Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2025

Endo runs the Miyu gauntlet. Credit: TJPW

Despite heading down to London for a weekend to watch the stuff (don’t expect any writing about that, much beer was drunk), I feel like I didn’t watch as much wrestling as usual in August. There is no grand reason for that. I just never quite got around to a bunch of shows that I’m sure I’ll catch up with eventually. All the same, there were a few matches that I enjoyed. They’re mostly hailing from my usual places, but hey, it’s not like anyone is coming here expecting anything different.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for July 2025

A photo that tells you everything you need to know about Rika Tatsumi. Credit: TJPW

I had another busy month in July, but unlike the last couple of times that’s happened, this was almost entirely for fun reasons. There was a Japanese exam at the start, but the rest was music festivals and seeing some of my favourite people, so I didn’t have much time to devote to wrestling. Despite that, I think I managed to watch a respectable amount! It’s all fairly on brand, as I didn’t stray too far outside of my usual promotions, but they’re my go-to places for a reason. They’re great.

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Magenta (Maria & Riko Kawahata) vs Takumi Iroha & Ai Houzan, Marvelous (31/5/25)

Tommy was not impressed. Credit: Screenshot

In many ways, the heel turn is the easy bit. You throw a tag team partner through a window, whack someone with a chair or shave off your eyebrows and don some black leather. It’s what comes next that most people struggle with. Especially if, like Maria and Riko Kawahata, you’ve spent most of your career working as an underdog babyface. Suddenly, you’re having to readjust everything you do in the ring, switching to being the one in control and setting other people up for the flurries that you once benefited from. It’s understandable that it would take a while to put that shtick together, but this match, on the typically light-hearted Marvelous tour of Hokkaido, might be the best example of Magenta doing so yet.

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Marvelous 9th Anniversary (5/5/25) Ramblings

Credit: Marvelous

I hate reviewing one-day tournaments. The nature of the beast is that you end up with a bunch of short, simple matches that don’t necessarily lend themselves to my usual ramblings. I could, of course, cut it all back, but I don’t really see the point. Writing a 100 words that don’t say anything isn’t quite as mind-numbingly stupid as describing a match move-for-move, but it’s equally valueless. However, there was still stuff I wanted to talk about on this show, so I’m not going to skip it entirely. Instead of the usual shtick, here’s some semi-organised ramblings about Marvelous’s latest trip to Korakuen.

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Ramblings About’s Matches of the Month for August 2024

He’s a bit good that Dragon. Credit: AEW

August saw me attend some wrestling live as I put myself through the nightmare that was an MJF vs Will Ospreay match to see AEW at Wembley, alongside a wee jaunt to RevPro and EVE. More on that later. It was also another relatively busy month for me, so I haven’t quite hit everything I would have liked to see, but that’s just how it goes. There’s still plenty of good wrestling to enjoy!

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Marvelous 8th Anniversary (8/8/24) Review

Revenge. Credit: sya_tyo

The 8th of August is a pivotal date in Marvelous lore. Not only was it when the promotion started, but it was the date Chigusa Nagayo debuted in 1980, a mighty 44 years ago. With that in mind, Marvelous loaded this one up. Takumi Iroha became the latest person to step up and try to take back the AAAW Title from Mayumi Ozaki, Team 200kg challenged Magenta for the Tag Titles, and Chi Chi faced off with Nagayo in a Barbie Showdown. What is that last one? Who knows, but you’re in the right place to find out.

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Marvelous Sapporo (1/6/24) Review

I liked the tour poster. Credit: Marvelous

Marvelous’s trip to Hokkaido is something I look forward to every year. With the roster and some guests heading north for the weekend, the shows take on the air of a summer holiday as everyone kicks back and enjoys the chance to compete in front of a crowd that isn’t as over-saturated with wrestling as the one in Tokyo. You’re unlikely to come out of these shows with a match-of-the-year contender, but the vibes are immaculate, and that’s what I love about it. So, let’s see what went down.

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Marvelous 8th Anniversary (3/5/24) Review

Managing to look that calm while falling through the air blows my mind. Credit: Here

Apologies to the one person who might have been waiting for a review of the Takumi anniversary show. Marvelous had some issues with the VOD, and it’s still not up (I’ve contacted them, and they said they’d look into it). However, there is no time to grumble as we move from one birthday celebration to the next. Marvelous entered their ninth year by marking the eight that came before at Korakuen Hall. What went down? Let’s find out. 

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