Dream Star Fighting Marigold: Summer Destiny July 13th 2024

Well, at long last we’ve finally gotten to it, Dream Star Fighting Marigold’s Summer Destiny PPV, the big shaboozle, the thing we’ve been waiting for, and you’ve uh…waiting a week for me to review (okay I’ve been busy, I’m sorry). And here it is, in front of a reported 3,058 people in Ryogoku Kokugikan we have three title matches and a ton of hoopla. Let’s get to it.

Kouki Amarei and Chika Goto vs. Victoria Yuzuki and Kizuna Tanaka

Background: Victoria is in her yellow gear and has a nice rainbow fringe to her blonde hair. Tanaka is in white with long black hair in the hime cut. Kouki and Chika are taller, with Amarei having shorter hair and a purple outfit and Goto having red highlights and white gear.

The Match: Kouki and Kizuna start and they do some wristlock stuff before they got to the mat and run through some stuff pretty slowly while trading headlocks. They are working the headlocks quite nicely. Kizuna gets a flying…forearm I think and Yuzuki comes in for dropkicks and Kouki just flops all over for them. The smaller girls do some fast doubles but Victoria hotdogs too much on a charge and gets cut off with a Kouki boot and then the taller girls do some double-teams and Chika gets the giant swing and then some hip checks. Goto can’t get the powerslam and we get a slugfest with her and Yuzuki that…Victoria wins? Anyway a nice doubleteam facebuster from Victoria and Kizuna and that brings Tanaka in with dropkicks but Goto does a “I’m too big” no sell and lands the powerslam and the inverted giant swing into a wheelbarrow facebuster and Kouki is in with…a big boot. And more big boots. And more big boots. Amarei can’t get the dominator and now we have her and Tanaka slugging it out and Kouki wins with a dropkick and finally lands the Dominator…for 2.9. But Tanaka gets Fujiwara armbar on Amarei and when Chika runs in Yuzuki gets her canopener hold and we do the “stereo submission” spot. The smaller girls double-team Kouki and missile dropkick her, and then Kizuna gets a flurry of kicks and time expires?

*½

Actually not a completely terrible match, just a kinda terrible match but the awful time-limit draw gives us nothing. Interested to see more Kizuna at least.

Post-match we see Minoru Tanaka in the crowd.

Next up we get an actual AWG showcase and I’m honestly baffled they’d still be willing to work with Marigold after they stole ALL their talent. But they’re all out and dancing and we have Princess Tenko here who has big wings and a yellow dress. Everybody dances and has fun.

Michiko Omukai of 90s wrestling fame is out here with what I guess is her daughter, Shinno, and I assume she’s signing up with Marigold. Neat I suppose even though I can’t say I’m super familiar with Michiko.

Nagisa Nozaki and CHIAKI vs. Myla Grace and Zayda Steel

Background: Nagisa and CHIAKI are two brawlers, Nagisa the vet and CHIAKI the rookie. Myla and Zayda are both foreigners. Zayda being American and Myla being American. CHIAKI has new gear and it’s pretty dope.

The Match: Zayda and Nagisa start but CHIAKI immediately comes in for the double and the Japanese brawlers work over Steel including CHIAKI giving a super gentle chairshot and some posing on the outside. Zayda doesn’t use the chair despite the opportunity and gets a backstabber on Nagis and then Myla comes in and they run wild I guess and get a stereo plancha/tope from the gaijin. Nagisa takes a bit of offense from Myla but decides enough is enough and she chops away at Grace in the corner. CHIAKI in next to do some facewashes and she plays to the crowd a bit and gets the cartwheel kneedrop and then the claw! But Myla actually does some kinda slick chain-wrestling and gets an over-the-shoulder crossface to counter it. Backdrop driver by Grace follows up and a fisherman’s neckbreaker. Zayda in next and she gets her awful strikes but gives us a DDT at least which not even she screws up. CHIAKI gets a scoop powerslam and some rolling Fisherman’s Suplexes but Myla breaks up the pin. Nagis decides she’s had enough of all of this and just clobbers fools with a chair though but Zayda gets a codebreaker to counter a chair shot but the Japanese brawlers get stereo thrust kicks and CHIAKI gets a Argentine Rack spun into a sit-out side slam for 3.

