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: Stardom Grows Up Stars #7
Date: April 24th, 2016
Location: Minato Kumin Center in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 275

As I continue in my quest to keep up with Stardom, we are back with another Stardom review! Usually, Stardom does one show per weekend, but since they were on the road last weekend we are treated to two shows instead. This event does have a title match, but like the last one we are missing part of the roster as the younger children are not on the card. Here is the full match list:

• Hiromi Mimura vs. Lizzy Styles
• Alex Lee vs. Alpha Female
• Kyoko Kimura vs. Momo Watanabe
• High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Diosa Atenea
• Io Shirai and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kairi Hojo and Saori Anou

Another interesting card with new match-ups, let’s see how things go.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Lizzy Styles

Styles and Mimura work holds to start, Styles flings Mimura to the mat and she kicks her in the back. Running elbow by Styles in the corner and she puts Mimura in a crab hold, but Mimura makes it to the ropes. Back up they trade elbows, Irish whip by Mimura and she dropkicks Styles in the corner. Styles goes for her own dropkick but Mimura avoids it and rolls up Styles for two. Mimura goes for a slam but Styles blocks it and hits a slam of her own for a two count. Styles kicks Mimura in the head and hits a running elbow in the corner, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick for another two. Mimura elbows Styles and applies the rolling cross kneelock, but Styles makes it to the ropes, Mimura goes off the ropes and hits a low crossbody. She hits a  second one, but Styles kicks out of the cover. Mimura goes off the ropes again but Styles catches her with a superkick, running knee by Styles but Mimura barely gets a shoulder up. Styles picks up Mimura and she hits a vertical suplex, and she picks up the three! Styles is your winner!

It feels like the ending got mixed up, as the running knee would have been a better finish than a vertical suplex. Styles is good at selling moves, I will give her that, but her strikes are weak and she isn’t very agile. I wish that Mimura’s leg lock would have gotten the win, it was applied perfectly in the middle of the ring and she needs to beat someone with it at some point. Pretty lackluster way to start the show.

Alex Lee vs. Alpha Female

Lee tries to shake hands before the match starts, which is a mistake as Alpha Female grabs her hand and hits a backdrop suplex. Mounted elbows by Alpha but Lee reverses it into a cross armbreaker. Alpha quickly gets a hand on the ropes, she throws Lee into the corner and hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Alpha reverses the lariat until an armbar, she gets up and kicks Alpha in the head. Alpha rolls out of the ring to re-group, Lee goes after her but Alpha hits her with a chair. After throwing her around the ring, Alpha slides Lee back in and clubs her in the chest. Body slam by Alpha, we finally see that Alpha’s nose is bleeding a bit which is probably why she is so angry. Well angrier than usual. Lee quickly applies a short armbar, but Alpha gets a foot on the ropes. Neckbreaker by Alpha, she rolls out of the ring and she gets another chair, she goes to hit Lee with it but Lee ducks and superkicks the chair into Alpha’s face. Kicks by Lee, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick for a two count. Lee goes off the ropes, she kicks Alpha’s arm and hits a cross armbreaker takedown, but Alpha gets to the ropes. Lee goes for a dropkick but Alpha moves and hits a vertical suplex. Lariat by Alpha, she picks up Lee and nails the Omega Slam for the three count! Alpha Female is your winner.

I have seen quite a few Alex Lee matches in my day, and I can say without hesitation that this is the best one I have ever seen. I have mentioned it before, but Alpha Female is just so good at being hard hitting and scary that Lee had to step her game up, which she did a bit. Not a long match but entertaining, I love it when one wrestler can elevate another close to their own level, and it was fun to watch.  Mildly Recommended

Kyoko Kimura vs. Momo Watanabe

After trading hammerlocks and headlocks, Momo armdrags Kimura but Kimura quickly returns to her feet. They lock knuckles but Kimura pushes her off and throws down Watanabe by her hair. Scoop slam by Kimura and she puts Watanabe in a crab hold, she then puts her in a STF but Watanabe manages to make it to the ropes. Watanabe tries to fight back but Kimura brushes her off, Watanabe messes up a spot in the corner so Kimura just kicks her to the mat instead. Watanabe connects with a trio of dropkicks, she goes up top but jumps off when Kimura charges in. Diving crossbody by Watanabe and she hits a missile dropkick, but Kimura avoids the Somato and applies a rear naked choke. Watanabe gets to the ropes, Kimura waits for her to get to her knees and hits a few boots to the head. Watanabe finally ducks one and rolls up Kimura for a two count, running knee by Watanabe but the cover gets another two. Watanabe picks up Kimura but Kimura puts her in a front necklock, but Watanabe gets into the ropes. Big boot by Kimura, she covers Watanabe but Watanabe gets a shoulder up. Vertical suplex by Kimura and she puts Watanabe in a front necklock, and this time Watanabe has to submit! Kyoko Kimura is the winner.

