Mio Shirai Produce “M.I.O. 3”
A Review by Kevin Wilson

Date:  May 9th, 2015
Location: Ikuno Kumin Center in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance:  Unknown

Every few months, Mio Shirai produces her own shows and uses talent from the different joshi promotions she is a member of (including Freelancers).  Here we have our usual odd variety but with heavy concentration in Union.  No title matches, just your usual random carnage.  Here is the full card:

-  Aja Kong, Hamuko Hoshi, and Daichi Kazato vs. Hiroshi Fukuda, Mika Iida, and Miyako Matsumoto
-  KAGUYA Retirement Match : KAGUYA vs. Ayako Hamada
-  Mitsuhisa Sunabe vs. Ryo Mizunami vs. Sonoko Kato
-  Fairy Nipponbashi vs. Shuji Ishikawa
-  HAYATA, Misaki Ohata, and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Yumi Ohka, Isami Kodaka, and Yuko Miyamoto
-  Mio Shirai vs. Takashi Sasaki

Not a really long event, let’s hop to it.

Aja Kong, Hamuko Hoshi, and Daichi Kazato vs. Hiroshi Fukuda, Mika Iida, and Matsumoto
Iida and Kazato start off and they trade wristlocks, shoulderblock by Kazato but Iida hits an armdrag.  Reverse STO by Iida but Kazato avoids the dropkick and they trade trips and dropkick attempts.  Fukuda and Hoshi are tagged in, Hoshi slaps Fukuda back, Irish whip by Hoshi but Fukuda hits a shoulderblock.  Matsumoto and Kong are tagged in next, Kong corners Matsumoto, wristlocks by Matsumoto and she poses Kong.  Kong swats at Matsumoto and throws her down by her hair.  Kong puts Matsumoto in the ropes and hits her before tagging in Hoshi.  Hoshi mounts Matsumoto in the corner and rubs her belly in Matsumoto’s face, snapmare by Matsumoto and she hits a footstomp, but Matsumoto bounces off Hoshi’s belly.  Hoshi tags in Kazato, scoop slam by Kong to Matsumoto and he covers her for two.  Kneelock by Kazato and she hits a running elbow to Matsumoto.  Chinlock by Kazato and he picks up Matsumoto, but Matsumoto gets away and hits a double chop to the chest.  Matsumoto tags in Fukuda and Fukuda hits a series of lariats on Kazato.  Dropkick by Kazato and he makes the tag to Kong.  Kong hits a backdrop suplex on Fukuda and covers him for a two count.  Kong goes up to the second turnbuckle but Matsumoto knocks her off, Matsumoto then goes up top and dives off but Kong gets her feet up when Matsumoto jumps off.  Lariat by Fukuda to Kong but Kazato breaks it up.  Kazato hits a jumping kick on Fukuda, running belly bump by Hoshi and then a suplex by Kong, but the cover is broken up.  Kong goes up to the second turnbuckle, she hits an extremely delayed falling elbow drop on Fukuda for the three count!  This wasn’t good but I do enjoy when an intergender match just seamlessly has male vs. female encounters with it just feeling natural. But that doesn’t make it an entertaining match by default, it was just slow to develop and never really got hot. Plus the comedy didn't really do much for me.  A sub-par start to the show.

KAGUYA vs. Ayako Hamada
This is KAGUYA’s Retirement Match.  Irish whip by KAGUYA to start but Hamada boots her and hits a scoop slam.  She goes for another one but KAGUYA slides away and hits an armdrag.  Boot by KAGUYA and they run the ropes, armdrag by Hamada but KAGUYA returns the favor.  Back up they trade chops to the chest which Hamada gets the better of, Hamada Irish whips KAGUYA but KAGUYA hits a spinning headscissors.  Hamada slams KAGUYA to the mat, Irish whip by Hamada and Hamada hits a boot in the corner.  KAGUYA rebounds out of the corner with a crossbody, Irish whip by KAGUYA, reversed, but KAGUYA hits a springboard crossbody for a two count.  Kicks to the chest by KAGUYA but Hamada blocks one of the kicks.  KAGUYA knocks Hamada out of the ring and goes up top, but Hamada recovers and pulls her down to the apron.  Hamada and KAGUYA trade chops on the apron but Hamada slams KAGUYA’s head into the apron.  Hamada goes up top but KAGUYA joins her and she delivers the Frankensteiner, running kick by KAGUYA and she covers Hamada for a two count.  KAGUYA goes off the ropes and goes for a hurricanrana but Hamada catches her with the AP Cross.  Hamada goes up top and hits the moonsault but KAGUYA rolls through it as the bell rings, signifying the match is a Draw (Five Minute Time Limit).  KAGUYA is Mio Shirai, so this is her just ‘retiring’ the gimmick.  For a five minute match it was a lot of fun, Shirai and Hamada are both great and they could go with a sprint since it was a five minute match.  Obviously really short but entertaining.  Mildly Recommended

