Daijo “Thank Pilgrims? ~ Yuo Strive” on 1/18/15
A Review by Kevin Wilson

 

Date:  January 18th, 2015
Location:  Konohana Kumin Hall in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance:  160

2015 has already been a great year for tracking down joshi events.  I had a hell of a time last year finding anything that wasn’t Oz Academy or Stardom, and here we are already with two of the smaller promotions making it on TV and then to where I could get it.  This event has a slew of tag matches, plus a match on Shu Shibutani’s Retirement Road.  Here is the full card:

- Benten-musume and Taiyoto Kamen vs. Misaki Guriko and Mede Tiger Mask
- Hikaru Shida and Ayaka vs. Mika Iida and Hiroe Nagahama
- Shu Shibutani Retirement Road: Fairy Nipponbashi vs. Shu Shibutani
- Misaki Ohata and Nyamber vs. Yuu Yamagata and Tsubasa Kuragaki
- Rina Yamashita and Kana vs. Sawako Shimono and Kagetsu

Let’s get right to it, I haven't seen all these wrestlers before so it will be a journey if nothing else.

Benten-musume and Taiyoto Kamen vs. Misaki Guriko and Mede Tiger Mask
Uh comedy matches are hard to describe so I won’t try too hard.  Mede Tiger Mask and Kamen start off (Mede Tiger Mask and Kamen are men I am assuming, for whatever that matters) and they mostly talk and trade silly submissions.  Dropkick by Mede Tiger Mask and he tags in Guriko while Benten-musume is also tagged in (Guriko and Benten-musume are both women, just so you have the right mental image).  Mede Tiger Mask and Kamen come in to separate them but they play tug of war between their legs.  Guriko and Kamen stay in the ring and they both dance.  Guriko punches Kamen but Guriko gets sad and both wrestlers tag out.  Benten-musume punches Mede Tiger Mask but Mede Tiger Mask dropkicks her.  Another dropkick by Mede Tiger Mask and he hits the stunner for a two count.  Guriko comes in and they hit a double vertical suplex on Benten-musume.  Kamen clubs Mede Tiger Mask and Benten-musume hits a Shining Wizard.  Kamen and Benten-musume choke Guriko with a rope, Benten-musume picks up Guriko but Guriko applies a backslide for two.  Papiko Panappu by Guriko and she gets the three count.  It was funny, it went from silly comedy match to violent rope choking back to comedy match.  But the comedy didn’t make me laugh and as cute as Guriko is there wasn’t much here worth watching.  Score:  3.0

Hikaru Shida and Ayaka vs. Mika Iida and Hiroe Nagahama
Ayaka and Iida start off.  They trade wristlocks and Iida applies a front necklock.  Knees by Iida and a scoop slam.  I haven’t seen much of Iida before, I like her hair.  She tags in Nagahama but Ayaka throws around Nagahama by her hair.  Ayaka tags in Shida, and Shida gets Nagahama to the mat.  Scoop slam by Shida and she hit another one.  Backbreaker by Shida, Nagahama fights back but Shida knees her in the stomach.  Crab hold by Shida but Nagahama gets to the ropes.  Dropkicks by Nagahama but Shida doesn’t go down.  Finally Nagahama knocks her down and tags in Iida.  Elbow by Iida in the corner and she hits a reverse STO.  Iida and Shida having on nearly identical outfits even though they are on different teams is confusing the hell out of me while doing play by play, suplexes by Iida and she knocks Shida against the ropes.  Backbreaker by Shida and she hits another nifty one for a two count.  Ankle hold by Iida but Shida avoids the dropkick.  Jumping knee by Shida and she hits a hip attack for two.  Shida tags in Ayaka but Iida goes for Ayaka’s arm.  Tornado DDT by Ayaka but Iida hits a side Russian leg sweep followed by a sliding kick before tagging in Nagahama.  Dropkick by Nagahama and she hits another one in the corner as Iida runs in to help as well.  Ayaka and Nagahama trade elbows, kicks by Ayaka and she gets two.  Inside cradle by Nagahama but it gets a two count.  Shida picks up Nagahama and elbows her but Iida knocks her down with a missile dropkick.  Scoop slam by Nagahama, Iida comes back in but in a funny looking spot she avoids the double dropkick.  Suplex by Shida to Nagahama, Ayaka picks up Nagahama and hits a Fisherman Suplex Hold for the three count.  Aside from that poorly timed double dropkick spot I thought this match was really solid.  Shida always brings the goodness and the others kept up with her as it was hard hitting when it needed to be.  Maybe a bit of dropkick overload but overall entertaining.  Score: 7.0