*¾

Had some nice moments but Zayda and Myla are so incompetent on offense or just at doing stuff it’s hard to watch them. CHIAKI is an act I love more and more every time I see her though and Nagisa’s casual disregard for effort is partially entertaining to me. Not a good match by any means though.

Post-match Myla and Zayda argue and shove each other.

Natsumi Showzuki vs. Misa Matsui – Marigold Super Fly Championship Inaugural Tournament Finals

Background: Well, both ladies won a match, now we’re here. Natsumi is the vet who does a lot of kicks. Misa is less of a vet and is supposedly a Speed Star but I remain less than impressed with her speed. Natsumi is in her red and gold gear. Misa in her ice princess outfit with some purple highlights in her hair.

The Match: Well they start quick with rope running and some arm drags and dropkicks and Misa does seem to be the faster of the two with Matsui dodging most of Showzuki’s stuff until a kitchen sink knee from the vet seems to knock the air out of Misa and they reset to a staredown and some hairpulling. Matsui responds with her own knee but Natsumi quickly takes her down into an armbar and I’m not sure if grinding out on the mat is the best way to build this division. Natsumi keeps it going with a manji-gatame but after a ropebreak can’t get the slingshot double-knee drop and Misa tosses Natsumi’s leg into the ringpost and I think they’re doing a leg versus arm selling deal. Misa gets a cut-throat cross-legged Fisherman’s Buster on the ring-apron though and that lets her get a pescado to the floor that Natsumi gets pancaked on, but Showzuki gets a DDT on the outside to counter a suplex and she seems a bit miffed. Showzuki gets great speed on a running meteora and she sends it back inside for a 2 count. Natsumi keeps the kicks coming and gets the double-knees into the corner. But Natsumi misses the diving double knees and Misa gets space with a Busaiku Knee. And boy these ladies do a lot of knee strikes. Misa seems to have heard me as she counters a kick into a stretch muffler and we’re going back to Misa working on Natsumi’s leg. Matsui gets the running crossbody into the bottom ropes and a draping DDT. Misa goes up and gets a missile dropkick but when MIsa goes for the cross-legged fisherman’s buster again Natsumi gets the inside cradle. I also realized that Misa constantly checking her mouth wasn’t just selling as she seems to have gotten her lip busted. The two of them slug it out and take it to the mat where they trade ground and pound before Natsumi uncorks another kick on the ground and then two high kicks. Misa is stumbling as she tries to get to her feet so Natsumi gets the running meteora again and goes up and this time she does hit the diving knees…for 2.9. Misa gets a cazadora into a double stomp…and a pin, and then hits two more double-stomps with pin attempts after each of them. Another busaiku knee only gets 2.9 and Misa has had enough and gets the cross-legged fisherman’s driver for 2.999. Misa keeps at it though but Natsumi gets a flash high kick and we get the double-down. They trade some snug rollups and I will say they’ve built that some of these could be 3 at least. A nice reverse bridging cradle almost gets 3 for Misa and an uraken into an inside cradle gets the same but Natsumi slides into a grounded crucifix and that’s enough for the win.

**½

Well they worked hard and had some nice sequences but I can’t say the match really escalated well, and they had brief moments of limbwork they introduced and forgot as well, which I don’t always hate but as part of the whole thing it made it seem a bit unfocused. Still, I liked the ending sequence with all the pinfall reversals and they did sell them like any could have done it.

Post-match Misa seems irate and tries to swing at Natsumi but they shake hands and it seems fine. Rossy hands Natsumi the belt and attaches it and we have a big ole trophy.