This didn’t live up to what I was hoping it would be in my mind, but it was still not a bad match. I think wrestling so much with wrestlers she trains with every day makes Momo look smoother than she really is as there were a few mistakes here. Which isn’t unusual for a 16 year old still learning the ropes, but she usually is so good with the basics that it was more noticeable. Kimura didn’t give Watanabe much of a chance here as she was firmly in control, and it lacked some of the drama I was hoping for since Watanabe has had some back and forth encounters with high ranking wrestlers in the past. A decent midcard match but nothing more than that.

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Diosa Atenea

Iwatani and Atenea get right into it, springboard armdrag by Iwatani and she armdrags Atenea to the mat again. Iwatani takes Atenea to the mat but as they return to their feet they trade wristlocks. Atenea knocks Iwatani out of the ring where she is attacked by Oedo Tai, and Kimura throws Iwatani into the ring post. Back in the ring, Atenea throws down Iwatani by her hair a few times, but Iwatani avoids her charge and hits a high kick. Spinning headscissors by Iwatani and she dropkicks Atenea while she is against the ropes. Iwatani gets on the second turnbuckle but Atenea recovers and elbows Iwatani to the mat while she is hanging over the second rope. Elbows by Atenea and she hits a big boot, cover by Atenea but it gets two. Armdrag by Iwatani, she grabs Atenea’s wrist and runs up the corner before hitting a split-legged armdrag. Atenea falls out of the ring, Iwatani goes up top but Act spits Sake in her face. Now Atenea goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but it only gets two. Atenea hits the Atenea Destroyer, but Iwatani gets a shoulder up. Kimura trips Iwatani and holds her for Atenea, but Iwatani ducks and she hits Kimura by accident. Act runs in but she accidentally spits Sake in Atenea’s face. High kick by Iwatani, she goes up top and she hits a diving footstomp. She goes up top again and delivers a frog splash, and she picks up the three count! Iwatani retains the championship!

A solid match, its always fun to watch Iwatani. The outside interference was necessary as there was no other way that Atenea had any chance of winning, but it did bring the match down a bit as it almost turned into comedy relief by the end with the multiple interference miscues. Iwatani looked good though, she hit all her moves well and was her usual high speed self. A little short and a little silly at times, but not a bad quick defense by Iwatani to give this card some importance.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kairi Hojo and Saori Anou

Anou and Kyouna are the first two in, Kyouna knocks Anou to the mat first but Anou gets back up and the two trade elbows. Shoulderblock by Anou but Kyouna kips up and they elbow each other again before tagging out. Shirai comes into the ring using the classic Keiji Mutoh entrance, just to make sure I love her even more than I already do. Anyway Shirai and Hojo trade armdrags, Hojo tags Anou back in but Shirai quickly takes over on the youngster and dropkicks her in the back. Shirai kicks Hojo for no reason before tagging in Kyouna, Kyouna slams Anou and tosses her back in the corner as Shirai returns as the legal wrestler. Handstand walk double knee by Shirai and she cockily covers Anou before knocking Hojo off the apron. Double knee by Shirai in the corner and she tags Kyouna, body avalanche by Kyouna but Anou snaps off a sidewalk slam and makes the hot tag to Hojo. Big spear by Hojo but Shirai jumps her from behind, double Irish whip to Hojo but Hojo fights them both off. Hojo and Kyouna trade chops, Hojo wins the battle but Kyouna comes back with a powerslam. Kyouna tags Shirai, dropkick by Shirai and she covers Hojo for two. Hojo throws Shirai into the corner but Shirai hits a heel drop from the second rope.

Hojo ducks the Tiger Feint Kick and hits a headscissors off the ropes, shoulder tackle by Hojo and she tags Anou. Shirai knees Anou but Anou avoids her charge in the corner, Shirai kicks Anou in the face anyway and Anou slowly rolls out of the ring while the referee checks on her. Shirai goes out after her and slides Anou back in, Hojo comes in too as does Kyouna, and Kyouna catapults Hojo so that Shirai can kick her in the midsection. Shirai goes to the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault onto Anou and Hojo, back in the ring Shirai hits a missile dropkick on Anou and covers her for two. Shirai tags Kyouna, lariat by Kyouna but her multiple covers don’t get three. Kyouna gets on the second turnbuckle, Shirai stands on her shoulders and hits a footstomp down onto Anou. Kyouna then goes for a body press but Anou gets her feet up, but Kyouna stops her from making the tag. Lariats by Kyouna, she picks up Anou but Anou sneaks in a sunset flip. Hojo runs in and hits the Sliding D on Kyouna, Anou bridges over her but Shirai breaks up the cover. Hojo elbows Kyouna, fisherman suplex hold by Anou but Kyouna gets a shoulder up. Shirai comes in with a missile dropkick to Anou, she slams Anou in front of the corner as Kyouna goes up top, but Hojo runs in and elbows her. Anou recovers and grabs Kyouna and hits the rolling fisherman suplex hold for the three count! Anou and Hojo are your winners!

