Welcome back to ChocoPro and to the conclusion of the Episode 200 festivities. On Day One, we saw Best Bros pushed to their limits against Ochazuke Sisters and now, Akki was going to have to shake off the damage to make his Interim Super Asia Title the real deal in a title Unification match with the champion who never lost, Minoru Fujita. Alongside that, Mei Suruga had to contend with the Big Kaiju Shoko Nakajima, Sayaka Obihiro teamed with Kappa Kozo against Shin Black Comaneci, Chie Koishikawa and Yuko Sakurai were back together for a bout with Makoto and Sayaka and lastly, Rina Yamashita returned to ChocoPro to team with Yuna Mizumori against Hoshitango and Masahiro Takanashi. It was a stacked show and there was a lot to break down so let’s waste no more time and get into the action.
Kappa Kozo & Sayaka Obihiro defeated Shin White Comaneci (Tokiko Kirihara & Antonio Honda) via Obihiro Magic on Kirihara
Today’s show was opened by two pairs of the unholy battling it out. The dulcet tones of Shin White Comaneci as they prepared to face a new evil, Kappa Kozo and Sayaka Obihiro. After battling Kozo throughout the recent seasons, Obihiro had opted to team with the devious being instead. They didn’t even let Comaneci finish their song, attacking before the entrances were done. The pair brutalised Kirihara with all manner of evil attacks, even biting Honda when he interfered. The carnage was only calmed by the power of a Comaneci song. Just as Kozo and Obihiro drifted to sleep, White Comaneci struck and we had ourselves a proper heavy metal fight. Kirihara had been unleashed but her kicks weren’t affecting the Kappa. Honda was having no luck either, the Kappa was just too strong. Honda decided to channel the power of a Kappa himself and won over Kozo with the power of dance. That led to a successful bionic elbow and both tagging out. Kirihara and Obihiro went strike wild and Kirihara fended off both foes. Alas, her Judo Throw wasn’t enough so they turned to their props. The hammer stunned Kozo but the fans only caused friendly fire and Obihiro took the win with Obihiro Magic on a dazed Kirihara. The new evil alliance had won their debut fight. Obihiro and Kozo had a wealth of chemistry and charisma and destroyed White Comaneci for most of the fight. It was perfect for an opening clash and celebrated the comedy of the Comaneci whilst leaving us with a new tag team threat in the division.
Yuko Sakurai & Chie Koishikawa defeated Sayaka & Makoto via Muffler Hold on Sayaka
Next up was the return of two heavy hitters to the division. First up, Chie Koishikawa had another of her regular tag partners back in the form of COLOURS powerhouse, Yuko Sakurai and across from them, Sayaka was teaming with a former foe, Makoto. The last time Makoto was in ChocoPro, she destroyed with her mix of power and Lucha, were we going to see a repeat performance here? Koishikawa had an extra layer of intensity today so everyone was intimidated to be on the mat with her. They opened with the usual mix of competitive chain wrestling and Makoto got the first pop at Koishikawa, using her strength advantage to keep that energy contained, even busting out the Paradise Lock on her. Koishikawa continued to be pummelled by both foes and found both Sayaka and Makoto styling on her. Sakurai came to the rescue and we got more inventive teamwork from the pair as Koishikawa chopped a Camel Clutched Sayaka. She escaped the match with a slam and Makoto got to have more fun, showing off more of that fast and vicious flying ability. Again though, it didn’t last as Koishikawa and Sakurai quickly found a way to turn the tables. Gone was this idea that Koishikawa was going to be a punching bag. Sakurai and Makoto put on one hell of a battle of the titles as Koishikawa and Sayaka tried to stop the other from interfering. A Suplex spot knackered both fighters so Sayaka and Koishikawa got the closing stretch of the match.
Big bodyslam from Sayaka#ChocoPro200 #gtmv pic.twitter.com/aG15EhV980
— Rylino (@FlyingVTrigger) February 13, 2022
Sayaka tried to win with her crab and Koishikawa tried to win with the muffler but neither hold could get the job done. Makoto and Sayaka unleashed double-team brutality with dual strikes but Koishikawa was able to withstand and deliver the Demon Chop. Sakurai saved the day again as Koishikawa was tied in a knot and a malfunction at the junction saw Makoto punt kick her own partner and allow Koishikawa to lock on the Muffler for the win. That’s two massive wins this weekend for Koishikawa. This time over Sayaka with the Muffler finally getting another win. Damn, this match hit hard and kept things exciting. We had two excellent teams doing excellent work. Sakurai and Makoto sadly aren’t regulars so when they show up, they always bring their best.
