Keep in mind of course this ranking is purely subjective because it is based 95% on the quality of their matches, not accomplishments won or how many tours they were on. Please note this is based solely on the wrestler’s matches in Stardom and is not a ranking of the wrestler considering their career as a whole. The following wrestlers are excluded from the list: Cat Power (only had one match), Kris Wolf (contracted Stardom wrestler), and Alex Lee (Freelancer used by many Joshi promotions). Without any further ado, here is my Official List of Best Gaijins in Stardom, 2016 Edition:

1. Kay Lee Ray Stardom Matches in 2016: 15 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Matches in Stardom: vs. Iwatani on 1/17 and vs. Shirai on 9/22	2. Toni Storm Stardom Matches in 2016: 17 Titles Won in Stardom: SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship Best Match in Stardom: vs. Shirai on 7/24	3. Evie Stardom Matches in 2016: 9 Titles Won in Stardom: Artist of Stardom Best Match in Stardom: vs. Iwatani on 2/21
4. Kellie Skater Stardom Matches in 2016: 9 Titles Won in Stardom: Artist of Stardom Best Match in Stardom: Hyper Destroyers vs. Three Daughters on 2/28	5. Alpha Female Stardom Matches in 2016: 12 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Shirai on 3/26	6. Leah Vaughan Stardom Matches in 2016: 12 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: with Wolf vs. Oedo Tai on 8/5
7. Viper Stardom Matches in 2016: 17 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Shirai on 2/21	8. Santana Garrett Stardom Matches in 2016: 8 Titles Won in Stardom: Wonder of Stardom Best Match in Stardom: vs. Hojo on 5/15	9. Chelsea Stardom Matches in 2016: 12 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Hojo on 8/5
10. Tessa Blanchard Stardom Matches in 2016: 9 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Shirai on 9/4	11. Diosa Atenea Stardom Matches in 2016: 14 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: Oedo Tai vs. Three Daughters on 6/11	12. Kaitlin Diemond Stardom Matches in 2016: 13 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: Oedo Tai vs. Thunder Rock on 2/21
13. Shanna Stardom Matches in 2016: 12 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Storm on 8/5	14. Blue Nikita Stardom Matches in 2016: 9 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. KLR on 8/28	15. Courtney Stewart Stardom Matches in 2016: 5 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Hojo on 8/28
16. Chelsea Green Stardom Matches in 2016: 5 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: Elimination Tag on 2/7	17. Queen Maya Stardom Matches in 2016: 6 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: vs. Iwatani on 4/29	18. Lizzy Styles Stardom Matches in 2016: 3 Titles Won in Stardom: None Best Match in Stardom: n/a

And there we have it! I’ll have a more complete list with more details after the year has ended. By then, Stardom will have used over 20 different gaijin wrestlers, which is a lot of foreign talent for any promotion in the world, let alone a Joshi promotion. Some have worked out well, some have not, but either way it certainly adds something different to their cards. Hopefully in 2017 they will focus on the gaijins that performed well in the promotion as quality is better than quantity, but with new native wrestlers debuting soon they may not need to use as many gaijin talent in the future. I’ll check back in January to update a final list, since Chelsea Green has another tour coming up she in particular has an opportunity to move up the rankings if she has some bigger matches.

The post Stardom Gaijins in 2016 – A Complete Ranking appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Fight Collection in Okinawa
Date: March 27th, 2016
Location: Okinawa Convention Center in Okinawa, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown

I try to review all the Stardom matches, which leads us to this event. The “Fight Collection in Okinawa” was an event put on that had pro wrestling, Shooto, and kick boxing matches. It had a festival feel, as the rings were set up next to each other and multiple matches took place at the same time. As part of the show, Stardom put on two matches, which were:

• Jungle Kyouna, Mayu Iwatani, and Momo Watanabe vs. Kairi Hojo, Hiromi Mimura, and Alpha Female
• Io Shirai vs. Kaitlin Diemond

Obviously this will be a short review, but seeing Alpha Female team with Hiromi and Hojo should be amusing.

Jungle Kyouna, Mayu Iwatani, and Watanabe vs. Kairi Hojo, Mimura, and Alpha Female

Alpha Female tells Mimura to start so she does, pairing off against Kyouna. They start with wristlocks and hammerlocks, shoulderblocks by Kyouna and she covers Mimura for two. She goes for a slam but Mimura reverses it, both tag out as Iwatani and Hojo enter the ring. Armdrags by Iwatani and both wrestlers flip back to their feet to face off again before tagging in Alpha and Watanabe. Elbows by Watanabe but they have no impact, and Alpha levels Watanabe with a lariat. Scoop slam by Alpha and she puts Watanabe in a stretch hold before holding her in the ropes. Hojo and Mimura come over and they chop Watanabe, Hojo stays in as legal and she gives Watanabe another hard chop. Crab hold by Hojo but Watanabe crawls to the ropes and forces a break. Mimura is tagged back in, she dropkicks Watanabe before tagged Alpha. Watanabe slides away from Alpha and hits a dropkick, giving her time to tag in Iwatani. Iwatani tries dropkicking Alpha with no luck as Alpha doesn’t go down, Alpha sends Iwatani into the corner but Iwatani slides out to the apron. Kyouna runs in with Watanabe and they attack Alpha in the corner, Iwatani goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick which finally sends Alpha to the mat.

Hojo and Iwatani come in but Iwatani sends them out of the ring with a double split-legged armdrag, Alpha returns with Kyouna as Alpha shoulderblocks Kyouna down. Alpha slams Kyouna to the mat and clubs her repeatedly in the chest, she tags in Hojo and Hojo chops Kyouna in the chest. Spear by Hojo, she covers Kyouna but it only gets two. Hojo goes up top and she hits a jumping elbow smash, elbows by Hojo but Kyouna catches her with a lariat. Another lariat by Kyouna but Hojo chops her in the chest, Alpha and Mimura come in but Hojo and Mimura dropkick Alpha by accident. She rams their heads together, then gets dropkicked by all three of her opponents. Kyouna powerslams Hojo, superkick by Iwatani and Watanabe hits the Somato. Diving footstomp by Iwatani to Hojo, Kyouna goes up top and delivers a diving body press, but Mimura breaks up the cover. Outside of the ring, Watanabe goes for a diving crossbody but she hits Iwatani on accident. Back in the ring, Hojo reverses Kyouna’s Alabama Slam into a roll-up, Alpha comes in the ring and she kicks Kyouna in the head. Alpha tells Hojo to go up top, she slams Kyouna on the mat and Hojo nails the diving elbow drop for the three count! Hojo, Mimura, and Alpha Female are your winners!

This match was fun, I enjoyed it. They played up the fact Alpha Female had two partners she wasn’t friends with a couple times but it didn’t impede the match any, and she did help Hojo win at the end. Once the feeling out process was done it was non-stop to the final bell, and they had some shockingly good drama for a throwaway match. Even though it would have been odd for Hojo to get pinned by Kyouna, during the end stretch it really felt like she was in a desperate situation and they did a job of making it feel like it was anyone’s game. A solid six wrestler tag match.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai vs. Kaitlin Diemond

After locking up, the pair trade wristlocks until Shirai dropkicks Diemond to the mat. Diemond avoids the next dropkick and catapults Shirai up into the bottom rope before covering her for two. Side Russian Leg Sweep by Diemond, she picks up Shirai and tosses her out of the ring to the floor. Diemond goes out after her and beats Shirai around the ring before rolling her back in, backbreaker by Diemond and she covers Shirai for a two count. DDT by Diemond, she elbows Shirai into the corner but Shirai avoids her charge and snaps Diemond’s neck over the top rope. Space Rolling Elbow by Shirai and she dropkicks Diemond in the head for a two count. Octopus Hold by Shirai but Diemond gets to the ropes, sunset flip by Shirai but Diemond kicks out. Shirai goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai and she hits a swandive missile dropkick. Diemond fights back with elbows, she goes off the ropes but Diemond hits a big boot. Lariat by Diemond, she covers Shirai but she only gets two. The side slam by Diemond is next, but it gets a two count as well. Diemond goes for another big boot but Shirai ducks it this time, Irish whip by Diemond but Shirai does a backflip and dropkicks Diemond. Diemond falls out of the ring, Shirai goes up to the top turnbuckle and hits a moonsault down to the floor (well, she hit poor Hojo who was at ringside more than she hit Diemond). Shirai slides Diemond back in and hits a German Suplex, she goes up top and she nails the moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai wins the match.

This was basically a condensed version of a normal Io Shirai match. It had all her normal spots, but since they had less time they were a bit too rushed. No singles match with Io Shirai is going to be bad, she is just too good in the ring, and Diemond was perfectly fine in her role. But it was more of a spot-spot-spot exhibition, especially towards the end, so a step down from the high bar that Io Shirai has set for herself.

The post Stardom at Okinawa “Fight Collection” on 3/27/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom “Grows Up Stars #4”
Date: April 2nd, 2016
Location: Minato Ward Community Center in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 305

Even though I am not reviewing as many events as I would like (which will be corrected shortly), I still want to stay up to date on my favorite Joshi promotion, which of course is Stardom.  Like last week, this is a small event but it does include a championship match as Thunder Rock faces off against Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu! Here is the full card:

• Azumi and Momo Watanabe vs. Hiromi Mimura and Starlight Kid
• Alpha Female vs. Jungle Kyouna
• Alex Lee and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kyoko Kimura and Viper
• Kairi Hojo vs. Kaitlin Diemond
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu

As always, you can click on the names above to go directly to their profile on Joshi City.

Azumi and Momo Watanabe vs. Hiromi Mimura and Starlight Kid

Azumi attacks Mimura to start the match but Mimura fights back and they go to the mat. Mimura gets the better of it and tags in Starlight Kid, and Starlight Kid trades elbows with Azumi. Monkey flip by Azumi, both of their partners help from the apron but it leads to a stalemate, dropkick by Azumi and she tags Watanabe. Watanabe puts Starlight Kid in a crab hold but Starlight Kid hits a Shiranui for a two count. She tags Mimura, dropkick by Mimura and she applies the rolling leglock, she goes for La Magistral but Watanabe blocks it. Irish whip by Mimura to the corner but Watanabe reverses it and hits a dropkick. Another dropkick by Watanabe and she hits a scoop slam for two. Azumi is tagged in and she dropkicks Mimura, DDT by Azumi and she gets a two count cover. Sunset flip by Azumi but Mimura reverses it and applies La Magistral for two. DDT by Azumi but Starlight Kid breaks up the cover, Mimura tags in Starlight Kid while Watanabe is also tagged in. Double rotation headscissors by Starlight Kid but Watanabe blocks the Shiranui. Watanabe dropkicks Starlight Kid in the corner as does Azumi, Watanabe goes up top but Mimura hits her from the apron. Starlight Kid throws Watanabe to the mat and hits the backflip into a moonsault, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a diving bodypress for two. Sunset flip by Starlight Kid, but Azumi breaks it up and Watanabe dropkicks Starlight Kid in the leg. Vertical suplex trio by Watanabe, she picks up Starlight Kid but she gets rolled up for two. Somato by Watanabe, she picks up Starlight Kid and nails the F-Crush for the three count! The Azumi Army win!

This was a better opener than the last few Stardom shows, as everything was hit smooth and everyone got a chance to shine. The finish looked killer, I guess hitting a move on a small child can really make it look good, and it certainly gave the match an exclamation point. Really solid way to kick things off here, the rookies/young wrestlers are getting some real chemistry which will only bode well for the future.

Alpha Female vs. Jungle Kyouna

Alpha Female pushes Kyouna around to start, Kyouna elbows her into the corner but Alpha blocks a suplex attempt and hits Kyouna in the arm. Alpha throws down Kyouna by her hair and clubs her in the back, Alpha puts Kyouna in an Argentine Backbreaker before throwing her to the mat. Kyouna knocks Alpha back but she gets kneed in the gut for her trouble, and Alpha rams Kyouna’s head repeatedly into the mat. Clubbing blows by Alpha and she keeps the attack up on young Kyouna, scoop slam by Alpha but Kyouna finally fights back with elbows. Kyouna tries to knock over Alpha with no luck, and Alpha boots Kyouna hard in the midsection. Kyouna gets away and finally knocks over Alpha with a shoulderblock, running body press by Kyouna but Alpha levels her with a lariat. Omega Slam by Alpha Female, and she gets the three count! Alpha Female wins the match.

