ChocoPro Roundup: #337 to #341
The Doctor Impresses, Ice Ribbon Reunions And A Surprise Treat
Front Matter
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ChocoPro #337 (22/10/23), Gatoh Move
ChocoPro Halloween shows are always a treat, and this year was no different. 2023’s Rumble featured Dr Gore’s Wally unsuccessfully trying to seek out hiding spots while Honda’s Winnie the Pooh channelled Hulk Hogan and Rocky (why? Who knows). Best of all, though, was Chie charging into the room dressed in a school uniform with some toast in her mouth before promptly crashing into Sayaka. I believe that’s a well-established anime trope, but I would be more shocked to learn it hadn’t also happened once irl to a young Chie. Either way, these matches are always a joy, and while this wasn’t the best of the genre (that’s the very first one, where Chie spent most of the match accurately portraying a shrimp), it was still a blast.
However, it wasn’t the only good match on this card, as the opener gave us Chie taking on the role usually reserved for Sayaka Obihiro when battling Honda. I’ve written before about how much I adore watching Obi vs Honda, as they tend to go from very silly to very violent, and Anton and Chie tapped into a bit of that energy here. It takes talent to start a match by struggling to pop a balloon (it took the two of them more attempts than it really should have) and end it by exchanging wild strikes, but they pulled it off and left me hoping we get a Chie vs Honda showdown sooner rather than later.
As a final note, bless Dr Gore, who, for the closing song, had brought along his notes so he could sing along with everyone else. The man gets Gatoh Move, and this won’t be the last time I make that point in this roundup.
Mochi Matsumi & Miya Yotsuba vs Hiragi Kurumi & Sayaka Obihiro, ChocoPro #338 (1/11/23), Gatoh Move
There was a lot of history to this match. Everyone apart from Miya debuted in Ice Ribbon in 2010, but it has been (if Cagematch is to be believed) over eleven years since they shared a ring. Even that was a battle royal, and you need to go a year earlier to find a tag match the three veterans were part of. Back then, Kurumi was a literal child (I believe she mentioned at the end of the show that she hadn’t been to Ichigaya since she was in junior high), and a lot of water has passed under a lot of bridges since Obi, Mochi and her were together.
And if I’m honest, the history made this match special rather than what happened in it, but the action was still good. Miya was a strong choice for the fourth wheel, as seeing her try to stand up to the much larger Kurumi was a nice change of pace. Her and Mochi’s enemies-to-partners storyline has been a lot of fun, and it pays off in moments like this, as she can see she’s learning from the more experienced heads, following their lead and adding her shine to it. Plus, there’s a lovely simplicity to throwing a rookie at a hoss and seeing what happens.
It was Obi who seemed the most fired up about it all, though. She debuted first out of the three of them, making her technically the head of the group, and she left Ice Ribbon long before the rest. Whether it was a desire to show what she’d learnt since or simply the excitement of getting to play with old friends, there was a nastiness to her game here that we don’t often see, as she was pulling hair and dishing out hard chops. Not that it was deadly serious, as she also called for Kurumi to hop on her back before trying to walk across the mat for a splash, which might have worked back then but was less well-thought-out now. Her piece-de-resistance, however, was the counter that got the win, as she caught Miya mid-hammer and bundled her up beautifully, displaying a bit of that Obi magic in the process.
Most of all, it was lovely to see these people back together. I wasn’t watching Ice Ribbon when they were around, so it’s not some nostalgic thing for me, but in a perfect world, everyone would be free to wrestle everyone else. Not long ago, this was a match-up I would never have expected to see, and I’m glad I have been proven wrong.
Sayaka Obihro vs Sayaka vs Dr Gore, ChocoPro #339 (10/11/23), Gatoh Move
As I hinted above, Dr Gore has become a favourite of mine. In a match like this, which was five minutes long and shtick-heavy, it was like he was born to be in Ichigaya. Whether it was pie-facing Obi early on, refusing to let her get involved, or going back to the well one too many times to try to convince people they were sick, the guy has meshed with the vibes of Gatoh Move, and I get such a kick out of watching him do so. I’ve already praised him above, but it was worth making it its own thing, as this was the definition of a wee delight. As I write, he’s heading home, but over the last three months, he’s made a second home in Chocolate Square, and I hope it’s not too long until we see him again.
Miya Yotsuba vs Sayaka, ChocoPro #340 (14/11/23), Gatoh Move
I’m enjoying what Miya has been doing with her finishing move, the somewhat simply named Miya Hammer. Since her victory over Chie, her position on the card has been slowly shifting, as Gatoh appear to be elevating her quicker than they would your typical rookie. The proof of that was in how she controlled a chunk of the action against Sayaka, attacking the back to set up for said Hammer as she did so. However, her biggest strength, that hammer blow, is also a potential weakness. When she goes for it, she leaves herself open to being countered, and on recent shows, that has repeatedly proved a deciding factor. It feels like a natural weakness for a rookie, as she overextends herself to try and win but ultimately pays the price.
The other standout factor in this match was Sayaka’s submissions, as she’s adept at reacting to her opponent's movements while trapped in the hold, reaching out to grab an arm and stop it clawing for an escape. It reminds me of Gatoh Move alumni Mitsuru Konno, who had a knack for tying up as many limbs as possible. I’ve got no idea if that was a direct influence, but there is every chance it was, and if that is indeed the case, there are certainly worse places she could be taking inspiration from.
As for the match as a whole, it was a solid wee slice of Gatoh Move midcard action. I had a lot of fun with it, but they also left plenty on the table for a bigger encounter somewhere down the line, so there is every chance they will top it sooner rather than later.
Mitch Ryder vs Kojio, ChocoPro #341 (18/11/23), Gatoh Move
When I saw the card for ChocoPro #341, this was not the match I was expecting to enjoy the most. Kojio’s previous Choco appearances have been fine, but he’s never really blown me away, and, well, I’d never heard of Mitch Ryder. They were then somewhat aided by the main event being unwatchable because of technical issues, but these two got five minutes to do their thing, and they took advantage of every second of them. Ryder, in particular, was determined to make a mark.
That meant we saw a bunch of stuff you’re not typically going to get in Ichigaya, as Ryder turned into a bump freak in his attempts to stand out against the big man. I’ve heard enough people talk about how horrible that mat is to bump on to have spent most of this match wincing, which is before we even get to him flying out the window and into the alleyway wall. He not only worked his arse off, but he did it while taking his environment into account, using ChocoSquare to his advantage as he slipped in the window and around Kojio to hit a big German suplex. Spots that might feel normal in a ring look all the more impressive in that little room, and Mitch used that to his benefit.
It was also perhaps the best performance I’ve seen from Kojio, as he was able to do things to Mitch that he’s just not going to do to a Chie or Mei (unless he is intentionally trying to break them). Between them, they made sure that every minute of this match had something exciting happening, and while I came into this ambivalent about them both, I’d happily see them back in Ichigaya again.