I have gotten a bit behind in my Stardom viewing, but there wasn’t any way I was skipping this event. In May, it was announced that Io Shirai had (finally) signed with WWE and would have her last match in Stardom on June 17th. For the special occasion, she is teaming with her old friend Mayu Iwatani to rejoin Thunder Rock for perhaps the last time as they face off against the evil Oedo Tai. Also on the show, Momo Watanabe defends her new title against Jungle Kyona in the main event. Here is the full card:

• Kaori Yoneyama and Ruaka vs. Leo Onozaki and Natsuko Tora
• Hanan vs. Natsu Sumire
• AZM and Konami vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid
• Deonna Purrazzo and Zoe Lucas vs. Saki Kashima and Tam Nakano
• Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hazuki and Kagetsu
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe vs. Jungle Kyona

All wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it. As I am watching the Samurai TV version of the show, some matches will be clipped.

Kaori Yoneyama and Ruaka vs. Leo Onozaki and Natsuko Tora

Leo and Natsuko attack from behind before the bell rings, they single out Kaori and Ruaka jumps on Kaori’s back as they all pose on her. So Ruaka isn’t the best teammate. Things settle down with Kaori and Leo in the ring and Kaori throws down Leo by the hair, Kaori stands on Leo’s shoulders in the corner and she hits a series of Mongolian Chops. Leo hits a scoop slam, cover by Leo but it gets a two count. Leo goes up top as Ruaka is in the ring, Natsuko comes in and she hits a spear on both Kaori and Ruaka. Diving crossbody by Leo to Ruaka, but it gets a two count. A cradle by Leo also gets a two as Kaori breaks it up, Natsuko returns but Kaori and Ruaka gain the advantage. Ruaka goes off the ropes and boots Leo in the face, but Leo barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Fisherman Suplex Hold by Ruaka, and she picks up the three count! Kaori Yoneyama and Ruaka pick up the win.

A basic match, and a bit clipped, but fine enough for an opener. From the little I have seen I like Leo a lot, she has a lot of energy and at least from the matches I’ve watched she seems pretty fluid in the ring. Obviously can’t get too excited about a clipped five minute match but the rookies are coming along pretty well.

Hanan vs. Natsu Sumire

Hanan desperately wants a handshake before the match but Natsu refuses. Eventually Natsu relents but Hanan kicks her in the stomach, Hana goes off the ropes but Natsu does too and hits a jumping neck drop. Natsu picks up Hanan and puts her in the ropes before putting her in a choke hold, she lets go long enough to run off the ropes and boot Hanan in the back of the head. Natsu picks up Hanan and throws her into the corner, running elbow by Natsu and she delivers the Bronco Buster. Natsu gets her whip and hits Hanan repeatedly with it, but the referee finally grabs it, giving Hanan time to dropkick the whip out of the ring. Judo throw by Hanan and she dropkicks Natsu in the corner, STO by Hanan and she hits two more. Cradle by Hanan, but Natsu kicks out of the cover. Natsu gets Hanan’s back and applies a modified Dragon Sleeper before hitting a reverse DDT. Natsu picks up Hanan and delivers a modified Blockbuster Hold for the three count! Natsu Sumire is the winner.

Poor 13 year old Hanan, once you take a Bronco Buster and get whipped in the ring I guess you are officially a pro wrestler. Hanan got in a few spots as one would hope but this was mostly the Natsu show. Natsu is not a high end wrestler, never has been and probably never will be, but her character is solid and she’ll have a place on Stardom’s midcard for the long term. A decent enough match but nothing that will stick in your brain for more than five minutes as it was pretty predictable and low level.

AZM and Konami vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid and AZM kick things off, Irish whip by AZM but Starlight Kid reverses it and they go through a fast exchange with Starlight Kid ending it with a dropkick. Shiki comes in the ring to help and they both dropkick AZM, double Irish whip to AZM but Konami runs in and helps AZM even the odds. AZM picks up Starlight Kid and tags Konami as they double team Starlight Kid in the corner, Konami snapmares Starlight Kid and kicks her hard in the back. Dropkick to the head by Konami and she covers Starlight Kid for two. AZM is tagged back in, scoop slam by AZM and she puts Starlight Kid in a camel clutch as Konami runs in to dropkick her. AZM goes off the ropes and hits a dropkick of her own, cover by AZM but Starlight Kid bridges out of it and hits a crossbody. AZM bridges out of that but Shiki immediately dropkicks her, Starlight Kid goes off the ropes and dropkicks AZM before hitting a standing moonsault for a two count. Shiki comes in again after AZM has tagged out, Tiger Feint Kick by Starlight Kid to Konami and she hits a Shiranui out of the corner. Missile dropkick by Shiki and she rolls up Konami, but AZM breaks up the cover. Shiki picks up Konami and goes off the ropes, but Konami quickly applies a Fujiwara Armbar. Starlight Kid breaks it up, AZM comes in and she kicks Starlight Kid in the head. Strike combination by Konami to Shiki and she hits a vertical suplex, AZM comes in and they both dropkick Shiki. Kick to the head by Konami, she flings Shiki to the mat and puts her in a seated armbar, making Shiki tap out! Queen’s Quest win!

I’ve said this about other wrestlers in the past, but if Starlight Kid sticks to wrestling (her exact age is unknown but probably around 16) she could be legit down the road as she has a natural smoothness to her that can’t be taught. As is the theme so far, this was a short match that was slightly clipped further, but I enjoyed what I saw. Shiki is the weakest link of this foursome but they asked the least from her, so everything meshed together pretty well. Worth watching to see the progression of AZM and Starlight Kid, they’ve grown a lot in the last year and hopefully they will continue to do so.  Mildly Recommended

Deonna Purrazzo and Zoe Lucas vs. Saki Kashima and Tam Nakano

Deonna and Saki start for their respective teams, Irish whip by Saki and she hits a springboard armdrag off the ropes. Deonna cartwheels over Saki and hits an armdrag, they both miss dropkicks before facing off again in the middle of the ring. They tag out, Zoe and Tam trade kick attempts until Zoe connects with one and drags Deonna back in. Double Irish whip to Tam and she eats a double flapjack, cover by Deonna but it gets two. Deonna goes off the ropes but Tam catches her with a kick to the head, she goes for a scoop slam but Deonna blocks it. Tam puts Deonna in position for a reverse DDT, Zoe tries to block it but Tam DDTs both of them for her trouble. Saki comes in, double Irish whip to the gaijin both are hit with Stunners. Saki and Tam go off the ropes and both hit dropkicks, Tam goes for a kick on Deonna but Deonna ducks it and knees Tam in the stomach. Side Russian Leg Sweep by Deonna and she goes for Tam’s arm, but Tam blocks it and kicks Deonna in the head. Deonna comes back with a head kick of her own, both wrestler tag out and Saki trades elbows with Zoe. Zoe throws Saki into the corner and delivers a running kick, scissors kick by Zoe but Tam breaks up the cover. Saki picks up Zoe and hits a bridging double underhook suplex, but Zoe gets a shoulder up. Saki picks up Zoe but Deonna comes in, Deonna picks up Saki and puts her in the Tree of Woe. Zoe dropkicks Saki while she is hung up, cover by Zoe but Saki kicks out. Zoe picks up Saki but Saki elbows her off, Unprettier by Saki and she picks up the three count! Saki Kashima and Tam Nakano are your winners.

We are really flying through these first four matches, as we are only 30 minutes into the two hour broadcast. As with the first three matches, this was a short match that was clipped down further. The most noticeable thing to me here was that Zoe seems to have improved from the last time I saw her, her offense looked pretty crisp and she didn’t look out of place with the other wrestlers. They worked well together, although they could have clipped out any awkward moments, and for a five meeting airing they did as good a job as one could hope for. I can’t really recommend hunting down matches of this length/presentation but ok for a casual view.

Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hazuki and Kagetsu

Io and Hazuki begin, Io pushes Hazuki into the ropes and gives a clean break, but Hazuki immediately locks back up with her. They trade headlocks and then elbows, Hazuki goes off the ropes but Io delivers a dropkick. Io picks up Hazuki and they reach a stalemate, leading to Io tagging in Mayu. Kagetsu is tagged in too, shoulderblock by Kagetsu to Mayu and she stomps her in the back when Mayu pancakes. Mayu tosses Kagetsu into the corner but Kagetsu avoids her charge, Mayu slides out to the apron however and kicks Kagetsu to the middle of the ring. She goes off the ropes but Hana trips her from the floor and pulls Mayu out of the ring. Mayu is thrown into some chairs as both teams battle around the ring and into the stands, Kagetsu and Mayu return after a moment along with Hazuki as they double team Mayu. Kagetsu picks up Mayu and spits water in her face, the referee complains but she spits water at him as well. She tags in Hazuki and Hazuki tosses down Mayu by the hair, bootscrapes by Hazuki but Io grabs her when she goes for the boot. Kagetsu pulls Io into the ring and throws her into the corner, leading to both Kagetsu and Hazuki hitting bootscrapes followed by running boots. Kagetsu and Hazuki double team Mayu before the referee manages to restore order, Hazuki slaps at Mayu and hits a few elbows, but Mayu sneaks in a Sling Blade and makes the hot tag to Io. Io hits a running elbow on Hazuki in the corner, double knee by Io but Hazuki fires back with a running elbow. Kagetsu comes in but Io flips away from both of them and hits a double dropkick, Kagetsu and Hazuki fall out of the ring and Io goes for a dive, but Kagetsu hits Io in the head with a metal plate as she goes for the move.

Kagetsu and Hazuki bring Io and Mayu up into the crowd but Thunder Rock gain the advantage, Io gets up on the top of the balcony and hits a moonsault down onto Kagetsu and Hazuki. Io returns to the ring and Mayu slides in Hazuki, Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she delivers the swandive dropkick for a two count. Scoop slam by Io, she goes up top but Hazuki recovers and shakes the ropes so that Io falls into the Tree of Woe. Hazuki grabs Io and goes for the tombstone, Io reverses positions with her but Hazuki rolls out of it and hits the Codebreaker. Hazuki is up first and she slides out to the apron, hitting a swandive dropkick of her own for two. Hazuki tags in Kagetsu, kicks by Kagetsu to Io and she goes for the Ebisu Drop, but Io lands on her feet and hits an elbow. She goes for a double underhook facebuster but Kagetsu blocks it, palm thrust by Io and she hits a running double knee in the corner. Cover by Io, but it gets a two count. Io goes up for the moonsault but Natsu spits water on her from the apron, Kagetsu gets a metal sign and hits Mayu and Io with it. Kagetsu picks up Io and delivers a high kick, Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu and she covers Io, but the referee won’t count due to all the cheating. Kagetsu keeps cheating anyway as things completely break down, Io ends up in the corner and virtually the entire roster comes in to take turns attacking Io in the corner (or hugging her, depending on their preference). Mayu comes in and gets her turn too as she dropkicks her own partner and hits her with a standing moonsault. Cover by Kagetsu, but Mayu breaks it up. Kagetsu picks up Io but Io cradles her, Kagetsu muscles Io back up however and she hits a vertical suplex for two.

Kagetsu grabs Io around the throat but Io reverses the chokeslam attempt into a hurricanrana, double underhook facebuster by Io and she covers Kagetsu for two. Io rolls to her corner and tags in Mayu, Mayu picks up Kagetsu and she delivers a kick combination followed by a standing crucifix bomb. Mayu goes up top but Hazuki runs in and suplexes Mayu back down to the mat, Hazuki and Kagetsu both grab Mayu but Io comes in with a swandive dropkick onto both of her opponents. Mayu picks up Kagetsu and superkicks her while Io hits palm thrusts, dragon suplex hold by Mayu but Hazuki breaks it up with a running senton. Hazuki then DDTs Io, Hazuki charges Kagetsu and Kagetsu catapults her onto Mayu for an assisted senton. Kagetsu elbows Mayu in the corner and Hazuki follows with a Codebreaker, Hazuki slams Mayu in front of the corner and Kagetsu nails the Oedo Coaster, but Io breaks up the cover. Hazuki charges Io but Io backdrops her out of the ring, she then dives out on Hazuki with a plancha suicida. Back in the ring, Mayu runs up the corner but loses her balance, so she jumps out onto the apron and kicks Hazuki from there instead. Back in the ring, Io goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she then goes up top with Mayu and both of them hit stereo missile dropkicks. Cover by Mayu, but Kagetsu kicks out. Mayu picks up Kagetsu but Hazuki returns, Io grabs Hazuki however after some palm strikes as Mayu goes up top and they drop her with a spike tombstone piledriver. Mayu then grabs Kagetsu while Io goes up top and they give her a spike piledriver as well, Io goes to the turnbuckle again and delivers a moonsault. Mayu picks up Kagetsu from behind and nails her version of the dragon suplex hold, and she picks up the three count! Thunder Rock win!

Matches like these are hard to “rate” as there are so many different elements to them. Aside from Mayu’s slip-up, the match was very smooth and well executed, as all four wrestlers have great chemistry and have wrestled each other many times. Io had the usual farewell spot in the middle where everyone in the roster took a turn attacking, hugging, or taking a selfie with her which is always fun to see. Course she hit all her big spots, including the balcony moonsault, and overall it was enjoyable. It may have gone a touch longer than necessary but that was bound to happen with the crowd sections, and in a way I didn’t mind just knowing it would be the last time Io will be in Stardom (at least for the foreseeable future). An enjoyable experience for sure, a bit predictable but still a must watch for any fans of Stardom, Io Shirai, or Thunder Rock. Highly Recommended

(c) Momo Watanabe vs. Jungle Kyona
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They charge each other as soon as the bell rings and Kyona hits a hard elbow, but Momo elbows her back and the two trade blows. Both wrestlers go off the ropes until Momo delivers a dropkick, Momo throws Kyona into the corner and dropkicks her again. Momo charges Kyona but Kyona hits a shoulderblock, Kyona picks up Momo but Momo slides away. Momo kicks Kyona in the leg and in the back repeatedly, kick to the chest by Momo but Kyona recovers and stomps Momo to the mat. Kyona wraps Momo’s leg around the bottom rope and starts twisting on it, she goes for a sliding elbow but Momo moves out of the way. Kicks by Momo but Kyona avoids one and dropkicks Momo in her injured leg, Irish whip by Kyona but Momo jumps on the second turnbuckle and delivers a dropkick. Kyona rolls out of the ring, Momo goes out to the apron and she kicks Kyona in the chest. She tries to do it again but Kyona lariats her in the leg, Kyona pulls Momo out to the floor but Momo blocks the powerbomb attempt and delivers the B Driver. Momo returns to the ring and waits for Kyona, but she gets tired of waiting and goes out to slide Kyona in. Momo picks up Kyona and goes for a second B Driver, but Kyona reverses it with a cradle. Momo dropkicks Kyona into the corner and hits a second one, snap vertical suplex by Momo and she covers Kyona for two. Momo goes off the ropes but Kyona catches her with a powerslam, she picks up Momo and goes off the ropes, but Momo greets her with a head kick. Kyona fires back with a lariat which leaves both women on the mat, Kyona recovers first and grabs Momo around the waist, but Momo wiggles away.