Team Marigold (Nanae Takahashi, Mai Sakurai and Nao Ishikawa) vs. Team LLPW-X (Shinobu Kandori, Takako Inoue and NØRI)

Background: So from what I gather this is about some unresolved issues from the 90s and we have veteran Nanae versus other veterans, Shinobu (arrogant judoka badass) in a white unitard with gold on it, Takako (vicious tag-team specialist) in a black getup with lots of lace and straps and other gothy stuff and NORI (I got NO idea) who is in a white skirt with black shorts beneath and a blue and white top. But Takako has a shockstick with her at least. And now Team Marigold is here and we have Nao with a flag and they’re all yelling PASSION!

The Match: They all staredown but they immediately turn into a brawl that spills outside and we get ladies being tossed into chairs and all that stuff. Back in and Takako gets the Tombstone Piledriver with the standing knees to the face before it, and then a vicious DDT and a nice butterfly suplex. NORI tags in and gets a rope-walk armdrag, Nao gets a running crossbody after a cartwheel evasion and Mai comes in and the Marigolders all triple-team NORI with basic stuff and get the three of them teeing off with chops on her in the corner. That was fun. Triple-team elbow and now Mai gets the paradise lock on NORI…and then Kandori comes in and Mai gets the paradise lock on her too. Mai continues to actually be portrayed pretty dominantly as she gets the gourdbuster for 2.9 on NORI and it takes Kandori running in and booting Sakurai down. We get a bit of a weird sequence where Mai sells that kick like she’s dead and the match grinds to a halt a bit but Mai eventually rolls out of the ring and we get Nanae vs. Takako as both ladies just do vicious vet moves on each other. Takako Panic gets 2.9 and now Kandori comes in to pick the bones. Nao runs in to try to break it up and Nanae fires up with some lariats but Kandori counters the last one into an armbar, okay, nice. It all breaks down some more and at least Mai is alive again as she runs in for a second but Kandori gets the rear naked choke and the LLPW-X squad cuts off the other Marigolders but Nanae eventually rolls to the ropes. Slapfight next between Kandori and Nanae, and the judoka gets a headbutt and Nanae gets a punch! It all breaks down again and we reset to Nao and NORI. NORI gets a kick flurry to put Nao down but Ishikawa gets a rolling cradle to counter. Brainbuster by NORI gets 2 but before she can get the double-arm Nanae comes in and superplexes NORI, diving elbow from Mai, lifting double-underhook facebuster by Nao and Inoue breaks it up and we’re back to NORI and Nao. NORI gets the juji-gatame but Nao makes the ropes and gets a rollup for a very near fall. It’s breaking down again and Nao actually slaps Kandori! Well that takes stones at least. NORI’s enzuigiri almost gets 3 as everybody keeps breaking everything up, but NORI gets a high kick into a tornado kick and that’s a win.

**

Well, this match was a total mess and it’s clear Kandori can’t really bump or move but she’s still got a bit of that Minoru Suzuki MMA murderer vibe and NORI was capable of fulfilling all the matches bumping needs. This match was a mess but it was an entertaining enough mess that I’ll give it 2. I will say that we were flirting with 4 stars if Takako had tasered somebody.

Post-match we get some promos and NORI I think calls Marigold soft and weak. And I gather that Nanae disagrees. Anyway they all talk and Her Ladyship ends the segment and she seems very spirited at least.

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

Background: So both of them have drawn a LOT, so this is something like their 4th match for this particular round of the tournament. Both are dressed in the regular.

