Ice Ribbon #658 “9th Anniversary in Korakuen”
A Review by Kevin Wilson

Date: June 24th, 2015
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance:  Unknown

As far as Ice Ribbon shows go, this is a pretty big one.  Not only does it take place in Korakuen Hall, but two titles are on the line as well.  Plus we get a “Human Hair Deathmatch” which should be something interesting I hope.  Here is the full card:

- 235, Akane Fujita, and Mika Iida vs. Hiroe Nagahama, Kyuri, and Miyako Matsumoto
- Manami Toyota vs. Yuuka
- Kaori Yoneyama vs. Neko Nitta
- Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Otoko Sakari and Danshoku Dino
- International Ribbon Tag Team Championship: Mio Shirai and Tsukushi vs. Hamuko Hoshi and Mochi Miyagi
- ICExInfinity Championship: Kurumi vs. Aoi Kizuki
- Human Hair Deathmatch: Risa Sera, Kankuro Hoshino, and Masato Inaba vs. Maki Narumiya, Isami Kodaka, and Yuko Miyamoto

Some of these matches seem a bit odd but I am sure some will deliver.

235, Akane Fujita, and Mika Iida vs. Hiroe Nagahama, Kyuri, and Miyako Matsumoto
You know you watch a lot of joshi when you actually know who all the wrestlers are in an Ice Ribbon opening match six man tag.  Fujita and Matsumoto start off and do some arm work until Fujita’s team runs in and everyone attacks Matsumoto in the corner.  Everyone (including Matsumoto’s teammates) run around the ring and do rolling sentons over her body.  Matsumoto’s teammates start being useful and they triple down Fujita, but Fujita kicks Matsumoto when she jumps off the top turnbuckle and tags in 235.  235 dances around but Matsumoto kicks her and tags in Nagahama.  Nagahama stomps 235 in the corner and she delivers a dropkick.  Another dropkick by Nagahama, cover, but it gets two.  235 applies a sleeper but Nagahama drives her back into the corner.  Crossbody by 235 but Nagahama kicks out, so 235 tags in Iida.  Iida uppercuts Nagahama but Nagahama hits a dropkick. Another dropkick by Nagahama but Iida elbows her in the corner and delivers her own dropkick for a two count.  Irish whip by Iida but Nagahama rolls her up for two.  Nagahama tags in Kyuri and Kyuri hits a trio of neck drops.  Iida shrugs it off and applies a submission but Kyuri gets out of it.  Kyuri grabs Iida but Iida hits an uppercut followed by a fisherman suplex hold for a two count.  Iida tags in Fujita, scoop slam by Fujita and she applies a Texas Cloverleaf.  Nagahama breaks it up and she dropkicks Fujita, then Matsumoto hits a Shining Wizard.  Kyuri picks up Nagahama and hits the fisherman suplex hold, but it gets two.  Kyuri wraps up Fujita and applies a submission, but Iida breaks it up.  Nagahama comes in with Matsumoto but Iida jumps off the top with a missile dropkick on both of them.  235 then hits a diving crossbody on Kyuri, Fujita picks up Kyuri and hits a powerslam for two.  Fujita picks up Kyuri and goes for a scoop slam, but Kyuri sneaks in an inside cradle for two.  Another cradle by Kyuri and this time she gets the three count!  Not a bad way to open the show, the silliness was kept at a level that it didn’t hurt the match and it stayed fast paced.  This is a mixture of young wrestlers and so-so wrestlers but the tag outs/team work helps hide that.  Perfectly watchable opener although nothing special.

