Dream Star Fighting Marigold: Grand Opening Wars June 15th 2024

Welcome back for some more fantastic Marigold action with a card that I’m not going to say is anemic but you might want to consider getting some iron supplements just to be safe. They are in the always beautiful KBS Hall in Kyoto and I can’t be mad about that.

The show starts with MIRAI walking some lady in traditional Japanese dress to the ring and I am going to sound like a darn fool if I try to explain what’s going on but it seems significant and the crowd is respectful about it. I think wrestling might have destroyed my brain cause I expect somebody to come out with a chair and demolish this dancing lady. It’s very beautiful at least and classy in a way that makes me regret being a knuckledragging American.

Afterwards Giulia comes out in a wrist brace and hypes up the crowd and cuts a promo and she seems absolutely elated to be out there.

Bozilla vs. Minami Komomo

Background: Boz is our terrifying gaijin monster and Minami is our recent rookie sensation who is now finally getting into the ring after years of training and setbacks. We saw her with MIRAI before but now it’s going to be her against a monster she’s never worked with before.

The Match: Komomo offers a handshake and Boz kicks it away. Komomo unleashes a flurry of attacks on Boz but gets swatted away and tossed down with ease (and maybe a bit too much sloppiness). Arrogant cover gets 2 for Boz and when the rookie goes for a go-behind and a German attempt Boz smiles at the temerity of the rookie and hits a long delayed brainbuster…for 2! Minami goes for the sleeper but gets tossed into the corner and chopped down. A monster powerbomb gets it for Boz and this match was less than three minutes.

**

A very effective squash and I already think that Komomo is better than Victoria. Boz also got to show some more personality here where she was even impressed the rookie fought back at all. Fine match!

Misa Matsui vs. Myla Grace – Superfly Championship Inaugural Tournament Round One

Background: So we’re getting some championships for Stardom and we’re getting tournaments of mysterious and unknown block sizes but this is for what will be their juniors title with a weight limit of 55 kilos. Misa is the favorite being the Speed Star and Myla is pretty not good but let’s hope they make some magic.

The Match: Myla controls early with some feints and then some sweeps but that doesn’t last long as Misa gets some jumping attacks and then some stiffer stuff as she just tosses the Irishwoman down and gets an armbar and yet again I don’t mind Misa but if you’re going to bill her as the Speed Star and put her in a speedy division maybe she should wrestle fast? I get that you can run your Dean Malenkos against your Rey Mysterios but the standard should be Rey and not Dean. More armwork with a rope-assisted hammerlock and a stiff kick to set up a snap suplex as Misa is beating the bejesus out of this poor lady. Myla tries to come back but just gets dogwalked some more. Myla finally gets her own strikes and she’s at least shaking the arm after every move and I realize that Misa worked the right arm. Myla keeps the comeback going with a contrived 619 and then a meteora. They do some standing grappling but Myla wins with a low-angle backdrop suplex but Misa gets a neato rolling armbar that almost gets the tap before a ropebreak and then a running crossbody into the ropes, and then a diving crossbody. They slug it out next and Misa gets the Busaiku knee to set up a cutthroat cross-legged fisherman’s suplex for only 2. Myla gets a sunset flip out of the corner and then they trade rollups until a cazadora sets up that reverse Japanese cradle thing (I don’t know the real name) for 3.

**¼

Well they just kinda dropped the armwork thing but Misa was suitably violent and Myla is okay at taking a beating even if her own offense is bad. Misa being a mean technician is not what I expected but she was okay at it.

Natsumi Showzuki vs. Zayda Steele – Superfly Championship Inaugural Tournament Round One

Background: Zayda is our other gaijin lady and she’s a mean blonde heel. Natsumi has worked heelishly in the past as well as a sort of kick devil but she seems to be the face here with her intro.

