Marvelous in Sapporo (23/9/23) Review
Marvelous Kick-Off Their Weekend In Hokkaido
Front Matter
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Marvelous’s annual trip north to Hokkaido is always a good time, as the shows tend to bring out the holiday vibes. With a limited roster based on who has travelled up with them, it also gives them a chance to do a few mini-storylines, with the big one on this jaunt being Sandra Moone’s challenge for Takumi Iroha’s West Coast Pro Title on the Sunday show. Before we get to that, though, we’ve got day one, so let’s see what went down.
Marika Kobashi defeated Ai Houzan
Marika Kobashi’s career post-TJPW has slightly passed me by, as she’s working places I don’t pay much attention to. However, just before she left Tokyo Joshi, I felt like her in-ring work had taken a step up, so I was intrigued to see what she and Ai could do.
Before we get to the wrestling, though, it seems like Marika has enjoyed the opportunity to alter her image outside of the confines of the TJPW bubble. I don’t think it would have been impossible to go down a similar route there (Kamiyu is probably the closest comparison), but she’s now embraced her gal modelling persona to the max. She’s doing an impressive job of it, too, as her new gear looks great, and you can’t begrudge anyone wanting to draw more of themselves into their wrestling.
In the ring, meanwhile, this was a solid wee opener. Kobashi looked decent throughout, but she and Ai weren’t natural opponents. Wee Houzan is still better suited to that battling rookie role, and Marika’s not quite aggressive enough to make that work. However, they had a few cool moments and crafted some good near-falls towards the end before Marika marked her Marvelous debut with a win.
Part of the problem might also be that it feels like Ai has stalled a bit. It’s not entirely her fault. I think most Japanese rookies go through a stage where they’re not considered ready to do anything substantial but are no longer fresh-faced trainees, excited to be there. Her feud with Aoi was a solid start, but she’s ready to be given something more. Perhaps getting the band back together for another Mystic Young Fox run? Anyway, my fantasy booking aside, this was a good opener, if nothing spectacular.
Verdict: Solid Opener
Leo Isaka defeated Noriyuki Yoshida
During last year’s Hokkaido trip, Leo wrestled Noriyuki Yoshida twice. This year, they’re going crazy with it by having a singles match on the first day and a mixed tag on the second. I don’t know much about the Hokkaido scene, but I’ve got to assume Yoshida’s number is the only one Chig has.
Last time, these matches worked because Yoshida is a big lad with a hell of a chop on him. One that Leo hadn’t forgotten, as he spent the early going trying to slow things down while attacking the arm. It was a plan that worked for roughly three minutes, at which point Yoshida chopped him off the apron and went to work. I ain’t going to pretend it’s clever, deep-thinking wrestling, but if you can’t enjoy watching someone be chopped so hard their chest turns scary colours, you’re probably devoting your time to the wrong entertainment.
It also lets Leo do what he does best, working from underneath and using those bursts of speedy offence to get back into the action. When Isaka was on the ascendency, it always felt like he was working to delay the inevitable, trying to do everything to keep Yoshida from unleashing his biggest weapon. There were moments where it seemed like it might work, but eventually, the big man let loose, and when he did, Leo took a pasting, clinging on as Chig anxiously urged him on from commentary.
Perhaps his trainer’s backing made the difference, as Leo didn’t so much win this match as steal it. In the final minute, it was all Yoshida, right up until Leo bundled him up and snuck away with the win, surviving by the skin of his teeth. It was a fun finish to a good match that told a simple story well. Like chopping the fuck out of someone, there was nothing new or inventive about it, but the classics are classics for a reason, and I enjoyed this a lot.
Verdict: Simple Story, Well Told
Tomoko Watanabe & Azusa Inaba defeated Maria & Sumika Yanagawa
Azusa being fifteen is wild. I assumed she was young, particularly with her big sister only being in her early twenties, but she’s so impressive for someone her age. It’s not only that she kicks hard (although that is part of it), but how she carries herself in the ring. She already moves like someone who has been doing it for much longer. I was intrigued coming into this to see if that confidence was still there without the comforting presence of big sis at her side, and while she did perhaps seem a little more nervous, it was minimal at best, as she put in yet another impressive performance.
The other focus in this match was Yanagawa, who was making her Marvelous debut. Tomoko (as the senior in the ring) took on the responsibility of introducing her to the company, taking control early on and putting her through her paces. However, they were also smart enough to give her and Inaba some time together, letting the two JTO trainees show the best of themselves in a battle against a comfortable opponent. It paid off, as things got a bit heated between the pairing, the strikes coming in heavy as Yanagawa even dished out a headbutt. It was the right way to introduce her to the Marvelous audience and ensure everyone got a glimpse of her at her best.
The focus wasn’t entirely on the outsiders, with Maria and Tomoko taking centre stage for the final act. At that point, things did step up a bit, as they had a surprisingly even back and forth that saw Maria matching Watanabe step for step. It included some excellent work around Maria’s attempt at getting into an armbar, forcing Watanabe to use her power to counter it. However, in the end, a misfiring kick from Yanagawa rocked Maria enough to turn the tide in Tomoko’s favour.
It all made for an entertaining tag match, although not one that ever got to a level higher than that. Yanagawa and Azusa looked good, but with these pairings working together for the first time, not everything clicked. Still, I had a pleasant time with it, so my complaints aren’t too strident.
Verdict: Entertaining Enough
Mio Momono, Riko Kawahata & Sandra Moone defeated Takumi Iroha, Chikayo Nagashima & Unagi Sayaka
I don’t intend for this to sound as insulting to Sandra Moone as it does, but she was in the unfortunate position here of building to a match with Takumi Iroha despite being the least intriguing opponent for Takumi on her team. Moone has looked decent on this Marvelous tour, so I’m not suggesting she’s not good enough. It’s that there’s so much more in Iroha vs one of the others. The Mio stuff is obvious, but Kawahata and Takumi is also an intriguing showdown, as the new Marvelous recruit testing her kicking powers against the Ace sounds like a lot of fun.
It also played out in this match, as Moone’s best interactions were usually with Unagi, who has taken to bullying the foreigner and attacked her nose after offering a handshake. To be fair to her, though, standing out in a match with workhorse Mio was always going to be difficult. She had fantastic interactions with both halves of the tag champs, as whenever she enters the ring with those two, you get the sense that she is desperate to prove herself worthy of standing alongside them. It’s an attitude that ramps everything up to a level above where it would usually sit.
We did get some Moone vs Iroha towards the end, as they milked the potential of Sandra pulling off the upset, including having her bundle Takumi up for the three. This resulted in some exciting near-falls down the finishing stretch and hinted that, whatever my thoughts on who the most interesting opponent for Iroha is, they could at least have a good match. It certainly gave us a clear idea of what it would look like, as Moone was positioned as the plucky underdog, battling from underneath against the Ace.
That was the match for the next day, however, and the one on this day was fun without being incredible. I’m sure these six could top it if they had to, but sometimes it’s okay to just have a decent showing.
Verdict: A Solid Main Event
Overall Show
There’s nothing on this show I’d put down as a must-see, as it falls more into the easy-watching category than the rush out to see it one. However, it set up a few fun threads for the next day, so you should all come back and read my thoughts on that.
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