A bit basic and probably the worst beating that Kyouna has taken, but I enjoyed it anyway because I like Alpha Female. In a way this just established that Kyouna in the strength department isn’t in the same league as the monster gaijins that Stardom brings in as she was several levels lower than Alpha Female. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing short term, but long term she is going to have to expand her move set to have any luck against wrestlers like Alpha Female. Short and to the point, but well executed.  Mildly Recommended

Alex Lee and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kyoko Kimura and Viper

Lee attacks Kimura to kick off the match but Kimura fights back and they reach a stalemate. Viper and Yoneyama are tagged in and Viper throws Yoneyama to the mat, Yoneyama gets back up and she armdrags Viper out of the ring. Yoneyama dives out of the ring but Oedo Tai quickly gains control and they battle around the ring. Back in, Viper stomps down Yoneyama in the corner and she hits a bodypress for a two count cover. Viper tags Kimura and Viper shoulderblocks Yoneyama a few times before finally leaving the ring. Kimura puts Yoneyama in an armbar, Viper comes in the ring but Yoneyama throws Kimura into Viper and then drop toeholds Viper onto Kimura which gives her time to tag Lee. Lee tries to Irish whip Viper with no luck but she does manage to hit a DDT.

Lee gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, she gets on the second turnbuckle again and she hits a second one. Waistlock by Lee, Yoneyama goes up top and she dropkicks Lee into Viper to knock them both to the mat. Yoneyama then comes in and they double team Viper, buzzsaw kick by Lee but Kimura breaks up the cover. Jumping bodypress by Viper, but Yoneyama breaks up the pin. Viper tags Kimura, kicks by Kimura to Lee but Lee ducks the big boot and delivers a superkick. Another superkick by Lee and she hits a butterfly suplex for two. Yoneyama puts Viper in a sleeper, Kimura goes to hit Lee with a pipe but Lee ducks it. Viper hits a bodypress on Lee, then Kimura picks up Lee and hits the Gory Bomb for the three count! Oedo Tai are your winners.

As I figured there wasn’t a lot to this one. Both teams worked together well which was a plus but not a lot of note happened and there was a fair amount of filler in the middle. The ending was smooth and well executed, certainly no lack of effort in making the match unique, it just never really clicked. Not a bad match, just a forgettable one.

Kairi Hojo vs. Kaitlin Diemond

They start with wristlocks and headlocks, Diemond picks up Hojo and she places her on the top turnbuckle. Hojo hops back down, elbows by Hojo and she chops at Diemond, but Diemond chops her to the mat. Hojo avoids the elbow drop and hits a jumping neckbreaker, dropkick by Hojo but Diemond avoids the next charge and Hojo lands on the apron. Diemond and Yasukawa knock Hojo to the floor and she is stomped out by multiple members of Oedo Tai. Back in the ring Diemond chokes Hojo in the corner, but Hojo sneaks in a sunset flip for two. Diemond quickly knocks Hojo to the mat, she picks her back up and hits a backbreaker for a two count. Hojo goes for a crossbody but Diemond catches her and spins her around before dropping her to the mat.

Waistlock by Diemond but Hojo gets out of it and hits a spear. Running shoulder tackle by Hojo, she goes up top and she hits a diving elbow smash for a two count. Cross-arm submission by Hojo but Diemond muscles out of it and slams her back into the corner. Big boot by Diemond and she hits an elbow drop for two. Diemond picks up Hojo but Hojo elbows her and they trade shots, Diemond slams Hojo and covers her for a two count. Diemond puts Hojo in an inverted crab hold but Hojo crawls to the ropes to get the break. Side slam by Diemond, she picks up Hojo as Act gets on the apron, but Act accidentally spits Sake at Diemond. Hojo knocks Act off the apron, she picks up Diemond and hits a spinning back chop. Diving elbow drop by Hojo, and she picks up the three count! Kairi Hojo picks up the victory.

This was a low key Hojo match but still enjoyable. Diemond didn’t look out of place here, which is the most important thing really, and everything was hit smoothly. Hojo put Diemond down a bit easier than I would have preferred as it didn’t take much to beat her at the end, may have benefited from Hojo doing another Sliding D or something to set up the diving elbow drop better. A fun little match with some solid action.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu

Iwatani and Kagetsu are the first two in and Kagetsu promptly shoulderblocks Iwatani to the mat. Kagetsu kicks Iwatani and dares Shirai to tag in, so she does. Shirai and Kagetsu trade armdrags before springing back to their feet, Kagetsu kicks both Shirai and Iwatani before tagging Matsumoto. Matsumoto chops Shirai but Iwatani runs in and she trades elbows with Kagetsu. High kick by Iwatani, Kagetsu falls to the floor and Iwatani goes to the top turnbuckle, but Matsumoto grabs her and powerbombs Iwatani on the apron. Kagetsu gets on the apron and kicks Shirai from the apron, Matsumoto drags  Iwatani over the top rope and Kagetsu hits a footstomp to Iwatani’s stomach. Cover by Matsumoto, but it gets a two count. Matsumoto tags Kagetsu and she stomps on Iwatani but Iwatani sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Matsumoto goes up top and hits a missile dropkick to Iwatani, she covers Iwatani with one knee for a two count.

Kagetsu smacks Iwatani but Iwatani comes back with a dropkick and makes the hot tag to Shirai. Matsumoto runs in to help but Shirai back flips away from them and hits a double dropkick. Shirai hits Kagetsu with a running double knee in the corner, she goes for a facebuster but Kagetsu blocks it. Samoan Drop by Kagetsu and she tags in Matsumoto, body avalanche by Matsumoto and she swats away Shirai’s dropkick attempt. Matsumoto puts Shirai on her shoulders and hits a gutbuster, Shirai goes for a hurricanrana but Matsumoto reverses it into a crab hold. Kagetsu takes out Iwatani but she recovers in time to break up the hold, Kagetsu and Iwatani trade elbows until Matsumoto lariats Iwatani out of the ring. Matsumoto goes back to Shirai but Shirai hits a palm thrust followed by a kick to the head. Shirai tags in Iwatani while Kagetsu is also tagged in, and the young wrestlers trade kicks.

Jumping elbow by Kagetsu and she hits a missile dropkick followed by another jumping elbow for two. More elbows by Kagetsu but Iwatani hits a superkick, Matsumoto runs in to assist as Kagetsu hits a missile dropkick off the ropes. Shirai flies in with a double missile dropkick, then Iwatani dropkicks Kagetsu while she is against the ropes. Iwatani hits a footstomp off the second rope, she goes all the way up but Matsumoto joins her and hits a superplex. Vertical suplex by Kagetsu but Shirai breaks up the cover, but Shirai eats a double team from Kagetsu and Matsumoto. Iwatani and Shirai hit stereo hurricanranas, then both hit a buzzsaw kick to Kagetsu and Matsumoto. Shirai picks up Kagetsu and nails an assisted piledriver onto Matsumoto, Iwatani picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu blocks the dragon suplex. High kick by Kagetsu and she goes for a roll-up but Iwatani reverses it for two. Iwatani grabs Kagetsu and this time she nails the dragon suplex hold, picking up the three count! Thunder Rock are still the champions!

My only real complaint about this match is it was a little short for a main event tag team championship match, but it was still great. Kagetsu looked like she fit right in here and both teams worked perfectly together, obviously Thunder Rock was top notch but the Freelancer team stayed with them every step of the way. The assisted piledriver on top of Matsumoto was a memorable spot, and it was just non stop from bell to bell. Really entertaining match and definitely worth the watch.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Grows Up Stars #4” on 4/2/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom “Grows Up Stars #3”
Date: March 26th, 2016
Location: Shibata Sun Village Arena in Niigata, Japan
Announced Attendance: 255

I for once am not falling behind on my favorite Joshi promotion! This is the smallest event that we have seen yet this year, in terms of crowd size, so it is a breather show after the bigger event last week. We still do get a title match however, as Io Shirai takes on Alpha Female for the World of Stardom Championship. Here is the card:

• Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Starlight Kid
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama
• Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu vs. Kairi Hojo and Mayu Iwatani
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Alpha Female

This is a short event, let’s hop to it.

Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Starlight Kid

Lee leaves the ring to let the kids fight, they battle for a bit before inviting Lee back into the ring. She locks knuckles with both as Lee is double teamed, Lee puts Starlight Kid in a crab hold and slams her to the mat. Starlight Kid covers Lee in a roll-up and they trade quick pin attempts, Azumi and Starlight Kid go back to double teaming Lee, they dispatch her and Azumi gets Starlight Kid to the mat. Monkey flip by Azumi and she puts Starlight Kid in La Magistral for two. Lee returns and she hits a double vertical suplex on Azumi and Starlight Kid, but Lee is thrown into the corner and dropkicked by both. Shiranui by Starlight Kid to Lee, but Azumi breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid dropkicks Azumi and hits the backflip into a moonsault, but Azumi kicks out of the pin. Starlight Kid goes up top but Lee brings her back into the ring, Lee nudges Starlight Kid out of the ring but Azumi puts her in a Japanese Leg Clutch Roll for two. Azumi and Starlight Kid trade elbows, DDT by Azumi and she cradles Starlight Kid for the three count! Azumi wins the match.

Even by Stardom opening standards this was really simple and basic. There were a few cute spots here and there but that is about it. Aside from some enjoyment in watching the rookies go at it, nothing special here.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama

Yoneyama and Mimura trade wristlocks and headlocks to start, Yoneyama charges Mimura but Mimura moves and delivers a dropkick. Yoneyama throws down Mimura by the hair a few times in return and she applies a bodyscissors, she then applies a camel clutch before putting Mimura in the ropes. Yoneyama rakes on Mimura’s face, scoop slam by Yoneyama and she covers Mimura for two. Yoneyama chops Mimura down but Mimura avoids her lariat and hits a dropkick. Mimura puts Yoneyama in a modified stretch hold, they return to their feet and Yoneyama hits a shoulderblock. She goes for a running senton but Mimura avoids it and hits a low crossbody for two. A diving crossbody by Mimura also gets a two count, she then sneaks in a few cradles but she can’t keep the veteran down. Face crusher by Yoneyama and she hits a running senton, but Mimura barely kicks out. Yoneyama drags Mimura to the corner, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she nails the diving senton for the three count! Yoneyama is your winner.

I love Mimura, she is a spunky little thing, but there wasn’t much to this. The best I can say is that it was fundamentally sound, the positive of having someone with Yoneyama’s experience is you don’t see the occasional miscues that plague the rookie matches sometimes. The downside of that is there was no way that any of Mimura’s nearfalls were convincing since she wasn’t beating Yoneyama under any circumstances. Decent, but nothing memorable.

Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

Diemond and Viper both attack their opponents to start the match, with Viper staying in the ring with Watanabe. Watanabe is tied in the ropes and attacked by all of Oedo Tai, she tries fighting back but she doesn’t have any luck. Diemond is tagged in and she hits a backbreaker on Watanabe, she slams Watanabe into each corner but Watanabe gets the upper hand and dropkicks Diemond. She makes the hot tag to Kyouna but Viper comes in too, Kyouna elbows both of them but Diemond boots Kyouna in the face. Side slam by Diemond, she picks up Kyouna but Kyouna hits a powerslam for a two count. Kyouna tags Watanabe, missile dropkick by Watanabe and she dropkicks Diemond in the corner. Body avalanche by Kyouna and Kyouna hits a cutter onto Watanabe’s knee. Watanabe grabs Diemond but Diemond hits a full nelson slam and tags Viper, Viper slams Watanabe and she hits a body press for a two count. Watanabe avoids the senton and rolls up Viper, Kyouna comes in too and they double team their opponent. Somato by Watanabe but Act trips Kyouna from the floor. Back in the ring, Viper charges Watanabe and she hits a jumping crossbody for the three count! Diemond and Viper win the match.

