Ice Ribbon - #838 ~ Yokohama Ribbon 2017 ~Autumn~ (9/23/2017)

5. International Ribbon Tag Team Championship Tournament - First Round: Azure Revolution (Maya Yukihi & Risa Sera) vs. TeamDATE (Karen DATE & Nori DATE)

This was a good match. TeamDATE is improving a lot, some of the things they were doing here looked incredibly smooth. Azure Revolution showed off a couple of new combinations.

***1/2

6. International Ribbon Tag Team Championship Tournament - First Round: Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Mabudachi❤Chu2byo卍卍 (Maruko Nagasaki & Mio Momono)

Mabudachi were little shits in this match, showing a lack of respect for Arisa & Tsukasa and getting punished in return. There's good rookie punishment here. Arisa's always a pro at manufacturing heat. Really awesome tag with great double teams, counters and near-falls.

****

Mitsuru Konno vs. Riho (Gatoh Move, 6/11/2017)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・295 (6/11/2017)

Mitsuru Konno vs. Riho

Good! Riho playing the bully was highly entertaining (and cute!), she was teaching poor Konno a lesson. Konno had a couple of neat counters; her comebacks could have been stronger, but they were decent enough. The matwork was enjoyable, and I thought the submission struggle finish was great.

***

Akane Fujita vs. Maya Yukihi (Ice Ribbon, 6/29/2017)

Ice Ribbon - #813 (6/29/2017)

Akane Fujita vs. Maya Yukihi

Great strikefest -- it's a 10 minute draw and they spent most of that time trading strikes. Maya-obachan was chopping away at Akane with kicks, and Akane came back with heavy offense of her own. Lots of hard smacks. Good.

***

Hamuko Hoshi & Ibuki Hoshi vs. This is Ice Ribbon (Hiiragi Kurumi & Tsukushi) (Ice Ribbon, 6/11/2017)

Ice Ribbon - #809 ~ Sapporo Ribbon 2017 (6/11/2017)

International Ribbon Tag Team Championship (vacant): Hamuko Hoshi & Ibuki Hoshi vs. This is Ice Ribbon (Hiiragi Kurumi & Tsukushi)

This was Ibuki's debut and I thought she did great, especially for a 20-minute main event. Hamuko puts on an endearing performance, carrying the load of her team and guiding her daughter. Tsukushi & Kurumi were brilliant as always. Some damn fine tag team wrestling.

***3/4

NOAH - The Great Voyage 2017 In Yokohama Vol. 2 (10/1/2017)

5. Hitoshi Kumano vs. Minoru Tanaka

***

7. Katsuhiko Nakajima & Masa Kitamiya vs. Moose & Yuji Okabayashi

***1/4

9. GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Daisuke Harada

Ishimori is an amazing wrestler, but man, this guy consistently has the weirdest looks. This was a very good match, action-packed, easy pacing; Harada was fucking up Ishimori with those knees and Germans.

****

10. GHC Tag Team Championship: Atsushi Kotoge & Go Shiozaki (c) vs. 50 Funky Powers (Mohammed Yone & Quiet Storm)

Going to go out on a limb and say that this was Quiet Storm's peak. Both he and Yone put on a fantastic underdog performance; their final comeback was spectacular. Shiozaki is such an underrated seller, I liked the way he crumbled after taking Yone's high kick. Another really great GHC tag team clash; stellar work from everyone involved.

****1/2

11. GHC Heavyweight Championship: Eddie Edwards (c) vs. Naomichi Marufuji

I have no idea why Eddie Edwards was chosen to be in this position or where they are going with this, but here he is. The crowd seems to like him. This didn't have any type of heat, but the action was fast-paced and engaging. It was worked in a junior heavy-style rather than the slower-paced main events NOAH is known for and that made for a refreshing watch.

****

NOAH - The First Navigation 2017 (1/7/2017)

3. Daisuke Harada vs. Kaito Kiyomiya

Fucking love these Kaito matches. They're concise, packed with action and the crowd is always hot for them.

****

4. Akitoshi Saito & Mohammed Yone vs. Kenou & Masa Kitamiya

I sometimes forget Kenou is supposed to be a heavy now. He's so small, esp. when he's in there with mammoths like Yone. This match was good. It had good energy. Everyone seemed motivated. Kenou shattered Saito's balls with his diving stomp, that looked fucking nasty.