Momo and Kyona trade elbows, Momo goes for a kick but Kyona catches it and powerbombs Momo. She keeps her grip on Momo and hits a second powerbomb, but Momo kicks out of the cover. Kyona goes off the ropes and goes for the sliding elbow, but Momo blocks it and hits a quick Somato. Momo picks up Kyona and goes off the ropes, elevated Somato by Momo but her cover gets a two count. Momo applies a crossface chicken wing, Kyona gets out of it however and she hits a short range lariat. Kyona goes off the ropes, Momo goes for a kick but Kyona ducks it and hits a German suplex. Kyona goes off the ropes and finally hits the sliding lariat, she hits another one to the back of Momo’s head and rolls her over for the cover, but Momo kicks out. Kyona goes up top but Momo elbows her before she can jump off, Momo joins Kyona but Kyona pushes her back down. Diving body press by Kyona, she rolls over Momo and grabs her around the waist, but Momo blocks the powerbomb attempt and delivers a hurricanrana. Lariat by Kyona in the corner but Momo catches her with a uranage. Momo picks up Kyona and kicks her in the chest, head kick by Momo and she delivers the B Driver. Momo picks up Kyona and goes for it again, this time from the turnbuckle, but Kyona slides off. Kyona charges Momo but Momo kicks her in the head and hits the diving Somato for two. Momo quickly applies the crossface chicken wing but Kyona gets back to her feet, Momo reverts the hold to a three-quarter nelson and nails the Tequila Sunrise for the three count! Momo Watanabe is still the champion!

These two had a hard act to follow, and I think they mostly delivered. While the offense was a bit inconsistent at times, particularly with Kyona going for the leg to start and then completely abandoning it halfway through, they kept the pace up so the match stayed interesting from bell to bell. My main qualm is with the ending, we’ve been conditioned in Stardom to epic hot end stretches but this match certainly didn’t have that, with Momo going straight from submission hold to finishing move with no real ‘comeback’ attempt by Kyona. Which isn’t necessarily a bad ending but was unexpected and it seemed to catch the crowd by surprise as well. Even though Momo won I think that Kyona is the more polished wrestler right now so it will be fun to see where they go from here. Even though it didn’t feel like the true main event, still a solid effort by both and an entertaining match.  Recommended

The post Stardom Goddesses Of Destiny on 6/17/18 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Championships Held: ECWA Women’s Championship and the NYWC Starlet Championship
Tournaments Won: ECWA Women’s Super 8 Tournament
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches in Japan:

• February 23rd, 2017 vs. Toni Storm
• March 25th, 2017 vs. Io Shirai

Signature Moves:

• Fujiwara Armbar
• High Knee
• Three Amigos

In Action:

Coming Soon

Back to Gaijin Invaders

The post Deonna Purrazzo appeared first on Joshi City.

It feels like every week I am doing a Stardom review lately, but I am trying to hit all of the Korakuen Hall events this year for all Joshi promotions. So here we are again with Stardom, with another stacked show. “The Highest” is their annual big Spring offering, so they tend to put on a complete event. Three titles are being defended, plus we get a singles match between Mayu Iwatani and Hana Kimura. Here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase and Ruaka vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
• AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Deonna Purrazzo
• High Speed Championship: Kris Wolf vs. Hiromi Mimura
• Hana Kimura vs. Mayu Iwatani
• SWA Undisputed Women’s Championship: Toni Storm vs. Jungle Kyona
• World Of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Kairi Hojo

Like the last show, I am watching the Samurai TV version of the event, which means clipped matches and better production. The Samurai TV airings are just an easier watch, and the opening matches being clipped isn’t really a big deal to me even though in the perfect world I prefer full matches. As always, you can click on the wrestler’s name above to go to their profile for more information.

Arisu Nanase and Ruaka vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora

Ruaka and Arisu attack before the match starts and isolate Yoneyama, as both chop her in the chest. Yoneyama fights back with Mongolian Chops but Arisu and Ruaka knock her into the ropes. We clip ahead to Arisu trading elbows with Natsuko, side Russian leg sweep by Natsuko and she hits a running senton for a two count. Yoneyama comes in, Natsuko launches off her back but Arisu rolls out of the way of the senton attempt. Double wrist armsault by Arisu to Natsuko, but it gets a two count. Arisu tags in Ruaka and Natsuko is double teamed in the corner, Ruaka tries to slam Natsuko but Natsuko blocks it, reverse STO by Ruaka and she kicks Natsuko in the head for a two count. Yoneyama comes in and hits a double crossbody on both her opponents, Ruaka goes for a few quick pins on Natsuko but she kicks out each time. Arisu dropkicks Natsuko, La Magistral by Ruaka but it gets a two count. Natsuko drop toeholds Ruaka before Yoneyama hits a senton, Natsuko ties up Ruaka’s legs and holds her down for the three count! Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora are the winners.

This was clipped and rough around the edges for sure, but there is some promise here. Arisu has shown some skill, and Ruaka has the much needed size that is lacking with most of Stardom’s rookie wrestlers. Skippable as presented, unless you just want to see the potential future stars of the promotion, assuming they don’t all quit within a year.

AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Deonna Purrazzo vs. Konami and Zoe Lucas

Zoe, HZK, and Deonna start the match off, they do a triple lockup but they break cleanly. They do it again with the same result, they take turns elbowing each other until Zoe and Deonna get into a shoving match. HZK goes off the ropes but Deonna armdrags her, and all three wrestlers miss dropkicks. They all tag out, Konami kicks Jaynes but Jaynes boots her to the mat. Konami kicks her again, AZM jumps in and she throws Konami into Jaynes before throwing down Konami by the hair. She does the same to Jaynes as well, HZK comes in and they both facewash their opponents in different corners. They go to do it again but are grabbed by Deonna and Zoe from the apron, allowing Konami and Jaynes to dropkick them. We clip ahead to Zoe being double teamed by Jaynes and Deonna, Jaynes considers doing a dive but is tripped from the floor before she can do so. Konami and HZK get in the ring and trade strikes, Konami wins the battle but HZK recovers and elbows her back. High kick by Konami and she hits a fisherman suplex hold before putting HZK in an ankle hold, but ppp and Jaynes end up coming in the ring to break things up. Jaynes stays in and kicks HZK in the head, cover by Jaynes but it gets two. Apparently they aren’t doing any type of tag rule. Konami comes in and tries to kick HZK but she kicks Jaynes by accident, HZK takes care of Konami before going up top and hitting the Atomic Bombs Away for the three count! AZM and HZK win!

This wasn’t good in any sense of the word. Part of it wasn’t their fault, as the clipping just made it seem even less cohesive of a match than it probably already was. But not all of these wrestlers are particularly talented – they are young, it takes time – which lead to some awkward exchanges. Konami had a good segment briefly with HZK, two of the better wrestlers in the match, but besides that nothing worth watching.

(c) Kris Wolf vs. Hiromi Mimura
High Speed Championship

Kris avoids Hiromi to start but they eventually tie up, Hiromi gets Kris to the mat but Kris gets to the ropes for a break. Back up, they trade holds until Hiromi gets Kris down again, but Kris tries to smother Hiromi with her tail. That doesn’t work, but Kris kicks her away anyway, Hiromi pushes Kris in the corner and she delivers a dropkick. They both go off the ropes and trade trips and armdrags, until both wrestlers face off once again. Hiromi goes off the ropes and hits a crossbody, rolling leglock by Hiromi but Kris wiggles away. Dropkick by Hiromi, Kris recovers and hits a knee and the pair trade strikes. Kris slides under Hiromi’s legs and delivers a high kick, she goes up top but Hiromi recovers and knocks Kris down to the floor. Hiromi dives off the apron with a crossbody onto Kris, Hiromi slides Kris back in and she covers Kris for two. Hiromi goes up top but Kris avoids the diving crossbody, Kris quickly rolls her up but Hiromi reverses it and applies La Magistral for two. Bulldog armdrag (or something) out of the corner by Hiromi, but Kris barely kicks out of the pin. Hiromi goes up top but Kris elbows her and suplexes Hiromi off the turnbuckles, Kris gets on the top turnbuckle and nails the diving double kneedrop, but Hiromi kicks out at two. Kris quickly grabs Hiromi’s legs and holds down Hiromi again, and this time she gets the three count! Kris Wolf is still the champion.

