When it comes to reviewing Stardom, I am generally torn between reviewing the newest show or the biggest show, since we established I am not reviewing every single Stardom event as they have so many. Well this is a bit in the middle but it is the most recent Joshi show I have readily available, plus it has six matches so its more beefy than the usual Stardom house show. This event has a Rookie of Stardom Tournament as well as a Goddesses of Stardom Championship match and a big six woman main event. Here is the full card:

• Rookie of Stardom Semifinal: Arisu Nanase vs. Ruaka
• Rookie of Stardom Semifinal: Natsuko Tora vs. Azumi
• Hiromi Mimura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hana Kimura and Kris Wolf vs. Taya and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Yoko Bito and Saori Anou
• Rookie of Stardom Final: Arisu Nanase vs. Natsuko Tora
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Kyoko Kimura and Kagetsu vs. Thunder Rosa and Holidead
• Io Shirai, Momo Watanabe, and HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani, Kairi Hojo, and Jungle Kyona

This is a Nico Nico presentation, but looks like it was shown in full. So we get pro-shot and no clipping. Win-win.

Arisu Nanase vs. Ruaka

They tie-up, Arisu gets Ruaka into the ropes and they take turns elbowing each other in the chest. Ruaka takes Arisu to the mat but Arisu gets a foot on the ropes, dropkick by Ruaka and they trade elbows again. Ruaka stomps on Arisu but Arisu avoids her charge in the corner and hits a dropkick. Jumping crossbody for Ruaka for two, she picks up Arisu but Arisu scoop slams her. Another scoop slam by Arisu and she puts Ruaka in a crab hold, but Ruaka gets a hand to the ropes. Arisu goes for another slam but Ruaka lands on top of her, running boot by Ruaka in the corner but Arisu delivers a dropkick. Another dropkick by Arisu and she puts Ruaka in a crab hold, and this time Ruaka submits! Arisu wins the match and reaches the Finals of the tournament.

A really basic match, which is what you’d expect when a match has a 12 year old that debuted just a couple weeks prior. All things considered it was well-worked, not all the strikes looked strong but neither looked lost at any point. Not a bad match between two youngsters with very little experience.

Natsuko Tora vs. Azumi

No-nonsense Azumi doesn’t shake Natsuko’s hand before the match, both wrestlers trade dropkick attempts before Azumi applies a few La Magistrals for two. Natsuko drives Azumi back into the corner but Azumi hits a dropkick, she goes for a scoop slam but Natsuko blocks it. Natsuko and Azumi trade elbows until Azumi hits a DDT, kick to the back by Azumi but Natsuko shoulderblocks her to the mat for a two count. Natsuko picks up Azumi and hits a scoop slam, she goes to run off the ropes but Azumi trips her and hits a dropkick. More dropkicks by Azumi and she elbows Natsuko in the chest, but Natsuko grabs her and hit a side Russian leg sweep. Natsuko applies an armtrap necklock but releases it after a moment, she goes off the ropes but Azumi avoids the senton and applies a crucifix pin for two. Tilt-a-whirl roll-up by Azumi for two, Natsuko goes off the ropes but Azumi kicks her in the stomach and they trade quick roll-ups. Azumi goes for La Magistral but Natsuko blocks it and holds down Azumi for the three count! Natsuko continues on in the tournament!

Simple, but Natsuko already shows some promise. She has been training in Stardom since the beginning of the year and is 25, so it makes sense that she is quite capable of having short-ish matches without looking confused. Azumi wore a new outfit but still lost anyway, she is a great character but didn’t look like the better wrestler here even though she has a couple years experience. A fun little match between the young wrestler and the newbie.

Hiromi Mimura and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hana Kimura and Kris Wolf
vs. Taya and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Yoko Bito and Saori Anou

As an Elimination Match, two teams are legal at a time and if one partner is pinned the team is eliminated. Bito and Yoneyama start the match, kicks by Bito but Yoneyama avoids the next few and rolls her up for two. Saori and Hana are tagged in, Hana does a dance around the ring and challenges Saori to do the same. Saori does but Hana rolls her up from behind, Saori elbows Hana and the two trade blows. Lariat by Hana but Anou hits a hard shoulderblock, Hiromi attacks her from behind but Taya comes in too and they become the legal wrestlers. Taya asks for a knuckle lock even though the much smaller Hiromi can’t reach her, Yoneyama comes in and puts Hiromi on her shoulders to even the odds but Taya Irish whips them and pushes them over. Everyone else comes in as Hiroyo and Taya stack their opponents in the corner, cannonball by Taya and Hiroyo stays in with Hiromi. Hiroyo tries to throw Hiromi out of the ring but Hiromi slides out onto the apron.

Hana dropkicks Hiroyo into Hiromi to knock her off the apron, elbows by Hana but Hiroyo elbows her to the mat. Hana gets up and hits more elbows but Hiroyo snapmares her and hits a double knee drop. Hana takes off her belt and chokes Hiroyo with it, running double knee by Hana in the corner and she hits a dropkick for two. Hana goes for a suplex but Hiroyo blocks it and hits a backbreaker, Kris runs in but she gets a backbreaker too. Hiroyo puts them both in a crab hold, Bito and Anou ‘help’ by pulling on Hiroyo’s hair, which leads to Hiroyo breaking the hold. Hiromi and Yoneyama run in and clear the ring, Taya gets on the apron and dives down on the whole bunch. Hiromi tries to do the same but she gets caught, until Yoneyama runs over and helps knock them over. Yoneyama rolls Kris into the ring and hits a diving senton off the second turnbuckle, but Kris gets a shoulder up. Hiromi goes for an assisted senton but Kris moves, big boot by Hana and Kris jackknifes Hiromi for the three count! Hiromi Mimura and Kaori Yoneyama are eliminated. Saori and Bito quickly run in and double team Kris, B-Driver by Bito and she covers Kris for three! Kris Wolf and Hana Kimura are eliminated.

This leaves Taya/Hiroyo and Bito/Saori as the remaining teams. Hiroyo and Bito trade elbows, Saori hits Hiroyo from the apron which allows Bito to hit a big boot. Back bodydrop by Bito and she kicks Hiroyo in the back, more kicks by Bito but Hiroyo hits a body block followed by a big lariat. Taya comes in and jumps on Hiroyo’s back before hitting a double kneedrop. Reverse double kneedrop by Hiroyo out of the corner to Bito, but Saori runs in and breaks up the cover. Taya jumps on Hiroyo’s back again and they do a double kneedrop on Saori, Taya throws Saori into the corner and she hits a back elbow. Lariat by Taya but Saori avoids her charge in the corner. Dropkick by Taya, Hiroyo comes back in but so does Bito and she hits a double lariat. Bito kicks Taya in the head, Saori covers her with a bridge but the pin is broken up. Hiroyo lariats Bito, double knee strike by Taya to Saori and she hits a Northern Lights Suplex. Taya bridges out of the suplex and hits a double footstomp, cover by Taya and she gets the three count! Taya and Hiroyo Matsumoto are the winners!

I am not sure if Stardom plans on using Taya much going forward as she does have a lot of commitments in the US and Mexico, but I think she added quite a bit to this match. No one wrestler stood out in terms of in-ring prowess, there just wasn’t enough time, but everyone worked together well and their personalities really were on display. Hana did a “sexy dancer” thing to trick Anou, Hiromi was in her usual cute underdog role, and the veterans brought the bulk of the pain. It feels like a low match on the card for Bito but its just the way the dice were rolled on this show, she’ll back back up towards the main event next time. A really fun mid-card event, no big spots or anything like that but everyone worked together well and it had a fair number of entertaining stretches.  Mildly Recommended

Arisu Nanase vs. Natsuko Tora

A solid ending to the mini-tournament. It may say a lot that Arisu won the tournament (or it could mean nothing and they will all be in the opener for the next year regardless). Arisu is already showing some attitude, the only thing holding her back at this point is her age as Stardom isn’t going to push her by so hard until she is at least 16. But both showed here they are well trained and prepared rookies as both stayed on target and focused without any miscommunications. Stardom builds up wrestlers slow so it may be awhile until either move too far up the card, but it was a fun rookie match.

(c) Kyoko Kimura and Kagetsu vs. Thunder Rosa and Holidead

Kagetsu starts with Rosa and actually shakes her hand beforehand. See, they are friends. They bounce off the ropes and Rosa hits a spinning headscissors, Kagetsu falls out of the ring but she quickly rolls back in when Rosa goes out after her. They tag out, Holidead and Kyoko lock knuckles but Kyoko pokes Holidead in the eyes and hits a shoulderblock. Holidead returns the favor with her own shoulderblock before tagging in Rosa, Kyoko is back up by now and the two trade chops. Rosa goes for a springboard move but Kyoko sidesteps it and tags Kagetsu, Kagetsu elbows Rosa in the head and hits a scoop slam for two. Headlock by Kagetsu, she picks up Rosa and clubs on her until she tags Kyoko back in. Kyoko puts Rosa in a Figure Four but Rosa gets into the ropes, Kagetsu is tagged in and she continues the work on Rosa. Rosa flings Kagetsu to the mat with a hurricanrana and makes the hot tag to Holidead, Kyoko comes in too however and she blows in Holidead’s face.

Holidead lariats both of her opponents but Kagetsu comes back with a missile dropkick, Samoan Drop by Holidead and she tags in Rosa, Rosa elbows Kagetsu but Kagetsu returns with elbows of her own. Hard dropkicks by Rosa and she hits a STO for a two count cover. Rosa kicks Kagetsu in the back but Kagetsu retorts with a kick to the head, and both wrestlers crawl to their corners to tag out. Big boot by Holidead but Kyoko blocks the second attempt and kicks Holidead in the leg. Kick to the head by Kyoko, Kagetsu comes in and they both boot Holidead for a two count. Kyoko picks up Holidead and puts her in a stretch hold, but Holidead muscles out of it and hits an Air Raid Crash. Kyoko goes off the ropes but Holidead hits a sit-down spinebuster, picking up a two. Kyoko is thrown a briefcase but Holidead pushes it away and Rosa hits both Kyoko and Kagetsu with it. Double underhook facebuster by Holidead, diving footstomp by Rosa and Holidead hits a diving legdrop but Kagetsu breaks up the cover. Kris Wolf jumps on the apron and hits Holidead in the head, Holidead goes for a chokeslam but Kyoko rolls her up for the three count! Kyoko Kimura and Kagetsu retain the championship.

I can’t say that I loved this match. The wrestlers are all fine and all have had quality matches in the last month in Stardom, but something didn’t mesh here. Time may have been an issue but they struggled to tell a story to get the audience into it as it went from trading spots to brief leg work to “Oedo Tai” finish without anything to tie it together. Both teams are heels so the hot tag wasn’t too hot, and it didn’t have the excitement you’d hope from an Oedo Tai match or a title match. It was technically sound but just felt flat, not one of the better Kyoko and Kagetsu matches I have seen in Stardom recently.

Io Shirai, Momo Watanabe, and HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani, Kairi Hojo, and Kyona

They start with a brawl and immediately go outside the ring, Kyona and Kairi return with Io but Io quickly turns the tables and dispatches both of them. Mayu comes in but the rest of Queen’s Quest also comes in and all three triple team Mayu. Momo kicks down Mayu in the corner as Queen’s Quest takes turns on poor Mayu as they tag in and out, but Mayu eventually hits a missile dropkick on Momo and makes the hot tag to Kyona. Kyona shoulderblocks Momo before knocking both Io and HZK off the apron, she goes back to Momo but Momo dropkicks her. Another hard shoulderblock by Kyona, she picks up Momo but Io and HZK both run in to help. Kyona is thrown in the corner but Kyona gets away and hits a crossbody on all three of them. Kyona hits more shoulderblocks on Momo but Momo fires back with kicks, elbows by Kyona but Momo slaps her. Running boot by Momo, Kairi tags in and goes up top, hitting a diving elbow smash. She grabs some water and splashes Kyona with it to fire her up, Mayu comes in too and Momo is knocked over with a catapult dropkick. Kairi picks up Momo but Momo floats over her back with a sunset flip. Dropkick by Momo and she tags HZK, chop to the chest by HZK and she applies an armtrap crossface to Kairi. Kairi gets a foot on the ropes to force the break, HZK picks her up and elbows Kairi in the ropes. Kairi switches positions with her and returns the favor, HZK slides out to the apron and snaps Kairi’s neck on the top rope. Raideen Drop by HZK off the second rope, she picks up Kairi but Kairi hits a spear. Punch to the gut by HZK but Kairi hits a double chop to the chest for a two count.

Both wrestlers tag out as Io and Mayu come in, elbows by Mayu but Io trips her and hits a slingshot dropkick from the apron. Io kicks at Mayu’s head, Mayu goes for a springboard move but stops herself on the ropes as Io had moved out of the way. When Io turns around, Mayu then springboards off with a dropkick and follows up with another dropkick while Io is against the ropes. Cover by Mayu, but it gets a two count. Kairi and Kyona come in and go for the catapult dropkick, but Io dropkicks Mayu and palm strikes both her teammates. Running double knee by Io in the corner, HZK comes in and kicks Mayu in the head before Momo connects with the avalanche Somato. Io goes for a moonsault, Mayu moves but Io lands on her feet and hits a palm strike. Package German by Io, but Mayu gets a shoulder up. Io picks up Mayu but Kyona grabs Mayu from the apron to help, Kairi comes in too but Io throws Kairi into both of them. German Suplex by Io to Mayu, but it only gets a two count. Io goes towards the turnbuckle but Mayu grabs her foot, stomps by Io and she goes up top anyway but Kyouna clubs her leg out from under her. Io lands in the Tree of Woe, diving footstomp by Kairi and now it is Mayu that goes up top. Diving Footstomp by Mayu, but Io kicks out of the pin. Superkick by Mayu and she applies a crucifix pin, but Momo breaks it up. Kyona lariats Momo and HZK, they knock Io into the corner and this time connect with the catapult dropkick. Mayu goes for the dragon suplex, Io blocks it and rolls up Mayu, but Mayu reverses the roll-up and applies a cradle of her own for the three count! Mayu, Momo, and Kairi win!

The issue here isn’t the match quality itself, it is just putting so many quality wrestlers in a short six wrestler tag so that less get a chance to shine. Kairi wasn’t needed here, I love her to death but she just got lost in the shuffle since everyone else had a purpose. Momo and Kyona are friends turned enemies so their pairing had meaning, obviously Mayu and Io have their issues, while HZK is the “new” wrestler (she also wasn’t really necessary). But aside from the fact I thought the match had too many wrestlers, I loved the interactions between Io and Mayu, everything was perfect. Io has always been a bit cocky in the ring but has stepped it up a notch, everything she does has purpose and its so captivating watching her. Mayu bumps like she wants to die so everything done to her looks impactful, and anytime they were in the ring together it worked so well. The build to their big match later this match was the important theme and they did a great job putting that over. If you don’t mind that not all the wrestlers were used to their full abilities, a really fun house show main event, with Io showing again why she is one of the best wrestlers in the world.  Recommended

The post Stardom Goddesses of Stars on 12/4/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

We are skipping ahead a bit, as if I reviewed every Stardom show my head would probably explode. Since we last checked in with Stardom, not a lot has happened except that Io Shirai turned on her long time friend Mayu Iwatani to turn heel. This is the first time Stardom has had a true heel since Yoshiko left (Oedo Tai is too cute and funny to be considered true heels), giving the main events a different dynamic. When she turned on Mayu, Io also brought in a new partner, the mysterious HZK (formally known as Reo Hazuki). This is Stardom’s first event since Io shocked the Stardom World, as Mayu looks for her revenge. Here is the full card:

• Azumi and Natsuko Tora vs. Arisu Nanase and Ruaka
• Kris Wolf vs. Thea Trinidad
• Kairi Hojo and Hiromi Mimura vs. Thunder Rosa and Holidead
• Jungle Kyouna vs. Yoko Bito
• Io Shirai and HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani and Momo Watanabe
  

Since this is a house show I have low expectations, but hopefully it will be fun.

