Marigold 5/20/2024 Marigold Fields Forever

Marigold 5/20/2024 Marigold Fields Forever

This is Marigold's first show. Rossy Ogawa of Stardom sold Stardom and was having issues backstage. He started grabbing talent for a new promotion (which probably was the plan all along), Stardom caught wind of it and fired him. A bunch of wrestlers defected with him and Marigold took talent from ActWresGirl'Z to fill the roster out. They really did ActWres dirty here as Fuka (a Rossy ally) joined with ActWres a few months prior and likely facilitated the roster raids. I may not always watch ActWres here, but they train their own wrestlers and have gotten as far as they have without outside help.

Suffice to say, I don't have much sympathy for Stardom or Marigold. Both poached a bunch of talent from other promotions and are going to further split the joshi fanbase pizza into smaller and smaller slices. Both promotions are going to take fans from the other and will likely cost some of the smaller promotions some fans as well. One of the promotions may not even exist once this is all said and done as the economy sucks and there's only so many promotions that can survive.

They had the whole roster come out. Utami said they had a full house and said we are watching the very best.

Nanae Takahashi vs Victoria Yuzuki

NT = Nanae Takahashi, Yuz = Victoria Yuzuki

They lock up. They wrestle on the ropes and Yuz slaps her. NT then slaps her kick flurries her. NT forearms her over then Yuz armdrags and dropkicks her. NT wristlocks her and side headlocks her. NT side slams her then sits on her back for a chinlock.

NT foot chokes her. Yuz hits chest forearms then NT shoulders her over. Yuz gets on NT's back and sleepers her. NT single leg crabs her. NT chops her in the corner then drops her with a big forearm. Yuz hits forearms and dropkicks then trips trying to run up the buckles.

NT legdrops her then crossfaces her. Yuz slams her and they trade mounted forearms. Yuz dropkicks her and hits slaps. NT slaps back and Yuz hits superkicks. Yuz cradles her. NT slaps her and backdrops her for 2. NT top rope splashes her and wins it.

Thoughts: It went too long at over 10 minutes and just wasn't a great opener. It wasn't much but basic strikes here and Yuzuki obviously had no shot of winning this one. Yuz also blew her one big spot here.

Miku Aono vs Nao Ishikawa

Miku leg kicks and side headlocks her. Nao shoulders her over and Miku kips up. Nao hits chest forearms then hair throws her. Nao does facewash kicks then Miku corner dropkicks her. Miku kicks her in the back and chest. Nao hits chest forearms, snapmares her and kicks her in the back. Miku drops her with a leg kick.

Nao takes a kneebreaker then dragon screws her. Nao ankle locks her then double underhook suplexes her for 2. Miku spinning slams her then running kicks her in the ribs. Miku lariats her against the ropes then top rope dropkicks her for 2. Nao slaps her and is forearmed down. Miku kicks her in the butt then Nao slaps her.

Miku slaps her back then Nao germans her. Nao sitout spinebusters her for 2 then does a botched half-nelson suplex. Miku lariats her in the back of the head then lariats her for 2. Miku misses a kick and is rolled up. Miku high kicks her then hits a styles clash to win.

Thoughts: Nao was never known for being a great wrestler and coasted on her looks to some degree. That worked some in Ice Ribbon, but the Marigold roster has better looking girls and that doesn't work as well here. Nao tried here and I liked her giving Nao the crazy eyes and slapping her, but Nao's a low card talent. Miku was okay here. It was just average and probably would have been better with anyone else than Nao in there.

MIRAI vs. CHIAKI

They shoulder each other and trade forearms. Chi spears her against the ropes and is back elbowed on the ropes. Chi is sent out through the ropes then pushes Mirai off the buckles. Chi iron claws her and facewash kicks her. Chi cartwheel double knees her and slams her. Mirai dropkicks her. Mirai hits running corner attacks then top rope dropkicks her for 2.

Mirai twists her neck with her feet and cravates her. Mirai twists her neck with her feet again. They trade forearms and chops. Chi uppercuts her and they shoulder each other over. Mirai headbutts her then takes a rolling spear. Chi hits fisherman suplexes then Mirai flatliners her.

