Marvelous (16/7/23) Review
Mio's Magic And A Glimpse At The Future
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The Marvelous roster has been taking it somewhat easy recently, but with a Korakuen on the horizon, they’re spending the second half of July on the road, starting with a trip to Tochigi. What have they all been up to in the last month? I guess it’s time to find out.
Ai Houzan and Aoi fought to a double countout
Ai Houzan and Aoi are becoming frequent dance partners, as Aoi seems to be joining Yurika Oka as a potential generational rival for wee Ai. Those previous interactions meant they came to this with an established base on which to build, that then played out in the action we got. There was still some rookie bluster as they exchanged slaps across the face, but they were also starting to slow things down and think through their actions.
A big part of that came from them having a little more time and space to play with. It allowed them to introduce new ideas, like Aoi working over Houzan’s arm and an extended brawl on the outside (which was also the setup for the finish). Not all of those paid off, as Houzan largely forgot the arm work towards the end, but it still hinted at their evolution. Plus, both Aoi’s attack and Ai’s initial selling were good.
It left this match feeling like a chapter in an ongoing story, particularly as they battled to a double count. It also suggests that next time, they’ll be able to take some of the ideas introduced here and tweak them again, improving and adding to them where needed. At the moment, it’s far from a perfect match, but it’s one with a lot of potential, and I hope they get to have as many attempts as they need to nail it.
Verdict: A Good Match That Will Get Even Better
We won’t have to wait too long to see that next attempt, as they used the aftermath to set up a rematch for Korakuen. It’s the same opener as Marvelous’s last trip to that venue, so you can’t praise its inventiveness, but it should be good.
Itsuki Aoki defeated Riko Kawahata
I suspect Aoki and Kawahata are being groomed to be part of the next group of freelance lynchpins, popping up in all the smaller promotions and getting pushed to one degree or another in each. If that does come to pass, we could see this match a lot in the years to come, and that will be no bad thing.
These two have a very natural chemistry. Riko is quick and kicky, while Aoki uses her power to plough through opponents. That sets up the story of Itsuki trying to keep Kawahata grounded, beating her down and locking in various tight-looking submissions. Sure, that’s nothing we haven’t seen before, but it works. Particularly as Aoki’s the more rounded wrestler and is better suited to controlling the pacing of the match. Meanwhile, Kawahata has been honing those comebacks, getting better and better at sparking things to life with a sudden flurry of offence.
It meant this match had some common ground with the opener, as we got two wrestlers who could be doing this for years, honing their craft. Riko and Itsuki are a bit further along the line than Ai and Aoi, but they’re still figuring it out, and it will only get better the more they do it. Considering how exciting the final minutes (in which they took the brakes off and went all out) were, that suggests we have some even better stuff coming down the line.
Verdict: The Future Is Bright
Before the intermission, Chigusa Nagayo jumped onto the mic to introduce Fiony, a Thai wrestler who has been training at the dojo. I believe she has to leave Japan for a while due to visa issues, but Nagayo promised that they will get it sorted, and she will debut in Marvelous vs Mio Momono. Fingers crossed that we see her sooner rather than later.
Takumi Iroha & Chikayo Nagashima defeated Maria & Unagi Sayaka
There were big lads on tour vibes to this match. We had Unagi Sayaka lecturing the tag champs about (I think) not defending the belts, fun brawls in the crowd and an extended sequence where Chikayo Nagashima and Unagi took turns stamping on each other’s fingers. They mixed some ‘proper wrestling’ in, but it was generally surrounded by everyone having a laugh.
It was also the kind of fun I could never take issue with, especially in these circumstances. The semi-main spot on a show outside your home market is the perfect place to shift into entertainer mode, and I’ve always believed it’s where Unagi excels. The Eel is at her best when she’s bickering with everyone, including her partner, and it’s no surprise that she took centre stage for a decent chunk of the action, leaving Maria to chill on the apron. Although, when Maria did get in, she was the instigator of things getting a tad more heated as she booted Takumi across the face.
However, it is hard to recommend a match like this too strongly. It was an easy watch and had a few moments where things escalated (mainly when Takumi and Maria were together), but they didn’t give us anything new. We’ve seen them all do it before, with the only real moment of surprise being the finish, where Takumi had to sacrifice her arm to roll Maria up. It was a cool little touch to end an enjoyable encounter, but if you’re in a rush, don’t feel the need to go out of your way to see it.
Verdict: Good Fun, But Perhaps Not Essential
In the aftermath, Chigusa announced that Takumi vs Nightshade will happen at the August Korakuen. I’ll be intrigued to see how that goes. We’re also getting Unagi vs Sakura Hirota, which has the potential to be a nonsensical delight.
Tomoko Watanabe & Takumi Baba defeated Mio Momono & Leo Isaka
With Leo spending most of his time doing his own thing, it’s easy to forget that he is a full-time member of the Marvelous roster who presumably knows the rest of them very well. Matches like this remind you of his chemistry with the gang, as he and Mio were having a blast. Momono seemed to bring out a bit of Isaka’s inner goblin, encouraging him to embrace the menacing.
When she wasn’t negatively influencing Isaka, Mio was busy being extraordinary. It’s in the simple stuff, the way she milked the hell out of being unable to Irish Whip Takumi Baba at the start of the match, putting everything she had into it, only for him not to budge an inch. Then it’s also in the complex stuff, as she was spiked so firmly into the mat by the winning piledriver that she hung in the air, defying gravity for longer than you’d think possible. Mio brings every match she’s part of to life, and she was all over this, constantly finding a way to elevate herself and everyone around her.
If there is a complaint, it’s that someone that good (and the current AAAW champion) is being asked to give that much to Takumi Baba. No offence to Baba, who I thought was good here, but it’s not like Minoru Suzuki walked in. He’s bigger and stronger than Mio, so I have no problem with them playing off that, but it seems a bit weird that he’s pinning her, especially when Leo is right there. It wasn’t just Mio, either. Tomoko was incredibly generous when interacting with Isaka, giving him more than I expected. Don’t get me wrong, neither woman was buried, and Leo and Baba were never reluctant to bump for them, but the men were given a tad too much preferential treatment.
Still, it’s easy to overthink it, and Mio losing this match isn’t about to derail her career. Plus, I can’t imagine anyone watching this and not coming away with the conclusion that Mio Momono is incredible, which is probably more important than the result. Everyone else here put in a good shift, but Momono dragged them to another level, which, at this point, is what we’ve come to expect.
Verdict: Dodgy Booking, But The Rest Of It Was Good
Overall Show
That was a strong return from Marvelous, as they put a lot of pieces on their board for their upcoming Korakuen and delivered a few good matches in the process. I was a bit dismissive of the semi-main, but if that’s the least exciting thing on your show, you’re doing something right.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows. You can also buy access to live streams here.