Manami Toyota vs. Yuuka
Yuuka bounces out of the corner to start but Toyota moves so Yuuka splats to the mat. Dropkicks by Yuuka but Toyota doesn’t go down until the fourth one.  Yuuka goes up top and she delivers a missile dropkick.  She goes up again and she hits another one followed by a third and a fourth.  Cover but Toyota kicks out at one.  Camel clutch by Toyota but Yuuka gets into the ropes.  Snapmare by Toyota and she applies a chinlock into a bodyscissors but Yuuka gets to the ropes again.  Yuuka elbows Toyota but it has no real impact, but finally she knocks Toyota down.  More elbows by Yuuka but Toyota boots her to the mat.  Toyota puts Yuuka into the ropes but Yuuka avoids the dropkick and Toyota tumbles out of the ring.  Yuuka goes up top and she dives out onto Toyota with a plancha.  Yuuka rolls Toyota back in, she goes up top and hits a missile dropkick.  Yuuka rebounds out of the corner with a crossbody, but Toyota kicks out of the cover.  Waistlock by Yuuka but Toyota drives her back into the corner.  Yuuka throws Toyota into the corner, Toyota gets on the second turnbuckle but Yuuka joins her and hits a Frankensteiner.  Yuuka goes up top and she hits a diving crossbody for a two.  Toyota picks up Yuuka but Yuuka wiggles away and elbows Toyota in the chest.  Running Angel Thunder by Yuuka, but she gets a two count.  Scoop slam by Toyota, she goes up top and hits a missile dropkick.  Toyota goes up again and hits another one, cover by Toyota but Yuuka bridges up.  Yuuka sneaks in a backslide with a bridge for two, schoolboy by Yuuka but that gets two as well.  Yuuka goes off the ropes but Toyota boots her in the face.  Scissors kick by Toyota, she goes up top and nails the moonsault, but Yuuka somehow kicks out.  Toyota picks up Yuuka and nails the Japanese Ocean Cyclone Suplex for the three count!   Even though this was a pretty basically laid out match and didn’t have a fast pace, I spent most of it just marveling at how Toyota is still flying around the ring and taking big bumps after wrestling for more than 20 years.  So I tip my hat to her here even though objectively I don’t think this was a great match.  Nothing was wrong with it, the pace just felt off a bit until the last few minutes and it probably could have been a few minutes shorter.  Still always a pleasure to get to see Toyota in action.

Kaori Yoneyama vs. Neko Nitta
I’m going to watch this even though I don’t want to.  They jockey around to start and trade waistlocks but neither gets the upper hand.  Nitta kicks Yoneyama and hits a springboard armdrag followed by a dropkick.  Nitta puts Yoneyama into the ropes and rakes at her face.  Yoneyama gets Nitta by the tail and bites it before tying Nitta to the bottom rope.  Yoneyama stands on Nitta and stomps on her tail, Mongolian Chops by Yoneyama and she pushes Nitta to the mat.  Irish whip by Yoneyama but Nitta springboards off the ropes with an elbow.  Jumping elbow by Nitta in the corner, Irish whip and she hits another elbow for a two count.  Running knee by Yoneyama, she goes up top but Nitta elbows her off and Yoneyama falls to the floor.  Nitta gets on the apron and she hits an Asai Moonsault down to the floor.  Back in the ring Nitta goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick.  Cover, but Yoneyama kicks out.  Nitta goes for a suplex but Yoneyama elbows out of it, Backstabber by Nitta and she goes up to the second rope to hit a missile dropkick.  Side slam by Nitta but the cover gets two.  Nitta goes up top but Yoneyama rolls out of the way of the corkscrew senton.  Knee to the back of the head by Yoneyama and she hits a wrist-clutch Northern Lights Suplex for two.  Running senton by Yoneyama but that gets two as well.  Yoneyama picks up Nitta and elbows her in the back, but Nitta hits Yoneyama with her tail.  Bodyscissors into a rollup by Nitta but it gets a two count.  They trade quick pins with no luck, high kick by Yoneyama and she delivers the diving senton off the second turnbuckle for a two.  Yoneyama goes all the way up top this time, she nails another diving senton and she gets the three count!  This was better than I was expecting as aside from some tail play it was a straight match.  So that was a plus.  The middle lagged a bit but the end stretch was good and they gave us a definite ending which Nitta’s matches don’t always have.  A slightly above average match, not bad for the midcard.

