Event: Stardom 10th Anniversary ~Hinamatsuri All-Star Dream Cinderella~
Date: March 3rd, 2021
Location: Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 3,318
Broadcast Information: Streamed Live on PPV and Samurai TV!

It is time for what will likely be the biggest Joshi event of the year! Since Bushiroad purchased Stardom, one of their goals was to have Stardom run in bigger buildings when the time was right, which leads them to Nippon Budokan for All-Star Dream Cinderella. They went all-out for the show, as SEAdLINNNG invades with big singles matches involving Nanae Takahashi and Yoshiko. Also, there is a Rumble with former wrestlers returning, and a total of five title matches. This review will be long so strap in, here is the full card:

• High Speed Championship: AZM vs. Natsupoi
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Himeka and Maika vs. Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima
• All-Star Rumble with Momoe Nakanishi, Mima Shimoda, Chigusa Nagayo, Kyoko Inoue, Kikutaro, Gokigen Death, Emi Sakura, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Miho Wakizawa, Yuzuki Aikawa, Yoko Bito, Yuuri Haruka, Koguma, Yuna Manase, Hiromi Mimura, Starlight Kid, Rin Kadokura, Bea Priestley, Ruaka, Mei Hoshizuki, Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka, Saya Iida, and Lady C
• Nanae Takahashi vs. Momo Watanabe
• SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship: Syuri vs. Konami
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoshiko
• World Of Stardom Championship: Utami Hayashishita vs. Saya Kamitani
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship, Hair Vs. Hair Match: Giulia vs. Tam Nakano

I will be watching the live broadcast, so matches will be shown in full. All Joshi wrestlers on the event have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it.

(c) AZM vs. Natsupoi
High Speed Championship

They charge each other and get right into a fast exchange, they avoid each others dropkicks and after some flash pins attempts they end up back on their feet. Kick by Natsupoi and she throws AZM into the corner, dropkicking her down to the floor. She goes up top but AZM quickly recovers and gets onto the apron before kicking Natsupoi in the head. Natsupoi falls to the floor, AZM gets on the second turnbuckle and dives out of the ring with a double footstomp. AZM rolls Natsupoi back in and hits a swandive dropkick, cover by AZM but it gets two. She applies the Fujiwara Armbar but Natsupoi quickly gets to the ropes, Natsupoi throws AZM into the corner but AZM avoids her charge. Kick to the chest by Natsupoi, she goes off the ropes and delivers a dropkick. Natsupoi goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but AZM rolls through it and applies a submission.

Natsupoi quickly gets to the ropes again, AZM goes up top and nails a diving double footstomp for two. AZM goes off the ropes and hits La Mistica, but Natsupoi rolls out of it. Head kick by AZM, she goes off the ropes but AZM hits La Mistica again. Natsupoi gets to the ropes, AZM runs to the corner but when she goes for the triple jump attack, she is greeted by a dropkick from Natsupoi. AZM and Natsupoi trade elbows as they return to their feet, AZM goes off the ropes but Natsupoi catches her with a kick. Backlash by Natsupoi, but AZM kicks out. Waistlock by Natsupoi and she nails a German suplex hold, but that gets a two as well. Natsupoi goes up top and delivers the twisting body press, but the cover gets a two count. Natsupoi picks up AZM but AZM elbows her off, rolling inside cradle by AZM but it gets a two count. They trade flash pins with neither having any luck, so Natsupoi superkicks AZM in the face. Natsupoi drags up AZM and hits rolling German suplexes, but the third only gets a two count. Natsupoi picks up AZM and nails a Cross-Arm German Suplex, and she picks up the three count! Natsupoi wins and is the new champion!

A really fun way to kick off the show. Not everything was super smooth but the energy helped make up for that as it was just go-go-go from the opening bell. Fans that only watch Stardom may not been as familar with what Natsumi has been up to in recent years but she is fantastic, and she got a pretty dominating win here as by the end of the match she was firmly in control. AZM hit some killer footstomps and stayed in the match, but it almost felt like a coming-out party for Natsumi and I assume she’ll hold the title for awhile. A quality match to begin the big event.  Recommended

(c) Himeka and Maika vs. Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Oedo Tai jump DDM before the match starts and isolate Maika, double teaming her. Saki stays in as the legal wrestler and kicks Himeka before tagging in Natsuko, bootscrapes by Natsuko but Himeka kicks her from the apron. This gives Maika time to recover and she tags Himeka, Himeka and Natsuko trade shoulderblocks with Himeka winning the battle. Saki runs in but Himeka stacks them both in the corner and hits a lariat. She puts both up on the turnbuckle and places them in an Argentine Backbreaker together before dropping them to the mat. Himeka picks up Natsuko and delivers a Jumping Knee, but Natsuko kicks out of the cover. Himeka tags Maika, Maika tosses Natsuko around the mat before hitting a STO for a two count. Stomps by Maika and she hits a lariat, but she didn’t notice that Saki blind tagged herself in. Saki jumps in the ring with a bulldog to Maika, Maika is thrown into the corner and Saki hits a running knee. Saki gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a headscissors into a cradle, picking up a two count.

Natsuko is tagged back in, she stacks both opponents in the corner and delivers a cannonball. Samoan Drop by Natsuko, she tags Saki and Saki hits a diving footstomp. She quickly tags Natsuko back in, diving body press by Natsuko but Maika kicks out of the cover. Swinging side slam by Natsuko, but that gets a two count as well. Natsuko picks up Maika but Himeka runs in to help, Saki kicks Himeka however and she falls out of the ring. Natsuko tags Saki, flying headscissors by Saki to Maika but Himeka cuts her off with a knee. Himeka and Maika charge Saki but accidentally lariat each other, scoop slam by Saki to Maika and she goes up top but Maika recovers and joins her. Superplex by Maika to Saki, she picks her back up and hits a STO but Natsuko breaks up the cover. Himeka comes in and with Maika they hit a lariat on Saki followed by a sliding lariat for a two count. Maika picks up Saki but Saki slides away and pins her down for a two count. Natsuko has found her way back in but she eats a double chokeslam, Maika picks up Saki and nails a Michinoku Driver II for the three count! Donna del Mondo win and retain the championship.

Normally I like title matches to be a little longer than this, but considering the participants and the fact this was a pre-show match, I don’t mind it as much here. This was pretty well-worked, nothing mind blowing but a good match within their limitations. Maika and Himeka are a bundle of fun, I could watch them all day as they bring something fresh and interesting to Stardom’s matches. Saki really brought her A game today which helped elevate the match, and Natsuko didn’t do much which is for the best. Oedo Tai wrestled the match oddly straight besides from the pre-bell jumping, with no cheating which surprised me. A solid match to keep the show rolling along, even if it was nothing special.

Stardom All-Star Rumble

Starlight Kid and Mei Hoshizuki are the first two in the match. They start pretty traditionally as they trade holds, armdrag by Starlight Kid, Mei catches her crossbody attempt but Starlight Kid spins it around into a cradle for two. Dropkick by Mei as Gokigen Death comes down, but she just poses while the other two keep fighting. They get tired of this and jump her, but Starlight Kid and Death end up double teaming Mei. Momoe Nakanishi is the next wrestler to enter the match, she goes up top but Death and Starlight Kid shake the ropes to knock her off. Irish whip to Momoe but she runs over all three opponents and poses on the mat with Death. The veterans stay in control and pose on Starlight Kid and Mei, as Koguma enters the match! First time we have seen Koguma wrestling in almost six years. Koguma hits a falling body press on Death and Starlight Kid before they all get into a fast exchange. Meanwhile the next wrestler is already on their way to the ring, Unagi Sayaka! Starlight Kid is attacked by everyone in the corner but is able to knock back Unagi, Unagi is stomped on by everyone while Saya Iida enters the match. Saya chops everyone, and while she is doing that Mina Shirakawa comes down as the next wrestler in the match.

By now there are too many people in the ring, a common issue in Battle Royal style matches. The Stardom wrestlers get into an exchange while Yuna Manase enters the match. Yuna and Saya exchange shots, Starlight Kid comes over to help but Yuna lariats both of them. Suddenly all of Gatoh Move appear on the ramp as Emi Sakura is the next wrestler down, Emi immediately goes after Momoe and hits a crossbody in the corner. Everyone watches as Emi and Momoe trade dropkick attempts before they hug, but we take a break as Lady C is wrestler #11 to join the match. Lady C snapmares Emi and puts her in a headscissors, and you know what is coming as this starts a giant headscissors chain with all the wrestlers (except Momoe, who runs over all of them instead of joining them). яндекс As it is broken up, Kyoko Inoue enters the ring but she is immediately attacked by everyone. She fights back but Lady C drops her with a chokeslam, everyone covers Kyoko but she kicks out. Lariat by Kyoko to Lady C, and she covers her for the three count! Lady C is eliminated.