I know I have said it before, but Io Shirai really is the one that makes these matches so damn fun. That isn’t to say everyone else wasn’t good, but with her flashy moves and cocky attitude it is Shirai will that make you remember this match as she was just perfect in it. Both teams worked together really well which I wasn’t really expecting to see since they aren’t regular tag teams, and the 16 minutes just flew by as it was structured perfectly. Not a high end Stardom main event since they all tend to be excellent, but still worth a watch, mostly to see why Shirai is currently one of the best wrestlers in the world.  Recommended

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Event: Stardom Grows Up Stars #6: Kairi Hojo Homecoming
Date: April 23rd, 2016
Location: Hikari Shimin Center in Yamaguchi, Japan
Announced Attendance: 455

Stardom is putting on a lot of shows, and as long as they do I will keep watching them. This show is unique in that there are no title matches, since Stardom has five titles it seems like most shows have at least one championship defended. While it is billed as Hojo’s homecoming, she didn’t get a special match on the card, just a pretty standard tag match in the main event (although it did get Shirai and Iwatani on different teams which is a bit different). We also don’t have the kids on this event, likely because they traveled pretty far from Tokyo for the show. Here is the full card:

• Alex Lee vs. Hiromi Mimura
• Alpha Female vs. Kaori Yoneyama
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura
• Diosa Atenea vs. Lizzy Styles
• Kairi Hojo and Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai and Momo Watanabe

Another shorter event, let’s get to the action.

Alex Lee vs. Hiromi Mimura

Lee quickly gets Mimura to the mat but Mimura applies a wristlock and the pair trade holds. They lock knuckles, Lee gets the advantage out of it but soon they return to trading holds again. A crossbody by Mimura sends Lee to the mat but Lee catches the next one and slams Mimura to the mat. Kick by Lee, she picks up Mimura and throws her into the corner. More kicks by Lee and she puts Mimura in a crab hold, she released the hold after a moment, kick to the chest by Lee and she covers Mimura for two. Scoop slam by Lee and she hits a second one, Mimura slides away from Lee and she delivers a trio of dropkicks. A final dropkick by Mimura, and she covers Lee for a two count. Mimura gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, she elbows Lee into the corner but Lee hits a jumping knee. Superkick by Lee, but Mimura kicks out of the cover. Mimura reverses the chokebomb into a roll-up, Lee kicks Mimura in the chest and then hits a buzzsaw kick. High kick by Lee, she picks up Mimura and she nails the chokebomb for the three count! Alex Lee is the winner.

There really isn’t any way to sugarcoat it, this wasn’t very good. Lee works really light, as was Mimura, so very few of the strikes looked like they had any impact. In a match with a lot of strikes, that was a bit of a problem. Lee is an average wrestler that can be carried to a good match, but Mimura is a rookie so is in a similar boat. This one was missing the young wrestlers for sure to add some flash to the match, overall just a flat way to kick things off.

Alpha Female vs. Kaori Yoneyama

Alpha Female muscles Yoneyama around until Yoneyama steps on her foot, but that just angers Alpha and she slams Yoneyama to the mat. Yoneyama bridges away from her and hits a dropkick, Alpha rolls out of the ring but Yoneyama goes after her. Yoneyama runs up into the crowd with Alpha in hot pursuit, Alpha catches her and puts Yoneyama in a backbreaker while she carries her back to the ring. Alpha then gets a chair and chokes her with it, while the referee tries to get her to stop. Back in the ring, Alpha clubs Yoneyama in the chest before covering her for two. The beating continues until Yoneyama finally slides away from her, chops by Yoneyama and she knees Alpha in the back of the head. Running senton by Yoneyama, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton for a two count cover. Yoneyama avoids Alpha in the corner and hits a German suplex hold, but Alpha gets a shoulder up. DDT by Yoneyama, she goes all the way up top but Alpha avoids her dive. Lariat by Alpha, she picks up Yoneyama but Yoneyama slides down her back and rolls up Alpha for two. Lariat by Alpha and she slams Yoneyama to the mat, but Yoneyama kicks out of the cover. Alpha picks up Yoneyama again and this time hits the Omega Slam, and she picks up the three count! Alpha Female wins the match.

This was a solid match between two veterans that are really good within the roles. I continue to be impressed by Alpha Female’s strength, she carried Yoneyama on her back all the way from the top of the stands down to ringside and didn’t seem to be phased by it at all. The undersized Yoneyama did well in her comeback spots and give a real impression she may pull off the upset. Overall a good midcard encounter.  Mildly Recommended

 
Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyouna vs. Kagetsu and Kyoko Kimura

Oedo Tai attacks before the bell rings and they spill out of the ring, with Kagetsu ramming Matsumoto into the ring post before they throw Matsumoto and Kyouna into each other. Kyouna is slid back into the ring and double teamed, Kagetsu comes in as the legal wrestler and dropkicks Kyouna in the jaw. Kicks by Kagetsu and she tags Kimura, Kimura grabs Kyouna and throws her around by the hair. Scoop slam by Kimura and she covers Kyouna for two. Kimura charges Kyouna in the corner but Kyouna moves, Kyouna charges Kimura but Kimura boots her in the head. Kyouna tries to shoulderblock Kimura and finally is able to do so, giving her a chance to tag in Matsumoto. Kagetsu kicks Matsumoto from the apron and comes in the ring, but Matsumoto stacks them in the corner and hits a body avalanche. Matsumoto picks up Kimura and throws her at Kagetsu, she then goes to Kimura but Kimura blocks the suplex and applies an Octopus Hold. Kagetsu handles Kyouna as well, Kimura releases the hold and she tags in Kagetsu.

