Dream Star Fighting Marigold: Grand Opening Wars June 29th 2024

Welcome back for some more splendid Dream Star Fighting Marigold and I’ll be honest I wish I could keep up this enthusiasm but these house shows are not exactly ideal. Anyway we got about 300 people in Sendai as they’re in a venue that could be very politely described as ‘intimate.’

We got the announcer lady running down the card and now Giulia out there and she looks absolutely jazzed up and talks a bit and the crowd plays along and she notably does not have a wrist brace on.

CHIAKI vs. Komomo Minami

Background: CHIAKI is our wolf-themed tough girl street brawler with her chains and tattoos and grungy clothes, Komomo is our very new rookie who I don’t have a bead on but she’s got a killer look with her black and gold gear.

The Match: Lockup and then some wristlocks as both do fancy footwork to reverse stuff, and then the same with a headlock sequence. Komomo definitely has MIRAI’s flair in terms of ornate technical wrestling sequences or at least attempted ones. CHIAKI comes through with her cartwheel double knee drop and starts bullying the rook with mild stomps and slaps before cranking in the claw and taking Komomo to the corner and then getting some facewashes. Komomo is held up in the ropes afterwards and CHIAKI gets a spear to the back and she’s clearly workshopping spots and offense on this poor rookie sap. Standing crab follows and Komomo eventually hits the ropes and CHIAKI milks the count there. Some stomps follow and CHIAKI goes for a slam but Minami reverses into a small package and gets some weak dropkicks next. Reset to a slugfest and Komomo gets obliterated but keeps coming back and getting obliterated with one strike and then CHIAKI’s rolling spear. The Dark Wolf grandstands and hotdogs too much though and Komomo gets her rolling armbar to put the (relative) vet in some trouble before CHIAKI escapes with a rollup and then the rack but when CHIAKI goes for the rack facebuster Komomo slips out and she hits the over the back roll move that she attempted her last match and botches horribly and it’s a DDT! That’s slick! Anyway Komomo gets an armbar to follow but the Dark Wolf makes the ropes and Komomo works the arm around the ropes in a very MIRAI-esque spot. Komomo gets a stumbling rope-running dropkick and then spams some sloppy rollups as I’m not sure if she’s gassed out or selling exhaustion/abuse. CHIAKI gets a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker into the rack facebuster and that’s 3.

*¼

Well, it was still pretty rough at times and CHIAKI isn’t good enough to carry a match but she has the big pieces of her character worked out and I think she’ll piece it together, Komomo…well clearly she isn’t as good as when she’s lead through a match by MIRAI, but her as baby MIRAI showed SOMETHING here despite her not having the cardio/endurance to go 11 minutes and she’s still tentative in a LOT of what she does. Still I remain optimistic.

Nao Ishikawa & Natsumi Showzuki vs. Bozilla & Myla Grace

Background: Fresh out of her passion injection match, we have Nao teaming with kick-devil (though considering her wing design on her gear, kick-fallen angel) Natsumi. Boz is of course an absolute monster and she’s teaming with sometimes face Myla Grace but I think they’re doing an evil white lady thing here and they even have Myla pose on top of Boz’s shoulder like Liz and Savage in a cute spot.

The Match: Nao goes for a handshake with Boz and the European is just flabbergasted by it. Lockup and Boz tosses Nao down. And tosses Nao down again. And again. Natsumi comes in and she’s shook off the bat and bounces off Boz as well. Myla finally comes in and she gets press slammed onto the Japanese ladies on the outside. They do some brawling but they reset to Natsumi and Myla and Grace does her very gentle strikes that she pauses between each combo and bounces off the ropes before each spot. Natsumi finally takes over with an armbar until Myla drags herself to the ropes. Myla gets back on offense and my goodness she has absolutely nothing on that end, everything is super light and uncomfortable and awkward. Natsumi takes over and tries to push Myla into position for the springboard knee drop but Grace refuses to move and it makes Showzuki change up her cadence in her talk and those knees came down hard. Showzuki gets her regular stuff and ends with a fisherman’s suplex before going up and getting a double knee drop but Myla comes in and suplexes her to break up the pin. Nao and Bozilla are in now and they slug it out with Ishikawa obviously losing and then a massive spinning sidewalk slam flattens her. Nao ducks a corner avalanche though and almost gets a roll-up but she goes for a brainbuster…and then Natsumi comes in to help out but they both get suplexed by Bozilla. Boz goes for a powerbomb but Nao eventually slips out and gets a kneebar and Myla breaks it up. Nao’s diving crossbody is caught by Boz and she tosses Nao into Natsumi and then the powerbomb gets 3.

*½

Not as fun as Bozilla versus Zayda as Grace is just totally useless on offense and Nao isn’t much better. Natsumi has upside but she’s still not that level of talent to carry this and Bozilla is still trying to get herself over and not worry about making sure everybody eats.

Kouki Amarei vs. Victoria Yuzuki

Background: So Victoria is our smaller, blonder Stardom rookie of the future versus our taller, more amethyst AWG rookie. Kouki got a rollup on Victoria in a tag-match so there is some heat here.