Azumi and Natsuko Tora vs. Arisu Nanase and Ruaka

Ruaka attacks Natsuko from behind before the match starts, perhaps showing she is more than just your average rookie, slap to the chest by Ruaka and she hits another dropkick for a one count cover. She goes off the ropes again but this time Natsuko kicks her and hits a scoop slam. Ruaka elbows Natsuko but Natsuko elbows her hard back and makes the tag to Azumi. Snapmares by Azumi and she throws down Ruaka by her hair, Ruaka lands in her own corner and makes the tag to Arisu. Natsuko comes in the ring and with Azumi they hit a leapfrog footstomp, running body press by Natsuko and she hits a shoulderblock. Arisu pushes Natsuko away and they trade elbows, side Russian leg sweep by Natsuko and she covers Arisu for two. Natsuko elbows Arisu into the corner but Arisu dropkicks Natsuko, another dropkick by Arisu and she gets a two count cover. Ruaka is tagged back in but Natsuko chokes her to the mat, body press by Natsuko but Ruaka avoids the senton. Jumping crossbody by Ruaka, Arisu comes in and they hit a leapfrog footstomp of their own. Roll-up by Ruaka, but Azumi breaks up the cover. Natsuko puts Ruaka in a crab hold, but Ruaka gets to the ropes to force the break. Natsuko tags Azumi, dropkicks by Azumi and she covers her for two. Vertical suplex by Azumi, she applies a waistlock but Ruaka blocks it, Natsuko comes in but she kicks her partner by accident. Arisu also enters the ring but eats a DDT from Azumi, modified STO by Ruaka to Azumi and she covers her for a two count. Ruaka goes off the ropes but Azumi kicks her, sunset flip by Azumi but it gets two. La Magistral by Azumi, and this time she gets the three count! Azumi and Natsuko Tora are the winners.

While you can’t expect high-end wrestling in an opening rookie match, I can say that there weren’t any serious miscues and the action stayed at a decent pace. Some of the strikes weren’t hit very crisp and they were a few moments where the action didn’t click, but Arisu and Natsuko both looked good and Ruaka is already bigger than the other four even though she is only 12 so she didn’t seem out of place. Slightly different than usual since there were more new wrestlers, obviously nothing great but a watchable opener.

Kris Wolf vs. Thea Trinidad

Kris has no interest in the pre-match handshake and puts Thea in a headlock instead, Kris bails out to the apron but Thea elbows her and bites Kris in the arm. Kris rams Thea’s head into the turnbuckle before jumping back into the ring, they both trade kick attempts but neither can connect. Kick to the stomach by Thea and she hits a spinning headscissors, she charges Kris but Kris moves out of the way and Thea ends up in the ropes. Kris spanks Thea before applying a leglock around the bottom rope, kick to the leg by Kris and she connects with a kneedrop. Running dropkick to the leg by Kris in the corner and she chokes Thea with her tail, she picks up Thea but Thea wiggles away and hits a series of kicks. Thea applies a choke in the ropes, she then climbs the second turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Kris kicks Thea away but Thea kicks her back, Thea charges Kris but Kris quickly suplexes her. Kris gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a somersault senton, but it gets a two count. They trade quick pin attempts with no luck, Backstabber by Kris and she kicks Thea in the back for a two count. Swinging neckbreaker by Thea, she goes up top and she nails a moonsault for the three count! Thea Trinidad is your winner.

I sometimes affectionately refer to these matches as ‘card fillers’, but at least in this case it was also used to introduce Thea Trinidad to a new crowd in a safe match. This is a lot easier than debuting a new wrestler against someone like Io, as the expectations can become way too high. Six minutes isn’t long enough to get much of a match but there was nothing wrong with it, Thea generally hit her moves fine and Kris was her usual consistent self. Not overly memorable but effective in what it was going for.

Kairi Hojo and Hiromi Mimura vs. Thunder Rosa and Holidead

Kairi and Rosa kick things off, Kairi armdrags Rosa into the corner but Rosa flips her out onto the apron when she charges in. Kairi slides under the bottom rope and rolls up Rosa, but Rosa gets out of it and they return to their feet. Hiromi and Holidead tag in, Hiromi comes in with her knife (a fake knife of course) but Holidead isn’t intimidated as she takes it form her before “stabbing” Hiromi in the stomach. Holidead mocks Kairi’s pose but Hiromi reverses a suplex attempt into a few flash pins. The trick doesn’t work on Holidead who chokes Hiromi until Kairi comes in to break it up, crossbody attempt by Hiromi but Holidead catches her and throws Hiromi at Kairi. Rosa comes in as they choke the Kaihiro Pirates in the ropes, double elbow to Hiromi and they apply a double crab hold. Kairi tries to help Hiromi by throwing her a rope, but Holidead intercepts it and attacks Hiromi with it. Backbreakers by Holidead to Hiromi, and she covers her for two. Holidead tags in Rosa, Rosa puts Hiromi across the ropes in the corner and jumps down onto her back with a double knee. Holidead is tagged back in as they work over Hiromi near the corner, but Hiromi dropkicks Holidead a few times before tagging in Kairi.

Kairi spears Holidead and elbows her against the ropes, but Rosa kicks Kairi from the apron. Rosa comes in the ring but Kairi armdrags both of them, Kairi chops Holidead in the corner before hitting a triple jump elbow smash. Kairi applies the Octopus Hold but Holidead slams her way out of it and hits a vertical suplex. Holidead picks up Kairi but Kairi hits a spinning chop to the face and both wrestlers are down. Hiromi and Rosa are both tagged in, Argentine Backbreaker by Rosa but Hiromi slides out of it and applies a sunset flip for two. Facebuster by Rosa, Hiromi fights back with elbows but Rosa drives Hiromi into the corner. Rosa puts Hiromi on the top turnbuckle but Hiromi kicks her before hitting a Tornado DDT for a two count. Holidead lariats both Kairi and Hiromi, the Twisted Sisters wait for their opponents to get up but they accidentally lariat each other. Spear and a Sliding D by Kairi, Hiromi puts Rosa in La Magistral but it gets a two count. Hiromi gets on the second turnbuckle but Rosa pops her and hits a chokebomb for two. Rosa picks up Hiromi and hits a modified fisherman driver, but Kairi breaks up the cover. Heel drop by Rosa, she gets on the top turnbuckle and she hits a diving footstomp to Hiromi’s back for the three count! The Twisted Sisters win the match.

A pretty fun midcard match, the teams really clicked well together and it stayed amusing from start to finish. Of the new wrestlers that debuted in the last year or so, Hiromi has probably progressed the least amount as in-ring she still is lacking, but at least she has the personality to still entertain anyway. Kairi is great and helped tie the match together and the Twisted Sisters are fun wrestlers that are solid in ring but like Hiromi also have fun characters as well. The story was basic but well told, and the end stretch was well done. Nothing that will change the world, but a solid tag match, and I think the Twisted Sisters are worthwhile additions to Stardom events.  Mildly Recommended

Jungle Kyouna vs. Yoko Bito

Bito and Kyouna lock knuckles to start, elbows by Yoko and they take turns trying to shoulderblock each other over. Kyouna finally wins the battle, she goes for a body press but Bito moves out of the way. Bito goes for a PK but Kyouna avoids it, Bito stomps on Kyouna anyway and throws her down into the corner. Kicks by Bito and she throws Kyouna again, she puts Kyouna across the ropes in the corner and chops her in the stomach. Cover by Bito, but it gets two. Single leg crab hold by Yoko but Kyouna gets to the ropes, Bito goes off the ropes but Kyouna avoids her lariat. Kyouna charges Bito but she lands on the apron, Bito tries to kick Kyouna off the apron but Kyouna catches her leg. Kyouna clubs on Bito’s leg while it is on the second rope, dropkick to the knee by Kyouna and she hits a body avalanche in the corner. Kyouna puts Bito upside down in the corner and hits another body avalanche, cover by Kyouna but Bito kicks out. Back bodydrop by Kyouna, she goes off the ropes and she hits a sliding lariat. Kyouna charges Bito again and hits a lariat, cover by Kyouna but it gets a two count. Kyouna gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving body press, she then goes all the way up but Bito recovers and joins her. Superplex by Bito, and she covers Kyouna for two. Release German by Bito but Kyouna springs to her feet and lariats Bito, and both wrestlers stay down on the mat. Kyouna elbows Bito but Bito hits a lariat, Kyouna lariats her back however and hits a short-range lariat for two. Kyouna goes off the ropes but Bito nails her in the head with a kick, Bito goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Bito picks up Kyouna and drills her with the Doll-B, cover by Bito and she gets the three count! Yoko Bito wins!

I liked this match quite a bit, one of the better Yoko Bito matches since she returned. It wasn’t a long match but that worked well for them as they stayed focused and didn’t waste any time with moves that ultimately wouldn’t matter. This is one of the first times also that Bito really connected with the Doll-B, maybe she is finally shaking off the last of that ring rust. Kyouna wasn’t ever going to win this but she still looked good in defeat, going toe to toe with the FIVE STAR GP Winner while winning several of the strike battles. Matches like these are the reason I sometimes watch Stardom house shows as it gives the young wrestlers more chances, an entertaining match and more proof that Kyouna has a bright future in Stardom.  Recommended

Io Shirai and HZK vs. Mayu Iwatani and Momo Watanabe

Io offers to shake Mayu’s hand as the match starts, Mayu takes it but Io immediately elbows her in the face. HZK comes in and hits a Codebreaker on Mayu, Io takes control until Momo comes in too to assist Mayu. Io dropkicks both of them and they fall out of the ring, Asai goes to the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down onto the floor. Io slides Mayu back in and tags HZK, HZK kicks at Mayu’s head, Io returns and continues beating Mayu down. Mayu goes for a springboard move but Io just steps out of the way to avoids it, Mayu goes for a tilt-a-whirl headscissors but Io lands on her feet and dropkicks her. Mayu finally knocks Io back and makes the hot tag to Momo, Momo dropkicks Io and she hits a crossbody out of the corner. HZK runs in but Momo puts her in a Tree of Woe, she then puts Io in the Tree of Woe too before dropkicking both of them. Mayu returns and dropkicks Io, Momo goes off the ropes but Io dropkicks her in the leg. Io applies the armtrap crossface, Momo inches to the ropes and she reaches them to force the break. Momo knocks down Io with a dropkick and tags Mayu, elbows by Mayu and she connects with a jumping elbow to the face. Kicks by Mayu and she hits a diving footstomp, she goes for the cover but Io kicks out. Mayu charges Io but Io slides out to the apron, she misses the springboard but elbows Mayu in the face anyway.

Double underhook facebuster by Io, Momo runs in but Io suplexes her onto Mayu. Io picks up Mayu but Mayu blocks the German suplex, Mayu goes for a dragon suplex but Io lands on her feet. Superkick by Mayu and she hits a German suplex, but Io quickly hits a German suplex of her own and both wrestlers are out on the mat. Both Io and Mayu tag out, full nelson slam by HZK to Momo and she gets a two count. HZK picks up Momo but Momo dropkicks her into the corner, Momo gets on the second turnbuckle but HZK avoids the missile dropkick and hits a senton. HZK hits a running elbow in the corner, after choking Momo she gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers the diving senton, but Mayu breaks it up. Io runs in to dropkick Mayu, HZK goes for a kick but Momo avoids it and kicks HZK in the chest for a two count. Momo suplexes HZK, she gets on the second turnbuckle and connects with the missile dropkick. She goes for another one but Io grabs her from the apron, Mayu runs in to dropkick Io to the floor which allows Momo to nail the avalanche Somato, but Io barely breaks up the cover. Triple jump dropkick out of the corner by Mayu, she goes up top and sails out of the ring onto Io with a plancha. Back in the ring, HZK avoids Momo’s Somato and puts her in an armtrap crossface, but Mayu breaks it up. Mayu holds HZK for Momo, HZK ducks but Momo intentionally kicks Mayu in the chest anyway. PK by Momo onto her own partner, HZK ‘rolls up’ Momo from behind and she holds her down for the three count! Io Shirai and HZK are the winners.

After the match, Momo stomps down Mayu until Kairi comes in to stop her. Io officially welcomes Momo to her new faction, as now the lines are officially drawn with Io, HZK, and Momo against Kairi, Yoko Bito, and Jungle Kyouna.

Of all the ways for a wrestler to turn heel, this is probably my least favorite. I never liked a wrestler waiting until the very end of a match to turn on their partner, as it basically means Momo fought her real friends for 18 minutes just as a ruse. At least wait until after the match and turn on your partner out of frustration, as doing it this way just feels like a swerve for the sake of having a swerve, there was no foreshadowing or reason for it being done this method. That being said, I am enjoying heel Io quite a bit, although I also enjoyed face Io so that shouldn’t be a big surprise. HZK looked really good but was in the ring a very limited amount of time, maybe she is still working off the ring rust or on her conditioning as Io did the vast majority of the work. Mayu showed some fire, which is the point of all this as if she is going to lead Stardom she will have to show some of that passion. A fun match, the action stayed at a decent pace and they did a good mix of strikes, big moves, and submissions to keep the crowd into it. Didn’t love the “Finger Poke of Doom” ending but otherwise a fun display and one that continues to change the landscape of Stardom.  Recommended

The post Stardom Goddesses of Stars on 11/20/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I am trying not to review every Stardom show since they have so many and there are other quality promotions in Japan, but this was too big of a show to skip over. Tonight we have the FIVE STAR GP winner, Yoko Bito, cashing in her title shot as she battles Io Shirai for the World of Stardom Championship. We have two other title matches as well, plus we get the debut of young Natsuko Tora! Here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase and Natsuko Tora vs. Azumi and Kaori Yoneyama
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Saori Anou
• Kasey Owens, Leah Owens, and Santana Garrett vs. Thunder Rosa, Holidead, and Kris Wolf
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Kyoko Kimura, Kagetsu, and Hana Kimura vs. Momo Watanabe, Jungle Kyouna, and Hiromi Mimura
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo vs. Chelsea Green
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Yoko Bito

I am stupidly watching the Stardom World version because I am stubborn about watching full events if they are available, even though the early matches could really use some clipping. But hopefully they will pleasantly surprise me as I march towards the title matches.

Arisu Nanase and Natsuko Tora vs. Azumi and Kaori Yoneyama

Natsuko and Azumi are the first two in for their teams, but Yoneyama attacks Natsuko from behind and helps Azumi double team her. Welcome to wrestling. Yoneyama stays in and tosses around Natsuko by her hair, but Arisu comes in to try to help. She fails in helping as Yoneyama successfully swats them both away, and Yoneyama tags in Azumi. Dropkick by Azumi but Natsuko scoop slams her and hits mounted elbows. Azumi returns the favor and the two go back and forth, crab hold by Natsuko but Azumi gets to the ropes. Natsuko picks up Azumi and they trade elbows, DDT by Azumi and she throws down Natsuko by the hair. Natsuko tags in Arisu and she trades elbows with Azumi, Azumi avoids Arisu’s dropkick and hits a dropkick of her own for a two count. Yoneyama is tagged in, Mongolian Chops by Yoneyama but Arisu rolls her up and hits a dropkick. Cross legged submission by Arisu, Natsuko comes in and hits a running senton but Yoneyama still makes it to the ropes. Arisu tags Natsuko, shoulderblock by Natsuko but Yoneyama blocks the scoop slam. Side Russian leg sweep by Natsuko, but Yoneyama kicks out of the cover. Blockbuster Suplex by Arisu, running senton by Natsuko but Azumi breaks up the cover. Natsuko goes off the ropes but Yoneyama kicks her leg out from under her, scoop slam by Yoneyama and she hits a senton. Azumi comes in and suplexes Natsuko, diving senton by Yoneyama and she picks up the three count! Azumi and Kaori Yoneyama are your winners.

A fine opener, although nothing special. Azumi still seems surprisingly lost sometimes, yes I realize she is a still a child but she has been wrestling opening matches for two years so I’d think she’d have the basic style down pat at this point. Too soon of course to get a feel of Natsuko but she seemed fine, didn’t make any mistakes and didn’t look out of place during the match. Decent, but nothing memorable.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Saori Anou

They begin with a quick exchange, with Mayu getting the better of it with a hard kick to the back followed by a running elbow smash. Mayu throws Saori into the corner and dropkicks her, cover by Mayu but it gets two. Footstomp to the back Mayu and she applies a camel clutch, she toys with the younger wrestler as she continues her slightly cocky offense. Saori knees Mayu into the corner, jumping knee by Saori and she hits hard shoulderblock for a quick two count. Saori picks up Mayu but Mayu elbows her off and they trade blows, backslide by Saori but Mayu kicks two. Figure Four by Saori, but Mayu gets a hand on the ropes to break the hold. Saori picks up Mayu and goes off the ropes, but Mayu catches her with a kick to the gut, elbows by Saori but Mayu returns fire. Both wrestlers go off the ropes, Mayu goes for a headscissors but Saori catches her and hits a sidewalk slam. Fisherman suplex hold by Saori, but Mayu gets a shoulder up. Saori sits Mayu on the top turnbuckle but Mayu slaps her away and hits a missile dropkick. Mayu goes up top again and delivers the diving footstomp, she grabs Saori from behind but Saori fights her off and rolls up Mayu for two. Buzzsaw Kick by Mayu, she picks up Saori around the waist and delivers the German Suplex Hold for the three count! Mayu Iwatani wins.

