Marvelous (23/7/23) Review
Inaba Impresses, Mio Has A Laugh & The Tag Title Match Gets There Eventually
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After a successful trip to Osaka, Marvelous’s next stop was in Kariya as they finished up their two-show weekend. It was also time for Itsuki Aoki and Maya Yukihi to cash in their title shot, with Takumi Iroha and Chikayo Nagashima defending the belt for the first time since Iroha’s injury. What fun! Less fun is that Maria was still out, meaning that it was Mio Momono’s turn to pull double duty (Takumi did it the night before).
Mio Momono defeated Ai Houzan
Even as a champion, Mio Momono spends most of her time battling bigger and stronger opponents. That makes the rare chance to see her go out and dominate a rookie feel like a special treat. Mio was throwing Ai Houzan around the ring by her hair, no-selling dropkicks by kipping straight back up and always felt like she was in control of the action. It’s not a role that will ever be her bread and butter, but like most things in wrestling, she’s very good at it, displaying a nasty streak that helped her put this rookie in her place.
As for that rookie, this continued what is starting to feel like a shift in Houzan’s wrestling. She’s always had a frantic energy, which I think it’s safe to say she at least partly took from Momono in the first place, but there seems to be a joint effort from her recent opponents to slow her down and force her to think about how she uses it. Momono made her work for her openings, cutting off the majority of her comebacks (including responding to a slap across the face with one five times harder) and only rewarding her with something more substantial towards the end. When she did, though, it built to a fantastic near fall off a La Magistral, Mio timing her kick out to perfection as there was a millisecond where I thought the impossible was about to happen.
Unfortunately, that would also be the end for Ai, as the frustration of Momono’s escape sent her charging in, a mistake Mio pounced on. However, this was another strong showing from the wee Marvelous rookie, as she seems to be gearing up to evolve past her present state. Afterwards, Mio grabbed her, delivering what I assume was some words of wisdom, and if she’s any sense, she’ll have listened and learned from one of the very best.
Verdict: A Strong Rookie Opener
Hide Kubota defeated Leo Isaka
According to Cagematch, Hide Kubota has been around since 2007, making his home in companies like Sportiva, Dove and now ZERO1. It was also his birthday on the day of the show, so let’s hope he had a lovely time.
Regardless of how much fun he was having, he wrestled this match like a crafty veteran, forcing Leo to fight for every inch. It didn’t require him to do anything fancy, he spent most of it grabbing the simplest holds around, but each one was a challenge for Isaka to overcome. If Kubota had a headlock on, Leo would have to battle tooth and nail to escape, as he clung to it long after most would have let the youngster free. It was great, back-to-basics wrestling, and I enjoyed him taking this pup to school.
To make it even better, when Leo finally did escape, creating some distance and diving into a series of flash pins to try to sneak the win, Kubota beat him at his own game, reversing one into a roll-up of his own to earn his birthday victory. He was a step ahead of him all match, and while there would have been satisfaction in Isaka finally catching up, the veteran dancing away with it was almost better. Hide Kubota showed Leo how to do it, and one suspects he’ll have to go away and learn a few more tricks before he has a chance at revenge.
Verdict: Incredibly Satisfying
Riko Kawahata and Tomoka Inaba fought to a time-limit draw
Unless I’ve forgotten something, this was Tomoka Inaba’s Marvelous debut, as she was the second person on this show celebrating their birthday (Mio led everyone in singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her and Kubota in the pre-show).
While she didn’t celebrate with a victory, she put in a hell of a shift. Inaba brings something different to Marvelous, a slower, more deliberate pace that felt fresh and new in the middle of the card. Early on, she took things to the mat, drawing Kawahata into chain wrestling and challenging her to keep up. Then, when they got to their feet, it was a fantastic combination of stiff kicks and arrogance as she openly invited Riko to lay her hardest shots in. For my sins, I probably haven’t paid enough attention to her career over the last few years, but this is the kind of performance that makes me want to see more.
As for Riko, I thought she did a strong job during the mat work of not letting herself get outclassed while making it clear that it was Inaba’s domain. She was then much more comfortable when they stood up, giving back as good as she got when it came to the kicking. That only bolstered my frustration when they fell back on the crutch of a forearm exchange, as the blows lacked the impact those stiff kicks did. Still, this was their first encounter (although they teamed on one of the Assemble shows), and there was enough here to leave me wanting to see a whole lot more. Thankfully, in the final minutes, while they both went big, neither could get over the line, so I guess we’ll have to make this a series and see how good they get after a few more attempts.
