Even though this event is not at Korakuen, it is still a really big show for the promotion with 800+ in attendance and two high end matches. It is unusual for Stardom to have this many fans present outside of their bigger monthly events, so I’m excited for them. Here are the matches we will be watching:

• Alex Lee and Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina and Maki Natsumi
• Arisu Nanase and Momo Watanabe vs. Starlight Kid and Hiromi Mimura
• Chelsea, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Shanna vs. Diosa Atenea, Kris Wolf, and Leah Vaughan
• Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Jungle Kyouna
• High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu
• Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo vs. Meiko Satomura and Mika Iwata

Per usual, click the names above to go to their profile. Lots of exciting stuff, let’s get to it.

Alex Lee and Azumi vs. Eimi Nishina and Natsumi Maki

Azumi and Natsumi (aka Grandma according to Azumi since she is ‘old’) start the match, but they reach a quick stalemate and tag out. Nishina is tossed to the mat by Lee but Nishina hits a quick drop toehold followed by a face crusher. Natsumi comes in and they both dropkick Lee, Natsumi puts Lee in a stretch hold before stomping her repeatedly. She tags Nishina back in but Lee slams Nishina before hitting a high knee in the corner. Another knee by Lee, and she covers Nishina for a two count. Azumi comes in to help work over Nishina, Lee covers Nishina with one foot but Nishina kicks out. Lee tags Azumi, dropkick by Azumi and she puts Nishina in a crab hold. Nishina gets out of it and goes for a Somato, but Azumi ducks it and rolls up Nishina for two. Nishina tags Natsumi, rolling neckbreakers by Natsumi but Azumi wiggles away and stomps on her. DDT by Azumi and she applies a cradle for a quick two count. Lee comes in but she superkicks Azumi by accident. Nishina hits the Somato on Azumi, swinging neckbreaker by Natsumi and she applies a bridge to get the three count! Nishina and Natsumi are the winners.

A fun opener, simple but effective. I hope that these rookies stick around for many years to come for how much time I am investing watching them develop, but all three looked good here while Lee was her usual self. A few little rough patches but not as many as one may expect with three inexperienced wrestlers, and it was too short to get dull. A fine way to start the show.

Arisu Nanase and Momo Watanabe vs. Starlight Kid and Hiromi Mimura

Mimura and Momo start the match at 100 as they run off the ropes back and forth, both hit armdrags until Momo dropkicks Mimura into the corner. Momo tags Arisa, Arisa starts working over Mimura but Mimura gets away and tags in Starlight Kid. Momo is tagged in too, and Starlight Kid drops her with a multiple rotation satellite headscissors but Momo slams her to the mat in return. Momo goes for a Tree of Woe dropkick but Starlight Kid gets out of it, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Arisu grabs her from the apron so she can’t jump off. Momo recovers and throws Starlight Kid back to the mat, kicks by Momo and Arisu kicks Starlight Kid from the ropes again. Satellite sunset flip by Starlight Kid and she makes the hot tag to Hiromi, dropkicks by Hiromi and she hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Starlight Kid and Hiromi both dropkick Mom in the corner, but Arisu runs in and evens the score. Momo hits a vertical suplex on Hiromi, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick. Momo tags Arisu, dropkicks by Arisu and she covers Hiromi for a two count. Hiromi comes back with her rolling leglock, but Momo quickly breaks it up. Arisu picks up Mimura and hits the Blockbuster Suplex, but Hiromi gets a shoulder up. She goes for another one but Hiromi blocks it this time, elbows by Hiromi but the rookie Arisu (I am assuming) gets confused on the next spot and they all look confused for about 15 seconds. Starlight Kid dropkicks Arisu, then Momo dropkicks Starlight Kid, Momo goes to do the Somato but Starlight Kid trips her from the apron. This leaves Hiromi with Arisu, La Magistral by Hiromi and she picks up the three count! The Dancing Stars win!

I am not going to eviscerate a bunch of rookies for getting lost in a match, obviously something like that would pretty unforgivable when dealing with veterans but there are no real veterans here so miscues like that are going to happen sometimes. Besides that awkward 15 seconds I thought they did pretty good here, with Starlight Kid being the standout with her smooth rotational moves that keep getting better. She is almost ready for her excursion to Mexico. Nothing to get excited about and a step down execution-wise from the last match, but there is something fun about watching the future stars of a promotion while they are still feeling things out.