It is interesting that Stardom wrestlers just default to being cocky assholes when against young wrestlers, Mayu must have learned that from Io. Too short to get excited about, but I did like that Mayu sold the leg the rest of the match after being in the Figure Four for so long, even though it was a throw-away match she still took it seriously. Saori showed her usual spurts of ability but Mayu controlled this one, decent match but that’s about it.

Kasey Owens, Leah Owens, and Santana Garrett vs. Thunder Rosa, Holidead, and Kris Wolf

Oh goodie, a match with twins I am not familar with, this will be fun. Thank goodness for tattoos. Kasey and Rosa start, they trade armdrags back and forth with neither getting the advantage. Holidead and Santana tag in, Holidead shoves Santana to the mat and gets her on her shoulder, but Santana punches out of it and goes for a roll-up. Holidead doesn’t budge and chokes Santana, Holidead charges Santana but Santana flips away and both wrestlers tag in the last pairing. Leah throws Wolf in the corner and hits a neckbreaker, she sits Wolf on the second turnbuckle but Wolf switches positions with her and hits a series of kicks to the chest. Running knee by Wolf, she rolls Leah to the mat and kicks her in the back for a two count. Holidead and Rosa come in to help as they triple team Leah, ending Holidead being flapjacked onto Leah for a two count. Oedo Tai continues triple teaming Leah until Kasey finally comes in to help out her sister, Wolf tags in Rosa and Rosa kicks Wolf in the back for a two count. Rocking Horse by Rosa and she tags in Holidead, sleeper by Holidead by Leah hits a jawbreaker to get out of it. Holidead stays in control, she Irish whips Leah but Leah  slams Holidead into her knee and hits a side slam for two. Leah finally gets away and tags in Santana, Wolf is tagged in too and Wolf hits a springboard crossbody for two. A sunset flip gets the same result, Santana pushes Wolf away and she hits a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Rosa comes in but Santana puts them both in a submission hold, with help from the Owens Twins. Holidead comes in and breaks that up, running knee by Kasey to Wolf and Santana goes for the Shining Star Press, but Holidead breaks it up. Rosa and Holidead come in the ring, tope suicida by Holidead onto the Owens Twins with Rosa following with a diving crossbody off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Wolf goes up top but Santana kicks her before she can jump off, headscissors by Santana and she hits the Shining Star Press for the three count!The Owns Twins and Santana Garrett win the match.

Not a very exciting match but not bad either. I say this all the time but I never know when someone is reading one of my reviews for the first time – six wrestler tags that go in the ten minute range are rarely going to be any more than solid. It just isn’t enough time, by the time each wrestler gets a turn at the start and they do the finishing stretch there is little left to have any meat to the action. Leah played Face in Peril fine and no one looked lost or out of place, just not enough happened to leave a lasting impression.

(c) Kyoko Kimura, Kagetsu, and Hana Kimura vs. Watanabe, Kyouna, and Hiromi Mimura
Artist of Stardom Championship

Hana is immediately isolated by The Rookies, but Hana dropkicks both Kyouna and Momo to leave just her and Momo in the ring together. Hana elbows Momo but Momo elbows her back, Hana takes her off scarf however and she chokes Momo with it. Hiromi tags herself in but Kyoko runs in and pulls Kyouna to the floor. Kyoko attacks Kyouna near the stands as things break down on different sides of the ring, Oedo Tai pulls Hiromi near the apron and all the members of the team pose on her, even those not in the match. Hana and Hiromi return to the ring, jumping knee by Hana in the corner and she tags in Kagetsu. Kagetsu mostly toys with Hiromi before tagging in Kyoko, as Oedo Tai controls the action against the oldest rookie in Stardom. Hiromi finally escapes and tags in Kyouna, Kyouna clears the ring of all the Oedo Tai members and Momo comes in to lend a hand against Kyoko. Face crusher by Kyouna onto Momo’s knee, but Kyoko regains the advantage and puts all three rookies in a stretch hold before tagging in Kagetsu. Kagetsu kicks Kyouna in the chest but Kyouna fires back with a shoulderblock, giving her a chance to tag in Momo. Momo goes off the ropes and armdrags Kagetsu, drop toehold by Kagetsu and she dropkicks Momo in the head.

Momo fights back with kicks, she goes off the ropes but Kagetsu kicks her in the head. Kagetsu picks up Momo but Momo drives her down with a double knee, Momo crawls to her corner and tags in Hiromi while Kagetsu tags in Hana. Hiromi dropkicks Hana and hits an elevated DDT, dropkick to the head by Hiromi and she covers Hana for a two count. Hiromi stomps at Hana’s head but Hana connects with a hard elbow, he knocks Hiromi against the ropes and decks her with a hard running boot for a two count. Kagetsu gets her Parking Sign but Momo dropkicks it away from her, Kyouna knocks over Kagetsu then hits a PK/sliding lariat combination with Momo on Hana. Somato by Momo, jackknife cover by Hiromi to Hana but Kyoko breaks up the cover. Hiromi gets on the second turnbuckle but Kagetsu comes in and catches Hiromi when she goes for the diving crossbody. Kagetsu slams Hiromi on the Parking Sign and then hits Momo and Kyouna with it, she gives Hiromi a shot as well before Hana drops Hiromi with a suplex for a two count. Hana goes for a big boot but Hiromi ducks it, Hiromi elbows Hana in the chest but Hana elbows her back and covers Hiromi for two. Hana goes up top and nails a missile dropkick, cover by Hana and she gets the three count! Oedo Tai retain the championship.

I am not sure what it is with this event, but things just aren’t clicking for me. It may be over-saturation, not that this is Stardom’s fault but after you watch 30+ events in one year from a promotion with only about ten wrestlers on their roster, you start feeling like you’ve seen everything they can do. Hana was the standout for me here, again likely because she is the ‘new’ factor in the match, but Kyoko added very little which was a disappointment. Momo still seems a bit lost at time, she’s only 16 so its not a big deal but it does impact the match. Kyouna was the top rookie here as she seemed to always know what was going on, even though like Kyoko she didn’t do much in the match. It just felt more like a random six wrestler tag than a title match. A few good moments but in general a bit disappointing.

(c) Kairi Hojo vs. Chelsea Green
Wonder of Stardom Championship

Kairi and Chelsea both go off the ropes early in the match, Kairi goes for her spear but Chelsea sidesteps it. They trade wristlocks and headlocks, Kairi flips out to the apron but Chelsea boots her down to the floor. Chelsea gets on the apron and goes for a kick, but Kairi avoids it and trips Chelsea onto the apron. Chelsea rolls back into the ring while Kairi goes up top, but Chelsea kicks her as she jumps off. Kairi falls out to the floor, Chelsea goes off the ropes and sails out onto Kairi with a tope suicida. Chelsea battles Kairi up into the stands, smashing her arm into various things before kicking her back near the ringside area. Chelsea returns to the ring and waits for Kairi, uppercut by Chelsea and Kairi falls back out of the ring again. Kairi rolls back in and is greeted with boots, as Chelsea continues to go after Kairi’s arm. Kairi fights back with elbows, she knocks Chelsea into the corner but Chelsea grabs her arm and kicks it. Snapmare by Chelsea and she hits a flipping neckbreaker followed by a Somato for a two count cover.

Running knee by Chelsea in the corner but Kairi goes off the ropes and levels Chelsea with a spear. Chops by Kairi and she knocks Chelsea back into the corner, running shoulder tackle by Kairi and she hits a triple jump elbow smash out of the corner for a two. Kairi grabs Chelsea by the hair and puts her in an Octopus Hold, but Chelsea gets out of it. Elbow by Chelsea but Kairi elbows her in return, Kairi goes for the Sliding D but Chelsea blocks it by getting her leg up. Armbar by Chelsea and she reverts it into a cross armbreaker, but Kairi gets a foot on the ropes to force a break. Jumping lariats by Chelsea and she boots Kairi in the chest, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for two. Chelsea slaps Kairi before slamming her head into the mat, running stomp to the back by Chelsea and she hits a second one for a two count cover. Chelsea goes up top but Kairi avoids the footstomp, spinning slaps by Kairi and she delivers the Sliding D for two. Kairi picks up Chelsea and hits a Final Cut, she goes up top but Chelsea kicks her before she can jump off. Chelsea joins Kairi but Kairi elbows her down into the Tree of Woe and hits the diving footstomp. Kairi goes back up top and this time she nails the diving elbow drop, picking up the three count! Kairi Hojo wins the match and retains the championship.

This match wasn’t actually as bad I was expecting, but it still wasn’t particularly good. The issue was two fold, both in the layout and and in the execution. Wrestlers keep going for Kairi’s arm in her matches but it never ends up mattering, she always still hits the Sliding D and diving elbow drop so they really need to come up with a new method of wearing her down. Chelsea isn’t a bad wrestler, her strikes just aren’t great and she is a bit awkward in the ring, which isn’t unusual with taller wrestlers when they first start out (she isn’t that tall, but much taller than Kairi). I think Kairi is a really good wrestler but needs the right opponent and they haven’t been doing her a lot of favors lately, hopefully her next defense is someone that wrestles more her style so it will be more fluid and less fragmented in its execution. As a lower card match this would have been acceptable, it just fell flat as a title match at Korakuen Hall.

(c) Io Shirai vs. Yoko Bito
World of Stardom Championship

Io and Bito get right into it as they start trading elbows, Io charges Bito in the corner but Bito gets Io behind her back to go to the B-Driver, but Io reverses it with a sunset flip. Bito swats Io away and goes for a kick, but Io catches her leg and dropkicks her in the other leg. Io clips away from Bito and dropkicks her out of the ring, Io goes off the far ropes but fakes the dive before quickly jumping out with a plancha suicida. Io slides Bito back in and puts her in the Figure Four, Io picks up Bito and kicks her hard in the back. Stomps by Io and she slaps at Bito, she goes off the ropes but Bito delivers a lariat. Cover by Bito, but it gets two. Bito picks up Io and dumps her out onto the apron, leg sweep by Bito and she kicks Io out of the ring. Io tries to springboard back in the ring but Bito grabs her and hits a slingshot suplex. Kicks to the back by Bito, and she covers Io for a two count. Bito goes up top but Io joins her, springboard dropkick by Io and Bito falls out of the ring. Io charges the corner, she jumps up on the top turnbuckle and she hits a moonsault down to the floor.

Io goes out after Bito but Bito delivers a B-Driver at ringside on the floor, Bito slowly rolls back into the ring with Io following, missile dropkick by Bito and she hits a vertical suplex for two. Bito picks up Io but Io blocks the B-Driver and hits a dragon screw leg whip. Running knee by Io in the corner, Io twists Bito’s leg in the second rope before dropkicking it. Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she hits the swandive missile dropkick, cover by Io but it gets two. Io hits a moonsault off the second turnbuckle, she goes to the turnbuckles again but Bito kicks her from behind. Io gets up on the apron, Bito goes for a kick but Io grabs her leg and hits a dragon screw in the ropes. Moonsault off the second turnbuckle by Io, but Bito kicks out. Io puts Bito in a cross-legged submission, but Bito gets to the ropes to force the break. Io goes up top but Bito recovers and hits her from behind, Bito joins Io and she hits a superplex. Bito picks up Io but Io fights back with elbows, Io goes off the ropes but Bito kicks her in the head and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Bito picks up Io and hits a heel drop, B-Driver by Bito but instead of covering her she hits a second one for a two count. Bito goes for the Doll B but Io collapses, the referee checks on Io but Bito hits a heel drop on Bito for two. Bito picks up Io but Io hits a series of palm strikes, German suplex hold by Io but Bito gets a shoulder up. Package German by Io, but again Bito kicks out at two. Io positions Bito, she goes up top and nails the moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai wins the match and is still the World of Stardom Championship.

By far the best match on the show, although that isn’t a high bar. But it was well laid out and the action stayed a decent pace throughout, and Bito had several nearfalls that could have realistically ended the match. The leg work probably lasted a bit longer than it needed to since it didn’t play into the end of the match, but Io needed something to focus on even if Bito didn’t do much on her own to make it meaningful. Io was slightly more cocky than usual here but not by much as she tends to be a bit full of herself in her title matches, nothing that really tipped off the fans that just a week after this show she would officially turn heel. Definitely a fun match with the big moves spaced out well to help make the action more memorable without it just becoming a spotfest, worth a watch for sure even though its not one of Io’s top matches of 2016.  Recommended

The post Stardom October Showdown! on 10/30/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

A new yearly tradition for Stardom is having a ‘Mask Festival” for Halloween. This is as fun and laid back event, where all the wrestlers wear masks and have a new name just for the night. While these events don’t pump out any Five Star Classics since the mood is different, they can still be fun as it pairs up wrestlers that don’t usually wrestle each other and its interesting to see the wrestlers in a different environment. Here are the matches (with their real identities):

• Mini Iotica (Azumi) and Blood Rayne (Kris Wolf) vs. Twinkle Rabbit (Arisu Nanase) and Kumami (Eimi Nishina)
• Poison Shamrock (Leah Owens) and Kasey Quinzell (Kasey Owens) vs. Serpiente Del Mal (Thunder Rosa) and Osore (Holidead)
• Santana Wonder (Santana Garrett) and Princesa Gato (Chelsea Green) vs. Shin Gorilla (Jungle Kyouna) and Lucky Blanca (Hiromi Mimura)
• IOTICA (Io Shirai), MAYUCHIKA (Mayu Iwatani), and Poi Man (Natsumi Maki) vs. Pirates Kaiser (Kairi Hojo), Aloha Beat (Yoko Bito), and Fuzzy Peach (Momo Watanabe)

This event was shown in full, so let’s see if the fun atmosphere translated to fun matches.

Mini Iotica and Blood Rayne vs. Twinkle Rabbit and Kumami

Kumami recovers and dropkicks Blood Rayne in the back, Twinkle Rabbit returns and they both attack Blood Rayne in the ropes. Kumami puts Blood Rayne in the corner but Blood Rayne avoids her charge and goes up top, she jumps back into the ring but Kumami catches her with a dropkick. Blood Rayne and Kumami trade strikes, big knee by Blood Rayne and she tags in Mini Iotica. Mini Iotica and Blood Rayne both dropkick Kumami, Blood Rayne slams Mini Iotica onto Kumami and then Mini Iotica returns the favor. Cover, but Twinkle Rabbit breaks it up. With all four in the ring they trade slams on each other, until only Kumami and Mini Iotica are left standing. Kumami and Mini Iotica trade elbows, face crusher by Kumami and she tags in Twinkle Rabbit. Twinkle Rabbit dropkicks Mini Iotica twice, cover by Twinkle Rabbit but Mini Iotica gets a shoulder up. Scoop slam by Twinkle Rabbit but Blood Rayne breaks up the cover, Mini Iotica and Kumami trade elbows until Mini Iotica jumps on Twinkle Rabbit’s back and applies a stretch hold. Sunset flip by Mini Iotica, and she picks up the three count! Mini Iotica and Blood Rayne are the winners!

A really fun match to kick off the event. Obviously these are the less experienced wrestlers in Stardom (plus Kris), but when they wear masks and are playing characters it isn’t as noticeable. In the regular world, Nishina would never get the better of Io Shirai, but she can in the Mask Fiesta. Everyone did their parts well and even though it was a short match it still managed to squeeze in some memorable moments. Solid way to start.

Poison Shamrock and Kasey Quinzell vs. Serpiente Del Mal and Osore

Bizarre ending aside, you could tell that these four are quite not as familar with each other. There were some segments that had some quality back and forths but most of the match was pretty telegraphed. This is my first time seeing the Owens Twins, I won’t judge them off of just this of course but nothing shown in this match made either stand out. In fact no one really stood out here, it was just kinda ‘there’ until the odd ending. Not a surprising development with four non-regular Stardom wrestlers, but pretty average.