Mirai runs into a fisherman's suplex then Chi torture rack sitout slams her. Mirai sunset flips her then does a head and double arm submission on her. Chi powerslams her then Mirai backdrops her. Chi dropkicks her then is lariated over. Mirai sitout attitude adjustments her then running lariats her for the win.

Thoughts: It was an okay match. There was some spirit here. Chi's not quite on Mirai's level and is closer to a poor-woman's Saya Iida. They pretty much stuck to the basics here. The basics looked good though.

Mirai is given a big bag of caramel corn for winning. She just lost a bunch of weight so, I don't think she's going to be eating all of that. She eats some of it and gives Chi some of it. 

Misa Matsui & Natsumi Showzuki vs. Chika Goto & Kouki Amarei

These are all AWG wrestlers. I think it's super rude of them to do a match with all AWG wrestlers on this show. I don't know the situation with Showzuki, but it's odd that she left wrestling, joined AWG instead of Stardom then went to Marigold.

Misa tries to do a test of strength with Kouki but can't reach her. Misa rolls her up then flying headscissors her. Chika and NS go at it. The announces mixes up Chika and Kouki. NS armbars Chika and Chika ropebreaks. Misa hair throws Chika then footchokes her. Misa snapmares her does a neat submission. NS superkicks Chika while she's in the hold.

NS double kneedrops her. NS hits knees to the body then Chika giant swings her. Kouki running facekicks NS then NS running boots her. Kouki does a dominator for 2 then mises a top rope splash. NS running knees her for 2 then top rope double kneedrops her.

Misa top rope dropkicks Kouki then bridging ddt's her for 2. Misa rolls her into a double footstomp. Kouki takes moves against the bottom rope then takes a double flying knee. Chika chokeslams Misa then Misa takes a double gorilla press drop. Kouki and Misa trade forearms. Kouki powerslams her then Misa backsides her into a bridge pin.

Kouki does a double backdrop and loses NS on it. Kouki samoan drops Misa for 2 then top rope 180 splashes her to win it.

Thoughts: It was nothing special. While the AWG girls look good, they aren't that good wrestling wise.

Mai Sakurai & Zayda Steel vs. Myla Grace & Nagisa Nozaki

Zay and Myla start us off. Zay shoves her then is shoved back. Myla wristlocks her. Zay tries to roll out of it but Myla rolls with her. Myla la magistrals her and is shouldeered over. Myla crucifixes her then Myla hits a double basement dropkick. Mai spin kicks Myla then Myla spinning headscissors her.

NN and Mai kick each other. Mai ducks a kick and poses. NN curbstomps her then footchokes her in the corner. NN double chop flurries her then forearms her down. NN camel clutches her then side headlocks her. Mai ropebreaks. NN stomps on Mai.

They trade forearms. Myla hits forearms on Mai then flying forearms her. Myla spinning neckbreakers her then Mai flying chest kicks her. Mai puts Myla in a paradise lock. Zay gets in and Myla rolls her up. Zay chops her and codebreakers her while she's between the ropes.

Zay hits forearms. Myla takes her down and spinning legdrops her for 2. Zay is seated on the 2nd rope and Myla 619's her. Myla then tornado ddt's her for 2. Zay boots and step up enzugiri's NN. NN suplexes her and facekicks her. NN does her reverse kick on Zay and Zay codebreaker sher on the apron. Zay topes her.

Zay hits forearms and a step up knee on NN. She rolling snapmares her then kicks her back. Mai top rope dropkicks NN then face kicks her on the ropes. Mai then chokes her with her own leg.

Mai armbars NN. They trade forearms and NN facekicks her. nn does he reverse pendulum kick then Myla backdrops Mai. NN grounded chokes Mai then basement dropkicks her for 2. Mai legslices her then suplexes her for 2. Mai misses a top rope elbow drop and the time limit expires. This is a draw.

Thoughts: It was just average and was nothing too special. Myla wasn't good in NXT UK and still isn't that good now years later. Zayda didn't do bad, but she's not exactly Jaguar Yokota. I'm not sure why they did a draw here.

They all fight after. Mai gets on the mic and says it was a tough fight. She says she's going out to eat while everyone hasto go home and get ready for work tomorrow.