The event is slowly picking up steam as this was a fun match. Both teams worked really well together, it helps these mid-card tag matches when the teams act as a unit and not just as two separate individual wrestlers. Everything was fluid and both rookies got a chance to show off before inevitably losing. Overall a solid but short match.  Mildly Recommended

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu vs. Kairi Hojo and Mayu Iwatani

Kagetsu and Iwatani are the first two in the ring, Kagetsu gets in the first few moves but Iwatani comes back with an armdrag and both tag out. Matsumoto stomps on Hojo but Iwatani comes in and helps her, and Iwatani dropkicks Matsumoto in the head. Hojo dropkicks Matsumoto in the corner, elbow drop by Hojo to Matsumoto and she tags in Iwatani. Iwatani dropkicks Matsumoto again but Matsumoto comes back with a vertical suplex. Matsumoto tags Kagetsu, and Kagetsu works over Iwatani with kicks. She tags Matsumoto back in and Matsumoto puts Iwatani in a crab hold, but Iwatani gets to the ropes. Kagetsu returns and slams Iwatani in the corner, jumping elbow by Kagetsu and she covers Iwatani for two. Kagetsu runs at Iwatani but Iwatani avoids her charge and she hits a Sling Blade. That gives her time to tag in Hojo, Hojo chops Kagetsu but Matsumoto hits her from the apron. Matsumoto comes in the ring but Hojo spears her before hitting a triple jump elbow strike onto Kagetsu. Kagetsu comes back with a springboard dropkick, and she tags in Matsumoto.

Matsumoto slams Hojo, Hojo goes for a spear but Matsumoto blocks it. Jumping neckbreaker by Hojo and she tags in Iwatani, Iwatani goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Iwatani kicks Matsumoto and she hits a headscissors, Matsumoto lands against the ropes and Iwatani connects with a dropkick. Iwatani goes for a suplex but Matsumoto knees her, Iwatani goes for an armdrag off the ropes but Matsumoto blocks it. Matsumoto pulls Iwatani through the ropes and Kagetsu hits a springboard footstomp. Reverse double knee by Matsumoto, but Hojo breaks up the cover. Matsumoto picks up Iwatani on her shoulders and throws her over the top rope down onto Hojo on the floor. Back in the ring, Matsumoto hits a body avalanche in the corner followed by a backdrop suplex for a two count. She tags Kagetsu, kicks by Kagetsu and she applies a submission hold, but Hojo breaks it up. Kagetsu and Iwatani trade elbows, superkick by Iwatani and a second one sends Kagetsu to the mat. She then hits an enzuigiri on Matsumoto, Iwatani goes up top and hits a diving footstomp on Kagetsu for two. She goes up top again and hits a diving bodypress, but Matsumoto breaks up the cover. Matsumoto and Kagetsu double team Iwatani, Kagetsu slams Iwatani to the mat but the cover gets two. Kagetsu picks up Iwatani but Iwatani applies a crucifix for a two count. High kick by Kagetsu to Iwatani, she rolls up Iwatani with a jackknife and she gets the three count! Matsumoto and Kagetsu steal the win!

I really enjoyed this one a lot, a really smooth and well structured match. Kagetsu looked great here and did not look out of place against three wrestlers that have a lot more experience with each other. The flash pin of sorts worked as they needed both teams to look strong, since Hojo and Iwatani hold titles but Matsumoto and Kagetsu had to look good before their title match. Definitely worth a watch, a fast paced and entertaining match from start to finish.  Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Alpha Female

Alpha Female makes her power advantage clear from the start as she tosses and punches Shirai around the ring until Shirai bails to regroup. She returns after a moment as Alpha continues her assault, tossing Shirai around the ring like a rag doll. Alpha clubs Shirai in the chest and covers her, but it only gets two. Alpha lariats Shirai over the top rope and down to the floor, she followers her out and chops Shirai while she is sitting in the crowd. Alpha gets Shirai on her shoulders and throws her into the apron, she gets a chair but Shirai ducks the shot. The referee tries to stop Alpha but fails as she chokes Shirai with the chair before rolling her back into the ring. Sleeper by Alpha but Shirai gets out of it and dropkicks Alpha out of the ring. Shirai goes out to the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down onto Alpha, Shirai rolls her back in and hits a swandive missile dropkick followed by the Tiger Feint Kick. Swandive sunset flip by Shirai and she puts Alpha in the armtrap crossface.

Alpha gets a hand in the ropes to force the break, Shirai goes for a suplex but Alpha blocks it. Sleeper by Shirai but Alpha rams her into the corner, Shirai jumps onto the second turnbuckle but Alpha catches her when she dives off and hits a fallaway slam. Body slams by Alpha, she picks up Shirai but Shirai reverses the suplex attempt into a hurricanrana. Dropkick by Shirai and she hits the running double knee strike in the corner for a two count. Shirai goes for a trio of moonsaults but Alpha stops her before she can hit the third and delivers a sit-down powerbomb for a two count cover. Alpha picks up Shirai but Shirai hits a buzzsaw kick and both wrestlers are on the mat. The slowly get up, strikes by Shirai but Alpha levels her with a lariat for two. Alpha goes to get a chair but the referee stops her from using it so she sets it up in the corner instead. She tries to throw Shirai into the corner but Shirai slams on the breaks, she tries again but Shirai slides under and Alpha runs into the chair. German suplex hold by Shirai, and she gets the three count! Io Shirai is still the champion.

Alpha Female is incredibly good at what she does, which really helped the match, but I can’t say I was in love with the ending. The first 75% or so of the match was just about perfect, as Alpha Female looked as dominant as any wrestler can and made it seem like Shirai had no chance in hell of winning. I thought it broke down a bit at the end, Alpha had plenty of time to see that Shirai moved before running into the chair and then the match quickly ended with the suplex. Aside from some illogical in-ring decisions I thought this was a fun match, not a classic by any means but a fitting main event for a smaller Stardom show.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom “Grows Up Stars #3” on 3/26/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Another week has passed, which means we have another Stardom show to review! This is a bigger show than the one I reviewed last week but it isn’t their biggest event style either, as it is still only a five match card with just one title match. But it is a massive title match, with Satomura teaming with her former enemy Kairi Hojo! Here is the card:

• Azumi, Eimi Nishina, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hiromi Mimura, Natsumi Maki, and Starlight Kid
• Alex Lee vs. Kaitlin Diemond
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu vs. Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe
• Alpha Female vs. Viper
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Kairi Hojo and Meiko Satomura

Azumi, Eimi Nishina, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hiromi Mimura, Natsumi Maki, and Starlight Kid

Azumi and Starlight Kid begin the match, they trade dropkicks until Azumi starts working on the kid’s arm. Well the other kid. Starlight Kid gets out of it and they tag in Yoneyama and Mimura. They chest bump, Yoneyama makes Mimura run the ropes until she gets tired is easily hiptossed for a two count. Mimura tags out due to exhaustion as Nishina and Maki are brought in, Maki kicks down Nishina but Yoneyama kicks her from the apron. Dropkick from Nishina as Azumi and Yoneyama both get in the ring to help and pose on Maki. Yoneyama stays in and chops Maki before applying a leg lock, Mimura comes in and elbows Yoneyama which simply applies more pressure to the move. Maki gets away and tags Starlight Kid, and Starlight Kid hits the backflip into a standing moonsault for a two count. Mimura comes in and Starlight Kid runs up Mimura to hit a Shiranui onto Yoneyama. Starlight Kid gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits the diving body press for a two count. Yoneyama has had enough and slams Starlight Kid, and she tags in Azumi.

Azumi dropkicks Starlight Kid and they trade elbows, DDT by Azumi and Nishina runs in with a Somato. Suplex by Azumi, but Mimura breaks up the cover. Azumi dropkicks Mimura but Mimura applies the rolling leg submission as apparently they are legal now (did I miss a tag or do they just not care?). Mimura smacks Azumi in the back of the head and dropkicks her, Starlight Kid picks up Azumi (guess she hadn’t tagged in) and she hits a Tiger Feint Kick for a two count. Starlight Kid tags Mimura, sliding crossbody by Mimura and she gets a two as well. Mimura dropkicks Azumi and slams her, but Yoneyama breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid hits a headscissors on Yoneyama, Maki and Nishina get in the ring and Maki hits a swinging neckbreaker. Yoneyama and Azumi come in but Azumi dropkicks Yoneyama on accident, La Magistral by Mimura on Azumi but it gets two. Mimura starts her rolling leg hold but stops halfway and holds Azumi in a cradle, and she picks up the three count! Mimura, Maki, and Starlight Kid win!

This was longer than the typical Stardom opener, I am not sure if that is a new direction or just the way it went since six wrestlers were in the match. As for the good parts – Starlight Kid was more smooth than she has been recently, it is expected of course for a new 15 year old wrestler to have good days and bad days but this was a good day. The action was fast paced, no real lull anywhere which is always a plus. I thought that Maki has good… gymnastics, she hasn’t really put it together yet in terms of wrestling itself but the base is there to do entertaining things. The main issue is that it wasn’t the most fluid match, a few pauses and re-starts with random wrestlers running in with little structure to it. A perfectly watchable match with some bright spots, but not much more than that even though I always enjoy seeing the rookies.

Alex Lee vs. Kaitlin Diemond

Lee immediately takes Diemond to the mat, kicks to the chest by Lee and she covers Diemond for two. Wolf trips Lee from ringside to help Diemond out, Diemond picks up Lee and throws her down by the hair. Sidewalk Slam by Diemond but Lee gets the armbar applied until Diemond gets a foot on the ropes. Lee charges Diemond but Diemond hits a backbreaker, Lee falls out of the ring and she is attacked by both Wolf and Yasukawa. Lee is rolled back in, Diemond gets her in the ropes and she is attacked by all three members of Oedo Tai. Diemond goes for a leg drop but Lee moves, jumping knee by Lee in the corner and she delivers a kick combination. Lee gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, covering Diemond for two. Lee goes for a Chokebomb but Diemond blocks it and hits a side slam. Knee by Lee and she delivers a buzzsaw kick, cover by Lee but Diemond kicks out. Superkick by Lee and she hits the Chokebomb, but Diemond barely gets a shoulder up. Yasukawa gets on the apron while Diemond gets some Sake, she spits it into Lee’s face and applies the schoolboy for the three count! Kaitlin Diemond steals the victory.

I won’t complain about any match that gets Yasukawa and Wolf on my screen but this was a pretty simple match. I will give them credit, I liked it more than I thought I would as everything was smooth and they stayed active from bell to bell. It worked well to put over Oedo Tai as the lead faction in Stardom, but overall it was just a standard midcard match.

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kagetsu vs. Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe

Kyouna is wearing lots of make-up and its freaking me out a bit, she looks really different. Watanabe and Kagetsu start off, armdrags by Kagetsu and she dropkicks Watanabe, but Watanabe dropkicks her back. Both wrestlers tag out, Matsumoto and Kyouna run into each other until Matsumoto shoulderblocks Kyouna to the mat. Kyouna lariats Matsumoto in the corner but Matsumoto suplexes her and tags in Kagetsu. Kagetsu tries to pick up Kyouna and eventually hits a bodyslam, picking up a two count. Matsumoto is tagged back in and she chops Kyouna before applying a chinlock, stretch hold by Matsumoto and Kagetsu dropkicks Kyouna in the face. Kagetsu elbows Kyouna in the corner but Kyouna picks her up and tosses her to the mat. Kyouna tags in Watanabe, Watanabe elbows both Kagetsu and Matsumoto and dropkicks Kagetsu in the corner.

Missile dropkick by Watanabe to Matsumoto, Kagetsu tries to do a springboard move but trips, so Watanabe dropkicks her again. More dropkicks by Watanabe and she hits a suplex, covering Kagetsu for a two count. Samoan Drop by Kagetsu, and she makes the hot tag to Matsumoto. Matsumoto gets Watanabe on her shoulders and throws her at Kyouna, knees by Matsumoto and she boots Watanabe in the chest. Kyouna grabbed Matsumoto, allowing Watanabe to dropkick her, and Watanabe tags in Kyouna. Face crusher by Kyouna to Matsumoto, and she gets a two count. Matsumoto shoulderblocks Kyouna over but Kyouna hits a powerslam. Lariat by Kyouna, and she covers Matsumoto for two. Kyouna goes up top but Kagetsu joins her, Matsumoto then goes up to them but Watanabe dropkicks Matsumoto. Kyouna dives off the top with a body press to Matsumoto, but it only gets two. Watanabe returns but Kagetsu hits a swandive missile dropkick on both of them. Matsumoto and Kagetsu double team Watanabe, backdrop suplex by Matsumoto to Kyouna and she gets the three count! Matsumoto and Kagetsu are your winners.

