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

The post Gatoh Move Last Song For You on 7/2/19 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

*I am slowing bringing my Joshi Reviews from Puroresu Central over to Joshi City so I can have all my Joshi reviews in one place. Some features of my current reviews on this site may be missing as my style has changed over the years, however I will have it match the Joshi City review format as closely as I can. The original review date can be found at the bottom of the review, I will try not to make any major changes to the text unless I see something that needs clarifying or correcting.*

As a fan of just about anything, you tend to get sad when someone you enjoy retires. That is true for actors, sports players, and of course in this case wrestlers. Generally you are happy for them as usually people retire to move on to something else they want to do, but we still miss them. This event is for the retirement of Natsuki*Taiyo, who had been wrestling for ten years. It is not uncommon in Joshi for wrestlers to retire when still in their 20s (Taiyo had just turned 30), a lot of them start young but burn out early, leaving either to pursue their career or to start a family. So we are happy to have had her, and sad to see her go. Here is the full card for the event:

• Stardom vs. Enemy Army Elimination Match: Yoshiko, Act Yasukawa, Kairi Hojo, and Koguma vs. Danshoku Dino, Kyoko Kimura, Alpha Female, and Nakagawa
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Miho Wakizawa, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Kaori Yoneyama, Hatsuhinode Kamen, and Sayaka Obihiro
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Takumi Iroha
• Natsuki*Taiyo Retirement Match ~ Forever High Speed: Natsuki*Taiyo  vs. Nanae Takahashi

All the Joshi wrestlers above profiles on the website, you can click on their names to go straight to it.

Yoshiko, Act Yasukawa, Kairi Hojo, and Koguma vs. Danshoku Dino, Kyoko Kimura, Alpha Female, and Nakagawa

This is an elimination tag team match, but you can also be eliminated by being thrown over the top rope. Dino and Yoshiko start things off. Yoshiko pushes Dino but Dino pushes her back. Another push by Dino but Yoshiko pushes him in return and they trade pushes. Dino goes off the ropes but he can’t shoulderblock Yoshiko down. Yoshiko goes off the ropes but she also has no luck. Dino goes off the ropes but Yoshiko stays on her feet, Yoshiko does the same but finally Dino shoulderblocks her down. Yasukawa comes in the ring but Dino punches her back out of it. Hojo comes in, she gets punched as well. Koguma comes in next, punches by Dino but she ducks one and hits a series of elbows. Dino blocks one however and hits a series of headbutts, Dino goes off the ropes but Koguma delivers a dropkick. Yoshiko returns and she hits a big boot onto Dino. Facewashes in the corner by Yoshiko followed by a running kick. Yoshiko picks up Dino but Dino punches her off, he goes for the Testicular Claw but he has nothing to grab. Punches by Dino as his teammates come in the ring, and everyone hits running strikes in the corner. Snap vertical suplex by Dino and he pulls down his pants, Hojo comes in the ring and she slaps Dino, forcing Dino to sit on Yoshiko for a two count. Punch by Dino and he kicks Yoshiko into the corner. She rebounds out of it and almost falls into Dino’s tights, but stops herself. Dino and Yoshiko trade punches, Dino goes to go off the ropes but Hojo is standing in the way. She snaps his neck over the top rope, Dino goes to yell at Hojo outside the ring, allowing Yoshiko to send Dino crashing out of it. Danshoku Dino is eliminated.

Nakagawa comes in the ring next as does Koguma, and Nakagawa avoids Koguma’s dropkick. Nakagawa throws Koguma in the corner but Koguma avoids the charge and hits a monkey flip. Sunset flip by Koguma, but Nakagawa is in the ropes. Tornado DDT attempt by Koguma but Nakagawa shrugs her off as everyone comes in the ring to beat up Koguma. Kimura holds Koguma for Nakagawa but Koguma moves out of the way, she covers both Kimura and Nakagawa but it gets a two count. Face crusher/dropkick combination to Koguma, cover, but it gets a two count. Nakagawa hits a Fisherman Suplex on Koguma and then locks in the CRB, and Koguma has no choice but to submit. Koguma is eliminated.

Nakagawa stomps on Hojo, she picks her up and throws her in the corner before tagging in Alpha Female. Snapmare by Alpha Female and she clubs Hojo repeatedly in the chest. Alpha Female tags in Kimura, Kimura puts Hojo in the ropes and all three wrestlers press their boots into her face. Kimura goes off the ropes and jumps down onto Hojo, cover by Kimura but it gets a two count. Hojo gets back up and clubs Kimura in the chest, but Kimura absorbs the blow. She does it again and a third time, but still with no luck. Repeated clubs by Hojo, she goes off the ropes and goes for a spear but Kimura catches her and applies a grounded facelock. Hojo eventually gets a foot on the ropes to force a break, cover by Kimura but it gets a two count. Hojo tags in Nakagawa, Nakagawa picks up Hojo but Hojo applies an inside cradle for a two count. Waistlock by Nakagawa, reversed, and Yasukawa runs in the ring to attack everyone. Yoshiko hits a senton onto Nakagawa, and she tosses Hojo onto Nakagawa. Cover, but it gets a two count. Hojo goes up to the top turnbuckle but Nakagawa has recovered and elbows her. Nakagawa goes for a high kick, but she misses and goes over the top rope and onto the apron. Hojo hops back down into the ring and kicks Nakagawa off the apron to the floor. Tomoka Nakagawa is eliminated.

Alpha Female comes in and knocks Hojo to the mat, she picks her up and hits a scoop slam. Alpha Female picks up Hojo, Irish whip, Alpha Female tosses Hojo out to the apron but Hojo ducks when she charges in and jumps off the top turnbuckle to get back in the ring. Alpha Female gets Hojo on her shoulders but Hojo hits an armdrag, then Yoshiko runs in with a senton. Hojo goes up to the top turnbuckle and she nails the diving elbow drop. Cover, but Kimura breaks it up. Yoshiko knocks Kimura out of the ring, Hojo goes off the ropes but Kimura kicks her from the apron and Alpha Female hits a lariat. Cover, but Hojo gets a shoulder up. Alpha Female picks up Hojo and nails the Alpha Plex Hold, picking up the three count. Kairi Hojo is eliminated.

Yoshiko and Yasukawa both run into the ring, and Kimura puts Yasukawa in a sleeper hold. Yoshiko eventually runs in to break it up, Alpha Female comes in as well and Alpha Female elbows Yoshiko. Yoshiko elbows her back but Kimura kicks Yoshiko from behind. They pick up Yoshiko, double Irish whip but Yoshiko hits a double lariat. Yoshiko positions Alpha Female in front of the corner, she goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits the reverse splash. Cover, but Alpha Female kicks out at two. Yoshiko goes up to the second turnbuckle but Alpha Female rolls out of the way of the senton and Kimura kicks her in the head. Double Irish whip to Yoshiko into the corner, Alpha Female hits a lariat and Kimura follows with an elbow. Lariat by Alpha Female, cover, but Yoshiko gets a shoulder up. Kimura picks up Yoshiko while Alpha Female goes up to the second turnbuckle, but Yoshiko gets away and punches Kimura into Alpha Female. Yoshiko joins Alpha Female on the top turnbuckle, and Alpha Female dumps Yoshiko out to the apron. Yoshiko quickly gets up and pulls Alpha Female onto the apron with her, and both wrestlers hit lariats. They do it again, but Yoshiko ducks one and she knocks Alpha Female off the apron. Alpha Female is eliminated.

Dino gets on the apron and holds Yoshiko for Kimura, Kimura goes off the ropes but Yasukawa trips her from the floor. Yasukawa gets on the apron and holds Kimura for Yoshiko, Yoshiko charges in but Kimura moves. Yoshiko almost knocks Yasukawa off the apron but she stops in time, Kimura gets a running start and goes for a big boot but both Yasukawa and Yoshiko move out of the way and Kimura tumbles out of the ring. Kyoko Kimura is eliminated. Your winners of the match: Yoshiko, Act Yasukawa, Kairi Hojo, and Koguma

For a 15 minute eight wrestler elimination tag match this was fine. My main complaint would simply be that this match had some of my favorite Stardom wrestlers (Hojo, Yasukawa, Kimura, and Alpha Female) but obviously in this style of match they really didn’t get much of a chance to shine. I’d rather have seen them get more time to do something. Having Dino in the match was fun since 80% of his offense is normally gay-based which doesn’t really work on women. But he was the first one eliminated and after that it was just your standard action in these types of matches. It was nothing bad since the wrestlers in the match were quality, it is just a limiting match stipulation that gave them more restrictions than I’d have preferred.

