There was a time when I wanted to stand up for Giulia. I loved those initial brawls with Hana Kimura, while the hair match with Tam was big dumb wrestling done well. I think there is a version of her that I love. One that understands her own weaknesses and works around them. Unfortunately, as Marigold’s first trip to Sumo Hall proved, it’s not this one. This Giulia has more in common with Will Ospreay, a wrestler who forces everyone to have their match despite the fact we’ve all seen it a million times before. To make it even worse, it wasn’t that good in the first place.
And watching Giulia drag Sareee into the mud, I was reminded of the always interesting Handwerk describing MJF as someone playing a wrestler. The guy knows his stuff and probably even loves the art, but I don’t care how many people he calls fat, I will never believe in him. I just don’t buy him as a real person. Similarly, Giulia is aware of her history. She’s shouldered the legacy of past legends, even taking on Akira Hokuto’s Dangerous Queen moniker. Yet, watching her in this match, I never once connected with her as a human being. She’s all big gestures and terrifying moves backed up with zero heart. It doesn’t matter how many tables she smashes or head drops she bounces up from because it all ultimately rings hollow. They’re the acts of someone throwing paint on a canvas without every stopping to consider why they’re doing it.
Funnily enough, it’s the exact opposite of who her opponent, Sareee, usually is. Sareee can occasionally go overboard herself, relying on spamming high-impact moves to make things feel epic. The difference is that when Sareee talks about what she stands for, that continuation of joshi’s violent history, I believe her. I don’t doubt for a second that she loves that style with every part of her being. Even when she left Japan to head to WWE, I understood that she was doing it with the mission of spreading her wrestling to the rest of the world. I always suspected it was a doomed task, but I respected her for trying to do it. Her flaws are overcome by her ironclad belief in what she’s doing, which makes even the most egregious no-sell or one-count kickout work. It’s why I burst into tears watching her and Arisa Nakajima beat the shit out of each other in Korakuen Hall. It felt like it meant something.
But watching this match, I felt nothing. It was a hollow, soulless exchange of moves that continued until it didn’t. When Giulia shrugged off the work Sareee had done to her recently injured arm, I wasn’t willing to go along with the idea that she had been fuelled by adrenaline or spite. I just assumed she’d decided she couldn’t be arsed. Is that unfair? Maybe. There is every chance that if I were willing to give her the chances I give to Sareee, Arisa Nakajima or Mayu Iwatani, I would be on board with everything she does. Unfortunately, despite that old desire to see her succeed, I don’t think she’s earned them. Instead, I roll my eyes and wait to find out which bit of stuff will be the one that decides this match is over. It doesn’t make a difference when it’s all just more of the same.
Marigold shows are streaming live on Wrestle Universe: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/marigold
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