Rina Yamashita & Yuna Mizumori defeated Masahiro Takanashi & Hoshitango via Jig and Tonic Supergirl on Takanashi
Things got heavy metal next as Yuna Mizumori, the Tropical Fairy switched out idol music for metal by teaming with the Deathmatch Amazon, Rina Yamashita. They were the team to be feared but, they were going against the equally fearsome Hoshitango and the current ChocoPro big boss, Masahiro Takanashi. This was going to get competitive, with Hoshitango once again being the biggest target to take out. Takanashi tried to open with a technical masterclass but didn’t anticipate Yamashita being able to keep up and found his repaired leg the target. They reached a stalemate and unleashed their tag partners, Mizumori desperately trying to bring down Hoshitango with takedowns and Sumo wrestling. Neither yielded results and the latter saw Hoshitango knock Mizumori on her ass. Yamashita tried to her hand to and achieved a similar result. Even working together, they couldn’t bring him down. Takanashi tried to pick the bones but his cockiness got the better of him and the pair both beat him down after a dance, even grinding a pineapple into his face. Yamashita wanted to take the hardcore further but everyone stopped her. The pineapple kept coming into play until Yamashita stopped for a snack and got run over by Hoshitango, who’d grown tired of the shenanigans.
Rina was just enjoying the pineapple#ChocoPro200 #gtmv pic.twitter.com/6HXYN1KtT2
— Rylino (@FlyingVTrigger) February 13, 2022
Tango and Takanashi took their frustrations out on Mizumori, even posing on her back to add insult to the injuries. Yamashita was sure to make them pay once she was brought back in and unleashed the full might of the Amazon on her foes. Sadly for her, Hoshitango was more than able to tank it and hurt her all the more. However, she kept persisting and with a bit of help from Mizumori, finally took him out of the equation with brutal lariats. Takanashi wouldn’t let the fight end there though and we got another wave of frantic back-and-forth as all four fighters in the match continuously worked to put the other away. It was a car crash of technical counter wrestling, double team, and raw striking with no one going down. After taking an absolute beating, Mizumori got the win with the Supergirl after Yamashita brained Takanashi with the Jig and Tonic. It had been a hell of a war with Mizumori finally getting her big win of the weekend. She had withstood the might of Takanashi and Hoshitango and beaten them both with the help of her Tropical Amazon, Rina Yamashita. This was vicious, wild, and very stiff so there was a lot to love. It’s always fun to watch people try to chop down Hoshitango and this was no exception. Yamashita always manages to fit in well when she comes to Ichigaya and I’d love to see more of the Tropical Amazons.
Shoko Nakajima defeated Mei Suruga via Bridging Northern Lights
The next newcomer to Ichigaya had caused an earthquake on entry. The windows rattled and the ground shook as the Big Kaiju Shoko Nakajima had come to the Chocolate Square to fight the Big Apple, Mei Suruga. This was going to get wild as both fighters are fast, furious, and will fight to the end. We even had a special guest referee as Sawasdee Kamen was officiating this fight between Godzilla and Mothra. This was one of the most evenly-matched fights of the show as they started with a similar style of chain grappling and found that neither had much of an advantage. Suruga of course used goblin tactics to get her way whilst also busting out rarer moves like the Mini Spider. Nakajima didn’t take this lying down and drew on her experience and striking ability to punish Suruga and control the pacing of the match. Suruga met this challenge the same way she met every challenge, with a smirk and a whole host of fast strikes and quicker counters, trying to give Nakajima the proper ChocoPro welcome. It all lead to a hyper-competitive, fun, and compelling bout as Suruga tried to repel another invader from her home turf. Whenever she battles someone from TJPW, she always brings an extra level of intensity with her and this again was reflected by the new and different moves she brought into the fray.