(c) Miho Wakizawa, Matsumoto, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Kaori Yoneyama, Hatsuhinode Kamen, and Obihiro
Artist of Stardom Championship

Yoneyama and company attack their opponents to start the match and they all attack Iwatani together before making a little pyramid with her. Matsumoto is having none of that and pelts all three with tawashis (see below for what the hell a tawashis is, y’all about to get educated), then they hit Kamen and Yoneyama with ribbons. Obihiro is put into the ropes so they can wrap the ribbons around her before running into the crowd to I assume try to kill her, but the ribbon snaps which sends everyone flying. This never works. Back in the ring Obihiro and Kamen hit running strikes on Iwatani in the corner, Obihiro goes up to the top turnbuckle and she hits a diving double chop. Cover, but it gets a two count. Obihiro chops Iwatani against the ropes, Irish whip, blocked, and Iwatani flips Obihiro to the mat. She applies a submission but it is quickly broken up, Iwatani goes off the ropes but Obihiro hits a sunset flip for a two count. Yoneyama grabs Iwatani and applies a leg submission but Wakizawa uses a rope to try to help Iwatani to the ropes. This doesn’t work of course, Irish whip by Yoneyama to Iwatani but Iwatani hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Kamen comes in the ring but Iwatani hits a springboard armdrag on both of them before tagging in Matsumoto. Matsumoto shoulderblocks all three of her opponents, Irish whip by Matsumoto to Yoneyama and she slams Yoneyama to the mat. Cover, but Yoneyama quickly gets out of it. Backdrop suplex by Matsumoto, but it only gets a two count. Matsumoto tags in Wakizawa, Matsumoto holds Yoneyama for Wakizawa but Yoneyama ducks and Wakizawa puts The Claw on Matsumoto.

Yoneyama rolls up Wakizawa from behind but it gets a two count. Yoneyama tags in Kamen, Wakizawa goes for The Claw on Kamen but it is blocked. Obihiro comes in the ring but Wakizawa bites her in the hand, Kamen kicks Wakizawa in the head but she only gets a two count. Kamen goes up to the top turnbuckle but Wakizawa recovers and joins her up top while Matsumoto dumps a box full of tawashis in the ring. Wakizawa hits a Frankensteiner into the pile, then Iwatani gets a big one and holds it against Kamen. Matsumoto charges in with a body avalanche, which hurts her just as much. Dropkick by Iwatani to Kamen, and Matsumoto puts the mega tawashi on her chest. Wakizawa and Iwatani get onto Matsumoto’s back and they all fall onto Kamen. Wakizawa goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving body press onto Kamen, cover, but Obihiro breaks it up. Wakizawa picks up Kamen and she goes for a Fisherman Buster but Kamen blocks it. Kamen goes for a vertical suplex onto the mega tawashi, but Iwatani slides in and moves it so that Kamen actually lands on it and not Wakizawa. Wakizawa picks it up but Yoneyama grabs the tawashi from behind. Obihiro runs in and chops Wakizawa in the throat, inside cradle by Kamen but it gets a two count. Yoneyama throws the tawashi out of the ring, while in the ring Kamen puts Wakizawa on her shoulders. Yoneyama goes up top but Matsumoto hits her from the apron with a different tawashi, Backslide with Venom by Wakizawa to Kamen and she picks up the three count. Your winners and still champions: Wakizawa, Matsumoto, and Iwatani!

True story – I have been wondering for the last year what those little brown balls they use in these matches were, but I looked online and no one seemed to reference what they were. I mean its not like there are tons of Stardom reviews in English on the Internet. So I finally figured I’d just ask one of the wrestlers and hope for a reply. I tweeted Kellie Skater, and within a few hours she advised that they are tawashis. A tawashi is a hard, rough scrubbing brush, so when they are rubbed against someone’s skin, as you can imagine that would hurt. So thanks to Kellie for answering this question that has been bothering Stardom fans for a long time. Anyway, as far as the match, it was pretty much the same as it always is, except at least now I know what is going on. I am glad these matches aren’t too long since they are generally comedy matches, and they did get a few chuckles out of me such as when Kamen accidentally landed on the tawashi when going for the vertical suplex. I think a few of these wrestlers actually are good but its so hard to tell in short comedy matches, all the action was crisp anyway. Exactly what you’d expect, I can’t score it low since it does what it is trying to do and it is funny at times, but it isn’t what I would consider high quality wrestling.

(c) Io Shirai vs. Takumi Iroha
World of Stardom Championship

Shirai slaps Iroha to start the match but Iroha slaps her back, she goes off the ropes and hits a heel kick. German suplex by Iroha and she hits a second one, she picks up Shirai but Shirai gets away. Kick by Iroha and she hits a vertical suplex, cover, but it gets a two count. Iroha picks up Shirai but Shirai elbows her and they trade shots. Shirai goes off the ropes but Iroha hits a lariat, Iroha goes off the ropes but Shirai snaps off a hurricanrana for a two count. Kick to the head by Shirai, she picks up Iroha and hits a series of elbows. Iroha elbows Shirai as well and both wrestlers fall to their knees. Waistlock by Shirai, reversed by Iroha and Iroha applies a side headlock. Shirai eventually punches out of it and applies a side headlock of her own, Iroha gets out of it but Shirai hits a cartwheel dropkick. Iroha falls out of the ring, Shirai goes off the far ropes and sails between the ropes onto Iroha with a plancha suicida. Shirai slides Iroha back into the ring and applies a stretch hold before throwing Iroha to the mat. Kicks to the face by Shirai and she chokes Iroha with her boot. Shirai goes up to the top turnbuckle but Iroha runs over and dropkicks her off, sending Shirai to the apron. Iroha goes out to the apron as well and chops Shirai repeatedly in the chest. Waistlock by Iroha but Shirai slides through her legs and hits a reverse DDT on the apron. Shirai goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out to the floor with a plancha onto Iroha. Iroha recovers as she is pulled back to the ring and elbows Shirai before hitting a vertical suplex on the floor. Iroha slides Shirai back into the ring and applies a crab hold, but Shirai makes it to the ropes to force the break. Iroha stomps Shirai and charges her in the corner, but Shirai slides out to the apron and kicks her back. Shirai goes for a swandive move but Iroha uppercuts her mid-move and then hits a doublestomp to her back while Shirai is lying over the ropes. Cover, but it gets two. Iroha picks up Shirai and applies the Gory Special, she then releases the hold and goes for Shirai’s leg but Shirai kicks her back.

Spinning kick to the head by Shirai and she hits the Shinkansen Attack. Cover by Shirai but it gets a two count. Arm trap crossface by Shirai but Iroha inches to the ropes and gets there to get the break. Shirai picks up Iroha, she puts Iroha on the second rope and hits the Tiger Feint Kick. Swandive missile dropkick by Shirai, cover, but it gets a two count. Shirai positions Iroha in front of the corner, she goes up to the second turnbuckle but Iroha has recovered and hits her from behind. Slingshot suplex by Iroha and she holds on to Shirai to hit a second suplex, cover, but it gets a two count. Iroha picks up Shirai around the waist but Shirai elbows free, Shirai goes off the ropes and goes for a hurricanrana but Iroha blocks it and applies a crab hold. Shirai slowly inches to the ropes and eventually makes it there to force a break. Iroha positions Shirai, she goes up to the top turnbuckle but Shirai has slid out to the apron. Shirai climbs up top with Iroha and they trade punches and elbows. High kick by Shirai, she slides back out to the apron and then springboards back up to the top to hit a Frankensteiner. Standing moonsault by Shirai, then she hits a moonsault off the second turnbuckle and finally one off the top turnbuckle. Cover, but Iroha gets a shoulder up. Shirai picks up Iroha and hits the Shining Wizard. Cover, but it gets a two count. Shirai goes for a swinging kick but Iroha ducks it and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Heel kick to the back of the head by Iroha, she picks up Shirai and she nails the powerbomb. Cover, but Shirai kicks out at two. Iroha goes for a Scorpion Deathlock but Shirai rolls through it and kicked Iroha in the face. La Magistral by Shirai, but Iroha kicks out at two. Elbow by Shirai but Iroha elbows her back and they trade shots back on their feet. Uppercut by Shirai but Iroha slaps her, but Shirai turns around and hits a running headbutt. Package German Suplex Hold by Shirai, and she picks up the three count. Your winner and still champion: Io Shirai

