Event: Marvelous 6th Anniversary
Date: May 1st, 2022
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown
Broadcast: Streamed on Zaiko and Passmarket

I don’t get to watch a lot of Marvelous these days, which is a shame since they are a fun little promotion. Run by Chigusa Nagayo and led by Takumi Iroha, they have had a lot of issues the last few years with wrestlers leaving or getting injured, but they still plug along and put on entertaining events. This is a big show for them, as for their Anniversary event they are running Korakuen Hall. Its not a long event with only five matches (I’ll only be reviewing the Joshi matches, so four for our purposes), but that doesn’t mean it won’t deliver. Even though this is a Marvelous event, the titles for the revived GAEA Japan promotion will be defended, since Chigusa Nagayo is a big part of its occasional revival. Here is the Joshi portion of the card:

• An Chamu, Chikayo Nagashima, and Makoto vs. Ai Houzan, Miyako Matsumoto, and Yurika Oka
• Maria vs. Riko Kawahata
• AAAW Championship: Takumi Iroha vs. Yuu
• AAAW Tag Team Championship: Itsuki Aoki and Rin Kadokura vs. Kaoru Ito and Tomoko Watanabe

All wrestlers on the show have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. Onto the show!

An Chamu, Nagashima, and Makoto vs. Ai Houzan, Matsumoto, and Yurika Oka

Team Matsumoto attack their opponents from behind to start the match, Chamu is isolated and triple teamed in the corner. Makoto and Nagashima eventually return to even the odds, and eventually Houzan stays in the ring with Chamu to become the legal wrestlers. Kick to the check by Chamu, she picks up Houzan while Nagashima comes in the ring so they can double team her. Chamu tags Makoto, kick by Makoto to Houzan and she hits a hard shoulderblock. Another shoulderblock by Makoto, and she covers Houzan for two. Makoto works a headlock, Houzan pushes her back into the corner and Makoto tags Nagashima and Nagashima keeps up the assault on Houzan, but Houzan eventually delivers a dropkick and tags Matsumoto. Matsumoto throws Nagashima into the corner but when she charges in, Nagashima puts her in a hanging armbar. She lets go and steps on Matsumoto’s hands, running kick by Nagashima and she covers Matsumoto for two. Nagashima goes for another kick but it gets blocked, Nagashima knocks Matsumoto to the mat but Matsumoto bridges out of the pin. Nagashima returns to the dominate position anyway, Complete Shot by Nagashima and she tags Chamu.

Chamu dropkicks Matsumoto before hitting a DDT for a two count. Schoolboy by Chamu and she applies a figure four, but Matsumoto gets to the ropes for the break. Chamu goes for a hip attack but Matsumoto moves, kick by Matsumoto and she delivers a Stunner followed by a Shining Wizard for two. Matsumoto tags Oka, lots of dropkicks by Oka and she covers Chamu for two. Face crusher by Oka, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Nagashima grabs her from the apron. This gives Chamu time to recover and she throws Oka back to the mat, hair toss by Chamu and she hits a running double knee in the corner. Chamu picks up Oka, Oka gets away from her but Chamu kicks Oka in the head. Fisherman suplex by Chamu, and she covers Oka for two. Makoto is tagged in, Makoto boots Oka in the corner and hits an armdrag. Makoto applies an armbar but it gets broken up, scoop slam by Oka and everyone on her team runs over Makoto’s stomach. Nagashima and Chamu eventually get in the ring to help their partner, spinning headscissors by Oka to Makoto and she hits a dropkick. Oka charges Makoto but Makoto drop toeholds her into the ropes and delivers a big boot for two. Drop toehold by Oka and she cradles Makoto for two. Dropkick by Oka and she tags Houzan, dropkicks by Houzan to Makoto and she covers her for two. Houzan picks up Makoto and hits a series of elbows, dropkick by Houzan but Makoto boots her in the throat.

Double kneedrop by Makoto, but it gets two. Makoto picks up Houzan but Houzan slides away, and the two trade flash pins for two counts. Double underhook suplex by Makoto and she tags Nagashima, boots by Nagashima to Houzan but Houzan gets away and delivers a few quick dropkicks. Houzan picks up Nagashima but Nagashima blocks her slam and hits one of her own. She goes off the ropes but Oka cuts her off with a dropkick, double dropkicks to Nagashima and Matsumoto kicks Nagashima in the back. Houzan goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Houzan but it gets two. Houzan goes back up top again with an assist from Oka, but Makoto boots Oka and tosses Houzan to the mat. Chamu kicks Houzan before Nagashima hits a suplex for two. Nagashima goes to the top turnbuckle but Houzan avoids the diving footstomp, Makoto tries to help but boots Nagashima by mistake. Cover by Houzan to Nagashima, but it gets a two count. Scoop slam by Nagashima but Houzan rolls her up for two. Houzan goes off the ropes but Nagashima boots her in the head, Nagashima picks up Houzan and nails a Fisherman Buster for the three count! Chikayo Nagashima, Makoto, and An Chamu are the winners!

A perfectly fine multi-wrestler tag match. I haven’t seen Oka in awhile, she looked really good and is coming along well, she flies under the radar due to Sendai Girls’ not being talked about much these days but she certainly has all the basics down. It is difficult in a sub-15 minutes six wrestler match for everyone to get some shine, but no one looked out of place as the veterans controlled things and the young wrestlers got their moments. Ultimately not a match that will stick in the brain but nothing wrong with it either, pretty solid work by all.

Maria vs. Riko Kawahata

They are making it obvious from the start that there is a ten minute time limit, which is an ominous sign. Maria immediately goes for a dropkick but Riko moves, boot by Maria and she kicks Riko into the ropes. Running boot by Maria, she goes to the apron and hits a slingshot footstomp. Kick to the ribs by Maria and she hits a heel drop, Riko recovers but Maria hits a dragon screw. Maria hits Riko in the knee before applying an ankle hold, she lets go after a moment and hits a sliding kick. Maria keeps on Riko’s knee and slams her into the mat, she puts Riko in an armtrap crossface but eventually lets go and picks Riko up. Riko snaps off an enzuigiri and delivers a sliding kick of her own, covering Maria for two. Maria quickly puts Riko in a kneelock but Riko gets to the ropes for the break, Maria charges Riko but Riko moves, sunset flip by Maria and the two trade cradle pin attempts. Maria gets Riko’s back and applies an Octopus Hold, they end up on the ground as Maria pulls on Riko’s arm but Riko doesn’t submit. Maria kicks at Riko but Riko nails her with a superkick, Northern Lights Suplex Hold by Riko but it gets two.

Riko picks up Maria and hits a high kick, knee by Riko and she puts Maria in a cross armbreaker. Maria wiggles to the ropes to get the break, Riko goes off the ropes but Maria hits a dropkick. Cross armbreaker takedown by Maria and she keeps it locked in, but Riko rolls out of it so Maria applies an ankle hold instead. She switches to a cross kneelock and then a figure four leglock, but Riko gets to the ropes. Maria goes off the ropes but Riko boots her, they trade strikes until Maria knocks Riko off her feet. Maria picks up Riko and hits a snap suplex, but Riko returns fire with a release German. Just one minute left in the match as they go into high gear, trading flash pins with no success. Kick by Maria and she goes for Riko’s arm, but Riko rolls away and kicks Maria in the stomach. Head kick by Riko, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Maria avoids the moonsault. Cradle by Maria, but Riko kicks out. Snap suplex by Maria, but the bell rings before she can do anything else as time expires. The match is a Draw.

