24) Review

Marvelous’s first show post-Korakuen saw some last-minute card scrambling force them to put the intended main event on first. If I’ve got my translations right, someone’s mum had fallen ill, so Chigusa Nagayo swapped things around so they could get away as soon as possible. It’s always nice when a company you like proves they’ve got their hearts in the right place, and I hope everything turns out alright for the person (and their mum) in question. Anyway, on with the show.

Continue reading →

15/05/2024 1

Marvelous (12/4/24) Review

The champs are getting ready for Korakuen. Credit: Here

With the AAAW Tag League behind us, Marvelous’s eyes now move to Korakuen as they start building towards their trip to that famous old venue with a visit to Shinkiba. So far, we only know about the tag title match, and the main event of this show saw Unagi and Itsuki try to gatecrash it. Would they succeed? Let’s find out.

Continue reading →

15/04/2024 0

Marvelous in Osaka (30/3/24) Review

With the bulk of the Marvelous roster having just returned from America, you’d think they’d all want to stay close to home. However, there’s no rest for the talented, as they got straight back on the road, heading down to Osaka for the latest matches in the AAAW Tag Tournament. What went down? Let’s find out.

Continue reading →

03/04/2024 0

TJPW Grand Princess ’24 (21/3/24) Review

Tokyo Joshi returned to Sumo Hall for one of the most important shows of the year (it’s certainly the one I care about the most). Fittingly, they’ve gone all out. We’ve got giant pandas, Kyoraku Kyomei trying to take down kaiju, and Miu Watanabe getting her shot at the Ace! That’s just the beginning, too. It is a card that only gets better the longer you look at it, so let’s see what went down.

Continue reading →

02/04/2024 0

Marvelous Mio Momono’s 8th Anniversary (13/2/24) Review

Marvelous’s latest trip to Shinkiba had the potential for much excitement. Not only were they celebrating Mio’s 8th anniversary, but it was time to kick off the AAAW Tag League and find out who Ai’s mysterious partner would be. Did they deliver on that promise? Let’s find out.

Continue reading →

16/02/2024 0

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.

Continue reading →

23/01/2024 2

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.

Continue reading →

05/01/2024 1

Ramblings About’s Match of the Year 2023: Arisa Nakajima vs Sareee

Arisa Nakajima and Sareee represent a style of wrestling that you don’t see much in the current joshi scene. Some things look similar if you squint, like Stardom’s hard-hitting epics, but they never truly tap into the world that Arisa and Sareee do. They’re too big and shiny, while the fights between these two are down in the dirt, fuelled by hostility and a willingness to try and drive one of your body parts through an opponent. There’s nothing beautiful about these matches. They’re violent and spiteful, which makes it even more bizarre that sitting in Korakuen Hall, watching this live, I couldn’t stop myself from bursting into tears.

Continue reading →

30/12/2023 0