By default, I love all of Kris Wolf’s matches because I love her, and for a clipped midcard match I thought this was pretty solid. Hiromi’s only weakness is her wrestling, which is a major one, as she is on point with being feisty and comedic and sympathetic. Unfortunately this match wasn’t designed to emphasize her strengths since Kris is just as small as she is, and since it was a title match they weren’t really doing comedy spots. Kris showed off some new moves, now that she is a champion she seems to have stepped it up another notch as this was a more ‘straight’ match than she usually does. Overall, a bit too clipped to get excited about, but if you like Kris then you’ll probably enjoy it.

Hana Kimura vs. Mayu Iwatani

After a dance off (which Hana clearly wins), they clip us ahead to Hana and Kris attacking Mayu on the apron. Hana goes off the ropes but Mayu kicks her in the stomach and then in the face, kick to the back by Mayu and she snapmares Hana so she can kick her in the back again. Hana gets up and the two trade elbows, until Hana takes off her cloth belt and jokes Mayu with it. Double knee by Hana in the corner and she delivers a dropkick, picking up a two count. Hana picks up Mayu but Mayu applies a guillotine, which Hana muscles out of and hits a vertical suplex for two. Hana goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, getting another two count. Hana goes off the ropes but Mayu avoids the boot and hits a superkick, German suplex by Mayu but Hana kicks out. Mayu goes off the ropes and hits a dropkick, another dropkick by Mayu while Hana is against the ropes and she nails a diving footstomp. Mayu goes for a Dragon Suplex but Hana blocks it and boots Mayu in the face. Both wrestlers are slow to get up, Hana recovers first and elbows Mayu but Mayu hits a high kick followed by a German suplex hold for two. Mayu picks up Hana and nails the Dragon Suplex Hold, picking up the three count! Mayu Iwatani is your winner.

Unfortunately, too much of this was clipped (about half) on the Samurai TV airing for me to give much of a recommend it, even though what we saw was fun. Hana is really good at the sexy seductress role, and it shows her versatility as she doesn’t act like that in the other promotions she wrestles in. Mayu’s moves all looked killer here, both the dropkick against the ropes and diving footstomp were on point, and of course her dragon suplex is a thing of beauty. I liked everything that I saw, it likely was so heavily clipped because it was a non-title match but at least what they showed was entertaining.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Jungle Kyona
SWA Women’s Undisputed Championship

Kyona and Storm tie-up but they break cleanly, waistlock by Kyona and she gets Storm to the mat. Storm switches positions with her and goes for Kyona’s knee but Kyona gets into the ropes, Storm starts on Kyona’s arm but Kyona gets out of it and the two trade holds. Storm goes for a cross armbreaker but Kyona quickly gets to the ropes, Kyona applies a cross-arm submission but Storm reverses it, Kyona flings Storm to the mat but Storm catches her kick and offers a handshake. Kyona kicks her instead and goes for shoulderblocks, which eventually sends Storm down to the mat. Storm gets back up and kicks Kyona in the chest, hip attacks by Storm and Kyona falls out of the ring. Storm goes out to the apron and kicks Kyona in the chest, she then goes down to the floor with Kyona but Kyona ducks her chop and Storm hits the ring post by accident. It happens again, Kyona runs down the aisle and hits a body avalanche to Storm against the post. Kyona rolls Storm back in and they trade elbows, Storm throws Kyona into the corner but Kyona blocks the Backstabber attempt and goes up top. Storm punches her before she can jump off and hits a bridging Samoan Drop for a two count. Storm picks up Kyona and hits a snap German, Kyona quickly gets back up however and hits a lariat for a two count. Kyona tackles Storm into the corner and puts her on the top turnbuckle, she grabs Storm and delivers a sit-down powerbomb for a two count. Kyona goes up top and hits the diving bodypress, but Storm kicks out of the corner. Kyona goes for the Hammer Throw Powerbomb but Storm blocks it and hits the Reverse Neckbreaker for a two count. Storm picks up Kyona but Kyona hits a back bodydrop, headbutt by Storm and she hits a second one before delivering the Backstabber. Storm goes up top and she nails the diving guillotine drop, and she gets the three count! Toni Storm retains the championship.

Samurai TV isn’t doing this show any favors, as again we are missing several minutes of the match. But what they showed was solid, Storm is a 21 year old that wrestles like a ten year veteran, and Kyona is progressing very well. Some of the transitions were rough but that may have been due to the clipping, and I liked that since Kyona never hit her big finisher that it always felt like she was one move away from stealing the win. Overall a good display by both, just wish the title match/co-main was shown in full.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Kairi Hojo
World of Stardom Championship

They start slow as Io gets the early advantage, they trade leg holds on the mat until Kairi hits a flying neckbreaker. Kairi chops Io in the corner but Io shrugs it off and walks away, she back bodydrops Kairi over the top rope but Kairi lands on the apron. Io joins her and goes for the apron gansobomb again, but Kairi blocks it and hits a hard elbow. Kairi kicks Io back into the ring but Io avoids her charge in the corner, she goes out to the apron and snaps Kairi’s arm over the second rope. Io goes to work on Kairi’s arm before chopping her in the ropes, Kairi comes back with a headscissors however and Io falls out of the ring. Kairi goes up top but Io quickly rolls back into the ring, she joins Kairi up top and snaps her arm over the top rope. Io goes out to the floor with her but Kairi reverses and Irish whip and sends Io into a row of chairs. Kairi takes Io up into the bleachers and goes for the Alabama Slam on the floor, but Io blocks it. Io goes for a piledriver which is also blocked, but Io connects with the palm strike and goes up to the balcony. As Kairi stands up, Io dives off the balcony with a moonsault, landing on her feet while narrowly missing the top step in the process.

Io returns to the ring with Kairi very slowly following, Io stomps on Kairi and kicks her down into the corner. Io goes for a running double knee but Kairi springs up and hits the spear, Kairi elbows Io into the corner but Io avoids her charge and slides out to the apron. Io goes for the swandive dropkick but Kairi elbows her halfway through it, leaving Io hanging over the top rope. Kairi quickly goes up top and hits a diving footstomp to Io’s back, crab hold by Kairi but Io slowly crawls to the corner to force the break. Io tries to crawl to the apron but Kairi applies the Ikari anyway in the ropes, while the referee yells at her to let go. She does so after a moment and hits a footstomp to Io’s back, Kairi goes up top but Io slowly gets up and elbows her before she can jump off. Kairi knocks Io back into the ring, she goes for the FKE (Flying Kabuki Elbow) but Io dropkicks her on the way down. Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she delivers a swandive dropkick, cover by Io but it gets two. Io gets Kairi’s waist but Kairi elbows her off and kicks Io in the back. Kick by Io and she goes for the double underhook facebuster, but Kairi blocks it and hits the Sliding D. Kairi goes up top and goes for the diving elbow drop, but Io gets both feet up, kicking Kairi in her injured arm.

A dropkick by Io sends Kairi to the apron, and Io hits a slingshot dropkick to join Kairi. Io goes for the apron gansobomb again but Kairi blocks it and back bodydrops Io to the floor. Kairi then goes up top and delivers the diving elbow drop down onto Io and the blob of wrestlers surrounding her, sending everyone crashing to the floor. Kairi rolls back in with Io a few moments behind, Alabama Slam by Kairi in front of the corner and she goes for a Sliding D, but Io ducks it and rolls her up for two. Double underhook facebuster by Io, she goes up top quickly but Kairi recovers and knocks her down into the Tree of Woe. Marine Spike by Kairi, she goes back up top and nails the diving elbow drop, but Io barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Spinning backfists by Kairi but Io blocks one and delivers the package German for a two count. Io goes up top and hits the moonsault, but Kairi kicks out of the pin. Palm strikes by Io, she goes off the ropes but Kairi catches her with a spear. Kairi goes for the Alabama Slam but Io blocks it and drops Kairi with a tombstone piledriver. Io goes back up top and hits a second moonsault, cover by Io and this time she gets the three count! Io Shirai is still your champion.