The Match: They’re both pretty careful to start, circling and feinting before going to the mat, both definitely non-committal in their actions as they continue to dance around a bit. Nobody gets anything going there and they go to a standup where both tease strikes but end up not following through and we get the double-hairpull staredown and then a test of strength and MIRAI wins and sends Miku to the corner where she lets out a chop, but MIku gets going with a few running dropkicks as they rope-run and then Aono gets MIRAI’s arm with a kick and we go to work. Seated armbar gets pressure for a while but MIRAI makes the ropes and fires back with her own dropkick and then some running corner charges, and props to MIRAI for not using the hurt arm until the end and she immediately sells agony off of it. Spinning Vader Bomb for 2 and MIRAI goes at the leg with some basic stuff and then a cross kneelock and this is not the most urgent match so far. MIRAI wraps the leg around the ring post and then they both get on the apron. MIku teases a suplex off the apron, MIRAI teases a wheelbarrow slam on the apron, and then MIRAI goes up and Miku tosses her onto the apron. Well we got something. MIRAI fires back by taking the leg out with a lariat and getting a kneebreaker on the mats outside. Countout tease but when MIku comes back inside we get a low dropkick and a back suplex facebuster as MIRAI smells blood. Miku tries to get the spinning slam but her leg buckles…but that doesn’t prevent Aono from getting a high kick, and then Miku gets through the pain and gets the spinning slam and slaps on an armbar but can’t totally lock it in and they fight over that for a while. Miku uses some strikes to set up her double-arm suplex. Miku sets up the Styles Clash but MIRAI rolls into a fancy kneebar. Miku makes the ropes and they reset to a slugfest and MIRAI gets some kicks to gain the advantage and get her wheelbarrow slam. MIRAI loads up the Miramare Shock but Miku slips out and gets a German, and then MIRAI gets a German, and they trade suplexes until MIRAI gets the Miramare Shock out of a counter and we get a double count tease. Both get some running moves but MIRAI gets a pair of lariats for 2.99. Running lariat by MIRAI and that only gets 2.9999. MIRAI goes up but her missile dropkick is countered with a high kick by Miku. Miku can’t get the Styles Clash but she does get the Buzzsaw Kick and now the Styles Clash gets 3.

**¼

Just a LOT of filler as they were going long to fill the story but the ending sequences was quite good.

Miku Aono vs. Bozilla – Marigold United National Championship Inaugural Tournament Finals

Background: Well due to their constant time limit draws, Miku has to wrestle the finals RIGHT after a grueling match. Bozilla is a giant monster if you don’t know, German and Ulf

The Match: Miku does look super exhausted and worn-out and Boz is just scoffing at her and has a smug smile. Miku tries to get something going but Bozilla just tosses her around and gets a massive missile dropkick for only 2. MIlitary Press drop and a Falcon Arrow are next. Vader bomb and Miku is selling this like she’s totally hopeless. Some rope-running sneds Miku out of the ring off of a Bozilla shoulderblock. Countout tease but Miku gets back into the ring…via superplex. Aono definitely trying to make Boz look like a god. Miku eventually uses speed to take the German down for a bit and tries a kneebar for a while. Boz makes the ropes and looks a bit chastened…but also furious. Reset to a slugfest that Boz wins, but her powerbomb is too close to the rops and Miku grabs one to stay alive. Boz goes up but she whiffs the moonsault! Sliding lariat from Miku! And…she gets ripped in half by Boz coming off the ropes. Whoops. Miku looks like she’s making peace with her family being massacred but she’s still firing back! Low dropkick! Miku with the figure four! Boz makes the ropes though. Aono tries the Styles Clash but Boz backdrops out…and Miku stays along for the ride and gets the sunset flip for 3!!!

**¾

Well the monsters overconfidence hurting her and paying for it could have been sold better, but while I thought Miku was kinda bland against MIRAI, her being totally dead on her feet and fighting back from underneath were pretty fun.

Utami Hayashishita vs. Iyo Sky – Queen of Queen Match

Background: So Iyo is Utami’s idol and Utami was inspired to join Queen’s Quest because of her. Anyway Queen’s Quest is dead and in a different company anyway but this is the eulogy for it I suppose. Utami comes out in a nice white and red tiger mask and the flower of course. Iyo has her own mask and it’s pretty cool looking.

