Marvelous Takumi is Back (10/3/23) Review
The Ace Returns
Front Matter
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The Ace is back! It might not have been as long a layoff as Takumi Iroha’s last injury, but four months without her was still four months too many, and this show saw her finally make her Japanese return (she wrestled in Spain last month). How did she look? Read on to find out.
Hikari Shimizu defeated Ai Houzan
Two years into her career, Ai Houzan has lost none of the enthusiasm that characterised her debut back at Assemble in March of 2021. Paired up against Hikari Shimizu, Ai was outgunned (and if she didn’t know that, it was made clear when Shimizu tied her up in the ropes and teed off with a series of stiff kicks), but, as Houzan has made a habit of in her career, she made up for her lack of firepower with sheer bloody-mindedness. One dropkick or forearm might not be enough, but if she hit ten, perhaps the message would get through.
It meant that while this match was about Ai trying to find a way to get past the more experienced wrestler, it was also about Hikari trying to find a way to get her to stay still. Houzan comes from the finest pest stock, and if you want to beat her, you have to find a way to get her to stop. It was all characterised by an extended Figure Four spot which started in the centre of the ring and ended under the ropes, Ai having rolled over to reverse the pressure multiple times, refusing to accept that Hikari had the better of her.
The real highlight, however, was the closing stretch, a frantic exchange of flash pins that would have been fun regardless but was brought to life by the crowd getting incredibly into it. There were screams and yells of encouragement as they went back and forth, each fall inching closer to getting the three. It was a classic Marvelous sequence, elevated by a hot crowd, and a great way to bring a fun opener to an end.
Verdict: A Load of Fun
Tomoko Watanabe defeated SAKI
With Tomoko set to challenge Chikayo Nagashima for the AAAW Title on the 15th, the result of this match was never really in doubt. However, SAKI is, at least on paper, a strong hoss pairing for Watanabe, so it still had the chance to be a sneaky show-stealer.
While I don’t think it quite ended up hitting that level, there was a simple pleasure to it all. Tomoko and SAKI decided to keep things violent as, after a bit of a slow start, they transitioned to throwing bombs at each other. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as perfect as that sounds. The speed at which it moved from Tomoko leisurely sitting on SAKI to big moves and near falls gave me whiplash, and I don’t think it was a particularly coherent piece of wrestling. Cut that first bit out, trimming the fat, and it would have all flowed a bit better.
However, watching Tomoko and SAKI beat the shit out of each other was fun, regardless of whether it all hung together. SAKI succeeding in getting Tomoko up for a Twisting Brainbuster was genuinely impressive, and they both hit hard, so by the time they were exchanging lariats and boots to the head, it was difficult not to get into it. A violent sprint is one of wrestling’s great joys, and while I don’t think this was on the level of the very best, there was still enough here to tick a few of those more primal boxes.
Verdict: Flawed, But Enjoyable
Mio Momono & Itsuki Aoki defeated Dokupe Kabuki (Unagi Sayaka & Aoi)
The two sides of Unagi Sayaka were on full display in this match. On the one hand, you had the wrestler who kicked things off with Itsuki by shoving each other a couple of times, yelling a bit and then walking straight to the corner to tag out. I like that one. I like that she doesn’t take herself too seriously and is in on the joke of how ridiculous she is. I even like when it twists into her playing a defiant underdog, making up for her lack of skill with an abundance of heart.
Sadly, that wasn’t the Unagi we got for the bulk of the action. We got the one who goes out and tries to exchange forearms with Aoki. I’m of the opinion that most wrestlers should remove that idea from their arsenal (not strictly with Itsuki, she’s actually alright at them), but it’s particularly true of Unagi. The Eel that we saw in this match felt like someone who is desperate to prove she’s a proper wrestler, and as someone who has never doubted that she is, it’s a frustrating thing to watch. She’ll never be on the in-ring level of an Itsuki (and certainly not a Mio), but that’s okay. Her talents lie elsewhere and have made for some fantastic entertainment.
If I’m honest, I’m probably being a bit harsh on this particular match. These feelings have been building up, and this was the forearm that broke my patience, but it was far from awful. Unagi and Aoi were a bit awkward at times, individually and as a pairing, but Mio and Itsuki generally made up for that, and some of Momono’s work with Aoi snuck close to great. I’d like to see her get the chance to appear in Marvelous without Unagi, as I think she could have fun matches with most of the roster. Unfortunately, she was part of a bout that came to symbolise something I’ve been growing increasingly tired of, which made it harder to enjoy than it usually would have been. Still, Mio was there, so it obviously didn’t suck.