I’m not great at comparing matches against each other so I am not sure where I would rank this one compared to their last few matches, but it was certainly an excellent match. Samurai TV was kind enough to show this one in full, and I think the multiple camera angles helped put over how crazy some of the spots were. Io came within inches of tumbling down the steps on the moonsault off the balcony, which isn’t unusual for her on that move, and everything was hit snug throughout the match. I love that there were so many reversals, these two know each other so well that it makes sense that they would know what is coming next in order to block it. There were some issues with long term selling but that’s a staple of Io’s big matches and within the story they are telling it isn’t really something that bothers me. Innovative and most importantly captivating from bell to bell, another high quality match from one of the best wrestlers in the world.  Highly Recommended

The post Stardom “The Highest 2017” on 3/20/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

We are back again with Stardom! I know I just reviewed them, I am emotionally torn between wanting to mix up what promotions I review but also wanting to stay as current as I can. And it doesn’t get much more current than this, as this show aired on both Samurai TV! and Stardom World on Sunday. This is a really big show for Stardom and is chock full of interesting matches once you get past the opener. Four championships are on the line, plus we get a special singles match between Konami and Yoko Bito! Here is the full card:

• AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Zoe Lucas vs. Hiromi Mimura and Arisu Nanase vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
• Konami vs. Yoko Bito
• SWA World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo
• High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu vs. Kris Wolf
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo vs. Jungle Kyona
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler

As always, you can click on the wrestlers’ names above to go to their profile. I am watching the Stardom World version but using GIFs from the Samurai TV! version, since I like to watch the event unclipped but the Samurai TV! version offers a better visual.

AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Zoe Lucas vs. Hiromi Mimura and Arisu Nanase vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
Tag Team Elimination Match

All eight brawl to start, Yoneyama stays in with AZM and AZM dropkicks Yoneyama in the chest. Hiromi and Zoe are up next, they trade wristlocks until Zoe rams Hiromi back into the corner. Yoneyama tags herself in but Zoe knees her in the head, Christi comes in too but Yoneyama avoids their kicks and puts them both in a submission hold. Arisu and Hiromi charge the ring and dropkick Natsuko and Yoneyama, but then AZM and HZK stumble in and attack Hiromi and Arisu. They both connect with running boots in the corner, HZK stays in with Hiromi and goes off the ropes, but Christi kicks her from the apron. Christi tags herself in (this makes no sense in an elimination match), Hiromi and Christi trade elbows, Hiromi goes for a crossbody but Christi catches her and hits a backbreaker. Christi goes for a kick but Hiromi ducks it and hits a low crossbody for a two count. DDT by Hiromi, Arisu runs in and clears all their opponents off the apron before going back so Hiromi could tag her in. Zoe is tagged in too and she goes to suplex Arisu, but Arisu reverses it into an inside cradle for two. Cross leglock by Arisu, Hiromi and Christi come in which leads to Christi being put in a leglock as well. Zoe gets out of the hold, Arisu picks her up and hits a double wrist armsault for two. Back up, kicks by Zoe and she covers Arisu for the three count! Arisu Nanase and Hiromi Mimura are eliminated.

HZK and AZM quickly come in but Zoe hits a crossbody on both of them, Zoe holds HZK for Christi but Christi dropkicks Zoe by accident. AZM dropkicks Christi, HZK then goes up top and delivers a seated senton for the three count! Zoe Lucas and Christi Jaynes are eliminated.

This leaves Queen’s Quest and Yoneyama/Natsuko. AZM and Natsuko become the legal wrestlers, kicks by AZM and she suplexes Natsuko. Another suplex by AZM, she picks up Natsuko but Natsuko hits a side Russian leg sweep. She goes for a senton but AZM rolls out of the way and hits a satellite schoolboy, but Yoneyama breaks it up. Yoneyama and Natsuko are stacked in the corner but they both avoid AZM’s charge and get the upper hand. Yoneyama and Natsuko go up to different corners but both are pushed off and land on the apron. HZK and AZM go off the ropes and dropkick them to the floor, eliminating them from the match! AZM and HZK are the winners.

A necessary result, if AZM and HZK are going to be taken seriously at all they have to win a match like this. The logic was missing here, in an elimination match there is no reason to tag yourself in, just stay on the apron and let the other teams eliminate each other. But that is wrestling for you. Not a bad opener as it was generally fast paced, but the action wasn’t always great and the structure was all over the place. Accomplished its goal but nothing really worth noting.

Konami vs. Yoko Bito

Konami kicks Bito to start while trying to stay out of Bito’s range, elbows by Konami and both wrestlers avoid each other’s kicks before Bito rolls up Konami for two. Bito puts Konami on the apron and hits a leg sweep, sending Konami to the floor. Konami gets on the apron and Bito tries to kick her, but Konami catches her leg and elbows it repeatedly. Back in, Konami keeps on Bito’s leg, Bito goes for a high kick but Konami catches her leg and applies an ankle hold. Bito gets to the ropes to force the break, kicks by Konami and she goes off the ropes, but Bito catches her with a boot to the face. Bito goes for a suplex but Konami lands on her feet and applies a sleeper, Bito tosses her off but Konami quickly applies a grounded necklock. Bito gets out of the hold and hits a vertical suplex, kick by Bito and she covers Konami for two. Back up, Bito goes for a high kick but Konami ducks it, release German by Konami and she delivers a Buzzsaw Kick for a two count. Konami goes up top but Bito elbows her and joins Konami, they trade elbows until Bito hits a superplex. Bito picks up Konami and goes for the B Driver but Konami gets out of it and applies an ankle hold. Bito again makes it to the ropes, kick combination by Konami and she covers Bito for two. Konami goes off the ropes but Bito drills her with a head kick, Doll B by Bito and she finishes off Konami with the B Driver for the three count! Yoko Bito is the winner.

Konami has to lose these matches, she is the young Freelancer, but I hope that Stardom sees the same things that a lot of fans see when Konami wrestles – she’s pretty fantastic at it. Honestly Bito was better here than I’ve seen her in awhile, I am not sure if being against another striker made her more comfortable laying in her own kicks but she was more snug than usual. I love that Konami rarely lets her opponents get too much offense in a row, she did the same thing with Io where each time Bito had an advantage suddenly Konami would slap on a sleeper or an ankle hold. She’ll just find any way to get back in control. And Bito showed Konami a lot of respect as even though it was a short match, she finished her off with three finisher-level moves to pick up the win. Really solid match and a good showing by both wrestlers.  Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo
SWA World Championship

Storm and Purrazzo lock knuckles to start, Storm gets Purrazzo to the mat but Purrazzo puts her in a headscissors. They return to their feet, after a headbutt Purrazzo jumps out of the ring but Storm quickly follows with a somewhat sloppy tope suicida. Back in, Purrazzo knocks Storm back, snapmare by Purrazzo and she boots Storm in the chest for two. Running kneedrop by Purrazzo and she tries a few quick pins, but Storm reverses one of them and the two trade elbows. Purrazzo goes for a kneelift but Storm avoids it and hits a release German, running hip attack by Storm and she hits a fisherman suplex for two. Storm goes for a piledriver but Purrazzo gets out of it and applies a short armbar, but Storm gets to the ropes. Kneelift by Purrazzo and she chops Storm in the corner, but Storm avoids her charge and hits a Backstabber for a two count. Purrazzo quickly goes back to the arm but Storm rolls out of it, she goes for a suplex but Purrazzo blocks it and goes back to the short armbar. Storm kicks Purrazzo in the head to get out of it, another Backstabber by Storm and she nails the piledriver for the three count! Toni Storm retains the championship.

Both of these women are fine wrestlers, but I am still having an issue with these matches not feeling like title matches. It wasn’t very long and they really didn’t have much of a chance to tell a story. Purrazzo kept going for short armbars but there was no work on the arm previously, I never felt like it was a tactic that would work and she wasn’t making it interesting by going for a variety of moves to weaken the arm. Storm didn’t do a lot to get the win as Purrazzo went from perfectly fine to pinned after a quick series of moves. For just a run of the mill gaijin midcard match it was decent enough, but for a championship match it was disappointing.

