By: Jeff Brown

Photos courtesy of Actwres girl’Z

AWG headed into Radiant Hall in Yokohama for another edition of ACTwrestling; the main event was a six-person tag featuring both champions and the super rookie facing off against members of Killer’Z. ACT ran Erisa through the paces to check her progress, and Togi tried herself against Naru. Rico’s feud with Maru culminated in a lumberjack match. 

This show is available on AWG Nets, which you can subscribe to here for roughly 1,000 yen a month, or you can opt for the YouTube membership. Here are some impressions from the show.

ACT vs. Erisa Nagai 

Another show and another opportunity for ACT to evaluate a young roster member and to keep them on the right path. This was very one-sided and the appropriate length at just about seven minutes.

Erisa was the breakout of her debuting group (August 14 along with Alice Aono and Toiro Hina) and continues to grow with each show. The impact she had as a rookie is similar to 2015, when Natsupoi’s (Natsumi Maki) energy and a dynamic entrance helped her stand out amongst a crowded field. Poi was not the centerpiece of early AgZ, nor was she one of the rookie class members visiting main events. She often was on the losing end of bouts even when visiting REINA and STARDOM, but she was getting better and adding moves with every appearance.

While not a perfect 1:1 comparison, they both have many intangibles along with being quick learners that prove you don’t have to be a tent pole for a company right away to become a star. ACT put her in a vicious stretch muffler that looked terrifying due to Erisa’s flexibility. 

Naru vs. Nanami Togi

Togi is still at the crossroads of being one of the good guys or joining up with her theater mentor, MARU, in Killer’Z. It’s a tough call, as she is very good at both; she can be the undersized babyface or the frustrated heel trying to please her seniors. Naru made quick work of Togi and beat her with the always impressive missile dropkick. Naru is really good but could be great with a few more big performances. 

Mari & Nene Arahata vs. Nagisa Shiotsuki & Natsuki (Manatsu no Shiokaze)

Manatsu no Shiokaze got to show off their skills one last time before the start of ACT Game. This was Nagisa’s chance to shine and get some momentum heading into the tournament.

Natsuki is a proven commodity; she’s been to the top and carried water for the company this year. Her focusing on tagging in Manatsu no Shiokaze should be the launching point for Nagisa. Mari and Nagisa are fantastic together; this fight was a continuation of their feud that goes all the way back to the start of ACTwrestling in 2022. Just like in her debut, Nagisa quickly marked up Mari with a few well-placed chops; the veteran fired back with some equally well-placed kicks.

The match had all the hallmarks of Manatsu no Shiokaze: the tandem moves, hard-hitting action, and dramatic saves. Nagisa got payback on Nene (who handily defeated her in December) by nailing the Maelstrom bomb for the victory.

ACT and Yumi Agawa brought out a poster to fill in the brackets for the upcoming ACT Game. The field was decided by random draw, and the entries featured the fantastic calligraphy of Yumi. Here is a brief primer on the teams participating in ACT Game.

A Block

Amaterasu (ACT and Mari)

Likely the biggest draws of the company and the top team. They are an important element to this tournament because they are odds-on favorites to win, but beating them would mean a lot as well. Important work is ahead for Mari and ACT as they now will be putting pieces into place for AWG’s tag division. 

Manatsu no Shiokaze (Natsuki and Nagisa)

The other likely candidates to win and one of the best teams in AWG. The duo are an exciting babyface team that have been key players in the ACTwrestling tag division for quite a while. Nagisa could break out here, while a quest for tag gold will help Natsuki have purpose now that her first AWG title reign has concluded. 

Erisa Nagai & ANRI (Polaris☆) 

Polaris Star or North Star are the shining lights of the rookies; both Erisa and ANRI have quickly adapted to ACTwrestling. It’s probably too early for the duo to win the tournament, but they will surely have a memorable run. It should never be taken for granted that this team is already so good and able to hang with the veterans.