The Match: Handshake of respect to start but Kouki goes for a test of strength that Victoria kicks immediately and then they do cruiser spots which bugs me since Amarei is like 4 inches taller and 15 pounds heavier. We finally hit some standing switches and wristlock reversal stuff. Kouki finally gets a shoulderbock but then does evasion stuff (why?) and Victoria tags her with a set of dropkicks and a grounded abdominal stretch until Kouki makes the ropes and then Yuzuki stomps her out in the corner and I cannot stand this agenting. Victoria stays in control with a headscissors takedown but when she loads up the rope-walk facebuster Kouki fires back with a big boot and the Dominator and poses. Kouki goes up for the butterfly splash but Victoria pops up for a dropkick that looks like it hurts her more than Kouki and then gets the ropewalk facebuster. Kouki fires back with a cutter and the falling splash and loads up a double-arm stretch that to call it sloppy would be an insane compliment. It looks like total dog feces. Rope break and Yuzuki tosses around Kouki with ease with some judo stuff and I hate it, I hate, hate, hate it. Kouki finally gets some space with a weak spinebuster but they reverse to some rollup spamming until Kouki gets a big kick and the high-crotch back suplex to set up her 180 splash and that’s 3.

*

Yeah that might be too high but I do want to like Kouki and I don’t hate Yuzuki. Still. Kouki’s agenting is wild, her taking so much abuse from a smaller rookie who was just tossing her around with ease is nonsensical to me. I think both of their core offense makes sense and fits their characters, but how they actually set it all up was totally wrong. It was also horribly sloppy but that bothers me less than it not making sense. Still, I want to root for Kouki and that’s at least something.

Nagisa Nozaki & Zayda Steel vs. Mai Sakurai & Utami Hayashishita

Background: Nagisa is a bully veteran brawler, Zayda is a jerk American weasel heel. Mai is a doofy rich girl…babyface cause she’s such a clown we love her, and Utami is our stoic, honorable, judoka Red Queen with her androgynous style. Marigold Japanese babyfaces versus outsider Japanese heel and Marigold gaijin heel.

The Match: Mai and Nagisa start and Nagisa of course chews her up and Zayda comes in to hit some weak strikes and we get a cute spot as Mai ducks a running kick and does her pose and Steele catches her coming back. Utami, disgusted by this display of poor wrestling comes in with a shoulder to set up the tag and Utami comes in with a spinebuster and a sliding lariat on Zayda. Hayashishita sells for Zayda’s weak strikes some more and we get Nagisa back in and I guess I’m glad to see her after that display from Zayda. Nagisa runs the ropes and Mai sneak attacks her and we get an Utami lariat to set up the Air Raid Crash and it does seem like they’re speed-running through this match. Nagisa took offense for 10 seconds though so it’s time for her to start doing moves again and she fires up her brawling, no sells an Utami German, and gets the running boot to do a double-down. Zayda and Mai back in again. The heels get a Zayda codebreaker into Nagisa’s wind-up kick and then a DDT from the American to a double kick and it sounds better than it looks. Awkward sequence as Mai comes back and misses her jumping kick/Zayda no sells it but Her Ladyship gets the headlock leg drop and STF anyway. The Marigolders get a double team backdrop suplex/missile dropkick and Mai gets the pumphandle suplex and when Nagisa runs interference we get a rack drop from Utami. Reset to Mai and Zayda and Steel slips out of something and attempts to come back but Mai gets the jump kick for realzies this time. Utami in again and she gets a brainbuster on Steel to set up Mai’s sack of potatoes elbow drop and Zayda somehow twists out of position after Utami put her in the right place for the elbow and Mai lands on her face.

DUD

At some point a match becomes hilariously bad and that’s where we were at. Zayda Steel is somebody I’ve seen be okay when she gets heat and is annoying and takes a butt-whooping but she was doing moves this match and she’s absolutely awful. The finish in particular is amazing cause Mai’s elbow drop isn’t the Shawn/Randy style that runs perpendicular to the opponent, but is instead closer to Kairi’s Insane Elbow that runs parallel to the opponent and Mai lands by their side in a north-south direction. And Zayda literally scooted in such a fashion that Mai was going to land butt first on her face and instead dropped an elbow on it. Nagisa is competent but incredibly selfish and while Mai is a tolerable tag-worker she isn’t exemplary and Utami was in this match for like 45 seconds. Woof, woof, woof.

Post-match Mai cuts a promo where I’m sure she insults everybody for their food choices while she brags about eating the finest meals in the land in a hilarious fashion. Utami talks a bit too and then CHIAKI comes out says something about being the Dark Wolf of the Ring and how Marigold is made up of Stardom and AWG talent but she wants to stand out on her own and challenges Nagisa to a match or wants to be her partner, I’m not sure but they shake hands.

Nanae Takahashi vs. Chika Goto – Passion Injection Match

Background: So Nanae is still going around all these young women and injecting them with her passion, and Chika is a very big lady to inject so this might be tough for the vet. Chika does the usual posing and catchphrasing and dressed in the regular. It’s not bad gear but she could use at least a few sets of tights just to mix it up. Nanae comes out dressed like a crime scene like normally does and plays to the crowd.

