.
Kaoru successfully defended her title on multiple occasions, including a Last Woman Standing match against Mayumi Ozaki. However, her reign was cut short when she fractured her calcaneus during a match against Aja Kong and Mayumi Ozaki, resulting in the referee declaring the match a no contest and stripping her of the title.
After undergoing surgery and recovering from an osteomyelitis infection, Kaoru continued her career, signing with Marvelous promotion in 2015. She made her debut for World Wonder Ring Stardom in 2015 and finished the 5★Star GP with a record of three wins, one draw, and one loss.
Kaoru has also held the Sendai Girls World Tag Team Championship on multiple occasions, teaming with Dash Chisako. Her impressive wrestling career has earned her recognition as a top female wrestler in Japan.