Santana Wonder and Princesa Gato vs. Shin Gorilla and Lucky Blanca

Princesa Gato puts Lucky Blanca in a crab hold, she picks Lucky Blanca back up and tags in Santana. They take turns attacking Lucky Blanca in the corner, Lucky Blanca fires back with elbows but Princesa Gato catches the crossbody attempt and slams her to the mat. Dropkick by Lucky Blanca but she can’t make the tag to Gorilla, Santana comes in but on an Irish whip attempt Lucky Blanca is able to tag in Gorilla. Gorilla slams Santana into Lucky Blanca’s back before hitting a running body press, cover by Gorilla but it gets two. Santana takes off Gorilla’s gloves and hits her with them, leg sweep by Santana and she covers Gorilla for two. Space Rolling Elbow by Santana but Gorilla drives Santana into her knee, she goes to eat I am guessing candy so Lucky Blanca tags herself in. Low crossbody by Lucky Blanca and she applies the rolling leglock, but Santana gets into the ropes. Lucky Blanca kicks Santana into the corner but Santana avoids the dropkick, Muta Lock by Santana but Gorilla breaks it up. Gorilla picks up Lucky Blanca and spins her into both Princesa Gato and Santana, she then slams Santana and Princesa Gato next to each other before going up top, but they both avoid her diving body press. Gorilla is kicked out of the ring, they go to Lucky Blanca and delivers a double DDT. Shining Star Press by Santana, and she picks up the three count! Santana Wonder and Princesa Gato are your winners!

This was more playful than the last match but not as much fun as the first match, so it never really had an identity. Kyouna was the main wrestler just having fun, which in these types of matches is fine, but Santana and Chelsea weren’t really playing back with her so it never really clicked. Some creative moments but overall a bit lackluster, although to be fair a match between these four without funny gimmicks would likely have been equally lackluster.

IOTICA, MAYUCHIKA, and Poi Man vs. Pirates Kaiser, Aloha Beat, and Fuzzy Peach

Poi Man and MAYUCHIKA make it in the ring but are they are all put into submission holds, Pirates Kaiser picks up IOTICA and she hits a double chop to the chest. Elbow drop by Pirates Kaiser, and she covers IOTICA for a two count. Back up they trade elbows, IOTICA gets on Pirates Kaiser’s back and she puts her in a stretch hold. Roll-up by IOTICA, it only gets two but it does give her a chance to tag in Poi Man. Dropkick by Poi Man to Pirates Kaiser but Aloha Beat kicks her from the apron, Pirates Kaiser gets a water gun and squirts Poi Man repeatedly in the face. Pirates Kaiser goes off the ropes but Poi Man kicks her back, kick to the knee by Poi Man and she kicks Aloha Beat as well. Fuzzy Peach comes in but she gets armdragged, MAYUCHIKA comes in the ring, she grabs Aloha Beat and Fuzzy Peach by the arm before hitting a split-legged springboard armdrag. Dropkicks by Poi Man and MAYUCHIKA, MAYUCHIKA goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick onto Pirates Kaiser, she picks up Pirates Kaiser and flips her out onto the apron, but Pirates Kaiser shoots her in the face and hits a diving elbow smash. Hojo tags in Aloha Beat, Aloha Beat comes in with a lei which distracts MAYUCHIKA, she chokes MAYUCHIKA with it but MAYUCHIKA gets it off and chokes Aloha Beat back. Poi Man and Fuzzy Peach are both tagged in, the two mysterious masked wrestlers trade elbows until Fuzzy Peach kicks Poi Man in the chest. Poi Man goes up top but Fuzzy Peach avoids the diving crossbody as Poi Man accidentally takes out IOTICA and MAYUCHIKA. Rolling verticals by Fuzzy Peach, and she covers Poi Man for two.

Missile dropkick by Fuzzy Peach, she goes off the ropes but Poi Man avoids the Somato. Flipping neckbreaker by Poi Man, she rolls her to corner and tags in IOTICA. Running double knee by IOTICA to Fuzzy Peach in the corner, cover by IOTICA but Fuzzy Peach kicks out. IOTICA goes for a package German but Fuzzy Peach blocks it, armdrag by Fuzzy Peach and she armdrags everyone in her excitement (including the referee) before the all do the Osaka Hop! Always a classic. After being excited for a moment they go back to fighting as all six trade elbows, they do the six wrestler suplex spot but MAYUCHIKA switches the referee for her to give her side the 4 vs. 3 advantage. Sunset flip by IOTICA to Fuzzy Peach but Fuzzy Peach rolls through it and kicks IOTICA in the chest. Somato by Fuzzy Peach, but it only gets a two count. Things break down as Aloha Beat and Poi Man run in, Poi Man kicks Aloha Beat out of the ring as most of the wrestlers brawl on the floor. Pirates Kaiser quickly gets back in the ring, she goes up top and delivers a diving body press, but she accidentally takes out her own teammates. IOTICA gets on the apron and delivers an Asai Moonsault, then MAYUCHIKA goes up top and hits a diving crossbody to the floor. Poi Man goes last with her own diving crossbody onto the blob of wrestlers, the referee then gets on the apron and hits a springboard splash down onto the wrestlers! He poses in the ring, excited, but is hit with a baseball bat for his trouble. IOTICA drags Fuzzy Peach back in the ring, diving footstomp by MAYUCHIKA and IOTICA nails the moonsault for the three count! IOTICA, MAYUCHIKA, and Poi Man are the winners!

This match had a good blend of comedy spots and smooth action, and since it was 20 minutes long they had time for both. The throwback to Osaka Pro comedy spots was great, as was the referee getting involved as those are the types of things Stardom can’t normally do since they don’t ever have that style of comedy in their matches. Some wrestlers seemed to be more into it, Bito didn’t do a whole lot in the match, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was also plenty of solid wrestling as well, with Mayu and Io flying everywhere and Natsumi showing off the different ways she can cartwheel out of moves. Overall easily the best match of the night and an entertaining spectacle.  Recommended

The post Stardom Mask Fiesta Halloween Party on 10/23/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

For whatever reason, Stardom continued to call the tour the “5★Star Grand Prix” even after the Grand Prix was over, so we are onto Day 10! This is a small show but with a big main event with the trios title on the line! Here is the full card:

• Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina vs. Kaori Yoneyama
• Arisu Nanase vs. Momo Watanabe
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Saori Anou
• Jungle Kyouna and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Yoko Bito and Toni Storm
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Kyoko Kimura

This will be unclipped, lets get to it.

Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina vs. Kaori Yoneyama

They try to all lock knuckles to start but keep kicking each other’s arms, Azumi dropkicks Eimi but Yoneyama drops her with an armdrag. Azumi kips up and they go to double team Eimi, but Eimi gets the better of both of them. Azumi and Eimi start working together and both dropkick Yoneyama before putting her in a double armbar. Yoneyama comes back with a double crossbody, she chops Eimi and sends her to the mat with a throat thrust. Eimi dropkicks Yoneyama out of the ring, Azumi returns and she hits a DDT. Azumi flips Eimi to the mat and hits a vertical suplex, covering her for two. Yoneyama gets back in the ring and Eimi is double teamed in the corner, Azumi monkey flips Yoneyama and kicks her repeatedly in the chest for a two count cover. Scoop slam by Yoneyama and she hits a running senton on Azumi, she goes up top but Azumi avoids the reverse splash. Eimi runs in and covers both Yoneyama and Azumi, but she only manages two counts. Yoneyama hits a quick running senton on Eimi, she then gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton on Eimi for the three count! Kaori Yoneyama wins!

The main goal of matches like this is to get the younger wrestlers some experience while having something resembling a storyline to make it a little more fun. Azumi is still young enough that I don’t see her progressing up the card in the next year, but wrestling Yoneyama on a weekly basis can only help her learn. Nothing offensive, just a cute little opener.

Arisu Nanase vs. Momo Watanabe

Arisu dropkicks Momo right as the match starts but Momo returns the favor, kick to the back by Momo and she applies a sleeper. Momo lets go of it and stomps on Arisu, they return to their feet and go back and forth with elbows. Crab hold by Momo but Arisu gets to the ropes, Momo throws Arisu in the corner but Arisu flips away and hits a dropkick. Cross leg ankle hold by Arisu, she lets go after a moment and dropkicks Momo in the head for a two count. Momo kicks Arisu into the corner and hits a running dropkick, she picks up Arisu and hits a snap vertical suplex for a two count cover. Momo positions Arisu and goes towards the corner, but Arisu quickly schoolboys her for a two count. Another quick pin by Arisu gets two, she hits the Blockbuster Suplex but Momo gets a shoulder up. Arisu goes off the ropes but Momo catches her with a dropkick, she picks up Arisu but Arisu reverses the F Crash into a sunset flip. Momo reverses the sunset flip, she goes off the ropes and nails the Somato for the three count cover! Momo Watanabe is the winner.

Momo held this match together fine, but since it was a short and basic match that wasn’t too hard. Short basic matches of course are all Arisu is doing at this stage in her career, if anything the match seemed more competitive than it should have been considering that Momo has been wrestling for almost two years. Short and fine to watch, but nothing special.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Saori Anou

The match starts slow as they trade holds, dropkicks by Hiromi and she applies a sunset flip for a two count. Hiromi goes off the ropes and hits a DDT, she goes for a dropkick but Saori moves out of the way, sending Hiromi out of the ring. Saori punches Hiromi as she gets on the apron, but Hiromi puts Saori in a headlock. Hiromi slides back in the ring and hits a dropkick, Saori falls out to the floor but Hiromi gets on the apron and dives out of the ring with a crossbody. Hiromi and Saori trade elbows on the floor, Hiromi gets the better of it and puts Saori in the ropes before running up the ramp with an elbow to the back. Back in the ring, stomps by Hiromi and she applies a crab hold. Saori gets to the ropes to break the hold but Hiromi puts her in a cross arm submission. Hiromi throws down Saori by the hair a few times, dropkick by Hiromi but Saori avoids the next one and hits a shoulderblock.

Saori returns the favor and throws down Hiromi by the hair, jumping knee by Saori and she hits a scoop slam. Camel Clutch by Saori, Hiromi gets out of it and the two trade elbows. Hiromi rolls Saori to the mat and applies an ankle submission, but Saori is too close to the ropes. Stretch hold by Hiromi and she goes for La Magistral, but Saori blocks it. Figure four by Saori, but Hiromi forces the break. Hiromi and Saori trade elbows while on their knees, low crossbody by Hiromi and she gets a two count. Hiromi goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but it gets another two. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Saori catches her with a fisherman suplex hold, she picks up Hiromi but Hiromi applies an inside cradle for two. La Magistral by Hiromi but that gets a two as well, Saori gets Hiromi in the corner and hits a rolling fisherman suplex hold for a two count. The bell then rings, as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Bless their hearts, they tried. Two wrestlers with limited experience against each other and limited experience in long matches going to a 15 minute Draw isn’t a great idea, but this is the type of thing that Stardom does sometimes on their smaller events. Its not that either would have been hurt by the loss, but it was more an attempt to show that they are on a level field. Which doesn’t say much for poor Hiromi, but at her age as a rookie and size she was fighting an uphill battle. The match was generally disjointed and lacked structure, but it did have some fun moments and the effort was definitely there. Not a good match in the classic sense of the term, but they certainly gave it their best which is worth something.

Jungle Kyouna and Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Yoko Bito and Toni Storm

Toni and Hiroyo begin the match, Hiroyo takes Storm to the mat but Toni gets away and offers Hiroyo a handshake. Hiroyo accepts it and both wrestlers tag out, Kyouna and Bito trade shoulderblocks which Kyouna gets the better of. Hiroyo puts masks on both Storm and Bito and they are twisted up in the ropes, but Bito comes right back and returns the favor to Kyouna while kicking her in the chest. Storm and Bito both attack Kyouna in the corner, cover by Bito but it gets a two count. Storm hip attacks Kyouna but Kyouna hits a face crusher and tags in Hiroyo. Hiroyo hits a backbreaker on Storm, chops by Hiroyo but Storm headbutts her and boots Hiroyo in the head. Storm tags Bito, kicks by Bito to the back and she covers Hiroyo for two. Vertical suplex by Bito, she picks up Hiroyo but Hiroyo gets away. Hard elbow by Hiroyo but Bito returns fire, lariat by Hiroyo and Bito is laid out on the mat. Backdrop suplex by Hiroyo, but Bito gets a shoulder up. Bito snaps off a quick German suplex hold for two, both wrestlers crawl to their respective corners but Hiroyo tags in Kyouna first.

Back bodydrop by Kyouna to Bito, she picks her up but Bito kicks her to the mat and delivers a running knee for two. Bito tags in Storm, kicks by Storm and she headbutts Kyouna. Storm picks up Kyouna and hits some uppercuts, she goes for a Backstabber but Kyouna blocks it. Kyouna goes up top but Bito kicks her from the apron, fisherman suplex hold by Storm but Hiroyo breaks it up. Storm goes up top but Hiroyo gets in the ring and joins her, and she eventually hits a superplex. Kyouna goes up top and nails a diving body press, but Bito breaks up the cover. Hiroyo and Kyouna grab Bito but Bito lariats both of them, Storm comes over and they take turns attacking Kyouna. Bito elbows Storm by accident, lariat by Kyouna to Storm but Storm barely kicks out. Kyouna picks up Storm and goes off the ropes, but Storm kicks her in the stomach and hits a modified Backstabber for two. Release German by Storm and she hits a running hip attack in the corner, Air Raid Crash by Storm and she picks up the three count! Your winners are Toni Storm and Yoko Bito.

To think that Hiromi and Kyouna both debuted in the same month, but Kyouna is so much further along than Hiromi. That isn’t necessarily a knock on Hiromi (well it is), but Kyouna always elevates herself to the same level as whomever she is wrestling, she really has come a long way in just a year. This was a solid match, all four did well and the match stayed at a fast pace. Bito still looks a slight step behind, I am not sure if it is ring rust at this point or she is just still lagging behind a bit, but everyone else looked good. It is a shame that Hiroyo is a Freelancer as she is one of the better wrestlers in Stardom, she could have a solid run with one of the major titles. Not an overly long tag team match but still entertaining, even if in the grand scheme of things not overly memorable.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Kyoko Kimura
Artist of Stardom Championship

Hana and Kairi are the first two in, they trade strikes but reach a stalemate, so they tag in Io and Kyoko. Io kicks Kyoko but Kyoko avoids her in the corner, and they tag in Mayu and Kagetsu. Headscissors by Kagetsu but Mayu returns fire and tags in Kairi, stomps by Kairi to Kagetsu but Kyoko trips her from ringside. The action spills to the floor and into the crowd before Kagetsu and Kairi eventually return to the ring, Kagetsu tags in Hana and Hana knees Kairi into the ropes. Oedo Tai takes turns on Kairi with an occasional assist from Kris Wolf, but Kairi spears Kyoko and makes the hottest tag to Mayu. Kagetsu comes in to help Kyoko as does Hana, but Mayu hits a double springboard armdrag on Kyoko and Kagetsu. Oedo Tai are all put against the ropes and dropkicked, they fall out of the ring and Mayu goes up top to deliver a diving crossbody to the floor onto all three. Kyoko is rolled back in, Mayu goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Mayu tags Io but Kyoko puts her in in a stretch hold, Mayu comes in but she slaps her in the hold as well. Kyoko boots Io but Io snaps off a hurricanrana for a two count cover. Big boot by Kyoko and she tags her daughter, double knee by Hana to Io and she hits a dropkick.

Hana goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, vertical suplex by Hana and she gets a two. Kyoko come sin but Io dropkicks both of them, double knee by Io in the corner to Hana and she gets a two count. Kairi comes in and hits an elbow drop onto Hana, double underhook facebuster by Io but Hana chokes Io with her scarf. Kagetsu is tagged in and she trades elbows with Kairi, spear by Kairi and she chops Kagetsu into the corner. Dropkick out of the corner by Kagetsu, jumping elbow by Kagetsu but Kairi hits a triple jump rebound elbow out of the corner. Spinning chop by Kairi and she makes the tag to Mayu, Sling Blade by Mayu and she goes up top, but Hana runs in and pulls her off by her scarf. Mayu is triple teamed in the corner, Io and Kairi come in to even the odds and in the end Mayu is alone in the ring with Kagetsu. Superkicks by Mayu but Kagetsu hits one of her own, Kyoko and Hana return but Io hits them both with a swandive dropkick. Mayu picks up Kagetsu and with Io hits an assisted spike piledriver, but the referee is pulled out of the ring during the three count. Kyoko comes in with a Parking Sign and hits all of Threedom with it, Hana and Kyoko then both kick Mayu in the chest. Assisted Gory Special to Mayu, cover by Kagetsu but Mayu gets a shoulder up. Kyoko headbutts Mayu, Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu but the cover is broken up. Kagetsu gets on the second turnbuckle and is fed Mayu, avalanche powerbomb by Kagetsu and she picks up the three count! Oedo Tai are the new champions!