The Match: We got a smile from Iyo and Utami remains stoic. Lockup won by Utami but Iyo reverses in the ropes and gives a clean break. Test of strength but Iyo breaks with a knee and they trade wristlocks. Iyo’s shoulderblock goes nowhere but the cartwheel dropkick does and she is fired up as the crowd goes crazy for her. Utami with a shoulder and she plays to the crowd too. Utami gets a snapmare and a low dropkick but Iyo tosses her out the ring and nails her with a tope. Iyo with the corner stomp into the double-knees but gets cut off going up and Utami sets up a superplex but Sky slips out and gets Utam into the tree of woe and stomps away on her. Cross-arm choke follows and so far this is all Iyo. Utami slugs back a bit but gets caught with a frankenstiener and we get a buzzsaw kick to follow. Utami finally gets space with a waist-lift side slam and the Red Queen uses the ropes to get to her feet and regain her breath. Utami fires up with a running body attack, rack slam, and sliding lariat and she is fired up. Middle rope missile dropkick but Iyo slides out of the Air Raid Crash and gets some kicks and converts a lariat into a crucifix into a sunset flip and rolls that into a crossface. Ropebreak by Utami and we get more rapidfire Iyo offense, springboard dropkick! 619! Missile dropkick! And Iyo signals for the quebrada and lo and behold we get it. Iyo signals for the moonsault to finish but Utami cuts her off but Iyo snaps her arm off the turnbuckle to stun her and gets a springboard super poison rana in a spot I’m sure will be gif’d very soon. Utami finally gets the Air Raid Crash and then lariats Iyo out of the ring in a crazy bump. Countout tease but Iyo survives and Utami drags her back in the ring by a sleeper and then get a swinging sleeper and a few sleeper…takeovers? Just cranking on the neck as she tosses Iyo around and uses her bodyweight to crush all the air from her lungs. Bridging German gets 2.8 and Utami is emotional and getting fired up. Hi-Jack Bomb is countered into another Frankensteiner but Utami gets a monster lariat that Iyo goes 1.2 Jannetty on, totally faceplanting on the bump in a crazy spot. Second Hi-Jack bomb Iyo flips out of and gets a few palm strikes and then the double-underhook facebuster. Iyo once again goes up for the moonsault but Utami cuts her off and gets a German off the top…for 2.9. A flurry of strikes by Utami sets up a gutwrench and they’re definitely reaching deeply into their bags for this. The Hi-Jack Bomb finally lands and Iyo weakly kicks out and Utami is speechless. Iyo counters an Utami lariat into a crossface and then gets a short-arm knee to a tombstone and then the Over The Moonsault gets 3.

****¼

Well this was mostly an exhibition/showcase match but man, what an exhibition and what a showcase. I generally prefer my wrestling a bit more heated/oppositional but I’m probably going to rate this match lower than most everybody else, I’m sure the rematch will be loads better for me now that stakes have been increased.

Post-match we got Iyo putting over Marigold and Utami and talking to the crowd and she sounds so much more babyface in what I assume is her natural Japanese accent than her played up evil Japanese voice for WWE. Utami seems absolutely jazzed through this whole thing at least.

Sareee vs. Giulia – Inaugural Marigold World Championship

Background: So this has been brewing for a while with Sareee considering Marigold to be fraudulent wrestling and a sham promotion full of soft idols. Obviously Giulia hurt her wrist and is going to WWE soon but she still wants to stick up for her company. This is for the world title that has just been established so obviously the stakes are high. Sareee is in the regular red and gold and Giulia has a nice turquoise accent to her golden chaps, also some blue in the braids as well.