There must be some backstory on how Iroha got a title shot considering how young and inexperienced she is, but looking over the results I couldn’t get any clues. But it made for a good superstar vs. underdog dynamic, even if you knew that Iroha had no chance of winning. That hurt the crowd reactions a bit but it was still a really good match. From watching it you’d know that Iroha was an underdog but she didn’t act over-matched at all, she was exchanging strikes and getting nearfalls the same as any other challenger. Shirai didn’t take it easy either, which she could have done since this event already had a major attraction, as she was doing dives and spring boarding off of things just like she always does. Even with Iroha’s more limited experience the match was really crisp, I didn’t notice any awkward moments, and the match flowed really well with no real downtime. A predictable ending but a fun journey to get there for sure.  Recommended

Natsuki*Taiyo vs. Nanae Takahashi

This is Natsuki*Taiyo’s Retirement Match. They lock knuckles to start, side headlock by Taiyo but Takahashi gets out of it. Wristlock by Taiyo, Takahashi gets Taiyo to the mat but Taiyo wiggles away as they trade submission attempts. Both wrestlers return to their feet, tie-up, side headlock by Taiyo, Takahashi Irish whips out of it and hits a shoulderblock. Takahashi goes off the ropes and hits an armdrag, springboard by Taiyo and she hits an armdrag of her own. Takahashi falls out of the ring, Taiyo fakes a dive but ends up swinging herself back into the ring. Takahashi returns after a moment, elbows by Taiyo and she clubs Takahashi in the back. Taiyo and Takahashi trade elbows, armbar by Taiyo but Takahashi reverses it. Armdrag by Taiyo and she dropkicks Takahashi in the knee. Taiyo goes up to the top turnbuckle and kicks Takahashi in the arm. Knee to the arm by Taiyo and she yanks on Takahashi’s arm. Kicks to the arm by Taiyo and she twists it around her knee. Takahashi gets out of it and gets Taiyo’s ankle, applying an ankle hold. Taiyo flips out of the hold, elbow by Takahashi but Taiyo elbows her back. Taiyo throws Takahashi into the corner and elbows her some more, Irish whip by Taiyo, reversed, Taiyo moves when Takahashi charges in and hits a palm thrust. Two more by Taiyo but Takahashi grabs her by the hair and tosses her to the mat. Dropkick to the knee by Takahashi and she applies a knee lock. Takahashi applies a stretch hold before going back to the leg, and she eventually applies a figure four leg lock. Taiyo gets into the ropes to force a break, Takahashi grabs her leg and hops down on it while it is propped on the bottom rope. Kicks to the head by Takahashi, Taiyo fights back but Takahashi knocks her back to the mat. Taiyo gets back up and they trade elbows, an exchange that Takahashi gets the better of. Takahashi throws Taiyo into the corner and chops her in the chest before hitting a lariat. Takahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle but Taiyo quickly joins her, Takahashi catches Taiyo with a sleeper and tosses her back to the mat. Missile dropkick by Takahashi, cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi goes up to the top again but Taiyo jumps up with her and hits an armdrag. Springboard moonsault by Taiyo, cover, but it gets a two count. Waistlock by Taiyo but Takahashi elbows out of it. They trade elbows, Takahashi charges Taiyo in the corner but Taiyo kicks her back and flips out to the apron. Trip by Taiyo and she hits a slingshot double stomp before kicking Takahashi out of the ring.

Taiyo gets a running start and hits a triple jump springboard plancha out of the ring onto Takahashi. Irish whip by Taiyo, reversed, and Taiyo goes flying into a row of chairs. Takahashi throws her into some more chairs and a third time. Takahashi takes Taiyo to a different part of the arena and does the same thing, she then takes Taiyo up the aisle into the bleachers, but Taiyo starts fighting back. They trade elbows up in the crowd for a bit before Takahashi knocks Taiyo back down towards ringside, but Taiyo slaps Takahashi until she falls to the floor. Takahashi gets back up and they trade elbows again until both fall to ground. Takahashi gets back in the ring with Taiyo slowly following, Takahashi picks up Taiyo and elbows her, leading to another elbow exchange. Taiyo kicks Takahashi in the leg and then hits a dropkick, Taiyo goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the missile dropkick. Dropkick in the corner by Taiyo, cover, but it gets a two count. Taiyo goes up to the top turnbuckle but Takahashi rolls out of the way of the double stomp and hits a backdrop suplex. Cover, but it gets a two count. Ankle hold by Takahashi but Taiyo is able to make it to the ropes. Takahashi picks up Taiyo and chops her in the corner, Irish whip, but Taiyo rebounds out of the corner with a crossbody. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Taiyo and she applies an armbar to Takahashi. Takahashi makes it into the ropes for a break, Taiyo picks her up and goes for a powerbomb, but Takahashi blocks it. Taiyo goes off the ropes, leapfrog, she kicks Takahashi and hits the Iguchi Bomb. Kick to the head by Taiyo, cover, but it gets a two count. Taiyo goes off the ropes but Takahashi catches her with a powerbomb and hits a sliding kick. Cover, but it only gets a two. Takahashi picks up Taiyo but Taiyo gets into the ropes. Takahashi pulls her back and hits a backdrop suplex and then hits a second one. Lariat by Takahashi, cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo, Taiyo fights her off and she goes for the sunset flip powerbomb but Takahashi blocks it. Taiyo hits an armdrag before applying the Triple Taiyo☆Chan La Magistral for a two count.

Taiyo goes off the ropes and goes for a hurricanrana, but Takahashi catches her and sits down for a two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo and hits the Nana☆Racka, cover, but Taiyo rolls through it for her own two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo but Takahashi gets away and slams Takahashi to the mat. Taiyo goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits the diving doublestomp, cover, but it gets a two count. Taiyo picks up Takahashi and hits the leg trap German suplex hold for a two count. Taiyo goes off the ropes but Takahashi catches her and hits a second Nana☆Racka for a two count cover. Takahashi drags Taiyo to her feet, Taiyo gets away and kicks Takahashi in the stomach, back kick by Taiyo and she hits another one. Taiyo goes off the ropes but Takahashi hits a jumping kick to the face. Takahashi goes up to the top turnbuckle but Taiyo rolls out of the way of the body press. Taiyo goes for the Taiyo☆Chan Bomb but Takahashi sits down for a two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo but Taiyo gets away from her, knees by Taiyo and she hits a back kick. Taiyo☆Chan Bomb by Taiyo, but Takahashi barely gets a shoulder up. Momo☆Latch by Taiyo, but Takahashi kicks out again at two. Taiyo clubs Takahashi in the back and puts her up on the top turnbuckle, she joins her but Takahashi clubs her off. Diving body press by Takahashi, cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo and hits the Nana☆Racka, cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi slowly goes up to the top turnbuckle but Taiyo is up and knocks her to a seated position. Taiyo tries to join her, Takahashi knocks her back to the mat but Taiyo gets back up and jumps up to the top turnbuckle. Takahashi slides off however, Taiyo jumps off the top turnbuckle and hits the Momo☆Latch, but it gets a two count. Taiyo picks up Takahashi, slaps by Taiyo, and she kicks Takahashi in the ribs. Headbutt by Takahashi and they trade elbows, Takahashi goes off the ropes and she hits a lariat. Cover, but it gets a two count. Takahashi picks up Taiyo and she nails the One Second EX. Cover, but Taiyo gets a shoulder up. Takahashi charges Taiyo but Taiyo knocks her back, Taiyo gets up on the top turnbuckle but Takahashi grabs her and hits the Nanaracka☆100. Cover, and she picks up the three count. Your winner: Nanae Takahashi

The match was probably a little bit longer than it needed to be as some parts of the match did drag (such as the battling up in the crowd section), but overall it was still a really good match. I have no idea how Taiyo can even concentrate as retirement matches can be so emotional, but for the most part the action was very crisp and fluid. The early limb work was ultimately blown off, but the limbs weren’t really targeted long enough to expect them to sell it for the rest of the match, so I won’t hold it against them. Taiyo has so much energy, even after a 30 minute match she was still springboarding around, things like that is why everyone loved her… she just has more gears than most humans do. Even though she lost, Taiyo didn’t go down easy as she took most of Takahashi’s big moves, some of them twice. Overall it was a fitting ending, shame she couldn’t get the win but generally in Japan wrestlers lose in their official retirement matches, that is just the way it goes. An emotional and exciting ending to the career of the original High Speed Champion.  Recommended