This was a fun match, and the right team won, but trios matches are typically not my favorite match style as they tend to follow a similar formula. While all six of these wrestlers range from good to Best in the World, no wrestler really gets a chance to shine as there is constant interference and tagging, making it more random than anything else. This also wasn’t “Big Match Io” as she mostly took a backseat, and its unusual for her to not stand out. It was still entertaining though, and the home stretch was really well done as the chemistry between the wrestlers really helped the match be smooth and fluid. Good for a casual watch, and with this much star power there was no way it was going to be bad, but not the high end match you may expect from Stardom. I am recommending the match partly because it shows the continued rise of Oedo Tai and Hana Kimura, but I think any fan of Stardom would enjoy it. Recommended

The post Stardom 5★Star GP Day 10 on 10/2/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

And now we are jumping ahead to the final day of the tournament! I mentioned in my last review there was no way I was going to be able to review every show, just too much going on with the website and I don’t want Joshi City to become Stardom City. Still, I wasn’t going to skip this one, not only because it has the finals of the tournament but also has Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray, two of my favorite female wrestlers. Yoko Bito and Tessa Blanchard won their blocks and will be battling for the tournament crown, here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase and Natsumi Maki vs. Saori Anou and Azumi
• Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kris Wolf
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Kairi Hojo
• Kyoko Kimura, Kagetsu, and X vs. Mayu Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, and Jungle Kyouna
• SWA World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Blue Nikita
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray
• 5★Star Grand Prix Final: Tessa Blanchard vs. Yoko Bito

This aired live, so no clipping! Let’s get to the action.

Arisu Nanase and Natsumi Maki vs. Saori Anou and Azumi

Natsumi and Azumi start the match, they both go off the ropes and Natsumi dropkicks Azumi. Natsumi poses too much however and Azumi attacks her from behind and throws Natsumi into her career so she can tag in Arisu. Arisu and Azumi trade elbows, DDT by Azumi and she tags in Saori. Saori tries to slam Arisu but Arisu blocks it before putting Anou in a crab hold. She gets into the ropes but Arisu had already let her go by then and she stops the rookie in the back. Shoulderblocks by Anou and she applies a leg submission, she goes for a suplex but Arisu blocks it and applies a cross-leg submission hold. Arisu tags in Natsumi, Natsumi goes up top and she hits a diving crossbody on Anou. Dropkick by Arisu, swinging neckbreaker by Natsumi and she covers Anou for a two count. Elbows by Natsumi but Anou applies a backslide with a bridge, but that gets two as well. Azumi is tagged back in and she dropkicks Natsumi, Natsumi cartwheels away however and hits a body press. Monkey flip by Azumi and she kicks Natsumi in the back, vertical suplex by Azumi and she gets a two count. Azumi gets on the second turnbuckle but Natsumi tosses her off, she gets on the turnbuckle but Anou hits a Fisherman Suplex. DDT by Azumi, but Natsumi rolls out of the cover. Back Crash by Natsumi, and she picks up the three count! Arisu Nanase and Natsumi Maki are the winners.

This was a much more… ‘real’ match than I am used to seeing from the opener. By that I mean there was less goofiness or playing around, everyone acted like winning the match was their priority. Natsumi continues to improve, she already has the moves but just needs some experience to put it all together. A solid way to kick off the show.

Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kris Wolf

Kris actually shakes hands, which is unusual for her, but she attacks Yoneyama anyway and hits a flying headscissors. Yoneyama bites Kris on the arm and hits Mongolian Chops, she goes for a German suplex but Kris gets out of it. Yoneyama gets Kris by the tail and twists it in the ropes, cross-leg hold by Yoneyama but Kris gets to the ropes. Yoneyama ties Kris to the bottom rope by her tail, she unties her and scoop slams Kris. Chinlock by Yoneyama but Kris gets to the ropes, Irish whip by Yoneyama but Kris hits a springboard crossbody for a two count. Kicks by Kris and she knees Yoneyama in the corner, high knee by Kris and she kicks Yoneyama in the back. Kris gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving double kneedrop, but Yoneyama barely kicks out of the cover. Kris goes all the way up this time but Yoneyama moves out of the way, knee to the back by Yoneyama and she hits a running senton. Yoneyama picks up Kris but Kris reverses the suplex attempt into a roll-up. Yoneyama picks up Kris and she nails the Chaos Theory, getting the three count cover! Kaori Yoneyama wins the match.

This was fun, Kris is a bundle of excitement and Yoneyama is a long time veteran that knows how to put on a good match. It was too short to recommend but for a five minute match it did about all it could. Yoneyama biting Kris showed that the veteran could do anything Kris could do, plus more, which is why she didn’t have too much difficulty winning. Always a pleasure to see Kris, never can go too wrong watching one of her matches.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Kairi Hojo

Hiromi is all business in her big chance against her friend, normally they are fun and games together but not today. They trade wristlocks to start, Kairi gets Hiromi to the mat but Hiromi gets away from her and they take turns having the advantage. Hiromi drives Kairi into the corner and hits a flurry of elbows, dropkick by Hiromi but Kairi stays on her feet. More dropkicks still can’t knock the champion over, and Kairi hits a double chop. Chops by Kairi in the corner and she hits a running shoulder tackle, she gets on the top turnbuckle and she hits a diving forearm smash for a two count. Hiromi and Kairi trade elbows, Kairi goes off the ropes but Hiromi dropkicks her to the mat. Dropkicks by Hiromi in the corner and she rolls Kairi to the mat before applying a kneelock, but Kairi crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Kairi levels her with a spear, spinning chop by Kairi and she covers Hiromi for two. Crab hold by Kairi, but Hiromi gets out of it and goes for a few flash pins with no success. Hiromi goes up top and hits a diving elbow strike, she goes up again but Kairi joins her this time and the two trade elbows while on the second rope. Kairi chops Hiromi in the throat and tosses her to the mat, Sliding D by Kairi and she nails the diving elbow drop for the three count! Kairi Hojo wins!

The reason that everyone loves Kairi Hojo isn’t because she is the best wrestler in Stardom (that’s Io) or the best striker (Yoko) or the best bumper (Mayu), but because she always shows so much emotion and passion while wrestling. On paper this is a pretty simple mid-ard match, but Kairi wrestles at 100% regardless of the situation and its easy to get sucked into her matches. It helped that these two have solid chemistry, not only do they tag together but I am sure they train together too, and this was Hiromi’s best singles match since debuting. It wasn’t technically a high-end match, but Kairi’s natural charisma and intensity made it seem more special than it probably was even though the action itself was mostly simple.  Mildly Recommended

Kyoko Kimura, Kagetsu, and Hana Kimura vs. Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, and Kyouna

As predicted, Oedo Tai attacks before the match starts and while Mayu is still wrapped in streamers (she really should stop doing that), the action immediately spills out to the floor and Oedo Tai tosses their opponents around the stands. Things settle back down with Hana in the ring with Momo, Hana drags Momo around the ring before tagging in Kagetsu. Momo plays the Face in Peril while Oedo Tai takes turns attacking her, Momo finally hits a dropkick on Kyoko and make the hot tag to Mayu. Mayu clears the apron but kicks Kyouna in the head by accident, Kagetsu and Hana come in the ring but Mayu slides out of the ring and Kyouna hits a diving crossbody on all three. Missile dropkick by Mayu on Kyoko, then Kyouna slams Mayu into Kyoko. She does it again, cover by Mayu but it gets two. Momo wants to be tagged back in so Mayu tags her, but she promptly misses a missile dropkick. Kyoko tags Kagetsu, kicks by Kagetsu but Momo returns fire with kicks of her own. Momo hits a missile dropkick, cover by Momo but it gets two. She tags Mayu, armdrag by Mayu but Kagetsu hits an armdrag of her own and they reach a stalemate. Mayu gets Kagetsu’s arm and hits a triple jump split legged armdrag, dropkick by Mayu but Kagetsu kicks her in the head.

Iwatani comes back with a superkick, Kagetsu rolls to her corner and tags in Hana while Kyouna is also tagged in. Shoulderblock by Kyouna but Hana chokes her with a scarf, Kyoko and Kagetsu come in and everyone chokes Kyouna together. Kicks by Hana and Kyoko, and Hana covers Kyouna for two. Hana goes for a suplex but Kyouna reverses it, she tries to tag out but Hana schoolboys her and hits a vertical suplex. Hana tags her mom, Mayu and Momo run in and they both attack Kyoko. Kyoko kicks all three of them in the head repeatedly but when she goes off the ropes she eats a triple dropkick. Superkick by Mayu, knee by Momo and Kyouna ends with a diving body press, but Kris Wolf runs in and grabs the referee so he can’t count. Kagetsu gets a parking sign but the referee stops her from using it, Hana hits Kagetsu by accident as does Kyoko, but Hana dropkicks Mayu and Momo. Kagetsu dropkicks Kyouna and Mayu, spear by Kagetsu to Kyouna and Kyoko kicks her in the head for a two count. Kyoko picks up Kyouna but Kyouna slides away, Kagetsu hits Kyouna from the apron but Kyouna lariats Kyoko anyway for a two count. Kyoko blocks the gutwrench suplex and Kagetsu hits Kyouna with a sign, but Momo breaks up the cover. Assisted Gory Special by Kimura to Kyouna, and she picks up the three count! Oedo Tai wins!

I wouldn’t say I loved this match, it was a bit too ‘all over the place’ and it took about ten minutes before it really heated up. I do like Hana Kimura being in Oedo Tai, I think she has shown a lot of promise as a rookie and being with her mom will likely help her progress since Kyoko has a lot she can offer. None of the other wrestlers got much of a chance to shine since there was a lot of in-and-out, but no one looked bad. The Kagetsu/Mayu section was great though, they work really well together. An above average match, but overall not very memorable.

Toni Storm vs. Blue Nikita
SWA World Championship

After some polite trading of holds and mat work, the tide turns a bit when Storm hits Nikita a hard slap and kicks her in the head. More strikes by Storm but Nikita starts returning fire with elbows. Snapmare by Nikita and she kicks Storm before rolling her up in a crucifix for a two count. Scoop slam by Nikita and she hits a running senton, she knocks Storm into the corner and chokes her against the ropes. Nikita applies a bodyscissors but Storm gets into the ropes to force a break. Nikita chops Storm but Storm moves when Nikita charges in and Nikita falls out of the ring. Storm quickly sails out onto her with a tope suicida, she tries to throw Nikita into the ring post but Nikita reverses it. Nikita picks up Storm on the apron but Storm wiggles away, kick to the chest by Nikita but Storm drops her with a piledriver. Storm gets back in the ring first with Nikita slowly following, Storm charges Nikita in the corner but Nikita moves and hits a dropkick. Cannonball by Nikita, and she covers Storm for two. Big boots by Nikita and she dropkicks Storm, covering her for another two count. Nikita picks up Storm but Storm gets away, elbow by Nikita but Storm hits the Backstabber. Running butt smash by Storm, and she delivers a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Storm goes up top but Nikita has recovered and joins, Storm headbutts her but Nikita grabs her and hits a Death Valley Bomb. Nikita picks up Storm and hits two more Death Valley Bombs, but Storm kicks out of the cover at one and hits a release German. I can’t really justify that, and I am more lenient than most. Piledriver by Storm, and she hits the diving leg drop for the three count! Storm is still your champion.

There isn’t any way I could recommend a match that ended like that. Did they lose track of time and the referee told them they had to finish immediately? The Death Valley Bomb is Nikita’s finisher, not only did Storm practically no-sell being hit by three of them but she never returned the favor, she then quickly hit her three finishing moves and won the match. One of the worst finishing stretches I’ve seen. Course after being piledrove on the apron, Nikita hit the first offensive move back in the ring so maybe there were just trying to do crazy shit. Some fun moments but the action was just way too off, I like my pro wres at least 5% realistic.

Io Shirai vs. Kay Lee Ray
World of Stardom Championship

Io and Kay Lee Ray feel each other out to begin, they trade elbows until Kay Lee Ray hits rolling Northern Light Suplexes for a two count. Io rolls out of the ring to re-group, Kay Lee Ray goes off the far ropes and sails out onto Io with a tope suicida. She goes for a second one but Io elbows her before she can dive out and pulls Kay Lee Ray back out of the ring. Io tries to throw Kay Lee Ray into the apron but Kay Lee Ray rebounds off of it with an attack on Io. Back in the ring, cover by Kay Lee Ray but it gets a two count. Kay Lee Ray puts Io in a stretch hold, she picks her up and kicks Io a few times before covering her for another two. Io and Kay Lee Ray trade elbows, cartwheel by Io and she dropkicks Kay Lee Ray near the corner. Running double knee by Io, she sits up Kay Lee Ray and dropkicks her in the head for two. Io goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, Kay Lee Ray kicks out but Io immediately puts her in an armtrap crossface. Kay Lee Ray gets to the ropes, Io charges her but Kay Lee Ray hits a pair of superkicks. Io falls out of the ring, Kay Lee Ray runs up the corner and she flips out of the ring onto Io and her friends. Io gets her arm sprayed, Kay Lee Ray rolls her back in but Io avoids the Gory Special. Io rolls to the apron and snaps Kay Lee Ray’s neck on the ropes, swandive missile dropkick by Io and she covers Kay Lee Ray for two. Io charges Kay Lee Ray but Kay Lee Ray slides out to the apron and hits a swandive missile dropkick. Io elbows Kay Lee Ray but Kay Lee Ray kicks her back and hits the Gory Special for a two count cover. Kay Lee Ray goes up top but Io gets her knees up on the Swanton Bomb attempt, Io and Kay Lee Ray trade elbows on their knees and continue on their feet, Kay Lee Ray goes for a springboard off the ropes but Io catches her in midair with a German suplex. Swinging kick to the head by Io, package German by Io but Kay Lee Ray barely gets a shoulder up. Io goes up top and nails the moonsault, picking up the three count pinfall! Io Shirai wins and keeps her championship title.

While I wish they had gotten more time, they did the best they could under the constraints and it was a great match. Kay Lee Ray is only 24 years old but is so good, I love her high flying and she is crisp with her kicks. They had great chemistry considering they don’t have a lot of experience against each other, with some well done reversals and fluid exchanges. They also combined the high spots with based offense pretty well, although they were a bit rushed at times due to the time issues. Overall a really fun match though, definitely worth tracking down.  Recommended

Tessa Blanchard vs. Yoko Bito
5★Star Grand Prix Final

The match starts slow as they look for leverage, Tessa misses a dropkick but she avoids Bito’s kicks and hides in the corner. Dragon screw by Tessa and she twists Bito’s leg around the bottom rope, elbows by Tessa and she hits a running elbow in the corner. Tessa applies a headscissors but Bito gets to the ropes, elbows by Tessa and she knees Bito but comes back with a hard lariat for a two count cover. Tessa immediately takes back over and attacks Bito while she is in the ropes, she goes out to the apron with Bito and goes for a piledriver, but Bito blocks it. Tessa tosses Bito to the floor but Bito drags her down with her and kicks her against the apron. Tessa throws Bito into a chair at ringside before finally returning to the ring, and the pair trade elbows. Reverse STO by Tessa, but Bito gets a shoulder up. Vertical suplex by Bito and she kicks Tessa in the back, missile dropkick by Bito and she covers Tessa for two. Bito goes for a crossbody but Tessa moves, landing Bito hanging over the second rope. Tessa kicks Bito out of the ring but then brings her up onto the apron, elbows by Tessa until Bito nails a high kick. Bito goes for another kick but Tessa catches it and rams Bito’s leg into the apron. Both wrestlers slowly roll back in before the 20 Count, Tessa goes for the Tessa Attack but Bito blocks it and hits a German suplex hold for two. B-Driver by Bito, but Tessa barely gets a shoulder up, Bito goes for another one but Tessa reverses it with a Yoshi Tonic for a two count. High kick by Bito, she picks up Tessa and she hits a second B-Driver for another two count. Doll B by Bito, she picks up Tessa and hits a second Doll B for the three count! Yoko Bito is the winner of the FIVE STAR GP!