For a match clearly designed to be a Draw (they kept the time up on the big screen and showed it throughout), this was really good. I’m a little behind in my Marvelous viewing but Maria is progressing really well, I don’t know why she isn’t getting more of a push somewhere but she has a lot of great moves and shows emotion. Her submission game is smooth, everything they did was fluid. Riko looked good as well but this felt more like a showcase for Maria, which makes sense as this is her home promotion. An entertaining match, would like to see these two get more time without a telegraphed end result.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Takumi Iroha vs. Yuu
AAAW Championship

They tie-up to start, Yuu pushes Takumi into the ropes but she allows Takumi to get back up. They end up on the mat and trade holds, Takumi spins away from Yuu and slaps her back before retreating. Side headlock by Takumi, Yuu Irish whips out of it and the two collide with neither going down. Takumi tries to shoulderblock Yuu over with no luck, she tries again but Yuu shoulderblocks her down. Scoop slam by Yuu but Takumi avoids her running senton, successful shoulderblock by Takumi and she kicks Yuu in the chest. Cover by Takumi, but Yuu pushes her off with ease and returns to her feet. Snapmare by Takumi and she kicks Yuu in the back, but Yuu gets up and chops Takumi in the chest. Spinning sidewalk slam by Yuu and she hits a senton, Takumi quickly rolls out of the ring and tries to recover. She eventually does so and gets on the apron, but Yuu knocks her back down to the floor. Yuu drops down in the ring and rolls out of it and over the apron, landing on top of Takumi. Yuu returns to the ring as Takumi slowly follows, cover by Yuu but it gets a two count. Yuu picks up Takumi but Takumi kicks her, she goes for a suplex but Yuu pushes her away. Kick combination by Takumi and she hits a PK followed by a sliding kick. Snap vertical suplex by Takumi, she picks up Yuu and applies a sleeper hold. Yuu inches to the ropes and makes it to force a break, Takumi kicks Yuu in the corner and delivers a dropkick.

Another kick by Takumi but Yuu eventually catches one and chops Takumi in the chest. They trade blows until Yuu knocks Takumi to the mat, she picks her back up and hits a crossbody for a two count. Yuu gets on the second turnbuckle but Takumi recovers and hits an elbow, she joins Yuu and hits a superplex down to the mat. Takumi positions Yuu and goes to the top turnbuckle, diving senton by Takumi and she covers Yuu for two. Takumi throws Yuu into the corner and tries to pick her up, but Yuu won’t budge. Takumi charges Yuu but Yuu knocks her to the mat, cannonball by Yuu and she covers Takumi for two. Yuu goes for a powerbomb but Takumi blocks it, slaps by Yuu but Takumi blocks the powerbomb again. Takumi charges Yuu but Yuu slams her to the mat, Yuu goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a Reverse Splash for a two count. Yuu goes up top but Takumi elbows her, Takumi joins Yuu but Yuu chops her back to the mat and hits a diving crossbody for two. Yuu picks up Takumi but Takumi hits a back bodydrop, Yuu quickly hits a running senton though to stay in control. Yuu picks up Takumi but Takumi hits a heel kick, chops by Yuu and she slaps Takumi to the mat. Another chop by Yuu but Takumi elbows her, kicks by Takumi and she covers Yuu for two. Kick combination by Takumi, she goes for a powerbomb but Yuu shrugs her off. More kicks by Takumi, she puts Yuu in the corner and positions her for the Running Three. Yuu blocks it so Takumi superkicks her in the face, she tries again and this time nails the Running Three for the three count! Takumi Iroha wins and retains the championship.

This was a really fun match, however it may have gone a few minutes longer than it needed to based on the setup. The story of the match was simple – Yuu was bigger and stronger than Takumi so Takumi slowly cut her down with strikes until she was weak enough to get up for the Running Three. Its a good story but a heavyweight hoss/strike battle doesn’t necessarily need to be 20+ minutes to tell it as it did get a little repetitive at times. Takumi’s kicks always deliver and the match felt like hers to lose from the start as Yuu didn’t really have any convincing nearfalls – the story was always about Takumi. A match I enjoyed for sure, a safe defense for Takumi but still a solid one.  Recommended

Itsuki Aoki and Rin Kadokura vs. Kaoru Ito and Tomoko Watanabe
AAAW Tag Team Championship

The kids attack the vets before the match starts, Watanabe is then isolated and double teamed. Rin stays in as legal and snapmares Watanabe, hitting a sliding knee for a two count. Watanabe comes back with a suplex and hits a scoop slam, leg drop by Watanabe and she puts Rin in a crab hold. Rin gets out of it so Watanabe puts her in a Scorpion Deathlock instead, Ito comes in and stands on Rin’s hands before stomping on them. Watanabe lets go of the hold so she and Ito can drive Rin’s knees into the mat, Watanabe tags Ito and Ito lariats Watanabe in the corner. Crab hold by Ito, Itsuki tries to break it up but is unable to do so. Ito pulls on Rin’s hair but eventually stops and applies a chinlock, Itsuki tries to help again and eventually Ito lets go. Ito stands on Rin and applies a single leg crab hold, but Rin gets to the ropes for the break. Rin finally hits a move as she delivers a jumping neck drop, giving her time to tag Itsuki. Itsuki elbows Ito but Ito elbows her to the mat, Itsuki gets back up but promptly is elbowed down again. She keeps trying with no luck, but does manage to get Ito off her feet with a face crusher. Body press by Itsuki, but it gets two. Itsuki tries to pick up Ito but Ito blocks it, Irish whip by Ito and Itsuki tries to shoulderblock Ito over with no success. Hard shoulderblock by Ito and she hits a footstomp, running senton by Ito and she covers Itsuki for a two count. Ito tags Watanabe, Watanabe goes for a suplex but Rin attacks her from behind.

Double Irish whip to Watanabe but she hits a double rebound crossbody on both of her opponents, Itsuki manages to get Watanabe down with a drop toehold (with some help) and hits a sliding kick. Itsuki sets up Watanabe in the ropes and chargers in, but Ito grabs Itsuki from the apron and Watanabe hits a lariat. Watanabe goes off the ropes but Itsuki catches her with a STO for two. Itsuki tags Rin, they pick up Watanabe but Ito runs in with a double lariat. Itsuki and Rin recover and hit a double superkick to Watanabe, diving body press by Itsuki from the second turnbuckle and Rin follows with a double footstomp for a two count. Rin picks up Watanabe but Ito returns again and hits a lariat. Ito tries again to help but she hits Watanabe by accident, release German by Rin to Watanabe but Watanabe returns to her feet. Rin plants her again, this time with a release Dragon Suplex, she hits a Northern Lights Suplex Hold but Watanabe kicks out. Rin gets Watanabe’s back, Itsuki superkicks Watanabe and Rin hits a crucifix drop for two. Double superkick to Ito, Rin tries to superkick Watanabe but she hits Itsuki by accident. Lariat by Watanabe to Rin and she tags Ito. Lariat by Ito, and she covers Rin for two. Ito picks up Rin and nails a powerbomb, Itsuki runs in but Ito drops her with a uranage.

