I am pushing ahead with the Ice Ribbon catch-up in the hope that I can at least get close to being up to date some time this year. We’ve got through the big title shot, so let’s calm things down a bit with one of P’s Parties.
Present-day Stardom may have returned, but that doesn’t mean we’re leaving the past behind. In 2011, Stardom is getting close to the period where lots of exciting stuff is going to occur, so why would we stop now?
We’re finally there! The title match that Ice Ribbon has been building to for longer than they planned (thanks COVID) and which I’ve been dancing around for an extra month because I’m so far behind. Sadly, being far behind apparently makes it impossible for me to watch this via niconico’s PPV gimmick (feel free to point me in the right direction if I’m wrong), so I had to find the Samurai version. That means a couple of matches were clipped, but it’s nothing too egregious.
There is a lot of energy in this picture. Credit: TJPW
For the first time since lockdown ended, we have a Tokyo Joshi show with a couple of announced matches! It’s time for Raku to finally step into her role as a main eventer while the two Yukis do battle over the right to face Yuka. Gosh, that could get confusing, couldn’t it?
Unsurprisingly, this ended badly for Saki. Credit: DDT
Not that long ago, the idea of Saki Akai headlining a DDT show, even one with limited attendance, would have felt pretty far-fetched. Early in her career, I remember someone describing her as wrestling like Bambi on ice, as while there was potential there, she didn’t quite seem in control of her limbs. However, times have changed, and now every time Saki steps into a ring, she seems to improve. Suddenly, the idea of having her main eventing isn’t ridiculous at all, and when you put Meiko Satomura across from her, it’s downright tasty.
Yes, I’m still nearly a month behind on Ice Ribbon. In my defence, there is a lot of wrestling. Also, I haven’t been paying for PPVs, so I’m only able to watch the shows when they’re uploaded to niconico, in which case I’m closer to being caught up than you’d think! So, shove that in your pipe and smoke it.
If wrestling keeps being so great, I am going to have to ditch the top-ten element of this and make it even more rambling because there are at least another ten matches that I would like to have on this list. That doesn’t even take into account the Ice Ribbon that I need to catch up on! (I still haven’t seen Suzu vs Maya, hence its exclusion, I’m sure it’s great.) Gosh darn it, there is too much wrestling. Oh well, there are worse problems to have.
Yunamon vs Emi Sakura is the story that ChocoPro has been built around. Yes, there have been divergences, the occasional scurry down another alley, but time after time it’s come back to those two. Emi Sakura believes that two years into her career, Yunamon doesn’t know who she is. That’s she trapped somewhere between an idol and a wrestler, more interested in seeking fan approval than greatness. Unsurprisingly, that’s an opinion that Yunamon took to heart, driving her crazy as she sought to prove herself to the person who trained her. It felt like the only place it could be settled was on Chocolate Square’s mat, and while Sakura initially ducked and dodged Yunamon’s challenges, she finally gave the Tropical Girl what she wanted. It was Oni vs Pineapple in a Last Woman Standing.
Something tells me this wasn’t a moment of respect to Masa. Credit: DDT
With the world (well, parts of it) returning to normal, it was time to say goodbye to the DDT TV Show. They went out with a bang, though, delivering two big title challenges. Was it a newsworthy show or was the status quo retained? Time to find out.