Verdict: Give Me Fun Unagi
Afterwards, Unagi continued her habit of instantly trying to pick a fight with the people who just beat her. It’s safe to say that Mio was unimpressed by that move, so she might get her head stomped on at some point. More importantly, though, we learnt that the third opponent in Momono’s trial series will be one Chihiro Hashimoto, as Marvelous returns to the best feud (as part of the larger GAEAISM one) of 2021. Fuck yes!
Riko Kawahata defeated Maria
Maria and Riko have become one hell of a tag team recently, but that pairing was born out of them having great wee matches together. There appears to be real affection between them, which, in time-honoured fashion, gives them free rein to lay into each other that little bit harder than usual.
It also helps that they're a nice stylistic clash, Riko firing off with kicks while Maria tries to grab an arm and break it. Early on, it looked like Maria’s approach would be the one that worked. She’s the nastier of the two, showing a willingness to take the fight to the floor and launch Riko into some chairs, so I settled in, expecting that to lead her to victory. They’re both at very similar points in their careers, so that bit of extra edge felt like something that could get Maria over the line, letting her rip apart Kawahata’s arm or drop her on her head with a Michinoku Driver.
And I was right! Kinda. If you ignore the win part. Maria did hit the Michinoku Driver, but Riko fired up, kicking out at one and escaping the follow-up attempt at an armbar. The bit of space that made for her was enough to unleash a series of kicks to the head, setting up her first singles victory over her friend. It also highlighted that the gap between these two is tiny, with that solitary opening being the only thing that could separate them. I love Magenta as a pairing, and I want to see them win those tag belts eventually, but I also love them as foes, and I hope they continue to test themselves against each other in the years to come.
Verdict: Great Friends, Great Enemies
Chikayo Nagashima & Daisuke Sekimoto defeated Takumi Iroha & Leo Isaka
A Marvelous without Takumi Iroha is a lesser place. She’s not my favourite wrestler on the roster, but she is Chigusa Nagoya’s right hand and the face of the company. When you remove her, you lose something special. That said, I thought this was a weird match to book for her return. I get the Nagashima part (I think everyone assumes she and Takumi are on a collision path), but the Daisuke and Leo aspect felt a bit random. Thankfully, I was quickly convinced.
And what convinced me was Takumi and Sekimoto getting into the ring together. It was one of those moments where everything suddenly makes sense, as it became clear that he was actually the perfect opponent for this moment. Not only is he a cracking wrestler, if a few years past his peak, but he’s a boulder of a man and a presence that put Iroha in real danger. If it had been Nagashima and an Ai or Maria, Iroha would have been the favourite, regardless of how long she’d been out injured. Against Sekimoto, she was an obvious underdog, riling up a crowd who were already firmly in her corner, cheering on her every action. When she was on the offensive, they were desperate for her to overcome the odds. When Sekimoto was throwing her around, they were terrified for her health. Then, when she did inevitably lose, she had the double protection of having wrestled a mountain alongside her return from injury.
Takumi didn’t come back the easy way. It was a long, gruelling match, and even with her interactions with Chikayo being kept relatively short (only adding to my suspicions that having them face-off is the current plan), she was in there for a good chunk of it. Thankfully, she looked up for the task. I’m sure it will take her a while to get back to full speed, but with Leo there to help her out (and he performed his role very well), she more than held her own. If it’s only going to be up from here, we’ll all quickly remember what we've been missing.
Verdict: Welcome Back!
After the main event, Magenta wasted no time, hitting the ring to challenge for the tag titles. They didn’t set a date, but we are getting Takumi vs Maria vs Riko on the 15th.
Overall Show
Unsurprisingly, this show was built around Takumi's return, but the opener and Maria vs Riko are also worth a watch. There is also a chance that other people will get more from the Unagi tag, and while SAKI vs Tomoko wasn't perfect, it had its charms. All in all, it was a strong Marvelous showing, and I'm now going to cross all my fingers and toes in the hope that Mio and Takumi can stay fit for as long as possible.
Marvelous have a Nico channel where you can watch older shows and you can buy access to live streams here.