Marvelous (21/2/23) Review
Mio Meets Arisa
Front Matter
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If you book Mio Momono vs Arisa Nakajima, then I will come. Sure, I watch and review every Marvelous show anyway, so they don’t need to try too hard to get me through the door, but I appreciate it when they do, and that’s the kind of match I am not alone in getting excited about. On with the violence!
Leo Isaka defeated Kensuke Sasaki
Kensuke Sasaki is a youngster from Secret Base. Or at least I think he’s young. Cagematch says he’s 22 but also claims he debuted in 2002 and has had a twenty-year career. Judging purely on appearance, I’m going to assume that’s not the case, and the age is the bit they’ve got right. I’d bet on him having actually debuted in 2022.
The wrestling would certainly back up that conclusion, as Leo controlled the bulk of a fairly straightforward match. Simple isn’t necessarily bad, though, and Sasaki looked decent enough. If nothing else, he hit a couple of lovely dropkicks and brought a touch of explosive enthusiasm. He moves like an athlete, and while the wrestling side of things is still in its infancy, that did help this match spring to life on occasion.
It all made for an enjoyable, if unremarkable, opener. There is something right about kicking off with a rookie giving a spirited showing against a more experienced opponent, and that’s what we got, even if I won’t remember anything about it in a week.
Verdict: Predictable, But Solid, Opening Fare
Itsuki Aoki defeated Maria and Riko Kawahata in a three-way
Magenta continued their habit (previously seen in the three-way with Mio Momono in December) of making their entrance together, complete with dance moves, even when they’re not teaming. Itsuki was, understandably, somewhat annoyed by that decision, feeling that it might hint at the match not playing out entirely fairly. I wonder what gave her that idea?
As Aoki predicted, this was initially a handicap match, as she struggled to deal with Magenta’s dual assault. Maria and Riko even forgave each other a couple of minor indiscretions, figuring it was better to continue as a team than fall out. However, Itsuki played them perfectly, managing to escalate those slip-ups and manufacture a lover’s tiff that, when she tried to get in the middle of it, had her sternly being told to butt the fuck out as Magenta finally came to blows. Writing that all down, it sounds right up my street, and I feel like I should have loved it, but something wasn’t clicking. The silly drama was solid, but it caused the wrestling to suffer, preventing these three talented youngsters from letting loose.
Thankfully, things did pick up after everything broke down, Maria and Riko letting loose in an exciting final back and forth, which set up a fun finish where Itsuki stole the win by bundling over the top of them into a double pin. It was the highlight of a match that I felt should have been better, as everything didn’t come together as well as it should have on paper. Still, anything involving these three isn’t going to be a total disaster, and there were moments here that I really enjoyed.
Verdict: Something Didn’t Click, Despite Their Talents
Tomoko Watanabe & Unagi Sayaka defeated Team Yellow (Chikayo Nagashima & Ai Houzan)
There was a weird moment in this match where Unagi and Chikayo randomly did Naito and Mutoh’s poses at each other (they were wrestling in the Dome at the same time as this show) to close to zero reaction from the crowd. Beyond being a reference to something else happening on this day, there didn’t seem to be any reason for it to happen, and it summed up this match. They had a lot of ideas, but I’m not sure all of them landed.
A lot of that came from Unagi, who I find incredibly entertaining, but does need someone to rein her in a bit. Her main character syndrome was on full display here as she thrust herself forward at every opportunity, but in a match that aimed to set up Tomoko vs Chikayo for the belt (more on that later), that got a tad frustrating. Even the opening staredown had Unagi wander into the middle of it, inserting herself into the conversation, which, while a funny idea, somewhat undercut the tension they were building. Less of a serious issue, but perhaps not a great optic for your future title challenger, was Tomoko trying to break Chikayo’s toilet brush only to discover slightly too late that it didn’t snap easily over one’s knee, leading to her taking much longer than I suspect she wanted to finally break it.
Still, there was also some good stuff in here, as it was great to see Ai back buzzing around, making a nuisance of herself after missing the last show with an illness. She also (for the second time in recent history) proved a perfect rookie for Tomoko to destroy in the final minutes, setting her up to make her title challenge. It’s a match that I think has the potential to be fantastic, as the old warrior Watanabe gets one last shot at the big time. She and Chikayo know each other well, and considering how deep into their careers they are, they can both still go when called upon.
Ultimately, though, this match felt similar to the last. There was some good stuff (and a few things I should have liked more), but it didn’t quite come together. Again, it wasn’t a disaster, and there was still enough in there to make sure you won’t feel like you’ve wasted your time, but I think a few tweaks would have made a big difference to my enjoyment.
Verdict: Something Was Off
As mentioned above, Tomoko did challenge for the AAAW Title after the match, something I predicted in my previous reviews (it’s not often I get one of those right, so I will be pointing that out a lot). I’m sure the usual suspects will be annoyed at a wrestler over the age of 35 being highlighted (if they notice what Marvelous are up to), but I think it’s a good move. Watanabe has been great recently and deserves at least one more shot at the big one.
Arisa Nakajima defeated Mio Momono
Arisa Nakajima wrestled this match with a smile on her face. Not a happy, friendly smile, but the kind that tells you someone might die. With Mio demanding to be challenged by this trial series, Nagayo turned to SEAdLINNNG (a company Marvelous hasn’t worked with since the early days of 2020) and called upon a wrestler who was delighted to come in and boot Momono in the head.
Not that Mio doesn’t have a thick violent streak herself. In fact, this match did a brilliant job highlighting that both women are vicious bastards but in very different ways. Mio is relentless in her attacks, constantly coming forward with her flurries of offence. In contrast, Nakajima is much more controlled. Yes, she’ll unleash, but where Mio is an onslaught, Arisa is a single, devastating blow. In many ways, that makes her the perfect opponent for Momono, as her task becomes trying to unleash with as much as possible before Nakajima gets in with that killer strike.
And I don’t know if there has been another match this year that I’ve been as excited about as this one, but it lived up to my lofty expectations. The second the bell rang, Mio threw herself at Arisa, desperate to put her down. Unfortunately for Momono, it wasn’t to be. Nakajima faced up to her offence, took it all, and dished it back harder. Everything was as aggressive as you’d hope, an abundance of stiff blows and rib cage cracking double stomps. The wildest part? I reckon they can top it. It was designed to play into Mio’s current story, with Marvelous beating her down before building her up, and because of that, Arisa was ultimately dominant. If they run this back once Mio has (hopefully) reached the top, I reckon they have a gear or two more to hit.
That’s for the future, though, and in the here and now, this fucking ruled. I’ve said it in other reviews, but Mio Momono has shaken off the rust from her injury and is now picking up speed, and if she can stay healthy, it’s hard to imagine anyone keeping up with her. That would be true regardless of who she was wrestling against, but if Nagayo keeps throwing challenges like this at her, then there is a chance she’s already won the race.
Verdict: It Ruled
Overall Show
Honestly, this wasn’t the best Marvelous show. Maybe I was in a weird mood, but the two middle matches didn’t click with me, even if they had a few good ideas and moments. However, the main event made it all worth it. Watching Mio and Arisa beat the hell out of each other was never going to be bad, but they still managed to delight me with how good it was. Throw in Takumi’s imminent return, and I’m willing to forgive a couple of matches not quite clicking.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows and you can buy access to live streams here.