Fairy Nipponbashi vs. Shu Shibutani
This match is part of the Shu Shibutani Retirement Road.  Soon as the match starts Nipponbashi flips Shibutani to the ground with her magic and covers her for a three count.  Nipponbashi wins!  Shibutani doth protest and she gets a restart, Nipponbashi trips her again with her magic and covers her for three again!  Nipponbashi wins!  More protesting, I assume on the basis that magic is illegal.  The match re-starts again but Nipponbashi keeps her using her magic.  Inside cradle by Nipponbashi and a roll-up, but she gets two.  Shibutani tries to use her own magic but it doesn’t work, slam by Nipponbashi but Shibutani comes back with Mongolian chops.  Kick by Shibutani and she hits a DDT for two.  Stunner by Shibutani, Nipponbashi goes to use the wand but the referee tries to grab it.  Nipponbashi shakes the referee off but accidentally uses the magic on him instead of Shibutani.  Shibutani gets the wand from Nipponbashi but Nipponbashi snatches it back.  Shibutani goes up top but Nipponbashi flings her off with her wand.  Shibutani dropkicks Nipponbashi in the knee and hits the Time Machine Ride for a three count.  Shibutani finally wins!  I don’t mind this kind of comedy, since I don’t see much of Nipponbashi.  If I saw it every day it would get old, but a few times a year is good for me.  Fun for what it was.  Score:  5.5

Misaki Ohata and Nyamber vs. Yuu Yamagata and Tsubasa Kuragaki
Nyamber and Kuragaki start off.  This match won’t go well for Nyamber I would predict.  They end up tagging out, and Yamagata trades wristlocks with Ohata.  I dunno how to watch this and pretend these women aren’t attractive, if women watch WWE to see Roman Reigns, can’t I watch this match to see Ohata?  Anyway Ohata hits an armdrag and another one, Nyamber comes in but Kuragaki throws Nyamber into Ohata and Kuragaki knocks down both of them.  Yamagata tags in Kuragaki and Kuragaki hits some lariats in the corner.  Kuragaki and Yamagata take turns chopping Ohata in the chest.  Kuragaki tags in Yamagata, and Yamagata applies a chinlock to Ohata.  Yamagata applies a stretch hold and tags Kuragaki back in.  Kuragaki picks up Ohata and slams her in the corner before hitting a running elbow.  Crab hold by Kuragaki but Ohata gets to the ropes.  Vertical suplex by Kuragaki and she tags in Yamagata.  Ohata goes for a crossbody but Yamagata throws her to the mat.  Ohata finally gets away and tags in Nyamber, but Yamagata boots Nyamber in the face.  Kuragaki comes in but Nyamber flips away and hits a crossbody.  Elbow by Nyamber in the corner and she hits a diving crossbody for a two count.  I am assuming the bunny is a she.  Nyamber rams Yamagata into the turnbuckles and hits a missile dropkick.  Ohata comes in and elbows Yamagata in the corner before hitting a running crossbody. 