Rin and Itsuki end up outside the ring and Ito drills them both with a dropkick through the ropes, Watanabe throws Rin back in and Ito delivers a sit-out powerbomb but Itsuki breaks up the pin. Watanabe gets on the top turnbuckle, Ito feeds Rin to her and Watanabe hits a diving lariat. The cover is broken up again, Ito gets on the second turnbuckle but Itsuki elbows her before she can jump off. Watanabe takes care of Itsuki which allows Ito to hit a diving footstomp, but her cover is broken up. Watanabe gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a body press to Rin, Ito goes all the way up but Itsuki grabs her from the apron. Itsuki distracts Ito until Rin can recover, Rin joins Ito and hits a Frankensteiner. Rin waits for Ito to get up and hits a jumping DDT, but she is too hurt to capitalize and Ito is up first. Ito picks up Rin as Watanabe runs in, but Watanabe lariats Ito by mistake. Itsuki gets Rin on her shoulders and helps her set up for the crucifix slam on Ito, Rin hits the move on Ito and holds her down for the three count! Rin Kadokura and Itsuki Aoki are the new champions!

Poorly done ending aside, with Ito not even willing to keep her shoulders on the mat for a big title win up for grabs, this was a VERY Veteran vs. Young Underdog match. The entire structure was just Itsuki and Rin doing their damnedest to just knock their opponents off their feet, let along get a nearfall. Its not necessarily a bad story, and with Ito and Watanabe definitely not a surprising one, as that has been their go-to match setup for probably the last 15 years. But it led to some problems, like some really iffy transitions (for example when Ito recovered first after being dropped by Rin’s DDT) and the win coming across as a fluke lucky win. Rin and Itsuki are both exciting young wrestlers, so giving them a tiny bit more of a rub wouldn’t have hurt anything, although its surprising enough that Watanabe and Ito lost so I guess we have to take what we can get. I give Itsuki and Rin credit for trying hard, and Ito/Watanabe for mostly rolling with the punches, but it still would be disingenuous to say the match was good even if they got the winners right. It wasn’t bad, and is perfectly watchable, but predictable in structure and for such a big match it would have been nice if they had gone a little outside the box to surprise us.

The post Marvelous 6th Anniversary on 5/1/22 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: FMWE “Battle Royal”
Date: September 12th, 2021
Location: Tsurumi Fruit and Vegetable Market in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Announced Attendance: 400
Broadcast: Streamed on zaiko.io

Before I was ever a fan of Joshi, or had even seen a single match, I was a big fan of hardcore “deathmatch” wrestling. Old school FMW, newer garbage feds, whatever I could find. I never got into Big Japan but anything with fire and/or explosions I was interested. So as you can imagine, I was really excited when Onita started a new promotion literally called FMW Explosion. As you can guess, lots of matches on their events have explosions, either from bats or barbed wire boards. Onita further got on my good side by using Joshi wrestlers in his new promotion, and they announced a “Joshi Current Blast Princess Tournament” that began on this event. So, I am going to review the Joshi matches on the show, there were supposed to be three but Thekla’s match with Akane Fujita was cancelled due to Akane not appearing. Here are the matches I’ll be watching:

• Joshi Current Blast Princess Tournament Round 1: An Chamu vs. Miss Mongol
• Dangerous Demon Stick Current Blast Match: Abdullah Kobayashi and Risa Sera vs. Isami Kodaka and Suzu Suzuki

This will be a quick review but I had to give attention to this amazing promotion. All Joshi wrestlers on the event have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it.

An Chamu vs. Miss Mongol
Joshi Current Blast Princess Tournament
One great thing about small odd promotions like this is you get random matches that you’d never see anywhere else. An Chamu is 23 years old and roams around various smaller promotions, her technical home is Shinsyu Girls but she also wrestles in Ice Ribbon as well as other places. She isn’t ranked very high anywhere she goes, but does have a following as she is quirky. She is against the super veteran Miss Mongol, who wrestled in the original FMW from 1995 to 1998 and has floated around since then mostly in indies. Miss Mongol clearly has the experience edge here and is a FMW alum so she goes in as the favorite by a significant margin.

Chamu attacks Miss Mongol first and elbows her into the ropes, dropkick by Chamu and she hits two more, but Miss Mongol stays up. Chamu dropkicks Miss Mongol down in the corner and already hits the button to turn on the Demon Stick, she gets the barbed wire bat but Miss Mongol turns it back off. Irish whip by Chamu to the corner but Miss Mongol blocks it and throws Chamu to the mat. Stomps by Miss Mongol and she throws Chamu into the corner, Miss Mongol charges Chamu and jumps down on top of her. Vertical suplex by Miss Mongol, and she covers Chamu for a two count. Miss Mongol elbows Chamu in the butt a few times, she gets a chain and drives Chamu’s head into it repeatedly. Chamu rolls out of the ring to re-group as multiple wrestlers check on her, but Miss Mongol gets tired of waiting and goes out to supervise. She eventually grabs Chamu and leads her around the ring, throwing her into the ring post. Back in the ring, Miss Mongol gets a barbed wire bat and pushes it into Chamu’s bleeding head. Miss Mongol sits on Chamu’s back and rakes her face with the barbed wire bat some more, scoop slam by Miss Mongol and she hits an elbow drop for a two count. Miss Mongol pushes Chamu’s head into the barbed wire bat some more until Chamu rolls out of the ring, holding her head. She returns after a moment on her own, snapmare by Miss Mongol and she applies a crab hold. Chamu gets to the ropes for the break, Miss Mongol gets Chamu on her shoulders but Chamu slides around and puts Miss Mongol in a sleeper hold.

Miss Mongol drives Chamu back into the corner to get out of the hold, and squishes the referee too in the process. A ref bump in a no DQ deathmatch, good times. Miss Mongol takes the opportunity to wrap her chain over Chamu’s neck and hang her over the top rope, the referee recovers and manages to get her to stop. Scoop slam by Miss Mongol, she puts the chain on Chamu’s chest and hits a running senton for two. Miss Mongol picks up Chamu but Chamu quickly applies a roll-up for two. Miss Mongol fires back with a lariat, she wraps the chain around her fist but Chamu blocks the punch and hits a DDT. Irish whip by Chamu and she hits a jumping crossbody, but that gets a two as well. Chamu then goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, but Miss Mongol kicks out. Chamu pushes the button to turn on the explosive barbed wire bat, she picks it up but Miss Mongol blocks her from using it. High kick by Chamu and she hits a running knee for a two count, she grabs the bat again but Miss Mongol ducks her swing and hits a backdrop suplex. Miss Mongol gets Chamu on her shoulders but Chamu slides off, high kicks by Chamu but Miss Mongol hits her with the regular barbed wire bat. She then picks up the explosive barbed wire bat and hits Chamu in the ribs with it, setting off the big explosion! Cover by Miss Mongol, and she picks up the three count. Miss Mongol wins and advances in the tournament!