Arisa Nakajima and Tsukasa Fujimoto vs. Otoko Sakari and Danshoku Dino
Sakari and Dino attack before the match starts and the action spills out of the ring.  Dino molests people while Nakajima and Fujimoto drag Sakari around the ring and make him moon the crowd.  Nakajima and Sakari get into the ring, stomps by Nakajima and she boots Sakari in the head.  Sakari comes back with a hip attack and he tags in Dino.  Nakajima tags in Fujimoto, Fujimoto elbows and chops Dino but Dino headbutts her.  Stomps by Dino and he tags in Sakari, Sakari hits a scoop slam and covers Fujimoto for two.  Dino is tagged back in, he slams Fujimoto as well before hitting a knee drop.  He tags in Sakari as they work over Fujimoto until she finally gets away and tags in Nakajima. Sakari hits a double crossbody on both of them but they bridge out of it and hit a double dropkick.  Nakajima picks up Sakari and hits some elbows, she goes off the ropes but Dino knees her from the apron.  Dino holds Nakajima but Nakajima moves and Sakari hits Dino by accident.  Fujimoto runs in as Nakajima dropkicks Sakari, they both go up to different turnbuckles and they both hit missile dropkicks.  Cover by Nakajima but it gets a two count.  Waistlock by Nakajima but Sakari shoves her off and hits a spinebuster.  Airplane Spin by Sakari and he tags in Dino.  Dino kicks Nakajima but she doesn’t fall into his pants, waistlock by Nakajima and she hits a DDT.  Running knee by Nakajima and she tags in Fujimoto.  Fujimoto kicks Dino in the back and hits a PK, but Sakari breaks up the cover.  Irish whip by Fujimoto and she dropkicks Dino in the corner.  Running dropkick by Fujimoto but Dino hits a scoop slam.  Brainbuster by Dino and he kicks Fujimoto, but Nakajima intercepts.  Dino knocks away Nakajima and he finally hits the Danshoku Driver, but Nakajima breaks up the cover.  Dino pulls down his pants and sits on the second turnbuckle, Sakari prepares Fujimoto but Nakajima comes in to help.  Fujimoto runs towards Sakari but she goes face-first into Dino’s ass.  Sakari crotches Fujimoto, cover, but it gets a two count.  Sakari tries to powerbomb Fujimoto but Fujimoto reverses it with a hurricanrana.  Fujimoto dropkicks Dino, Nakajima re-emerges and they both kick their opponents in the chest.  Fujimoto picks up Sakari and kicks him along with Nakajima, cover, but Sakari bridges up.  Fujimoto goes off the ropes, Sakari grabs her and sits on her face, but Nakajima kicks Sakari over and Fujimoto scores the roll-up three count pinfall!  I like Alexander Otsuka, not a big fan of Sakari and Dino’s thing got tired to me a long time ago.  So not how I’d prefer to watch Nakajima and Fujimoto.  The beatdown on Fujimoto wasn’t overly inspired and it seemed clunky at times.  Poor Fujimoto had to take the ass-based and crotch-based offense so I feel for her, but I still didn’t think the match was particularly entertaining.

(c) Mio Shirai and Tsukushi vs. Hamuko Hoshi and Mochi Miyagi
This match is for the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship.  Hoshi and Miyagi attack before the match starts, and they both hit body avalanches in the corner.  They both hit bulldogs, Hoshi covers Shirai but it gets a two count.  Shirai kicks Miyagi out of the ring and kicks Hoshi in the head before tagging in Tsukushi.  They both run over Hoshi’s back, Shirai puts Hoshi in a surfboard and Tsukushi runs on top of her.  Tsukushi picks up Hoshi but Hoshi hits a scoop slam. Body press by Hoshi and she tags in Miyagi.  They pound on Tsukushi in the corner and they both rub their bellies on her.  Scoop slam by Miyagi and she hits a seated senton.  Another seated senton and she throws down Tsukushi by her hair.  Tsukushi returns the favor and she stomps on Miyagi in the corner.  Tsukushi tags Shirai, Irish whip by Shirai and she hits a big boot. Another big boot by Shirai but Miyagi blocks the next one and hits a dragon screw.  Miyagi applies a kneelock, she Irish whips Shirai but Shirai flips out to the apron. Shirai holds Miyagi while Tsukushi feeds her Hoshi so she can apply a double hanging necklock.  Tsukushi then drops them both, they fall out of the ring and Tsukushi hits a plancha down onto Hoshi and Miyagi.   Miyagi is rolled back in and Shirai hits a missile dropkick for a two count.  Shirai pokes Miyagi in the eyes but Miyagi delivers a swinging side slam for two.  Running belly bump by Miyagi and she tags in Hoshi.  Hoshi hits her own running belly bump, slaps by Hoshi but Shirai boots her hard in the face.  Hoshi gets Shirai on her shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop, she goes up top but Tsukushi whacks her.  Miyagi cuts off Tsukushi but Shirai kicks Miyagi in the back of the head.  Shirai joins Hoshi up top and she superplexes her onto Miyagi.  Kick to the head by Shirai, cover, but Miyagi breaks it up.  Shirai headbutts Hoshi but Hoshi hits a lariat. 