Ruaka is the next wrestler, she shoulderblocks Kyoko to the mat and boots her, but Kyoko fires back with a lariat for the three count! Ruaka is eliminated. Rina Kadokura enters the match while Emi tricks Kyoko and gets everyone to cover her again, this time getting the three count! Kyoko Inoue is eliminated. We get some Random Chaos in the ring a Hiroyo Matsumoto is the next entry, she is in no rush to enter but eventually makes it into the ring. Miho Wakizawa is wrestler #16, while in the ring Hiroyo is beating everyone with a giant tawashi. Or something like one. Momoe is set up in the ropes to get a rubber band snapped in her face, but it accidentally gets sent back into Miho by mistake. Mima Shimoda comes into the match and dumps Yuna Manase over the top rope! Yuna Manase is eliminated. The legend Bea Priestley enters but Emi chops her in the chest and everyone tries to throw her out of the ring. She hangs on as Yuuri Haruka makes her entrance, meanwhile Mima is thrown over the top rope along with Bea in quick succession. Mima Shimoda and Bea Priestley are eliminated!

Yuuri applies an armbar to Death but it gets broken up, the camera pans to the stage and we see Hiromi Mimura is on her way down. Before she gets in the ring, Emi helps dump Yuuri over the top rope to the floor! Yuuri Haruka is eliminated. Hiromi winds up for an attack but is kicked by Miho, but Starlight Kid comes to the rescue. Hiroyo whacks Hiromi with a backpack, Miho puts Hiromi in the Backslide and she gets the three count! Hiromi Mimura is eliminated. Yoko Bito is the 21st entry, while Hiroyo dumps a box full of tawashis in the ring. Miho hits a Frankensteiner on Emi onto all the tawashis, and Emi is covered by multiple wrestlers for the three count. Emi Sakura is eliminated. Miho is slow to recover so everyone covers her as well, picking up another three count! Miho Wakizawa is eliminated. Not done yet, the mob rolls up Hiroyo, keeping her down for the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto is eliminated. That clears the ring a little bit. Yuzuki Aikawa enters as the next wrestler, and she still looks the same as she did when she retired eight years ago. As she slowly walks down, Saya and Starlight Kid work together to throw Rin over the top rope. Rin Kadokura is eliminated. Not wasting time, Chigusa Nagayo quickly follows as she enters the match, Saya Iida greets her and the two trade blows. While they duke it out, the final wrestler enters the match – Kikutaro! 

Back in the ring (which most wrestlers aren’t even in anymore as they stand on the apron) Chigusa drops Saya with a Death Valley Bomb but Saya kicks out of the cover. Chigusa picks up Saya and drops her with a heel kick, but again Saya gets a shoulder up. Saya hulks up and knocks over Chigusa with a double chop, but her cover gets two as Chigusa puts Saya in an armlock. No one helps her and Saya submits! Saya Iida is eliminated. Yuzuki comes in the ring finally and challenges Chigusa, kicks by Yuzuki but Chigusa blocks the heel drop and punches her in the stomach. Yuzuki throws Chigusa into the corner and hits a body avalanche, as everyone else joins in attacking Chigusa in the corner. Yuzuki and Yoko both kick Chigusa, cover by Yuzuki but it gets a two count. She tries again with everyone else helping her, but that gets a two count as well. Chigusa gets back up but is schoolboyed from behind, and finally she is held down for the three count! Chigusa Nagayo is eliminated.

Kikutaro still hasn’t entered the ring but finally does so, he’s in full creeper mode as everyone runs away from him. He grabs Unagi but Mina attacks him, Kikutaro covers both of them but Starlight Kid breaks it up. Starlight Kid attacks at Kikutaro, he gets away but Chigusa jaws at him from the apron. Chigusa takes one for the team as Kikutaro grabs her… intimately, she gets back in the ring and hits him with an elbow. Everyone else joins in stomping down Kikutaro, Momo☆Latch by Momoe and she holds down Kikutaro for the three count! Kikutaro is eliminated. Moonsault by Momoe to Death, and she holds her down for the three count as well! Gokigen Death is eliminated. Starlight Kid and Momoe go after each other, Momoe jumps up to the top turnbuckle but Starlight Kid pushes her off before she can hit a move. She keeps hitting Momoe as she dangles on the top rope, dropkick by Starlight Kid and Momoe crashes to the floor. Momoe Nakanishi is eliminated. Snapmare by Yoko to Koguma, she picks her up but Koguma snaps off a DDT. Starlight Kid grabs Koguma and holds her for Yoko, but Koguma ducks and Yoko kicks Starlight Kid by accident. Yoko charges Kid but Kid holds down the top rope, sending Yoko to the apron. Koguma runs over and kicks Yoko, sending her to the floor! Yoko Bito is eliminated. 

We are down to five wrestlers! Cutter by Koguma on Starlight Kid and she nails a German Suplex Hold for the three count! Starlight Kid is eliminated. Koguma and Unagi trade flash pins, but Unagi gets help from Mina and Yuzuki as they hold down Koguma for the three count! Koguma is eliminated. We are down to three – Mina Shirakawa, Yuzuki Aikawa, and Unagi Sayaka. Yuzuki fights off both Cosmic Angels before getting into an elbow exchange with Mina, slap by Mina but Yuzuki slaps her back. Mina elbows Yuzuki against the ropes and charges her, but Yuzuki avoids the dropkick and hits a heel drop. Yuzuki goes for a tiger suplex but Unagi saves Mina, Mina then returns the favor but Yuzuki nails Mina with a heel kick and delivers the Tiger Suplex Hold for the three count! Mina Shirakawa is eliminated. Yuzuki charges Unagi but Unagi dumps her onto the apron, she goes for a kick but Yuzuki gets her out onto the apron with her. Kicks by Yuzuki as they both stand on the apron but Unagi catches one, heel drop to the back by Unagi and she hits another one to send Yuzuki to the floor. Yuzuki Aikawa is eliminated.  Unagi Sayaka is the last wrestler standing and is the winner!

Its always hard to ‘rate’ Battle Royals, and ones that take place in Japan tend to be even more difficult due to the more lighthearted atmosphere. There was a lot of wrestlers standing out of the way while the planned spots were going on, with some wrestlers such as Koguma disappearing for long periods of time. Some of the exchanges were really enjoyable though, such as Chigusa Nagayo/Saya Iida and the final threesome, and it was really nice of Chigusa Nagayo to “take one for the team” with Kikutaro as I can only imagine the Internet’s reaction if he had done that to Starlight Kid. It was great seeing Yuzuki again in particular, and none of the returning wrestlers looked too out of place. Its a long match with stretches of nothing, but still enough fun moments that long time Joshi fans will likely find something to enjoy.

Nanae Takahashi vs. Momo Watanabe

Momo and Nanae face off and trade slaps, Nanae pushes Momo into the corner and hits a series of elbows. Momo avoids one and kicks Nanae in the head, she hits her own elbows but Nanae gets her back and hits a German suplex. Nanae elbows Momo while she is against the ropes, snapmare by Nanae and she kicks Momo in the back. Momo returns the favor but Nanae catches the PK attempt and hits a dragon screw. Lariat by Nanae but Momo fires back with a dropkick, she dropkicks Nanae down in the corner and delivers a hard dropkick to the chest. More dropkicks by Momo and she kicks Nanae repeatedly in the chest. Nanae eventually catches one but Momo slaps her, headbutts by Nanae and she kicks Momo onto the apron. Nanae picks up Momo and hits a short range lariat, elbows by Nanae and she slams Momo to the mat for a two count cover. Nanae goes off the ropes but Momo nails a head kick, elbows by Momo and she kicks Nanae in the head. Momo goes off the ropes and hits the Somato, but Nanae kicks out of the cover.

Momo gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers the diving Somato, but again Nanae kicks out. Momo applies the crossface chickenwing but Nanae gets to the ropes for the break, Momo picks up Nanae and hits the B Driver, but Nanae rolls through it and hits one of her own for a two count. Both wrestlers slowly get up, jumping kick by Nanae and she goes to the top turnbuckle, but Momo avoids the Refrigerator Bomb and hits a knee to the back of the head. Momo goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers the diving Somato, but it gets two. Momo goes back up again but Nanae joins her and hits a superplex. Nanae goes to the top turnbuckle and this time nails the Refrigerator Bomb, but the cover only gets a two. Nanae picks up Momo but Momo slides away and delivers a Tequila Sunrise for two. Momo drags up Nanae but Nanae gets away and hits an elbow. Head kick by Momo, she goes off the ropes but Nanae catches her with a lariat. Nanae picks up Momo and drops her with the Nana☆Racka but Momo barely kicks out. Nanae picks Momo back up and nails the One Second EX, and she picks up the three count! Nanae Takahashi is the winner.