Chelsea, Hiroyo Matsumoto, and Shanna vs. Diosa Atenea, Kris Wolf, and Leah Vaughan

Team Freelancer tries to do a cute pose before the match but thankfully Oedo Tai has none of that and attacks them, leading to a big brawl which the Freelancers get the better of. Chelsea and Shanna dive off the apron onto their opponents, Matsumoto then picks up Wolf in the ring and tosses her out onto her two teammates. Wolf is rolled back in, Matsumoto slams her and covers the feisty creature for two. Chelsea is tagged in but she is tripped from the floor by Vaughan and Atenea. They come in the ring and triple team Chelsea in the ropes, Atenea is tagged in but Chelsea kicks her in the stomach. Chelsea is triple teamed again as Oedo Tai controls the action, but she gets away from Vaughan and hits a leg drop, which gives her time to tag in Matsumoto. Wolf is tagged in too and Oedo Tai handles Matsumoto in the corner, but Matsumoto regains the advantage and hits a missile dropkick on Atenea. Matsumoto tags Shanna, armdrag by Shanna but Atenea armdrags her back before both wrestlers lariat each other. Wolf comes in but Chelsea goes up top and hits a crossbody on both Wolf and Atenea, Vaughan comes in but Matsumoto puts her onto her shoulders, but Wolf bites her leg. They all put each other in submission holds in a unique but ultimately not effective train, they all get out of that and the Freelance team takes control of Oedo Tai. Wolf is isolated, Shanna and Chelsea get on Matsumoto’s back and Matsumoto hits a double kneedrop onto Wolf. Cover by Chelsea, but Vaughan breaks it up. Vaughan boots Matsumoto out of the ring, she get some spray but she sprays her own partner Wolf on accident. Chelsea puts Wolf in a headscissors headlock, and Wolf submits! Chelsea, Matsumoto, and Shanna win!

I enjoyed this probably more than I legally should have, as I really like Oedo Tai and the Freelancer team oddly worked quite well together. There were a lot of memorable spots, some better than others but at no point was the match boring for sure. Shanna and Chelsea wrestled similarly so they are a good pair, maybe they can become a regular tag team if Shanna stays in Stardom longer term. A good mixture of lighthearted fare and action and a fun midcard match.  Mildly Recommended

Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Jungle Kyouna

Hashimoto grabs Kyouna right as the match starts but Kyouna gets away from her, Kyouna gets out of the ring to re-group but returns after a moment with extra fire. They struggle in a tie-up until Hashimoto gets Kyouna in the ropes, and she gives her fellow rookie a clean break. Hashimoto rolls Kyouna on the mat, wristlock by Hashimoto and she continues working over the Stardom wrestler. Kyouna finally fights back and hits mounted elbows, she puts Hashimoto in a crab hold but she crawls to the ropes to force a break. Hashimoto tosses Kyouna to the mat and goes for a cross armbreaker, but Kyouna blocks it and they return to their feet to trade elbows. Shoulderblocks by Hashimoto in the corner and she hits an elbow followed by a couple hip attacks for a two count cover. Another hip attack by Hashimoto but Kyouna avoids her charge and hits a body avalanche in the corner, face crusher by Kyouna and she covers Hashimoto for two. They take turns trying to knock each other over, a battle that Hashimoto wins, but Kyouna gets her to the mat and hits a diving body press off the second turnbuckle. Crab hold by Kyouna, but Hashimoto gets into the ropes. Kyouna tries to slam Hashimoto but Hashimoto blocks it, Kyouna goes off the ropes but Hashimoto slaps her in the face and hits a judo throw. Cross armbreaker by Hashimoto, but Kyouna wiggles to the ropes and gets there to force a break. Back up they exchange strikes, body avalanche by Hashimoto but Kyouna levels her with a lariat. Kyouna forces up Hashimoto and elbows her repeatedly before back bodydropping her to the mat. Kyouna goes up top but Hashimoto gets her knees up when Kyouna goes for the diving body press. Hashimoto tries to pick up Kyouna, Kyouna blocks it the first time but Hashimoto then gets her up and hits a Waterwheel Drop for a nearfall. Hashimoto picks up Kyouna, she hits the Waterwheel Drop with a bridge this time, and she picks up the three count! Hashimoto wins!

There was a lot to love here. For those that think that Joshi is just high speed and crazy dives, there are wrestlers that have a more ground-based offense as well. Hashimoto and Kyouna are both rookies so hopefully they will be around for a long time, and with their backgrounds they are both more strength/submission oriented than flying around and being constant motion. Both are really good already, I’ve been impressed the few times I have seen Hashimoto but Kyouna is not far behind her, and their styles matches up perfectly. A bit slower than you may be expecting but really well worked with no overkill and a logical ending. If you want to see some rookies that have a different style, definitely check this out.  Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu

Kagetsu doesn’t cheat right off the start, which shows some respect for the fact they are in a title match, and the two quickly trade armdrags before reaching a stalemate. Iwatani goes for her split-legged armdrag but Kagetsu blocks it, and Iwatani rolls out of the ring to ponder what to do next. She tries to return to the ring but Kagetsu knocks her back out and this time goes out with her to attack Iwatani around the floor. Kagetsu gets a chair and hits Iwatani in the head with it, she throws her into the ring post and hits Iwatani with the chair again. The rest of Oedo Tai attacks Iwatani before they return to the ring (Oedo Tai comes in too) and they all hit running strikes in the corner. Swandive missile dropkick by Kagetsu, she sets up a chair in the ring and dropkicks it into Iwatani’s head. Iwatani tries to hit a missile dropkick as a comeback move but Kagetsu sidesteps it, Kagetsu puts Iwatani in the ropes and all of Oedo Tai return again as Iwatani is heavily outnumbered. Iwatani finally hits an offensive move and she hits a spinning headscissors, dropkick by Iwatani while Kagetsu is against the ropes, Kagetsu falls out of the ring but Iwatani dives out onto her with a plancha suicida.

