SHOW REPORT: Marigold Dream Star Grand Prix – Night 6 (Friday, 21st September 2024)

Notes

• Rea Seto will continue to miss action until the end of September due to a fractured rib.

Current League Standings (Before 21st September 2024)

Quick Results

• Three-on-Two Handicap Match: Nao Ishikawa, Komomo Minami & Chika Goto def. Bozilla & Myla Grace w/ Chokeslam (6:36)
• Tag Team Match: Miku Aono & Utami Hayashishita def. Misa Matsui & Natsumi Showzuki w/ German Suplex (8:11)
• Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Star League Match: Mai Sakurai (8) def. CHIAKI (2) w/ STF (7:30)
• Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Dream League Match: Kouki Amarei (8) def. Nagisa Nozaki (5) w/ Big Boot (9:00)
• Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Star League Match: Sareee (9) def. Kizuna Tanaka (0) w/ Back Suplex (9:48)
• Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Dream League Match: MIRAI (7) def. Victoria Yuzuki (3) w/ Miramare (9:17)

Match #1 – Nao Ishikawa, Komomo Minami & Chika Goto def. Bozilla & Myla Grace w/ Chokeslam (6:36)

It’s the second handicap match in as many shows for the team of Bozilla and Myla Grace, though this has significantly different results and starts in a far scarier way. To begin with, Myla’s nose gets busted open almost immediately courtesy of an errant elbow from Nao, then Bozilla drops the latter with a Dominator, only for Ishikawa to under-rotate and come terrifyingly close to a landing dangerously high up on her neck. Thankfully the rest of the match passes without any further injury or close shave, and it’s Chika Goto that picks up the pinfall with a Chokeslam on Grace after Nao and Minami are able to keep Bozilla out of the ring for long enough for the referee to count the three. After a miserable Dream Star Grand Prix, Goto will be hoping that this pinfall here will imbue her with the necessary momentum heading into Korakuen Hall and her penultimate League match against her tWin toWers teammate, Kouki Amarei.

Match Rating: **1/4

Match #2 – Miku Aono & Utami Hayashishita def. Misa Matsui & Natsumi Showzuki w/ German Suplex (8:11)

Watching Natsumi Showzuki and Miku Aono face off against one another is something I will never get tired of, and it’s they that open this tag match. It’s a fun sprint throughout, with the exchanges towards the closing stretch between Misa Matsui and Utami Hayashishita highlighting just how special each of them are in their own way. We get a brief callback to the League match between Showzuki and Utami and a great DDT from the former to free herself from a suplex attempt, but having built some momentum in the tournament after her defeat to MIRAI, Utami is clearly keen to keep it going with key matches against NORI and Kouki Amarei in her not so distant future. The finish to the match is very impressive as well, managing to deadlift Matsui effortlessly out of a seemingly impossible position to hit the decisive German Suplex!

Match Rating: ***

Match #3 – Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Star League Match: Mai Sakurai (8) def. CHIAKI (2) w/ STF (7:30)

In a similar vein to her attack on Nanae in her previous League match, CHIAKI doesn’t wait for Mai to finish her entrance before attacking. In fact, for a significant portion of the opening of this match, Sakurai is on the receiving end of an absolute pummelling from the Dark Wolf, culminating with a Bodyslam on a pair of chairs on the outside – and a bottle of water being emptied over her – before the action makes its way back into the ring. However, it’s not long before Sakurai makes her inevitable comeback and is able to transition CHIAKI into the STF for the submission victory. A fairly routine victory for Sakurai, but one that puts her in an incredibly strong position moving forward into Korakuen, with just one more victory potentially enough to secure her final place in Nagoya on September 28th.

Match Rating: ***

Match #4 – Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Dream League Match: Kouki Amarei (8) def. Nagisa Nozaki (5) w/ Big Boot (9:00)

Having emerged from a knock-down, drag-out brawl against MIRAI as the victor, Amarei’s match with Nagisa Nozaki begins in almost the exact same way, with the pair charging at each other and connecting with Big Boots to the face. As is to be expected, Nozaki is the primary aggressor in the match, and it doesn’t look good for Kouki when the action moves to the outside. However, the fact that she’s willing to go toe-to-toe with Nozaki, halting a Noir Lancer with a Powerslam on the floor. Amarei looks to capitalise, but misses the Amethyst Butterfly. She withstands the Noir Lancer before completely flattening Nozaki with a Big Boot come stomp to the face, keeping her down for a gritty victory right when she needed it most! Nozaki isn’t out of contention yet – mathematically at least – but with one of Kouki, Utami and NORI very likely to exceed 9 points, it’s likely that this defeat will prove to be the final nail in her Dream Star coffin. For Kouki however, the manner of the victory over both MIRAI and Nozaki over the past two shows are just as important as her healthy points tally – to me at any rate – as she really does feel like a switch has been flipped, and that she’s just getting started!