While this match was “good,” something felt like it was missing. Maybe due to the length or placement on the card, it didn’t have that pop I was expecting and never really felt like it elevated itself. If not for the history between Nanae and Stardom, it would have felt like a pretty standard veteran vs. young star match. Which probably isn’t fair, there was nothing “wrong” with the match at all, it just didn’t feel special either. Even with their limited time they seemed to run of out ideas, with lots of Somatos and elbows, and it makes you wonder if they just aren’t too familar with each other and decided to keep it simple. Hard hitting for sure, and Momo held her own, it just felt more like an introduction than an all out war. A decent enough match, but ultimately nothing that will leave a lasting impression once the show ends.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Syuri vs. Konami
SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship

They circle each other to start before grappling for position on the mat, Syuri goes for the armbreaker but Konami easily blocks it and goes for one of her own. Syuri gets to the ropes to break the hold, sliding kick by Konami and Syuri falls out to the floor. Natsuko comes over but Konami pushes her away and slides Syuri back in, stomps by Konami and she delivers a dropkick for a two count. Konami quickly transitions to the Fujiwara Armbar, Syuri rolls out of it but Konami keeps a hold on the arm. Syuri rolls out again and gets a hold of Konami’s ankle, but Konami reverses it and applies her own ankle hold. Konami gets Syuri’s back in a crucifix before driving her to the mat, she gets a stretch hold locked in but Syuri gets to the ropes. Strike combination by Konami and she delivers a head kick, but Syuri fires back with a release German. Konami hits a suplex of her own and applies a sleeper, Syuri gets up but Konami plants her with a Sleeper Suplex for two. Konami goes for a Buzzsaw Kick but Syuri catches her leg and hits a double knee gutbuster.

Konami quickly connects with a head kick but is too hurt to capitalize, they slowly get to their knees and trade elbows. They trade kicks as they return to their feet, running knee by Syuri and she covers Konami for two. Syuri applies a guillotine before putting Konami’s feet on the top rope and dropping her with a DDT for a two count. Syuri picks up Konami but Konami slides away and applies a cross armbreaker. Syuri quickly gets out of it and applies a Stretch Muffler, but Konami gets to the ropes for the break. Syuri gets Konami on her shoulders and hits a modified Emerald Frosion, but Konami kicks out of the cover and quickly applies a modified armbar. Syuri muscles out of it and gets the Stretch Muffler re-applied, but modifies it to also tie up Konami’s arm (Stardom called this move the “White Tiger”). Konami struggles for a moment but is forced to submit! Syuri wins the match and retains the championship.

Konami shook Syuri’s hand after the match and gave her a hug, showing a level of post-match respect that is rare for a member of Oedo Tai. This definitely had a different feel than most matches in Stardom, as it was a very ground-based and submission focused match. It really did feel like a match these two would have had against each other in 2016, obviously Konami is more polished now than she was back then but the structure reminded me of the older days of Konami. As far as mat-based matches go, this was pretty fun to watch and very fluid, and you could tell they are very comfortable with each other as nothing looked forced. I wouldn’t have minded a little more excitement in the closing stretch as it ended with little warning, but still an enjoyable match that probably meant more to the wrestlers than it meant to anyone else.  Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoshiko

They tie-up to start, Yoshiko pushes Mayu into the ropes and gives a clean break. Kick by Mayu but Yoshiko blocks the armdrag, hitting one of her own. Hard shoulderblock by Yoshiko, she picks up Mayu and throws her down by the hair. Bootscrapes by Yoshiko in the corner and she delivers a running boot, cover by Yoshiko but it gets two. Yoshiko quickly applies a headlock but Mayu gets into the ropes, Yoshiko picks up Mayu and kicks her in the back. Yoshiko keeps stomping on Mayu’s back before picking her up and applying a stretch hold. Mayu gets into the ropes for the break, Irish whip by Yoshiko but Mayu reverses it and hits a headscissors. Mayu goes off the ropes and drills Yoshiko with a dropkick, sending the SEAdLINNNG wrestler out of the ring. Mayu gets a running start and sails out onto Yoshiko (mostly missing) with a plancha suicida, she slowly recovers and slides Yoshiko back in the ring. Mayu goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Mayu but it gets a two count. Mayu picks up Yoshiko but Yoshiko blocks the suplex attempt, low kick by Mayu but Yoshiko catches her with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Crab hold by Yoshiko but Mayu crawls to the ropes and makes it for the break. Yoshiko quickly gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton onto Mayu’s back, she goes back up to the second turnbuckle and connects with a regular diving senton for a two count cover.

Yoshiko picks up Mayu but Mayu gets her to the mat with a reverse hurricanrana. Dodonpa by Mayu, but it gets a two count. Mayu picks up Yoshiko but Yoshiko gets to the ropes to block the dragon suplex, Mayu pulls her off the ropes but Yoshiko elbows her off. Mayu ducks a lariat and drops Yoshiko with a release German, Yoshiko gets back up but Mayu delivers the dragon suplex hold for a two count. Mayu goes up top and goes for a moonsault, but Yoshiko gets her feet up to block the move. Both wrestlers are slow to recover, they trade strikes when they return to their feet until Yoshiko knocks Mayu back to the mat. Mayu gets back up but eats another hard elbow for her trouble, Mayu returns to her feet and temporarily knocks Yoshiko to her knees before eating two hard lariats. Yoshiko picks up Mayu and slams her to the mat from a fireman’s carry, but Mayu kicks out of the cover. Yoshiko positions Mayu and goes to the top turnbuckle, she nails the diving senton but Mayu barely kicks out of the cover. Yoshiko drags up Mayu but Mayu gets her back and applies a schoolboy for two. Superkick by Mayu and she kicks Yoshiko in the head, another superkick by Mayu and she covers Yoshiko for two. Mayu picks up Yoshiko and delivers the Two Stage Dragon Suplex Hold, but Yoshiko barely gets a shoulder up. Mayu quickly goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails the moonsault, cover by Mayu and she gets the three count! Mayu Iwatani is the winner.

There was a lot to enjoy here, a really entertaining match. Its kinda amazing these two still have such great chemistry after all these years, and everything they did here clicked. Yoshiko’s work on Mayu’s back was top notch, probably good enough it could have used a little more long term selling by Mayu but Mayu constantly looks in pain so it still worked out. I really loved the ending, with Mayu not wasting a second before going to the moonsault. No slow dramatic climb up the turnbuckles and pointing to the crowd, just quickly taking advantage of a hurt Yoshiko who is not the easiest wrestler to pin. The time just flew by and I wouldn’t have minded if it was a few more minutes, but they told their story and told it well. I don’t know where Stardom and SEAdLINNNG’s relationship is going from here, but this was a great hard hitting match that delivered on the expectations.  Highly Recommended

(c) Utami Hayashishita vs. Saya Kamitani
World of Stardom Championship

They tie-up to start, Utami pushes Saya into the ropes but she gives a clean break. Saya quickly kicks her and they lock-up before trading holds, they go through an exchange off the ropes ending with Utami dropkicking Saya in the chest. Utami picks up Saya and hits a scoop slam, another slam by Utami and she covers Saya for two. Utami puts Saya in the ropes and delivers a sliding kick to the back, double kneedrop to the back by Utami and she covers Saya for two. Utami applies a Camel Clutch but Saya inches to the ropes for the break. Utami stomps at Saya and boots her in the corner, Utami picks her up and hits a scoop slam for a two count. Saya fights back but Utami avoids her dropkick and kicks Saya in the back. Saya fires back with a dropkick of her own, hurricanrana by Saya and Utami falls out of the ring. Saya goes off the ropes and dives out onto Utami with a tope con hilo, she picks up Utami and tosses her back into the ring. Saya goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Saya but it gets a two count. Saya picks up Utami but Utami elbows her and the two trade shots. Utami wins the battle, she picks up Saya and goes off the ropes but Saya catches her with a dropkick. Another dropkick by Saya and she covers Utami for a two count. Saya picks up Utami but Utami slides away and delivers a sliding kick.

Utami picks up Saya but Saya snaps off a Canadian Destroyer, scoop slam by Saya and she goes up top but Utami hits her from behind and knocks her onto the apron. Saya comes back into the ring with a swandive hurricanrana, she picks up Utami and hits a Northern Lights Suplex Hold for two. Saya picks up Utami but Utami slides away and hits a release German. Utami gets Saya on her shoulders but Saya spins off and delivers a heel kick. Saya picks up Utami and drops her with a fisherman sitout slam, cover by Saya but it gets a two count. Saya picks up Utami and slams her in front of the corner, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Utami avoids the Phoenix Splash. Utami applies a sleeper but Saya drives her back into the corner to break it up, Saya charges Utami but Utami gets her on her shoulders and nails the Air Raid Crash. Utami gets the sleeper on but Saya gets a toe on the ropes for the break. Utami picks up Saya and gets her onto her shoulders, she spins Saya around and slams her to the mat for a two count. Utami picks up Saya and gets her up in a crucifix, but Saya hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Utami recovers first and picks up Saya, rocking her with a hard lariat. Another lariat by Utami, she picks up Saya and nails the Hijack Bomb (Spinning BT Bomb) for the three count! Utami Hayashishita wins and retains the championship.