Hoshi tags Miyagi while Shirai tags Tsukushi, footstomp by Tsukushi and she dropkicks Miyagi while she is against the ropes.  Tilt-a-whirl press by Tsukushi, Shirai comes in the ring and Tsukushi gets onto Shirai’s shoulders.  Footstomp by Tsukushi, she goes up top but Miyagi avoids the footstomp.  Hoshi comes in and body blocks everyone, then Hoshi and Miyagi squish their opponents against each other.  Miyagi hits a reverse splash on Tsukushi but Shirai breaks up the pin.  Hoshi runs in and lariats Shirai, Miyagi slowly gets up first but Tsukushi elbows her and they trade shots.  Tsukushi elbows Miyagi down to the mat, she goes off the ropes but Miyagi catches her with a Lou Thesz Press for two.  Miyagi goes to the second turnbuckle but Tsukushi joins her, she goes for a Frankensteiner but Miyagi catches her and nails the Avalanche Metabolic Sand.  Cover, but Shirai runs in to break it up.  Hoshi picks up Tsukushi and they go for a double backdrop suplex, but Tsukushi lands on her feet and Shirai kicks both of them in the head.  Tsukushi goes up top and hits the diving footstomp, cover, but it gets a two count.  Tsukushi picks up Miyagi but Miyagi rolls her up for a two count.  Metabolic Sand by Miyagi, cover, but Shirai kicks the referee to break the count.  Miyagi picks up Tsukushi but Shirai comes in and headbutts her.  Hurricanrana by Tsukushi but Hoshi breaks up the cover.  Tsukushi picks up Miyagi, she rebounds off the ropes and delivers the Harukaze, picking up the three count!  Shirai and Tsukushi are still your champions!  This match surprised me a bit.  Hoshi and Miyagi sometimes get on my nerves but there was no real comedy or messing around here, they were very focused.  Shirai and Tsukushi are both incredible to watch, they have some great moves and I loved the superplex by Shirai.  Tsukushi overcoming two Metabolic Sands to pick up the win was big, and overall I really enjoyed it.  Recommended

(c) Kurumi vs. Aoi Kizuki
This match is for the ICExInfinity Championship.  Kizuki works the headlock to start, I like Kizuki’s new outfit, very cute. No more green I guess.  Anyway they trade headlocks until Kurumi hits a backdrop suplex.  Shoulderblock by Kurumi and she rolls into a Cattle Mutilation but Kizuki gets a foot on the ropes.  Kizuki cartwheels away from Kurumi and hits Mongolian Chops, side headlock takedown by Kizuki and she twists on Kurumi’s leg.  Drop toehold by Kizuki and she hits a trio of sentons for a two count.  Kizuki applies a leg submission but Kurumi crawls to the ropes.  Irish whip by Kizuki but Kurumi blocks the crossbody, boot by Kurumi and she hits a footstomp to Kizuki’s back.  Dropkick by Kurumi and she covers Kizuki for two.  Back up they trade elbows, Kurumi charges Kizuki but Kizuki pulls down the rope and Kurumi tumbles out of the ring.  Kizuki goes up top and she dives out onto Kurumi with a plancha. Back in the ring Kizuki applies a crossface but Kurumi gets a hand on the ropes. Kurumi blocks the Wrist Armsault and she hits a spinning side slam for two.  Irish whip by Kurumi and she hits a powerslam, getting another two count.  Kurumi gets Kizuki on her shoulder and plants her on the mat, she goes for the cross armbreaker and gets it locked on but Kizuki rolls out of it.  Kurumi applies a choke instead but Kizuki gets to the ropes.  Kurumi charges Kizuki but Kizuki hits a lariat, she goes up top and she hits a diving lariat for a two count. Kizuki picks up Kurumi and she hits the Wrist Armsault, but Kurumi gets a shoulder up. Kizuki goes up top and delivers the Diving Swivel Body Press, but again Kurumi kicks out. Kizuki goes for a suplex but Kurumi blocks it, Kizuki goes off the ropes but Kurumi catches her with a release German suplex. Kizuki pops up and hits a suplex of her own, and both wrestlers are on the mat. Kurumi and Kizuki trade elbows, Kizuki goes off the ropes but Kurumi hits the Pounce. German Suplex Hold by Kurumi, but Kizuki kicks out. Kurumi goes up top and hits the diving body press, but it gets a two. Kurumi picks up Kizuki but Kizuki spins away and rolls up Kurumi. They trade quick pin attempts, Kizuki goes off the ropes but Kurumi hits a drop toehold followed by La Magistral for a two count. Crucifix Hold by Kizuki, she picks up Kurumi and delivers a cross-arm suplex. Kizuki goes up top and she nails the Nyan Nyan Press, picking up the three count pinfall! Kizuki is your new champion! This was a really good match and I loved seeing Kizuki bust out a 450 Splash. It just makes matches feel more important when wrestlers are really going all out, you don't see that move in Joshi too often. They kept a good pace, very little downtime, and they had great chemistry together. A fitting main event for a normal show and worth a watch. Recommended

This next match was a 'bonus' match on the card, so the title match was officially the main event. For whatever that matters.

