Dream Star Fighting Marigold: Grand Opening Wars June 23rd 2024

We’re back with some more Marigold action as we’re in the final stretch of building up to their first mega-huge big PPV in July so time to fill out the rest of the card. We start with a run-down of the matches and then Giulia comes out and she’s fired up and fires the crowd up. I think Giulia is talking about her cute her new hair is and I’m not getting the vibe this is a particularly important promo but the crowd is loving it!

Misa Matsui vs. Komomo Minami

Background: Misa is the speed star and in the finals for the Flyweight championship, Komomo is brand spanking new and is trying to find her place after being a trainee for like 2-3 years or something. Minami is in black and gold and looks scared to be out there. Misa is in turquoise and white with a bunch of frills and shiny bits.

The Match: Circle and then a lockup and some wristlock stuff and standing switches. Komomo with a springboard headlock takeover and then they trade armdrags but Misa gets a kick to set up some abuse and gets a crab. Misa does more arrogant vet stuff but Komomo reverses a slam and gets a weird rolling cradle to set up an armbar. Some weak forearms set up a few awkward reversals until Misa just kicks Komomo in the face and then gets the low crossbody. Weak dropkicks from Komomo next and this match does not have much flow. Bad sequence from Minami next as she tries to do a “roll over the back spot” into something but whiffs and goes back to the armbar. Woof. More way too fast stuff that they mostly mess up as Komomo looks nervous as heck out there. Misa gets a kick and a Busaiku knee and goes up with a missile dropkick. Misa gets the cut-throat fisherman’s suplex for the win.

¾*

Eeesh. Komomo is definitely trying to run before she walks and she’s doing way too much out there, some of her spots are creative but just focus on doing the simple stuff first. Misa kept it together decently but even still it was pretty ugly.

Zayda Steel vs. Bozilla

Background: Zayda is an annoying white lady who teamed with Boz and irked her by being annoying so Bozilla destroyed her post-match. Now they’re wrestling.

The Match: Zayda powders to start and Boz offers the handshake…and of course doesn’t let go and Zayda slaps her…and powders. And apparently Zayda has a banana with her and offers it to Boz who eats it? And then she slaps the daylights out of the American. Bozilla misses a corner charge but Zayda hurts herself with a corner clothesline and gets German’d into oblivion. Steel rope-a-dopes and gets an ambush tope…an the German catches it and slams Steel on the apron. Boz demands Zayda hit her and the American obliges with some soft strikes that just irritate the goliath. Zayda goes for a codebreaker that gets stuffed and then a tilt-a-whirl Boz counters to a brainbuster. The German loads up an avalanche samoan drop but Zayda slips out to attempt a powerbomb and Boz just lands on her in a brutal Bonzai drop and then her own powerbomb for 3.

**

Look, an annoying heel got basically squashed by a big scary giant, Pro Wrestling 101.

Nanae Takahashi vs. Nao Ishikawa – Passion Injection Match

Background: Nanae is a very established vet that likes to beat up rookies to test their passion. Nao is a rookie who has been mostly overlooked in Marigold to the point where that’s her character and she’s resentful about it. Seems an obvious match.

The Match: They go to the mat early with Nao actually doing okay. They then trade running moves and Nanae catches Ishikawa out of the air and slams her but Nao fires back with PASSION! Nanae takes Nao down and works the leg which lets Ishikawa scream in pain and Nanae scream in…aggression? They’re both very loud. Nanae works over the rookie with bodyscissors and Nao reverses to some ground and pound as they are both screaming. Back to standing and Nao gets these big babyface forearms she loads all the way back on and you can tell they have no power because they’re all upper body but there’s a lot of motion so it looks good for the wrestling. But Nanae just chops the heck out of Nao in the corner anyway. Nao finally comes back with her light stuff, and a diving crossbody gets 2 as Nanae is giving Ishikawa more than I would have thought. Nanae with a shoulder, suplex, and crab though. And Nao taps.

*½

Look Nao tries but her work is just so soft and this match needs more substance from the person facing Nanae. Though maybe Ishikawa kinda flaming out and looking like a wimp is the point? I do think Ishikawa is a pretty good seller at least.

Post-match Nanae screams some more.

Mai Sakurai & Victoria Yuzuki vs. Chika Goto & Kouki Amarei

Background: So Mai and Victoria are the Stardom refugees who are trying to find their place in Marigold. Chika and Kouki are tall AWG talent who are trying to find their place in Marigold. All are dressed in the regular.

The Match: Chika and Yuzuki start with some hair pulling as they get in each other’s grills and then they slug it out. Dropkick by Victoria! Big boot by Goto! And now it’s Mai and Kouki in. Bit of an awkward sequence from Kouki as she does the cartwheel and then a bit boot but she was a bit too close, Mai comes back though and stomps out the Amethyst Butterfly in the corner. The Stardom girls double-Amarei and Sakurai gets a camel clutch to set up a low dropkick from Yuzuki. Kouki slugs it out with Mai who pinballs beautifully even if Kouki’s offense is a bit off. Chika tags in and she gets a few hip checks and an atomic drop. Mai reverses a whip into a boot and then a Yakuza kick to set up the STF. It’s always crazy how much more comfortable Mai looks in tags than singles. Headlock leg drop from Mai but Chika slaps back in defiance and gets a body slam before Sakurai gets her jump kick and in comes Yuzuki with an awkward rolling cradle into a can-opener. Goto gets the ropebreak and then the giant swing. In comes Kouki with some kicks but she can’t land the Dominator and Mai snaps her neck on the ropes and VIctoria gets the ropewalk facebuster but Kouki gets a scoop powerslam and the AWG ladies get a double-team press and a big splash for 2. The Stardom girls cheat like mad though and get some double-team strikes but Kouki gets another boot and a loose cutter for 2.8. Yuzuki almost gets a rolling crucifix pin for 3 but Kouki counters a cazadora with a sit-down pin for 3.