Mitsuhisa Sunabe vs. Ryo Mizunami vs. Sonoko Kato
Mizunami and Kato attack Sunabe to start, and both attack Sunabe in the corner.  Double vertical suplex to Sunabe and they take turns hitting leg drops.  They kick Sunabe out of the ring, Mizunami elbows Kato but Kato elbows her back.  Kato kicks Mizunami in the leg and then in the back, Irish whip by Kato and they trade shoulderblock attempts.  Mizunami wins the shoulderblock battle, she picks up Kato but Kato wiggles away as Sunabe returns to the ring.  Sunabe dropkicks Kato and then dropkicks Mizunami, Sunabe applies a kneelock to Mizunami but Kato breaks it up.  Sunabe grabs Kato but Kato gets away and slaps him.  Takedown by Sunabe and he applies a kneelock on her, but his time Mizunami breaks it up.  Mizunami picks up Sunabe and gets him on her back as she applies an Argentine Backbreaker, but Kato kicks Mizunami.  Double Irish whip to Mizunami but Mizunami hits a double spear.  Mizunami hits another spear on Sunabe, cover, but it gets two.  Mizunami goes up top and she hits a guillotine leg drop on Sunabe, but Kato breaks it up.  Dragon sleeper by Kato to Mizunami but Mizunami gets a foot on the ropes.  Kato goes up top and she hits a diving heel kick to Mizunami, she picks her up but Sunabe hits a missile dropkick on Mizunami.  Cover, but Kato breaks it up.  Kato kicks Sunabe but Sunabe hits a jumping kick for a two count.  Lariat by Mizunami to Sunabe, cover, but that is also broken up.  Mizunami lariats Kato but Sunabe hits a jumping knee on Mizunami.  All three slowly get up, Mizunami scoop slams Kato and goes up top, but Sunabe and Kato throw her off.  Sunabe dropkicks Mizunami but Kato kicks Sunabe.  Buzzsaw Kick by Kato to Mizunami, but the covers gets two.  Mizunami rolls up Sunabe but Sunabe reverses it and they go back and forth with pin attempts.  Kato hits a suplex on Sunabe, she goes off the ropes and kicks Mizunami in the head.  Kato goes up top, she dives off with a guillotine leg drop onto Mizunami and she picks up the three count! They did the best they could with the limitations that come with all three way matches and it was pretty entertaining.  They did fall into the ‘one person stays out of the ring’ trap about halfway through but the beginning portion and ending didn’t have that issue, and they really kept the pace up so the match was never boring.  It helps they are all pretty good wrestlers also.  Not great but certainly a good mid-card match.  Mildly Recommended

Fairy Nipponbashi vs. Shuji Ishikawa
Nipponbashi only needs a one count to successfully pin Ishikawa. Nipponbashi dances around to start but Ishikawa slaps her in the back of the head.  Ishikawa clubs down Nipponbashi and stands on her back, Ishikawa goes off the ropes but Fukuda trips him from ringside.  Nipponbashi covers Ishikawa really quick but it gets two, backbreaker by Ishikawa but it gets a delayed two count.  Ishikawa throws down Nipponbashi by her head before arguing with the referee, but Nipponbashi gets her wand.  The wand doesn’t seem to work on Ishikawa, which brings Fukuda into the ring to demonstrate for Ishikawa how it works.  The wand finally works on Ishikawa and Nipponbashi dances around the ring before hitting Ishikawa in the chest with the wand.  Ishikawa kicks Nipponbashi, he picks her up but he eventually puts her down.  Ishikawa knocks Fukuda and friend off the apron, Nipponbashi rolls up Ishikawa but it doesn't get a one count.  Ishikawa picks up Nipponbashi and he delivers the Fire Thunder Driver for the three count pinfall!  Some may get annoyed about this but Nipponbashi has a running thing of trying to get larger/tougher wrestlers to play along with the wand, then promptly gets beaten afterwards, for better or worse that is her gimmick.  Nothing recommendable, just mid-card filler.