I really wanted to like this since I love tournaments and want to see Bito do well, but it was a really flat final. There were a number of issues with it, first with just who they picked to be in the final as the Tokyo crowd had virtually no idea who Tessa was which hurt the reactions. Then Tessa was in control most of the match, doing offense that wasn’t too captivating, which led to the place being pretty dead. Then they had some miscommunications, and the offense wasn’t very snug. This may have worked as an eight minute tournament match, but as the final on one of their biggest shows of the year it was just disappointing. The right person won for sure, it just wasn’t a great journey to get there.

The post Stardom 5★Star GP Final on 9/22/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I am continuing my quest to catch up on Stardom before the finals in a week. Which means I need to focus which isn’t my strong suit. Anyway, we are now onto Day 3, here are the current standings:

Per usual, I will only be reviewing the tournament matches. These are the matches we will be watching today:

• Red Block: Kris Wolf vs. Momo Watanabe
• Blue Block: Hiromi Mimura vs. Toni Storm
• Red Block: Blue Nikita vs. Kay Lee Ray
• Red Block: Courtney Stewart vs. Kairi Hojo
• Red Block: Io Shirai vs. Jungle Kyouna
• Blue Block: Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoko Bito

These matches got a lot more time than the ones yesterday, so hopefully something here will stand out. Any card with Kay Lee Ray, Io, Kairi, and Mayu is bound to have something good.

Kris Wolf vs. Momo Watanabe

Momo and Wolf tie-up but break cleanly, they trade wristlocks until Momo rolls Wolf to the mat and applies a grounded front facelock. Momo lets go and stomps on Wolf, but Wolf comes back with a rebound crossbody. Wolf snaps Momo’s leg in the bottom rope and dropkicks it, Wolf puts Momo in the corner and chops Momo in the stomach. Dropkick by Wolf and she stomps Momo into the corner but Momo comes back with a pair of dropkicks. Momo puts Wolf in a Tree of Woe and dropkicks her in the stomach, Momo picks up Wolf but Wolf kicks her in the chest after she bounces off the ropes. Jumping knee by Wolf and she kicks Momo in the back, picking up a two count. Momo and Wolf trade elbows, kick to the chest by Momo but Wolf avoids the Somato. Head kick by Wolf, she goes off the ropes and she knees Momo in the head. Suplex by Wolf, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving double kneedrop for a two count. Wolf goes all the way up but Momo rolls out of the way this time, missile dropkick by Momo and she hits rolling vertical suplexes for two. Momo goes off the ropes and nails the Somato, picking up the three count cover! Momo Watanabe wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

A fun opener. Wolf is always entertaining and Momo is continuing to slowly crawl her way up the card. The match was a bit basic, lots of stomps and what not, but the home stretch was spot on. Solid way to start off the show.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Toni Storm

Hiromi and Storm start with polite limb work as Storm targets Hiromi’s arm, Storm trips Hiromi and goes off the ropes but Hiromi ducks the big boot and rolls her up for two. An inside cradle by Hiromi gets the same result as does a sunset flip, clearly Hiromi came into the match with a game plan of securing a quick flash pin. But it doesn’t work as Storm boots her hard in the chest, uppercut by Storm and she covers Hiromi for two. Vertical suplex by Storm and she puts Hiromi in the Kondo Clutch, but Hiromi gets into the ropes to force a break. Dropkick by Hiromi and she hits another one, La Magistral by Hiromi but it gets a two count. They go back and forth with pins but none work, Hiromi picks up Storm and she hits a DDT. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Storm headbutts her, running butt smash by Storm and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for two. Reverse Full Nelson by Storm, and Hiromi is forced to submit! Storm gets two points in the tournament.

I liked that both wrestlers had a plan going into the match, with Hiromi knowing the only real chance she had was quick a flash pin of sorts while Storm was just wearing Hiromi down with power moves. A short match and nothing too special, but well structured anyway since the winner was never really in doubt, Hiromi did all she could.

Blue Nikita vs. Kay Lee Ray

They tie-up to start, until Nikita throws Kay Lee Ray into the corner and stomps her down to the mat. Kay Lee Ray slides away and goes up top, but Nikita avoids her dive. Kay Lee Ray lands on her feet and hits a quick hurricanrana, but Nikita comes back with a knee to the stomach. Kay Lee Ray blocks the next knee but Nikita hits a scoop slam, knee drop by Nikita and she covers Kay Lee Ray for two. Jumping knee by Nikita in the corner but Kay Lee Ray avoids her next dive and hits a modified Yoshi Tonic. Kay Lee Ray chops Nikita into the corner, she goes for a rebound bulldog but Nikita catches her and hits a fallaway slam. Nikita slaps Kay Lee Ray in the back and hits a backbreaker, Kay Lee Ray fights back with kicks to the leg and she rolls Nikita to the mat before kicking her in the chest. Kay Lee Ray picks up Nikita but Nikita slaps her and hits a step-up reverse hurricanrana. Nikita rolls Kay Lee Ray back to the middle of the ring and covers her, but Kay Lee Ray kicks out. Nikita chokes Kay Lee Ray against the bottom rope and hits a snap vertical suplex, she goes off the ropes and boots Kay Lee Ray in the head, but Kay Lee Ray avoids one of her boots and hits a headbutt. Satellite rotation into a grounded front necklock by Kay Lee Ray, but Nikita muscles out of it and slams Kay Lee Ray to the mat. Back up, Kay Lee Ray kicks Nikita in the head but Nikita jumps out of the ring as she charges her. Kay Lee Ray is undeterred and dives out onto Nikita twice with tope suicidas, she goes for a third but Nikita blocks it and slams Kay Lee Ray onto the apron. Running boots by Nikita and she hits a sliding kick, but Kay Lee Ray gets a shoulder up. Nikita picks up Kay Lee Ray, Kay Lee Ray slides away but Nikita hits a leg trap slam for two. Nikita waits for Kay Lee Ray to get up and goes for a kick, Kay Lee Ray catches her leg but Nikita gets away from her and hits an uppercut. Kay Lee Ray blocks it and hits a modified Gory Bomb, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and nails a Swanton Bomb or the three count! Kay Lee Ray wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

These two had great chemistry, I had to look it up but they just faced off last month in a title match while wrestling in RQW so they do have some experience together. A very back in forth match, lots of reversals and changes in momentum, as they were comfortable doing more than just a standard midcard match. Not everything worked perfectly, Nikita trying to catch Kay Lee Ray on a tope suicida was probably a bit overly ambitious, but they covered for it well and overall the match was pretty smooth. Kay Lee Ray continues to impress but Nikita is solid as well, a good match between the two, just wish it was a bit longer as it clocked in under ten minutes.  Mildly Recommended

Courtney Stewart vs. Kairi Hojo

Courtney attacks Kairi before the match starts, as the picture above implies, and also steals her mask. This wasn’t appreciated by Kairi as she elbows Courtney into the corner but Courtney fires back with a hard shoulderblock. Both wrestlers miss dropkicks and they return to their feet, Courtney asks for a Test of Strength but Kairi punches her in the stomach instead. Chops by Kairi and she goes for a crossbody, but Courtney catches her and hits a backbreaker. Courtney starts on Kairi’s arm and attacks it while it is twisted in the ropes, Courtney brings Kairi out of the ring and kicks her repeatedly in the chest. Courtney slides Kairi back in and slams her to the mat before hitting a jumping footstomp for a two count. More kicks to the chest by Courtney and she goes for a fisherman suplex, but Kairi gets out of it and the pair trade elbows. Kairi goes off the ropes and levels Courtney with a spear, Octopus Hold by Kairi but Courtney gets into the ropes to force a break. Running shoulder tackle by Kairi in the corner and she hits the Sliding D, she gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving forearm strike for a two count cover. Courtney avoids the Sliding D and hits a jumping knee, cover by Courtney but Kairi kicks out. Courtney goes for a cross armbreaker but Kairi gets into the ropes, fisherman suplex hold by Courtney but it gets a two count. Back up, spinning chop by Kairi and she goes for the Alabama Slam, but Courtney elbows out of it. High kicks by Courtney but Kairi blocks the half nelson suplex and puts Courtney in the Stretch Muffler. She can’t really lock it in since Courtney is so tall so she applies the Ikari instead, but Courtney is too close to the ropes and forces the break. Short range Sliding D by Kairi, she goes up top and she nails a diving elbow drop for the three count! Kairi Hojo wins and gets two points in the tournament.

I thought this was a step down from the last match but still pretty decent. The main issue is that it didn’t feel nearly as cohesive, Courtney targeted the arm for a bit but then stopped, she controled the action but Kairi won pretty easily with a couple moves to end the match after not really weakening Courtney up to any significant degree. Th action was good though, a little clunky at times but no miscommunications or anything like that. An easy watch but nothing memorable.

Io Shirai vs. Jungle Kyouna

Kyouna pushes Io against the ropes to start, she goes to do a clean break but lariats Io over the top rope instead and then dives out onto her with a crossbody. Io blocks the slam on the floor and sends Kyouna into the ring post, Io gets on the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down onto the rookie. Her leg hits hard on a chair so she is just as hurt as Kyouna is, but they use the magic spray on Io’s shin which helps her slowly recover. Io clubs on Kyouna, perhaps harder than usual due to the failed catch, and she slides Kyouna back into the ring. Io kicks Kyouna into the corner and dropkicks her, kneedrop by Io and she covers Kyouna for two. Io puts Kyouna in a crossface, she releases her after a moment and elbows Kyouna against the ropes. Hard slap by Io and she hits a running elbow in the corner, Kyouna returns fire with her own elbow and she hits a shoulderblock. Kyouna gets Io on her shoulders to apply a backbreaker, she dumps the champion onto the top rope and hits a body avalanche to her back for a two count cover. Kyouna tries to Irish whip Io but Io collapses while holding her back, Kyouna goes for a lariat but Io catches her arm and applies an armtrap crossface. Kyouna gets into the ropes to force a break, Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she goes up top, hitting a missile dropkick. Io goes towards the turnbuckles but Kyouna grabs her leg, Io kicks her away and gets on the second turnbuckle but Kyouna hits her from behind and joins her. Avalanche powerslam by Kyouna, and she covers Io for a two count. Scoop slam by Kyouna, she goes up top and she delivers a diving body press, but Io rolls through it and holds down Kyouna for a two. Back up they trade strikes, big lariat by Kyouna and she gets a two count cover. Io ducks a lariat and hits the tombstone piledriver, but she is too hurt to capitalize. She slowly gets up and hits a running double knee in the corner, she picks up Kyouna but Kyouna blocks the double underhook facebuster. Io lands on her feet when Kyouna goes for a back bodydrop, and Shirai hits a German suplex hold for two. Buzzsaw Kick by Shirai, she picks up Kyouna and nails the package German for the three count! Io Shirai wins and gets two points.

I don’t think Io was just selling on the leg injury, but luckily she was able to shake it off and finish the match without any issue. This was great, as I figured it would be, as Io is one of the most entertaining wrestlers in the world while Kyouna already has so many of the intangibles in just her first year. The match was perfectly fluid and well paced, no miscues or awkward pauses, they were just full go. Kyouna had some convincing nearfalls as she hit all her big moves, while Io led her to one of the best performances of her young career. A high end non-title match for Stardom, Kyouna has a really bright future in wrestling if she continues improving at her current pace.  Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoko Bito

Mayu and Yoko go right at it trading elbow strikes, they go to trips and quick covers but after a moment they return to their feet. Yoko throws Mayo into the corner but Mayu avoids her charge and hits a dropkick, cover by Mayu but it gets two. Imagine Yoko Bito losing via an early match dropkick. High kick by Yoko and Iwatani flops out of the ring to regroup and get some magic spray, but she returns before the referee’s count gets to 20. Yoko kicks Mayu repeatedly in the corner and throws down Mayu by her hair before kicking her some more. Yoko sets up Mayu in the ropes and kicks her in the chest from the apron, back in the ring Yoko covers her but it gets a two. Yoko goes off the ropes but Iwatani dropkicks her, Yoko knees Mayu in return and applies the Cobra Twist. Yoko kicks Mayu in the head and applies a single leg crab hold, but Mayu slowly crawls to the ropes and forces a break. Yoko picks up Mayu and applies a sleeper, but Mayu quickly gets a foot onto the ropes.

Yoko goes for a suplex by Mayu blocks it, Yoko hits it anyway and she covers Mayu for a two count. Yoko goes for the high kick but Mayu ducks it and kicks Yoko in the head, Mayu goes up to the top turnbuckle but Yoko joins her and hits a superplex. Yoko picks up Mayu but Mayu sneaks in a sunset flip for two, Yoko goes off the ropes but Mayu kicks her in the stomach and hits the Sling Blade. Fujiwara Armbar by Mayu but she releases the hold and dropkicks Yoko while she is against the ropes. Yoko falls out of the ring but Mayu goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto her with a plancha suicida. Mayu slides Yoko back in, she goes up top and hits the missile dropkick. She goes up again and hits the diving footstomp, cover by Mayu but Yoko gets a shoulder up. Mayu picks up Yoko and goes for the dragon suplex, but Yoko elbows out of it. German suplex by Mayu but Yoko gets back up and boots her in the face. Both wrestlers slowly get back up and trade elbows, they both go for kicks until Yoko delivers with the high kick. German suplex hold by Yoko, but it only gets a two count. Yoko picks up Mayu, Mayu gets her back but Yoko gets out of it and nails the B-Driver, but they are too close to the ropes and Mayu is able to reach out and grab the bottom one. The bell thing rings, as time has expired. The match is a Draw and both wrestlers get one point.

Not quite on the same level as the previous match, but still really good. The early portion of the match was a bit slow and meandering, even with a known time limit neither seemed to be in any rush, but the match really picked up about halfway through. There were a few timing issues, which isn’t surprising considering they don’t have a ton of experience against each other, but nothing too bad aside from the awkward ‘missed kick’ exchange towards the end. Yoko came out of the match looking stronger but just barely, and they did a good job giving both some nearfalls to make it suspenseful. Not perfect but lots of hard stiff shots and the last five minutes was entertaining, overall worth watching.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom 5★Star GP on 8/28/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

And we are back with more Stardom! I have a ways to go to catch up to the FIVE STAR GP, so lets see if I can get the whole tournament reviewed by the end of the month. This is a smaller event that took place outside of Tokyo, with a smaller attendance than we are used to seeing from the #1 Joshi promotion. Here are the standings going into the show:

Like last week, I will only be reviewing the tournament matches. These are the matches we will be watching today:

• Red Block: Jungle Kyouna vs. Kris Wolf
• Blue Block: Natsumi Maki vs. Toni Storm
• Red Block: Courtney Stewart vs. Tessa Blanchard
• Blue Block: Hiromi Mimura vs. Yoko Bito
• Blue Block: Blue Nikita vs. Mayu Iwatani
• Red Block: Io Shirai vs. Momo Watanabe

Let’s get to it.

