Gatoh Move Japan Tour #246 on 9/10/16 Review

Event: Gatoh Move Japan Tour #246
Date: September 10th, 2016
Location: Yokohama Nigiwaiza Noge Schale in Kanagawa, Japan
Announced Attendance: 110

I have a bit of a soft spot for Gatoh Move which is why I keep watching them even though they are itty bitty. Plus for some reason their events pop up in a reasonable time frame. This event actually took place in a ring and has one of my favorite wrestlers in the main event, so it was an easy decision to watch, plus there were only three Joshi matches so it won’t take too long. Here are the matches:

  • Aasa vs. Aoi Kizuki
  • Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Riho and Sayaka Obihiro
  • ‘Kotori’ vs. Hikaru Shida

Quick and painless, let’s hop to it.

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Aasa vs. Aoi Kizuki

We open with a popular Freelancer against Gatoh Move’s newest wrestler. Aasa just debuted in June for Gatoh Move and has been wrestling regularly since then, needless to say she is still learning so her matches will be pretty basic. Kizuki is a former Ice Ribbon champion but hasn’t done much of note in 2016, mostly wrestling in midcard matches in various promotions around Japan.

gatoh9-10-1They begin with a tie-up and elbows, dropkick by Aoi and she throws down Aasa by her hair. Chops by Aoi and she elbows Aasa, but Aasa fights back and they trade blows. Aoi elbows Aasa to the mat and applies a kneelock, she releases the hold before putting Aasa in a stretch hold. Bodyscissors by Aoi but Aasa gets to the ropes, Aasa puts Aoi in a Cobra Twist but Aoi gets to the ropes and reverses the hold. Aasa jumps back and slams Aoi to get out of it, dropkick by Aasa and she covers Aoi for two. Aoi comes back with a running senton, she goes to the second turnbuckle but Aasa grabs her and tosses her off. Body block by Aasa and she hits a body avalanche before hitting another body block for a two count. Aoi regains control and puts Aasa in a crab hold, Aoi goes off the ropes but Aasa hits a back bodydrop and a body press for a two count. Elbow by Aoi, she slams Aasa in front of the corner and hits a diving senton for a two count. Aoi scoop slams Aasa but Aasa reverses it into a roll-up for two. Jumping lariat by Aoi, she picks up Aasa and hits a double wrist armsault. Single leg crab hold by Aoi, and Aasa quickly submits! Aoi Kizuki is the winner.

A pretty standard opening match with a rookie. Aoi Kizuki’s fall this year has been pretty epic, and to be honest her in-ring work also has gotten worse. Last year she held the Union Pro Fly to Everywhere Championship, Ice Ribbon Tag Team Championship, and ICExInfinity Championship while this year she hasn’t even had a title challenge. Weird. Anyway, Aasa looked ok for a new wrestler but her strikes lack impact, plenty of time for that to improve of course. Certainly nothing special.

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Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Riho and Sayaka Obihiro

These teams are very lopsided when it comes to experience. Sakura is the owner/trainer of Gatoh Move and formerly founded/trained in Ice Ribbon, she has been wrestling for 21 years. Yoneyama of course is a very respected veteran who is frequently seen in Stardom. On the other side, Riho is only 18 but has been wrestling since she was a child, she is the most successful trainee of Emi Sakura currently in Gatoh Move. Obihiro has been wrestling for six years and has had title success, but not since 2012 as she has been flying under the radar the last few years.

Yoneyama and Obihiro start the match for their respective teams, they bounce off the ropes (well Obihiro does) but she misses Yoneyama and both wrestlers tag out. Sakura and Riho trade holds first on the mat and then back on their feet, Riho cartwheels away from Sakura and she hits an armdrag. Obihiro gets in the ring and all three run around together until they both hit jumping knees in the corner. Cover by Riho, but Sakura kicks out at two. Riho tags Obihiro back in, drop toehold by Sakura to Obihiro and she tags in Yoneyama. Yoneyama hits a running elbow in the corner, she puts Obihiro in the ropes and Sakura chops her repeatedly in the chest. Yoneyama picks up Obihiro but Obihiro hits a scoop slam before tagging in Riho. Riho boots Yoneyama and hits a face crusher, she puts Yoneyama in a crossface but Yoneyama rolls out of it. Jumping crossbody by Riho but Yoneyama returns the favor, jumping knee by Riho as Obihiro comes in, but Yoneyama beats both of them and tags in Sakura. Sakura throws down Riho by the hair, elbows by Riho but Sakura chops Riho in the chest. They trade shots, which Sakura gets the better of, and she hits a low crossbody in the corner.