The Match: Zayda does the shake and Showzuki kicks the hand away and a second shake results in Steele slapping Natsumi. Zayda is very vocal as she’s talking to the fans in English. A lockup from the American is foiled by a Natsumi slap and then a second lockup leads to some standing grappling and headlocks and wristlocks and such. Zayda keeps talking as we get the “Nani?” from Natsumi. We finally get some action as they break the grappling and Zayda gets a dropkick to set up some ground and pound and then some run and gun stuff as every single Zayda move is setup by some rope-running. Natsumi has had enough and shrugs off some forearms and fires up to bait up a strike battle…and takes down Zayda with an armbar. Ha! Ropebreak from Steele but that puts in her perfect position for Natsumi’s slingshot kneedrop, but the running knees into the ropes are dodged as Natsumi flies outside and Zayda hits the most timid tope I’ve ever seen in response. My word. Natsumi just clobbers Zayda on the outside with kicks but gets caught climbing back in and bounced off the apron. They are getting over that Steele can only get offense when she’s being opportunistic. More plodding Zayda offense but Natsumi gets a manji-gatame and some kicks until we get a double-down. Zayda tells Natsumi to smooch her posterior before a hip attack and then they trade rollups. TKO from Zayda with a hand on the ropes for Showzuki to break it. Natsumi comes back again and hits the diving double-knees for 3.

*¾

This match was WAY too long and Zayda is really annoying, and not in a good way either. I do think she’s usally better than Myla but the last match used Myla way better. This was just bad, bad offense from the American and Natsumi just coming back at random until she won.

Post-match Misa comes out and I guess that’s the next tournament match.

Nagisa Nozaki & Sareee vs. Mai Sakurai & Miku Aono

Background: Nagisa and Saree are outsiders who are going to beat up the Marigolders for being soft. Mai is also Giulia’s lil buddy and Sareee is going after her. Miku is the big hot prospect from AWG so it’ll be interesting to see her against high level opponents.

The Match: Nagisa and Miku start with a test of strength that Miku wins and then they trade wristlocks. Nagisa knocks down Miku who kips up with defiance and that gets Nozaki’s respect or amusement and in comes Sareee and Sakurai. They do the classic joshi stuff with the yelling and the bridges and the dropkicks and Mai is just demolished. Sareee beats Mai pillar to post and gives her nothing for a good 2 minutes. Nagisa in to continue just demolishing Mai. Sakurai eventually gets one boot and that lets her tag in Aono. Aono gets some offense going for a bit but Nagisa tanks some kicks and comes back with her own kicks. Sareee even runs in to let Nagisa slowly stomp Miku out for more. Miku makes the comeback and brings in Mai who gets hot flurry and then Nagisa slowly stomps on her with Sareee’s help. Sareee comes in and Mai catches her with a stunner and then some kicks to get the STF as Miku runs interference but Sareee gets a rope break. Mai gets caught with a dropkick, but fires back with a Northern Light’s suplex to let Miku tag in. Butterfly suplex on Sareee and then some double-teams with the Marigolders. Sareee catches Miku going up though and a slam sets up Sareee’s diving stomp and then they reset to a slugfest which Sareee wins. Miku gets her spinning slam and a choke attempt but Nagisa breaks that up and then boots Aono down. Mai shows up to sacrifice herself and set up a Miku lariat on Sareee but the cazadora double stomp sets up the diving double stomp and we have time limit draw as Mai is just about to fly in to break it up.

*½

Booooooooooo! I get that Rossy likes time limit draws but what a worthless match, just way too long, the heels just ate up the Marigolders and then they didn’t even win? This was bad, I’m sorry.

Post-match we have the traditional dress lady with a big bouquet of flowers.

Kouki Amarei, MIRAI & Utami Hayashishita vs. Chika Goto, Nao Ishikawa & Victoria Yuzuki

Background: So I guess Kouki, MIRAI, and Utami are the vets vs. the rookie team of Chika, Nao, and Yuzuki. Nao is back from her knee deal but has a brace I would describe as massive, Chika leads them all in a Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Chant with the finger points and Yuzuki flips into the ring. The uh, vets (even though they’re all like 25 or something) enter and with their entrance robes and posing they do look like MASSIVE stars. Kouki in particular has new gear that looks absolutely incredible with the purple butterfly designs on it.