Natsuki*Taiyo’s Retirement Ceremony

I am not going to do a play by play of a Retirement Ceremony, but if you’ve never watched a Joshi Retirement Ceremony you really should sometime. First of all, from start to finish it was over 40 minutes long. It had a bit of everything, first Taiyo talked for a bit, they did some dancing, then all the Stardom wrestlers came down and gave Taiyo flowers one by one. It is pretty emotional as everyone is crying, so if you are an emotional person like me, don’t watch this with anyone else in the room as it will be really hard to explain. Along with the Stardom wrestlers, many legends came down to wish her well also, including Bull Nakano and Momoe Nakanishi. Some just gave flowers, some playfully attacked her, it likely depended on her personal relationships with them. Animal Hamaguchi came out last which got Taiyo the most emotional as he helped train her, and he talked a bit before leading the crowd in a cheer. It ends with everyone leaving the ring as the lights go down, and Taiyo gets her final farewell. Its a much more… personal retirement than most wrestlers get but its normal for long-time (and well liked) Joshi wrestlers. Probably too long for the common fan to sit through, especially if you don’t speak Japanese, but it does show that they know how to send people out the right way. I can’t imagine trying to do a wrestling match knowing all of this is coming, but that is why they are professionals and I just watch them while politely judging everything they do. But it was a really nice ceremony and you could tell from the emotions how much people will miss Taiyo, she was the life of Stardom at times and she will be hard to replace.

event originally reviewed on 1/5/15

The post Stardom “Natsuki Taiyo Retirement ~ High Speed Forever” on 6/1/14 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

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.

Aasa vs. Aoi Kizuki

They 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.

Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Riho and Sayaka Obihiro

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.

Double 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.

‘Kotori’ vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida 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

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It has been a few months since I reviewed a Gatoh Move event so I figured I was overdue to review a show from the small promotion with the purple mat. This is a short show with only three matches, with Emi Sakura being in two of them. Here is the full card:

• Emi Sakura vs. Kaori Yoneyama
• “Trans-Am” Hiroshi vs. Sayaka Obihiro
• Aasa, Kotori, and Kazuhiro Tamura vs. Cherry, Emi Sakura, and Masahiro Takanashi

This will be fun, but quick.

Emi Sakura vs. Kaori Yoneyama

Sakura immediately dropkicks Yoneyama when the bell rings, she goes for quick pins but none do the trick. They trade holds with Yoneyama sinking in a headlock, Sakura gets out of it and they trade shoulderblock attempts. Sakura knocks Yoneyama to the mat but Yoneyama gets up and they trade wristlocks. Armdrag by Sakura and she applies a camel clutch, she then applies a choke but Yoneyama gets out of it and applies a STF. Muta Lock by Yoneyama but Sakura gets out of it and they trade chops back on their feet. Scoop slam by Sakura and she puts Yoneyama in a Scorpion Deathlock, but Yoneyama gets to the edge of the mat to force a break. Sakura puts Yoneyama on the window ledge and hits a body avalanche, but Yoneyama slides to the other side and hits Sakura with a stool. Missile dropkick by Yoneyama, she picks up Sakura but Sakura elbows her off and hits a swinging neckbreaker.

Bodyscissors into a roll-up by Yoneyama, she goes for the Chaos Theory but Sakura blocks it and applies a cross armbreaker. Yoneyama gets to the edge to break it up, but Sakura hits a double underhook right back into the cross armbreaker. She wiggles to the edge again to force a break, she goes for another double underhook but Yoneyama blocks it and kicks her in the chest. Yoneyama gets up on the window sill and hits a diving senton, cover by Yoneyama but it gets a two count. Now Sakura gets on the window and hits a diving senton of her own, but she also gets two. Sakura picks up Yoneyama but Yoneyama blocks the Yoshi Tonic, so she flips Yoneyama into the wall. Knee to the back of a head by Sakura and she hits a rolling headscissors for a two count. Yoneyama quickly applies La Magistral for a two count, she rams Sakura into the wall but the bell rings as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

For a match with severe limitations, I thought it was decent. Sakura and Yoneyama both know how to work and they managed to pull of a few well thought-out spots in the match. I liked that both were still giving it their all even in such a small ‘arena’, it feels strange watching two wrestlers of their abilities wrestling in such an environment. Worth watching for the general quality as well as the unique surroundings.  Mildly Recommended

“Trans-Am” Hiroshi vs. Sayaka Obihiro

Hiroshi and Obihiro lock-up to start before getting into trading wristlocks, headlock takeover by Hiroshi but Obihiro Irish whips out of it. Shoulderblock by Hiroshi but Obihiro trips him, Hiroshi begs for mercy but he ends up poking Obihiro in the eyes. Snapmare by Hiroshi and he drops a knee, Obihiro fights back with an elbow and knocks down Hiroshi before applying a headlock. Obihiro pulls at Hiroshi’s hair too but he gets out of the hold and knees Obihiro in the stomach. Punches by Hiroshi and he catches Obihiro with a lariat for a two count cover. Scoop slam by Hiroshi, he gets up on the window sill  but Obihiro gets her feet up on the diving fist drop attempt. Dropkick by Obihiro, she gets up on the window herself but Hiroshi avoids the double ax handle. Punches by Hiroshi, he catches Obihiro’s kick but this time Obihiro ducks the lariat. They talk for a bit, can’t say I understand what is going on, but Obihiro tricks Hiroshi and goes for a backslide, but Hiroshi blocks it. Fisherman suplex hold by Hiroshi, and he picks up the three count! Hiroshi is the winner of the match!

More along the lines of what I expect from this type of show – mostly simple strikes in submissions, a bit of goofiness and then a quick pin. I wouldn’t form an opinion of either wrestler just from a match like this one, obviously there were some constraints on what they could do, but both looked fine. Just a short and forgettable match overall.

Aasa, Kotori, and Kazuhiro Tamura vs. Cherry, Emi Sakura, and Takanashi

They are doing tag rules even though there are no turnbuckles or ropes. Kotori and Takanashi start and trade holds on the mat, which Takanashi gets the better of. Kotori comes back with a wristlock and she jumps up on the window, but Takanashi pulls her back off. Quick roll-up by Kotori but it gets a two count, leading to Takanashi tagging in Sakura. Tamura tags in also and kicks Sakura in the leg, so Sakura tags in Cherry. Tamura and Cherry grapple on the mat but neither gets a clear advantage, Tamura tags in Aasa and Cherry quickly takes Aasa down. Front headlock by Cherry to Aasa and she applies a bodyscissors, but Aasa gets to the edge of the mat to force a break. Scoop slam by Aasa, she picks up Cherry but Cherry rolls her to the mat and hits a series of mounted elbows. Headlock by Cherry and she punches her in the head before tagging in Sakura. Sakura stomps down Aasa and tags in Takanashi, Takanashi places Aasa against the wall and chops her in the chest. Chinlock by Takanashi and he then applies a stretch hold, he tags Sakura back in a the beatdown on the rookie continues. Takanashi returns and puts Aasa in a stretch hold, but Aasa suplexes out of it and makes the hot tag to Tamura.

Takanashi and Tamura trade chops, kick by Tamura but Takanashi shrugs off the Yoshi Tonic attempt. Cutter by Tamura, but Cherry breaks up the cover. Kotori comes in to help and they drop Cherry with a double face crusher, Kotori gets up in the window sill and hits a diving crossbody on Takanashi, Aasa comes in and she helps Tamura slam Kotori on top of Takanashi. Kotori puts Takanashi in an Octopus Hold but Cherry breaks it up, Cherry suplexes Kotori, Takanashi comes in but Kotori plants him with a judo throw. Kotori tags in Aasa while Takanashi tags Sakura, body block by Aasa to Sakura and Kotori comes in with a crossbody. Body press by Aasa to Sakura, but it gets a two count. Aasa goes for another body block but Sakura avoids it, Sakura throws her and both her teammates against the wall and hits a crossbody onto all three of them. Takanashi comes in but he accidentally kicks Sakura, scoop slam by Aasa onto Sakura but she gets her knees up on the body press. Tamura comes in but Sakura jumps on his back and lands on top of Aasa. Sakura gets on the window sill and hits a diving crossbody onto Aasa, Sakura puts the rookie into the Cavernaria, and Aasa submits! Sakura, Cherry, and Takanashi win!