gatoh9-10-2Double underhook into a backbreaker by Sakura, and she covers Riho for a two count. Riho hits a footstomp on Sakura and goes up top, hitting a diving footstomp for a two count cover. Riho and Sakura trade flash pins, chop to the chest by Riho and she hits a jumping knee. Riho tags in Obihiro while Sakura tags Yoneyama, Obihiro goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick on Yoneyama. Yoneyama and Obihiro trade elbows, running knee to the back of the head by Yoneyama, Riho comes in to help but Sakura intercepts her. Riho knocks down Sakura but Yoneyama hits a backdrop suplex on Riho, reverse splashes by Yoneyama and Sakura on Obihiro but Obihiro avoids Sakura’s moonsault attempt. Riho hits a footstomp on Yoneyama while she is in the tree of woe, Obihiro rolls up Yoneyama but it gets a two count. Riho dropkicks Sakura and hits a Somato onto Yoneyama, but when Obihiro charges Yoneyama she is intercepted by Sakura. Sakura puts Obihiro in La Magistral, but she rolls her over to Yoneyama who puts Obihiro in a modified La Magistral for the three count! Sakura and Yoneyama are the winners!

I wouldn’t say this match was good but it wasn’t bad either. All four worked well together but the match felt like it didn’t serve any type of purpose. There wasn’t any meaning behind anything and they didn’t really tell any type of story during the match, it was just random action for the sake of it until one team won. The ending stretch was solid and all four are decent to really entertaining wrestlers, the match just didn’t pull me in.

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‘Kotori’ vs. Hikaru Shida

I finally get to see some Shida! Been awhile since I reviewed an event that she was on. Shida is one of the best Freelancers on the scene, while Kotori is one of the brightest young stars even though she is less known since she wrestles in Gatoh Move. Kotori is only 18 but has been wrestling for three years under Emi Sakura, while Shida is an eight year veteran with over a dozen title reigns in her career. There isn’t any doubt here that Shida is winning, but the feisty Kotori won’t go down easily.

gatoh9-10-3Shida works the headlock to start, Shida goes for a hip attack but Kotori avoids it and hits a springboard armdrag out of the corner. Kotori goes for a crossbody but Shida catches her and hits a back breaker, another back breaker by Shida but Kotori blocks the crab hold attempt. Shida mushes Kotori in the face against the ropes, scoop slam by Shida and she covers Kotori for two. Kotori elbows Shida but Shida elbows her back and they trade blows, monkey flip by Kotori but Shida blocks the STO. She hits it anyway and grabs Shida’s kendo stick, but Shida catches it. Kotori yanks it back and hits Shida with it twice, sending Shida out of the ring. Kotori throws the kendo stick at Shida, she gets up on the top turnbuckle but Shida throws the kendo stick back at her, knocking Kotori down to the floor. Shida rams Kotori into the ring post, knees by Shida and she hits a jumping knee from the bleacher steps. Shida slams Kotori on the apron and gets back in the ring, she pulls Kotori to the corner but Kotori elbows her and dives off the top turnbuckle, but Shida knees her on the way down. Brainbuster by Shida, and she covers Kotori for a two count. Running knee by Shida, she waits for Kotori to get up and hits a jumping knee in the corner. Shida goes for a suplex but Kotori lands on her feet, sunset flip by Kotori but she gets a two count. Kotori tries a few more flash pins but can’t keep Shida down, jumping knee by Shida and she covers her for two. Shida goes off the ropes but Kotori catches her with with a judo throw, roll-up by Kotori but Shida gets a shoulder up. Kotori picks up Shida but Shida hits an enzuigiri, tilt-a-whirl backbreaker by Shida and she goes for a fireman’s carry into a backbreaker, but Kotori lands on her own head. Shida tries again with much more success, cover by Shida but Kotori kicks out. Shida picks up Kotori but Kotori elbows her away, Michinoku Driver by Shida and she nails the Three Count for the three count pinfall! The winner of the match is Hikaru Shida.

This wasn’t an overly complicated match but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Part of that is admittedly because I love Shida, but Kotori kept up with her well with her underdog spots and looked impressive. Kotori getting the first advantage with the kendo stick was a nice touch, and they tried to make the match seem like a main event with bigger moves like the jumping knee off the bleacher steps. There was one little mistake with Shida dropping Kotori on her own head, but aside from that it was smooth as butter. Maybe better placed in the upper midcard on a normal show but a fine main event for a smaller Gatoh Move show, very enjoyable.  Recommended

Final Thoughts
1.5

 

This was a small event, but for Gatoh Move it was bigger than a lot of their shows as at least it took place in a ring. The opener was nothing special, but the midcard match was decent and the main event was a fun showing by both. Plus there was one match on the card that wasn’t a Joshi match, so its a bit more of a complete show then I reviewed. A fine smaller show fro one of the smaller Joshi promotion.