While the last match was great, this one was even better. Even though Saya wasn’t an A+ challenger, she still brought everything she had and she has never looked better than she did here. Everything she hit was smooth as butter and her selling was top-notch, as she made everything Utami did look like death. She did so well in the match, I actually was buying into the nearfalls which is the biggest compliment I can give to a match that on paper had a clear winner. The dynamic between Utami’s power and Saya’s finesse created constantly entertaining back and forths, and I was on the edge of my seat the entire match as there was no telling what they were going to do. The ending was definitive as Utami threw Saya right through the ring, a fitting ending to an evenly contested match. These two are the future of Stardom if they stick with wrestling, easily the best match of Saya Kamitani’s career and a great showing from Utami as well.  Highly Recommended

(c) Giulia vs. Tam Nakano
Wonder of Stardom Championship

After circling each other they start tracking strikes, waistlock by Giulia and they trade holds. Tam gets Giulia to the mat but Giulia applies a headscissors, Tam slaps Giulia before returning to her feet. Tam goes for a cutter but Giulia applies a sleeper, snapmare by Tam and she kicks Giulia in the back. Giulia goes for a dropkick but Tam moves and applies a sleeper, Giulia tries to get out of it with a backdrop suplex but Tam lands on top of her. They trade elbows until Tam knocks Giulia to the mat, Giulia rolls out of the ring to recover while Tam waits for her in the ring. Giulia returns after a moment and picks up Tam, but Tam wiggles away. Release German by Giulia with Tam ending up on the apron, Giulia goes out to the apron as well and kicks Tam in the head. Giulia goes for a suplex but Tam blocks it, big boot by Giulia and she hits a cutter onto the apron. Tam falls out of the ring with Giulia going out after her, Giulia twists Tam in the guardrail and chokes her. Giulia stops choking her long enough to throw Tam into the railing, big boot by Giulia and she throws Tam into the rail again. Giulia gets a table and sets it up at ringside, she grabs Tam and pulls her up onto the table with her. Giulia gets Tam up and drops her onto the table with a piledriver, she returns to the ring while Tam slowly follows behind her. Giulia plants a sliding kick on Tam, cover by Giulia but it gets a two count.

Giulia gets on the top turnbuckle but Tam slowly gets up and joins her, Giulia grabs her head however and applies a guillotine choke while still on the turnbuckles. She lets go after a moment and Tam flops back to the mat, she goes for a missile dropkick but Tam avoids it. Tam goes for a knee but Giulia catches it, she gets Tam up in a Glorious position but Tam reverses it with Reverse DDT. Giulia recovers first and mounts Tam, slapping her in the face. Hard elbow by Giulia and she goes off the ropes, but Tam catches her with a heel kick. Giulia falls out of the ring, Tam goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto her with a plancha. Tam slides Giulia back in, Tiger Suplex Hold by Tam but Giulia gets a shoulder up. Tam picks up Giulia but Giulia blocks her suplex attempt, getting to the ropes. Tam pulls her away and hits Giulia’s Glorious Driver, but it gets a two count. Tam drags up Giulia and kicks her repeatedly in the head, but Giulia ducks a kick and drops her with a backdrop suplex. Giulia picks up Tam but Tam pushes her away, headbutt by Giulia and she delivers a Glorious Driver for a two count cover. They both slowly get up and trade slaps, Tam connects with a series of slaps before knocking Giulia to the mat. Giulia gets back up and returns the favor, heel kick by Tam and she hits a second one. Giulia comes at Tam but Tam picks her up and drills Giulia with a Sitout Tam Screwdriver for a two count. Tam drags Giulia back up and nails the Twilight Dream, and she keeps Giulia down for the three count! Tam Nakano wins and is the new Wonder of Stardom Champion!

There is a lot to digest here. First, the emotion was certainly there and it just had a more urgent feeling than the last few matches. They weren’t really focused on trading bombs but having a real struggle, full of one-upmanship and emotion that was tangible. They still had a couple big moves but honestly they weren’t needed, the table spot was neat but added little to the match as that wasn’t what the match was about. Its harder to rate matches that are more about story and heart than smooth wrestling and big moments, but when considering all things this was a very captivating and memorable match. They didn’t fall into the ‘trading 2.999 nearfalls’ trap that many “epic” matches fall into, so each pinfall felt meaningful. Tam killed Giulia at the end, which was needed as a non-definitive ending just wouldn’t have worked to end this match and feud. A fitting way to end one of the best Joshi events in years, a very entertaining match that will be talked about in Stardom circles for years to come.  Highly Recommended

The post Stardom All-Star Dream Cinderella on 3/3/21 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom “10TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR DREAM FESTIVAL ~ PROLOGUE ~ OSAKA DREAM CINDERELLA”
Date: December 20th, 2020
Location: EDION Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,027

Before closing the door on 2020 for good (which I am very happy to do), I first wanted to review one of Stardom’s last big events of the year.  There is a lot going on here, with FIVE championship matches as they go out with a bang. A total of six titles are on the line, as Syuri and Giulia have a double title match for their SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship and the Wonder of Stardom Championship, respectively. Here is the full card:

• Future Of Stardom Championship: Maika vs. Saya Iida vs. Saya Kamitani
• Konami and Natsuko Tora vs. Riho and Ruaka
• Bea Priestley and Saki Kashima vs. Himeka and Natsupoi
• High Speed Championship: AZM vs. Mei Hoshizuki
• Artist Of Stardom Championship: Shirakawa, Nakano, and Unagi Sayaka vs. Gokigen Death, Iwatani, and Starlight Kid
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship/SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship: Giulia vs. Syuri
• World Of Stardom Championship: Utami Hayashishita vs. Momo Watanabe

In the interest of saving time, I will be watching the Samurai TV! version of the show so some matches will be clipped. All wrestlers on the show have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it.

(c) Maika vs. Saya Iida vs. Saya Kamitani
Future of Stardom Championship

They immediately get into it as Maika is attacked by both opponents, she fights them both off and shoulderblocks Iida out of the ring. She goes to Kamitani but Kamitani elbows her and the two trade shots, they go at it for over a minute before Kamitani gets Maika into the corner and stomps her down. Maika fires out of the corner with a hard shoulderblock, she goes off the ropes but Kamitani flips away from her and delivers a dropkick. Iida returns and dropkicks Kamitani, chops by Iida to both opponents and she knocks Maika to the mat. Kamitani grabs Iida but Iida chops her to the mat as well, Iida picks up Maika and they trade shoulderblock attempts. Iida knocks over Maika first but Maika returns to her feet and returns the favor. Maika goes for a suplex but Iida lands on her feet, she applies the Iida Bridge but Kamitani breaks it up. Kamitani knees Iida in the corner and hits a dropkick, over by Kamitani but it gets a two count. Kamitani goes up top and delivers a diving crossbody, but Maika breaks it up.

Irish whip by Maika to Kamitani but Kamitani hits a heel kick, Kamitani picks up Iida and hits a scoop slam. Kamitani goes to the top turnbuckle but Maika elbows her before she can jump off, Maika joins Kamitani and hits a superplex down to the mat. Maika picks up Kamitani and hits a cross-arm STO, but Iida barely breaks up the pin. Iida goes off the ropes and hits a double chop, Iida goes up top but Maika elbows her and goes up as well. Iida blocks the superplex attempt and hits a headbutt, she floats over Maika and nails a powerbomb. Iida grabs Kamitani but Kamitani blocks a suplex and boots Iida in the head. Kamitani picks up Iida but Iida spins away and delivers a Northern Light Suplex, Iida goes up top but she is interrupted by Kamitani. Iida grabs Kamitani anyway and spikes her with a front flip DDT, but Kamitani barely gets a shoulder up. Iida grabs up Kamitani and hits the brainbuster, getting the three count cover! Saya Iida is the new champion!

Even though Iida isn’t my favorite wrestler in this match, she certainly put in the work here and elevated herself to the occasion. Three way matches are always a bit of a tough sell, in this case Maika just disappearing but at least she took a hard powerbomb first to explain it. Iida finally has graduated by winning just via fluke pins, as the DDT and Brainbuster are both more exciting ways to win matches. I am curious to see where they go with Saya Iida as champion, a pretty entertaining opener to get the show off to a solid start.  Mildly Recommended

Konami and Natsuko Tora vs. Riho and Ruaka

This is joined in progress with Oedo Tai in control, but Riho and Ruaka both connect with running strikes. They single out Konami, face crusher by Riho and Ruaka delivers a running body press for a two count. Ruaka goes off the ropes and she boots Konami in the head, another boot by Ruaka and she delivers the Fisherman Suplex Hold for two. Ruaka elbows Konami and goes off the ropes, but Natsuko hits her from the apron with a chair. Konami quickly puts Ruaka in the Triangle Lancer, and Ruaka submits! Konami and Natsuko Tora are the winners!