Not the best match on the card but not too bad for this type of show. As I have mentioned a few times, obviously they are very limited with what they can do since there are no ropes, but at least they are familar with how to work in such a unique environment. Aasa seems to have the basics down pat, and I am quite a fan of Kotori. About what you’d expect considering the situation, watchable but not as good as the first match on the card as most of it was uneventful aside from a few cute spots.

The post Gatoh Move Japan Tour #244 on 8/26/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Every now and then, there are Joshi matches on non-Joshi shows that sometimes fly under the radar. Promotions such as DDT, K-DOJO, Mr. Gannosuke, FMW, and FREEDOMS all either have Joshi wrestlers on their roster or frequently bring in Joshi wrestlers for special matches. Once a few Joshi matches have taken place in various non-Joshi promotions, I will review them to help get some exposure for some of the lesser-known wrestlers that don’t make TV as often. Plus you never know, there may be a hidden gem that is just waiting to be uncovered.

I am a bit behind in doing this, so I have a lot of recent matches to review today! I will be reviewing:

• June 21st, 2016 – Dump Matsumoto vs. Miss Mongol on FMW “June Blood”
• July 13th, 2016 – Ayako Hamada and Ryo Mizunami vs. GENTARO and The Winger on FREEDOMS “Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2016”
• July 19th, 2016 – Manami Kanda vs. Micro on GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016”
• July 19th, 2016 – Drake Morimatsu vs. Konaka = Pehlwan on GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016”
• July 21st, 2016 – Emi Sakura and Hibiscus Mii vs. Riho, Kotori, and Sayaka Obihiro on HEAT-UP “Dream-Up 2016”
• July 26th, 2016 – Koharu Hinata vs. Micro on Mr. Gannosuke Produce “Kishindo Returns 20”
• July 29th, 2016 – Hana Kimura vs. Reika Saiki on WRESTLE-1 “Symbol Tour”
• July 31st, 2016 – Alex Lee and Tiran Shisa vs. Ayumu Honda and Bambi on K-DOJO “Super In TKO Garden City Chiba”
• August 28th, 2016 – Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki vs. Hyper Misao, Syoko Nakajima, and Yuu on DDT “Ryogoku Peter Pan 2016”

Lots of wrestling! Sleaze! Hardcore! Intergender! Babies! Everything you could ask for.

Dump Matsumoto vs. Miss Mongol
FMW “June Blood” on June 21st, 2016

Mongol attacks Matsumoto outside the ring before the match starts, which quickly backfires as Matsumoto hits Mongol with a kendo stick and stabs her repeatedly in the head with a spike. We clip ahead to them being in the ring and Mongol hitting Matsumoto with a metal pin, cover by Mongol but it gets two. We jump to Matsumoto trying to throw Mongol into the barbed wire, but Mongol slides down to stop her momentum. Matsumoto does care and rakes her into the barbed wire anyway before Irish whipping her into the barbed wire ropes on the other side. Koharu Hinata runs in to try to help Mongol but she elbows Mongol by accident, leading to Mongol kicking Hinata out of the ring while Matsumoto watches. Lariat by Matsumoto and she hits a body press, but Hinata breaks up the cover. Matsumoto gets mad and approaches Hinata, but Mongol sneaks up from behind and pushes her into the barbed wire ropes. Inside Cradle by Mongol, and she picks up the three count! Miss Mongol wins!

This was a six minute match clipped down to two minutes, so obviously not enough was shown to get excited about. It is always fun to see Matsumoto though, she moves slower than she used to but she still has that violent streak that we know and love. A few fun spots and both took a ride into the barbed wire so the pain felt evenly distributed. I enjoyed it for what it was.

Ayako Hamada and Ryo Mizunami vs. GENTARO and The Winger
FREEDOMS “Tokyo Death Match Carnival 2016” on July 13th, 2016

Hamada and Mizunami charge their opponents to start but the idea quickly backfires as they are both attacked with chairs. They set up chairs in the corners but Hamada and Mizunami throw them into the chairs, Hamada grabs Winger and tries walking the ropes, but she is knocked out of the ring. Mizunami is thrown out of the ring too but Hamada takes the chair from GENTARO and throws him into the ring post. Winger avenges GENTARO by doing the same to Hamada and then chokes her with a chair, while GENTARO gets another chair and hits Mizunami in the head with it. Hamada boots GENTARO and goes to check on Mizunami, while the men return to the ring to wait. Hamada gets in too and takes the chair from GENTARO, but she gets double teamed before GENTARO covers her for two. Mizunami gets in the ring, bleeding from the head, which GENTARO makes worse by biting her. Winger picks up Mizunami and he bites Mizunami in the head too, DDT by Winger onto a chair and he covers her for two. GENTARO returns and hits a splash on Mizunami, but he gets a two count as well. GENTARO goes for a piledriver but Mizunami blocks it with a back bodydrop. Mizunami hits GENTARO with a chair but Winger runs in and attacks her from behind.

GENTARO picks up Mizunami and goes for a chair shot, but Mizunami ducks it and spears him. Lariat by Mizunami in the corner, Hamada comes in with a chair while GENTARO is put in the Tree of Woe. Hamada throws the chair at Winger before hitting a baseball slide on GENTARO. They then use the chairs to hit Winger low before doing the same to GENTARO, Mizunami picks up GENTARO and slams him to the mat before going up top and deliver the diving leg drop for a two count. Lariat by Mizunami to Winger, they set up chairs in the ring and sit both GENTARO and Winger onto them, but when they charge them they are drop toeholed onto the chairs. GENTARO throws Mizunami out of the ring and picks up Hamada, hitting a brainbuster onto the chair for a two count. Double flapjack to Hamada onto a chair, cover by GENTARO but Mizunami breaks it up. Mizunami is thrown out of the ring while Winger breaks a lighttube into the ring, but Hamada takes it from him and hits Winger in the head. Hamada grabs a chair before going up top, and she nails a moonsault onto Winger with the chair. Cover by Hamada, but Winger gets a shoulder up. Hamada picks up Winger and she delivers the AP Cross on the chair, picking up the three count pinfall! Hamada and Mizunami are the winners.

That was definitely a crazy match. It was a little over ten minutes long but never slowed down for a second, there was constantly someone being hit with a chair or having some other act of violence done against them. Mizunami and Hamada are about the same size as GENTARO and Winger so it never felt like an uneven match, Hamada is more than capable of holding her own which she showed by easily putting away Winger. The amount of chairs used was due to it being GENTARO’s primary weapon of choice but it just made it all the more meaningful the one time a lighttube was used as it felt like something fresh. A chaotic and fun bloody brawl.  Recommended

Manami Kanda vs. Micro
GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016” on July 19th, 2016

They tie-up to start, Kanda kicks Micro and she bounces the little one off the ropes. Kanda throws down Micro by her hair and slams her head into the mat before applying a Camel Clutch. Irish whip by Kanda but Micro hits a trio of crossbodies for a quick two count. Micro throws Kanda into the corner and hits a dropkick, but Kanda comes back with a lariat and hits a scoop slam. Crab hold by Kanda but Micro gets into the ropes, scoop slam by Kanda but Micro rolls her up for a two count. Micro picks up Kanda but Kanda hits a scoop slam, she goes off the ropes and hits a bodypress for two. Kanda throws Micro into the corner and hits an elbow followed by a face crusher, Kanda gets on the second turnbuckle but Micro shakes the ropes to send her back to the mat. Now Micro goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Micro but Kanda gets a shoulder up. Kanda and Micro trade elbows, shoulderblock by Kanda and she covers Micro for two. Kanda picks up Micro but Micro applies an inside cradle for two. Micro tries a few more quick pins with no luck, hard shoulderblock by Kanda but Micro applies a crucifix pin for two. Micro tries more quick pins but can’t hold Kanda down, running footstomp by Kanda and she knocks down Micro with a lariat. Sliding lariat by Kanda, and she gets the three count! Manami Kanda wins!

All I can say is that this was an actively average and bland match. It was just not engaging or interesting in any way, there is probably a reason that they have stayed on smaller indies. Neither were bad, there weren’t any mistakes, but there was nothing really positive about it either. Thoroughly skippable.