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu vs. Kris Wolf
High Speed Championship

As predicted, Wolf and Kagetsu start off working together against Mayu, she hits a double crossbody on both of them but is tripped from the apron by Hana Kimura. The double teaming continues, Mayu dropkicks Wolf and armdrags Kagetsu, Kagetsu quickly rolls up both of them for two which Wolf doesn’t appreciate. They do a triple wristlock, Mayu is kicked in the stomach by both but Mayu avoids their dropkicks and knocks them both out of the ring. Mayu goes up top but Wolf and Kagetsu run away before she can dive off and Mayu chases them, the chase abruptly ends however when Hana trips Mayu and she crashes hard to the floor. After Mayu is attacked on the apron, including the spot where Wolf carries a band into the crowd and snaps it back into Mayu’s face. Wolf goes to do it again but Mayu knocks the band back at her instead, she finally has Kagetsu alone in the ring but Kagetsu hits a spear. Mayu comes back with a Sling Blade, high kick by Kagetsu but Mayu delivers a superkick. Crucifix slam by Mayu, but Wolf breaks up the cover. Wolf goes to run off the ropes but Mayu grabs her tail, Backstabber by Wolf and she holds Mayu for Kagetsu, but Mayu moves when Kagetsu swandives into the ring.

Kagetsu slams on the breaks before hitting Wolf and they double team Mayu in the corner, Mayu fights back with a superkick to Kagetsu before flinging Wolf onto her. Diving footstomp by Mayu to Wolf (who is still on top of Kagetsu), Mayu goes for the dragon suplex on Kagetsu but Wolf rolls her up from behind for a two count. They both take turns covering Iwatani with no luck, they start disagreeing so Wolf schoolboys Kagetsu for two. Kagetsu pushes Wolf and slams her back into the corner before tying Wolf to the ropes by her tail. Kagetsu tries to hit Mayu with some luggage but Mayu kicks it out of her hand and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Mayu goes up top and hits a diving footstomp, cover by Mayu but Wolf frees herself and tries to break it up. Mayu moves and Wolf accidentally knees Kagetsu instead, suplex by Wolf to Mayu but it gets two. Knee by Wolf and she covers Iwatani, but Kagetsu throws the luggage at her to break it up. Mayu superkicks both Kagetsu and Wolf, but they come back with an assisted slam. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu to Mayu but Wolf jumps over her and holds down both Mayu and Kagetsu for the three count! Kris Wolf is the new champion!

It is hard for me to be subjective here, since I am a big fan of Kris Wolf and have been closely following her career since she debuted in August of 2014. She is that fun and feisty wrestler that all promotions need, she isn’t a threat to be the Ace but she has an important role and has worked hard at improving. She missed several months due to concussions but came back with even more fire and antics; she has been a pleasure to watch. This match had some cute spots but obviously was limited by the triple threat rules, everything was hit smoothly though as they have a lot of practice together. I would have liked Mayu to have lost the belt after having it for so long in a bigger match with more of a rub to whomever beat her, but this was an easy way to get the belt off of her without her really losing anything as she continues her feud with Io. A fun lighthearted match, maybe not what you’d hope for in a title match but the High Speed Championship isn’t taken too seriously most of the time. A big moment for Kris, and much deserved.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Kairi Hojo vs. Jungle Kyona
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They immediately get into it as Kyona throws Kairi into the corner, elbows by Kairi and they trade shots. Dropkick by Kairi, sending Kyona out of the ring, Kairi goes out after her but Kyona moves when she charges in which causes Kairi to run into the ring post. Kyona slams Kairi into the apron before hitting a back bodydrop, she rolls Kairi back in and puts her in a backbreaker. Body avalanche by Kyona, and she covers Kairi for a two count. Crab hold by Kyona but Kairi gets into the ropes, she returns to her feet as they trade elbows until Kairi delivers a spear. Kyona falls out of the ring, Kairi goes up top and dives out onto her with a plancha. Kairi slides Kyona back in, Kairi goes up top and she hits a diving elbow strike for two. Ankle hold by Kairi but Kyona gets in the ropes, Kairi stomps on Kyona and starts working on her lower back. Kyona fights back with elbows but Kairi slaps her in the chest, flipping neckbreaker by Kairi and she covers Kyona for two. Final Cut by Kairi, she goes up top but Kyona recovers and joins her, they go back and forth until Kyona powerslams Kairi down to the mat for a two count. Kyona and Kairi trade elbows as they slowly get up, clubbing blows by Kyona but Kairi hits a spear.

Kyona holds on from the spear and slams Kairi to the mat, back up Kyona puts Kairi in a sleeper and spins her around before taking Kairi to the mat. Powerslam by Kyona, she goes up top and delivers a diving body press for a two count cover. Kyona deadlifts Kairi up but Kairi slides away and rolls up Kyouna for two. Kairi picks up Kyona but Kyona blocks the Alabama Slam and hits a powerbomb for a two count. Kyona deadlifts Kairi again, spins her around and nails a sit-down powerbomb but Kairi barely gets a shoulder up. Kyona picks up Kairi and hits a lariat, but Kairi rolls through the cover. Kyouna goes off the ropes but Kairi smacks her with a backhand, more spinning backhands by Kairi and she covers Kyona for a two count. Sliding D by Kairi, she picks up Kyona and delivers End Voyage but Kyona kicks out at two. Kairi gets Kyona near the corner and hits an Alabama Slam, Kyona grabs her as she tries to go up top but Kairi comes back and hits an elbow drop onto her ribs. Kairi goes up again but Kyona slowly joins her, Kairi knocks her down in a Tree of Woe and delivers the Marine Spike. Kairi goes back up top one last time, she nails the Diving Elbow Drop and she picks up the three count! Kairi Hojo retains the championship.

One of the best matches I have seen in Joshi so far this year. Anyone that is unsure of Kyona’s future in Stardom needs to watch this match, she is one of the best wrestlers to debut in the last two years in Japan. She’s stealthy strong but so crisp, she very rarely makes mistakes or looks out of place, everything is so smooth. I loved her trying so hard at the end to stop Kairi from climbing the top turnbuckle, she knew if Kairi hit the diving elbow drop she was done and was using every ounce of strength she had to prevent Kairi from hitting it. The swinging sleeper by Kyona was great and they did a good job mixing high spots, suplexes, strikes, and submissions so that the match stayed interesting throughout. A really entertaining match and a must-see, even if you aren’t familar with Kyona you won’t forget her after watching this one.  Highly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler
World of Stardom Championship

Io won’t shake Shayna’s hand off the start and elbows her instead, Shayna quickly applies a sleeper but Io rolls away and they return to their feet. Io goes for a leapfrog but Shayna catches her and slams Io to the mat. Shayna picks up Io but Io wiggles away, Io goes off the ropes but Shayna knees her in the face. Shayna starts on Io’s arm, Io gets away after a moment and rolls out to the apron to re-group. She returns and puts Shayna in a stretch hold, but Shayna muscles out of it and slams Io again. Shayna quickly goes back to the arm, Io gets to the ropes but Shayna picks her up and slaps on the Sleeper. Io backs Shayna into the corner but Shayna applies the sleeper from the top turnbuckle until the referee forces her to break. Io quickly gets up and hits a springboard dropkick while Shayna is on the top turnbuckle, Frankensteiner by Io and Shayna quickly rolls out of the ring. Io goes up top and she dives way out over the corner onto Shayna on the floor, she sets up a chair on the floor and puts Shayna’s head in it. Io then dropkicks the chair, she then grabs the chair and throws it at Shayna. Io throws Shayna into the crowd before returning to the ring, with Shayna slowly following behind. Stomps by Io, she picks up Shayna and puts her in the armtrap crossface. Shayna gets to the ropes, Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she hits a swandive dropkick to the back of Shayna’s head.