Samurai TV! felt the same way about this match as I did, as they butchered the shit out of it. Good for you, Samurai TV. There wasn’t enough here to really comment on but Konami looked good. Love Konami.

Bea Priestley and Saki Kashima vs. Himeka and Natsupoi

We join this match in progress as Himeka picks up Saki, she gets her onto her shoulders in an Argentine Backbreaker before slamming her to the mat for a two count. Himeka throws Saki into the corner and hits a lariat, Bea runs in to help but Himeka avoids her charge and stacks them both in the corner. Himeka gets both opponents on her shoulders in an Argentine Backbreaker, she releases them after a moment and kicks them both out of the ring. Natsupoi goes to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto them with a diving crossbody, Himeka slides Saki back in but Saki avoids her lariat attempt and cradles her for two. Himeka is up first and hits a hard lariat, running powerbomb by Himeka and she covers Saki for the three count! Himeka and Natsupoi are the winners.

This was obviously clipped to just the last minute so I didn’t get to see much of Bea, but Himeka is such a treat to watch I don’t mind. She is so good with her facial expressions she is captivating to watch, and her power moves were all hit well here. A hot ending, I assume the rest of the match was good as well.

(c) AZM vs. Mei Hoshizuki
High Speed Championship

As one would expect they start off with a fast exchange which ends with a double kip-up stalemate, AZM goes for Mei’s arm and gets the Fujiwara Armbar but Mei quickly gets to the ropes. Irish whip by AZM to the corner and she delivers a dropkick, cover by AZM but it gets a two count. AZM goes back to the arm but Mei gets to the ropes again, they trade elbows back on their feet until AZM boots Mei to the mat. AZM goes off the ropes, Mei goes for a dropkick but AZM avoids it. AZM charges Mei but Mei drops her onto the second rope, she quickly goes to the apron and hits a dropkick before returning to the ring to hit a second one. Mei connects with a series of dropkicks, she covers AZM but it gets a two count. Irish whip attempt but Mei but AZM blocks it, they trade elbows until AZM knocks Mei to the mat. AZM picks up Mei and runs up the corner, but Mei recovers and pushes her down to the floor. Mei goes to the floor but AZM avoids her dropkick, kick by AZM from the apron and she returns to the ring. Mei slowly follows but AZM grabs her as she gets on the apron and hits a hurricanrana to get her back into the ring. Vertical suplex by AZM, she goes up top and nails a diving double footstomp but Mei barely kicks out. AZM picks up Mei and applies La Mistica but Mei gets out of it and the two trade flash pin attempts. Mei applies a series of cradles with no luck, they trade even more flash pins but still neither gets the win. Both wrestlers go off the ropes, AZM rolls Mei to the mat and applies a cradle for the three count! AZM wins and retains the championship.

I started out really liking this match but the ending didn’t do a lot for me. They had pretty good chemistry considering they probably don’t get a lot of chances to practice together, and everything was done very smoothly. But I didn’t really enjoy the last couple minutes of the match just being flash pins – I have nothing against flash pins but after the hard elbows and head-spiking it felt like nothing else mattered up to that point as they just went back and forth on 20+ cradles. A match can be ‘high speed’ without that, as Hazuki showed, and I’d rather they just kept going with the violence. Still an entertaining match, I just wish they had a different plan for how to end it.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Shirakawa, Nakano, and Sayaka vs. Gokigen Death, Iwatani, and Starlight Kid
Artist of Stardom Championship

Mayu and Tam start the match, Mayu gets Tam’s back but Tam spins her off and hits a cutter. Cartwheel kneedrop by Tam, and she covers Mayu for two. Tam goes off the ropes but Starlight Kid grabs her from the apron, Death comes in and all three hit running strikes on Tam in the corner. Snapmare by Mayu and she kicks Tam in the back before tagging in Death, Death puts Tam in a stretch hold but Tam gets into the ropes for the break. Death tags Starlight Kid, scoop slam by Starlight Kid and she covers Tam for two. Knees by Starlight Kid to Tam, Tam goes for a backdrop suplex but Starlight Kid lands on her feet. Tam kicks Starlight Kid in the head, Death and Mayu run in but Tam DDTs both of them. The STARS team rolls out of the ring, Mina and Sayaka come in and help Tam hit a plancha down onto all their opponents. We clip ahead to Sayaka and Death in the ring as the legal wrestlers, Sayaka gets Death on her back but Death gets away and cradles Sayaka for the three count! Unagi Sayaka is eliminated via pinfall.

Tam hits Death from behind, sending Death to her corner as she tags in Starlight Kid. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Starlight Kid to Tam, Mayu comes in and they hit double 619s. Standing Moonsault by Starlight Kid, and she covers Tam for two. Starlight Kid picks up Tam but Tam kicks her away, elbow by Starlight Kid and she delivers a cross-legged suplex hold for two. Tam is positioned in the middle of the ring as the members of STARS take turns hitting top rope moves, with Starlight Kid hitting a diving crossbody off of Mayu’s shoulders for two when the pin is broken up. Starlight Kid drags up Tam but Tam blocks the Tiger Suplex, backdrop suplex by Tam and Mina comes in to help. Double strike to Starlight Kid, Tam goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers the Destiny Hammer for two. Tam picks up Starlight Kid and goes for a suplex, but Starlight Kid lands on her feet and nails the Tiger Suplex Hold for the three count! Tam Nakano is eliminated via pinfall.

Mina comes in as the last wrestler on Cosmic Angels, double chop by Mina and she puts Starlight Kid in a stretch hold which is broken up by Mayu. Double vertical suplex to Mina, Mayu sits on the turnbuckle while Starlight Kid goes to get on her shoulders, but Mina recovers and knocks them both off the top turnbuckle. Mina gets a running start and knocks Mayu out of the ring, eliminating her! Mayu Iwatani is eliminated via Over The Top.

Starlight Kid is still on the turnbuckle and dives off with a crossbody onto Mina, getting a two count. Mina plants Starlight Kid with a DDT, she picks up Starlight Kid and elbows her in the head. Irish whip by Mina but Starlight Kid reverses it, Starlight Kid charges Mina but Mina avoids her charge and dumps her onto the apron. Mina kicks at Starlight Kid to try to send her to the floor while Death tries to hold her up, Mina gets a running start and dropkicks Starlight Kid to the floor, eliminating her! Starlight Kid is eliminated via Over The Top.

Now we are down to just Mina and Death. They trade elbows before Mina hits a Side Russian Leg Sweep, dropkick by Mina and she covers Death for two. Mina picks up Death but Death gets away, cradle attempt by Death but Mina reverses it into her own two count. Mina goes off the ropes and hits a Lou Thesz Press, but Death rolls it over into a two count cover. Spinning backfist by Mina, she gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving seated senton for two. Mina picks up Death and nails the GSS, cover by Mina and she gets the three count! Cosmic Angels win and retain the championship.

Elimination Matches are a bit of a tough sell for me as they tend to be overly random, but this one I think accomplished its goal of putting over Cosmic Angels and putting a final nail in their split from STARS. As I mentioned at the top, the tag rules are very loose/non-existent as Mayu wasn’t even the legal wrestler when she was eliminated, and the structure was all over the place to get to the final 3 vs. 1 situation. Mina handled her business to retain the titles but it didn’t feel like a title match, more like an early card ‘special attraction’ type match as the Elimination gimmick didn’t do the quality wrestlers in the match any favors. A fun casual watch but nothing more.

(c) Giulia vs. (c) Syuri
Wonder Of Stardom Championship/SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship

Syuri pushes Giulia into the ropes to start, she tackles her instead of giving a clean break but Giulia switches positions with her as they jockey for position. They end up back on their feet, Backstabber by Syuri and she kicks Giulia in the back for a two count cover. Syuri goes off the ropes but Giulia catches her with a slam, she picks up Syuri but Syuri snaps off a German suplex. Giulia returns to her feet and hits a German suplex of her own, but Syuri delivers a running knee and both wrestlers end up down on the mat. They trade elbows as they get back up, Giulia wins the elbow battle as she knocks Syuri back down and stomps on her back. Giulia goes off the ropes but Syuri gets up and hits a step-up enzuigiri, kick to the head by Syuri and Giulia collapses to the mat. Syuri drags Giulia up and kicks her some more, head kick by Syuri and Giulia is out. The referee checks on her as Syuri doesn’t go for a cover, she picks Giulia back up and kicks her repeatedly in the chest. Giulia finally catches one but Syuri gets away and kicks her again anyway, Syuri gets Giulia on her shoulders but Giulia slides off and applies a standing armbar. Syuri gets out of it and hits a Schwein, picking up a two count. Giulia rolls out of the ring but Syuri follows her out, Syuri picks up Giulia and takes her up the ramp, knees by Syuri but Giulia blocks the German suplex. Giulia gets Syuri’s back and drops her with a Glorious Driver, they both slowly crawl back to the ring to try to beat the generous count, with both making it.