HAYATA, Misaki Ohata, and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Yumi Ohka, Isami Kodaka, and Yuko Miyamoto
Ohka and friends attack before the match starts and they dump their opponents out of the ring.  Everyone brawls at ringside until Miyamoto and Fujimoto return to the ring, Miyamoto tags in Kodaka and Kodaka kicks Fujimoto in the head.  Cover but it gets a two count.  Ohka comes in the ring and she boots Fujimoto, Irish whip by Ohka and she boots Fujimoto in the corner.  Another boot by Ohka, she goes up top and hits a diving crossbody for a two count.  Ohka tags in Kodaka, Kodaka kicks Fujimoto into the corner and he gets a plastic stick.  Sliding elbow by Kodaka in the corner (without the stick), he picks up Fujimoto in the corner but Fujimoto avoids his dive and elbows Kodaka in the back.  Ohata and HAYATA come in the ring and the action spills out to the floor, they return to the ring and Fujimoto tags in HAYATA.  Ohata comes in too and everyone attacks Kodaka in the corner.  HAYATA picks up Kodaka, snapmare and he applies a headscissors.  Irish whip by HAYATA and he hits Kodaka with the plastic stick.  HAYATA tags in Ohata and Ohata throws Kodaka down by her hair.  Ohata chokes Kodaka in the corner and she slams his head into the mat.  Curb stomp by Ohata and she tags in Fujimoto.  Fujimoto kicks Kodaka but Kodaka ducks the PK attempt.  Neckbreaker by Kodaka and he tags in Miyamoto.  HAYATA runs in and attacks Miyamoto but Miyamoto throws him with a suplex.  Ohata comes in but Miyamoto lariats both Ohata and Fujimoto.  Miyamoto stomps Fujimoto in the corner, he puts her on the top turnbuckle but Fujimoto pushes Miyamoto back and goes for a crossbody. Miyamoto catches her and hits a powerslam, cover, but it gets a two count.  Irish whip by Miyamoto but Fujimoto catches him with a roll-up.  Fujimoto tags in Ohata, Ohata goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick.  Cover, but it gets two.  Eye rake by Miyamoto to Ohata but Ohata hits a headscissors. 

HAYATA and Fujimoto hits Miyamoto with a double 619 and Ohata hits a German suplex hold for two.  Backfist by Ohata to Miyamoto but Miyamoto hits a handspring elbow strike. Miyamoto makes the tag to Ohka, elbows by Ohata and she goes off the ropes, but Ohka throws her into the ropes and hits a big boot.  Suplex by Ohka to Ohata, cover, but it gets two.  Ohka picks up Ohata and applies a stretch hold, Miyamoto and Kodaka come in and apply holds on their other two opponents but Ohata gets to the ropes.  Kodaka holds Ohata for Ohka but Ohata moves, Ohka hits Kodaka anyway just for fun before going back to Ohata.  Ohka holds Ohata, Kodaka goes off the ropes but Ohata hits a back bodydrop.  Backfist by Ohata to Ohka and she tags in HAYATA.  Irish whip by HAYATA to the corner, reversed, and HAYATA applies a necklock over the top rope.  HAYATA releases the hold and dives off the top, but Ohka moves and kicks him in the ring.  Fujimoto runs in and dropkicks Ohka, Ohata hits people with the cat o’ nine tails and Ohka slams Ohka in front of the corner.  HAYATA goes up top but Ohka avoids the moonsault.  HAYATA is triple teamed in the corner, ending with a dropkick by Miyamoto.  Big boot by Ohka, cover, but Ohata breaks it up.  Ohka picks up HAYATA and drops him with a brainbuster, cover, but HAYATA gets a shoulder up.  Ohka goes off the ropes but HAYATA hits a step-up enzigieri, scoop slam by HAYATA and he finally hits the moonsault, Kodaka tries to break it up with a diving double kneedrop but HAYATA moves and he hits Ohka by accident.  Fujimoto pelts Kodaka in the face with a rubber ball, HAYATA applies the Tsuchigumo on Ohka and he gets the three count!   This match far exceeded my expectations.  I only like 66% of the wrestlers in the match which isn’t a fantastic ratio but with it being a six man tag the action stayed moving enough that no one wrestler dragged it down.  Ohata looked awesome as did Kodaka and Miyamoto, and it just felt so well joined together which is impressive as sometimes these matches just turn into random chaos.  It dipped a bit when HAYATA and Ohka were in there but still a good match overall.  Mildly Recommended