Drake Morimatsu vs. Konaka = Pehlwan
GUTS World “Vol. 98: Bukotsu War 2016” on July 19th, 2016

The match starts really slow as they are in no rush to get started, Drake finally stops messing around and hits Konaka with a baseball bat. Chops by Drake and she chokes Konaka against the ropes before throwing him down into the corner. Drake starts on Konaka’s arm as I regret watching this match, chinlock by Drake but Konaka gets into the ropes. Now it is Konaka that works on Drake’s arm but Drake snapmares him and hits a leg drop. Konaka kicks Drake back and applies a necklock over the top rope, swandive chop to the head by Konaka and he does a quick post before going for the cross armbreaker. Drake gets into the ropes but Konaka quickly applies an armbar, Drake again inches to the ropes and she forces another break. Stomps by Konaka but Drake fires back with a lariat, Konaka rolls out of the ring but Drake goes out after him. Konaka attacks Drake from behind but Drake chops him and they battle into the stands. They return to the ring and Drake hits Konaka with a chair but Konaka takes it from her, Drake takes it back and tosses the chair out of the ring before hitting a lariat. Another lariat by Drake and she covers Konaka, but picks him up before the three count. Samoan Driver by Drake, she picks up Konaka and hits a Michinoku Driver, but Konaka grabs her arm when she goes for a cover and applies an armbar. Drake struggles for a moment before she taps out! Konaka = Pehlwan wins the match.

No lie, this match kinda bored me to tears. Konaka doesn’t show a lot of emotion and Drake is obviously limited so for a ten minute match not a whole hell of a lot happened. I am not sure who the target audience for this match is but it wasn’t me, just a flat mid-card match.

Emi Sakura and Hibiscus Mii vs. Riho, Kotori, and Sayaka Obihiro
HEAT-UP “Dream-Up 2016” on July 21st, 2016

Sakura is jumped before the match starts and is triple teamed, Mii comes in the ring to help but Kotori requests her to leave so she does. I bet being able to understand the pre-match talking would have helped. Sakura comes back and hits a crossbody on all three before tagging in Mii, Kotori stays in to face her and immediately puts Mii in the cross armbreaker. Mii gets into the ropes but Sakura runs up the corner and hits an armdrag before tagging in Obihiro. Obihiro floors Mii but Mii bridges out of the cover, elbow by Obihiro but Mii bridges out again. They go through this a few times until Mii collapses, Mii manages to hit a Stunner and she dropkicks Obihiro in the head. Sakura isn’t around for her to tag while Riho is also tagged in, Kotori comes in too and they all roll over Mii. Mii gets away and manages to tag Sakura this time, and they double team Riho. Riho dropkicks Mii out of the ring and tags in Kotori, Obihiro also comes in but Sakura rams them into each other and hits a crossbody in the corner on them both. Double underhook slam attempt by Sakura but Kotori slides down her back and applies a sleeper. Mii runs in but Riho grabs her, Obihiro comes in but Sakura kicks her away. Riho and Kotori get on the second turnbuckle and hit dual footstomps onto Sakura, cover by Kotori but it gets two. Kotori goes off the ropes but Sakura catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, giving her time to tags in Mii. Riho is also tagged in and slaps Mii, dropkick by Riho and she hits a jumping knee in the corner. Eye poke by Mii but Kotori hits a diving crossbody as does Riho for a two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Riho, but Mii kicks out again, Riho throws Mii in the corner but Mii slides out to the apron and hits a missile dropkick. Mii tags Sakura, she picks up Riho and hits the double underhook backbreaker. Sakura goes up top but Riho moves when she goes for a senton, tilt-a-whirl roll-up by Riho but Sakura kicks out. Kotori comes in and hits a judo throw on Sakura, Somato by Riho and she covers Sakura for the three count! Riho, Kotori, and Obihiro win!

This was a cute short little mid-card match. Kotori and Riho are a lot of fun to watch, I always enjoy it when I get a chance to watch them. Two young wrestlers with a lot of potential. Sakura and Mii are great too, and the match was really fluid for a crazy match with tons of interference and quick offense. Not a ton of substance but enjoyable.  Mildly Recommended

Koharu Hinata vs. Micro
Mr. Gannosuke Produce “Kishindo Returns 20” on July 26th, 2016

Unlike the last match, this one starts slowly as they feel each other out with Micro hitting the first move of the match with a bodyslam. She picks up Hinata and throws her down by her hair, but Hinata returns the favor and stomps down Micro in the corner. Scoop slam by Micro and she puts Hinata in a crab hold, but Hinata crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Micro at one point trapped Hinata’s arms too so she couldn’t grab the ropes, which is a smarter tactic than I am used to seeing in my pro wres. Hinata comes back with a kick, Micro scoops her up but Hinata falls on top of Micro for a two count. Now it is Hinata that puts Micro in the crab hold, she then lets it go only to put Micro in a Surfboard. Back up they trade elbows, Micro goes off the ropes but Hinata catches her with a dropkick. Another dropkick by Hinata, she picks up Micro and hits a few slaps before kicking her again. Scoop slam by Hinata and she covers Micro for a two. Knees by Hinata and she kicks Micro out of the corner, diving crossbody by Hinata but that gets a two as well. Bodyscissors into a roll-up by Hinata and she also tries an inside cradle as well as a backslide, but Micro kicks out each time. Micro charges Hinata and grabs her by the leg, she hits a unique leg sweep roll-up and she gets the three count! Micro wins!

I enjoyed this a bit more than I probably should have, it wasn’t anything special and wasn’t overly exciting, but Micro does so many little things that I had a good time watching it. Trapping the arms when putting on a crab hold is so smart but rarely done, and I loved the leg sweep pin which I have never seen before. Hinata was solid too, both wrestlers are itty bitty so they are limited in what they can do, but overall it was still a pretty solid match.  Mildly Recommended

Hana Kimura vs. Reika Saiki
WRESTLE-1 “Symbol Tour” on July 29th, 2016

They begin with a knuckle lock and a Test of Strength which Hana gets the better of. Hana applies a headlock on the mat before applying a leg submission, Hana then gets in the mount position and goes for an armbreaker but Reika gets to the ropes. Scoop slam by Hana and she applies a crab hold, but again Reika gets to the ropes to force a break. Back up they trade elbows, dropkick by Reika and she dropkicks Hana into the corner. Kicks to the chest by Reika and she hits a scoop slam, kicks by Reika to Hana’s leg and she hits another slam for a two count cover. Reika goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Hana bridges out of the pin. Hana applies a stretch hold before tossing Reika off and slams her into the corner. Double knee to the back by Hana and she dropkicks Reika for a two count cover. Hana picks up Reika but Reika sneaks in an inside cradle, kicks by Reika and she nails an enzuigiri for a two. Head kick by Reika, and she picks up the three count pinfall! The winner of the match is Reika Saiki.

This was a very rookiesque match. A little rough around the edges, pretty basic, and nothing incredibly exciting. Some moves were executed really well, Reika has nice kicks and Hana’s ground game is solid, but other moves looked a bit weaker and they seemed to get a bit lost at least once. A necessary match for their growth but not something I could recommend.

Alex Lee and Tiran Shisa vs. Ayumu Honda and Bambi
K-DOJO “Super In TKO Garden City Chiba” on July 31st, 2016

Shisa starts with Honda, they bounce off the ropes until Shisa hits an armdrag followed by a dropkick. Lee and Bambi are tagged in and trade wristlocks, they both go for shoulderblocks until Lee knocks Bambi to the mat. Lee tags in Shisa, he goes for a scoop slam but Bambi lands on top of him. Honda comes in the ring and they both boot Shisa, Bambi puts Shisa into the ropes and both she and Honda kick Shisa in the chest. Bambi tags in Honda, Honda dropkicks Shisa and hits an armbreaker followed by a body press onto Shisa’s arm. He tags Bambi back in, kicks by Bambi and she covers Shisa for a two count. Bambi gets her whip and chokes Shisa with it, she lets go just to whip him and makes the tag to Honda. Honda dropkicks Shisa in the corner, another dropkick by Honda and he tags Bambi. Shisa kicks Bambi when she charges her and delivers a dropkick, giving him time to tag in Lee. Lee knees Bambi but Honda hits her from the apron, he comes in the ring but Lee kicks them before hitting a double face crusher. Kick to the face by Lee, and she covers Bambi for two. Lee and Bambi trade elbows, Lee goes off the ropes but Bambi catches her with a boot. Another boot by Bambi, and she gets a two count cover. Bambi applies a double reverse armbar, but Lee gets a foot on the bottom rope. Bambi tags in Honda, armbreaker by Honda and he hits a hammerlock Backstabber. Lee kicks Honda in the chest and hits a high kick, she tags in Shisa and Shisa hits a jumping elbow in the corner. Running seated senton by Shisa in the corner and he hits a gutwrench suplex for two. Shisa goes off the ropes but Honda catches him with a kick, Northern Lights Suplex by Shisa but Honda kicks out. Shisa goes for a corkscrew quebrada but Honda avoids he, he knocks Lee off the apron as Bambi comes in the ring, and they double team Shisa. Bambi hits a running knee on Shisa, Honda gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick, but Lee breaks up the cover. Shisa sneaks in a schoolboy on Honda for a two count, he also tries a backslide and La Magistral but those get a two count as well. Shisa charges Honda but Honda hits a cross armbreaker takedown, and Shisa submits! Ayumu Honda and Bambi win the match!