This match was definitely something. I can’t tell if An Chamu is a great seller or didn’t know what she was getting herself into, as she was reacting very strongly (and sometimes in non-traditional way) to some of the hardcore spots. I think the barbed wire bat explosion legitimately hurt her and a few times wrestlers at ringside appeared to be checking on her more than you’d expect. But it fit the theme of the match anyway, with the experienced veteran controlling the younger wrestler that was out of her element. The match was mostly about the explosion, which didn’t disappoint, and I enjoyed Chamu’s unique take. Miss Mongol is very limited so there was a definite ceiling on how good this match could be, but it was fascinating in its own way and kept me hooked even if the action itself was generally lackluster.  Mildly Recommended

Abdullah Kobayashi and Risa Sera vs. Kodaka and Suzu Suzuki
Dangerous Demon Stick Current Blast Match

This isn’t a tournament match but it is the continuation of Suzu Suzuki’s trek to being the best Joshi deathmatch wrestler. Needless to say, it is incredibly rare for a young and successful Joshi wrestler to strive to be a deathmatch wrestler, but so far in 2021 that is exactly what Suzu is doing. She competed in a series of deathmatch matches this year against some of the best (male) hardcore/deathmatch wrestlers on the scene, and has said in interviews that this is what she really wants to do which is pretty awesome. She is still one of the top young wrestlers of Ice Ribbon, I can’t help but feel that at some point she is going to have to choose but for now I am enjoying both versions of Suzu. She teams with Isami Kodaka, a 20 year veteran of hardcore matches best known for his long career in Big Japan. On the other side, they face Risa Sera, also an Ice Ribbon wrestler known for her hardcore style, and Kobayashi who is a limited but respected hardcore wrestler also best known for his work in Big Japan. I don’t know if this match will be “good” but with a Dangerous Demon Stick I am still excited.

Suzu and Kodaka attack before the match starts and the action immediately spills out of the ring. Kodaka gets a trashcan full of weapons and gives it to Suzu in the ring before he throws Abdullah into the ring post. Risa joins Suzu in the ring and gets her barbed wire kendo stick, but Suzu ducks her swing and delivers a dropkick. Suzu rolls out of the ring with Risa while the guys get in the ring, Abdullah and Kodaka trade strikes but Kodaka sidesteps when Abdullah goes for a jumping chop. Kodaka finds a guitar and hits Abdullah in the head with it, while outside the ring Risa controls Suzu with her kendo stick. Kodaka knocks Abdullah out of the ring and goes out after him, as all four are back on the floor. Abdullah tries to hit Kodaka with a spinning fan but Kodaka blocks it, meanwhile on the other side Risa rubs her barbed wire kendo stick into Suzu’s bleeding head. Kodaka and Abdullah get back in the ring, Kodaka gets a regular barbed wire bat and scrapes Abdullah across the face with it. Abdullah takes it from him but accidentally ends up hitting himself and they end up on the floor again. Risa and Suzu are in the same situation, but Risa comes over and hits Kodaka with her barbed wire kendo stick to help her partner. Kodaka and Risa return to the ring as Risa hits Kodaka again with the kendo stick, she picks up Kodaka but Kodaka blocks the suplex attempt. Risa eventually connects with it while outside we see Suzu hit Abdullah low with a kendo stick. Suzu and Abdullah get in the ring so now all four are in, while Risa pokes Kodaka with the barbed wire kendo stick.

DDT by Abdullah on Suzu, she picks her up but Kodaka comes over to help. He doesn’t help much as Abdullah levels Kodaka with a lariat, Suzu charges in but Abdullah punches her to the mat. Risa turns on the explosive barbed wire bat by hitting the BIG BUTTON, she grabs the bat but Kodaka turns it off before she can use it. Frankensteiner by Kodaka to Abdullah, and Suzu dropkicks Abdullah out of the ring. Kodaka grabs Risa but Risa elbows him off, fireman’s carry slam by Risa and she gets the trashcan. Kodaka takes it from her and hits Risa repeatedly with the trash can, he puts the trashcan over Risa’s head and goes to the top turnbuckle. Risa takes it off before he can jump and hits Kodaka with it, she puts the trash can in the middle of the ring and throws Kodaka onto it from the turnbuckle. Suzu drops Risa with a missile dropkick but Risa ducks her kick and powerbombs her into the corner. She puts the barbed wire kendo stick on Suzu before nailing a running double knee strike, she gets Suzu over her shoulder but Suzu slides away and hits a jumping kick. German suplex by Suzu, she grabs the explosive barbed wire bat and turns it on. She faces Risa but Abdullah pushes the button and turns the bat back off, double Irish whip to Abdullah but he breaks through a double lariat and thrusts both Suzu and Kodaka in the throat. Double elbow drop by Abdullah, while Risa hits the button and grabs the explosive bat. Abdullah holds Kodaka and Suzu for Risa, while Risa takes a swing and hits both Suzu and Kodaka in the stomach with the explosive barbed wire bat. BIG EXPLOSION. Suzu and Kodaka writhe around in pain, Risa covers Suzu and she picks up the three count! Risa Sera and Abdullah Kobayashi are the winners!

Well at least we got that big explosion which is the important thing. The bulk of this match was pretty uninspired and it was slow to get going, but once all four were involved towards the end it got better. The outside-the-ring walk and brawl isn’t my favorite type of wrestling and they did a fair amount of that, and with Abdullah’s limitations whatever he was doing tended to not be overly exciting. When Suzu briefly got a chance to get a good exchange going with Risa Sera, the match picked up, and while the teases with the explosive bat were predictable its a necessarily element in these matches to build some drama. As always, I came away from the match impressed with Suzu and whatever she was doing, and I did enjoy the big explosion at the end, but I just wish the rest of the match had a little more to it so I could recommend it more highly.  Mildly Recommended

The post FMWE “Battle Royal” on 9/12/21 Review (Joshi Matches) appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: CMLL/LADYS RING Ring Numero 2
Date: January 22nd, 2020
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 250

As any regular visitor to the site knows, sometimes I review really obscure events that may not be readily available to Western fans. This is one of those times, as I take a look at CMLL and LADYS RINGS Numero 2! This is a joint event between CMLL and the magazine LADYS RING, featuring wrestlers from CMLL in Mexico and Joshi wrestlers. Ice Ribbon has sent a couple participants for the fun, plus we have wrestlers from Actwres girl’Z, JTO, and various Freelancers as well. The main event sees Mina Shirakawa face off against Dalys la Caribena to crown the first CMLL-Japan Women’s champion! Here is the full card:

• Ayano Irie and Misa Matsui vs. Ayumi Hayashi and Mari
• Risa Sera vs. An Chamu
• Makoto and Mima Shimoda vs. Maika and Tae Honma
• La Jarochita vs. Tsukushi
• CMLL-Japan Women’s Championship: Dalys la Caribeña vs. Mina Shirakawa

As I am watching this event on DVD, all matches will be shown in full. Every wrestler on the card has a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Ayano Irie and Misa Matsui vs. Ayumi Hayashi and Mari

Misa and Ayano try a few sneaky flash pins during the opening handshake but it doesn’t work, Ayano and Misa deliver dropkicks but Mari and Ayumi retain the advantage with armdrags. Ayano and Misa fall out of the ring, their opponents go to do a dive but do a pose instead. Things setting down with Ayano and Ayumi as the legal wrestlers, Ayumi tosses Ayano down by her mask and tags in Mari. Mari puts Ayano in the ropes, Ayumi returns and they double team her. Mari kicks Ayano in the back, cover by Mari but it gets two. Irish whip by Mari but Ayano catches her with a dropkick and makes the tag to Misa. Misa dropkicks Mari, Ayumi comes in but Misa dropkicks her as well. Misa hits a double crossbody but Mari catches her with a sidewalk slam. Mari wraps up Misa in a submission hold but Misa gets to the ropes for the break, Mari charges Misa in the corner but Misa moves out of the way. Mari kicks Misa back but Misa slides off her shoulders and hits a low crossbody for two. She tags Ayano, dropkick by Ayano and she puts Mari in a crab hold.

