Welcome back to my reviews of ChocoProLIVE! Brought to us by Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling. Today’s episode is the first of Golden Week so, we are getting four editions of ChocoPro this week. Stay tuned to see my reviews of ChocoProLIVE! 370,371 & 372 later this week.

On May 30th Gatoh Move will air it’s next Road To Korakuen Hall, where BestBro’s Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki will face Hyakura Thunders Emi Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi for the Asia Dream Tag team championships. Takanashi will continue his quest for a win against BestBro’s today as he teams with Antonio Honda against the duo in our main event.

Todays episode will also celebrate the fourteenth wrestling anniversary of the awesome Sayaka Obihiro!!! Obi will team with Chie today as we get POPCORN CARNIVAL (best name ever) in action against PROMINENCE roster member and deathmatch queen Hiragi Kurumi and Tiger Jeet Shinjuku inside the Chocolate square. A very exciting episode ahead so, without further ado, lets get into some ChocoPro!

The show starts with BestBro’s welcoming us to the show, as usual they run down our card (which features the above as well as Sayaka v Erii Kanae) . Mei rallies the crowd before Akki introduces us to a pre-show three minute exhibition match between Miya Yotsuba and Hiyori (A new trainee who will be wrestling a few of these exhibition matches in the coming week). Miya Yotsuba wins after a quick but entertaining back and forth.

Sayaka Obihiro & Chie Koishikawa v Hiragi Kurumi & Tiger Jeet Shinjuku

Pre Match Thoughts: I am always so excited to see the amazing Popcorn Carnival in action, so I’m already going into this with high hopes, Chie & Obi just have so much charisma and chemistry you can never go wrong. Hiragi Kurumi is awesome in every way both in deathmatches but also outside of them; they are a great opponent for Popcorn Carnival especially when celebrating Obi’s 14th wrestling anniversary. I’m new to Tiger Jeet Shinjuku so lets see what they bring to the match.

Summary: Kurumi and Tiger make their entrance with Tiger entering the Chocolate square then immediately jumping through the window out the building. As popcorn carnival make their entrance Tiger returns to ambush the two stealing (and trying to eat) Chie’s sword, he then proceeds to wander out the building with Chie turning up on the outside whilst Obi and Kurumi begin our match. Balliyan Akki is the ref.

Kurumi and Obi lock up and exchange takedowns, Obi tries some shoulder checks but can’t take Kurumi down till she goes for the knee. Obi completes her takedown with, I guess the only way to describe it is, a thrust before a rolling shoulder check. Obi is then halted by Tiger before Chie returns through the window to make the save.

Back on the mat, it’s Kurumi and Chie legal, Tiger tags in landing some tough knees but only getting a two. Chie fights back but can’t overpower Tiger who has her in an arm lock. Chie manages to reverse this but Tiger (who reverses her arm lock by running on all fours and pouncing like a tiger) is able to ground Chie and tag Kurumi in. Obi is forced to break the count as Kurumi and Tiger work on Chie’s back with some stiff strikes and a claw submission to the back.

Chie rallies with a (trumpets everyone) CHOPFEST!!!!! She’s able to tag in Obi who takes on both Tiger and Kurumi getting a near fall with two vicious chops on Tiger. Kurumi is in now and hits a splash against the wall before the double stomp gets a two count. Kurumi tries for a piledriver but Chie comes in with two chops that allow Obi to get a roll up but it’s a two count once again.

Popcorn Carnival perform a DOUBLE CHOPFEST!!!!!! but even that can’t put Kurumi down and she fights back. Tiger tags in and hits a flying knee on Obi but Chie breaks it up. Kurumi throws Chie outside, literally, before Tiger gets a claw in on Obi but can’t submit her. Obi and Tiger exchange rollup attempts before Obi manages to get the three!!!

Winner Popcorn Carnival by Pinfall

Stitch’s Rating: 4/5 Choco’s. I love this, so much action, storytelling and charisma. Hard to keep up with at times with so much action but a really really solid match. Tiger brought the monster Prescence which worked so well with Kurumi and Popcorn Carnival just showing how good they are. A really really good opener.

Kurumi shakes hands with Popcorn following the match.

Sayaka v Erii Kanae

Pre Match Thoughts: This is a match with a lot of potential, Sayaka is just brutal in the ring with some of the fiercest strikes in ChocoPro, whilst Erii Kanae is a great opponent for her as she has loads of charisma, is so quick and explosive, Erii is a rookie and new to Gatoh Move so it’s great to see her progress here, she’s got so much potential.

Summary: The two shake hands and the match begins. Lockups to start with as Sayaka begins working on the arm of Erii who reverses to her own armhold but Sayaka locks in a head lock. It’s quite even at this point with Sayaka always trying to take the initiative but Erii keeps fighting back and reversing.

Erii locks in a camel clutch but Sayaka fights out and locks in her own clutch, Sayaka shows her brutal side by applying the clutch using Erii’s hair. Sayaka takes a few punches from Erii before flooring her competitor and hitting two brutal knees to the back whilst posing.