Running double knee strike by Io in the corner and she covers Shayna for two. Io goes up top but Shayna smacks her before she can jump off, Shayna joins her and hits a gutwrench suplex down to the mat. Shayna rolls through it and hits a second one, cover by Shayna but Io gets a shoulder up. Shayna and Io trade elbows, kicks by Shayna and Io falls to the mat. Shayna goes for a running knee but Io move and delivers a German suplex hold. Shayna quickly puts her in a kimura but Io is too close to the ropes and forces the break. Shayna picks up Io and nails a high kick and spins Io into a sleeper hold, cover by Shayna but it gets a two count. Shayna picks up Io and hits a strike combination, Io runs over and headbutts Shayna before stomping her in the back. Moonsault to the back by Io, and she covers Shayna but as she kicks out, Shayna puts her in an armbar. Io gets out of it and puts Shayna in a Texas Cloverleaf, she release the hold after a moment and hits a package German hold for a two count. Io picks up Shayna and hits a tombstone piledriver, moonsault by Io and she picks up the three count! Io Shirai retains the World of Stardom Championship!

The best thing about this match is it just felt different than most of Io’s recent gaijin defenses. Shayna’s offense is unique (especially compared to other Stardom wrestlers), and in the biggest wrestling match in her career she really stepped up as this is the longest and most complete match I’ve ever seen her in. Her selling was also really good, as Io targeted the back and Shayna was holding it throughout the match, and it did indirectly lead to Io winning. Io’s dive outside the ring was impressive and the ending stretch was really well done. They had a tough match to follow but I think they really delivered, a quality main event and a fitting ending to a great show.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Stardom of Champions 2017” on 2/23/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

It is time for some February reviews! Up first is Stardom, this month the two Stardom shows I will be reviewing are this show and their big event on 2/23. I chose this one because it looked like the second best of the bunch on paper, plus I really love Konami and wanted to see her against Io Shirai. We also have one title match here, as Viper challenges Toni Storm for the SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship. Here is the full card:

• Kris Wolf vs. Ruaka
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Zoe Lucas
• Jungle Kyona, Arisu Nanase, and Natsuko Tora vs. Shayna Baszler, Deonna Purrazzo, and Christi Jaynes
• Io Shirai vs. Konami
• SWA World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Viper
• Io Shirai and HZK vs. Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito

You can click on the names above to go to their profiles on the site, since this was shown on Stardom World it is unclipped.

Kris Wolf vs. Ruaka

Wolf and Ruaka lock knuckles before trading wristlocks, Wolf puts Ruaka in the ropes and stretches her face. Wolf elbows Ruaka in the corner and puts her across the ropes, she then stands up on her back and and poses in the corner. Running knee by Wolf, and she covers Ruaka for a two count. Ruaka fights back as they trade elbows, snapmare by Wolf and she puts Ruaka in a crab hold. Ruaka gets to the ropes, Wolf picks her up and she slams Ruaka in front of the corner. Wolf gets on the second turnbuckle but Ruaka avoids her dive and boots Wolf in the chest. Running boot by Ruaka in the corner, she goes for a slam but Wolf blocks it. Reverse STO by Ruaka and she rolls up Wolf, but Wolf reverses it. Knees by Wolf and she hits a running knee in the corner, snapmare by Wolf and she kicks Ruaka in the back. Scoop slam by Wolf, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she delivers the diving kneedrop for the three count! Kris Wolf is the winner.

Even on the Stardom Opener Scale this was pretty basic, but when one of the wrestlers is 12 years old that is to be expected. Kris Wolf was fun as always but she was nicer than usual, no biting or poking. Nothing offensive but not much to it.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Zoe Lucas

After trading wristlocks to start, Zoe gets Hiromi to the mat but Hiromi quickly wiggles away and they return to their feet. Zoe wants a Test of Strength but Hiromi can’t reach the high so she kicks her instead, Hiromi goes off the ropes but Zoe kicks Hiromi in the chest. Knee by Zoe and she puts Hiromi in a guillotine, but Hiromi gets out of it and dropkicks Zoe in the corner. Shoulder tackle by Zoe but Hiromi ducks the PK and rolls up Zoe for two. Running crossbody by Hiromi, she rolls Zoe to the mat and she applies a leglock. Zoe gets into the ropes for the break, Hiromi tries to slam Zoe but Zoe blocks it. High kick by Zoe and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Back up they trade elbows until Hiromi sneaks in a backslide for two, La Magistral by Hiromi but that gets a two count as well. High kick by Zoe, Hiromi goes off the ropes but Zoe kicks her in the head again. Spin Kick by Zoe and she picks up the three count! Zoe Lucas wins!

I try to be a positive happy kind of guy but this was bad. Its not something I can defend or try to find the bright side of, there is nothing particularly good here. I never have seen Zoe before so maybe this was an issue of wrestling in a new promotion against a new wrestler but she looked very stiff and awkward. Hiromi was her usual self but she needs someone really good to pull her up and it didn’t happen here. Even the ending looked partially botched, which I think was Hiromi being out of position but who knows. Not a good first impression for a wrestler on her first Stardom tour.

Jungle Kyona, Arisu Nanase, and Natsuko Tora vs. Shayna Baszler, Purrazzo, and Jaynes

Kyona and Shayna start things off, they try to shoulderblock each other over but neither can, so Shayna kicks Kyona to the mat. Kyona comes back with a hard shoulderblock to send Shayna off her feet, she quickly gets up and connects with a strike combination. She tags in Deonna, Christi comes in too but Kyona hits a double crossbody on both of them. Natsuko and Arisu jump in the ring and Deonna is triple teamed in the corner before posing on her. Kyona tags in Natsuko, shoulderblocks by Natsuko and she hits a body press on Deonna for two. Deonna fights back with elbows, kneelift by Deonna and she rakes Natsuko’s eyes with her boot. Deonna tags Shayna in, kicks by Shayna and she tags in Christi. Christi twists Natsuko’s arm in the ropes before Shayna returns, as they take turns attacking the rookie. Natsuko fights back against Christi and dropkicks her into the corner, she crawls to her corner and makes the hot tag to Arisu. Elbows by Arisu to Christi and she dropkicks her, Kyona come sin to help but so does Shayna. Arisu hits a spinning headscissors onto Shayna and hits a crossbody on Christi, but Christi drops her with a STO.

Enzuigiri by Christi, but the cover is broken up. She tags in Deonna, she picks up Arisu and hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Arisu gets away and dropkicks Deonna, giving her time to tag in Kyona. Backdrop suplex by Kyona but Deonna retorts with a release German, she gets to her corner and tags Shayna. Natsuko is tagged in too and she dropkicks Shayna, but Shayna spears her for a two count. Shayna goes for a cross armbreaker but Kyona breaks it up, Kyona picks up Shayna and with Natsuko they hit a double shoulderblock. Senton by Natsuko, but Shayna kicks out. Christi comes in but Kyona lariats her, while Natsuko keeps the attack on Shayna. Natsuko gets on the second turnbuckle but Shayna grabs her and hits a bridging vertical suplex for two. Fisherman Buster by Shayna, but Kyona breaks up the pin. Arisu comes in too but Shayna suplexes both of them, she kicks Natsuko in the stomach and delivers a rolling gutwrench suplexes for the three count! Shayna Baszler, Deonna Purrazzo, and Christi James are the winners.

This match really lagged some towards the beginning and I was concerned, but it picked up at the end and turned out to be a decent match. Christi is still early in her career but never looked lost, easy to hide new wrestlers in six wrestler tag matches but no one in this one stood out as being out of place. Shayna continues to impress, and Kyona asserted herself as ready to continue her ascension up the card. Nothing overly exciting but an above average midcard match.

