Marvelous (12/9/23) Review
Mio And Tomoko Get Their Shot At The Tag Titles
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Marvelous returned to the confines of Shinkiba with a big old main event for us all to enjoy as Mio Momono and Tomoko Watanabe challenged Takumi Iroha and Chikayo Nagashima for the AAAW Tag Team Titles. On top of that, there were a few intriguing pairings littered through the card, as Magenta got the chance to test themselves against the oddball team of Hibiscus Mii and Maya Yukihi, and the Inaba Sisters returned after impressing in their previous appearances. Let’s see what went down.
Magenta (Maria & Riko Kawahata) defeated Maya Yukihi & Hibiscus Mii
As Chigusa Nagayo yelled, sang and danced her way through Magenta’s entrance, it was worth remembering that she (and Takumi Iroha) flew back from America the day before this show and probably hadn’t slept much. There was a sense that she was riding a wave and having a lovely time while doing so, but I hope she was close to her bed when that came crashing down. Still, it added some chaotic energy to the start of the show, as Mii and Yukihi entered twice, upping the sexy on the second go after Mii’s attempt to mimic Maya’s pose failed.
As for the match, it was, to be generous, a tad disjointed. On the one hand, you had Mii and her antics, which Magenta seemed to have the answer to. Whether they were tiring her out, kicking her in the head while she cried or leaving her to come up a couple of feet short on a splash, there was a sense that they knew how to deal with it all. Yukihi, on the other hand, felt like a real threat. Even as her partner devolved into silliness (which is something I will never complain about), she ramped up the aggression, dishing out some serious-looking kicks. Magenta had to give everything to keep her from overwhelming them, Maria attacking her ankle before Riko tried to match her strike for strike. They may have gone on to win the match, but it was very clearly a victory over Mii, and the whole thing left me wanting singles matches between them and Yukihi.
Maya was so good that the disjointed feeling became somewhat forgivable. Sure, we were paddling in the pools of silliness and seriousness rather than fully committing to either or even finding a suitable blend, but there was still some good stuff in those shallows. On top of that, it ended with Kawahata picking up a decisive victory over Hibiscus Mii, pinning her after a Moonsault. Beating a primarily comedic wrestler might not be enough to send you to the moon, but she’s still her senior, which means something. Going forward, they should probably be a bit less ambitious when trying to cram everything in, but that doesn’t mean this was a waste of time.
Verdict: Disjointed, But Good
Leo Isaka defeated Bryan Ishizaka
Bryan Ishizaka is a frequent Leo opponent, but he seems to have turned to the dark side since his last appearance, adding a potential wrinkle of intrigue to this pairing. He certainly set the scene for that early, attacking Isaka during his entrance before continuing the beatdown on the outside. What a bad boy.
Unfortunately, I’m not sure Bryan has quite figured out the heel stuff yet. His control period was, to be blunt, quite dull. We got a DDT on the ramp, which picked things up a bit, but most of it was incredibly pedestrian and lacked the viciousness needed to get the fans really rooting for Leo. It was particularly frustrating as Isaka’s often at his best when battling back against a heel, but they never quite managed to get there.
Still, there were hints of these two’s chemistry, and I thought Leo did an alright job at fighting from underneath. It left me feeling like if Ishizaka can go away and hone his heel shtick, finding a few more ideas when he’s in control, it could be a good match. Sadly, right now, it’s somewhat lacking.
Verdict: Some Good Stuff, But A Lot Of Meh
Yuu & Itsuki Aoki defeated The Inaba Sisters (Tomoka Inaba & Azusa Inaba)
The second you saw this match graphic, you knew what to expect. Could the Inabas chop Yuu and Itsuki down to size? Or were they going to be squashed?
And this continued Tomoka and Azusa’s impressive start to their Marvelous careers. You could plot the beats of this match before it started, Yuu and Aoki initially wrestling with smiles on their faces, enjoying tormenting these youngsters only for those kicks to earn their respect. However, even the most predictable stories can come to life with a standout performance, and the Inabas brought that. Azusa, in particular, was fantastic. Not only were her kicks on point, but she had a few other tricks up her sleeve, cutting away at Yuu’s leg before trying to drag her down into a hold. Everyone knew it was a pointless mission, but she threw herself into it anyway, and there were moments when she had Yuu grasping at that leg, showing a hint of weakness.
Which speaks to how generous Aoki and Yuu were here. It felt like they were tasked with putting the sisters through their paces, challenging them to keep up, but crucially without squashing them. Early on, they barely flinched at their attacks, but as the match went on, they opened up, making every one of those kicks look like a killer. They were egging them on, encouraging them to show what they could do, and even seeding the idea that the sisters might have enough firepower to steal the win. Of course, that was never going to happen, but it was a vote of confidence that they even teased it, and one assumes it’s proof that everyone holds these two in high regard.