***1/2

5. GHC Junior Heavyweight Championship (vacant): Hajime Ohara vs. Taiji Ishimori

Ohara worked over Ishimori's back, but that didn't stop Ishimori from taking flight. This motherfucker was doing some wild stuff, including a flipping bodyslam from the top rope. I thought this was good. It got the crowd hot.

***1/4

6. GHC Tag Team Championship: Go Shiozaki & Maybach Taniguchi (c) vs. Atsushi Kotoge & Naomichi Marufuji

The violence between Shiozaki and Kotoge increased every time they interacted and in the third act, Kotoge hits this grisly headbutt and they're both bleeding all over. Shiozaki's comeback was amazing. The crowd was going nuts. Marufuji was like a sniper with those kicks and knees; I dug his performance here as well.

****

7. GHC Heavyweight Championship: Katsuhiko Nakajima (c) vs. Takashi Sugiura

This was a spectacular slugfest. They were going back and forth with strikes while managing to keep action felt fresh. Sugiura has never been a wrestler I particularly care for, but he's always a good bully, and Nakajima worked well as the underdog; he had to dig deep and hit harder to put the brute away.

****1/2

Rina Yamashita vs. Yoshiko (WAVE, 8/12/2017)

WAVE - 10th Anniversary『CARNIVAL WAVE～NEVER ENDING STORY～』(8/12/2017)

Regina di WAVE Championship: Rina Yamashita (c) vs. Yoshiko

It feels surreal to watch a joshi event that takes place in the same venue Okada and Tiger Mask W fought in. This borrowed a lot from the SEAdLINNNG match, but since this is Rina's turf she was the focus of this story. The action was intense and hard-hitting, and the closing lariat battle was epic.

****1/4

DDT - Third Numazu Tournament! In Numazu 2017 (9/30/2017)

5. DAMNATION (Daisuke Sasaki & Mad Paulie) vs. Smile Squash (HARASHIMA & Soma Takao)

Now this was a solid match, the heat building between HARASHIMA and Sasaki was good, and I liked the segment Paulie had with HARASHIMA. I don't know what you do with Soma. He desperately needs a change in character.

**3/4

6. ALL OUT (Diego & Konosuke Takeshita) vs. Danshoku Dino & Keisuke Ishii

I thought everyone looked great here. Ishii's obviously a fucking pro and whenever he's involved shit gets intense. Dino's shtick and Takeshita's high-impact offense woke up this Numazu crowd. Good main event.

***1/4

Sendai Girls - Big Show in Sendai 2017 (9/24/2017)

5. Aasa Maika, Emi Sakura & Hana Kimura vs. Aja Kong, Cassandra Miyagi & Hikaru Shida

***1/2

7. Sendai Girls World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto (c) vs. Meiko Satomura

***3/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP 2017 x Champions (10/1/2017)

3. Mari Apache & Hiromi Mimura vs. Yoko Bito & Konami

***

4. Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora vs. NEW-TRA (Takumi Iroha & Rin Kadokura)

It's nice to see Iroha back in Stardom. I actually thought this was one of her better performances even though the match itself was nothing special.

**3/4

5. Queen's Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & AZM) vs. Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Hana Kimura & Tam Nakano)

**3/4

Riho vs. Aasa Maika (Gatoh Move, 2/4/2017)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・272 (2/4/2017)

Riho vs. Aasa Maika

This was compact/minimalist, but they still managed to create exciting moments. Aasa countering Riho mid-cartwheel was especially great. Her counterwork is always a joy to watch. I thought Riho's approach to the match was interesting, she was adjusting to Aasa's style and trying new things. The ending was neat too.

***1/2

Heart Move Kei Reform (Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama) vs.「Kotori」& Makoto (Gatoh Move, 7/5/2015)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・174 (7/5/2015)

Heart Move Kei Reform (Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama) vs.「Kotori」& Makoto

"Kotori" was a nasty aggressor here; Emi tried toying around with her and got a hard slap to the face (!). She was easily the MVP of the match, and brought the heat. Nice flow, and the action got better and better as it went on. Good stuff.

****