She has to be stopped#ChocoPro200 #gtmv pic.twitter.com/y6SQvpZJx1
— Rylino (@FlyingVTrigger) February 13, 2022
Nakajima managed to make the Chocolate Square her own and didn’t seem phased by the lack of a ring, using the walls, windows, and mat like any Ichigaya regular. It was all great fun to watch and compelling to see the comparisons and contrasts between the two fighters as the fight went on. Both refused to slow down and both kept beating the hell out of each other. It wouldn’t be a Suruga match without biting and she made sure to sample both Nakajima’s arms and her tail. This really did become edge of your seat action as tempers flared and both just kept throwing out bomb after bomb. This is a must-see encounter for any TJPW or ChocoPro fan. It showcased the best of both companies in the confines of ChocoPro and gives Suruga her first match of the season contender. As has become another sad tradition, Suruga lost here but damn did she not make Nakajima work for her win. Goddamn this rocked and I hope to hell Shoko Nakajima comes around again. Especially as Suruga seems to have taken a liking to her. Who knows where an alliance like that could lead?
Super Asia Title Unification: Baliyan Akki defeated Minoru Fujita via Chair Pile Namaste Chair Splash
Last but not least, the main event. The last time Minoru Fujita and Baliyan Akki met, they put on one of the matches of the year. Now, it was time to do that again as the interim champion, Baliyan Akki met the champion who never lost for a title unification match. Whoever won here today left with everything. It was all or nothing and Akki was ready to step up, take out the corrupted Fujita, and become the full-fledged face of the company. He could leave here with both of Gatoh Move’s top titles. They picked up right where they left off by throwing hands with reckless abandon. It was purely aggressive physicality from the start as hatred and desire to be the best took over everything else. Fujita slowed the pace down and mercilessly tried to snuff out Akki’s flame with a multitude of chokes, stomps, and chops. When that didn’t work, he went right for Akki’s arm. In retaliation, Akki picked at a knee and tried to cripple Fujita. Both now had a target to focus on when they weren’t just trying to KO each other. It just kept getting nastier the longer it went on as the pair ignored pins, and going for the kill so they could just keep hammering away and doing more damage. More often than not, this led to both guys flat on their faces and referee Kamen administering the ten-count. This wasn’t just contained to the studio as the pair continued to pummel each other in the alley, Akki adopting the goblin tactics on Fujita and vice versa. Even outside, Fujita’s stool antics continued as he tossed Akki from the window into a pile of them. In some twisted play for power, we even saw Fujita busting out corrupted versions of everyone’s favourite moves including Tropical Yahho, We Will Rock You, and Shiryu’s double knees. That third one messed him up though as all he hit was the wall, giving Akki a way back in. Fujita held on though and nailed it on a second attempt. Akki tried to go for the kill but his leg had been compromised and had to improvise since he couldn’t wall run.
Borrowing some tricks#ChocoPro200 #gtmv pic.twitter.com/yb68OG47TW
— Rylino (@FlyingVTrigger) February 13, 2022
Things just kept getting more extreme as they continued to abuse each other with the wall, pulled up the mat for harsh landings onto the bare floor, and even took the fight outside in to the street where Akki stole the show by diving off the roof to put Fujita through a table. They really were going anywhere and everywhere with this one, Akki showing he wasn’t afraid to get hardcore and risk it all for the title. The pair limped back into the studio and battled through the exhaustion to keep battering each other. They just kept slugging, kicking, and dropping the other on hard objects, Akki even breaking a chair with Fujita’s back. That allowed him to nail the Namaste Press but he was too Fujita beat the ten-count. Akki did the same with Sayonara so the pair upped the ante with a chair pile. Fujita tried to Sayonara Akki again but he countered into one of his own and ended things with a Chair Assisted Namaste Splash. Akki had won. He finally beat the one man that he’d never truly beaten in singles action. They tore up the building, broken multiple bits of furniture, and had what might just be the most hardcore match in ChocoPro history. Akki had put it all on the line and reaped the ultimate reward. He’d gone from getting his ass kicked by legends of the business to being the face of the company. With both the Asia Dream Tag Titles and the Super Asia Title in his possession, he’d ascended to the top of it all. As ChocoPro celebrates 200 episodes, Akki celebrates a dream fully realised. That is how you end a celebration with the boy who dreamed finally getting the recognition he deserves. I will say it again, Baliyan Akki is one of the best out there right now. He can adapt to any situation, any style, and now, he’s the face of the company. Congratulations Baliyan Akki, you earned this.
All images courtesy of Gatoh Move, DOGU, FlyingVTrigger, Video courtesy of Gatoh Move YouTube