Match Rating: ***1/2

Match #5 – Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Star League Match: Sareee (9) def. Kizuna Tanaka (0) w/ Back Suplex (9:48)

Aside from Giulia, Kizuna Tanaka might be the only member of the active Marigold roster that Sareee has agreed to shake the hand of, which is quite the rub for the youngster. Sareee pays the price though, with Tanaka using this show of respect to draw her into a series of forearms, the look of abject shock on Sareee’s face making the exchange rather funnier than intended! As is so often the case when it comes to the Marigold World Champion however Tanaka pays the price, and spends the vast majority of the remainder of the match being beaten from pillar to post. Sareee takes visibly savage glee in torturing the rookie, locking her in a Cross-Legged Boston Crab and sitting back into it as Tanaka crawls desperately for the ropes. Every time she nears them however, Sareee takes one of her arms and wraps it in the hold, smiling the entire time. However, for all of the glee she is taking from hurting Tanaka, Sareee is also appreciating the resilience of the rookie, nodding in appreciation as she kicks out of the Missile Dropkick, counters the Urunage, and almost sneaks a three count with the Re:Dream. It’s only a matter of time though, and Sareee hoists Tanaka into a Back Suplex as she comes charging off the ropes to secure the two points. An easy win for the Crimson Red Belt Champion, in spite of a delightfully spirited Tanaka performance – and she sits at the top of the block heading into Korakuen Hall with 9 points. However, she has considerably more challenging matches on the horizon against Nanae Takahashi and Bozilla, both of whom have made it abundantly clear that they have eyes for her championship!

Match Rating: ***3/4

Match #6 – Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 Dream League Match: MIRAI (7) def. Victoria Yuzuki (3) w/ Miramare (9:17)

After the sudden starts of the previous three League matches, I must admit it’s refreshing to see some Mat Wrestling taking place to open things up here. Yuzuki is already out of proceedings and is wrestling here for pride more than anything, whilst MIRAI is still recovering from yesterday’s loss to Kouki Amarei. Yuzuki starts the stronger, looking to utilise some of her zeal to overpower MIRAI, but unfortunately finds herself on the receiving end of a volley of thumping chops and some work to her arm, MIRAI apparently trying to twist it out of it’s socket. Yuzuki’s response to this is to just kick her opponent full in the face, with one Dropkick in particular looking like it came particularly keen. Armed, pun intended, with a new strategy of targeting MIRAI’s face, Yuzuki sets about Dropkicking her through the ropes and hitting her impressive Lucha-style Bulldog. The problem comes with MIRAI’s power, which is significantly more than that of Yuzuki. One huge Lariat sends Yuzuki cartwheeling through the air and landing right atop her head. She does kick out of the move, but MIRAI has worn down Yuzuki enough that she’s able to instantly lock in the Miramare, and keep it locked in, rolling Yuzuki away from the ropes expertly before doubling down on the hold. For her part, Yuzuki fights and fights before eventually submitting, but the culmination of damage done to her arm and that final enormous Lariat prove too much for her here. The perfect comeback for MIRAI after that loss to Kouki Amarei, who now needs to win her two remaining matches against Natsumi Showzuki and Nagisa Nozaki to keep pace with the leaders of the block, hoping that Kouki and NORI slip up as she finds herself in possession of no tie-breakers.

Match Rating: ***3/4

You can check out the Marigold roster win/loss records for 2024 right here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11_PWxd5BDxeHIfKqtQ2YtiwhGteRrVUZ3B5L4yrDQE0/edit?gid=517287206#gid=517287206

You can check out a comprehensive run down of the Marigold Championship Histories here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18MJ2Cebe36Nvfcpj8uVs1AtMbAV1chn-lG7t-xn44DY/edit?gid=0#gid=0

Upcoming Shows

• Monday 23rd September – Dream Star Grand Prix – Night 7, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Saturday 28th August – Dream Star Grand Prix 2024 – Night 8 ~ Finals, Nagoya International Conference Center, Aichi (LIVE)