The Match: Kouki, Utami, and MIRAI pose with traditional dress lady with the bouquet and they look super cool. The rookies go for handshakes and Utami and MIRAI brush them off while Kouki reciprocates. Yuzuki and Utami start and the rookie tries to take Utami to the mat and gets stuffed. More abuse follows but Chika grabs Utami on the apron and the rookies go in. But Nao goes for a crossbody and gets slammed down and Utami works the knee a bit and just throws the kid around like a sack of flour. MIRAI in to laser focus on the knee of Nao for a bit before tagging in Kouki to do the “toss them towards the ropes and uses her size to rebound them back” spot which I love and then hit a big ole slam and a bit ole splash and I love it. Utami back in to keep on the knee, Utami whips Nao across the ring but Ishikawa collapses and fires back with forearms as Utami taunts her and responds with one strike that flattens the rook. Utami hotdogs and grandstands too much though and Nao gets a running clothesline to bring in Chika to load up the butt…but MIRAI pops in to kick it! Chika has too much junk in her trunk though and she throws both of her opponents into the corner and does a double butt bomb into the corner and then the giant swing. Utami tries to get the rack drop and after a bit of work finally lands it and in comes Kouki who resists the urge to cartwheel and goes for a bit boot instead. But Chika keeps the focus on butts and lands an atomic drop to send Amarei flying. The two giants (and tag-partners) slug it out and Kouki gets an over the shoulder rack into a facefirst slam and while it definitely got dodgy at times she landed it, and considering Chika’s size, pretty impressive. Nao however comes in for the save and that lets Goto get the inverted swing and then a wheelbarrow facebuster. Kouki gets a cutter to get some space and they both trade more big hits into a double down and we get MIRAI and Yuzuki in next. Victoria gets the drop on the vet with speed and gets a few pin attempts but Yuzuki can’t land the ropewalk facebuster and MIRAI gets an armbar, ropebreak but MIRAI is hotdogging and grandstanding on the top rope setting up a Vader Bomb and the rookies cut her off to land a double-team powerbomb and then Yuzuki gets the ropewalk facebuster and goes for the kill but Utami just walks in and casually suplexes Victoria. We get some slick double-teams from the vets next and MIRAI goes for the kimura…and then we get the image of MIRAI’s kimura on Yuzuki, Kouki’s sleeper on Chika, and Utami’s backbreaker rack on Nao all in the same shot. Slicker than grease on glass. Yuzuki finally gets the ropebreak and MIRAI uses all of that count to keep the abuse on the rookies arm. Some really smooth counter wrestling sets up a flash pin on MIRAI but Kouki comes in to wipe out Yuzuki and it’s breaking down in Kyoto! Utami gets a missile dropkick on Nao while Kouki lands the Amethyst Butterfly (180 splash) on Chika before we reset back to MIRAI and Victoria. The wheelbarrow slam by MIRAI sets up a running lariat that Yuzuki goes full Jannetty on and that’s 3.

***

Wow, just tremendous fun and it’s crazy to see the influence Utami and MIRAI have on calling matches and elevating their opponents. Kouki looked legitimately competent in this match and I was either wrong about her (impossible), she improved a lot (unlikely), or Utami is a genius at calling matches and having her use herself to her best. It’s matches like this that make me optimistic towards Marigold’s future cause Utami is a young cat who can elevate people for decades to come if they need to. This was a ton of fun and everybody looked good in it.

Post-match Utami and MIRAI and Kouki all cut promos and they seem jacked up and say Marigold a lot. They then pose post-match and look like absolute stars yet again.

Well, this was decent fun I guess, Marigold shows being 90 minutes is very helpful as the bad stuff generally goes by quickly at least, I mean to the fans I get feeling ripped off but it’s not a drag for me as a fan.