Giulia goes off the ropes and delivers a sliding knee, she puts Syuri on the top turnbuckle and joins her, hitting an Avalanche Glorious Buster for a two count. Giulia picks up Syuri and hits a double underhook suplex, but that gets a two as well. Giulia goes for a running boot but Syuri avoids it and applies a sleeper, but Giulia gets out of it with a backdrop suplex. Giulia picks up Syuri but Syuri slides away, Giulia applies a double underhook and nails a Package Piledriver for two. Giulia grabs Syuri but Syuri throws her to the mat, kick to the back by Syuri and she hits a running knee in the corner. Another knee to the back by Syuri and she hits a STO for a two count. Syuri picks up Giulia and hits a German suplex hold, but it gets two. Giulia fires back with a big boot, she goes for a backdrop suplex but Syuri blocks it. Giulia ducks Syuri’s kick and hits one anyway, front dropkick by Giulia and she covers Syuri for two. Giulia picks up Syuri and hits the Glorious Driver II, but Syuri barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Giulia picks up Syuri but Syuri levels her with a head kick, Buzzsaw Kick by Syuri but Giulia grabs the bottom rope to break up the pin. Syuri drags up Giulia but Giulia headbutts her, spinning backfist by Syuri and both wrestlers are down. Before either moves, the bell rings as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Some online didn’t like this match due to them getting worked too hard by Giulia’s gimmick and thus hating everything she does, but this was a real quality match. It may have helped I saw the clipped TV version. But this was just non-stop hard hits and big bombs, its matches like this that make me not at all surprised when wrestlers are taped up or retire early as they were really laying it into each other. Since they were going for the Draw, the end stretch was maybe a bit too long but the transitions were so smooth I didn’t mind too much. Giulia having a reversal or back-up plan for everything is fun to watch, such as switching suddenly to the Package Piledriver, as her arsenal is incredibly deep. One of the more exciting matches I’ve seen in the last few months, really entertaining match between two wrestlers with surprisingly good chemistry.  Highly Recommended

(c) Utami Hayashishita vs. Momo Watanabe
World of Stardom Championship

We join this one in progress as Utami throws Momo into the corner, but Momo jumps up on the turnbuckles and hits a tornado DDT. Utami rolls out of the ring to regroup but Momo goes out to the apron and hits a PK. Momo jumps down to the floor and removes the mats at ringside, she grabs Utami but Utami gets away. Momo gets her again however and drops Utami with the B Driver on the exposed floor. Back in the ring, Momo kicks at Utami and covers her for two. Momo picks up Utami and elbows her repeatedly, Momo goes off the ropes and avoids Utami’s dropkick attempt before kicking her in the chest. Momo goes for a dropkick but Utami moves, Momo avoids Utami’s charge as well but Utami knocks over Momo with a hard shoulderblock. Running elbow by Utami in the corner and she hits a dropkick, Utami goes up top and hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Utami picks up Momo and gets her on her shoulders, but Momo slides away. Utami blocks Momo’s kicks and hits a big lariat, Utami picks up Momo and goes for the BT Bomb, but Momo slides away. Utami blocks her suplex attempt and hits a Samoan Drop, she gets on the top turnbuckle but Momo recovers and joins her. Avalanche Uranage by Momo but Utami recovers and hits a Release German.

Momo quickly gets back up and hits a Tequila Sunrise, Utami rolls through it however and they get back up to trade elbows. Utami goes off the ropes but Momo kicks her in the head, Somato to the back by Momo and then from the front for a two count. Momo applies a crossface chicken wing but Utami gets a foot on the ropes for the break, Momo goes up top and delivers the diving Somato for a two count cover. Momo goes back up top but this time Utami hits her before she can jump off and goes up top as well, she gets Momo on her shoulder and drops her with an Avalanche Schwein for a two count. Utami drags Momo up and gets her on her shoulders, she spins her around and slams Momo to the mat for two. Momo goes for a Triangle Choke but Utami quickly powerbombs out of it, she picks up Momo and goes for the BT Bomb, but Momo gets out of it and goes back to the crossface chicken wing. She gets Utami back up and delivers the Tequila Sunrise, but Utami kicks out. Momo picks up Utami and goes for the Peach Sunrise, she nails it but Utami barely gets a shoulder up. Elbows by Momo and she kicks Utami in the head, another head kick by Momo but Utami blocks the next Peach Sunrise attempt and hits a backdrop suplex. Utami grabs Momo around the waist and hits three rolling German suplexes, but it only gets two. Utami picks up Momo, she gets her up in the crucifix and nails the BT Bomb for the three count! Utami Hayashishita wins and retains the championship.

This was probably a little too clipped to get a great feel of the match as a whole, but the 13 minutes or so of the match Samurai TV showed was great. Some are worried about Momo’s future in Stardom but I am not – she may never be the “Ace” but she will always have a good place in the promotion as she is just too good not to. Utami continues to be impressive as well as she seems to grow some in the ring each time I see her. Like the last match, they weren’t holding back as the match was full of hard strikes, big moves, and snug suplexes. As presented, no real downtime whatsoever and it had the urgent feel of a big title match. While I am sure the full match was quite good as well, even as shown here its easy to recommend.  Recommended

The post Stardom Osaka Dream Cinderella on 12/20/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League 2020, Day 6
Date: October 29th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 472

Even though this event is in the middle of the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, which I am not really paying much attention to, in many ways it is its own independent show which is why I am watching it. Stardom returns to Korakuen Hall with a lesser event than they usually have there but still with two title matches. Plus, these is one low-level match in the Tag League, just to keep the tournament going while more important things are happening. Here is the full card:

• Gokigen Death vs. Hina vs. Rina vs. Ruaka vs. Saki Kashima
• Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League: Hanan and Saya Iida vs. Mina Shirakawa and Tam Nakano
• Bea Priestley, Konami, and Natsuko Tora vs. Momo Watanabe, Utami Hayashishita, and Riho
• Future Of Stardom Championship: Maika vs. Saya Kamitani
• Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs. Natsupoi and Syuri
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Giulia vs. Himeka

I am watching the Samurai TV! airing, so some matches may be clipped. All the wrestlers on the show have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. Onto the matches!

Gokigen Death vs. Hina vs. Rina vs. Ruaka vs. Saki Kashima

Saki leaves the ring before the match starts as Hina is triple teamed, they try to do the pose spot with Death on Hina’s back but it takes Death three tries to do it right. I’d like to say she was just “clowning around” but sadly I think it was a legitimate issue. Anyway, Saki trips Death and Ruaka from the floor and gets back in the ring, just to dropkick Hina. Saki and Rina dropkick Hina and choke her against the rope, double Irish whip to Hina but she avoids both her opponents and Ruaka hits a crossbody on Saki and Rina. Ruaka and Hina get into it, shoulderblock by Ruaka but Death breaks up the count. Death grabs Ruaka’s arm and goes up top, she walks the ropes before hitting an awkward armdrag. Ruaka knocks Death to the mat and boots her in the head, cover by Ruaka and it gets two. Fisherman Suplex Hold by Ruaka, but Saki breaks it up. Hina and Rina return and hit a double STO on Saki followed by a double vertical suplex. Cover by Hina, but Rina breaks it up. They take turns trying to cover Saki with the other breaking it up, Rina picks up Hina and the two trade elbows. Judo toss by Hina, she picks up Rina and applies a cover for two. Hina and Rina trade waistlocks, Ruaka and Death come in but Saki hits a face crusher on both of them. Saki kicks Hina, schoolboy by Rina and she gets the three count! Rina wins!

I was hoping that Saki would just stay outside the ring and refuse to participate in the match but sadly did not get what I want. I also thought Samurai TV! may clip it, but they didn’t, so I was 0 for 2. Pretty harmless action but still with many awkward spots, mostly revolving around Death. I’m not sure the target audience for these types of matches, its not offensive but there isn’t really a reason to watch it either as its clunky and has limited entertainment value.

Hanan and Saya Iida vs. Mina Shirakawa and Tam Nakano

Hanan and Saya attack their opponents from behind before the match starts, they focus on Tam as they tie her in the ropes and double team her. Body press by Hanan to Tam, but it only gets two. Hanan starts on Tam’s leg and puts her in a Figure Four, but Tam quickly gets to the ropes for the break. Hanan kicks Tam in the leg and tags Saya, who continues on the leg work. Mina runs in to break up a submission but Hanan elbows her to the floor, Saya goes off the ropes and she hits a back elbow on Tam for two. Tam fights back and dropkicks Saya, Hanan comes in but Tam catches her with a cutter and makes the hot tag to Mina. Mina hits a lariat on both opponents and she puts Saya in the Romero Special, she lets go after a moment and stomps on Saya’s back. They return to their feet and trade strikes, a battle that Saya wins and she tags in Hanan.