Jungle Kyouna vs. Kris Wolf

Wolf shoves Kyouna into the corner to start but Kyouna returns the favor and chops Wolf. Kyouna takes Wolf to the mat and applies a front necklock but Wolf gets out of it and the pair trade wristlocks. Wolf gets Kyouna against the ropes but Kyouna moves when Wolf charges in, Wolf falls to the floor but Kyouna quickly goes out to get her. Wolf gets Kyouna’s leg and snaps it over the middle rope, she goes up top and delivers a double ax handle to Kyouna’s leg. Wolf twists Kyouna’s leg in the ropes and then hits a kneedrop onto it, getting a two count cover. Kyouna goes for a scoop slam but her leg gives out on her, but she recovers and hits a shoulderblock. Running body press by Kyouna and she tries to put Wolf in a crab hold, but Wolf keeps rolling out of it. Kyouna picks up Wolf and puts her in a backbreaker, Wolf slides away and she throws Kyouna into the corner. Jumping knee by Wolf followed by a snapmare and a kick to the back, cover by Wolf but it gets two. Wolf goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving double kneedrop, but Kyouna trips her and goes for a lariat, Wolf ducks that and she rolls up Kyouna for two. Elbows by Kyouna but Wolf hits a jumping knee, lariat by Kyouna and she covers Wolf for two. Short-range lariats by Kyouna, she gets on the top turnbuckle and she nails a diving body press for the three count! Kyouna wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

Even though this was only the opening match, I thought it was really good. Kyouna is one of the top rookies in Joshi, she has made great strides in the last year and has a lot of the intangibles that some wrestlers never quite figure out. Wolf has improved a lot this year as well, and it was a smooth and well-structured match. Really solid way to kick things off.  Mildly Recommended

Natsumi Maki vs. Toni Storm

Natsumi dropkicks Storm as soon as the match starts, but Storm quickly takes control with a kick to the chest. Uppercuts by Storm and she hits a backbreaker, covering Natsumi for two. Elbows by Storm and she hits an uppercut, but Natsumi hits a quick armdrag followed by a dropkick. Kick to the chest by Storm and she covers Natsumi for a two count cover. Storm twists Natsumi’s fingers and hits a hard elbow, but Natsumi fires back with elbows of her own. Inside cradle by Natsumi, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a sunset flip for a two count. Swinging leg hook slam by Natsumi with a bridge, but Storm kicks out of that as well. Natsumi goes up to the top turnbuckle but Storm recovers and drops her with a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Elbows by Natsumi and she sneaks in a backslide for two. German suplex by Storm and she hits a running butt smash in the corner, Air Raid Crash by Storm and she gets the three count! Storm wins the match and now has four points in the tournament.

There wasn’t really any doubt with who was winning this match, as Maki isn’t at the level yet to beat a champion in Stardom. She got in her moves though so it was far from a squash match, and the two worked together well. Not overly suspenseful but nothing wrong with it.

Courtney Stewart vs. Tessa Blanchard

After a quick handshake they go straight to wristlocks, Courtney works a headlock and she hits a hard shoulderblock. Dropkick by Courtney but Tessa ducks a high kick and delivers an elbow. They push each other before trading strikes, knee by Tessa but Courtney knees her back. Cutter by Tessa, and she covers Courtney for a two count. Sliding elbow to the back by Tessa, she gets on the apron but Courtney hits a shoulder tackle through the ropes. Kicks to the chest by Courtney and she hits a rope hanging DDT, picking up a two count cover. Modified dragon sleeper by Courtney but Tessa gets out of it and elbows Courtney in the back. DDT by Tessa, and she covers Courtney for two. High kick by Courtney, she picks up Tessa but Tessa blocks the half nelson suplex. Tessa goes off the ropes a hits a body scissors slam, she goes off the ropes and hits a sliding kick. Rebound bulldog by Tessa, and she picks up the three count! Tessa Blanchard wins and gets two more points in the tournament.

While I don’t think this match gave either enough time to make a strong impression, neither looked bad which sometimes in a midcard match on a small show is all you can ask for. They had pretty good chemistry, nothing looked too off, and they hit their bigger moves well. Courtney went down a little easier than I’d expect since they have similar experience levels, but that was likely more related to the size of the event. Pretty average but not offensive.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Yoko Bito

Hiromi runs up to Bito and rolls her up as the match starts, she does it a few more times but she can only get a two count. Bito pushes her off and asks for a Test of Strength, Hiromi elbows her but Bito elbows her back. Bito wins the elbow battle and shrugs off Hiromi’s dropkick, she throws Hiromi into the corner and delivers a series of kicks. Hiromi avoids her running kick and attacks Bito’s leg in the ropes, rolling leglock by Hiromi but Bito gets into the ropes to force a break. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Bito kicks her, schoolboy by Hiromi but it gets a two count. Hiromi waits for Bito to get up and gets on the second turnbuckle, but Bito hits her but Hiromi gets on her back with a sleeper. Bito rams Hiromi into the corner to shake her off, vertical suplex by Bito and she covers Hiromi for a two count. Bito kicks Hiromi in the back, she picks her up and nails a high kick. B-Driver by Bito, and she picks up the three count! Yoko Bito wins and gets two points in the tournament.

Hiromi didn’t have much of a chance here, since Bito is still freshly returned they are going to keep her protected against a lowly rookie. Hiromi did try anyway and hit all the moves she had, it just wasn’t enough. Just a standard little midcard match, nothing special.

Blue Nikita vs. Mayu Iwatani

They tie-up to start, Iwatani gets Nikita in the corner and she gives a clean break, but Nikita pushes her to the mat. Nikita clubs Iwatani and stomps her down in the corner, elbows by Nikita but Iwatani elbows her back and hits a headscissors. Dropkick by Iwatani, she picks up Nikita but Nikita elbows her in the head and chops Iwatani against the ropes. Knee by Nikita and she hits another one before kicking Iwatani in the back. After twisting up Iwatani on the mat, Nikita picks her up but Iwatani slides away and elbows Nikita in the back. Triple jump split-legged armdrag by Iwatani and she delivers the Sling Blade for a two count cover. Iwatani gets on the second turnbuckle but Nikita smacks her and brings her back to the mat with a Northern Lights Suplex. Nikita kicks Iwatani in the ropes and hits a heel drop, she hops out to the floor so she can kick Iwatani while her head is hanging over the second rope. Back in, Nikita goes for a cocky cover but Iwatani reverses it into a victory roll, hurricanrana by Iwatani and she rolls through it so she can kick Nikita in the head. Diving footstomp by Iwatani and she covers Nikita for a two count. Iwatani picks up Nikita but Nikita blocks the dragon suplex, she goes for it again but Nikita escapes with a low blow. Running boot to the head by Nikita and she hits two more, she picks up Iwatani but Iwatani reverses the Death Valley Bomb into a Victory Roll for the three count! Iwatani wins and gets two points in the tournament.

An entertaining match with the first surprise of the evening, as the less experienced Iwatani snuck out with a victory. It wasn’t a long match but it felt like they got enough time to do what they were going for, and the cocky gaijin vs. fan favorite native is a proven formula that works. Iwatani’s offensive spurts were fun and Nikita did a good job controlling the action. Nothing mind-blowing but solid all the way around.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai vs. Momo Watanabe

Momo immediately attacks with a dropkick, more dropkicks by Momo and she covers the champion for a one count. Io avoids the next dropkick but Momo rolls her up for two, stomps by Momo and she goes to kick Io in the back, but Io catches her leg and hits a palm thrust. Scoop slam by Io and she hits a double knee followed by a standing moonsault, Io puts Momo in the camel clutch before releasing it and stomping on Momo. Io taunts the youngster but Momo dropkicks her, Io charges Momo but she gets stuck in the ropes. Kicks by Momo, she gets up on the second turnbuckle but Io hits her and tosses her to the mat. Io goes up top but Momo dropkicks the ropes to shake her off, vertical suplex by Momo and she covers Io for a two count. Momo goes off the ropes but Io gets up and elbows her, Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she hits a swandive missile dropkick. Momo falls out to the floor, Io goes out to the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down onto Momo. Io picks up Momo and slides her back in, cover by Io but it gets a two count. Io goes for a German suplex but Momo reverses it with a Victory Roll, kick to the chest by Momo and she covers Io for two. Momo gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, she goes all the way up the next time and hits the avalanche Somato, but Io barely kicks out of the cover. Momo goes off the ropes but Io avoids the next Somato and dropkicks Momo in the head. German suplex hold by Io, but it gets two. Io picks up Momo and throws her into the corner, dropkick by Io and she hits a running double knee. Io picks up Momo and hits the double underhook facebuster, Io goes up to the top turnbuckle and she nails the moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai is the winner and gets two points in the tournament.

Even on a small show, Io always delivers. Momo is at that stage of her career where she can have really good matches against seasoned veterans but struggles in matches with people with her experience level – she is led very well but can have issues when she is on her own. I have no issue with Io kicking out of Momo’s new elevated finisher, since Momo is still a kid and Io is the champion, it would have worked against anyone else. I just wish it was longer so they had more time to show what they can do together, since its rare for Momo to get a singles match against a top veteran. A really solid small show main event, Io was her usual self and Momo was able to keep up, fun match.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom 5★Star GP on 8/27/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I finally bit the bullet and got the new Stardom World, so now I can review the the Stardom FIVE STAR GP. We have a very interesting assortment of wrestlers this year, with only eight of the wrestlers being part of Stardom’s regular roster (nine if you count Natsumi). The other five are foreigners, some of which have never wrestled in Stardom before so we are getting our first look at them in the big annual tournament. Here are the Blocks:

Here are the matches we will be watching today:

• Blue Block: Blue Nikita vs. Maki Natsumi
• Red Block: Courtney Stewart vs. Jungle Kyouna
• Red Block: Momo Watanabe vs. Tessa Blanchard
• Blue Block: Toni Storm vs. Yoko Bito
• Red Block: Kairi Hojo vs. Kris Wolf
• Blue Block: Kay Lee Ray vs. Mayu Iwatani

I am only reviewing the tournament matches, so no Azumi for us today. On the plus side, all the matches are shown in full which is one of the advantages of Stardom World. All matches in the tournament have a 15 minute time limit.

Blue Nikita vs. Natsumi Maki

Nikita promptly spins Natsumi around by her head before tossing her to the mat, Natsumi charges back at Nikita but Nikita pushes her into the corner and rakes her in the eyes. Armdrag by Natsumi and she goes for a few quick pins, but the veteran Nikita isn’t falling for it and knocks Natsumi back to the mat. Nikita hits a cartwheel kick (I am assuming on purpose) before hitting a side Russian leg sweep. Nikita goes off the ropes and hits a kneelift, Northern Lights Suplex by Nikita but it gets a two count. Nikita picks up Natsumi but Natsumi ducks her lariat and hits a flipping armdrag, sunset flip by Natsumi but it gets a two count. Nikita positions Natsumi and applies a stretch hold but Natsumi gets out of it, big boot by Nikita but Natsumi grabs the ropes. Nikita picks up Natsumi, Natsumi gets away but Nikita catches her with a back elbow. Running senton by Nikita, Nikita chokes Natsumi with her knee before hitting a trio of boots for a two count. Natsumi wiggles away and hits a series of elbows, dropkick by Natsumi and she hits her swinging slam with a bridge for a two count. Natsumi picks up Nikita and goes to the second turnbuckle, but Nikita catches her on her shoulders when she jumps off and hits a Death Valley Bomb for the three count! Blue Nikita wins and gets two points in the tournament.

Talk about rough around the edges. I give consideration of course to the fact that Natsumi has limited experience and these two had never wrestled before, but in a vacuum this wasn’t a good match. There were several noticeable miscommunications, they just weren’t always on the same page, and not everything made sense. I did love the ending, Nikita showed how strong she was and her heel tactics were fine as it will give her matches a little something different in Stardom. It just wasn’t long enough to overcome the mistakes, a few bright moments but overall disappointing.

Courtney Stewart vs. Jungle Kyouna

They lock up to start and trade holds, Kyouna gets Courtney into the corner and hits a series of shoulderblocks. Elbows by Kyouna but Courtney elbows her back, body avalanche by Kyouna and she hits a face crusher for a two count. Big knee by Courtney and she kicks Kyouna into the corner, Courtney gets Kyouna’s back and she applies a stretch hold. Courtney knees Kyouna against the ropes but Kyouna pulls her down by the hair and hits a series of hard shoulderblocks for a two count. Courtney quickly gets out of the crab hold but Kyouna hits a lariat, another lariat by Kyouna and she goes up top, but Courtney recovers and tosses her off. Kyouna picks up Courtney but Courtney slides away, elbows by Kyouna but Courtney deliver a kick combination before hitting a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Courtney goes for a suplex but Kyouna elbows her off, she goes off the ropes but Courtney catches her with a high kick. Half nelson suplex hold by Courtney, and she gets the three count! Courtney Stewart is the winner and gets two points in the tournament.

I did like this one a touch better than the last match. There were still a few miscommunications but they were covered better, some shaky transitions but that isn’t unusual in a short match. Courtney generally hit her kicks well and Kyouna always looks solid. Not a long match and not overly fluid, average overall but watchable.

Momo Watanabe vs. Tessa Blanchard

Momo and Tessa go right into a Test of Strength, Tessa gets the better of it but Momo gains the advantage and snapmares Tessa to the mat. Kicks by Momo and she hits a few dropkicks, she goes for another one but Tessa bails out of the ring. Tessa elbows Momo from the apron and snaps her neck on the top rope, cover by Tessa but it gets two. Vertical suplex by Tessa and she hits a sliding elbow to Momo’s back, Tessa applies a stretch hold before letting go so she can knee Momo in the stomach. Momo gets away and kicks her in the midsection, they trade elbows on their knees until Momo hits a dropkick. Momo dropkicks Tessa in the corner, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits…. a dropkick for a two count. Lots of dropkicks. Kicks by Momo but Tessa ducks a punch and hits a hammerlock DDT for two. Tessa picks up Momo but Momo elbows her off and hits a vertical suplex. Momo charges Tessa but Tessa trips her and hits a Slingshot Backdrop Suplex for the three count! Tessa Blanchard wins and gets two points in the tournament.

It is going to sound like I don’t like the new gaijins, and that isn’t the case at all. On this show thus far they paired them up against rookies/young wrestlers to give them an easy win in front of a new crowd, but the sacrifice here was match quality as there were going to be some issues. Like the previous matches it just wasn’t smooth, there were a few noticeable times that they weren’t on the same page and instead of looking fluid it was choppy. When a match is this short these things are more memorable, and it was just inconsistent. Tessa looked fine, I like her moves and have hope for her in the tournament, this just wasn’t a great match.

Toni Storm vs. Yoko Bito

Storm and Bito trade holds to begin, takedown by Storm but Bito applies a headscissors. Storm gets out of it as they return to their feet, they go back to holds before trading shoulderblocks. Bito wins the shoulderblock battle, kicks by Bito to the back and she covers Storm for two. Dropkick by Bito but Storm uppercuts her and hits a jumping knee. Storm starts on Bito’s arm and hits a few hip attacks, Bito crawls to the corner and Storm goes for a running butt smash, but Bito blocks it. Bito hip attacks Storm into the corner, she goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count cover. They trade high kick attempts, lariat by Bito and she covers Storm for two. Knee by Bito and she puts Storm in a stretch hold, more kicks by Bito and she applies a single leg crab hold. Storm gets into the ropes, elbow by Storm but Bito delivers a high kick. Kicks by Bito in the corner but Storm avoids one and hits a Backstabber. Running butt smash by Storm and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Storm goes off the ropes but Bito nails a high kick, Bito picks up Storm but Storm wiggles away. Heel drops by Bito, she picks up Storm but Storm ducks her high kick and hits a release German. Bito comes right back with her own German suplex, she picks up Storm but Storm hits a piledriver. Storm goes up top and she nails the diving leg drop, picking up the three count pinfall! Toni Storm wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

I enjoyed this match the most of the ones we have seen so far. It wasn’t perfectly executed but they had the best chemistry that we have seen thus far and both are solid wrestlers. A little shaky in parts but overall a good match between the two, hopefully the show is now on an upswing.  Mildly Recommended

Kairi Hojo vs. Kris Wolf

Wolf locks up Kairi’s knuckles during the handshake in typical Wolf fashion, Wolf bites Kairi into the corner and kicks her in the chest repeatedly. Wolf mocks Kairi’s march but Kairi moves when she charges in and chops Wolf in the chest. Kairi goes for a spear but Wolf moves out of the way, she takes Kairi to the mat but Kairi quickly takes back control. Kairi ties up Wolf in the ropes and hits several elbows, dropkick by Kairi but Wolf snaps Kairi’s leg on the second rope. Wolf pulls Kairi down onto the apron and hits a running double knee, Kairi falls down to the floor while Wolf puts a chair on the apron. Wolf then stands on the chair and jumps down onto Kairi with a double kneedrop. Back in the ring, Wolf pours water onto Kairi and puts her in the Tree of Woe, kicks by Wolf but Kairi spears her when she charges in towards the corner.

