By: Jeff Brown

Photos: Masahiro Kubota

Live from Korakuen Hall, Marigold brought a big show with three title matches, and the undercard saw the world champion in a fun singles match. The newer talent had the opportunity to shine while some of the more established stars faced off in tag action. The UN, TwinStar, and Superfly titles were all up for grabs as the new champions had their first defenses.

A lot of action across eight matches, so here are some impressions from the morning of joshi action from Marigold on January 19.

Ryko Sakimura vs. CHIAKI

The match started with some basic exchanges, but CHIAKI took control with a Boston crab. Sakimura has only had a few matches, so this was a good chance to see where she is. She has some solid ground submissions, but her strikes were noticeably timid compared to CHIAKI’s. Most of the match was her back getting attacked, which was a setup for the Backbreaker submission CHIAKI got the tap-out victory with.

Ryko did appear to have more stamina, so she is making progress. CHIAKI could be a future UN challenger. 

CHIKA Goto vs. Yuuki Minami

Minami has just under 40 matches and is showing a lot of fire. She is very aggressive and has great desperation pin attempts, making her matches feel urgent.

Gochika has been around for quite a while; her debut back in 2022 was in a multi-woman tag with Naho Yamada, and her second was one of HIMAWARI’s rare AWG matches. She was unsure if her debut AWG match would be a one-off but has made huge improvements. Prior to her leap into pro wrestling with Marigold, she had begun a transformation that has really taken shape in the last month. Gochika has a mean streak in her that adds more punch to her moves, and that was a good fit with Minami.

Both are on an upward trajectory and are two bright spots for this roster. Gochika did the Giant Swing and pinned Minami after a slam. 

Rea Seto & Nao Ishikawa vs. Naho Yamada & RIARA

It began with RIARA getting isolated; she has a cool demeanor, which is sort of hostess club themed, including the expensive champagne bottle. Ishikawa is a workhorse for this company and never disappoints. Rea has a strong magnetic personality and is picking up some steam in these early card tag matches. Naho hit most of her signature spots and then had a great sequence of moves with Nao. It ended when Nao hit the Blade Runner on Naho to get the win. 

Miku Aono & Natsumi Showzuki vs. Misa Matsui & MIRAI

Four of the top workers in Marigold with rivalries that have carried the first year of the company.

Natsumi and Misa are such a great fit; they complement each other in the ring and push each other with every fight. Miku and MIRAI, in their own way, are great together; there is a brute force to Miku that is very unique in wrestling. Miku and Natsumi were subtle heels in the match, with Miku especially having fun being a little dastardly. Misa and MIRAI share a love of darts and wore them in their hair for their entrances. After a miscommunication, Misa hits a Code Red variant to pin Natsumi; both are pros who are unphased, and it’s noteworthy that neither gets rattled when the inevitable detour occurs in a match.

Very good match and definitely recommended. 

Utami Hayashishita vs. Megaton

Lots of comedy, and a very old-school approach to having the champion get a manager one-on-one in the ring. Megaton (formerly known as Bulldozer Todoroki) has wonderful comedic timing; she has struggled to make it to the main roster, but this was a big moment for her.

Even though she is a funny heel, the crowd understood her journey and was behind her, as just being in the match was a victory for her. Utami easily won and got Megaton up for the Air Raid crash to win.

Victoria Yuzuki vs. Yuki Mashiro – Superfly Championship Match

Mashiro is no stranger to title matches from her time in Ice Ribbon and will often use comedy to disarm her opponents. The Superfly title run will be good for Victoria; she will get a chance to grow as she faces a variety of challengers. It will be a case of the belt and Victoria gaining prestige with each match.

A momentary struggle in the closing stretch, but they didn’t panic as Victoria hit a bridging German suplex to win and retain her title. Misa challenged and beat her up to punctuate the future challenge. 

Mai Sakurai vs. Nagisa Nozaki – United National Championship Match 

This match, like Mai herself, was a mix of big match drama and comedy, with each bringing money to the ring but Nagisa was carrying fake bills. Nagisa jumped Mai during her entrance and attacked with a chair on the floor. CHIAKI joins in to stack the deck against Mai, who is a bit of a gray area character herself.

The match had a deliberate pace, which allowed spots to breathe and build up to the next big sequence. Most of the story was that Mai, the new champion, had to overcome the two-on-one disadvantage. She brought resilience and determination to combat Nagisa. Nagisa blasted her with a nasty sleeper suplex and some hard strikes. Once Mai is on the attack, CHIAKI pulls the ref out of the ring, but Mai takes advantage with a chair shot to Nagisa. CHIAKI accidentally spears Nagisa, and then Mai lands a front suplex to put Nagisa away.

In the post-match, CHIAKI stole the money as Mai chased her to the back. 

Bozilla & Tank vs. Nanae Takahashi & Seri Yamaoka ･ TwinStar Championship Match

A veteran and a super rookie taking on giant monsters.

Immediately this goes to the outside with Nanae and Seri getting thrown into the chairs. A brawl all over Korakuen ensues before settling back in the ring. Seri brings smooth amateur style moves to her matches, Nanae knows exactly when to do stuff (always eliciting Passion chants from the audience), and even though they are on opposite ends of the career spectrum, they are a nice duo. Tank and Bozilla easily toss Seri around and even brush off some of her comeback attempts.

With Nanae’s help, they isolate Tank; Nanae hits the big splash off the ropes, and Seri hoists Tank up for a bridging German suplex to win the titles. 

Overall, it was a big statement to have the super rookie live up to the hype and win gold so early in her career. Seri has a lot of potential, which is a common thread throughout the roster.

Victoria is taking on more responsibility and will be growing with the title and even the company itself. Younger stars like Minami and Naho feel ready for bigger matches (Naho’s big entrance will be a nice addition to the upper card down the road). Utami is at the top and can be counted on for stellar title matches. Miku is rebuilding after the big UN defeat, as is Natusmi; in the meantime, they are very much the glue that helps each show feel more complete and worthwhile.

A show that is worthy of your time, primarily based on the fact that each match is at least solid, if not great.