As everyone that knows me is aware I have a natural liking of wrestlers in wrestling masks, so I naturally thought that Shisa was by far the most impressive wrestler in this match. Bambi and Lee are both pretty stiff/awkward, they are competent wrestlers but don’t really do anything to set themselves apart. Honda wasn’t impressing me until the cross armbreaker takedown, which I will admit looked really nice, but otherwise this was just a match on a small show that felt like it went a bit too long. Some solid moments but overall lackluster.

Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki vs. Hyper Misao, Syoko Nakajima, and Yuu
DDT “Ryogoku Peter Pan 2016” on August 28th, 2016

Nakajima and Yamashita are the first two in, Nakajima takes Yamashita to the mat but Yamashita applies a headscissors. Nakajima bridges out of it, knee by Yamashita and she tags in Akane. Yuu tags in too, Yuu and Akane try to shoulderblock each other over which Yuu gets the better of. She tags in Misao but Akane catches her crossbody attempt and slams her to the mat. Akane tags in Sakazaki, spinning headscissors by Sakazaki but Misao chokes her with a handkerchief. Snapmare by Misao and she puts Sakazaki in the Rocking Horse, cover by Misao but it gets a two count. She tags in Yuu, Yuu chops Sakazaki and she hits a spinning side slam. She tags in Nakajima, flipping neckbreaker by Nakajima but Sakazaki elbows her away. Nakajima stops her from tagging out though, Sakazaki tries to shoot a streamer gun at Nakajima but Nakajima reverses it. Dropkick by Sakazaki and she makes the hot tag to Akane, Akane shoulderblocks everyone and hits a double lariat on Nakajima and Misao. Nakajima comes back with a springboard armdrag, Nakajima puts Akane in a few quick pins but Akane kicks out each time. Nakajima goes for a double underhook but Akane back bodydrops out of it, hurricanrana by Nakajima and she tags in Yuu. Yamashita tags in too, chops by Yuu and she hits the Oklahoma Stampede for a two count. High kick by Yamashita but Yuu catches her with a Judo Throw and tags in Misao. Jumping crossbody by Misao and she hits a few weak uppercuts, another crossbody by Misao and she slams Yamashita onto her knee for a two count. Misao gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, but Yamashita rolls through it and hits a Buzzsaw Kick for two. Misao tags in Nakajima, Akane comes in and she blocks Nakajima’s Tiger Feint Kick. Akane holds Nakajima so that Yamashita can hit her Magical Girl Kick, jumping lariat by Yamashita to Misao and she nails the Attitude Adjustment for the three count! Akane Miura, Miyu Yamashita, and Yuka Sakazaki are the winners!

I really love the Tokyo Joshi Pro wrestlers, they all have unique characters and show a strong ability on the mat to go with their flashy moves to wow the crowd. Misao was the clear weak link of the teams as she got lost once and has weak strikes, but everyone else looked solid. Yamashita is someone that more Joshi fans would be talking about if she “made TV” more often, hopefully DDT will allow/encourage them to take bookings other places at some point so she can get out in the wild a bit more. A fun exhibition match with memorable spots and some quality wrestlers.  Mildly Recommended

The post Joshi Match Review Medley: FMW, DDT, WRESTLE-1, and K-DOJO! appeared first on Joshi City.

If you thought my review of the Shida Produce event was obscure, you haven’t seen anything yet. We are back to Gatoh Move, where they have wrestling events in a little room with odd windows. Gatoh Move is owned by Emi Sakura, I am not really sure what the point of the promotion is but she seems to be having a good time and she does have a few good young wrestlers under her watch. Here is the full match list:

• “Kotori” vs. SAKI
• GENTARO vs. Sayaka Obihiro
• Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. MIZUKI and Riho

So there are a few names there you should know, but if not feel free to click on their names to go to the wrestler’s profile. A short event, let’s hop to it.

“Kotori” vs. SAKI

Kotori immediately goes for a few quick pins but SAKI kicks out, she jumps up onto the window sill but Kotori pushes her through it to the other side. Back on the mat, Kotori applies a backslide but it gets a two count. Stomps by Kotori but SAKI picks her up by the waist and swings her around before slamming her to the mat. SAKI starts working over Kotori on the mat, Rocking Horse by SAKI but Kotori blocks the suplex. Kotori pushes off the wall with an elbow and rolls up SAKI for a two count. SAKI blocks the STO but Kotori reverses the pump handle slam into a crossbody. Shoulderblocks by SAKI and she Irish whips Kotori into the wall, handstand body press by SAKI but Kotori kicks out of the cover. SAKI gets on the window sill and hits a reverse splash, pump handle slam by SAKI but Kotori barely gets a shoulder up. SAKI goes for a suplex but Kotori blocks it and throws the referee into her. Kotori jumps off the referee’s back with a crossbody, Kotori gets on SAKI’s back and applies a sunset flip for a two count. Kotori charges SAKI but SAKI catches her with a powerbomb for the three count! SAKI wins.

I really like Kotori and think the sky is the limit with her, she plays the undersized underdog role really well and has some smooth moves. Course this isn’t the greatest opportunity, wrestling in a room against SAKI. There were some cute spots here using the wall and window but that was about it. I enjoyed it just because I got to see Kotori but not a great match.

GENTARO vs. Sayaka Obihiro

GENTARO jumps through the window onto Obihiro before the match starts, giving us a unique visual since matches doesn’t usually have uh windows next to the mat. GENTARO tries to keep it on the mat, Obihiro returns to her feet but GENTARO hits a side Russian leg sweep. GENTARO stretches Obihiro on the mat, he picks her up but Obihiro fights back. GENTARO slaps her but Obihiro takes him to the mat and applies a headlock. GENTARO gains control as they return to their feet, Obihiro takes GENTARO down and puts him in a leg submission hold. GENTARO gets out of it and puts Obihiro in a sleeper, but Obihiro gets to the edge of the mat to force a break. Snapmare by GENTARO but Obihiro bridges out of the pin. GENTARO throws Obihiro into the wall but she moves when he charges in, chops by Obihiro and she jumps up onto the window sill to hit a sunset flip for a two count. Obihiro goes for a sunset flip but GENTARO sits down on her, he goes for a sunset flip but Obihiro lands on top of him, dropkick by Obihiro but the cover gets two. Bridging vertical suplex by Obihiro but GENTARO blocks the German suplex and drops her with a backdrop suplex. She blocks the next one but GENTARO puts her in the Dojime Sleeper Hold and she goes unconscious! GENTARO is your winner.

A more mat-based match but they worked it well under the circumstances. There was a clear size and strength mismatch but Obihiro had a few decent nearfalls, they did a good job not making it look goofy even though they were in a goofy environment. Nothing that will change your life but it was too short to be offensive, even though overall it was forgettable.

Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. MIZUKI and Riho

Riho and Yoneyama are the first two in and Yoneyama throws the youngster around the mat until Riho fires back with a crossbody. MIZUKI runs in but Yoneyama hits a crossbody on both of them, the young wrestlers bridge out of the pin attempt and both dropkick Yoneyama to the mat. Sakura comes in to break up the situation and Riho tags in MIZUKI, snapmare by MIZUKI to Yoneyama and she is hit with a double footstomp from MIZUKI and Riho. Riho is tagged back in but Yoneyama blocks the slam and hits one of her own. Yoneyama tags in Sakura and Sakura throws down Riho by her hair. Sakura stretches Riho, she tags Yoneyama back in and she hits Riho with Mongolian Chops before dropkicking her to the mat. Sakura returns, she puts Riho on the window sill and hits a body avalanche. Sakura and Yoneyama take turns on Riho, until Riho hits a headscissors and a dropkick on Yoneyama. She makes the hot tag to MIZUKI and MIZUKI kicks Yoneyama against the wall. Yoneyama knees MIZUKI in the back but MIZUKI comes back with a jumping knee off the window sill. Northern Lights Suplex by Yoneyama to MIZUKI, and she tags Sakura. Sakura kicks MIZUKI repeatedly and slams her, she gets in the window but Riho runs in and grabs her.