Swandive missile dropkick by Kagetsu and she trades elbows with Matsumoto, Kagetsu goes off the ropes but Matsumoto hits a hard elbow. Kagetsu comes back with a dropkick, she picks up Matsumoto but Matsumoto elbows her and hits a backdrop suplex for two. Matsumoto tags in Kyouna, shoulderblocks by Kyouna and she catches Kagetsu with a powerslam. Sleeper by Kyouna but Kimura breaks it up, Matsumoto puts Kimura on her back, then Kyouna jumps on as well and she hits a double knee onto Kagetsu. Kyouna goes up top and delivers a diving body press, but Kimura breaks up the cover. Kagetsu blocks Kyouna’s lariat and hits a Samoan Drop, Kagetsu picks up Kyouna and she hits a hard elbow. Matsumoto runs in and lariats Kagetsu, but Kimura also runs in and hits Matsumoto with a little bat. Kagetsu gets it to hit Kyouna but the referee grabs it, Kyouna charges them but she hits the referee on accident. Kagetsu hits Kyouna repeatedly with the bat, but she ducks it when Kimura tries to help and Kagetsu hits Kimura by accident. Lariat by Kyouna, but the referee is slow to make the count. Yasukawa spits Sake at Kyouna and Matsumoto, then Kagetsu and Kimura both boot Kyouna in the face. Rounded Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, and she gets the three count! Oedo Tai win!

Another fun match, perhaps a bit simple but still amusing. Kagetsu had to get the win here, being one of the few members of Oedo Tai that may be able to be a serious title contender down the road. So her losing here would have been counter-productive. All four looked good and Kyouna continues to come along nicely only six months into her career. Solid performances all the way around, although nothing mind-blowing.  Mildly Recommended

Diosa Atenea vs. Lizzy Styles

Wristlock by Atenea but Styles reverses it and hits an armdrag. Another one by Styles and she dropkicks Atenea, elbows by Styles and she hits a running elbow in the corner. Sliding Kick by Styles, but Atenea kicks out of the cover. Back up they trade elbows, lariat by Atenea but Styles fires back with an elbow. Big boot by Atenea, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving elbow drop for a two count. Atenea slams Styles in front of the corner, she goes up top but Styles recovers and throws her off. Jumping kick by Styles, she charges Atenea but Atenea slams her and applies a Scorpion Deathlock. Styles barely even struggles before tapping out! Atenea wins.

There are different methods I could use to evaluate a match like this but none of them would lead to a positive outcome. I would say the quick ending was due to injury of some sort, but both wrestled the following day. Atenea won because she has a title shot at the next show, but why she won with a submission move she had done no setup for I have no idea. Not that the match was going well anyway, the strikes were weak and there wasn’t really any chemistry between the two. Very skippable match.

Kairi Hojo and Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai and Momo Watanabe

Iwatani and Watanabe begin the match, they trade holds and trips but both kip back up. Watanabe goes to tag Shirai but Iwatani runs over and kicks Shirai before tagging in Hojo. Hojo and Iwatani double team Watanabe, Shirai comes in but Iwatani puts her in a crab hold. Hojo throws down Watanabe by her hair, but Watanabe avoids her next charge and delivers a dropkick. Watanabe tags in Shirai but Iwatani comes in too, Shirai flips away from both of them and hits a double dropkick. Hojo and Iwatani fall out of the ring but Shirai and Watanabe go out after them as they fight up into the crowd. Shirai takes Hojo to the top of the auditorium and then kicks/rolls her back down the stairs before they finally make it back to ringside. Shirai rolls Hojo back in and hits a flapjack, handstand into a splash by Io and she tags in Watanabe.

Dropkicks by Watanabe and she slams Hojo for a two count cover. Shirai is tagged back in and she knees Hojo in the corner, knees by Shirai but Hojo runs off the ropes and hits a quick spear. She makes the hot tag to Iwatani, Iwatani goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Shirai. Spinning headscissors by Iwatani, Watanabe runs in but Iwatani grabs her arm and hits a split-legged springboard armdrag. She then dropkicks both of them while they are against the ropes, Iwatani goes back to focusing on Shirai and goes for a sliding kick, but Shirai catches her leg. Hurricanrana by Iwatani and she connects with a back kick, she crawls to her corner and tags in Hojo. Chops by Hojo but Shirai hits a palm strike, she goes off the ropes but Hojo hits a hard chop to the chest. Spinning chop by Hojo but Shirai trips her as she charges and hits a Tiger Feint Kick. Swandive missile dropkick by Shirai and she covers Hojo for two.