To be honest, this was not nearly as fluid as I was hoping. It was still a really good match, as all four are good wrestlers and it had a really hot ending, but it wasn’t without its flaws. Kagetsu was a bit off in a few places, which is unusual, although they covered each miscue pretty well. Matsumoto looked great however and was the star of the match, which doesn’t seem fair since she is the veteran and should be the best wrestler, but she was really on point. Overall it was fun and worth a watch, it just had a few rough patches that are unusual in Stardom matches.  Mildly Recommended

Alpha Female vs. Viper

They tie-up to start, Alpha Female shoulder tackles Viper in the corner, but Viper comes back with a body avalanche. Alpha Female kicks her back when she tries again, she goes for a bodyslam but Viper blocks it. Sleeper by Alpha Female but Viper gets out of it, running knee by Viper in the corner but Alpha Female fires back with lariats. Viper doesn’t go down and charges Alpha Female, but Alpha Female holds down the top rope and Viper falls out of the ring. Alpha Female goes out after her and gets a chair, but Act Yasukawa grabs it and hits Alpha Female in the head with it. Both wrestlers are rolled back in and trade elbows on their knees, they keep elbowing each other until Alpha Female goes for a body slam and Viper lands on top of her. Running senton by Viper, she goes for a slam but Alpha Female gets away and applies a sleeper. Viper rams Alpha Female into the corner to get out of it but she avoids Viper’s charge and chokes her in the corner. Elbow by Alpha Female and she clubs Viper repeatedly in the chest. Armtrap crossface by Alpha Female but Viper gets out of it, Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Alpha Female knocks her off. Alpha Female goes up top but Viper walks too far away so she jumps off and slaps her. Bodyslam by Alpha Female, and she covers Viper for two. Alpha Female tries to pick up Viper, Yasukawa runs in the ring but Alpha Female pushes the referee into her. Viper accidentally hits a running crossbody on the referee, she then flattens Alpha Female but the referee is out. He wakes up angry, and he DQs Viper for crushing him. Alpha Female wins the match!

The ending was almost what it had to be, as it didn’t make a lot of sense for either of the gaijin monsters to lose. They did the expected but still entertaining strength vs. strength match, as each tried to knock the other over and tried for various slams to show they were the stronger wrestler. Act Yasukawa gave Alpha Female a wicked chair shot, which was a fun surprise, and the chaotic ending worked well. A good match that accomplished what it was trying to do, both came out of it looking strong.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Kairi Hojo and Meiko Satomura

Iwatani and Satomura are the first two in the ring, elbows by Satomura but Iwatani blocks one and hits the split-legged armdrag off the ropes. Iwatani kicks Satomura in the back but Satomura has none of that and hits a scoop slam. Iwatani tags in Shirai, Satomura works the headlock but Shirai gets away from her and they return to their feet. Satomura tags in Hojo, Hojo and Shirai trade elbows, Iwatani runs in and they both dropkick Hojo. Hojo is double teamed in the corner and is put in a double armbar, Shirai slams Hojo and puts her in a crab hold. Satomura encourages her from the apron, double kneedrop by Shirai to Hojo’s back and she hits a standing moonsault. Shirai tags in Iwatani, Iwatani chops Hojo in the corner and dropkicks her in the chest. Footstomps by Iwatani and she tags Shirai back in as they continue to focus on the weaker Hojo, Hojo finally fights back against Iwatani but Satomura isn’t around for the tag. Iwatani tags Shirai, Shirai goes for an underhook facebuster but Hojo blocks it and hits a Sliding D. Hojo makes the tag to Satomura, Satomura elbows Shirai but Iwatani runs in and elbows her. Satomura is dropped by a double vertical suplex but Satomura fights back, Shirai goes for a swandive dropkick but Satomura uppercuts her out of the ring. Iwatani is dumped out of the ring, Satomura and Hojo join them and attack the champions around the ring.

They fight up near the balcony, Satomura and Hojo both get on opposite balconies and dive down onto their opponents! Satomura is crazy, I expect that from the kids, not her. Satomura and Shirai return to the ring, Hojo gets up top and hits a diving forearm smash on Hojo on Iwatani, Satomura elbows Shirai and kicks her repeatedly. Shirai snaps off a hurricanrana and hits a head kick, dropkick by Shirai and she tags in Iwatani. Iwatani goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, Iwatani hits another dropkick and then drills Satomura while she is against the ropes. Northern Lights Suplex by Iwatani, but Satomura kicks out at two. Iwatani goes up top but Satomura moves as she dives off, heel kick by Satomura and she hits a backdrop suplex for two. Satomura tags in Hojo, running neckbreakers by Hojo and she covers Iwatani for a two count. Hojo chops Iwatani in the corner but Iwatani comes back with a high kick. Big spear by Hojo and she rolls up Iwatani for two. Satomura comes in but Shirai hits a swandive missile dropkick on both, knocking the challengers out of the ring. Shirai and Iwatani then get onto different turnbuckles and dive out of the ring onto their opponents. Iwatani rolls Hojo back in, she goes up top and delivers the diving footstomp for two. She goes up top again and hits a diving bodypress, but Satomura breaks up the cover. Shirai picks up Hojo and Iwatani hits a face crusher, superkick by Iwatani to Hojo and she covers her for a two count.

Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai, she goes up top and hits a missile dropkick. Running double knee by Shirai and she hits the double underhook facebuster. Shirai picks up Hojo while Iwatani goes up top but Satomura knocks Iwatani off. Satomura tries to kick Shirai but knocks Hojo’s head off by accident, she tries again but has the same result. La Magistral with a bridge by Shirai, but Satomura breaks up the pin. Shirai picks up Hojo and hits a German suplex hold, but Hojo barely kicks out. Shirai goes up top but Satomura kicks her, Hojo recovers and goes up top herself, hitting a footstomp to Shirai’s chest. Sliding D by Hojo, but Iwatani breaks up the cover. Hojo and Shirai trade elbows but Satomura drills her with the Pele Kick. Death Valley Bomb by Satomura, Hojo goes up top and she nails the diving elbow drop, but Shirai somehow kicks out. Satomura slams Iwatani on top of Shirai but Shirai gets her feet up when she goes for another diving elbow drop. Hojo chops Shirai in the face but Iwatani gets away from Satomura, Shirai picks up Satomura and they hit the assisted piledriver. Iwatani grabs Hojo and hits a dragon suplex, Shirai then goes up top and nails the moonsault for the three count pinfall! Shirai and Iwatani retain their championship!

This was just a great match, it is difficult to pinpoint all the awesome things about it. All four of these wrestlers have tremendous chemistry with each other as they have been wrestling with or against each other in some combination for almost a full year now. For a 25 minute match, everything was smooth as silk and nothing felt wasted. Io Shirai is one of the best wrestlers in the world of any nationality or gender and she was on her game here. Originally my only complaint was the single camera did miss a few spots, but then I got to see the multi-cam version and all of my issues wilted away, such as missing the double balcony dive by Satomura and Hojo. Hojo being the weaker wrestler fit the theme, I wish Satomura had done a bit more to help her but since they aren’t really friends it was logical she wasn’t constantly risking her health for her partner. A really high end match, worth seeking out for all fans.  Highly Recommended

Mark and I discussed this event on Joshi Island #1, you can check it out below if you would like an audio review of the show as well.

The post Stardom “The Highest” on 3/21/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

I am trying not to fall too far behind with Stardom, soon I will review something that is a bit different. This is another smaller show with only about 45 minutes of ring time, but it has a few compelling match-ups as the younger wrestlers continue to stand up to the stars of the promotion. Here is the full card:

• Azumi and Haruka Kato vs. Natsumi Maki and Starlight Kid
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper
• Alex Lee and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hiromi Mimura and Kairi Hojo
• Io Shirai vs. Saori Anou
• High Speed Title Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe

Remember you can click on the wrestler’s names above to go to their profile on Joshi City. Onto the fun!

Azumi and Haruka Kato vs. Natsumi Maki and Starlight Kid

Azumi and Starlight Kid battle to start, but neither gets a clean advantage and they tag out. Kato and Maki trade elbows, Azumi comes in and Maki is dropkicked by both in the corner. Kato and Azumi pose on Maki but Starlight Kid comes in and hits Kato. Starlight Kid gets on the top turnbuckle but Kato headscissors her back to the mat and applies a cross armbreaker. Starlight Kid gets a foot on the ropes as Maki comes in, Maki kicks Kato and dropkicks her in the chest. Satellite sunset flip by Starlight Kid to Kato and she tags in Maki. Kato slams Maki but Maki bridges out of the pin and hits a double knee to Kato’s back. Face crusher by Kato but Starlight Kid kicks her from the apron. Maki puts Kato in a stretch hold before hitting a swinging neckbreaker for a two count. Maki hits a Tiger Feint Kick on her second try but Kato snaps her neck over the second rope and tags Azumi. Azumi dropkicks Maki a couple times but Maki blocks the suplex and hits a dropkick of her own. Maki tags Starlight Kid, Starlight Kid hits a backflip into a moonsault for a two count cover. Dropkick by Starlight Kid but Kato puts her in an armbar over the top rope. Suplex by Azumi to Starlight Kid, Wing Clutch Hold by Azumi but its quickly broken up. Maki comes in and Azumi eats a double vertical suplex, Starlight Kid gets on the second turnbuckle but Azumi avoids the dive and applies La Magistral for a two count. Azumi and Starlight Kid trade pin attempts, Azumi applies a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch and she picks up the three count! Azumi and Kato win!

This match could have used some clipping. Maki was trying a lot of things here, and she has some good moves, but not everything she tried worked. Starlight Kid was more smooth than last week however, anytime you get a match with so many young wrestlers there are going to be some rough patches. There is certainly some enjoyment out of watching wrestlers when they are still gaining experience, but this one definitely had its fair share of issues.

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

Diemond and Kyouna are the first two in, but Kyouna runs over and knocks Viper off the apron. This gives Diemond a chance to attack her but Matsumoto runs in and Diemond is double teamed. Viper trips Kyouna from the floor as things break down and they spill out to the floor. Yasukawa gets involved so Matsumoto ties her to the bottom rope, Viper gets into the ring with Kyouna  and she is triple teamed on the apron. Kyouna fights back against Viper with no luck, Viper tags in Diemond and she stomps on Kyouna. Side Russian Leg Sweep by Diemond but Kyouna hits a powerslam for a two count. Kyouna tags Matsumoto, Matsumoto goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick. Matsumoto throws Viper and Diemond in the same corner and hits a body avalanche, she then throws Viper onto Diemond and covers her for two. Diemond snaps off a DDT followed by a backdrop suplex, but Matsumoto stops her from tagging out and hits a release German suplex.

Matsumoto tags Kyouna but Diemond manages to tag Viper, Kyouna attacks Viper in the corner and hits a body avalanche, but Viper tosses her to the mat. Kyouna avoids the running senton, Matsumoto comes in and tosses Kyouna onto Viper. Kyouna goes up top but Yasukawa grabs her, she spits Sake into Matsumoto’s face and Viper throws Kyouna from the top rope. Diemond picks up Kyouna and hits a sidewalk slam, running senton by Viper and she covers Kyouna for a two count. Double chokeslam to Kyouna, but Matsumoto breaks up the cover. Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Kyouna avoids the Reverse Splash. Matsumoto comes in and they both lariat Viper, discus lariat by Kyouna and she puts Viper in a cross armbreaker. Matsumoto gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a double kneedrop while Viper is still in the hold, but Diemond breaks it up. Schoolboy by Kyouna, she then tries to knock over Viper but Viper hits a jumping crossbody for the three count! Oedo Tai win the match.

A pretty simple match, it went about as one would expect. Kyouna looked solid, the Oedo Tai team isn’t overly inspired but they work really well together and are fluid with their moves. Matsumoto was her usual flawless self, and there were a few memorable spots. A good mid-card encounter, but that is about it.

Alex Lee and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Hiromi Mimura and Kairi Hojo

Mimura and Yoneyama start off for their teams and they trade elbows and chest bumps, Lee comes in and they knock Mimura to the mat together. Lee and Azumi take turns kicking Mimura, double Irish whip to Mimura but Hojo runs in and they dropkick their opponents. Mimura and Hojo are thrown into each other, but then Yoneyama and Lee run into each other as Mimura goes to get some rope. Hojo covers the referee’s eyes with a bandanna and then tie up Yoneyama and Lee with the rope until the referee recovers. Yoneyama elbows Mimura and throws her down by her hair and puts her in a leg submission, but Hojo breaks it up. Lee is tagged in and she takes over controlling Mimura, but Hojo pulls Mimura to her corner with the rope to help her get the break. Lee charges Mimura but Mimura moves and dropkicks Lee near the corner.