Dropkicks by Hanan to Mina, she picks her up but Mina blocks the slam attempt. Hanan goes off the ropes but Mina hits a Lou Thesz Press, she tags in Tam and Tam kicks Hanan in the midsection. Judo toss by Hanan and she hits a STO, kick to the arm by Hanan and she goes for the cross armbreaker. Tam wiggles to the ropes to get the break, Hanan goes for a slam but Tam blocks it. Saya hits a missile dropkick on Tam while Hanan goes up top and hits a diving crossbody. Bridging fallaway slam by Hanan, but Mina breaks up the cover. Hanan goes off the ropes but Tam catches her with a backdrop suplex, head kick by Tam and she covers Hanan for two. Tam picks up Hanan but Hanan blocks the suplex and cradles Tam for two. Back up, elbows by Hanan and she goes off the ropes, but Tam drills her with a spinning heel kick. Mina comes in and sets up Hanan, and both connect with strikes. Tam goes off the ropes and delivers the Violet Shooting (sliding knee), and she picks up the three count! Mina Shirakawa and Tam Nakano win the match and pick up two points in the tournament.

This was a perfectly acceptable, although not overly exciting, tag team match. The layout was a little all over the place, with the limb work switching limbs for no reason, but its hard to nitpick that kind of thing with the second match on the card. Hanan seems to have shaken off any ring rust she had and actually looks pretty solid, I know normally I trash the child wrestlers but I think she has a lot of potential if she sticks with it. Tam felt “too good” to be in this match but those are the breaks sometimes. For lower card entertainment, a decent little match.

Bea Priestley, Konami, and Natsuko Tora vs. Momo Watanabe, Utami Hayashishita, and Riho

Queen’s Quest attacks before the bell rings as the action spills out to the floor, Oedo Tai takes over control however as Natsuko gets back in the ring with Momo. Natsuko mushes Momo in the corner before picking her up and tagging in Konami. Momo is triple teamed in the corner as Bea is tagged, scoop slam by Bea to Momo but Momo kicks out of the cocky cover. Natsuko returns as she bootscrapes Momo against the ropes, Momo avoids Bea’s next strike but Bea kicks her in the head. Bea jumps up to the top turnbuckle but Momo catches her with a side slam for a two count. Momo goes for the crossface chickenwing but Natsuko quickly breaks it up, Utami runs in too and drops Bea with an Argentine Slam. Riho helps as well before Momo picks up Bea and nails the Tequila Sunrise, but Saki Kashima pulls the referee out of the ring. Meanwhile, Bea hits a jumping knee on Momo and Natsuko hits Momo with her chain. Natsuko hangs Momo over the top turnbuckle with the chain for a moment before pulling her back into the ring, Bea gets Momo up for the Queen’s Landing and nails it, but the referee sees the chain around Momo’s neck and instead of counting he calls for the DQ. Your winner by the referee suddenly learning how to notice things is Queen’s Quest!

The issue here isn’t that they found a ‘way out’ of having someone take a pin in a meaningless midcard tag, but how they did it. Stardom referees are like referees in every promotion – they aren’t the smartest bunch. This reminded me of WWF back in in the day briefly having a “smart” referee that noticed things, and the idea failed as it just led to annoying inconsistencies match to match. Natsuko uses her chain a lot, and the referee has seen her use it before and didn’t DQ her. But here the referee didn’t even see it being used, just saw it on Momo and called for the bell. Its not lazy, as they could have had the referee just see her hanging Momo and DQ her there, its just poorly thought out. Anyway, the match was too short (and slightly clipped) to get excited about so I decided to just discuss the ending for a paragraph, which obviously I didn’t like.

(c) Maika vs. Saya Kamitani
Future of Stardom Championship

They immediately get into it as they trade elbows, dropkick by Saya and Maika falls out of the ring. Saya charges the ropes before slingshotting to the apron and hitting a moonsault down to the floor. Saya picks up Maika but Maika catches her with a scoop slam on the floor. Maika slides Saya back in and stands on her back, Maika flings Saya around the ring before hitting a STO for a two count cover. Maika throws Saya into the corner but Saya avoids her charge, Maika rolls Saya to the mat and puts her in a Camel Clutch. Saya gets to the ropes to force the break, Maika picks her up and goes off the ropes but Saya does a double backflip and dropkicks Maika to the mat. Jumping knee by Saya in the corner and she delivers another dropkick for a two count. Crab hold by Saya but Maika gets to the ropes, Saya picks up Maika but Maika elbows her in the chest. They trade elbow strikes until Maika smashes Saya to the mat, Maika gets Saya back up but Saya slaps her.

Pump Kick by Saya and they trade boots, hard elbows by Saya but Maika knocks her over with a lariat. Saya quickly returns to her feet and delivers a pump kick, and both wrestlers end up down on the mat. Saya elbows Maika before she can get back up but Maika catches her with a till-a-whirl backbreaker. STO by Maika, but Saya kicks out of the cover. Maika picks up Saya and gets her on her shoulders, but Saya slides away. Jumping heel kick by Saya, she goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Running Shooting Star Press by Saya, but Maika gets a shoulder up. Saya picks up Maika and hits the Fisherman Driver, but Maika gets a shoulder up on the cover. Saya goes to the top turnbuckle but Maika recovers and joins her, hitting a superplex back to the mat. Maika quickly picks up Saya and hits another suplex, getting a two count cover. Maika spins Saya up on her shoulders but Saya cradles her for two, Maika levels Saya with a lariat and finally hits the Enka Otoshi for the three count! Maika wins and retains the championship.

What these two lack in experience (and it does show sometimes) they make up for by presenting something different and entertaining even if it is sometimes a little rough around the edges. Everything Stardom does is so smooth its almost refreshing to have Saya Kamitani, who has more of a kamikaze style where not everything she does is crisp yet but she always goes out to entertain and amuse. Maika has really improved her offense in the last few months and everything she does is so tight, even if her finishing move probably is too convoluted for its own good. They both fought with a lot of passion and fire, with their strike exchanges being really good, and both hitting bigger and bigger moves to one-up the other was fun to watch. This is a fitting title for them to be battling over – neither are ready for the White or Red belt but they are close and will get there if they continue to improve. An entertaining match, looking forward to seeing these two continue to get better and better.  Recommended

Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs. Natsupoi and Syuri

Unlike the other tag matches on this event, this one started civilly. Mayu and Syuri begin for their teams, Syuri gets Mayu into the ropes but she gives a clean break. They trade wristlocks but end up in a stalemate, and both wrestlers tag out. Natsupoi and Starlight Kid go into a quicker exchange as they bounce off the ropes and trade armdrags, Starlight Kid wins the duel with a dropkick and Mayu comes into the ring to help. Double dropkick to Natsupoi and Starlight Kid hits a footstomp for a two count. Starlight Kid tags Mayu, dropkick by Mayu and she kicks Syuri off the apron. Mayu cradles Natsupoi to the mat and delivers a sliding kick, but Syuri comes in to try to help. She doesn’t, as Mayu hits a double springboard armdrag on them, then with Starlight Kid they hit a double 619. Starlight Kid and Mayu both hit standing moonsaults on their respective opponents, Mayu picks up Natsupoi and applies a double wrist-clutch armsault for a two count. Mayu goes off the ropes but Natsupoi catches her with a superkick, giving her time to tag Syuri. Syuri kicks Mayu into the corner and hits a running knee, DDT by Syuri and she covers Mayu for two. Back up they trade elbows, kicks by Syuri but Mayu kicks her in the midsection. A head kick sends them both to the mat, they get back up and Syuri hits a release German. Mayu fires back with the Dodonpa, she gets back up first and superkicks Syuri before tagging in Starlight Kid.

Starlight Kid goes up top and hits a diving crossbody on Syuri, Irish whip by Starlight Kid and she hits a spinning headscissors. She charges Syuri in the corner but Syuri moves, another tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Starlight Kid and she dropkicks Syuri for a two count. Starlight Kid goes off the ropes but Natsupoi cuts her off with a dropkick, double arm suplex by Syuri and she slams Natsupoi onto Starlight Kid. Syuri and Natsupoi both kick Starlight Kid before Syuri hits a PK, but Mayu breaks up the cover. Syuri picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid slides away, superkick by Mayu to Syuri and Starlight Kid delivers a satellite DDT. Cross-legged suplex hold by Starlight Kid, but Syuri barely gets a shoulder up. Backstabber by Starlight Kid, Mayu then comes off the top with a double footstomp to Syuri. Swivel Body Press by Starlight Kid, but Natsupoi breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid picks up Syuri and goes for Ki-chan Bomb, but Natsupoi dropkicks her to break it up. Running knee by Syuri, and she covers Starlight Kid for two. Syuri puts Starlight Kid in the Scorpion Deathlock, but Mayu breaks it up. Natsupoi comes in and takes care of Mayu, Syuri picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid gets away and they trade flash pins. Starlight Kid goes off the ropes but Syuri kicks her in the head, Syuri puts Starlight Kid in the Seiryu and Starlight Kid submits! Syuri and Natsupoi are the winners.