Shirai tags Watanabe, missile dropkick by Watanabe and she hits rolling vertical suplexes for a two count. Watanabe puts Hojo in the Tree of Woe but Hojo pulls up before she can hit the dropkick. Shirai comes in but so does Iwatani, Shirai puts Iwatani in the same corner with Hojo and Watanabe delivers the dropkick this time. Dropkick by Shirai, kick to the chest by Watanabe to Hojo and she nails the Somato, but Iwatani breaks it up. Shirai comes back in and slams Hojo, she goes up top but Iwatani trips her from the apron. Shirai lands on the Tree of Woe, Hojo goes up top and hits a footstomp on her as she is hanging there. Spinning chop by Hojo to Watanabe and with Iwatani by both connect with sliding attacks, but Shirai breaks up the cover. Iwatani superkicks Shirai while Hojo springboards out of the corner with an elbow to Watanabe. Iwatani dives off the apron to the floor onto Shirai, while Hojo goes up top and delivers the Diving Elbow Drop for the three count! Hojo and Watanabe win!

One good thing about Stardom is that with it being Hojo’s hometown, unlike in WWE you knew that she would actually do well and win. Course she also was beat down for awhile to build to that win, but what can ya do. Shirai seemed to be going out of her way to harass Hojo, from tossing her down the stairs to doing some extra showboat-y moves just to show she was the true ace. Shirai is a great subtle heel, not doing major heel things but just being cocky and dismissive. Watanabe showed her youth a few times but it was a rough spot against three other wrestlers that are so familar with each other that they are always on the same page. Overall I really enjoyed it, fast paced and hard hitting, just what you’d expect from a Stardom main event.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Kairi Hojo Homecoming” on 4/23/16 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

It is time for Stardom’s Cinderella Tournament! This is the second year Stardom has run the tournament, with the winner of the tournament being granted one wish (and gets to wear a pretty Cinderella dress). Last year’s winner, Mayu Iwatani, used her wish to challenge Kairi Hojo for the World of Stardom Championship, so the assumption is that the winner will challenge for one of Stardom’s titles. The Cinderella Tournament is a one-night tournament and this year has 16 participants. Every match in the tournament is a singles match with the following stipulations:

• Tournament is Single Elimination
• All matches up to the final have a 10 Minute Time Limit (Finals have a 30 Minute Time Limit)
• If the Time Limit expires, the match is a Draw and both wrestlers are Disqualified
• If both wrestlers are eliminated by Draw, their opponent in the next round gets a Bye
• Wrestlers can win by pinfall, submission, or throwing their opponent over the top rope

Aside from the dark match, the entire event on April 29th will be the tournament, so there will be a maximum of 15 matches (there will likely be less, since at least a match or two will end in a draw which will eliminate both wrestlers). Here are all the matches in order:

• Opening Tag Match: Azumi and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Eimi Nishina and Starlight Kid (winner of this match will be inserted into the tournament)

First Round

• Jungle Kyouna vs. Saori Anou
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kagetsu
• Diosa Atenea vs. Io Shirai
• Kyoko Kimura vs. TBD (winner from opening tag match)
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Mayu Iwatani
• Alpha Female vs. Queen Maya
• Kairi Hojo vs. Momo Watanabe
• Alex Lee vs. Santana Garrett

Quarterfinals

• Kyouna/Anou vs. Matsumoto/Kagetsu
• Atenea/Shirai vs. Kimura/TBD
• Alpha/Maya vs. Iwatani/Mimura
• Garrett/Lee vs. Hojo/Watanabe

Semi-Finals

• Kyouna/Anou/Matsumoto/Kagetsu vs.  Atenea/Shirai/Kimura/TBD
• Alpha/Maya/Iwatani/Mimura vs. Garrett/Lee/Hojo/Watanabe

Finals

Tournament Predictions

Now that we got all the facts out of the way, who is going to win the tournament? Remember, with the time limit and ‘over the top’ elimination, there can be many upsets without the stars of the promotion taking a pin. There are a few different directions that Stardom can go, but here are my odds of each wrestler winning:

Jungle Kyouna (50:1) – Of all the rookies, Kyouna has the best chance of winning. She is the strongest of the three so she will be harder to toss over the top rope, and she is the toughest so she will not be easy to pin. Still, she faces an uphill battle only six months after debuting.

Saori Anou (250:1) – Anou is affiliated with Actress girl’Z, however she has been a constant in Stardom since last fall. She has never had a pinfall of any substance in Stardom, and since she is affiliated with a different promotion she is ranked on the same level as the Stardom rookies even though she has been wrestling longer than they have. Anou isn’t ready for a singles title shot at this stage of her career.

Hiroyo Matsumoto (4:1) – I have Matsumoto as my favorite to win the tournament. She is a highly respected veteran and can beat any wrestler in this tournament under normal settings, let alone with over-the-top-rope rules. She would be a fresh wrestler for the singles title scene in Stardom as she has not challenged for a singles title since 2012. She still has the obstacle of being a Freelancer, but Stardom has put titles on Freelancers in the past so it would not be unheard of for the promotion.

Kagetsu (40:1) – Kagetsu is who I will be rooting for, I don’t think she is going to win but I think it would be a nice surprise. A few things working against her – she is relatively new to the promotion, she doesn’t have any big pinfalls in Stardom, and she is in the heel group. But it would freshen things up and she is a great wrestler, I would have her odds higher but her first round match is an extremely tough one.