I hope that’s the case because I want to see more of them. Every Marvelous appearance so far has been impressive, and while they’re not the finished article, there is a shitload of potential in there. This match was proof of that, and I hope it’s not the last proof we get.
Verdict: More Impressive Stuff From The Inabas
Ayame Sasamura & Sandra Moone defeated Unagi Sayaka & Ai Houzan
Judging by social media, Sandra Moone has fit right in at the Marvelous Dojo. She seems to have earned the roster’s affection while grabbing the opportunity with both hands. Then again, that tends to be the norm, as everyone I’ve seen spend time there comes away a better wrestler and singing the praises of all involved.
Sadly, I can’t do the same with this match. Most of this was just there, filling time and struggling to make me care. It was summed up by Sasamura and Unagi trying to light a fire under proceedings, only to use the flames to have a long, drawn-out forearm exchange that instantly sapped any momentum from the action. They’re not the first to do it, and they certainly won’t be the last, but it was frustrating, especially as the fans quieted right up as they did so (before coming back to life when they got back to actually doing stuff).
I am probably being harsh, as there were some decent moments in the home stretch, and Moone seems to have good chemistry with Ai. The opening was also fun, as Unagi got up to some mischief by handing Moone a rude Japanese phrase to say to Chigusa under the guise of it being one of affection (I couldn’t make out what it was). So, it wasn’t a total disaster, and calling it a bad match would be mean. More accurately, it was a nothing match. One that happened but which I’ll never think about again.
Verdict: Meh
Takumi Iroha & Chikayo Nagashima defeated Mio Momono & Tomoko Watanabe to retain the AAAW Tag Team Titles
Experience is one of those nebulous wrestling terms that people who talk about this daft world tend to throw around a lot. I’m certainly guilty of it, including earlier in this review. It’s not that it’s not important, it 100% is, but that often wrestlers use the idea of it to craft a story that’s not necessarily there. We know they’re more experienced, which explains their ability to control a match, even if the action doesn’t present us with anything to back that idea up. In this, we got to see what being more experienced actually means. Chikayo and Takumi took hold of the early-going because they’d put in the hours together. All that time meant they could consistently halt the challengers’ momentum, whether by Takumi stumbling back off a missile dropkick to allow a tag or Chikayo having the perfect counter at the perfect time.
That edge meant the challengers were on the back foot from the bell, never quite able to get something going. Mio, in particular, was almost trying to do too much, buzzing around the place like a striker starved of service, forgetting that their job is to put the ball in the net. They needed something to focus them, and it only came when Tomoko caught Takumi’s leg and unleashed a Dragon Screw. With that one move, she laid out a target, and they leapt on it gleefully, desperate to find a way to crack the champs apart. It wasn’t much, but it proved decisive, and the match slowly evened out, the challengers getting more and more opportunities to push forward and dish out some damage themselves. It was all in aid of setting up a final act where they went back and forth, both going big as they tried to push the ball over the line.
And it was a goddamn pleasure to watch. Sure, Tomoko doesn’t move like she used to, but if you give her three great foils and let her throw some pricks about the place, she’ll still deliver. Plus, in Nagashima, you have a veteran who still has an incredible ability to get across that ring, pulling off stuff people half her age would be proud of. It was Mio and Takumi, however, who stole the show. Momono was a buzzing pest, constantly coming forward and refusing to stay down until she was dropped on her head. In contrast, Iroha felt like the support that held it all together. She’d only flown back from America the day before, but you would never have guessed, as she was always where she needed to be to send a head into the back row. I’ve already seen some complaints about Nagashima pinning Mio, but the story of the match was that Takumi was the difference-maker. Chikayo might have gotten the final pin, but it happened because she had Iroha by her side.
It was the kind of wrestling that wraps me up in the fun of the moment, as I live for every near fall or big move. Sure, I would have enjoyed seeing the oddball team of Mio and Tomoko get a run with those belts, but ultimately, I don’t care. The match was too good to be wasted worrying about stuff like that.
Verdict: Fantastic
In the aftermath, Mio attempted to challenge Takumi for her West Coast Pro title, but Iroha has decided that she will only accept challenges delivered in English. Unfortunately, before Momono could figure out what she wanted to say, Sandra Moone interrupted and stole her thunder. It also revealed a flaw in Takumi’s plan, in that while she can ask people to challenge in English, that doesn’t mean she has a clue what they’re saying. To be honest, Moone’s promo wasn’t great here (it was shouty rather than passionate), but Iroha’s reaction was funny enough that they got away with it, and I’m intrigued to see what a title match between them looks like.
Overall Show
That wasn’t a perfect Marvelous show, as the Leo match and the semi-main didn’t do much for me, but there was still a lot of good to be found. If you’re picking one thing to check out, make it the main event, but I’d also give the opener and the Inaba Sisters outing a bit of your time. Up next for Marvelous is their annual jaunt to Hokkaido, which is always a fun pair of shows, so make sure to check them out!
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows and a YouTube Membership where they upload videos. You can also buy access to live streams here.