This was clipped on the Samurai TV broadcast, which shows the level of importance this match was, but I still enjoyed it. We need to now stop talking about Starlight Kid as “getting better” and being “almost ready” and switch to “she’s great” and “she’s ready.” She didn’t seem out of place at all when in the ring with more experienced wrestlers and still managed to shine, and its fun to see Mayu doing Starlight Kid’s spots with her as it shows she isn’t just a sidekick. Natsupoi didn’t get a chance to do much as she wasn’t the focus of the match (at least the portion we saw) but everything she did looked fine. Its hard to really get into a flow with parts of the matches clipped but the teams worked together well so they came across as real partners and not thrown together singles wrestlers, which I always appreciate. A pretty insignificant match to be one spot from the top, but still solid action. Mildly Recommended

(c) Giulia vs. Himeka
Wonder of Stardom Championship

Himeka attacks Giulia right at the start, lariats by Himeka and she goes for the running powerbomb, but Giulia punches out of it. Himeka goes off the ropes but Giulia ducks the lariat, Giulia grabs Himeka by the hair but Himeka spins away. Armdrag by Giulia and she hits a dropkick, big boot by Giulia and Himeka falls out of the ring to the floor. Giulia goes out after her, Himeka tries to hit a lariat but hits the ring post by mistake. Giulia rams Himeka’s arm into the post before throwing her into the railing, Giulia eventually slides Himeka back into the ring and continues working on her arm. Giulia puts Himeka in a cross-legged chinlock, curb stomp by Giulia and she covers Himeka for two. Irish whip by Giulia but Himeka reverses it, she charges in but Giulia moves out of the way. Big boot by Giulia and she hits a neckbreaker, cover by Giulia but it gets two. Himeka catches Giulia with a chokebomb to regain the advantage, crab hold by Himeka but Giulia gets to the ropes for the break. Himeka goes off the ropes and hits a knee to the back, backbreaker by Himeka and she covers Giulia for a two count.

Himeka gets Giulia on her shoulders but Giulia slides off, Giulia puts Himeka in an armbar that I can’t fully describe but Himeka gets to the ropes. Giulia goes up top and hits a missile dropkick to the back of Himeka’s head, Giulia scrapes Himeka’s face but Himeka fires back with a lariat. Himeka picks up Giulia and the two trade elbows, Giulia elbows Himeka to her knees and goes off the ropes, but Himeka catches her with a lariat. While on their knees they trade slaps, headbutt by Giulia and both wrestlers end up back on the mat. Himeka hits a big knee once they get up but Giulia delivers a big boot for a two count. Giulia goes for a backdrop suplex but Himeka blocks it, boot by Giulia and she hits a Michinoku Driver for two. Giulia goes up top but Himeka recovers and joins her, Himeka goes for a powerbomb but Giulia blocks it. Giulia gets Himeka’s back while still on the top turnbuckle and applies an armbar, but Himeka has none of that and hits an avalanche Samoan Drop. Cover by Himeka, but it gets a two count.

Himeka picks up Giulia and gets her on her shoulders in an Argentine Backbreaker, she slams Giulia to the mat from the hold but Giulia gets a shoulder up on the cover. Himeka picks up Giulia and nails a folding powerbomb, but Giulia reverses the cover into an attempted triangle choke. Himeka tries to powerbomb out of it but Giulia keeps a hold on the arm and puts Himeka in the Stealth Viper. Himeka is too close to the ropes and makes it there for the break, Giulia picks up Himeka but Himeka blocks whichever Glorious Driver she wanted to do and hits a backdrop suplex. Sliding lariat by Himeka, she picks up Giulia and goes for the running powerbomb, but Himeka hurricanranas out of it for two. Running kick by Giulia but Himeka fires back with a lariat, she picks up Giulia but Giulia slides behind her and hits a Release German. Himeka gets back up but Giulia boots her in the face, shining kick by Giulia and she hits a backdrop suplex for two. Giulia drags up Himeka and nails the Glorious Driver II, and she gets the three count! Giulia wins and retains the championship.

A pretty great match between two young and hungry wrestlers. Himeka may be new to Stardom but she is legit, she’s put a lot of effort into improving since joining the promotion and it shows. She was able to hang with Giulia without any issues and they really did feel like equals, even though in the hierarchy Giulia is slotted a spot or two higher on a normal day. Everything they hit was on point and there were more snug strikes than I could count, both clearly are comfortable enough with each other to lay it on. The ending felt perfect, with Himeka’s final wind immediately being greeted by a boot to the face and Giulia hitting a good string of moves to keep Himeka down. I really have nothing bad to say about the match, it was exciting from bell to bell with no obvious flaws or down points. Definitely worth tracking down.  Highly Recommended

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Championships Held: AJW Championship, AJW Tag Team Championship, DDT Ironman Heavymetalweight Championship, International Ribbon Tag Team Championship, JWP Openweight Championship, JWP Tag Team Championship, NEO/Stardom High Speed Championship, and the Artist of Stardom Championship
Tournaments Won: Natsu Onna Kettei Tag Tournament (2009 and 2010)
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• July 20th, 2002 with Haruyama vs. Fujii and Nishio   (title win)
• November 29th, 2002 vs. Miyuki Fujii   (title win)
• January 2nd, 2003 vs. Mika Nishio   (title win)
• January 25th, 2004 with Kayoko Haruyama vs. Etsuko Mita and Misae Genki   (title win)
• September 21st, 2009 with Sakura vs. Makiba and Takahashi   (title win)
• July 18th, 2010 vs. Nanae Takahashi   (title win)
• October 10th, 2010 vs. Hailey Hatred  (title defense and title challenge)
• March 10th, 2013 vs. Cherry   (title win)
• June 2nd, 2013 vs. Natsuki☆Taiyo   (title win)
• June 23rd, 2013 with Kairi Hojo and Yuhi vs. Christina Von Eerie, Hailey Hatred, and Kyoko Kimura   (title win)
• December 13th, 2015 with Tsubasa Kuragaki vs. Kagetsu and Kaho Kobayashi  (title win)
• December 2nd, 2018 with Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Rina Yamashita and Yoshiko   (title win)
• July 20th, 2019 vs. AZM vs. Hazuki  (title win)

Signature Moves:

• Bridging German Suplex
• Chaos Theory
• Diving Knee Drop
• Diving Senton
• Moonsault
• Shiranui
• Yone-ZOU (Leg Trap Sunset Flip Powerbomb)

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

• December 30th, 2008 – Hyuga, Leon, and Nakajima vs. Haruyama, Bolshoi, and Yoneyama in Marvelous
• July 19th, 2009 – Command Bolshoi and Yabushita vs. Yoneyama and Emi Sakura in JWP
• June 1st, 2014 – Wakizawa, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Iwatani vs. Yoneyama, Kamen, and Obihiro in Stardom
• January 11th, 2015 – Kaori Yoneyama vs. Miyako Matsumoto in OZ Academy
• January 10th, 2016 – Hyuga, Leon, and Arisa Nakajima vs. Haruyama, Command Bolshoi, and Yoneyama in OZ Academy
• July 31st, 2016 – Kurumi and Yoneyama vs. Kagetsu and Nagasaki at Hiroyo Matsumoto Produce
• August 14th, 2016 – Hiroyo Matsumoto and Yamashita vs. Tsubasa Kuragaki and Yoneyama in OZ Academy
• September 10th, 2016 – Emi Sakura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Riho and Sayaka Obihiro in Gatoh Move
• February 11th, 2017 – Aasa vs. Kaori Yoneyama in Gatoh Move
• March 9th, 2017 – KAI and Black Midnight Devil vs. Minoru Suzuki and Midnight Angel in Stardom
• April 12th, 2017 – Kaori Yoneyama and Kizuki vs. Rina Yamashita and Fujigasaki in OZ Academy
• September 3rd, 2017 – Aja Kong vs. Kaori Yoneyama in OZ Academy
• October 9th, 2018 – Yoneyama and Hinata vs. Mio Momono and Yamashita at Hikaru Shida Produce
• April 21st, 2019 – Command Bolshoi vs. Kaori Yoneyama in PURE-J
• January 5th, 2020 – Aja Kong and Yoneyama vs. Sekiguchi and Sonoko Kato in OZ Academy
• August 8th, 2020 – DEATH Yama-san vs. Starlight Kid in Stardom
• October 3rd, 2020 – Death Yama-san vs. Natsupoi in Stardom

In Action:

Chaos Theory

Diving Senton

Yone-ZOU

Back to Other Affiliated Wrestlers

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