Alpha Female (100:1) – I love Alpha Female but this is not her tournament to win, I see her losing via Draw (maybe even in the first round). First, she already had a title shot this year, and Stardom will likely use this tournament to find a new challenger. Secondly, can you see Alpha Female wearing that gaudy dress? I sure as hell can’t.

Queen Maya (50:1) – Even though she hasn’t been in the promotion since last summer, I think she has a better chance than Alpha Female in the battle of monster gaijins even though I don’t see a heel winning. She would be a fresh match-up against one of the champions, and she seems to be more open to wearing a dress than Alpha Female. Still a low probability but it wouldn’t shock me if she made it far or even won.

Hiromi Mimura (200:1) – Mimura is the oldest of the rookies but is definitely ranked below Kyouna, plus she is really small so she can be easily disposed over the top rope. Not going to be her this year.

Mayu Iwatani (8:1) – Of the Threedom, I think she has the best chance to win. I don’t think her winning last year will hurt her, as she as grown a lot in the last year and if she challenged Io Shirai it would open up a few different storylines. Plus she could build herself up into “Ms. Cinderella” if they continue to do this tournament every year.

Alex Lee (325:1) – Unaffiliated wrestler that mostly stays towards the beginning of the cards wrestling against children. Not going to win this tournament.

Santana Garrett (6:1) – I know that Garrett is never around but hear me out. They have to keep her strong since she is the last wrestler to pin Io Shirai in a singles match, plus she does hold a title. If she won the tournament, she could challenge Io Shirai for another championship, and since she has already pinned her in the past it would be a fresh but believable title match. Either way I don’t see Garrett being pinned, if she does lose it will be by Draw or over-the-top-rope elimination.

Kairi Hojo (12:1) – Since Hojo already challenged Shirai this year, the only way I can see her winning if she challenges Garrett instead of Shirai for the Wonder of Stardom. Which wouldn’t be unheard of. But I think of the Threedom team she has the least likely chance of winning, even though the chance is always there as she fits the Cinderella profile and is a fan favorite.

Momo Watanabe (20:1) – I can see this happening on some level, even though I don’t think it is likely. She is only 16 but has had battles against the top wrestlers and held her own. She would work well (like Hojo) with the Cinderella theme and would be a solid defense on one of the smaller shows. Definitely the most likely winner between all the rookies/young wrestlers, remember that Koguma reached the finals last year, it likely will not be two top wrestlers battling at the end of the tournament.

Diosa Atenea (350:1) – She has so much going against her (new wrestler to the promotion, no big wins, part of heel stable) that I can’t see any chance of her winning this. I don’t see her getting past Io Shirai.

Io Shirai (10:1) – Shirai is the ace of the promotion and thus is able to win anything at any time, but winning here wouldn’t make a lot of sense as she is already at the top. The only justifiable reason is if she uses the ‘wish’ to challenge Garrett, but she could do that without the tournament win. These types of tournaments are set up to make it easy to eliminate a top star without them losing face, which is what I expect to happen here.

Kyoko Kimura (15:1) – Of the members of Oedo Tai, Kimura has the best odds of winning. Like Matsumoto, she is a very respected veteran that has been wrestling in the promotion for a long time. She hasn’t had a singles title show since 2013, and since she is retiring this year it would be a nice way for her to go out on top. I still wouldn’t call it likely, but I wouldn’t be shocked if it happened.

TBD (750:1) – This spot opened up due to Lizzy Styles having a family emergency, and it will be determined by the winner in the opening tag match. I assume the winner will be Yoneyama, but either way, a wrestler being inserted into the tournament this late is not going to win it.

If you have any other questions about the tournament, I can be found on Twitter!

The post Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2016 Preview appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom “Grows Up Stars #5”
Date: April 17th, 2016
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 290

After a one week break we are back with more Stardom! This is a small event at Shin-Kiba 1st Ring, but even though the series name has not changed we do have new gaijin wrestlers to enjoy. Viper and Diemond have gone back home, but in their place we have Lizzy Styles and Diosa Atenea! I don’t know much about them at the moment but I will by the time I get to their match. We also get the rookies/young wrestlers challenging for the Artist of Stardom Championship! Here is the full card:

• Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina vs. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Natsumi Maki
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Starlight Kid
• Alpha Female vs. Haruka Kato
• Diosa Atenea and Kyoko Kimura vs. Kagetsu and Lizzy Styles
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hiromi Mimura, Jungle Kyouna, and Momo Watanabe

Short show, let’s get to the action.

