Marvelous (25/1/23) Review
The Beating Of Mio Momono
Front Matter
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While losing Rin Kadokura wasn’t the ideal way for Marvelous to start the year, the in-ring stuff has been going pretty well so far. It’s a small sample size, but the rest of the roster seems to be stepping up to carry the weight, and with Takumi about to return from injury, they can begin to put their plans in motion for 2023. Did we see a bit of that on this show? Read on to find out.
Leo Isaka defeated Dragon Libre
Dragon Libre primarily works in FREEDOMS, so he’s crossed paths with Leo a few times before. That gave this match an easy familiarity, which I’d argue doesn’t play to Isaka’s strengths. The more intriguing Leo outings tend to force him out of his comfort zone, while this was an opportunity for him to play the hits.
Still, Libre looked decent enough on his Marvelous debut. He didn’t quite heel it up, but he leaned towards that style, slowing the match down and working over Leo’s arm. It was a shame then that it was all forgotten when they went into the home stretch, Leo doing a handspring into the ropes with ease. However, that doesn’t alter the fact that Libre did his job well, keeping Isaka down and building to the comeback, as they managed to get the fans at least a tad invested in the action.
It wasn’t enough to make this anything more than an alright match, though. Everything felt a bit by the numbers, and the touches that could have helped it stand out were ditched while rushing to pull out some impressive moves in the final act. It wasn’t a disaster, but you won’t miss anything if you decide to skip it.
Verdict: Fine
Kaori Yoneyama defeated Unagi Sayaka and Rina Amikura in a three-way
Rina Amikura is such a bubbly presence that it’s easy to forget she’s a bit of a tank. As this match went on, that side of her slowly emerged, brought out by Unagi and some stinging slaps. I believe those two are still members of the same faction in Stardom, but there was no love between them here, as tensions boiled over whenever they went head-to-head.
That tension did make this feel like this was two separate matches stitched together. Yes, you had Rina and Unagi slapping each other across the face, but you also had your usual Marvelous midcard fun, led up by an entertaining appearance from Yoneyama. She was her usual brilliant self, over-celebrating when she and Unagi hit a double kick (her leg was far too short to actually connect) and then quickly attacking when The Eel realised she recognised her from somewhere and began to put two and two together. In the hands of another trio, those two disparate parts might have fractured the match, but with some huge characters and a genius veteran in the ring, they did enough to hold it all together.
It’s also, and I don’t know if this counts as a hot take or not, what I’d like to see Unagi focus on in Marvelous. Spoiler for later in the show, but they’re returning to her vs Takumi, and while I’m intrigued by that, it’s never going to be as fun as watching her mess around with Yone and Rina. I have no idea if she plans to continue freelancing, but if she does, this is the stuff that intrigues me.
Verdict: A Load Of Fun
Tomoko Watanabe defeated Mio Momono
We had a classic style clash here, as the hoss veteran Tomoko Watanabe went up against the younger, quicker Mio Momono. There was also the added wrinkle that these two have faced off countless times, Watanabe watching on as Mio went from an exciting young rookie to one of the best wrestlers in the world. Surround a match with that much history, and the story almost tells itself.
And it started by playing the beats you’d expect to hear, Mio buzzing around the ring, trying to cut Watanabe down to size. However, when Tomoko got her hands on Momono, she hit hard, working over her back and using that added weight and power to her advantage. While Mio was brilliant, a main event version of her pest best, never giving Watanabe a chance to breathe, she couldn’t compete with Tomoko’s strength. In fact, when Momono tried to ramp up the violence, booting Watanabe in the head, it only succeeded in pissing Tomoko off. There was a moment when she snapped, dragging Mio around the venue and slamming her to the mat with a recklessness that only accentuated the violence. Watanabe has been playing the amiable veteran recently, but Mio caused a switch to flick in her head, and when she snapped, she was scary, picking up a dominant victory and teaching a few lessons in the process.
It all felt like a return to the story Marvelous were telling with Mio before Takumi’s injury derailed things. This version of Momono is still brilliant but isn’t getting the job done, and against the brick wall that is Watanabe, she didn’t have enough to win. It seemed like Mio was being pushed back to square one, setting her in place to battle her way back up the card and earn the right to challenge for the AAAW Title. With Takumi returning from injury soon (and the smart money being on her regaining that title rather quickly), it feels like it’s time for Marvelous to set Mio’s feet on that path, and this was a brilliant starting point.
Verdict: Fantastic Match, Great Setup For Mio’s Journey
After the intermission, Takumi announced that she will be returning on the March 10th show. Then, as mentioned above, Unagi turned up, demanding to assess her and picking up where they left off. I’m not necessarily excited for that match, but I am a bit intrigued to see what Takumi gets out of The Eel.
Maya Yukihi & Itsuki Aoki defeated Magenta (Maria & Riko Kawahata) and Team Yellow (Chikayo Nagashima & Ai Houzan) in a three-way elimination match
If the semi-main felt like it fitted into a larger narrative, then the main event spiralled off in the opposite direction. There was no attempt at subtlety or a slow burn as it embraced the chaos and was no less glorious for it.
It made the match a bit tricky to unpick, though, as I have no idea where to start. You had eliminated wrestlers continuing to get involved (including Nagashima catching Ai and piggybacking her around the ring to prevent her going over the top rope), Maya and Itsuki struggling to get on the same page, and Chikayo throwing her toilet brush at folk. It was one of those matches where the bell rang, shit started happening, and all you could do was cling on and enjoy the ride, hoping that you didn’t miss too much when you had to blink.
On top of all that, they found the time to give Maria a heroic final act, as she battled Itsuki and Maya solo after Riko’s elimination. Yukihi would eventually beat her, but only after an impressive showing, and I would like to see more of Maria and Maya in the same ring. It might happen, too, as Yukihi challenged Chikayo for the AAAW Tag Titles on behalf of her team, suggesting that Marvelous will see more of her. Although for reasons I couldn’t figure out, Itsuki didn’t seem particularly psyched about the idea (she eventually ran away, pursued by Yukihi), but let’s assume it’s because she’s not over Rin yet.
Anyway, that’s in the future, and in the here and now, this match was a blast. Sometimes you’re looking for expertly crafted contests that fit into the wider puzzle, and sometimes, you want everyone to go out and have a laugh. This main event was very much the latter, and with that much talent in the ring, they gave you everything you could want.
Verdict: A Lot Of Fun
Overall Show
The key moments on this show were Takumi announcing her return and Mio’s defeat to Tomoko. They felt like the start of a story that, hopefully, ends with Momono beating Iroha for that big, lovely belt. Plus, Mio vs Watanabe was a really good match. However, they’re not the only thing worth watching, as both three-ways were a lot of fun. Marvelous’s strong in-ring start to the year continues.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows and you can buy access to live streams here.