Sayaka goes for a suplex as she attacks the back but Erii hits one of her trademark spears, a dropkick follows but that’s only good enough for the two count. Sayaka stamps on Erii and sends her into the wall but Erii manages to dodge a splash to the wall and hits another spear before her Boston crab is broken by Sayaka getting to the wall. Sayaka locks in a submission of her own with a figure four-esque move as Erii just gets her foot on the wall.

Erii goes for another spear but it’s dodged and she is thrown into the wall, Sayaka hits a body slam but it’s not enough for the three count. Sayaka locks in the Boston Crab once more and this time it gets the win.

Winner Sayaka by Submission

Stitch’s Rating: 3/5 Choco’s. A good back and forth match that, to me, showcased how good Erii is. I love Sayaka but wow did Erii shine here and I think Sayaka had a lot to do with that. A really well paced match that told a good story, the ruthless Sayaka was just always one step ahead of Erii but oh did Erii come so close. I hope we see these two again because this was great.

BestBro’s Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki v Masahiro Takanashi & Antonio Honda

Pre Match Thoughts: Suruga & Akki have been on fire recently but Takanashi has been a thorn in their side, Takanashi & Honda got a huge win last week and are a very strong team. Both men, part of the DDT unit Schadenfreude, will give the champs a run for their money here, I can really see Takanashi stealing a win here he’s been so close against BestBro’s and with a title shot coming up maybe Takanashi will finally get his win.

Summary: Takanashi and Honda make their entrance with Honda wearing a BRIGHT YELLOW wig!! Oh this is wonderful already. Honda cuts his promo by just laughing through most of it which is hilarious. Someone build a statue to Antonio Honda please, please. Suruga & Akki make their entrance and Chie will be our referee.

Takanashi and Akki will start us off here as the two lock up. Takanashi gets in the first bit of offence with an arm bar but, Akki fights out of it by lifting Takanashi up and nicely placing him on the window ledge, how kind of him. Honda is in, (I believe he is cosplaying Emi Sakura which is just hilarious!) he starts singing as he enters a test of strength with Mei. Mei manages to win, pulling off an arm drag after jumping off the window ledge and floors Honda.

Honda hits a trade mark time out after hitting a handstand and mimics drinking tea, Honda starts the Kenny Omega chant before his cheeky finger move is countered with BestBro’s hitting a splash on the wall. Takanashi comes in as the match descends into chaos, Honda (or Hondakura if you will) chokes Mei with a scarf as well as hitting poor Chie!!!

Mei fights back with a scarf before Takanashi also joins in the scarf brutality. Everyone heads outside before Akki hits Honda with a fan (as in the device not a person). Then, Honda is holding a chair on his head and also using it like a steering wheel no clue what’s happening here but it’s glorious.

We get back into the Chocolate square, as Mei and Honda continue their fight, Mei tries a bulldog but Honda’s wig comes off!!! Takanashi returns to help Honda throw BestBro’s into the wall, cue the ‘We Will Rock You’ chant as Honda hits a splash.

Akki is in as he tries to throw Mei onto Takanashi but Honda makes the save with a claw to the back, Takanashi and Akki face off and we get a Takanashi nose grab woooo!!! Akki locks in a sharpshooter as Hondakura leads a sing along in the corner. This is very hard to keep track off but oh is it amazing. Do check this out, it is phenomenal.

Hondakura is in and throws both Akki and Mei across the ring, he goes for an arm bar but Mei breaks it up, Akki gets a roll up on Honda but it only gets a two. Now we get a ‘We Are The Champions’ sing-a-long as Honda and Akki face off, it’s a chop off everyone!!! Honda goes for the piledriver but sells his back, he gets a roll up on Akki but Mei once again makes the save.

Mei and Akki double team Honda hitting a double roll up with them both getting the three to end a hell of a match.

Winners: BestBro’s By Pinfall

Stitch’s Rating: 4.5/5 Choco’s. This was just pure entertainment, the match never slowed and had so many hilarious moments from Emi Hondakura, to our Queen sing alongs, to the section where everyone hit each other with scarfs. It was just excellent, there was some brilliant wrestling too, it was arguably the best match, entertainment wise, I have seen on ChocoPro so far.

Janken Tournament (Rock, Paper Scissors)

• Yotsuba beat Akki
• Takanashi beat Sayaka
• Suruga beat Kurumi
• Erii beat Honda
• Erii beat Obi
• Chie beat Sayaka
• Takanashi beat Erii
• Mei beat Chie
• Takanashi beat Chie

Takanashi wins Janken Tournament

Cue the sing song, see you soon for the next episode of ChocoPro where Baliyan Akki will face Tokiko Kirihara, Chon Shiryu and Mei Suruga will face Nonoka Seto and Sayaka Obihiro and Saki will face Erii Kanae.

Final Rating: 4/5 Choco’s: What a start to Golden week, three really enjoyable, fun matches that had great storytelling, great wrestling with some amazing comedy wrestling that just complimented the show. The highlight was the main event but every match had their moments, Erii really stood out for me on this episode, her match with Sayaka may get overshadowed by the mental but brilliant tag matches but the story in this was so well played out. A real sleeper match for me, a great show all in all can’t wait for the next.