Yuki Uehara & Toiro Hina (Risole)

Uehara is quite good already; Hina is a bit of an unknown factor at this point. Her debut was strong, where she teamed alongside AWG alumni Momo Tani. Afterwards she’s had roughly a match a month, so her progress has been slower than Uehara, Erisa, or ANRI. It’s not a race, as part of the charm of AWG is watching a talent’s journey from show to show. 

Chii Aoba & Nanami Togi (Vicace)

A late addition to the tournament, but welcome nonetheless. Chii was disqualified early on when she was teaming with Asako. It’s good news that she found a way back; Chii needs to be in the mix to avoid being stagnant. If everyone else around her were participating and she was on the sidelines, she would have surely fallen behind; the same can be said for Togi, who has a tough decision ahead. The outcome of their match might decide which side Togi chooses. Whether she is a heel or babyface, her day has just begun and her tale is unfolding. 

B Block 

Actrwres5 (Red & Blue), aka Rico & Marino

Rico has turned a corner while Marino is on top of the world. A win would be nice but not necessary for either at this point. Marino will pick up a new challenger or two for her belt while Rico keeps rolling with good performances. 

Actwres5 (Green & Pink), aka Mizushima & Naru

Naru has been very good in tag matches in the past, so this should be a grand display of everything she has to offer. Mizushima is a champion, so the urgency for a title win is not as strong—more of a chance for future match building and great performances.

Kyoka Iwai & Haruka Ishikawa

This team is always a contender for titles but has yet to win a big match. They are definitely dark horse candidates, and this could be the springboard moment both are looking for. Ishikawa and Kyoka have good chemistry and force their opponents to scratch and claw for victory. Expect some wars from these two.

MARU & Great Asako 

Maru is fantastic in every situation, while Asako is absolutely unpredictable. This team is a giant question mark thrown into the mix and will keep things exciting. It will likely be heavy on the comedy and brawling, but nothing is set in stone with Asasko. 

Nene & Ayano (BE∀STZ REBELLION)

Ayano is in a similar situation as Naru; both have been around for a while and are top-level wrestlers, but that next level has always been just out of reach. Ayano carries an air of sadness and self-doubt, but a strong showing could be a centering moment for her. Nene is on the verge of a main event; she keeps winning undercard matches and adding to her confidence. A title win would be a redemption for Ayano, and having an enforcer in Nene might be the key.

MARU vs. Rico Fukunaga (Lumberjack Match)

This has been an enjoyable undercard storyline that bubbled up into a lumberjack match.

MARU can always be counted on for emotional blood feuds that have wild brawls and plenty of weapons. A good use of the opposing factions as the lumberjacks made for some memorable moments as they overwhelmed the person they were putting back in the ring. This was a big leap for Rico, who had missed a whole year due to injury and ended up sitting out a lot of the early developments of the ACTwrestling era of AWG. She took time to gain confidence with her striking, branched out as Rico Lee, and found her voice as a member of Actress5. MARU brings out so much fire by dragging the roster into deep waters. Rico got the pin with a Tiger Suplex.

This was the best performance of Rico’s career and is highly recommended. 

Ayano Irie, Haruka Ishikawa & Kyoka Iwai vs. Marino Saihara, Sakura Mizushima & Yukina Uehara

A fun multi-person tag to close out the card, and Ishikawa was the focal point, putting a beating on both champions as well as rookie Uehara. Ayano had some really nice exchanges with Mizushima, and Kyoka helped remind people she is a good tag wrestler. Marino and Ishikawa got things cooking with the champ finding out she has yet another member of Killer’Z wanting a crack at her title.

Ishikawa had another outstanding match, and she picked up the win with a senton off the top. It was cool to see her close out the show alongside Marino; there is a competitiveness and maybe even a budding rivalry there. 

Yokohama set up the tournament, pointing to future AWG Title and King of Entertainment matches, which was another step for both Erisa and Togi, while Nagisa started to heat up. Rico had the match of her career. It’s a double-edged sword; the roster isn’t exhausted doing 15-20 shows a month, but that also means each match has to be impactful. There are no off shows for AWG; the limited schedule doesn’t allow for the crew to coast; they have to make each appearance count. 

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