She tries to slam Lee but can’t, slam by Lee and she tags Yoneyama. Yoneyama slams Mimura herself before tagging Lee back in, Lee bodyslams Mimura and covers her for two. This continues for a few minutes, Hojo comes in but Yoneyama ties her up in the corner. Yoneyama goes up top but Hojo trips Lee with the rope, giving Mimura time to tag in Hojo. Yoneyama also tags in, chops by Hojo and she hits a running shoulder tackle in the corner. Neckbreaker by Hojo, and she covers Yoneyama for two. Palm strike by Yoneyama but Hojo catches her with a spear. Yoneyama knees Hojo in the back of the head and tags Lee, and Hojo is double teamed in the corner. Lee suplexes Hojo and kicks her in the head, cover by Lee but Mimura breaks it up. Hojo goes for a double spear but it is blocked, Mimura comes in and hits a jumping crossbody on both of them. Double lariat to Lee and Hojo hits her with the Sliding D. Hojo goes up top and she nails the diving elbow drop, and she picks up the three count! Hiromi Mimura and Kairi Hojo win!

A bit too goofy than I’d prefer from a mid-card match, some of the antics felt more like an opening match than one with Kairi Hojo. The action itself was solid however, everything flowed well and there weren’t any miscommunications or noticeable mistakes. A rare win for Mimura too, even though she didn’t get the pin, and any match ending with a Hojo diving elbow drop is never a bad thing. Overall decent, just more comedic spots than I’d  prefer in a straight match.

Io Shirai vs. Saori Anou

Anou and Shirai trade wristlocks to start, Shirai gets Anou to the mat and gives her a double knee to the gut. Back up, elbows by Anou but Shirai plants her with a dropkick. Shirai puts Anou in a camel clutch but she gets to the ropes, Shirai throws Anou into the corner and she delivers a dropkick. Shirai gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Anou avoids the missile dropkick. Shirai promptly kicks Anou and puts her in a crossface, but Anou eventually makes it to the ropes. Anou drop toeholds Shirai and applies the Muta Lock, she picks up Shirai and hits a sidewalk slam for two. Shirai blocks the fisherman suplex but Anou hits a shoulderblock, fisherman suplex hold by Anou and she gets a two count. Shirai rolls out of the backslide attempt and kicks Anou, Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai and she goes up top before hitting a missile dropkick. Anou fights back with elbows but Shirai hits a palm strike, running double knee by Shirai and she covers Anou for two. Shirai slams Anou, she starts climbing the turnbuckles but Anou grabs her from behind. Shirai elbows Anou back off but Anou charges her and hits the rolling fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Anou picks up Shirai and applies a backslide with a jackknife, but Shirai gets a shoulder up. Anou and Shirai trade elbows, and Shirai dropkicks Anou in the head. Air Raid Crash by Shirai, she goes up top and she nails the moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai is your winner.

A fun match, Io Shirai probably couldn’t have a singles match that wasn’t entertaining if she tried, even though this one was pretty basic. Shirai was doing subtle heel/grump vet tactics, which I always appreciate and it made the match more amusing than if Shirai was acting nice. Anou’s pin attempts weren’t too convincing since she had issues stringing offensive moves together however, and while she looked good here I think she has had better individual performances. A pretty low key Io Shirai singles match but still entertaining.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe

Watanabe dropkicks Iwatani while she is twirling in her streamers, showing she means business. Iwatani rolls out to the apron to take the streamers off (she completely ties herself up in them) before getting in the ring, they both go off the ropes and trade armdrags. Iwatani dropkicks Watanabe while she is against the ropes before she kicks Watanabe repeatedly in the back. Iwatani applies a stretch hold, she throws Watanabe in the corner and yanks on her arms. Iwatani gets Watanabe to the mat and puts her in a chinlock, footstomps by Iwatani as she seems to be enjoying herself. Watanabe finally fires back with a dropkick, slaps by Watanabe and she kicks Iwatani in the chest. Watanabe dropkicks Iwatani while she is against the ropes, which sends Iwatani out of the ring. Watanabe gets on the second turnbuckle and dives out of the ring with a plancha down onto Iwatani, Watanabe rolls Iwatani back in the ring and hits a missile dropkick to the back.

Another missile dropkick by Watanabe, and she covers Iwatani for two. Another dropkick by Momo but Iwatani avoids the Somato, Iwatani picks up Watanabe and hits a bridging suplex for a two count. Iwatani goes up top and hits a diving footstomp, cover by Iwatani but it gets two. She goes up top again but Watanabe avoids the diving body press, now Watanabe goes up but Iwatani avoids the diving crossbody in return. Iwatani goes to the top turnbuckle, Momo joins her and she hits a superplex. Somato by Watanabe, but Iwatani kicks out of the cover. A swinging slam by Watanabe gets the same result, she gets on the second turnbuckle and connects with the diving Somato, but Iwatani gets a shoulder up. Momo goes off the ropes but Iwatani catches her with a Sling Blade, Iwatani goes for a dragon suplex but Watanabe blocks it, high kick by Iwatani and she hits a second one. Iwatani goes up top and delivers a diving footstomp, diving body press by Iwatani but Watanabe kicks out of the pin. Dragon suplex hold by Iwatani, and she gets the three count! Iwatani retains the High Speed Championship!

We all know Iwatani’s deal, so let’s talk about Momo. If you asked me last year, I’d have said the jury was still out on Watanabe. I never rate new and/or young wrestlers very hard, it takes time for some to really get into the groove, but this was probably her first match that really impressed me. It helps that Iwatani bumps like a wrestler that wants to be retired by age 25, but Watanabe looked deadly here and some of the nearfalls were really convincing. Koguma won this same title when she was under 18 so it would not have been unprecedented if she had picked up the surprise win. It wasn’t long for the main event but it fit the theme, it wouldn’t have felt right if it was a 25 minute match. A solid match that may be remembered best as a coming out party for Watanabe, hopefully this is just the beginning for her and she stays active in wrestling.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Grows Up Stars #2” on 3/12/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

And we are back to Stardom! This event really highlights the rookies and young wrestlers, and all will get a chance to shine. It is the very rare Stardom event with no title matches, since they have five championships it is unusual to have a show with none being defended at all, but this is a more low key event with a different focus. Some of the “World Selection” wrestlers are still here however, as Viper and Diemond both are in the main event. Here is the full card:

• Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Haruka Kato vs. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Maki Natsumi
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Kagetsu
• Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid
• Kairi Hojo vs. Saori Anou
• Io Shirai 9th Anniversary Match: Hiroyo Matsumoto and Io Shirai vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

Overall I have been impressed with all of the Stardom rookies so I am looking forward to this event. This show is definitely built more towards the hardcores than the casual fans, the chances of there being a “Five Star Match” are slim to none but it still has potential to be a fun show.

Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Haruka Kato vs. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Maki Natsumi

Natsumi is stomped down to start, probably because no one wants the new girl to be the leader of the faction. Natsumi is dropkicked by everyone in the corner but Yoneyama and Azumi start to argue which gives Natsumi time to recover. Yoneyama is attacked in the corner and Natsumi picks an unusual time to pose on the top turnbuckle. Azumi joins her and slaps her, but then they all pose on Yoneyama. Azumi and Kato try to suplex Lee but they can’t get her over, Lee reverses it into a double vertical suplex but Azumi puts her in a sleeper. Natsumi dropkicks Yoneyama, Kato rolls up Yoneyama but Natsumi breaks it up. Kato puts Natsumi in an armbar over the top rope, Kato puts Lee in a cross armbreaker but Lee powerbombs out of it. Lee covers Kato but Yoneyama breaks it up with a senton, Azumi returns and she dropkicks Kato but Yoneyama rolls her up for the three count! Yoneyama wins the match and is the new leader of the Azumi Army.

Azumi gets on the mic and requests the footage of her losing be erased, before admitting that Yoneyama is the new leader. Yoneyama gets on the microphone and says that Azumi will always be the true leader of the Azumi Army, but that Yoneyama is the Commander of the Azumi Army. So everyone is something resembling happy.

This was just a quick opening comedy match, but I appreciate them putting some type of story to it, which I only know because they are subtitling promos. No one wrestler really got a chance to shine since it was five wrestlers in a sub-five minute match, but everyone hit their spots without any issue. So it accomplished its goal even though it was obviously a pretty simple and straight-forward affair.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Kagetsu

Mimura charges Kagetsu at the start with a dropkick but Kagetsu elbows her back. Another dropkick by Mimura but Kagetsu dropkicks her in return and kicks Mimura in the back. Scoop slam by Kagetsu and she dropkicks Mimura again, cover by Kagetsu but it gets two. Kagetsu applies a submission but Mimura gets to the ropes, Kagetsu stands up Mimura in the ropes and kicks her repeatedly from the apron. Kagetsu gets back in the ring and dropkicks Mimura in the back, Kagetsu charges Mimura but Mimura hits a dropkick. Mimura hits a running low level crossbody, scoop slam by Mimura and she puts Kagetsu in a cross armbreaker, but Kagetsu inches to the ropes to get the break. Kagetsu and Mimura trade elbows, Mimura goes off the ropes but Kagetsu hits a dropkick. Spear by Kagetsu, she picks up Mimura and hits a vertical suplex. Kagetsu picks up Mimura but Mimura wiggles away and rolls up Kagetsu for two. She has the same result with La Magistral, Mimura goes off the ropes but Kagetsu nails a high kick. Rounded Samoan Drop by Kagetsu and she picks up the three count! Kagetsu wins the match.

I probably liked this more than I should have because I like them both quite a bit, but the action was solid throughout and they had good chemistry. The match was a bit basic, lots of dropkicks, but once they got towards the end the action became a lot more varied. Not a complicated match but still fun, hopefully I’ll get to see more of Kagetsu in Stardom down the road.  Mildly Recommended

Jungle Kyouna and Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid and Kyouna begin the match, they trade holds and Starlight Kid tries to dropkick Kyouna, but she has no luck. Starlight Kid eventually manages to dropkick her over but Kyouna comes back with a hard elbow. Both wrestlers tag out, Iwatani avoids Watanabe’s dropkick and they run the ropes with neither really connecting. Iwatani throws down Watanabe and tags in Starlight Kid, drop toehold by Starlight Kid and Iwatani dropkicks Watanabe in the chest before they pose on her. Watanabe dropkicks Starlight Kid and tags in Kyouna, and they take turns elbowing Starlight Kid. Watanabe dropkicks Starlight Kid before Kyouna connects with a body avalanche and a face crusher. Kyouna puts both Starlight Kid and Iwatani in the ropes and stand on them before she kicks Iwatani back out of the ring. Kyouna slams Starlight Kid and goes for the Hammerthrow Powerbomb but Starlight Kid reverses it until a headscissors. Starlight Kid dropkicks Kyouna while she is against the ropes and tags in Iwatani, Watanabe comes in but Iwatani hits a double split-legged armdrag on both of them.

Iwatani dropkicks Kyouna while she is against the ropes, she goes for a superkick but Kyouna ducks it and hits a discus lariat. High kick by Iwatani, she goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp for a two count. She goes all the way up this time and hits a missile dropkick, Starlight Kid runs in but she has issues doing a Tiger Feint Kick (I assume that was the plan). Iwatani goes off the rope but Kyouna catches her with a powerslam, Iwatani rolls to her corner and tags in Starlight Kid while Kyouna tags Watanabe. Multi-rotation headscissors by Starlight Kid but Watanabe blocks the Shiranui, standing moonsault by Starlight Kid but it gets a two count. Iwatani comes in and Starlight Kid hits the Shiranui by running up Iwatani, Starlight Kid hits a diving body press from the second turnbuckle and then Iwatani hits one from the top. Satellite sunset flip by Starlight Kid but Watanabe reverses it, Kyouna runs in and lariats Starlight Kid. Somato by Watanabe, but Starlight Kid gets a hand on the ropes to force a break. Watanabe slams Starlight Kid to the mat, she charges her but Starlight Kid rolls up Watanabe for two. Superkick by Iwatani to Watanabe and she stomps on her chest, Starlight Kid goes for a Space Rolling something but Watanabe catches her and hits a trio of suplexes. Somato by Watanabe to Starlight Kid as she is getting up, cover by Watanabe and she gets the three count! Kyouna and Watanabe win!