Mari quickly gets to the ropes for the break, snapmare by Ayano but Mari avoids her dropkick attempt. Mari puts Ayano in a Rocking Horse before dropping her back to the mat, Mari goes off the ropes but Misa kicks her from the apron. She comes in the ring and they drop Mari with a double dropkick, Ayano snapmares Mari and she eats another double dropkick. Ayano picks up Mari, scoop slam by Mari and she superkicks Ayano in the head for a two count cover. Mari tags Ayumi, snapmares my Ayumi but Ayano dropkicks her. Scoop slam by Ayano and she tags Misa, footstomp by Misa and she covers Ayumi for two. Dropkick by Misa, she goes off the ropes and hits a jumping crossbody for two. Misa and Ayumi trade elbows, dropkick by Ayumi and she rolls up Misa for a two count. They trade flash pins with neither having any luck, Ayano comes in and they both dropkick Ayumi in the corner. Misa picks up Ayumi and delivers the fisherman suplex hold, but Mari breaks it up. Mari stays in and helps out, Ayumi dropkicks Misa and she hits a back bodydrop. Misa hits a diving crossbody out of the corner, she goes up top  and hits a missile dropkick for two. Misa goes off the ropes but Mari runs in and superkicks her, Samoan Drop by Mari and Ayumi applies a jackknife hold for the three count! Ayumi Hayashi and Mari are the winners!

Skill-wise, these aren’t the best wrestlers but they gave it their all. Mari is pretty good, I always enjoy getting to watch her but the other three still have a ways to go and realistically at least a couple of them may have gone as far as they are going to go in wrestling. Still, they have the basics down for the most part and since they are familar with each other the action was pretty fluid. Seeing them in masks raised the fun of it all some, and they didn’t go too long. Good enough for an opener, but I don’t expect to see them moving up the card anytime soon.

Risa Sera vs. An Chamu

An Chamu gets Risa into the ropes to start but gives a clean break, while posing in the process. An Chamu rolls away from Risa and poses again, this time in the corner, and slides out onto the apron when Risa charges in. Elbow by An Chamu, she gets back in the ring and Risa drops down, but An Chamu jumps over her and does another cute pose. Risa gets tired of this and hits her from behind, Risa applies a crab hold before putting An Chamu in the Rocking Horse. Double kneedrop by Risa to An Chamu’s back, cover by Risa but it gets two. Giant Swing by Risa and she covers An Chamu for a two count once she drops her. Irish whip by Risa but An Chamu hits a spinning headscissors, she charges Risa but Risa moves and knocks her to the mat. Backbreaker by Risa and she throws An Chamu into the corner, An Chamu reverses the Irish whip and applies a headscissors in the corner. Double knee strike by An Chamu and she hits a few hip attacks for a two count cover. An Chamu sits down on Risa a few times but Risa finally avoids one, she goes for a slam but An Chamu blocks it. Irish whip by Risa but An Chamu blocks it and goes for a cross armbreaker. Risa keeps her from locking it in so An Chamu applies a cross kneelock instead before switching it to a modified STF. Risa gets into the ropes for the break, An Chamu goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody for two. An Chamu picks up Risa but Risa elbows her off and the two trade blows. Risa tosses An Chamu down and applies a high angle crab hold, she lets go after a moment and powerbombs An Chamu into the corner. Running double knee by Risa and she covers An Chamu for two. Risa gets An Chamu on her shoulders but An Chamu slides off and cradles her for two. An Chamu goes for a few schoolboys but each one gets a two count, An Chamu goes for an elbow but Risa blocks it and drops her with a Schwein. Risa applies the high angle crab hold and An Chamu quickly submits! Risa Sera is the winner.

This was probably a smidge better than I was expecting. An Chamu hasn’t been wrestling long but she has a lot of personality and connects well with the crowd. Risa wrestled a pretty basic match, which isn’t too surprising and it definitely felt like ‘just a midcard match’ at times. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but neither were really doing anything to elevate the match. Perfectly acceptable wrestling and not a bad match, but nothing particularly memorable about it either.

Makoto and Mima Shimoda vs. Maika and Tae Honma

Makoto and Maika start the match, they trade wristlocks and headlocks until Makoto locks on a hammerlock. Makoto goes back to the headlock, Maika Irish whips out of it and delivers an armdrag. Makoto armdrags her back and both wrestlers tag out, they lock knuckles but Shimoda pushes Tae’s hands to the mat and tries to stomp on them. Tae moves out of the way and hits an armdrag, she throws Shimoda to the mat a few more times and they trade leg trips before reaching a stalemate. Takedown by Shimoda and she puts Tae in a crab hold, she switches it to a stretch hold before hitting a neckbreaker. Shimoda picks up Tae and throws her back to the mat, stomps by Shimoda and she tags in Makoto. Makoto kicks Maika off the apron and throws Tae into the corner, putting her in the Tarantula. She lets go after a moment and stands on Tae’s back, she tags Shimoda back in and they both boot Tae. Cover by Shimoda, but it gets two. Snapmare by Shimoda and she elbows Tae in the head, she puts her in a modified seated armbar, she picks her up and tags in Makoto.

Makoto yanks on Tae’s arm and applies a Fujiwara Armbar, but Tae gets to the ropes to force the break. Scoop slam by Makoto and she covers Tae for two. Shimoda returns but Tae throws her into Makoto and hits a cross armbreaker takedown on Makoto, but Shimoda breaks it up. Maika runs in and dropkicks Shimoda while Tae gets the armbreaker back on Makoto, but Makoto gets to the ropes for the break. Double Irish whip to Makoto as she is double teamed, but Makoto avoids Tae’s lariat and boots Maika out of the ring. Double underhook suplex by Makoto to Tae, and she tags Shimoda. Makoto kicks at Tae repeatedly but Tae rolls her to the mat and delivers a dropkick. This gives her time to tag in Maika, Maika picks up Shimoda and the two trade blows. Elbow by Maika but Shimoda returns fire and hits a release German suplex. Heel drop by Shimoda, and she covers Maika for two. Shimoda picks up Maika and hits a side Russian leg sweep, she quickly puts her in a submission hold but Tae breaks it up. Shimoda elbows Tae but Maika catches her with a toss and tags in Tae. Shimoda throws Tae into the corner but Tae grabs her arm and applies a hanging armbar, she lets go and hits a missile dropkick for a two count.

Tae goes off the ropes but Makoto kicks her from the apron, Shimoda tags Makoto in and Makoto boots Tae in the corner. Makoto slams Tae to the mat, but Tae kicks out of the cover. Makoto picks up Tae but Tae rolls her up and delivers a dropkick. She tags in Maika, Maika tosses Makoto around the ring and applies a Fujiwara Armbar, but Makoto gets out of the hold. Maika applies a stretch hold but Makoto gets into the ropes for the break, Tae comes in but she is tripped from the floor. Spear by Makoto to Maika, but Tae breaks up the cover. Shimoda comes in to take care of Tae but Tae dropkicks her out of the ring, she goes to the apron and hits a crossbody down to the floor. Back in the ring,  Maika catches Makoto with a side slam and covers her for two. STO by Maika, but Makoto gets a shoulder up. Maika picks up Makoto but Makoto catches her with a boot to the face, she waits for Maika to get up and kicks her in the face again for a two count. Before she can do anything else, the bell expires as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