The Match: They dance around a bit teasing some wristlocks before finally dive into a monster lockup and the Italian takes Sareee into the ropes and we get a dirty break. Next up a scramble and they fight over a headlock and Giulia ends up in a mount but we got back to a standing position (?!) and we fight over a wristlock again. Giulia finally heats stuff up with a dropkick off the ropes and then a running kick and we go outside with the Italian hitting a neckbreaker off the apron onto the mat and she grabs a table but Sareee breaks it up and we get some crowd brawling and the Sun Goddess chucks some chairs. Giulia gets a snap suplex though on the outside to regain control and we go back in. Giulia’s dropkick sets up a kneeling figure four and we slug it out in the hold. Sareee breaks but the Stardom graduate keeps the beating going with stomps and such until Sareee gets a cazadora into a stomp and unleashes some sloppy kicks to set up a Muta Lock. Sareee goes up but Giulia cuts her off and we get a double-arm superplex into a double-arm suplex and then Giulia goes up and gets a missile dropkick and locks in a STF. And commentary says that Masahiro Chono has been ringside all night with his family, which is kinda dope. Sareee makes the ropes but Giulia rolls back into the STF again, commentary is calling this the Buona Notte and I guess it’s more of a stepover toehold sleeper/chinlock than a facelock if I were to put on my wrestling nerd glasses, but ahem, when would I ever do that? Giulia mixes in some hairpulling but we get another ropebreak. Giulia goes up again but Sareee cuts her off and she gets a Fisherman’s Superplex and then a diving stomp from the second rope and then a diving foot stomp from the top rope. Saree follows that up with a double-armbar but Giulia gets a foot on the ropes and we go back to Sareee destroying Giulia’s wrist with some kicky punchy. Giulia catches a stompy and we get an Exploder but Sareee gets a backdrop driver and then they just trade a few Germans. Reset to a slugfest and Giulia at least remembers to clutch her wrist between strikes. Sareee gets the dropkick into the dropkick in the ropes and Giulia is wobbled…but gets a backdrop driver to buy her space, and then she gets the Italian Hook and Sareee is on her behind and we tease a ten count until Giulia gets bored, knees Sareee, and drags her carcass outside to hit an absolutely sick piledriver through Chekov’s Table, but honestly given the windup on it, it was more powerbomb than piledrriver as Sareee decided to take an actual neck bump on it instead of basing off of GIulia’s thighs. I dunno why that happened but it did, looked sick at least. Back in and Giulia goes up but Sareee cuts her off with a headbutt and teases her own double-arm superplex but we get headbutts from the Italian and a sunset flip powerbomb. Glorious Driver is loaded up…but Sareee gets a crucifix bomb in response and we go back to the slugfest. Backdrop driver by Giulia only gets 1. And a backdrop driver from Sareee only gets 1 in response but Giulia gets the G-Trigger knee (okay I laughed) and a Glorious Driver for 2.9. Sareee fires back with an ura-nage and then rolls immediately into the juji-gatame and we get Sareee ripping off Giulia’s wristbrace. Another ura-nage from Sareee gets 2.9 but another another ura-nage is countered into the Northern Light’s Bomb by Giulia…for 2.9. Glorious Northern Light’s Bomb is loaded but Sareee slips out and gets a hammerlock ura-nage…for 2.9. And Sareee has enough and gets a fujiwara armbar with small joint manipulation and the ref calls for the bell.

***½

Man that finish was weak. Giulia was in an armbar for 15 seconds and the ref calls it? Especially in a title match. I dunno, it was a fun brawl, but Sareee is not a very good heel and I kinda felt the match needed more before a ref stoppage finish, that said, I’m sure some people will be going 4+ stars for it. This kinda felt like the Risa Sera match, which was another quality brawl undercut by a weak ending that was assuredly motivated by political stuff.

Post-match Sareee gets belted, Giulia is in tears, and we get a whole thing.

Well…the two main-events were worth watching but overall this show does not convince me that the inherent problems of Marigold have been cured, at all. That said it was a fun time if perhaps (not perhaps at all it was) too long of a show. Still, I remain optimistic Marigold will figure it out, the talent is there, the potential is there. Bah humbug, it was a fine show I guess, see you all on the other side.