Risa Sera, Kankuro Hoshino, and Masato Inaba vs. Maki Narumiya, Isami Kodaka, and Yuko Miyamoto
This is a Human Hair Deathmatch. Meaning there are boxes of hair around the ring. Japan can be a weird place. Miyamoto and Inaba start off, they end up on the mat but Miyamoto gets away and tags in Kodaka while Hoshino is also tagged in. They trade elbows before Hoshino hits a shoulderblock. They both tag in the ladies and Narumiya makes fun of Sera's hair (Sera had cut her hair before the match started to add to the hair box at ringside). Sera kicks her and throws down Narumiya by her hair. Narumiya gets out to the apron and snaps Sera's neck over the top rope and the action spills to the outside with all six brawling. Sera and Narumiya eventually return to the ring, slam by Narumiya and she tags in Kodaka. Kodaka goes up top but the teleprompter starts flashing which distracts him. Kodaka throws Narumiya into the corner and stomps on her before tagging in Miyamoto. Headlock by Miyamoto while he rakes Sera's face, and he tags in Narumiya. Narumiya applies a camel clutch but Hoshino walks in and breaks it up. Miyamoto is tagged back in, he puts some hair in the middle of the ring and hits a DDT onto it. Miyamoto pushes some hair into her face and tags in Kodaka, Kodaka stomps Sera but Sera fights back with elbows. Sera blocks a scoop slam and she hits one of her own. The teleprompter flashes again and it shows Hamuko Hoshi, so Hoshi comes down and lariats Kodaka and Narumiya. Miyamoto comes in so he gets a lariat too, she then poses on the mat but Kodaka kicks her in the head. Irish whip by Kodaka to Hoshi they get Hoshi on the apron, Narumiya comes in and pushes her into the box of hair. I am assuming they are doing the thing where a 'weapon' shows up on the screen and they have to use it, I just didn't see them use anything when the first picture was shown. Anyway, back to the match Kodaka is in there with Inaba and Kodaka hits a suplex. Kodaka tags in Miyamoto, and Miyamoto hits a lariat. The screen flashes and colored balls of some sort are shown, but Inaba grabs Miyamoto and tries to toss him over the top rope, but they both land on the apron.

They trade elbows on the apron, Hoshi is back however and knocks them both into the hair box. After some more around the ring brawling (and dancing), Miyamoto slides Inaba back in the ring and throws some hair at him. He does this a few more times but Inaba suplexes him and tags in Hoshino. Hoshino hits a body avalanche in the corner, he goes up top and he delivers a missile dropkick. Running senton by Hoshino but Kodaka comes in the ring, Hoshino elbows Kodaka but Kodaka applies a Tarantula over the top rope. Miyamoto then gets on the top rope and pours some type of liquid on him, and Miyamoto throws Hoshino into the hair box. He comes out covered in hair which is gross as well as a wig on, and he lariats Miyamoto. Hoshino tags in Sera while Narumiya also runs in, Sera hits the Schwein but it gets a two count. Sera goes up top as the pictures flash and stops on the boards. These are just blank boards so they attach some hair to them on the floor while Sera and Narumiya continue to battle in the ring. A board is slid into the ring and propped up in the corner, Narumiya tries to throw Sera into it but Sera reverses it and Narumiya goes into it instead. Sera props up the other board against the bottom rope and picks up Narumiya, but Narumiya slides away. Rocking Horse by Narumiya, Inaba comes in the ring but Kodaka knocks him out of it and hits a tope suicida. Narumiya and Sera trade elbows on the apron but they both fall into the box of hair. Sera and Narumiya return to the ring and keep trading elbows, Narumiya grabs Sera and goes for a suplex but Sera reverses it. Sera picks up Narumiya and she drops her onto the Board of Hair. Cover, but Miyamoto breaks it up. A schoolboy by Narumiya doesn't work, but she grabs Sera and applies the Dogyan Gaeshi, picking up the three count! I don't really know what to say about this. It was weird, and unique, but I don't think the word 'good' is one I would use. It was way too long for an odd gimmick match, and after two title matches it just felt out of place. I wouldn't have minded this match not existing, which I guess isn't a glowing endorsement.

Final Thoughts:

This event was a bit more hit and miss than the last event. What they did was spread the wrestlers I think are average (or worse) between all of the undercard matches which hurt the match quality. The tag title match was shockingly good, I may be over-rating it because I adore Mio but I thought it was really solid as was the ICExInfinity Championship match, but most of the rest of the card was average at best. So I think the title matches are both worth watching for sure but the rest can be skipped and you won't really miss anything, even though Toyota is of course a legend and watching her wrestle is never a bad thing.

Grade: C+ 

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event reviewed on 7/10/15