While I am generally against having a Draw in a random non-televised mid-card match, this was still entertaining. All four held their own and Maika continues to really improve less than a year into her career. Its easy to think of Makoto as just a pretty face since she does so many gravure videos, but she’s a solid wrestler that had no issues trading holds with her more technical opponents, and they kept the action going so things never slowed down. Both teams worked well together so it didn’t feel like they were just randomly created teams, as they were constantly helping each other out instead of just watching from the apron. A really solid match with four talented wrestlers, but I wish it had more of a conclusion.  Recommended

La Jarochita vs. Tsukushi

They lock-up to start, Jarochita pushes Tsukushi into the corner but she gives a clean break. They lock-up again but Jarochita pushes Tsukushi to the mat before taunting her, a third lock-up follows but this time Tsukushi gets Jarochita into the corner and gives a clean break as well. Jarochita asks for a Test of Strength but gets Tsukushi’s back instead, she flings Tsukushi to the mat and goes for a submission, but Tsukushi rolls out of it. Armdrag by Jarochita but Tsukushi returns the favor, as both wrestlers returned to their feet. Armdrag by Tsukushi and they trade leg trips, headscissors by Tsukushi and she dropkicks Jarochita. Jarochita kicks her against the ropes, snapmare by Jarochita and she kicks Tsukushi in the back. Jarochita bites on Tsukushi’s head before picking her up and throwing her out of the ring, she goes out after her and kicks Tsukushi into a row of chairs. Jarochita wraps Tsukushi around the ring post and pulls her into it. Jarochita slams Tsukushi into the apron before rolling her back into the ring, cover by Jarochita but it gets a two count. Jarochita throws Tsukushi into the corner and hits a lariat, running boot by Jarochita and she covers Tsukushi for a two count. Jarochita applies a STF but Tsukushi inches to the ropes to force the break. Irish whip by Jarochita but Tsukushi ducks the lariat attempt, she goes for a crossbody but Tsukushi catches her and hits a backbreaker. Running knee by Jarochita, and she covers Tsukushi for two. Irish whip by Jarochita but Tsukushi applies a tilt-a-whirl armbar, but Jarochita gets into the ropes.

Tsukushi charges Jarochita but Jarochita hits a dropkick, Jarochita puts Tsukushi on the top turnbuckle but Tsukushi hits a diving hurricanrana followed by the Murder Dropkick. Tsukushi takes Jarochita out of the ring, she goes to the top turnbuckle and dives out with a plancha suicida onto Jarochita. Tsukushi rolls Jarochita back in and covers her, but it only gets two. Tsukushi sets up Jarochita in the ropes and dropkicks her in the back, she goes up top but Jarochita recovers and joins her. Tsukushi gets on Jarochita’s back and applies a stretch submission while perched on the top turnbuckle, she lets go after a moment and they trade elbows back in the middle of the ring. Tsukushi charges Jarochita in the corner but Jarochita drop toeholds her into the turnbuckle and hits a running double knee to Tsukushi’s back. Jarochita picks up Tsukushi but Tsukushi sneaks in a cradle for two, she goes off the ropes but Jarochita delivers a lariat for her own two count. Gory Special by Jarochita, but Tsukushi barely kicks out of the cover. Jarochita goes off the ropes but Tsukushi does as well and hits a hurricanrana, but Jarochita rolls through it and the two trade flash pins. Tsukushi gets Jarochita’s back and cradles her with a jackknife, but Jarochita kicks out. Tsukushi runs to the ropes and delivers the Harukaze, but Jarochita kicks out again. Tsukushi goes up top and nails the diving footstomp, but Jarochita gets a shoulder up on the cover. The bell rings in the middle of the pin attempt anyway, as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

This is part of the issue with doing a Draw in the last match, as with this one it may have a storyline reason but it just feels a bit deflating to have a Draw in two straight matches. Anyway, this was fun. Tsukushi is only 22 years old but is so good (I mean, she is a ten year vet so I guess it makes some sense), all her moves are really smooth and they played off each other well. Jarochita was solid too, nothing looked awkward and she matched Tsukushi’s intensity. Too short and inconclusive to get excited about (it was just a ten minute time limit), but still a really good match that is worth a casual watch.  Mildly Recommended

Dalys la Caribeña vs. Mina Shirakawa
CMLL-Japan Women’s Championship, Two out of Three Falls

They jockey for position to start, armdrag by Mina and she puts Dalys in an armbar. Dalys quickly rolls out of it and tries to slam Mina to the mat, but Mina blocks it and remains on her feet. They lock knuckles with Mina applying a wristlock, but Dalys quickly reverses it and gets Mina to the mat. Dalys applies a stretch hold and then gets Mina into the Rocking Horse, but Mina reverses it and goes for the Romero Special, but Dalys gets into the ropes before she can apply the move. Mina goes off the ropes but Dalys dropkicks her, she throws Mina into the corner and kicks her in the leg. Mina fires back with her own dropkick and sits on Dalys in the corner, Irish whip by Mina and she gets Dalys down before applying a cross armbreaker. Dalys quickly submits, and Mina wins the first fall! Mina Shirakawa is up 1-0.

After a brief pause the second fall begins, armdrag by Mina but Dalys kicks her in the gut. Dalys puts Mina in the ropes and kicks her in the back, she bullies the referee a bit before snapmaring Mina and kicking her in the back. Dalys yells at the referee some more, she goes back to Mina and pulls her by the hair in the corner. Hair toss by Dalys, and she covers Mina for two. Mina sneaks in a few flash pins for two counts of her own, Irish whip by Mina but Dalys grabs her when she charges in and puts Mina on the top turnbuckle. Mina pushes Dalys away and dives off, but Dalys catches her and delivers a swinging side slam for the three count cover! They are now tied 1-1.

Time for the final fall. Mina and Dalys face off and trade blows, Irish whip by Mina and she hits an arm drag of sorts for a two count cover. Mina throws Dalys into the corner but Dalys flips out to the apron and pulls down Mina by the hair. Slingshot body press by Dalys, but Mina gets a hand on the ropes when Dalys goes for the cover. Dalys picks up Mina and goes to slam Mina, but Mina blocks it and rolls up Dalys for two. Dalys and Mina trade chops while on their knees, elbows by Mina and she knees Dalys in the stomach. Running double chops by Mina but Dalys rolls out of the ring to prevent a cover attempt. Mina kicks Dalys from the apron and jumps down with a seated senton, she slides Dalys back into the ring and hits a dropkick while Dalys is against the ropes. Cover by Mina, but Dalys kicks out. Mina picks up Dalys and delivers a spinning chop, she goes off the ropes and hits a Lou Thesz Press. Both wrestlers go for flash pins before Mina hits a dropkick, Irish whip by Mina to the corner but Dalys throws her out to the apron when she charges in. Mina knocks Dalys back and goes up top, but Dalys catches her when she goes for a crossbody. Dalys avoids Mina’s dropkick attempt before picking her up and delivers a sit-down powerbomb for the three count! Dalys la Caribeña wins and is the first CMLL-Japan Women’s Champion!

They tried but this just didn’t work on several levels. Their lack of chemistry was noticeable, as there were several awkward spots during the match. The match was too short for a three falls match, as there were constant breaks in the action but no real long run of wrestling to give them a chance to get rolling again. The finish was rough as well, as Mina went from in control to being defeated quickly, and the final move wasn’t hit smoothly. Add in Dalys’ randomly yelling at the referee for no reason and it just came across as a match not planned out very well. I appreciate the effort, but for a main event and title match, a disappointing way to end the show.