Giulia & Utami Hayashishita vs. Bozilla & Sareee

G = Giulia, Boz = Bozilla

Sareee and G lock up. They go against the ropes then Sareee forearms her there. G blocks a kick and they tag out. Boz and Utami go at it. Boz pushes her off and shoves her down.  They boot each other in the gut and Utami dropkicks her. Boz takes a double team with basement dropkicks and stares down G. G does an octopus in the air on her. Boz then grabs Utami at the same time and samoan drops/fallaway slams them. Boz then throws Sareee out onto them. Boz throws G into the seats and Sareee chairs Utami outside.

Utami throws Sareee into the chairs then she trades forearms with her. Boz suplexes G for 2. Sareee top rope dropkicks G and indian deathlocks her. Sareee is suplexed by G then G flying dropkicks her. Utami basement dropkicks Sareee and sends her into Boz. Boz is pulled over the top. Sareee is lariated on the ropes then takes a sliding lariat. Utami olympic slams Sareee then Sareee rolls her into a double stomp.

Boz corner splashes Utami then throws her. Boz elbow drops her. Boz body blocks Utami and Utami fires up. Utami spinning forearms her and Boz 2nd rope suplexes her. Boz shoulders her over for 2. Utami climbs Boz's back with a sleeper then is thrown over. Boz sentons her for 2.

Boz fallaway slams her then vader bombs her for 2. Utami germans Boz. Sareee and G go at it. They trade forearms and Sareee dropkicks her. Sareee then does a hard one. G rolls her into an stf. G bearhugs her and suplexes her off of it. G is stuck up top then is superplexed down. Sareee gets stuck up top then G top rope double underhook suplexes her.

Utami dropkicks Sareee then Sareee takes a top rope dropkick + reverse samoan drop. Boz powerbombs G then Sareee top rope double stomps G for 2. Boz is flipped off the top but misses G. Sareee germans Utami then Utami does it back to her. G and Sareee trade forearms on their knees. They get up and trade.

G hits a headbutt flurry then Sareee step up enzugiri's her. G forearms her then Sareee germans her. G backdrops her then knees her for 2. G hits a glorious driver on Sareee. Boz pounces G then Sareee double stomps G. Utami lariats Sareee. Boz double lariats her opponents and Sareee uranages G for 2. G backdrops Sareee then uranages her three more times for 2. Boz 2nd rope moonsaults G then Sareee wrist clutch exploders G to win it.

Thoughts: It was a really good main. There's nobody better in joshi than when Sareee is on and Sareee was on here. Boz was really good in her Japan debut here. She looks huge and she knows how to work as a big girl. She will be picked up by AEW or WWE in no time if she keeps at it. She's way too talented. The crowd was good throughout and you really couldn't ask for more in this main event. They could have shaved a few minutes off I suppose but it was one of the better joshi matches of the year and was memorable. It was what Marigold needed.

Sareee gets on the mic after. She says she was looking forward to meeting G for a long time. She says their story is about to begin and asks if she can keep up with her. G says she hadn't forgot their match from 5 years ago and says it's down to them to bring joshi forward. G says she wants another match and says it's for the whole roster. Sareee says she will beat the whole roster.  G says she wants a singles match with Sareee and Sareee agrees.

The two new title belts are held up at ringside and given to G. G and Utami hold them up then Boz takes the red belt. Boz and Utami tug of war over it. G and Sareee staredown and Sareee shoves her. I don't like people being handed titles they don't own and they did that here.

They show a video with a marigold field. Flowers fall from the ceiling, flowers are put in the ring and the roster comes out. Miku Aono says "Shine forever, Marigold". They also announced Marigold Summer Destiny for 7/13/2024.

Overall thoughts: The main was good and that's the most important thing here. It was one of the better joshi matches of the year. Bozilla appears to be the next big thing in joshi. I thought the rest of the show was so-so. Marigold appears to be a promotion with mostly idol wrestlers but with a serious approach. It may draw but this is not going to be the workrate promotion Stardom is. It's also going to be tough for Marigold as they are relying on a lot of foreign talent and people like Sareee, who will not always be available.