Leg submission by Kairi but Wolf gets into the ropes, running shoulderblock by Kairi and she follows with a Sliding D. Kairi goes up top, Wolf is too far away so she jumps off the turnbuckle and elbows Wolf into the corner. Scoop slam by Kairi, she goes up to the top turnbuckle again but Wolf rolls too far away. Kairi jumps off and chops Wolf into the corner, double chop by Kairi and she hits an elbow drop for two. Wolf fights back with elbows, kick to the stomach by Wolf and she covers Kairi for a two count. Jumping knee by Wolf in the corner and she kicks Kairi in the back, cover by Wolf but Kairi kicks out. Wolf goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving double kneedrop, she goes all the way up but Kairi moves this time and goes for a roll-up, but Wolf reverses it for her own quick cover. Wolf goes off the ropes but Kairi does too and she hits a big spear. Spinning backfist by Kairi and she hits an elbow Final Cut, she goes up to the top turnbuckle and she nails the diving elbow drop for the three count! Kairi Hojo wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

This is the first match on the card with two wrestlers that are familar with each other, and you could tell. Crisp action, no miscommunications and everything was fluid. It had a few seemingly out of place comedy spots, not that I mind them generally but in a tournament like this one it felt a bit out of place. But Wolf had a few convincing nearfalls and in these situations really anyone can win, so they kept up the suspense. Overall a solid tournament match. Mildly Recommended

Kay Lee Ray vs. Mayu Iwatani

As the picture above implies, the match didn’t start with a handshake, but with Kay Lee Ray kicking Iwatani in the head. Kay Lee Ray goes off the ropes but so does Iwatani, armdrag by Iwatani but Kay Lee Ray trips her back and both wrestlers return to their feet. Iwatani dropkicks Kay Lee Ray but Kay Lee Ray moves when she goes for a second one and Iwatani tumbles out of the ring. Kay Lee Ray goes to dive out after her but Iwatani grabs her by the end and pulls Kay Lee Ray out of the ring with her. Kay Lee Ray takes back over on the floor, she sits Iwatani in a chair but Iwatani moves when Kay Lee Ray charges in and Kay Lee Ray goes tumbling into a row of chairs. Kay Lee Ray comes back with a kick to Iwatani’s midsection and she kicks her around the ring post. Iwatani suplexes Kay Lee Ray into more chairs as they refuse to return to the ring, Iwatani pours water on Kay Lee Ray before finally rolling her back in. Irish whip by Iwatani but Kay Lee Ray moves when she charges her, Iwatani hits a high kick anyway and she dropkicks Kay Lee Ray against the ropes. Another dropkick by Iwatani, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Kay Lee Ray moves when she dives off. Kay Lee Ray rolls Iwatani to the mat and kicks her in the chest, back up Iwatani elbows Kay Lee Ray but Kay Lee Ray rolls her to the mat and applies a grounded necklock. Iwatani gets into the ropes, Kay Lee Ray picks her up and throws Iwatani into the corner.

Elbow by Kay Lee Ray and she applies a bodyscissors, she releases the hold but Iwatani knocks her down with a Sling Blade. Iwatani goes up top but Kay Lee Ray delivers a high kick, she then joins Iwatani but Iwatani slides off and suplexes Kay Lee Ray to the mat. Iwatani gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp, she then goes all the way up top and hits another diving footstomp for a two count cover. Iwatani throws Kay Lee Ray in to the corner and hits a body avalanche, she charges her again but Kay Lee Ray drops her over the top rope onto the floor. Kay Lee Ray gets a running start in the ring and sails out onto Iwatani with a tope suicida. Kay Lee Ray goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto her and everyone standing at ringside with a Swanton Bomb, crushing everyone. Kay Lee Ray slides Iwatani back in, cover by Kay Lee Ray but it gets a two count. Kay Lee Ray picks up Iwatani but Iwatani wiggles away, she goes for a dragon suplex but Kay Lee Ray blocks it. Irish whip by Kay Lee Ray but Iwatani snaps off a hurricanrana for a two count. Iwatani goes for a kick to the stomach but Kay Lee Ray catches it and hits a Gory Bomb. Kay Lee Ray goes up top and she nails the Swanton Bomb, picking up the three count! Kay Lee Ray wins the match and gets two points in the tournament.

So I am on record as loving Kay Lee Ray. I love her look, her wrestling abilities, her personality… just a total package. And of course Iwatani is great, she is the best bumper in wrestling right now as far as I am concerned, it may shorten her life but its fun to watch. So these two were going to have a good match even if they weren’t trying, they were a bit limited by the time constraints and the outside brawling went longer than I’d have preferred but it was still really entertaining. Kay Lee Ray does all her moves with controlled recklessness, she was flying over the ropes or into chairs every few minutes and it gave the match a feeling of importance. Great effort by both, not quite as good as their last match as there were some restrictions with the setting but still it was a high end main event.  Recommended

The post Stardom 5★Star GP on 8/21/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

It has been a few weeks since I last reviewed a Stardom show, so lets see what they are up to. Io Shirai is out due to an injury, which gives their cards a different dynamic as with Io around you always knew there would be at least one great match. Now we have no such guarantee. There are three title matches on this show however so there are several opportunities to impress, here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase vs. Eimi Nishina
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsumi Maki
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura vs. Kris Wolf and Leah Vaughan
• Jungle Kyouna and Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe and Yoko Bito
• SWA Undisputed Women’s Championship: Toni Storm vs. Shanna
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo vs. Chelsea

Please note that I am reviewing the Samurai TV version and not the Stardom World version of the event, so it will be clipped but pro-shot. You can click on the names above to go to their profile if I have one on the site.

Arisu Nanase vs. Eimi Nishina

The match is joined in progress as Eimi hits a backbreaker followed by the Somato for a two count. Eimi goes for a slam but Arisu gets out of it, backslide by Eimi and she gets the three count! Eimi Nishina wins!

Ok that was clipped even more than I was expecting, nothing much to really see here. Nice backslide I guess?

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsumi Maki

Natsumi and Matsumoto start the match together, Natsumi dances around the ring which Matsumoto doesn’t like so she puts her in a backbreaker. Yoneyama comes in to break it up and they pose on her, Hiromi feels left out and comes in the ring to pose too which Matsumoto does not appreciate. Natsumi elbows Matsumoto but Matsumoto chops her back, Natsumi goes for a crossbody but Matsumoto doesn’t budge. Matsumoto tags in Hiromi, Hiromi goes for La Magistral but Natsumi blocks it and hits a bridging leg hook neckbreaker but Matsumoto breaks it up. Yoneyama comes in but Matsumoto lariats both Natsumi and Yoneyama, Hiromi puts Natsumi in La Magistral and she picks up the three count! Matsumoto and Hiromi are the winners!

This was too clipped but the spots they showed were fine, a few cute spots with Hiromi posing instead of helping Matsumoto and I like Natsumi’s bridging moves. But not enough shown to get excited about.

(c) Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura vs. Kris Wolf and Leah Vaughan

Kagetsu and Wolf begin the match, Kagetsu gets the early advantage but Wolf tricks her with a fake handshake and stomps on Kagetsu’s foot. Springboard crossbody off the ropes by Wolf, but she only gets a quick two. Kagetsu throws Wolf to the mat and takes her outside of the ring while Kimura throws chairs at Leah. Kagetsu hits Wolf with chairs too, Kimura gets into the ring and sets a chair up before putting Wolf on it and hitting her with another chair. Kimura goes off the ropes but Wolf avoids the big boot and gets a metal stick. Leah comes in with magic feel good spray but Kimura blocks her attempt to use it with a sign. Wolf takes the sign from Kimura and hits her repeatedly with it, Leah comes in and hits a lariat on Kimura. Assisted body press by Wolf to Kimura, and she covers her for a two count. Wolf gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving double kneedrop, but Kagetsu breaks up the cover. Kagetsu is thrown into the corner but she hits a double missile dropkick, Kagetsu picks up Wolf and she hits the Samoan Drop. Kagetsu and Kimura both boot Wolf, Kagetsu gets up top while Kimura grabs Wolf and they hit an assisted Gory Bomb. Leah runs in but she lariats Wolf by accident, Kagetsu gets a parking sign but she accidentally hits Kimura with it. Wolf goes off the ropes but Kimura nails her with a big boot, and she picks up the three count! Kagetsu and Kimura are still the champions.

The clipping of the match made it a big disjointed, hard to really get into a match when it jumps around so much. But from what I could make of it, it was a fun match, Oedo Tai is a great faction and I like all four of them quite a bit. Leah is my favorite gaijin wrestler in Stardom of the last few months and Kagetsu is extremely under-rated, although she has slowly started getting some much deserved buzz. Too clipped to recommend but what they showed was good.

Jungle Kyouna and Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe and Yoko Bito

Momo and Iwatani kick things off, they trade armdrags and takedowns but neither can get a clear advantage so they tag out. Bito and Kyouna lock up, hard shoulderblock by Kyouna but Bito kicks her when she goes for another one and kicks the rookie repeatedly in the back. She tags Momo back in, dropkick by Momo but Kyouna fires back with a shoulderblock. She tags Iwatani, snapmare by Iwatani and she kicks Momo in the back. Mom gets away and tags in Bito, Bito kicks Iwatani and then hits a double vertical suplex on her and Kyouna. Iwatani and Bio trade kick attempts, high kick by Bito and she gets a two count cover. Iwatani goes for a dragon suplex by Bito blocks it, superkick by Iwatani but Bito makes it to her corner first and tags in Momo. Kicks by Momo and she dropkicks Iwatani into the corner, another dropkick by Momo and she follows up with a missile dropkick. Momo picks up Iwatani but Iwatani hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count pinfall. Iwatani goes for the dragon suplex but Momo blocks it and rolls up Iwatani for two. Iwatani returns the favor with her own roll-up, kick to the head by Iwatani and she tags Kyouna. Kyouna waits for Momo to get up and hits a lariat, Iwatani rolls in and she superkicks Momo. Diving body press by Kyouna, but Bito breaks up the cover. Iwatani takes care of Bito, Kyouna picks up Momo but Momo wiggles away and hits a snap vertical suplex. Kyouna and Momo trade elbows, kick to the chest by Momo and she hits the Somato, but Iwatani breaks up the pin. Momo picks up Kyouna as Bito returns, and they both kick Kyouna in the chest. Double PK to Kyouna, but she kicks out of the cover. Iwatani goes up top but Bito shakes the rope and then kicks her off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Missile dropkick by Bito to Kyouna, Momo goes up top and she nails a diving Somato for the three count! Momo Watanabe and Yoko Bito win the match.

Finally a match we get to see enough of to enjoy. I liked this match a lot, all four are quality wrestlers and they have great chemistry together. This was a bit of a ‘coming out’ party for Momo, as she showed off a new finisher to go with her new outfit and pinned Kyouna, who is a rookie but due to her age had been placed on the same level as Momo. Bito continues to shake off the rust and looked solid here, and everyone got a bit of a chance to shine. Really good midcard match.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Shanna

Storm gets Shanna on the mat early in the match but Shanna quickly switches positions with her and they jockey for control on the mat. Back up they trade wristlocks, armdrag by Storm but Shanna rolls her up for a quick two. Storm kicks at Shanna but Shanna comes back with elbows and they trade blows until Shanna connects with a big kick to the face. Storm retorts with a release German, Shanna crawls to the corner but Storm hits a running hip attack followed by a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Enzuigiri by Shanna and she applies a trap submission on the mat, but Storm gets into the ropes to force a break. Leg drop by Shanna and she hits an elbow drop for a two count cover. Storm goes for a Backstabber from the ropes but Shanna blocks it, Shanna goes up top but Storm grabs her and suplexes Shanna back into the ring.

Storm goes to the second turnbuckle but Shanna recovers and joins her, hitting an Avalanche Frankensteiner. Tilt-a-whirl slam of sorts by Shanna, but it gets a two count. Rolling dragon suplexes by Shanna, but Storm rolls out of the ring before Shanna can cover her. Shanna goes up top and dives out onto Storm with a plancha suicida, she slides Storm back in but Storm goes off the ropes and sails out of the ring with a tope suicida. Back in the ring, Storm hits the Backstabber off the ropes and tosses Shanna with a capture suplex. Another Backstabber by Storm, but Shanna grabs the ropes to break up the pin. Storm picks up Shanna but Shanna sneaks in a sunset flip, Storm goes for a double underhook but Shanna gets out of it and hits a Stunner. Double underhook slam by Shanna, but the pin gets a two count. Shanna goes up to the top turnbuckle but Storm avoids the diving crossbody attempt and plants Shanna with a piledriver. Storm positions Shanna and goes up to the top turnbuckle, diving leg drop by Storm and she gets the three count! Storm retains the championship.

Talk about a mixed bag. I could write an essay on ‘no selling as fighting spirit’ vs. ‘no selling due to being lazy at transitions’ but it would be boring to read (and everyone would call me a nerd). But this match was the latter, they did some really shady selling such as on the Avalanche Frankensteiner but it wasn’t for Fighting Spirit purposes, they were just doing what they had to do to get to their next spot in the match. Which is annoying on bigger moves that should get a bit more respect. Also the early strike exchange was really weak (until Shanna kicked Storm’s head off) as strikes don’t appear to be their strong suit. On the flip side, they did a good job of making the match feel important, like it was a title match, as both were pulling out every move they had to try to win. It was pretty exciting in slightly clipped form, it just had a few bad moments that took me out of it a bit. Overall more good than bad but with some noticeable flaws.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Kairi Hojo vs. Chelsea

The friends tie-up to start, they trade holds and end up on the mat where Chelsea gets a headscissors applied. Hojo gets out of it with a bridge and they return to their feet, they lock knuckles until Hojo gets away and dropkicks Chelsea. Chelsea boots Hojo in the face but Hojo ducks the high kick and armdrags Chelsea. Springboard ax handle by Chelsea, she chops Hojo and dropkicks her out of the ring. Chelsea goes up to the top turnbuckle and she literally falls out of the ring back-first and onto Hojo and other minions at ringside. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a ‘dive’ quite like that before. Chelsea then gets on the apron and hits a heel drop onto Hojo’s head before rolling her back into the ring, working over Hojo’s arm in the process. Back in the ring, Chelsea continues focusing on Hojo’s left arm before hitting a jumping knee in the corner, but Hojo spears her when she goes for another one. Hojo slams Chelsea into the corner and elbows her repeatedly in the back, Sliding D in the corner to Chelsea’s back by Hojo and she hits an avalanche diving elbow strike. Crab hold by Hojo but Chelsea gets into the ropes, Hojo jumps down on Chelsea’s back and charges Chelsea, but Chelsea moves and Hojo ends up on the apron.

Chelsea drapes Hojo over the second rope and hits a leg drop, Hojo fights back with elbows and she chops Chelsea to the mat. More chops by Hojo, she goes off the ropes but Chelsea catches her with a high kick. Another kick by Chelsea, and she covers Hojo for a two count. Chelsea quickly applies a reverse armbreaker, she reverts it into a regular armbreaker but Hojo gets a foot on the ropes. Chelsea goes up top but Hojo elbows her, Chelsea catches Hojo’s arm and she applies a hanging armbar over the top rope. Chelsea releases the hold and hits a diving crossbody, cover by Chelsea but it gets a two count. Chelsea picks up Hojo and goes for a kick, but Hojo ducks it and hits a Final Cut Elbow. Hojo goes off the ropes and elbows Chelsea in the back, cover by Hojo but it gets a two. Hojo smacks Chelsea in the ass and goes for the Ikari, but Chelsea quickly gets to the ropes. Hojo goes up top but Chelsea recovers and hits her before she jumps off. Chelsea joins her but Hojo headbutts her into the Tree of Woe, diving footstomp by Hojo and she covers Chelsea for two. Hojo picks up Chelsea but Chelsea wiggles away and applies a sunset flip for two. Chelsea applies the figure four necklock, but Hojo gets out of it and puts her in the Ikari. Hojo releases the hold, she goes up top and she nails the Diving Elbow Drop to Chelsea’s back for the three count pinfall! Kairi Hojo retains the championship!

I can say with full confidence that this is the best match of Chelsea’s career. That isn’t to say it was perfect, but it told several stories very well and it stayed fun throughout. Both wrestlers targeted a body part and stayed on that body part all match, including going for their finishers that targeted that area. I wouldn’t have minded if they sold the part a bit more between segments, but that both kept going back to it was a big plus. Chelsea never gets a ton of height on her kicks but she connected with them forcefully and the Trust Fall Dive as I am calling it has to be seen as that is a new one to me. They also had solid chemistry, with no noticeable miscommunications which happens in Chelsea’s matches sometimes. It started a little slow, but overall a really good match and the best one we saw tonight.  Recommended

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