The post CMLL/LADYS RING Numero 2 on 1/22/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Gatoh Move Japan Tour #438 ~ Last Song For You
Date: July 2nd, 2019
Location: Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 420

I recognize that reviews on the site have slowed down to a crawl, and until I have the time and desire to start doing them again that will probably continue to be the case. However, I got this DVD a few weeks ago and decided to hell with it, I had to do a review. Gatoh Move Last Song For You features Riho’s “graduation” from Gatoh Move, as this was her last match with the promotion before moving on to AEW and Freelancing. There are a few other big matches as well, as Gatoh Move put on a fun show for Riho’s farewell. Here are all the Joshi matches on the show:

• An Chamu, Hagane Shinnou, and Makoto vs. Antonio Honda, SAKI, and Sayaka Obihiro
• Haruka Umesaki vs. Mei Suruga
• Ryo Mizunami vs. Yuna Mizumori
• Hikaru Shida vs. Mitsuru Konno
• Emi Sakura vs. Riho

Since I am watching the commercial DVD, all matches will be shown in full. All Joshi wrestlers on the event have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

An Chamu, Hagane Shinnou, and Makoto vs. Antonio Honda, SAKI, and Sayaka Obihiro

They brawl to start, Hagane and SAKI start as the legal wrestlers and Hagane hits a hard shoulderblock. SAKI replies with a shoulderblock of her own, Makoto comes in but SAKI drops her with a rebound crossbody. Chamu gets in the ring and with Makoto they double team SAKI, but Antonio helps his partner and clears the ring. He goes for a dive but trips, leading to him grabbing a mic and cutting a promo. Makoto, Hagane, and Chamu return to the ring as Antonio talks to them, Antonio pokes all three in the eyes but Chamu fights back and hits a jumping elbow. Tilt-a-whirl schoolboy by Chamu, but it gets a two count. Chamu applies a headscissors in the corner, she lets go and gets on the top turnbuckle, hitting a diving crossbody onto Antonio for a two count. Chamu tags Hagane, punches by Hagane to Antonio but Antonio punches him back in the stomach and makes the tag to Sayaka. Chops by Sayaka to Hagane, she goes for a spear but Hagane catches it and hits a vertical suplex. He tags in Makoto, Makoto throws Sayaka into the corner and hits a big boot for two. Double underhook by Makoto but Sayaka blocks the suplex and cradles Makoto for a two count. Sayaka chops Makoto into the corner, she goes off the ropes and dropkicks Makoto to the mat.

Scoop slam by Makoto but Antonio pulls Sayaka out of the ring to help her avoid the cartwheel double kneedrop. SAKI gets in as the legal wrestler and kicks Makoto into the corner, but Makoto knocks her back and hits a diving crossbody for two. Makoto picks up SAKI and hits a bridging double underhook suplex, but that gets a two as well. Makoto tags in Chamu, Hagane also comes in and SAKI is triple teamed. Shining Wizard by Chamu to SAKI, but the cover is broken up. Chamu picks up SAKI and hits a hip attack, as does Makoto and Hagane. They all go off the ropes but Hagane and Sayaka trip the helpers from the corner while SAKI catches Chamu with an atomic drop. SAKI and friends all punch their opponents but team SAKI returns the favor, all six trade punches with SAKI’s team getting the better of it. Double atomic drop to Chamu, Sayaka goes off the ropes and dives out onto Makoto and Hagane (after hopping on the apron first). SAKI picks up Chamu and hits a vertical suplex, cover by SAKI and she gets the three count!

Nothing about this will blow anyone away, but for an early-card match it was sufficient. None of the wrestlers got a real chance to shine, and there weren’t any higher end wrestlers here anyway (except maybe Makoto, depending on your tastes), so it just hummed along until it ended. Not offensive or boring, just a match to fill out the card before the bigger matches happened.

Haruka Umesaki vs. Mei Suruga

Mei and Haruka circle to start, they struggle for position until Mei gets Haruka into the corner, but she gives a clean break. Haruka elbows her in the chest, Mei rebounds out of the corner and grabs Haruka’s wrist, she jumps off the ropes but Haruka gets her in a guillotine. Mei quickly gets out of it, they trade trips and covers before reaching a stalemate. Drop toehold by Mei, she applies a headlock but Haruka gets out of it and they trade holds. Mei works a headlock and then applies a wristlock, she jumps off the ropes before hitting an armdrag. Snapmare by Mei and she applies a bodyscissors, she rolls Haruka around while maintaining the hold before stopping with Haruka’s shoulders down for a two count. Mei picks up Haruka, hard elbow by Mei but Haruka dropkicks Mei in the corner. Jumping crossbody by Haruka and she puts Mei in a submission hold, she stretches Mei before letting go and stomping her. Mei goes for a scoop slam but Haruka blocks it, they go back and forth until Mei delivers a scoop slam.

Mei picks up Haruka and rams her head-first into the turnbuckles, she does it a second time before covering Haruka for two. Mei applies a stretch hold before letting Haruka go and putting her in a crab hold. Haruka quickly gets to the ropes for the break, Mei goes off the ropes but Haruka avoids her dropkick and hits one of her own. Haruka hits three more dropkicks and covers Mei, but it gets a two count. Scoop slam by Haruka, she goes for multiple covers but Mei kicks out each time. Haruka gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, but again her cover gets two. Crab hold by Haruka but Mei inches herself to the ropes to get the break. Haruka goes off the ropes but Mei catches her with a takedown, schoolboy by Haruka but it gets two. An inside cradle and backslide by Haruka don’t work either, she charges Mei and hits a dropkick. She goes for La Magistral but Mei blocks it, dropkick by Mei and she covers Haruka for two. Mei jumps on Haruka’s back and she applies the Houkiboshi for the three count pinfall! Mei Suruga wins!

The match probably went a smidge too long considering Haruka’s experience level, but it was a fine little match. Very simple, lots of strikes and cradles, but Haruka has some spunk to her and Mei has great presence. If I was trying to sell someone on either of these young wrestlers I doubt this is a match I would recommend, but for where they are in their careers I have no real complaints.

Ryo Mizunami vs. Yuna Mizumori

Yuna tries to knock over Ryo with shoulderblocks to start the match but has no luck, Ryo kicks Yuna and shoulderblocks her down to the mat. Yuna immediately gets up and elbows Ryo from behind, and she finally knocks over Ryo with a shoulderblock. She picks up Ryo but Ryo hits a scoop slam and hits a quick legdrop for a two count. Camel Clutch by Ryo, she lets go after a moment and stomps Yuna in the back. Ryo chops Yuna into the corner but Yuna catches one to block it, Ryo goes off the ropes but Yuna knocks her into the corner. Elbows by Yuna, she dances a bit but Ryo moves out of the way when she charges her. Chops by Ryo in the corner, now its her turn to do a dance as she charges up but Yuna blocks her lariat. Kick by Ryo and she elbows Yuna repeatedly, lariat by Ryo and she hits a legdrop for two.

Anaconda Vice by Ryo, Yuna elbows out of it and tosses Ryo over her back. Body press by Yuna, but it only gets a two count. Running crossbody by Yuna and she hits two more, but again her cover gets two. Yuna goes for a handstand senton but Ryo moves out of the way and hits a running leg lariat. She quickly goes up top but Yuna recovers and grabs her, slamming Ryo into the opposite corner. Shoulder tackle by Yuna and she delivers the handstand senton for two. Yuna charges Ryo and tries to jump on her but Yuna gets her feet up, heel kicks by Yuna but Ryo kicks out of the cover. Dropkick by Yuna and she hits a double jump bodypress out of the corner for another two count. Yuna charges Ryo but Ryo catches her with a hard lariat, she goes off the ropes and hits a second lariat for two. Ryo waits for Yuna to get up and delivers a spear, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails the guillotine legdrop for the three count! Ryo Mizunami is the winner.

