By: Jeff Brown

Photos courtesy of Actwres girl’Z

Actwres girl’Z were at PiO Plaza in Kamata, aka Ota City Industrial Plaza PiO Small Exhibition Hall, for a big show to finish out the month of April. Both the KING of Ring Entertainment and AWG titles were on the line; Act Game participants got to show off what they would be bringing to the tournament, and the Killer’Z had a special tag against some of the younger roster members. 

To see this and more, go to AWG Nets, which you can subscribe to here for roughly 1,000 yen a month, or you can opt for the YouTube membership.

ACT, Mari & MARU vs. Anri, Chii Aoba & Erisa Nagai

Fantastic match, fantastic performances from all six, but MARU especially contributed greatly to this opener.

Heading into the match, the Killer’Z made light of the inexperience of the other team on SNS, but they got more than they bargained for. The fans did as well. This could have easily been a by-the-numbers veterans vs. rookies and been fine, but instead AWG delivered a really fun and memorable 16-minute mini epic.

MARU was the lead in this, and she brought everything from comedy to hard-hitting action. The match began with vaudeville-style humor but quietly shifted gears into a competitive tag match. In the process, all of the younger talent looked great while Mari and ACT made a case for themselves as the best tag team competitors in the company. It ended with all 3 Killer’Z trapping an opponent in variations of the Stretch Muffler and MARU getting the tap-out victory against Chii.

Post-match, ACT announced the participants of the ACT Game, and they are Amaterasu, Manatsu no Shiokaze, Kykoa Iwai & Haruka Ishikawa, Actrwres5 (Red & Blue) aka Rico & Marino, Actwres5 (Green & Pink) aka Mizushima & Naru, Erisa Nagai & ANRI, Maru & Great Asako, and Yuki Uehara & Toiro Hina.

Check out ACT’s announcement video here: 

Ayano Irie & Nene Arahata vs. Asako Mia & Rico Fukunaga

A chance for a BE∀STZ REBELLION reunion as the ACT Game tournament is about to start up. Asako is very good as the undersized babyface who will never give up; it takes a lot for her opponents to keep her down, and today was no different. Rico is making some good progress, and her feud with MARU could hold the answer for her to rise up the card.

After absorbing all types of punishment, Asako finally succumbed to a delayed brainbuster from Nene, who picked up another win this month.

Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki vs. Rio & Yukina Uehara

Another preview for the Act Game with Manatsu no Shiokaze taking on newcomers Rio and Yukina Uehara.

The entrance was fun as Mari was in the crowd and insisted that Natsuki give her a high five. Rio and Yukina have been good additions to the roster, and each brings a lot to the company as it has expanded its roster in recent months. Nagisa and Rio had a chance to compare chops, and that should make things interesting anytime they are across the ring from each other. The energy of Manatsu no Shiokaze is infectious; they are favorites heading into Act Game, and while tested here, they made sure to put everyone on notice. Natsuki knocked down the bigger Rio and hit her with the double foot stomp off the top rope.

Another really good tag match.

Sakura Mizushima vs. Ninja Girl URAN (AWG KING Of Ring Entertainment Title Match)

Two of the most gifted and unique athletes on the roster, this bout was a chance for URAN to show off some new skills while Mizushima had someone to go move for move with. Mizushima was always a standout, but she has come a long way since early 2022 and has become an important piece of AWG, not just in matches but also with her Actrwres5 unit. URAN, who bears a striking resemblance to Actwres5 member Naru, had a mischievous side that had echoes of Ado of Sheloll. Jokes aside, Naru is one of the best in-ring performers, and she was a great first title challenger for Mizushima.

The champion pulled out a cartwheel splash off the top (called UTC) to get the victory. The match itself was like a high-speed title match that never really slowed down, so being just under 10 minutes made perfect sense. A rematch with Naru in her normal character will be anticipated.

Marino Saihara vs. Kyoka Iwai (AWG Title Match)

Marino is a superhero, and all good superheroes need a villain or an arch nemesis to justify their existence.

Marino has the Killer’Z faction and the continual struggle as she and the Actwres5 fight back against the heelish group who are threatening everything that has been built over the last decade. Kyoka was the first challenger and brought all the intensity that is known for in this big fight main event.

The fight, as expected, went to the outside, and these two just beat on each other in a pretty split back and forth. Marino caught Kyoka with a judo throw and slammed her down for the pinfall. Marino has the poise and confidence of a champion, and rewind to the spring of 2023, where she was making her way up the card, and it’s one of the biggest transformations in recent years. 

Could Mizushima and Marino survive their first title defenses? Those were the big questions as each took big steps forward at Korakuen Hall in March. Kamata is where the proverbial rubber hit the road, and it did with flair. Both champions succeeded, not just in winning their matches but in proving they have what it takes to be top talents in a company.

The undercard is really coming along while the upper tier is on fire. This is the perfect time for new eyes on this promotion when they have Actress Time at the Natsupoi/Saori Anou “Natsu Saory” produce show on 5/31. Just as important, they have tag titles on the way and in August, a Korakuen Hall show that should be buzzing. 

This entire show is recommended; each match is worth seeking out and making time for. Readers new to the company should be following AWG on X and checking out their fun videos on TikTok.