Alex Lee vs. Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina vs. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Natsumi Maki

Maki is wearing a different color today, which she proudly announces, but she is stomped out by all four of the other wrestlers. She successfully fights back but Yoneyama goes after her, and each time Maki breaks away to pose another wrestler stops her. Azumi sneaks in a La Magistral when no one else is looking, annoying the other three so she gets stomped as well. Azumi takes it out on Nishina, they then turn to the two veterans but Yoneyama and Lee outsmart the younglings. Maki falls out of the ring, leading to Yoneyama and Lee going after each other, Maki trips Yoneyama from the floor, she goes up top but Azumi grabs her while Lee puts Nishina in a crab hold. That gets broken up, and both Maki and Nishina put Lee in a crab hold, Lee gets out of it and she superkicks Maki. Somato by Nishina to Lee, but it gets two. Nishina dropkicks Lee but Lee suplexes her, Maki and Azumi return and Azumi suplexes Maki. Azumi goes for a Japanese Leg Clutch Hold on Yoneyama, but Yoneyama blocks it and holds down Azumi for the three count! Kaori Yoneyama win the match.

You can’t take too much away from a match like this, a five minute match with five participants doesn’t give enough time for any one wrestler to shine. Both the Actress girl’Z wrestlers continue to look solid and show some flashy moves (and both are adorable), and Azumi’s character progression continues. Course she is only 13 so where it goes from here is hard to tell but at least she is getting some mic work. About what you’d expect, nothing great but not bad either.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid attacks Matsumoto from behind but it doesn’t work out for her, Starlight Kid applies a wristlock but Matsumoto quickly reverses it. Strikes by Starlight Kid but Matsumoto hits a backbreaker and Starlight Kid rolls out of the ring. She returns after a moment but Matsumoto bends her back again and stands on Starlight Kid near the ropes. Camel Clutch by Matsumoto and she covers Starlight Kid for a two count. Starlight Kid avoids Matsumoto’s charge and hits a quick Shiranui, backflip into a standing moonsault by Starlight Kid but it gets a two. Dropkicks by Starlight Kid but Matsumoto hits a hard elbow. Matsumoto charges Starlight Kid but again she moves, Starlight Kid goes for a Tiger Feint Kick but Matsumoto blocks it. Elbow by Matsumoto, she puts Starlight Kid in a crab hold and Starlight Kid submits! Hiroyo Matsumoto wins the match.

This was simple as one would expect, but it has been fun the last few weeks watching Starlight Kid gain confidence and grow as a wrestler. Early on she was looking hesitant on the moonsault and missing the Tiger Feint Kick, but here she hit everything solidly and looked better than you’d expect from a 15 year old. Matsumoto had her way with her of course and Starlight Kid being bendy helped make the offense look even better. Short and predictable, but a fun match.

Alpha Female vs. Haruka Kato

Alpha Female taunts the much smaller Kato to start before leveling her with a lariat and clubbing Kato repeatedly in the chest. Alpha picks up Kato but Kato hits a headscissors and rolls up Alpha for two. Alpha throws Kato into the corner but Kato applies the hanging armbar, she then gets on the second turnbuckle but Alpha catches her when she drives off and hits a series of backbreakers. Alpha works over Kato, Kato manages to put Alpha in a sleeper before transitioning it into a cross armbreaker. Alpha gets to the ropes, dropkick by Kato and she stomps on Alpha. Mimura hops on the apron to give Alpha advice, but Alpha returns to her feet and elbows Kato to the mat. Alpha puts Kato in a dragon sleeper with her good arm, she puts Kato on her shoulders and throws her into the corner. Alpha charges Kato but Kato moves and dropkicks Alpha in the knee. Face crusher by Kato, but Alpha kicks out. Kato goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, cross armbreaker by Kato but Alpha gets out of it. Cross armbreaker takedown by Kato but Alpha dumps her onto the apron before hitting a lariat. Hard knees by Alpha, she picks up Kato and she slams Kato to the mat for a two count. Omega-Plex by Alpha Female, and she gets the three count! Alpha Female is your winner.

I enjoyed this match quite a bit. It was a good dynamic with Kato just going for the arm and Alpha Female going for power moves/trying to break Kato in half. Alpha did a great job of selling the arm, to the point she changed up how she applied some of her normal moves, which is a small touch that you just don’t see a lot in wrestling. So I appreciate the extra effort. It felt it went the right amount of time as even though it wasn’t a squash by any means, Alpha was always one move away from defeating her smaller opponent. Overall a solid midcard match.  Mildly Recommended

Diosa Atenea and Kyoko Kimura vs. Kagetsu and Lizzy Styles

Atenea and Kagetsu are the first two in the match, springboard armdrag by Kagetsu but Atenea hits an armdrag of her own. They tag out, Kagetsu and Styles circle each other and they trade holds back and forth. Styles hits a few armdrags, Kagetsu falls out of the ring but she avoids Styles’s dive and Yasukawa pulls Styles down to the floor. Kimura attacks Styles up into the bleachers before they return to the ring, Styles is put into the ropes and all of Oedo Tai pose around her. Atenea tags back in but Styles catches her with an elbow, but Kimura stops her from making a hot tag. Lariat by Atenea, Kimura is tagged in and she starts working on Styles’s leg. Styles fights back with elbows and she connects with a dropkick, finally giving her a chance to tag in Kagetsu. Kimura pokes Kagetsu in the eyes, Atenea comes in but Kagetsu dispatches her and goes back to Kimura. Kimura knocks Kagetsu back and they trade elbows, big boot by Kimura but Kagetsu hits a spear. Another big boot by Kimura, she tags in Atenea and Atenea chops Kagetsu near the corner. Kagetsu fights back but Atenea hits a lariat followed by a dropkick in the corner. Another lariat by Atenea, and she covers Kagetsu for two. Samoan Drop by Kagetsu and she tags in Styles, Styles kicks Atenea and she hits a running elbow in the corner. Missile dropkick by Styles and she covers Atenea for a two count. Kagetsu comes in and they both dropkick Atenea, vertical suplex by Styles but Kimura comes in with a bat and start hitting Styles with it. She tosses the bat to Kagetsu as Kimura has been trying to recruit her into Oedo Tai, Kagetsu first hits Kimura and Atenea with the bat before laying into her partner Styles. Kimura and Kagetsu both kick Styles, Atenea picks up Styles and nails the Atenea Destroyer for the three count! Atenea and Kimura win the match.