I really enjoyed this match, even though it did have a few rough patches. I don’t mind a botched move here and there if the action around it helps overcome it, particularly when we are dealing with rookies and young wrestlers, and the bulk of the match was very smooth. In the home stretch, Starlight Kid looked great for someone of any level, let alone a 15 year old, and I can see her really being something special if she stays dedicated to it. Watanabe has really grown in her ability in the last year, and even though she wasn’t the focus of the match she looked solid as well. A really fun midcard match, showing the future of Stardom looks very promising.  Mildly Recommended

Kairi Hojo vs. Saori Anou

Anou and Hojo lock knuckles and trade wristlocks, Hojo elbows Anou in the corner but Anou elbows her back. They trade blows, a battle that Hojo wins, and Hojo hits a flipping neckbreaker. Hojo throws down Anou by her hair and chokes her in the corner, chops by Hojo and she hits a series of shoulder tackles. Crab hold by Hojo but Anou gets to the ropes, Hojo charges Anou but Anou holds down the ropes and Hojo falls onto the apron. Anou dropkicks Hojo off the apron to the floor, she goes after her but Hojo chops her in the chest. Hojo gets back in the ring but Anou snaps her arm over the top rope and applies an armbar back in the ring. Sidewalk slam by Anou and she applies a backslide with a jackknife for a two count. Anou applies a submission hold but Hojo gets to the ropes, Anou picks up Hojo but Hojo pushes her off and hits the spear. Hojo dropkicks Anou in the back, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Anou smacks her and hits a rolling Fisherman Suplex Hold for a two count. Anou elbows Hojo but Hojo hits a lariat before kicking Anou in the back. Anou tries a few quick pins with no luck, she goes for a Fisherman Suplex but Hojo blocks it and hits her with elbows. Hojo goes up top and hits a diving elbow drop to Anou’s back, she then puts her in the Ikari (cross-leg crab hold) and Anou submits! Kairi Hojo wins the match.

Another fun match, I am surprised how much offense young Anou had in the match, Stardom must see a lot in her. This match didn’t have the rough patches we saw in a few of the other matches on this card, everything felt fluid and both had a chance to shine. Instead of it just being a “Hojo match” where she controlled everything, it was a pretty equal back and forth struggle with both hitting big moves with nearfalls. Overall solid and hopefully Anou will stay with Stardom as she continues to develop. Mildly Recommended

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Io Shirai vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

Diemond and Viper start the beatdown on Shirai before the match even starts but Shirai fights back with a dropkick to both. Matsumoto finally comes in to help but Viper floors Shirai with a hard lariat when Matsumoto whips Shirai towards her. They try it again but Diemond boots Shirai in the face, so Matsumoto picks up Shirai and throws her at them. The action spills out to the floor with Shirai on the apron, and she sails out of the ring with an Asai Moonsault. Shirai slides Diemond back in for Matsumoto and they both take turns kneeing her in the gut. Shirai jumps on Matsumoto’s back while Matsumoto hits a double kneedrop, Shirai stomps on Diemond and elbows her against the ropes. Yasukawa trips Shirai from the floor, Shirai is pulled out of the ring and clubbed on by Viper. Diemond joins in the assault on Shirai on the outside, they finally return to the ring and Diemond hits a backbreaker on Shirai. Diemond tags Viper, Shirai fights back but Viper sits on her to stop her comeback. Viper tags Diemond back in, Shirai ducks Diemond’s boot and dropkicks her in the head, giving Shirai time to tag in Matsumoto. Matsumoto shoulderblocks Diemond and snaps her neck over the top rope, she goes up top and knocks down Diemond with a missile dropkick. Viper runs in but Matsumoto drop toeholds her onto Diemond, she goes for a double crab hold but Viper fights out of it. Diemond slams Matsumoto before tagging in Viper, Viper goes for a senton but Matsumoto rolls out of the way.

Matsumoto tries to knock over Viper with no luck, jumping crossbody by Viper and she covers Matsumoto for two. Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Shirai grabs her from the apron, Matsumoto recovers and gets Viper on her back before hitting an inverted Samoan Drop. Matsumoto tags Shirai, Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai and she hits the swandive missile dropkick for a two count. Shirai goes for a suplex but Viper rams her back into the corner, Shirai applies a sleeper but Viper tosses her over her head. Running low crossbody by Viper, and she tags in Diemond. Viper stays in and they hit a double chokeslam on Shirai, double cover but Matsumoto breaks it up. They pick up Shirai but Shirai flips away from them and hits a hurricanrana on Diemond. Matsumoto goes to the second turnbuckle, Shirai stands on her back and hits a diving body press. Reverse double kneedrop by Matsumoto, but the referee is MIA. Yasukawa spits sake at Matsumoto, Diemond picks up Shirai and she hits the Anaconda Buster for two. Viper goes for the Reverse Splash but Shirai rolls out of the way, Diemond picks up Shirai but Matsumoto runs in and lariats her. Palm Strike by Shirai to Diemond, they trade elbows until Diemond hits a lariat. Body Crusher by Diemond to Shirai, but Matsumoto barely breaks up the cover in time. Backdrop suplex by Matsumoto to Diemond, Viper grabs Matsumoto but Shirai grabs her. Yasukawa spits sake into Viper’s face by accident, then Viper is dropped by a double backdrop suplex. Matsumoto powerbombs Diemond, Shirai goes up top and she nails the moonsault for the three count! Shirai and Matsumoto win the match!

A great way to end the event, as even though it was Shirai’s spotlight they gave everyone a chance to get in their shots. Shirai is on another level to me, I love just about everything she does. There was some lack of drama since everyone knew Shirai was winning, but all four had close calls and Oedo Tai controlled much of the match. I have to give them credit for going all out on a small house that won’t even air in Japan, non-stop action here with lots of hard hits. An entertaining match that is well worth the watch.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Grows Up Stars #1” on 3/6/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

This is a unique show as there are only two matches. The first is a six wrestler gauntlet match, which is a series of singles matches until one wrestler is left without being defeated or eliminated by Draw. Then in the main event, the Hyper Destroyers defend their titles against Shirai, Iwatani, and Hojo! Here is the full card:

• Gauntlet Match with Kaitlin Diemond, Momo Watanabe, Kaori Yoneyama, Viper, Hiromi Mimura, and Jungle Kyouna
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Evie, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Kellie Skater vs. Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani

Definitely a unusual event, but let’s see how it worked out. The order of the Gauntlet Match was decided by raffle and they will be wrestling in the order that I have listed above in the match list. So Diemond and Watanabe will start, then the winner will face Yoneyama, and so on. There is a ten minute time limit so if two wrestlers draw, both are eliminated and the next two wrestlers face off.

Kaitlin Diemond vs. Momo Watanabe

Kaitlin Diemond vs. Kaori Yoneyama

Hiromi Mimura vs. Viper

Viper vs. Jungle Kyouna

 

(c) Evie, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Kellie Skater vs. Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani

Shirai and Matsumoto kick things off, they trade holds until Matsomoto avoids Shirai’s dropkick and hits a double knee drop. Shirai knocks Matsumoto down and hits a quick standing moonsault, and they both tag out as Iwatani and Skater enter the ring. They go back and forth with armdrags and quick pin attempts with neither getting an advantage, Skater’s teammates run in and they triple team Iwatani. Hojo comes in too and they both chop Skater, dropkick by Iwatani and with Shirai they all pose on top of Skater. Iwatani puts Skater in a camel clutch and she tortures her a bit before tagging Shirai. Shirai blows a streamer toy into Skater’s mouth before tagging Hojo, chop by Hojo to Skater and she covers her for two. Iwatani comes into the match but Skater drops her with a springboard elbow and tags in Matsumoto. Matsumoto takes care of all three of her opponents, she stacks them on top of each other and puts them all in a triple crab hold with Skater’s help.

Matsumoto lays Iwatani across the ropes in the corner and hits a body avalanche, cover by Matsumoto but it gets two. Evie is tagged in, kicks by Evie and Skater is in next and she slams Iwatani before dropping a leg on her. Skater throws Iwatani into the corner but Iwatani avoids her charge and tags in Shirai. Matsumoto comes in too as does Evie and Hojo, but Iwatani missile dropkicks everyone over. Catapult elbow smash by Hojo to Skater in the corner, then Shirai hits a running double knee for a two count. Shirai goes for the double underhook but Skater gets out of it and hits a superkick. She tags Matsumoto, she trades elbows with Shirai before decking her with a sliding lariat. Matsumoto picks up Shirai, Shirai goes for a hurricanrana but Matsumoto catches her and applies a crab hold. Matsumoto goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a reverse double knee splash, but Iwatani breaks up the cover. Matsumoto goes for a backdrop suplex but Shirai lands on her feet, Matsumoto snaps Shirai’s neck over the top rope but Matsumoto is grabbed from the apron. Shirai goes for a baseball slide but hits Hojo by accident and the wrestlers tumble out of the ring. Iwatani goes up top and hits a diving crossbody to the floor onto Matsumoto and Skater, Shirai slides Matsumoto back in the ring and hits a swandive missile dropkick.

Another dropkick by Shirai and she covers Matsumoto for two. Shirai tags Hojo and she hits a diving elbow smash, but Skater breaks up the cover. Hojo chops Matsumoto but Matsumoto hits a shoulderblock. Big spear by Hojo and she hits a footstomp, she goes up top but Skater runs in and elbows her. Matsumoto goes up top with Hojo and hits a superplex, Matsumoto tags in Evie and Evie kicks Hojo in the back before covering her for two. She tags Skater and Skater throws Hojo into the corner before Evie hits a big boot. Buzzsaw kick by Skater and she hits a front flip neckbreaker on Hojo for a two count. Iwatani comes in and dropkicks Skater, Shirai comes in but Matsumoto crushes her with a lariat. Hojo and Skater trade strikes, high kick by Skater but she eats a triple dropkick. Spike Piledriver to Skater, but Matsumoto breaks up the pinfall. Hojo picks up Skater and goes for a Sliding D, but Skater reverses it into a crucifix pin for two. Matsumoto and Evie come in with streamer guns, but Hojo ducks and they all end up shooting each other. Spear Dropkick by Iwatani in the corner on Skater, Hojo then goes up top and she nails the Diving Elbow Drop. Cover by Hojo, and she gets the three count! Hojo, Iwatani, and Shirai are your new champions!

Probably the best Artist of Stardom Championship match I have ever seen. Usually, this championship has as much silliness as anything, and while there was still a bit of that here it was a much more serious match than I was expecting. Both teams work incredibly well together as they been either teams or enemies for a long time, everything was smooth and nothing seemed extra or wasted. The match style was more crazy six wrestler sprint than anything else, it was about which wrestler got isolated first and pinning them before their teammates could recover in time to break it up. While I still prefer a quality singles match to a wild six wrestler tag, this was a great match with six high caliber wrestlers, a must for fans of Stardom or really of wrestling in general. Highly Recommended

The post Stardom vs. World Selection #3 on 2/28/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Stardom records all their shows, even ones that are not scheduled to be televised, so even though this was shot from a ringside camera we still get the pleasure of watching it. This event did have a big title match, as Thunder Rock take on Kaitlin Diemond and Viper for the Goddesses of Stardom Championship. We also get Evie and Kellie Skater in singles matches as well.  Here is the complete card:

• Evie vs. Haruka Kato
• Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kellie Skater
• Chelsea Green and Santana Garrett vs. Hiromi Mimura and Kairi Hojo
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Jungle Kyouna
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

The good part of this being shot at ringside and not for TV is there is no clipping, every match will be shown in full.

Evie vs. Haruka Kato

Evie works a headlock to start, Kato turns it into a hammerlock but Evie reverses it. Evie rolls around the ring while Kato looks confused, they trade trips until Kato gets the cross armbreaker applied but Evie quickly got out of it. Evie and Kato trade elbows, kicks by Evie and she drills Kato in the back before covering her for two. Evie chokes Kato in the corner and kicks her some more, Kato goes for the armbreaker but Evie blocks it and slams Kato to the mat. Chinlock by Evie but Kato gets out of it and hits a face crusher. Evie comes back with a side slam onto her knee, she throws Kato in the corner but Kato avoids the big boot and applies an armbreaker over the top rope. Diving crossbody by Kato, she picks up Evie but Evie sneaks in an inside cradle. Facebuster by Evie, and she covers Kato for a two count. Satellite roll-up by Kato and she applies the cross armbreaker, but Evie gets a foot on the ropes. Evie throws Kato into the corner and hits a running big boot, Evie picks up Kato and she delivers the TTYL for a three count! Evie wins!

This was a decent and straight-forward opener. I like Kato, but she is limited, all of her matches are pretty similar. She really only has a handful of moves and tends to do them all in every match, so it is generally up to her opponent to make the match special. Evie was good here but there just wasn’t enough time for her to do too much before she quickly picked up the win after hitting two of her signature moves. Perfectly watchable but not much more than that.

Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kellie Skater

Yoneyama pushes Skater into the corner, she tosses her to the other side but Skater kicks her back. Armdrag by Skater but Yoneyama returns the favor and they return to their feet. Full nelson by Skater and she gets Yoneyama to the mat, but Yoneyama applies a leg lock. Muta Lock by Yoneyama but Skater gets into the ropes and forces a break. Yoneyama puts Skater in a bodyscissors  but Skater gets out of it, Yoneyama grabs Skater by the hair and flings her across the ring. She does it again before pounding on Skater near the ropes, Skater fires back with a boot but Yoneyama hits an elbow in the corner. They trade shots, kicks to the leg by Skater but Yoneyama chops her in the throat. Kick to the chest by Skater, Yoneyama bridges out of the pin and hits a jumping crossbody for two. Northern Lights Suplex by Yoneyama for another two count, back up Skater kicks Yoneyama and hits a PK for a two count of her own. Bodyslam by Skater and she hits an elbow drop, Skater puts Yoneyama in a cross armbreaker but Yoneyama, Yoneyama gets Skater in the ropes and hits a knee to the back of the head. Another knee by Yoneyama and she sneaks in a school boy for two. They trade quick pin attempts with no luck, DDT by Skater and she hits a Buzzsaw Kick for a two count. Skater throws Yoneyama in the corner, Yoneyama bounces off the ropes and she applies a reverse sunset flip for the three count! Yoneyama is your winner.

I wish the match had more substance but I enjoyed what they did. Skater is one of my guilty pleasures, she hasn’t put on many ‘classics’ but has so much energy and I love a good striker. Yoneyama has been around the block so everything she does is really fluid. A lot more basic than I was hoping and what they are capable of but a decent mid-card match anyway.

Chelsea Green and Santana Garrett vs. Hiromi Mimura and Kairi Hojo

Mimura and Green begin the match, Mimura stomps on Green’s foot and goes for a roll-up, but Green throws her to the mat and gets a quick cover. They tag out, Garrett and Hojo shove each other back and forth, elbows by Hojo but Garrett trips her and kicks Hojo in the chest. Garrett flips away from Hojo and hits a Space Rolling Elbow, she puts Hojo in the ropes and Green assists from the apron. Garrett rolls on Hojo and applies a Camel Clutch, but Mimura comes in and breaks it up. Garrett elbows Mimura before going for Hojo’s arm, she tags in Green  but Hojo avoids Green’s boot and delivers a spear. This gives her time to tag Mimura, Mimura attacks Green with elbows but Garrett comes in to help. Mimura knocks down Garrett and rolls up Green, but it only gets two. Mimura throws both opponents in the corner, Hojo returns and she hits a catapult elbow smash in the corner. Dropkick by Mimura to Green, but the cover gets two. Green has had enough and slams Mimura, heel kick by Green and she covers Mimura for a two count. Lariat by Green but Mimura lands by her corner and tags in Hojo.

Hojo chops Green into the corner an hits a running shoulder tackle followed by a front flip neckbreaker for two. Cross arm submission by Hojo but Garrett breaks it up, elbows by Green to Hojo and she hits a heel kick. Green goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Green tags Garrett, side Russian leg sweep by Garrett to Hojo and she applies a rolling Muta Lock. Mimura breaks it up, Hojo picks up Garrett and hits an elbow Final Cut, but Garrett blocks the Sliding D. Garrett goes for the Shining Star Press but Hojo grabs her leg and hits a spinning backhand slap.  Garrett comes back with a kick and both wrestlers fall to the mat, Hojo recovers first and tags Mimura, Mimura elbows Garrett as Hojo goes up top and hits a diving elbow smash. La Magistral by Mimura, but Green breaks up the cover. Elbows by Mimura but Garrett ducks a lariat and hits a fisherman suplex hold for two. Green comes in and they both kick Mimura, but Mimura barely gets a shoulder up. Hojo comes in but Garrett superkicks her, Mimura sneaks in a small package but it gets a two count. Garrett catches Mimura off the ropes and slams her to the mat, Shining Star Press by Garrett and she gets the three count! Green and Garrett win the match.

A fun match, I thought that both teams worked together well and the Stardom team in particular stood out. Green is still honing her craft so to speak, a few parts didn’t look smooth, but nothing terrible and the close camera isn’t doing them any favors in that regard as every little mistake is clear. Mimura is quickly becoming my favorite Stardom rookie, she has more of a ceiling than Kyouna but she has the personality to fit in well and if she sticks with it she may find the most success in the long run. Overall a solid effort by all four and worth a casual watch for sure.  Mildly Recommended

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Jungle Kyouna

Kyouna goes on the attack immediately, she tries to shoulderblock the veteran down but is unable to do so. Headlock takedown by Matsumoto, they return to their feet and lock knuckles before trading wristlocks. Matsumoto bites Kyouna’s arm and stomps on her, elbows by Matsumoto and she dropkicks Kyouna for a two count. Matsumoto beats on Kyouna as Kyouna tries to fight back, backbreaker by Matsumoto and she covers Kyouna for two. Matsumoto puts Kyouna in the corner across the ropes and hits a body avalanche, she covers Kyouna again but the rookie kicks out. Matsumoto goes for a piledriver but Kyouna blocks it and hits a back bodydrop. Kyouna throws Matsumoto in the corner and hits a body avalanche, powerslam by Kyouna but the covers gets two. Kyouna goes up top and hits a diving body press, she picks up Matsumoto but Matsumoto catches her with a lariat. They trade lariats without going down until Matsumoto floors Kyouna first, she goes off the ropes and they go back and forth with slaps and elbows. Kyouna knocks down Matsumoto with a lariat, she goes to run off the ropes but Matsumoto grabs her. Backdrop suplex by Matsumoto, but Kyouna gets a shoulder up. Sliding lariat by Matsumoto and she puts Kyouna in an elevated crab hold. Kyouna crawls to the ropes and finally reaches them, Matsumoto gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a Reverse Diving Double Knee Drop for the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto wins.

There was a lot to like here, my only real complaint is the match started really slow. The part where Matsumoto was just stomping Kyouna went just a bit long, the match lagged for a few minutes prior to Kyouna’s comeback with the back bodydrop. From then on the match was really good, I thought that Matsumoto would give Kyouna a lot and I was right, with Kyouna even winning a few of the strike battles which is really rare in rookie matches. I liked Matsumoto immediately finishing Kyouna after the crab hold didn’t work, Kyouna was able to escape the way that rookies typically lose but was too hurt to do anything else afterwards. So often we see a ‘hope’ spot there that I liked them doing something different. This would have been an upper tier ‘rookie match’ if it hadn’t slowed down for a few minutes, but overall still a fun battle.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Thunder Rock (Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani) vs. Kaitlin Diemond and Viper

The first two in the match are Iwatani and Diemond, Iwatani pops Diemond in the head repeatedly before hitting an armdrag, but Diemond quickly rolls back to her feet. Shirai and Viper tag in, Viper tosses Shirai around the ring and drives her into the corner, but Shirai avoids her charge when she runs in. Dropkick by Shirai and she tags Iwatani, both attack Viper in the corner before applying armbars and posing. Viper has none of that and shoves them off, Diemond comes in and they hit a double elbow drop before throwing Iwatani onto Shirai. Shirai falls out of the ring but Viper goes out after her and slams her into the apron, while Diemond and Iwatani battle in the ring. Backbreaker by Diemond and she tags Viper, running body press by Viper to Iwatani and she gets two. Yasukawa gets on the apron and all three squish Iwatani in the ropes, in the ring Viper and Diemond charge Iwatani but Iwatani moves out of the way. Viper picks up Iwatani but Shirai dropkicks Iwatani to help tip over Viper, giving Iwatani time to tag Shirai. Diemond stays in but Shirai does a cartwheel and dropkicks both of them, Shirai drop toeholds Viper onto Diemond and covers Diemond for two. Shirai elbows Diemond but Diemond boots her in the face, Shirai hits the Tiger Feint Kick followed by the swandive missile dropkick for two. Iwatani is tagged in, she elbows Diemond and hits a Northern Lights Suplex for two. Iwatani jumps at Diemond but Diemond catches her and hits a back bodydrop.

Diemond tags Viper, Viper pounds on Iwatani but Iwatani sneaks in a school boy for two. Big shoulderblock by Viper and she hits a jumping crossbody to Iwatani’s head. Argentine Backbreaker by Viper, Shirai tries to help but fails, leaving Iwatani to get out of the hold herself. Footstomp by Iwatani and she tags Shirai, Shirai goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she goes for a German suplex but Viper blocks it. Sleeper by Shirai but Viper gets into the ropes and throws Shirai off.  Running senton by Viper, she gets Shirai on her shoulders and hits an electric chair slam for a two count when Iwatani breaks it up. Diemond comes in too and they suplex their opponents, Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Shirai avoids the Reverse Splash. Dropkick by Shirai and she kicks Viper in the head, running double knee by Shirai in the corner but she hurts her knee, giving Viper time to tag Diemond. Diemond hits a side slam on Shirai, she picks her up and hits a hard elbow for a two count. Double chokeslam to Shirai, Diemond holds Shirai for Viper but Viper hits Diemond on accident. Viper flattens Shirai, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Iwatani hits her from the apron. Shirai joins Viper and hits a Frankensteiner, Shirai and Iwatani get up on the same turnbuckle and hit a double missile dropkick. Diemond returns, Iwatani goes up top and with Shirai they nail the spike piledriver. Yasukawa tries to spit Sake into Shirai’s face, but Shirai ducks and she hits Diemond by accident. Package German Suplex by Shirai, and she gets the three count! Thunder Rock retain the championship.

I really liked this one, a quality championship match with lots of back and forth action. Stardom does sometimes have titles change hands on small events like this so it wasn’t a foregone confusion which team was winning, leading to the crowd staying into it throughout. Iwatani and Shirai are two of the best women wrestlers in the world as far as entertainment value goes, they are so high energy and Iwatani sells like a demon so everything done to her looks really painful. The ringside camera was fine, we didn’t miss any of the action and it made the moves feel even more impactful. A fun match and worth watching, it wasn’t an instant classic but a solid and entertaining match from bell to bell.  Recommended

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At the last televised event for Stardom, the “World” team defeated the Stardom team in the main event which led to another skirmish here today at Korakuen Hall. Multiple titles are on the line for this big event, including all three of Stardom’s singles titles. Here is the complete card:

• Azumi, Haruka Kato, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Maki Natsumi, Saori Anou, and Starlight Kid
• Chelsea Green vs. Hiromi Mimura
• Cat Power vs. Momo Watanabe
• Jungle Kyouna vs. Kellie Skater
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kaitlin Diamond
• High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Evie
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Santana Garrett vs. Kairi Hojo
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Viper

Some of these matches will be really clipped as eight matches is a ridiculous amount for a two hour televised show, but the main matches will likely all be shown in full or really close to it. Let’s get started.

Azumi, Haruka Kato, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Maki Natsumi, Saori Anou, and Starlight Kid

Azumi and Starlight Kid kick things off, they bounce off the ropes a bunch and both go for dropkicks with no luck. Azumi dropkicks Starlight Kid from behind so she tags in Natsumi, Natsumi works the arm of Azumi, but Azumi reverses it. Yoneyama and Kato come into the ring and triple team Natsumi, Yoneyama stays in the ring but Natsumi flips her to the mat. Spinning headscissors by Natsumi and she tags in Starlight Kid, she tosses Yoneyama to the mat before tagging in Anou. Anou tries the same but Yoneyama blocks it, Anou gets Yoneyama to the mat and applies a bridging leg lock while Starlight Kid and Natsumi pose nearby. Kato and Azumi run in to help, we clip ahead in the match to Starlight Kid dropkicking Yoneyama. La Magistral by Azumi to Starlight Kid, she kicks out, but Azumi quickly applies a rolling foot cradle for the three count! Azumi, Kato, and Yoneyama win the match.

They actually showed a bit more of this match than I was expecting, but still not a lot was shown. It was fun seeing the Actress girl’Z wrestlers though, always enjoyable to see some new younger wrestlers. Not enough substance here to get a good feel of the match but what they showed was fine.

Chelsea Green vs. Hiromi Mimura

Mimura attacks Green with elbows but Green withstands them and takes her to the mat. Mimura stomps on Green’s foot and jumps on her back to apply a sleeper, but Green flings her off. Mimura tries a few quick pins with no luck, knee by Green and she stomps Mimura in the chest. Jumping double footstomp by Green and she covers Mimura for three! Chelsea Green wins!