The Match: Nanae whoops that trick, winning the lockup, the wristlock sequence, and taking Chika to the mat and locking in a kneebar. Chika gets free and tries to get a slam but that gets countered by Nanae and the rookie has gotten NOTHING. Nanae then gets an admittedly pretty sick deathlock armbar combo. Ropebreak and Chika finally gets a slap that fires Nanae up and we get a strike flurry and eventually Goto takes the vet down with bad boots to set up the giant swing but Nanae makes the ropes. Back to a slugfest that Nanae wins but Chika blocks a backdrop driver with a headlock and finally get a slam to step up the inverted giant swing…and Nanae immediately counters into a kneebar. Ropebreak but Nanae gets the figure four now and Chika is at least selling the agony of the move wonderfully. Backup and Nanae slaps Chika around more but Goto finally picks up Nanae and gets the giant swing…and doesn’t sell the leg at all but at least the swing got a big pop. Hip checks from Chika set up the powerslam but Nanae blocks with a sleeper and a lariat. Chika fires up though and gets some stuff before landing the gutwrench powerslam for a nearfall. Goto doesn’t freak out about that in a nice spot and goes immediately for a chokeslam but Nanae slaps, backdrop drivers and lariats for 2.9. Then sets up a sliding elbow for 3.

*½

Well Chika is not very good, but she has charisma and a bit of energy and Nanae mostly ate her alive in this match. Nanae is baseline competent but she really didn’t do much to make Goto look any good, but maybe Goto ain’t any good. Still, baseline competence is better than the last match.

Post-match they yell about passion and Chika cries.

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

Background: So they’ve gone to a tie and OT twice before, surely THIS time will be different. MIRAI does have a massive bruise on her left leg and I doubt that will come up at all.

The Match: Hot start with Miku ambushing MIRAI who is still in her robe but MIRAI gets a dropkick to gain space and then chokes out Miku with her robe. MIRAI gets a Samoan drop, Miku gets a double-arm suplex and they’re both selling big early. Slugfest and MIRAI takes Miku down with a flurry of rabbit punches in a nice spot but Miku kicks the leg out of MIRAI’s leg and we trade some snapmare into running kick deals between the two of them. MIRAI gets some running strikes into the corner preceded by whips and then the corkscrew Vader Bomb. MIRAI keeps it up with the run and gun and Miku is just sort of a dead fish being tosses around as MIRAI gets the sunset flip into the can-opener as Miku makes the ropes. MIRAI stomps afterwards to try to get something out of this match and once again Miku kicks the giant bruise and MIRAI drops like it’s hot. Kneebreaker by Aono (on the wrong leg) and MIku goes for a figure-four but MIRAI struggles away and Miku settles for a deathlock/crab combo and MIRAI screams in pain. And this literally lasts a minute and I uh…see where this is going. Miku sets up a Rockstar Buster but MIRAI slips out and limps her way into into the kneeling Flatliner and then slams Miku’s head against the turnbuckle and goes back to the rabbit punches. The leg-hook Samoan drop and a back suplex set up the wheelbarrow slam as MIRAI is speedrunning through her offense. Miramare Shock is countered with Miku’s spinning slam and we get get the Rockstar Buster: Miku’s Version (so it’s a fisherman’s suplex with an underhook instead of an overhook and Miku slingshots their free leg off the top-rope to drop into a suplex) lets Aono go up for a missile dropkick and she follows with a sliding lariat and then the buzzsaw kick for 2.9. Miku’s running lariat gets 2.99! Miku sets up the Styles Clash but MIRAI squirms out only to take another Buzzsaw Kick. Styles Clash lands but Miku can’t roll MIRAI over in time and it’s a time limit draw.

But we go to penalties and MIRAI will be at a real disadvantage cause of her bum leg. See, I’m being topical with a football joke, I am droll.

But yes, we go to ANOTHER five minute overtime and MIRAI has gotten to her feet and Miku mauls her with a lariat out the gate and spams pins off of it. MIRAI is deadweight and Miku can’t get her up so she just kicks the body and climbs to the top rope again but MIRAI does a stumbling charge into the top to stop whatever is next and after a struggle goes up and gets a Northern Lights Superplex?! Well that’s a new one. MIRAI tries to finish off of this but Miku gets some kicks as she’s punch-drunk too. German from Miku but MIRAI cuts off the lariat and they do the “run the ropes with your opponent to strike them as they hit the ropes” spot a few times and eventually they’re just reduced to standing there trading clotheslines and MIRAI gets a very near 2.9 by falling on Miku. MIRAI gets a backdrop suplex! And now it’s MIRAI’s turn to hit a finish at the end as she gets the Miramare Shock and then a running lariat as time expires.

**½

Well I was kinda dreading this match but it was a lot better than I expected. They’re obviously still just fighting for the draw and there’s a ton of filler in these matches as they are padding time but this one felt more heated and I like them getting increasingly violent and competitive as the feud is heating up. That said, please let this be the last one before a REAL finish.

Well, overall this show was…man Marigold is getting dire. Hopefully this July 13th show will right the ship by giving us singles champions. Or maybe it won’t but I choose to be optimistic.