Diving crossbody by Ohata but it gets two, and they trade elbows.  Dropkick by Yamagata and she goes for a crossface, but Ohata gets to the ropes.  Enzigieri by Yamagata and she tags in Kuragaki.  Kuragaki hits a backdrop suplex and she hits a lariat.  Kuragaki goes up top but Ohata avoids the moonsault and hits a running crossbody for two.  Ohata tags in Nyamber and Nyamber hits a running knee on Kuragaki.  Nyamber goes up top but she is grabbed, Ohata runs in but Kuragaki puts them both on her shoulders , applying a backbreaker.  Double backdrop suplex by Kuragaki and she hits a double lariat.  I knew there was no way Kuragaki was losing to a bunny.  Kuragaki picks up Nyamber but Nyamber wiggles away and rolls up Kuragaki for two.  Kuragaki avoids a dropkick, Ohata runs in and hits a German suplex on Yamagata.  Nyamber dropkicks Kuragaki and hits the Rainmaker, but it gets a two when Yamagata breaks it up.  Kuragaki was almost pinned by a bunny.  Lariat by Kuragaki, she picks up Nyamber but Nyamber gets away.  Kuragaki grabs her and hits the Jikiden Falcon Arrow for the three count. I guess Nyamber is a more serious wrestler than I originally anticipated. I like Kuragaki a lot and she wasn't coasting here, and the rest of them looked decent enough. Nothing earth shattering but fun, solid card so far. Score: 6.5

Rina Yamashita and Kana vs. Sawako Shimono and Kagetsu
Yamashita and Shimono start off, Kagetsu comes in to help but so does Kana, and they shoulderblock Kagetsu and Shimono. Shimono is isolated and attacked in the corner followed by a double vertical suplex. Yamashita tags in Kana, Kana jockeys with Shimono and Shimono tags in Kagetsu. Kana and Kagetsu go to the mat, Kana goes for Kagetsu's arm but Shimono breaks it up. Armbar by Kagetsu but Kana gets a foot on the ropes. Kagetsu kicks Kana in the mat but Kana returns the favor. Kana kicks the next kick attempt and applies an ankle hold but Kagetsu gets to the ropes. Kana tags in Yamashita but Kagetsu dropkicks her. Jumping elbow by Kagetsu and she hits a missile dropkick. Yamashita and Kagetsu trade elbows and Yamashita hits a backdrop suplex. Yamashita tags in Kana, kicks by Kana but Kagetsu catches the PK and applies an ankle hold. German suplex by Kana and she hits a sliding kick for a two. Kana and Kagetsu trade elbows and Kagetsu hits a Samoan drop. Kick to the chest by Kagetsu but Kana applies a grounded necklock. Kagetsu hits a vertical suplex to get out of it and tags in Shimono. Shoulderblock by Shimono, Kagetsu runs in and both take turns attacking Kana. Kagetsu and Kana both hit Samoan drops, Shimono goes off the ropes and sits down on both of them. Reverse DDT by Kana and she delivers a high kick. Kana grabs Shimono but Kagetsu runs in and kicks her in the back. Kana tags in Yamashita. Elbow drop by Yamashita but Shimono hits a body avalanche. Vertical suplex by Shimono, she goes up top and hits a diving seated senton. Cover, but Kana breaks it up. Shimono and Yamashita hit lariats back and forth, Shimono gets the better of the exchange and gets a two. Samoan drop by Shimono and she gets a two count. Front slam by Shimono but Yamashita breaks up the pin attempt. Shimono picks up Yamashita but Kana kicks Shimono in the head and Yamashita applies a sleeper. Shimono goes to sleep before Kagetsu can save her, and Yamashita picks up the win. My main complaint here is not enough Kana, because she is great, but it was still a pretty good match. The ending was just really sudden, Shimono didn't seem that weakened. Some good spots here and there but it didn't really go much beyond 'solid'. Score: 6.0

Final Thoughts:

A surprisingly solid event, but nothing more than solid. I was afraid this being a smaller show the wrestlers would be coasting along but that wasn't really the case. On the flip side there wasn't really a stand out match, everything was just 'good' but nothing was 'great'. So if you just want an event with a bunch of non-offensive and occasionally entertaining matches, then go for this one, but if you are seeking a MOTYC I don't think you'll find it here.

Grade: C 

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review completed on 1/28/15