By: Jeff Brown

Photos courtesy of Actwres girl’Z

Shin-Kiba 1st Ring was the site of Step 63 as Sakura Mizushima defended her King of Ring Entertainment title against Haruka Ishikawa. ACT and MARU terrorized the super team of Natsuki and Marino Saihara; Polaris took on Mari, while Togi took a leap forward in three-way action, and Rico and Naru had a good clash with Chii Aoba and Yukina Uehara.

This show and many others can be found in AWG’s vast archive; go to AWG Nets. It’s 1,000 yen per month with a very quick and easy sign-up process, or you can opt for the YouTube membership.

Watch this recap video of Step 63 narrated by the King herself, Sakura Mizushima:

Rio was the ring announcer for this edition of ACTwrestling. Things started off heated as Ishikawa attacked Mizushima during Love Riddle. 

Asako Mia vs. Nanami Togi vs. Hinata Senya

An interesting three-way and a different way to kick off the show. Most noteworthy was that Asako played this match pretty much straight, and this really was a chance for Togi and Hinata to shine.

Togi picked up the win and really seems set on being a heel in the Killer’Z. Hinata has made noticeable progress since last spring, landing most of her moves cleanly, and that’s great to see. Togi used a can of cold spray on Asako before hitting a new step-off dropkick she called “The Day” to get the victory.

Afterwards, Asako was mad and said she will be going off script from now on, which means a return to a chaotic and unpredictable Asako. (Promo summary courtesy of Battle News)

Naru & Rico Fukunaga vs. Chii Aoba & Yukina Uehara

Actress 5 took on Asako Army in a fun match that featured a lot of kicks. Chii and Naru both asked to be kicked in the match to prove their toughness. Yukina has so many kicks to go along with her hip attacks; Rico has her arm taped but is fighting through and even went for her Tiger Suplex.

With a lot of cool saves and counters in this match, Rico eventually got a modified Dragon Sleeper on Chii for the tap-out win. 

Good undercard action and another nice preview of the upcoming UWF/Lidet match on October 9th. Super rookie Yukina will be teaming with AWG Champion Marino against Rico and Chii Aoba on October 9th at Korakuen Hall; you can watch the action on Lidet’s official YouTube channel or see updates on X. 

Mari vs. Erisa Nagai vs. ANRI

Polaris versus one half of the current tag champions. ANRI and Erisa at first were at odds with each other, as this was technically a three-way, not a handicap match. They sort of got on the same page to team up against the stronger Mari, but it still wasn’t enough.

Mari had no problem throwing them both around simultaneously; while they are impressive rookies, the ninja proved how wide the gap is between a title holder and the young upstarts. Mari blocked a 100,000-Volt attempt and powerbombed Anri into Erisa and pinned them both.

Much like tempering steel, this match will help Polaris become stronger in future matches. ANRI, when being pinned, cried out in anguish; nobody in the realm of pro wrestling or entertainment treats a loss as devastating because ANRI really wears her heart on her sleeve, much like AWG champ Marino.

ACT & MARU vs. Marino Saihara & Natsuki

The two most important players on the babyface side of the roster are taking on the two most experienced veterans in the company.

It’s always a good bet that the fans are in for a wild brawl when MARU is in the ring, and this had moments for sure. She brought a shopping bag along with her signature chain to this fight. That’s what it was, as she and ACT were in no mood to play by the rules. Natsuki and Marino were punished, and anytime they picked up momentum, MARU and ACT were quick to extinguish their fire. Marino looked strong as she nearly had MARU trapped in the MRN suplex, while Natsuki kept fighting back with nasty kicks and running knees. However, MARU pulled out a plastic bag and a black marker and attacked both of the top babyfaces. MARU got disqualified, which is a rare occurrence in AWG. This was MARU reminding the roster just how destructive she can be by literally defacing the company’s biggest good guys.

ACT and Natsuki will be meeting again in October as Midsummer Sea Breeze challenge Amaterasu for the tag titles, so this can serve as a prologue to that feud. A good spot for storyline development and really was a preamble for the post-show altercation.

Sakura Mizushima vs. Haruka Ishikawa – AWG KING Of Ring Entertainment Title Match

Mizushima main-eventing a show against the angriest member of the Killer’Z made for one spirited title match. Mizushima has amassed a great collection of title defenses and has become the type of champion she has always envisioned. Mizushima, like Marino, fights like a superhero; in Mizushima’s case, it’s more like tokusatsu action such as Super Sentai. Ishikawa, with wild eyes and screeching like a banshee, is a villain through and through. She has a move set similar to Big Van Vader and definitely has that bully-in-the-ring attitude of Vader. Mizushima, who is a genuinely pure babyface, has started to get angry and show a mean streak, a nice bit of character development as she defends her title against steeper and steeper odds. The King has a resilience and can take an absolute beating.

Haruka landed repeated short-arm lariats and also various nasty suplexes and backdrops that would make Dr. Death Steve Williams proud, but Mizushima kept kicking out. Mizushima turned the tide with a Northern Lights Suplex and caught Ishikawa with the Storming Blossom to retain the King Title.

It was survival, and as Mizushima was attempting to address the crowd, MARU blasted her with a sneak attack. Champions always are a target and often are fighting on multiple fronts.

According to Battle News, MARU wishes to make the King championship a Belt of Rage, and that is in direct opposition to what Mizushima represents with her smiling courage and ribbons.

Another show in the books and important storyline developments as Mizushima is on the brink of setting a new title defense record, but MARU may be the toughest challenge yet. MARU has a way of forcing her opponents to become mean (see the Marino feud), and Mizushima might have to go beyond her normal temperament to win this war. 

You can continue to follow the rosters and all the exciting developments by following AWG on X and checking out their fun videos on TikTok.