Mio Shirai vs. Takashi Sasaki
They jockey on the mat to start, wristlock by Shirai and a headscissors, but Sasaki gets out of it.  Side headlock by Shirai but Sasaki Irish whips out of it.  Shirai goes for shoulderblocks with no success, but she wraps up Sasaki in the ropes and rakes his face.  Big boot to the back of the head by Shirai, cover, but Sasaki kicks out.  Shirai kicks Sasaki in the ribs, Irish whip to the corner but Sasaki avoids the lariat and kicks her in the back of the head.  Shirai gets her plastic stick and bops Sasaki with it, kick by Sasaki and he takes the stick.  Shirai takes it back and hits Sasaki with it, she covers but the referee won’t count to due to the face she used a weapon.  Boot by Shirai and she hits a second one, she applies a double underhook but Sasaki back bodydrops out of it. Stomps by Sasaki and she hits a scoop slam for a two count.  Sasaki picks up Shirai and punches her, clubs to the back by Sasaki and he hits an elbow drop.  Sasaki elbows Shirai but Shirai elbows him back, chop by Sasaki and he hits a sidewalk slam.  Crab hold by Sasaki and he applies a single leg crab hold, but Shirai makes it to the ropes.  Sasaki stomps Shirai and chops her in the corner, but Shirai applies a necklock over the top rope.  Shirai goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count.  Shirai picks up Sasaki and she hits a double underhook facebuster for a two count.  Buzzsaw Kick by Shirai, but that gets a two as well.  Sasaki trips Shirai and he hits a step-up enzigieri.  Sasaki puts Shirai on the top turnbuckle and joins her, hitting a superplex.  Sasaki goes off the ropes and he hits a lariat, he waits for Shirai to get up and he hits another one.  Another lariat, cover, but Shirai gets a shoulder up.  Sasaki goes to pick up Shirai but Shirai kicks him, they trade elbows back up and then chops but Sasaki hits a headbutt.  Sasaki goes for a powerbomb but Shirai reverses it into a Tsuchigumo for a two count.  Big boot by Shirai and a headbutt, step-up enzigieri by Shirai but Sasaki kicks out of the cover.  Elbows by Shirai but Sasaki knees Shirai and hits a DDT.  Kick to the chest by Sasaki, cover, but Shirai barely kicks out.  Sasaki goes off the ropes but Shirai blocks the lariat, she goes off the ropes but Sasaki hits the lariat this time for a two count.  Sasaki picks up Shirai but Shirai slides down his back and applies a sleeper.  Sasaki elbows out of it and he hits a Michinoku Driver, but Shirai kicks out.  Sasaki picks up Shirai and nails the D-Geist, picking up the three count!  Another really solid match, this card was a lot better than I was expecting.  Everyone knew Sasaki was going to win this but it was still fun when Shirai got in her spots at the end like the Tsuchigumo and the sleeper.  Sasaki didn’t take it easy on her, but remember that Sasaki was one of her main trainers so to say they are familiar with each other would be an understatement.  If you don’t mind intergender matches, give this one a watch, definitely a fun one.  Recommended

Final Thoughts:

For a wrestler produced indy show, I thought this event delivered.  It doesn’t have any MOTYC or anything cute like that, but what it does have is a bunch of really solid matches and wrestlers trying instead of just going through the motions like you see on some indy shows.  Not every match was perfect of course as there were some average wrestlers on the card, but it still had more good matches than bad.  Five of the six matches did have intergender action so obviously if that bothers you than skip this one, otherwise it was a fun little show that is worth a casual watch.

Grade:  B-

Back to Joshi Reviews

event reviewed on 5/27/15