24) Review

Pictures that make you smile. Credit: TJPW

TJPW returned to Korakuen Hall to decide the winner of the 2024 Max Heart Tournament. On one side of the ring, we had the former champions, Daydream, who, in winning, would have been setting Miu Watanabe up to wrestle twice at Sumo Hall. Attempting to stop that from happening was Daisy Monkey, the young pretenders, who were desperate to break through. Last year, this final produced one of my matches of the year. Would it do so again? Let’s find out.

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14/02/2024 1

Marvelous (2/2/24) Review

It’s been one of those weeks where my rambling about a random Shinkiba show feels utterly pointless. The death of Asahi is unfair and horrible and something that I still don’t think I’ve entirely processed. Hopefully, somewhere down the line, I’ll feel up to writing about her short but brilliant career. That’s not today, though. However, it would have felt weird to publish this (which I wrote before we learnt about it) without at least mentioning it and sending all my love to those who knew her better than me. Considering the impact she had on those who only knew her through a screen or from a quick chat at a show, I can only imagine the one she had on those who knew her well was something special.

After spending January on the road, Marvelous kicked off February with their first trip of 2024 to Shinkiba. There will, of course, be many more in the months ahead, but it’s always good to get things started right. Let’s see what went down.

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06/02/2024 0

TJPW Max Heart Tournament (27/1/24) Review

It’s Max Heart semi-final time, as TJPW filed into KFC Hall to find out who will be battling for a big trophy and a shot at the tag-team titles. Of the four teams left, only Daydream have held gold before, and even with Miu already booked to challenge Miyu for the shiniest belt of them all, you’ve got to look at them as the favourites. Will they make it to the final? Let’s find out!

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29/01/2024 0

Sareee-ISM Chapter III (16/1/24) Review

Old rivals clash once more. Credit: Here

As one big Japanese star makes their way to America, another somewhat smaller one continues to forge a new path on their return to their homeland. Since leaving WWE, Sareee has been brilliant, and these semi-regular Sareee-ISM shows have been a particular highlight of her run so far. Not only do they position her in high-profile matches, but they’re packed with some of the best wrestlers in the scene, with this one looking no different. Let’s see what went down.

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24/01/2024 1

Marvelous Nagoya (20/1/24) Review

Tomoko and Takumi discovered a fun new game. Credit: Here

Marvelous’s second show of the year saw them make the trip to Nagoya. They were down a couple of members of the extended Marvelous family – as Titus Alexander and Alpha Zo headed home. However, after missing the first show of the year with illness, Takumi Iroha is back. As much as I enjoyed Zo and Titus, that probably goes down as a net positive because, well, Takumi is Takumi. Anyway, on with the show.

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23/01/2024 2

TJPW Max Heart Tournament: First & Second Rounds Review

Rika takes things to the outside. Credit: TJPW

The Max Heart tournament has become a regular fixture in the TJPW calendar, as various tag teams compete in a knockout format for a shot at the belts. It’s become a tradition to have this in the post-Ittenyon spot, and it always feels like the perfect way to ease us into the year. With the first and second rounds happening over the same weekend, I have decided to lump them together into one review so that I don’t have to come up with multiple introductions. If anything interesting happens in the undercard, I’ll make sure to mention that, too.

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22/01/2024 2

Marvelous in Yokohama (14/1/24) Review

The first Marvelous show of the year had them making the short jaunt to Yokohama. However, it’s already been a somewhat busy year for the roster, with the big news being that Mio Momono finally struck a blow against Oz Academy, defeating AKINO to win their big belt. The feud won’t be over until the AAAW title comes home, but it’s a start, and when you win a shiny new accessory in your first match of the year, you can probably leap into the rest of it feeling pretty confident. In less happy news, Takumi Iroha missed this show due to illness, so the card had to be tweaked. Hopefully, she’ll be back on her feet sooner rather than later.

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15/01/2024 0

Tokyo Joshi Pro ’24 (4/1/24) Review

A new challenger for the champ. Credit: TJPW

Tokyo Joshi now hosts several more extravagant yearly shows than their annual Ittenyon trip to Korakuen Hall, but there is still something special about this one. The combination of the date, that venue, and it being TJPW’s traditional ‘big show’ gives it a magical feel, even if they are now in that old hall nearly every month. Without fail, this is one of my shows of the year, so let’s see if TJPW can keep that run going.

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05/01/2024 1

Ice Ribbon Ribbonmania (31/12/23) Review

2023 was a tough one for Ice Ribbon, as several cracks expanded into fissures. It was such a disaster that I worried we might be about to see the end of a company that I, and many others, have a lot of affection for. However, slowly but surely, things have started to turn around, and with new ownership at the top, there’s the possibility that things might be moving in the right direction. We’re a long way from the heights of a few years ago, and I have my doubts if we’ll ever get back there, but the chance to create a fun and exciting product is there if they can grasp it. What better place to start than Ribbonmania, the show that serves as both their year-ender and year-starter.

Final quick note: I never stopped watching Ice Ribbon entirely (I even went to the Korakuen in August), but I have been more out of the loop than usual, so I may be missing a few slithers of context. Let me know in the comments if I say anything egregiously stupid.

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02/01/2024 0

Marvelous (10/12/23) Review

Magenta’s time starts here. Credit: here

Marvelous’s final Korakuen of the year had two biggies at the top of the card. First, Mio Momono and Tomoko Watanabe battled to decide who would get the first shot at reclaiming the AAAW Title from the villainous Mayumi Ozaki. Then, Magenta challenged for the AAAW Tag Titles for the second time, as they hoped to wrest the belts from the seemingly unbeatable pairing of Takumi Iroha and Chikayo Nagashima. It was all exciting on paper, so let’s see how reality lived up to it.

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13/12/2023 0