Marvelous in Yokohama (8/1/23) Review
Marvelous Start The New Year With Some Surprising News
Front Matter
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To start the new year, Marvelous went on a trip to Yokohama that, on paper, looked like a good time, if not a particularly eventful one. That turned out to not be entirely accurate, though, as not only did a couple of the matches deliver, but the show ended with some pretty big news. More on that later, though…
Team Yellow (Chikayo Nagashima & Ai Houzan) defeated Team Red (Hibiscus Mii & Riko Kawahata)
Marvelous kicked off 2023 with a return to the start of 2022, as Team Red took on Team Yellow, complete with those brilliant entrances. However, there was a slight issue, as Hibiscus Mii was not wearing her red gear. In fact, she was wearing yellow and had decided to ditch Kawahata to enter with Ai and Chikayo instead. She even went as far as trying to join Ai in doing the Team Yellow dance, something she definitely hadn’t rehearsed. Unfortunately for Mii, they wanted nothing to do with her, meaning this match started with everyone involved rather pissed off at her and her choices.
It also established the streak of chaos that ran throughout, as we had three people trying to have a serious tag (well, Chikayo did spend a bit of time using a toilet brush on Riko’s face, but that aside) while Mii charged around the place being, well, Mii. That meant that alongside some predictably strong wrestling, with Riko matching up nicely with Ai and Chikayo, there was also Mii crushing her own nose by missing a crossbody (the miss was intentional, the bleeding less so) and finishing the match with her trousers around her ankles when she tried to do the big surprise reveal of the red gear she had on underneath. There really was something for everyone.
And in most people’s hands, it would have become an incoherent mess, but with Mii and Nagashima there to hold it all together, it was a blast. Okay, it was also a bit of a mess, but in an entertaining way, and it always felt like they knew what they were doing. It was also the perfect way to start 2023, as Marvelous hit the nonsense well early and had the crowd reacting to both the action and the silliness (they found Mii’s nosebleed hilarious). If this is the tone we’re setting for the year ahead, we’re in for a good one.
Verdict: The Good Nonsense
Leo Isaka defeated Idaten
Idaten doesn’t have a Cagematch profile, so I don’t know anything about him. Instead, we’ll have to focus on the fact that Leo’s got himself a couple of shiny new belts. He’s now both the ZERO1 International Junior Heavyweight Champion and Junior Heavyweight Champion. Admittedly, those belts have been defended together for quite a while now, so it’s more one title in two halves, but it looks impressive.
Unfortunately, flashy belts aside, this didn’t do much for me. I’m not sure its position on the card helped it, as after the chaos of the opener, it all felt a bit bland and uninspiring. There was nothing horrifically wrong with the wrestling (although there were a couple of slightly awkward moments), but there also wasn’t anything to get your teeth into. It felt like two guys who didn’t know each other particularly well sticking to the basics. While that doesn’t have to be a bad thing, on this occasion, it all left me feeling a bit underwhelmed.
Verdict: Meh
Queen Aminata and Unagi Sayaka fought to a time-limit draw
Unagi was excited to celebrate the New Year with Queen Aminata, pulling her in for a big hug alongside the more traditional handshake. It was safe to say that Aminata was somewhat less enthused, trying to keep it professional and eventually resorting to laying into Unagi with some stiff-looking kicks to get the action going.
That set the tone for the first half of the match, as Unagi was on the back foot for most of it. Aminata had the power advantage, which left The Eel free to wrestle as the scrappy underdog, something she does well. However, just as it felt like I was getting a handle on what they were doing, they suddenly accelerated wildly, Aminata missing a Double Stomp on the apron to kick off a period where they threw everything at each other. Someone had flicked a switch, and what had looked like a fairly standard midcard match was suddenly going off the rails.
And there are two ways to look at that. On the one hand, it was unearned and out of nowhere, seemingly having little connection to what had come before. On the other, it was really fun. Watching two people lay into each other is entertaining, and while it got a bit messy towards the end, as Unagi seemed to get stuck on hitting the same move again and again, it was also exciting. It felt like two people letting loose and throwing it all at the wall because there was a chance this was a one-and-done thing.
A feeling that was crystalised when Aminata grabbed the mic after the match to say goodbye, this having been her last match in Japan, at least for now. She got emotional as she thanked Chigusa, describing her as her Japanese mum and dad, who warmly replied that she was welcome back any time. Fingers crossed that she takes Chig up on that invite because this was an impressive tour from Queen Aminata, and while this match was a bit all over the place, it never stopped entertaining.
Verdict: Flawed, But Enjoyable
Tomoko Watanabe & Maria defeated Mio Momono & Rin Kadokura
Everyone knows Mio Momono is a menace, but sometimes she gets a bit too into it, and it almost becomes bullying. Mio was on outstanding form here, yanking on Maria’s hair, tormenting Tomoko with the chance to make a tag to the point where she fell over the top rope and being such a pest that Chigusa started referring to her as Chucky Momono on commentary. In the end, the only way they could stop her was with Watanabe reverting to route-one tactics and booting the wee pest in the shin.
However, as the match went on, and everyone escaped Momono’s abuse, it became less about her and more about Maria. 2022 was something of a breakthrough year for her as she travelled abroad for the first time, picked up her first win over a senior and followed it up with a submission victory against someone called Chigusa Nagayo. This match made it clear that she’s intent on continuing that journey into 2023. Once her hair was safe, Maria was brilliant, taking centre stage with Kadokura for the final act and, in a move that made even more sense later in the night, proving dominant as she picked up the victory. It would take three (vicious-looking) Michinoku Drivers to do it, but that was more down to Momono’s efforts to break up the pins, as this was a statement win for Maria.
A statement that would, sadly, be somewhat overshadowed by what came next but which shouldn’t be forgotten. If beating Chigusa Nagayo at Korakuen Hall wasn’t proof enough that Marvelous have big plans for Maria, they put her front and centre of their first main event of the year and ensured she was the one to get the rub from Kadokura on her way out. This match was great anyway, as you’d expect from four wrestlers who know each other as well as they do, but that little hint towards the future made it doubly exciting.
Verdict: Yay For Maria!
As I already mentioned, there was one last bit of news before we finished. Post-match, Chigusa Nagayo and Rin Kadokura announced that Rin will be leaving Marvelous. In fact, she’s going a step further than that and leaving the country to move to Canada with her new husband. That wasn’t only a shock to those watching but the whole roster, who didn’t know the announcement was coming and were understandably emotional. A statement has since clarified that she might continue wrestling in Canada and that when/if she returns to Japan, Marvelous will always be her home. However, even before that, it was obvious that she was going with Chigusa’s blessing and that there is nothing but love between them. Takumi Iroha, meanwhile, went a step further, demanding Rin slam her and go out on a victory after Tommy counted the three. It was all incredibly emotional, and while I’m gutted to see her go, it’s hard to be anything other than happy for her as she takes this next step in life.
Overall Show
It’s difficult to talk about this show without focusing on Rin’s departure and what that means for the future, but it was a good watch. The opener was chaotic fun, Aminata vs Unagi is worth seeing, and the main event ruled. Rin leaving widens the already existing hole in the roster, but it’s also an opportunity for Maria to step up and show what she can do. Chigusa is already giving her the opportunities to do so, and while this show ended sadly, it suggested that she is more than ready to take them.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows and you can buy access to live streams here.