Verdict: More, Please!
Mio Momono defeated Tomoko Watanabe and Unagi Sayaka in a three-way
Since her return from injury, Mio Momono’s focus has been on winning that AAAW Title, and as great as that’s been, it has meant that we’ve been deprived of one of life’s great pleasures: the Momono nonsense match. Thankfully, after far too long, this three-way was here to fix things, as Mio got an opportunity to remind everyone that alongside being one of the best wrestlers around, she’s also one of the funniest.
It was a masterclass performance. Momono was in pure bratty goblin mode, attempting to team up with Tomoko only to start bossing her around and later sneaking a cheap shot (or two). She’s got fantastic comic timing, as every moment gets the perfect noise or expression to go with it. However, even that pales in comparison to her slapstick. Moments like her knees knocking together as she was perched on the top rope, waiting for an opportunity to leap, showed an aptitude for physical comedy that most actors would kill for.
Not to suggest it was purely the Momono show, as it was great to see Unagi let loose to do what she does best. She’s a solid ‘serious’ wrestler, but her personality shines when let loose to play, and this was the perfect warm-up for her vs Sakura Hirota. Watanabe, meanwhile, has long proven her ability to laugh at herself, essentially playing the gullible powerhouse trapped between two scheming menaces, both desperate to use her for their advancement. She has a beautiful willingness to be the but of every joke, and I always get a kick out of her watching her mess around with the younger talent.
It all made for a delight of a match situated expertly between the more serious Inaba vs Riko and the tag-title main event. They also used it to sneak another win for Mio over Tomoko, giving her that boost as she prepares for Mayumi Ozaki at Korakuen. Although, one imagines that match won’t have quite as many laughs.
Verdict: A Lovely Time
Takumi Iroha & Chikayo Nagashima defeated Maya Yukihi & Itsuki Aoki to retain the AAAW Tag Titles
Let’s start with the negatives. The opening act of this match fell flat. It’s not something you’ll often hear me say, but it all felt a bit too light-hearted. We got comedy spots involving Yukihi and Itsuki failing to double-suplex Nagashima before a brawl on the floor in which they seemed determined to throw each other into every chair before ending with Yuki hitting Chikayo with what I think was Chig’s shoe. In another main event on another show, it was something I might have praised, but with the belts on the line, it took some of the gravity out of the situation.
Thankfully, there were enough great wrestlers around to drag it back. After the brawl, they got down to business, and we finally got to see Yukihi and Itsuki working at full power. Their control section was one of the more enjoyable pieces of tag wrestling I’ve seen recently. It was like watching two people click in real-time as they flitted in and out of the ring, keeping Iroha on the apron as they worked Chikayo over. Yukihi, in particular, felt like she was dictating every second of it, aware of where everyone was and ready to respond to the slightest movement. They were fantastic, and I hope this isn’t the end of their story as a pairing because they appear to have a lot to give.
The final act, however, positioned Aoki as the main character, as she got to duke it out with Iroha. If there were any doubts about her standing in the scene, this should end them, as Takumi made sure to give her plenty of shine. She even came out on top in a straight strike exchange, surviving a usually killer Iroha blow to return with one of her own. Eventually, with the aid of Nagashima, the onslaught would be too much for her, but Itsuki kept up for longer than most, and there were a couple of moments where I thought she might be about to pick up the biggest win of her career.
Sadly, it wasn’t to be, but this still pulled itself back from a somewhat shaky opening to become a hell of a match. If anything, I’m slightly disappointed that the challengers didn’t get the win, as they were so good here that the idea of a long reign with the titles suddenly sounds incredibly exciting. Still, you can never complain about Takumi Iroha and Chikayo Nagashima coming out on top, and I’m sure they still have plenty to give.
Verdict: Dodgy Opening, But They Figured It Out
Overall Show
Marvelous made it two for two, as this followed the Osaka show in being a fantastic card. It might have even topped it, as despite my minor issues with the main event, we got a strong Leo match and a chance to watch Mio being silly, both of which helped make up for any flaws. Thankfully, we don’t have to decide which is better, as we can enjoy them both, which I highly recommend you do.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows. You can also buy access to live streams here.