*¼

Look these girls are trying REALLY hard but it’s the blind leading the blind out here. Mai can be the 4th best worker in a good match but if she’s your best talent you’re in trouble.

CHIAKI, Natsumi Showzuki & Utami Hayashishita vs. Myla Grace, Nagisa Nozaki & Sareee

Background: Chiaki is the Dark Wolf of the Ring, Showzuki is a kick devil, Utami is our judo goddess. Myla is our Irish high-flyer, Nagisa our tanned brawler, and Sareee our stiff top-heel. Showzuki has simplified her look to black and white with angel wings on the back and Myla has these nude tights on underneath her trunks that are so satiny they’re super distracting.

The Match: CHIAKI and Myla start and Grace’s happy feet are immediately notable. The Dark Wolf pulls the hair though and facewashes in the corner. Myla tries to get free with a neckbreaker but they cut her off and Natsumi is now in with an armbar for a while before tagging in Utami to stomp on the Irishwoman. CHIAKI in now and Myla gets the upper hand with some convoluted offense and Nagisa is in who reverses the Utami/CHIAKI double-team and focuses on the Dark Wolf. CHIAKI gets a spear to counter Nozaki coming off the ropes and then the cartwheel knee drop brings in Natsumi to go fast with the kicks and the slingshot double knee drop. Shozuki eats a Nagisa drop toehold though and gets kicked on the apron as Sareee throws some shots. Utami slides in with a lariat on Nagisa though and Showzuki gets an enzuigiri and a jumping DDT but Nagisa boots her down, gets more boots, and then more boots but a double-down bring in Utami and Sareee to slug it out to a decent reaction. Utami gets the lifting side slam and the sliding lariat and goes up only for Nagisa to slow her down and Sareee to cut her off with a superplex. Utami gets a desperation Air Raid Crash though and loads up the German but Sareee gets the cazadora stomp and the low dropkick before Utami suplexes her anyway and now this is them popping up and trading bit moves. All the other wrestlers run in to hit each other with stuff as its breaking down! CHIAKI in to spear Sareee and then get the rack into the KOD. Sareee tries to come back but CHIAKI gets a scoop powerslam…but Sareee gets the dropkick, Nagisa the running boot and then Sareee’s stomp and Utami needs to break it up. Utami eats a ura-nage and that clears her out for Sareeee to get the diving stomp on CHIAKI…for 2! The second stomp gets it done though.

**½

This was fine with moments of meh and moments of good depending on who was doing what.

Post-match Sareee calls out Giulia who walks down, gets slapped and it fires her up.

Miku Aono vs. MIRAI – United National Championship Inaugural Tournament Round One

Background: So Miku and MIRAI tried this match last show and it went to a time limit draw, twice.

The Match: Both just charge at each other and collide multiple times without giving ground, then they both try to slam each other and that goes nowhere and finally Miku takes MIRAI down with a shoulderblock and slaps on an armbar. MIRAI makes the ropes but Miku stomps on her some more and gets MIRAI with a dropkick out of a rope-running bit. More kicks from Miku and I’m not loving her as the dominant wrestler here. MIRAI fires back with some forearms and they’re both selling like this is minute 25 of a match. Miku kicks the leg out of MIRAI’s leg but when going for a lariat gets low-bridged to the outside. But when MIRAI goes up for a plancha Miku slams her onto the apron and then hits a running PK. MIRAI trips up MIku though and goes after the leg on the outside. And then goes after it on the inside. MIRAI gets the samoan drop and goes up, but Miku cuts her off and gets an Electric Chair drop from the top. Miku with a submission but MIRAI makes the ropes. This match is deliberate and they’re clearly playing for the draw. Anyway MIRAI gets the kneebar and now Miku crawls to the ropes. MIRAI almost gets the Miramare Shock but Miku slips out and they do the desperate fighting for a pin and MIku kicks out of the Shock and the bell rings.

And let’s do part 2 of the match as we extend the OT.

They trade some ground and pound and then roll outside. MIRAI accidentally lariats the ringpost, but MIRAI legwhips MIku and gets a headbutt and then a lariat. They roll back in and MIRAI gets the wheelbarrow slam and loads up the Miramare Shock and lands it! Only a 2 count though and Miku comes back with the spinning slam and the sliding lariat! And then a running lariat! But that’s only 2 as well. They roll around and fight for moves and trade lariats and it’s a draw again.

**

You could tell they were fighting for the draw but OT was pretty good. Also Miku, who I do like, doesn’t yet have the ability to play mean dominant heel and the first part was asking her to do that and she can’t yet.

Well, this show wasn’t great but it’s setting the table up pretty well for the July 13th show. Hope it doesn’t suck!