This match was more about Kimura finally getting Kagetsu into Oedo Tai, it just happened to come at the expense of poor Styles. I didn’t get enough of a look at the new wrestlers to get a strong opinion. Styles is the a bubbly crowd-pleasure babyface type, but she didn’t have on a proper outfit, leading to her constantly adjusting it with limited effectiveness. Which was a bit distracting. Atenea looked more seasoned but also left less of an impression since she wasn’t really interacting with the crowd or doing anything to make herself stand out. Overall it was a bit of a flat match but with a memorable ending, with the baseball bat being used and Atenea finishing Styles off. Worth a watch for the payoff, but the match itself was a bit pedestrian.

(c) Io Shirai, Kairi Hojo, and Iwatani vs. Mimura, Kyouna, and Watanabe

Mimura attacks Shirai before the match officially starts and the brawl is on, with the youngsters taking it to the champions. Shirai is isolated as they pose on her, Mimura stays in with Shirai but Shirai quickly takes control. Dropkick by Shirai and she hits a second one, Mimura gets back up but Shirai puts her in a sleeper. They end up back on their feet again, Watanabe and Iwatani are both tagged in and Iwatani hits an armdrag off the ropes. They trade quick moves before kipping up, and they tag in Hojo and Kyouna. Kyouna elbows Hojo against the ropes and hits a shoulderblock, armdrag by Hojo and she delivers the neckbreaker. Hojo tags Iwatani, Iwatani kicks Kyouna in the back before raking her face in the ropes. Shirai is tagged in but Kyouna picks her up and she hits a powerslam for a two count. Kyouna tags in Watanabe, dropkick by Watanabe and she puts Shirai in the Tree of Woe. Hojo and Iwatani both run in but so does Mimura, Watanabe puts Iwatani in the same corner with Shirai before putting Hojo in the corner as well. All three of the challengers hit running strikes in the corner, things settle down with Watanabe and Shirai trading elbows and Shirai puts Watanabe in an armtrap crossface.

Watanabe gets out of the hold and dropkicks Shirai, she tags in Kyouna, all the wrestlers run in and they all suplex each other. Kyouna ends up the last woman standing on the rookie team, running knee by Shirai in the corner and she covers Kyouna for two. Shirai tags in Iwatani, missile dropkick by Iwatani but Kyouna slides away and hits a body avalanche followed by a face crusher. Kyouna goes up top but Hojo throws her off, Shirai comes in too but so does Mimura and Watanabe as things break down again. Iwatani superkicks everyone, she picks up Kyouna but Kyouna gets away and tosses her to the mat. Kyouna then joins Shirai up top and hits a bodyslam to the mat, she goes back to Iwatani and she hits a big lariat. They both tag out as Hojo and Mimura come in, and Hojo drops the rookie with a spear. Kyouna comes in and lariats Hojo, Mimura twists on Hojo’s arm but Hojo ducks the lariat and hits a double chop to the chest. Hojo goes up top and hits the diving elbow smash, but the cover only gets two. Hojo picks up Hojo but Hojo rolls her up for two, Watanabe runs in and she hits the Somato on Hojo but Shirai breaks up Mimura’s La Magistral. Elbows by Mimura but Iwatani and Shirai get in the ring to help Hojo regain control. Sliding D by Hojo, but Mimura cuts it back into a cradle for a two count. All six wrestlers end up in the ring but they all knock each other out, they slowly recover and Shirai hits a swandive missile dropkick on Kyouna and Watanabe. All three of the rookie team are stacked in the corner and hit with the Iwatani Dart, diving elbow drop by Hojo to Mimura and she picks up the three count! Threedom retain the championship!

Top to bottom this wasn’t quite as good as some of the other 3 v 3 matches I have seen recently, but it was still an entertaining match. The best thing about it is just how well the rookies are coming along (I know Watanabe isn’t technically a rookie but she is only 16 so I still refer to her thusly). If you show this match to someone that didn’t know the wrestlers, there is no way they’d know one of the teams was so inexperienced. Everything was smooth and fast paced, and I loved the teamwork from both team even though it did make the match feel a bit disjointed since no two wrestlers ever got much of a groove going. A really fun lowkey match and a fitting main event for a smaller show.  Recommended

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