Io Shirai vs. Konami

Io won’t shake hands before the match, Konami gets Io on the ground first but Io switches positions with her and both return to their feet. Io pushes Konami into the ropes, Konami switches positions with her and instead of giving a clean break she kicks Io in the head. Punches and knees by Konami and she kicks Io in the chest for a two count cover. Waistlock by Konami but Io gets into the ropes, knees by Konami but Io ducks the PK and rolls Konami up before kicking her in the back of the head. Dropkick by Io and she knees Konami into the corner, Io goes up top and she delivers a missile dropkick. Io picks up Konami but she blocks the facebuster and puts Io in an ankle hold. Io inches to the ropes to force a break, kicks to the leg by Konami but Io knocks her back. Kick to the stomach by Konami and she dropkicks Io in the leg, Konami charges Io but Io moves out of the way and dropkicks Konami. Dragon screw by Io and she hits the running double knee in the corner, double underhook facebuster by Io and she covers Konami for a two count. Io goes for the moonsault but Konami kicks her in the leg before she can jump off, Konami pulls Io off the turnbuckles and puts her in a sleeper. Schoolboy into an ankle hold by Konami, release German by Konami and she nails the Buzzsaw Kick for two. Konami picks up Io and applies an ankle hold into a pin, but Io kicks out and rolls up Konami with the Magistra del Io for the three count! Io Shirai sneaks out a win.

Let me count the ways I loved this match. Just for full disclosure, I will openly admit these are two of my favorite current wrestlers so naturally I am going to enjoy watching them face off. But the reason they are two of my favorite is because they are so damn good in the ring, and they immediately had chemistry. It was very different than the normal Io match as Konami dominated, Io never did her big comeback or got a chance to be cocky as Konami stayed on her from bell to bell. Io still won since she is a crafty veteran with a big bag of tricks, but it came across as Konami having her number and Io having to get the win by any means. I wish it was longer of course, I’d love to see them in a main-event style match, but for a sub-10 minute match I thought it was fantastic. If you haven’t seen Konami before, just two years into her career she is already great at what she does, a really fun match.  Highly Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Viper
SWA World Championship

After trading waistlocks and wristlocks Storm gets Viper to the mat, she starts working on Viper’s arm but Viper trips her and applies a leglock. Storm gets out of it and applies a headlock, headscissors by Viper but Storm gets out of it and shakes Viper’s hand as she lets her back up. Storm and Viper lock knuckles, monkey flip by Viper but they reach another stalemate. Hard shoulderblock by Viper, armdrag by Viper but Storm rolls her up for a two count. Viper returns the favor before they return to their feet again, Storm rakes Viper in the eyes and chops her in the corner. Viper jumps out to the apron but Storm boots her down to the floor, she gets a start off the far ropes and hits a tope suicida. Stomps by Storm and she tries to chop Viper against the post, but Viper moves out of the way. Storm rolls Viper back into the ring but Viper hits a crossbody as Storm returns herself.

Viper chops Storm in the corner, Storm fights back with elbows but Viper hits a crossbody for two. Viper jumps on the second turnbuckle and hits a quick tornado DDT, running butt smash by Storm and she covers Viper for a two count. Storm goes for a piledriver but Viper blocks it, she puts Storm on the top turnbuckle and Storm goes for another tornado DDT, but Viper blocks it and slams her to the mat. Cannonball by Viper, and she covers Storm for two. Viper picks up Storm but Storm slides away, headbutt by Viper but Storm headbutts her back. Backstabber by Storm, but Viper kicks out of the pin. Storm goes up top and delivers a diving leg drop, and again Viper barely gets a shoulder up. Storm goes off the ropes but Viper grabs her and hits a Michinoku Driver. Cover by Viper, but Storm rolls out of it and holds down Viper’s shoulders for a three count! Toni Storm is still the champion.

This match was weird. I don’t even know how to describe it. The first third was mat wrestling and a few “mutual respect” spots. Then it went straight to be moves (tope suicida, tornado DDT, etc.) before going into the home stretch with very little build. It wasn’t that anything they did was bad, but the way it was structured I never really got into the match. The action itself was generally smooth, just as a match it didn’t really do anything for me, it lacked the passion and the sense of urgency you’d like to see in a title match. Two good wrestlers but a disappointing match between them.

Io Shirai and HZK vs. Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito

Kairi and HZK begin the match, quick dropkick by HZK but Kairi chops her to the mat. Elbows by HZK and she hits another dropkick, mounted elbows by HZK but Kairi trades positions with her and hits elbows of her own. HZK throws down Kairi by her hair repeatedly, Io grabs Kairi from the apron but Bito grabs HZK as well. Io gets in the ring and they double team Kairi, Bito comes in too however and they dropkick Io and HZK out of the ring. Kairi then gets on the top turnbuckle and dives out of the ring onto both of them, while Bito holds them in place. Kairi rolls HZK back in, Kairi slams HZK to the mat and covers her for two. She tags in Bito, kicks by Bito and she dropkicks HZK in the chest. Kairi is tagged back in, she knocks Io off the apron and invites Bito into the ring so they can double team HZK some more. Kairi picks up HZK but HZK hits a double chop and tags in Io. Bito immediately comes in too but Io dropkicks both of them, Io knees Kairi in the corner and covers her for two. Io tags HZK, HZK throws Kairi in the corner and nails a running boot to Kairi’s face. HZK puts Io in a camel clutch before hitting a curb stomp, Io returns and she kicks Kairi around the ring. Chops by Io but Kairi levels her with a spear and tags in Bito. Bito picks up Io and dropkicks her in the corner, vertical suplex by Bito and she suplexes HZK onto Io for a two count. Bito tries to PK Io but Io ducks it and puts Bito in the armtrap crossface, Kairi tries to help but HZK intercepts her and puts her in the same hold. Bito crawls to the ropes and eventually makes it for the break, Io goes for the Tiger Feint Kick but Bito ducks it and makes the hot tag to Kairi.

Kairi snaps Io’s leg and elbows it while it is in the ropes, she goes up top and hits a diving elbow smash for a two count. Kairi applies an ankle hold but Io kicks her away, Io is up first but Kairi hits a headscissors into a roll-up for two. Stretch Muffler by Kairi, Io stands up to get out of it but Kairi hits an Alabama Slam. She climbs up top but HZK grabs her from the apron, this gives Io times to recover and she hits a Frankensteiner. Running double knee by Io in the corner, but she hurts her own leg in the process, Kairi elbows Io but Io hits a palm strike and both wrestlers fall to the mat. They both crawl to their respective corners and tag out, Bito tosses HZK out to the apron before hitting a leg sweep and a kick to the back. Bito goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Bito but it gets two. Kairi then goes up top and hits a footstomp while HZK is hanging over the top rope, vertical suplex by Bito and Kairi goes for a backfist, but HZK ducks and Kairi hits Bito by accident. Swandive missile dropkick by Io to Kairi while HZK kicks Bito in the head, Manami Roll by HZK but Bito kicks out of the cover. Io and HZK double team Bito, Bito fights back and temporarily regains the advantage until Io helps HZK hit a tornado DDT. Assisted moonsault by Io to Bito, jackknife cover by HZK but Kairi breaks it up. HZK goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton, but Bito gets a shoulder up. HZK goes up top but Bito recovers and joins her, Io hits Bito from behind and powerbombs Bito. Io goes for a moonsault but Bito rolls out of the way, Kairi hits a diving elbow drop on Io while Bito hits a superplex on HZK. Sliding D/kick combination to HZK, Bito picks up HZK and hits the B-Driller for the three count! Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito are the winners!

A solid house show main event but that’s about it. I really don’t think that Bito is on the level of Kairi or Io, at least not yet. She is still a bit awkward, which she was back in 2012 as well, she is good with strikes but is generally not as fluid as a lot of the other wrestlers in Stardom. HZK wasn’t asked to do as much but looked good in what she did, and Io remembering her injured leg (maybe even carrying it over from the previous match) was a nice touch. An entertaining home stretch and generally a fun match, but pretty standard with nothing to set it apart from other similar matches these teams have had the last few months.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom Kyoto Stars on 2/4/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.