An odd little match. Ryo wrestled from the dominate position but it was far from a squash as Yuna got in about a third of the offense and had several nearfalls. I am not a huge fan of Ryo’s goofiness so naturally I am not a big fan of Yuna’s goofiness either, but at least they were both on the same page. The end stretch of the match was solid, not necessarily heated but both were hitting their moves well and their exchanges were well done. A solid midcard match and Ryo made sure to put over Yuna’s bigger moves, Yuna doesn’t seem from this match to be the smoothest wrestler but overall an easy watch. Mildly Recommended

Hikaru Shida vs. Mitsuru Konno

Hikaru and Mitsuru tie-up to start, Hikaru pushes Mitsuru into the ropes but she gives a clean break. They tie-up again, again Hikaru gets Mitsuru into the ropes and breaks clean, but Mitsuru charges right back at her. They keep struggling, Mitsuru finally gets Hikaru in the ropes and hits a series of elbows. Scoop slam by Hikaru but Mitsuru quickly gets back up but Hikaru pushes her to the ropes and knees her in the head. Hikaru hangs Mitsuru’s head over the apron and hits a kneelift, she gets back in the ring and hits a backbreaker for two. Camel Clutch by Hikaru but Mitsuru gets into the ropes for the break. Hikaru picks up Mitsuru but Mitsuru elbows her, eye poke by Hikaru and she throws Mitsuru into the corner, but Mitsuru kicks her back. Hikaru hits a jumping knee anyway but Mitsuru fires back with a dropkick and a jumping kick. Single leg crab hold by Mitsuru, she lets go after a moment and picks up Hikaru, but Hikaru knees her in the stomach. Knee to the back of the head by Hikaru, she picks up Mitsuru and delivers a vertical suplex for a two count.

Hikaru goes off the ropes but Mitsuru schoolboys her for two, Mitsuru tries a few more flash pins but Hikaru blocks them. Hikaru knees Mitsuru hard in the face, the referee starts a ten count but Mitsuru makes it to her feet. Elbows by Mitsuru but Hikaru knees her in the head again, Mitsuru again comes back with elbows and the two exchange blows. Mitsuru boots Hikaru out of the ring, she goes out after her and tosses Hikaru into the chairs at ringside. Mitsuru slides Hikaru back in the ring, she picks her up and hits a bridging suplex for two. Mitsuru goes off the ropes and boots Hikaru in the head, she picks her up but Hikaru pushes her away and delivers a jumping knee. Mitsuru quickly recovers and boots Hikaru, but Hikaru hits an enzuigiri before slamming Mitsuru into the mat. They trade flash pins with neither getting the three count, Hikaru goes off the ropes but Mitsuru hits a lariat for two. Mitsuru picks up Hikaru but Hikaru pokes her in the eyes and applies an inside cradle. Three Count by Hikaru, and she picks up the three count! Hikaru Shida is the winner.

This was really fun, enjoyed it thoroughly. For two wrestlers not overly familiar with each other it was pretty smooth, just one noticeable miscommunication, and Mitsuru definitely brought her best with her as she went toe to toe with Hikaru for the bulk of the match. Hikaru’s strikes are a thing of beauty as always but I liked Mitsuru not necessarily wrestling from the weak position which would have been assumed going into it considering their experience levels, it felt more like a struggle for both and not Hikaru sleepwalking through a lesser wrestler. I wouldn’t have minded a longer final stretch run, but otherwise a solid match to lead us to the main event.  Recommended

Emi Sakura vs. Riho

They start with a knuckle-lock and a Test of Strength, Emi pushes Riho down but Riho bridges back up and gets out of the hold. She goes for a crossbody but Emi slams her to the mat, Riho bridges out of the pin attempt but Emi flings her back down and goes for a submission. Riho quickly gets out of it and goes for a Mexican Surfboard, but she can’t get Emi up so she puts her in a Camel Clutch instead. Riho puts Emi in the corner and hits a jumping knee, another knee by Riho but Emi pushes her back and hits a series of Mongolian Chops. Emi throws down Riho by the hair and puts her in the Mexican Surfboard, she lets go after a moment and goes for a Tiger Driver, but Riho gets out of it and delivers a spinning headscissors. Emi falls out of the ring, Riho goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out with a crossbody to the floor. Riho rolls Emi back in, she goes to the top turnbuckle and hits another diving crossbody for a two count. Emi gets Riho on her shoulders but Riho slides off and dropkicks her in the back, she goes for the 619 but Emi moves out of the way and hits a backbreaker. Emi picks up Riho and hits a double underhook into another backbreaker, cover by Emi but it gets a two count. Emi chops Riho but Riho drop toeholds her into the ropes and hits the 619. Northern Lights Suplex by Riho, but it gets a two count. Riho goes up to the top turnbuckle but Emi avoids the diving footstomp, cradle by Riho and she hits a footstomp to Emi’s midsection.

Running knee to the back by Riho and she puts Emi in a single leg crab hold, but Emi gets into the ropes to force the break. Punches to the back by Riho, she picks up Emi but Emi grabs her and slams Riho to the mat. Emi charges Riho in the corner and hits a crossbody, reverse double kneedrop by Emi and she goes for a Vader Bomb, but Riho gets her knees up. Diving footstomp by Riho, but her cover only gets two. Riho charges Emi but Emi ducks the Somato and cradles Riho for two. Both wrestlers elbow each other as they return to their feet, Emi wins the battle and follows up with a dropkick. Riho doesn’t stay down, elbow by Emi but Riho fires back with a jumping knee. Emi hits a knee as well but Riho hits a crossbody in the corner, leaving both wrestlers on the mat. Riho goes up top but Emi recovers and joins her, Riho knocks Emi into the Tree of Woe and delivers a diving double knee. Riho goes for the Somato but Emi ducks it again and cradles Riho for two. Emi goes for La Magistral but Riho reverses it into one of her own, she finally hits the Somato but Emi barely kicks out of the cover. Riho picks up Emi but Emi snaps off a German suplex, Emi picks up Riho and hits the Tiger Driver for a two count. Emi chops Riho in the chest but Riho fires back with a lariat, Riho charges Emi but Emi applies La Magistral for the three count! Emi Sakura wins the match.

A fitting match for Riho’s ‘graduation’ from Gatoh Move, as with their chemistry and in-ring history these two aren’t capable of having a bad match together. It started a little slow and some of the submissions felt disjointed, but once they got rolling the match was fast paced and captivating. Emi Sakura can still go at 43 years old, she had no issues keeping up with Riho and hit everything smoothly, including her usual innovative backbreakers. I just wish the match had about five more minutes to it as it felt like they had more they could have done, particularly with Emi Sakura since she didn’t have a segment towards the end with convincing nearfalls that could have added some drama. This won’t be the last time these two interact in the ring so there was no need to go “all out” with it, an entertaining match between the student and the master.  Recommended

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Championships Held: None
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• December 11th, 2018 vs. Emi Sakura  (title challenge)
• March 30th, 2019 vs. Riho

Signature Moves:

• Crab Hold
• Cross Armbreaker
• Hip Attack

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

• None

In Action:

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