MIZUKI tosses Sakura off the window sill and puts her in a crossface, she gets out of it as Yoneyama comes in too, but MIZUKI hits Sakura with a crossbody off the sill. Bridging suplex by MIZUKI, but Sakura kicks out at two. MIZUKI tags in Riho, dropkick by Riho and she gets on the sill, but Sakura smacks her. Riho jumps on her back with a sleeper and MIZUKI slams Sakura into the wall, Riho and MIZUKI both get on the sill and hit their own crossbodies on Sakura. Sakura throws MIZUKI and Riho into each other and then into the wall, low crossbody by Sakura but Riho blocks the backbreaker. Riho gets away from Sakura and goes for the step-up sunset flip but Sakura blocks it and applies her own roll-up. Double underhook backbreaker by Sakura but Riho catches her with a bridging fallaway slam. Sakura comes back with another backbreaker, both wrestlers crawl to their corners and tag their teammates. MIZUKI and Yoneyama trade elbows, which Yoneyama gets the better of and she hits a senton. Riho comes in to help, MIZUKI gets on the window sill and hits a diving footstomp for two. Crossface by MIZUKI but Yoneyama gets out of it, she goes for the Somato but Yoneyama moves and she hits the wall. Crossbody by Sakura, cover by Yoneyama to MIZUKI but she kicks out. MIZUKI gets back in control but Yoneyama avoids the Somato again, superkick by Sakura and Yoneyama hits a diving senton off the window sill for two. MIZUKI reverses Yoneyama’s roll-up and knees Yoneyama in the back, but again Yoneyama avoids the Somato and rolls up MIZUKI. The bell rings at this point, and the match is a Draw!

This match was probably better than it had any right to be, but that is what happens when you have four talented wrestlers in a 15 minute match. The odd environment actually helped here as they used the wall and window sill quite a bit, taking full advantage of their surroundings. It was fast paced and well executed, the match was oddly smooth considering the tight area that they had to work in. I enjoyed it quite a bit, Riho and MIZUKI are really good young wrestlers and Sakura/Yoneyama are seasoned veterans, which was the right combination to have an entertaining match. Good stuff between these four.  Recommended

The post Gatoh Move Japan Tour #229 on 5/20/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Occasionally I review a show that no one knows exists and no one really wants to read about. But I am a completist so I am reviewing everything! That includes this event that took place on a mat in a room with odd windows. Gatoh Move is a smaller promotion run by Emi Sakura, usually they do wrestle in an actual ring but sometimes they have shows like this too for a small audience. It is a very short card and on top of that only two matches were filmed. Here are the matches shown:

• DJ Nira vs. MIZUKI
• Antonio Honda, Riho, and Sayaka Obihiro vs. Emi Sakura, ‘Kotori’, and Masa Takanashi

Time for my shortest review ever!

DJ Nira vs. MIZUKI

Nira attacks MIZUKI to start and sticks her finger in a moving fan! That’s just mean, he went right for blood off the start. Nira heals her finger however because deep down he is a nice guy, and MIZUKI shows off her healed finger. Nira punches MIZUKI, he climbs through the window and jumps off with an ax handle. Elbows by MIZUKI and she hits a dropkick, she gets up in the window frame and delivers a diving crossbody for two. Nira blocks the next dropkick and hits a slam of some sort before standing on her like a surfboard. I assume since it is off camera. MIZUKI comes back with a quick roll-up, but Nira blocks the crucifix roll-up. He holds her in the position too long however and gets weak, MIZUKI covers him and she gets the three count! MIZUKI wins!

I am not sure what to say. Nira is pure gimmick, whether you like him or not just depends on your tastes but I’m not his biggest fan as its a bit too bizarre for me. Obviously they are limited by the environment but this match probably wouldn’t have been much better in a real ring. I don’t think there is any good reason to watch this match.

Antonio Honda, Riho, and Sayaka Obihiro vs. Emi Sakura, ‘Kotori’, and Masa Takanashi

Honda and Takanashi are the legal wrestlers to begin and they exchange holds on the mat. Armdrag by Takanashi but Honda returns to his feet and they tag out. Riho and Sakura come in,  scoop slam by Sakura and she hits a body press for a two count. Wristlock by Riho but Sakura reverses it, Riho gets Sakura by the hair but Sakura reverses that too. Cartwheel by Riho and she hits a dropkick before tagging in Obihiro. Honda “comes in the ring” too and they all hit rolling sentons on Sakura and they all pose over her as the lively crowd cheers. Sakura fights back and hits a cutter on Obihiro and Riho, she puts Kotori on her back and Kotori flips Sakura onto their opponents. Kotori stays in and applies a submission on Obihiro on the mat, front necklock by Kotori but Obihiro slams her into the wall. Obihiro is double teamed, Sakura chops Obihiro against the wall and hits a running crossbody. Sakura tags Takanashi and he slams Obihiro before hitting a body press for two. Takanashi goes for another slam but Obihiro gets out of it and hits a slam of her own.

Obihiro tags Riho and she hits a series of jumping knees on Takanashi, Sakura comes in but Obihiro chops her in the throat. Takanashi comes in, Riho goes for a hurricanrana off the window but Takanashi catches her and Kotori dropkicks her. Kotori puts Riho in a grounded necklock but Riho gets out of it and they trade elbows. They trade quick pin attempts with no luck, Honda comes in and he hits a series of punches on Kotori. Sakura comes in but Honda puts her in a sleeper, Sakura gets out of it and they trade shots. Sakura hits a double underhook facebuster on Honda, she gets on the window sill but Honda grabs her and hits a shoulder breaker. Honda and company all punch their opponents, Riho gets on Honda’s shoulders but Sakura avoids the footstomp. Riho knees Sakura and goes for a crossbody, but Sakura reverses it and hits a diving body press off the window for a two count. Takanashi comes in and tries to superkick Riho, but Riho moves and she kicks Sakura by accident. Somato by Riho to Takanashi, she then hits one on Sakura also and she gets the three count! Honda, Riho, and Obihiro are your winners.

This was definitely interesting. I will say that there was no lack of effort here, it was a bit goofy at times but they were doing as well as one could ask for in that environment. It didn’t need all six of them, Honda didn’t do much and for a shorter match in a very confined area it just made everything a bit too busy. But there were certainly a few memorable parts and they kept the action up, I just don’t know if I would call it ‘good’ or not. Maybe worth a watch if you are into watching matches in unusual situations.

The post Gatoh Move Japan Tour #210 on January 31st, 2016 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Championships Held: International Ribbon Tag Team Championship, REINA World Tag Team Championship, and the Asia Dream Tag Team Championship
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• March 20th, 2012 vs. Aiger vs. Neko Nitta  (title challenge)
• December 19th, 2012 with Kimura vs. Hatred and Hoshi  (title win)
• June 1st, 2014 with Kamen and Yoneyama vs. Matsumoto, Iwatani, and Wakizawa (title challenge)
• June 22nd, 2016 with Aoi Kizuki vs. MIZUKI and SAKI  (title defense)
• January 13th, 2019 vs. Emi Sakura  (title challenge)

Signature Moves:

• Half-Hatch Suplex Hold
• Magic Obihiro
• Obihiro Pack
• Sleeper Hold

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

• June 1st, 2014 – Wakizawa, Matsumoto, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoneyama, Kamen, and Obihiro in Stardom
• May 20th, 2016 – GENTARO vs. Sayaka Obihiro in Gatoh Move
• August 26th, 2016 – “Trans-Am” Hiroshi vs. Sayaka Obihiro in Gatoh Move
• September 10th, 2016 – Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Riho and Sayaka Obihiro in Gatoh Move
• February 11th, 2017 – Aoi Kizuki and Obihiro vs. Honda and Trans-Am ★ Hiroshi in Gatoh Move
• July 2nd, 2019 – An Chamu, Shinnou, and Makoto vs. Antonio Honda, SAKI, and Obihiro in Gatoh Move

In Action:

Half-Hatch Suplex Hold

Back to Gatoh Move Roster

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