Not a whole lot to this, it was a short match that was clipped even further. Mimura never had any chance of winning as her flash pins weren’t having any luck, and Green won the match really easily (or they clipped the build-up). The finish didn’t look great and overall it was pretty lackluster.

Cat Power vs. Momo Watanabe

Cat Power looks really different, I am just assuming it is her since that is what the match listing says. Watanabe tries working on Cat Power’s arm but Cat Power shrugs it off, Watanabe goes for a dropkick but Cat Power swats it away. Cat Power stomps on Watanabe’s head and hits a lariat, she puts Watanabe in a Texas Cloverleaf but Watanabe gets to the ropes. Anaconda Buster by Cat Power, she picks up Watanabe and hits a lariat in the corner. Cat Power throws Watanabe in the corner but Watanabe jumps up in the corner and hits a missile dropkick. Somato by Watanabe, but Cat Power kicks out of the cover. Knee by Cat Power and she throws Watanabe hard into the corner. Hurricane Driver by Cat Power, and she picks up the three count! Cat Power is your winner.

Like the last few (and probably the next few) this was a basic match, it only went six minutes but was clipped down further than that. If Watanabe has a new attitude she didn’t get a chance to display it here as Cat Power was simply too much for her. Cat Power being on a Stardom show surprised me as normally she Freelancers elsewhere, it will be interesting to see if this leads to a longer stay or they just needed a Gaijin to beat a young Stardom wrestler. I thought Cat Power looked impressive here but too small a sample size to get excited about.

Jungle Kyouna vs. Kellie Skater

We join this one in progress as Kyouna throws Skater into the corner before hitting a face crusher. Camel clutch by Kyouna but Skater gets out of it and applies an ankle hold. Skater stomps on Kyouna and kicks her repeatedly, knee by Skater in the corner and she covers Kyouna for two. Kyouna blocks a slam and hits a back bodydrop, powerslam by Kyouna but it gets two. Kyouna goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving body press, but Skater kicks out again. Kyouna goes all the way up this time but this time Skater is up and tosses her to the mat. Leg drop by Skater, she picks up Kyouna and nails a kick to the head. Skater picks up Kyouna but Kyouna pushes her off and hits a lariat. Kyouna goes off the ropes but Skater connects with a superkick, Cross Arm Russian Leg Sweep by Skater and she gets the three count! Kellie Skater is the winner.

Kyouna did get in a bit of offense here or there but it still never reached the point that it felt like she may win. Skater looked good as she always does, but the match was a bit clipped so it was a bit disjointed. I did like Kyouna hitting some of her moves, this was certainly not a squash as she got in quite a bit of offense, but Skater was always ready to kick her in the head when needed. The best match of the card so far and above average overall, but due to its length not something worth going out of your way to see.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kaitlin Diamond

They start with a test of strength, Matsumoto gets the better of it and she shoulderblocks Diamond to the mat. Diamond comes back with a choke but Matsumoto elbows her and tosses her in the corner. Diamond throws the referee at Matsumoto and chokes her with a shirt, side Russian leg sweep by Diamond and Act helps her choke Matsumoto in the ropes. Matsumoto snaps Diamond’s neck on the to rope, Act pours sake on her but Matsumoto spits the sake back at Act. Matsumoto gets Diamond up in the Argentine Backbreaker before slamming her to the mat, cover by Matsumoto but it gets two. Matsumoto gets on the second turnbuckle but Diamond gets her knees up on the Reverse Splash attempt. Diamond picks up Matsumoto but Matsumoto elbows her off and hits a release German suplex. Diamond blocks the lariat and hits a side slam, she picks up Matsumoto but Matsumoto gets away and hits an elbow. Matsumoto gets Diamond up and powerbombs her into the corner, backdrop suplex by Matsumoto and she gets the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto wins!

Clipping hurt this match too as the middle portion was missing, which is a shame as it looked it like had potential. Matsumoto is a solid veteran that very rarely has bad matches, and everything that we saw looked tight, especially the backdrop suplex at the end. Plus it is always a pleasure to see Act Yasukawa. I can’t with a clear conscious recommend a match that only six minutes was shown of but nothing bad here.

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Evie

After starting with wristlocks and rope running with neither getting the upper hand, they go back and forth until Evie flips Iwatani out to the apron and Iwatani does a split legged armdrag to return to the ring. Dropkick by Iwatani but Evie connects with a couple kicks and applies a stretch hold. Iwatani gets to the ropes but Evie slaps on a crab hold, Evie picks up Iwatani and Iwatani goes for a springboard move, but Evie kicks her in the head to block it. Evie gets on the apron and knees Iwatani in the head until Iwatani also falls onto the apron. Evie picks up Iwatani and slams her on the apron, sending Iwatani down to the floor. Evie slides Iwatani back into the ring and throws her into the corner, she sets up Iwatani across the ropes and hits a series of kicks before slamming Iwatani onto her knee for a two count. Evie charges Iwatani but Iwatani avoids the big boot and hits a high kick followed by a diving footstomp to the back.

Iwatani picks up Evie, Evie gets away but Iwatani still hits a Northern Lights Suplex. Iwatani goes off the ropes but Evie hits a side slam onto her knee, Evie goes up top but Iwatani recovers and joins her. Iwatani suplexes Evie back into the ring, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick. Iwatani goes up top herself and delivers the diving footstomp, she picks up Evie but Evie blocks the dragon suplex. High kick by Evie and she hits a trio of big boots in the corner, cover by Evie but Iwatani gets a shoulder up. Evie picks up Iwatani but Iwatani slides away and sneaks in a sunset flip for two. They both miss high kicks but Iwatani connects with one and hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Superkick by Iwatani and she hits two more as Evie is on her knee. Buzzsaw Kick by Iwatani, she picks up Evie and nails the dragon suplex hold for a three count! Iwatani retains her High Speed Championship.

This was a condensed but very entertaining match. It was brutal (in a good way) without going over the top with it, there were some really stiff strikes from both but it never went into excess to make the viewer start to squirm. There was really no downtime here, it was just a fierce sprint, and Evie was really impressive as she held her own against Iwatani from start to finish. I wish it was a bit longer as they had great chemistry, a really fun back and forth match that is definitely worth a watch.  Highly Recommended

(c) Santana Garrett vs. Kairi Hojo

Hojo wastes no time as she attacks Garrett from behind, elbows by Hojo but Garrett elbows her back. We jump ahead just a little bit as Garrett goes for a sunset flip, but Hojo kicks out. Big spear by Hojo, Garrett falls out of the ring and Hojo hits a jumping forearm off the apron. Back in the ring Hojo jumps down on Garrett’s back, she goes up top and hits a diving forearm smash for a two count cover. Chops by Hojo in the corner and she heel drops Garrett in the back for another two. Stretch hold by Hojo and she throws Garrett in the corner, she goes for a forearm but Garrett slides to the apron and rams Hojo into the turnbuckles. Diving armdrag by Garrett and she hits a side Russian leg sweep for a two count. Space Rolling Elbow by Garrett and she thrust kicks Hojo out of the ring to the floor. Garrett goes off the ropes and dives out onto Hojo and others with a big tope suicida! Garrett boots Hojo after sliding her into the ring and applies an armbar over the second rope before finally returning to the ring herself. Garrett rolls onto Hojo and applies a stretch hold, Garrett releases he hold after a moment but stomping Hojo into the mat.

Garrett kicks Hojo in the arm but Hojo fights back with elbows, Hojo trips Garrett and she puts her in a crab hold, but Garrett makes it to the ropes. Hojo drags her to the middle of the ring but Garrett quickly rolls her up for a two count. Garrett snaps Hojo’s arm and hits a snap suplex, she goes for the Shining Star Press but Hojo rolls out of the way. Back up they go back and forth with elbows until Hojo hits a modified Final Cut. Hojo goes up top but Garrett recovers and goes for a headscissors. Hojo blocks that however, she knocks Garrett so she is hanging from the top rope before hitting a jumping double footstomp to her chest. Cover by Hojo, but Garrett gets a shoulder up. Hojo goes off the ropes and dropkicks Garrett in the back, Sliding D by Hojo but again Garrett kicks out. Hojo puts Garrett in the cross legged crab hold but releases it after a moment, she goes up top and she delivers a diving elbow drop to Garrett’s back. She goes up top again after turning Garrett over, but this time Garrett rolls out of the way. Hojo goes for a spinning back chop but Garrett ducks it and kicks Hojo in the head. Shining Star Press by Garrett, but Hojo barely kicks out before the three count. Garrett kicks Hojo, she gets Hojo in a sunset flip and applies a rolling cradle into a three count cover! Garrett wins the match and retains the Wonder of Stardom Championship.

A solid match with great effort shown by both. They weren’t as fluid as many Stardom pairings as Garrett doesn’t wrestle in Stardom as much, but they stayed focused on what their target areas were and there weren’t any noticeable miscues. It is interesting that both title matches Garrett has had in Stardom she has won with a roll-up or a cradle of sorts, not a bad thing but does give the impressive her normal ‘finishing’ moves aren’t effective against the top tier in Stardom. Poor Hojo, she put up a fight here and got everything in until missing the second diving elbow drop and it was over for her. I am not sure how much longer her losing streak will continue but the crowd is still behind her so no harm done yet. A step down from the last match but still quite good.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Viper

Viper won’t shake Shirai’s hand before the match, once the match starts she tosses Shirai into the ropes before flinging her to the mat. Body press by Viper and Shirai rolls out of the ring to try to recover. She rolls back in and goes for a suplex, but Viper blocks it, Viper chases Shirai around the ring but Shirai moves and hits a drop toehold. Dropkick by Shirai, Viper falls out of the ring but she catches Shirai when she goes for an Asai Moonsault. Viper throws Shirai into the ring post, she takes Shirai up into the bleachers and puts her in a backbreaker. Viper brings Shirai back to the ringside and throws her into the ring post before sliding Shirai in the ring.  Viper, Diamond, and Yasukawa all attack Shirai on the apron, Viper picks up Shirai but Shirai cartwheels away from her and hits a dropkick. Shirai charges Viper but Viper hits a crossbody followed by a senton for a two count. Viper charges Shirai in the corner but Shirai slides out to the apron and hits a missile dropkick. Shirai goes for a sunset flip, Viper blocks it but Shirai slides away and hits another dropkick for two. Somato by Shirai and she puts Viper in an armtrap crossface, but Viper gets to the ropes.

Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai and she hits a swandive missile dropkick, she picks up Viper but Viper blocks the German suplex hold. Shirai goes for a backdrop suplex but Viper lands on top of her, she goes off the ropes and hits a bodypress for a two count cover. Viper charges Shirai but Shirai hits a hurricanrana for a two count. Buzzsaw Kick by Shirai, they slowly get up as they trade elbows, a battle which Viper easily wins. Michinoku Driver by Viper, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Shirai is up and hits a palm strike. Shirai joins Viper up top and hits a Frankensteiner, and Viper rolls out of the ring. Shirai sails out of the ring with a moonsault off the top turnbuckle, she slides Viper back in and delivers the Ryder Kick, but Viper doesn’t go down. Shirai elbows Viper and she slaps her repeatedly, Shirai goes up top but Viper grabs her from behind. Shirai slides away and kicks Viper, but Viper hits a big lariat. Viper picks up Shirai and hits an electric chair slam, cover by Viper but Shirai gets a shoulder up. Viper gets on the second turnbuckle and hits the Reverse Splash, but Shirai gets an arm in the ropes. Viper goes all the way up top but Shirai avoids the body press, uppercut by Shirai and she hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Shirai goes up top and hits a moonsault to Viper’s back, she goes up top again and hits another moonsault for the three count cover! Shirai wins and is still the World of Stardom Champion.

I liked this match more than I thought I would based on their past interactions, Viper has seemed solid in Stardom but I had not seen her in a longer singles match yet. Those fears were unnecessary as nothing lagged here and everything flowed well. This was pretty brutal as Viper was bleeding from the nose from Lord knows what, I didn’t re-watch it to find out but any of the hard strikes could have done it. It was what you’d expect along the smaller faster wrestler vs. bigger stronger wrestler theme, and even the moonsaults at the end were rougher than usual as Shirai landed both times with her knees onto Viper. A really solid defense by Shirai, the outside the ring action probably wasn’t needed and Shirai’s comebacks can be head tilting sometimes but overall I really enjoyed it.  Recommended

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