Back in the ring, bridging suplex by Iwatani but it gets two. Iwatani goes off the ropes but Kagetsu catches her with a pop-up Samoan Drop, Iwatani returns to her feet and the foes trade elbows. Big dropkick by Kagetsu and she hits a high kick, but Iwatani retorts with a high kick of her own. Kagetsu charges Iwatani but Iwatani hits a hip toss followed by a quick footstomp off the second turnbuckle. Iwatani goes all the way up this time but Kagetsu joins her and hits a superplex. Iwatani charges Kagetsu but Kagetsu hits a cross armbreaker takedown, but Iwatani gets to the ropes. Vertical suplex by Kagetsu and she hits the Ebisu Drop, but Iwatani barely gets a shoulder up. High kick by Kagetsu but Iwatani blocks the Yoshi Tonic. Quick roll-ups by Iwatani for two, she goes for a crucifix hold but that gets a two count as well. Kagetsu gets her Parking Sign but Iwatani ducks the blow and she hits Kris Wolf by accident. Hurricanrana by Iwatani, she gets the sign and she puts it onto Kagetsu’s chest before hitting a diving footstomp off the second turnbuckle. Superkicks by Iwatani, she picks up Kagetsu and she nails the enhanced Dragon Suplex Hold for the three count! Iwatani wins the match and retains the High Speed Championship.

Before I get into my slight annoyance with the booking, I thought this was a solid match. The shenanigans didn’t bother me here as on paper this is Stardom’s #3 singles title, plus Oedo Tai calmed down after the initial stretch and didn’t break up pinfalls which is the most annoying thing that heel factions do. Iwatani took a lot of offense but just because she never gets pinned I never really brought into any of the nearfalls, it would take a ‘super’ move to keep Iwatani down and I don’t know what move Kagetsu has in her arsenal that would do the trick. Which is the problem when you have a wrestler (or group of wrestlers) that seem unbeatable, some of the suspense is taken out of it, and I don’t know why Iwatani really needs three titles when Oedo Tai has none. Still, a fun match with some well done spots, wish it was a bit longer and that Kagetsu was more of a challenge but I still enjoyed it quite a bit as a change of pace from the typical Stardom title match.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo vs. Meiko Satomura and Mika Iwata

Iwata and Hojo begin the match and Iwata immediately hammers in the elbows, but Hojo has none of it and returns fire. Big hammer fist by Hojo to get Iwata down, Hojo works over the rookie with holds but Iwata dropkicks her to the mat and tags Satomura. Satomura knees Hojo against the ropes before rolling her to the mat and putting Hojo in a headlock. Satomura tags Iwata back in, PK by Iwata and she covers Hojo for two. Iwata tags Satomura as Hojo is officially the Face in Peril, she goes for her spear but Satomura blocks it and hits a bodyslam. Shirai comes in to help but Satomura slams Shirai onto Hojo for her trouble before throwing Shirai out of the ring. I just love sequences like that, one of my favorites. Satomura tags Iwata but Hojo levels her with a spear and tags in Shirai. Shirai goes up top and comes in the ring with a missile dropkick, she kicks Iwata out of the ring as Satomura come in, and Shirai back bodydrops Satomura to the floor. Shirai then gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a moonsault down to the floor onto both the Sendai Girls’ wrestlers. Back in, cocky Ace Shirai takes over on Iwata before tagging Hojo back in. Hojo tosses Iwata by her hair before Shirai returns, and Shirai does her patented hand walk kneedrop. Shirai methodically attacks Iwata, Iwata slides away but Shirai stops her from making a tag. Superkick by Iwata and now she makes the tag, rebound elbow by Satomura to Shirai and she knocks Hojo off the apron just for good measure. Shirai and Satomura engage in a strike battle until Satomura slams Shirai to the mat and covers her for two.

Shirai comes back with the cartwheel dropkick, she goes off the ropes and dropkicks Satomura in the head. Shirai tags Hojo, chops by Hojo but Satomura kicks her in return. Irish whip by Satomura to the corner but Hojo hits the triple jump rebound elbow, Sliding D by Hojo and she covers Satomura for two. Submission hold by Hojo but Satomura gets out of it and hits a backdrop suplex. Kicks by Satomura, Shirai tries to help with a swandive move but Satomura smacks her before she can jump. Cartwheel into a kneedrop by Satomura to Hojo, she goes up top but Hojo hits a palm strike and throws Satomura into the mat. Pele Kick by Satomura but Hojo fights back with elbows before hitting a backfist. Kick to the head by Satomura and both wrestlers crawl to their own corners to tag out. Iwata kicks Shirai in the chest, high kick by Iwata and she hits a suplex for a two count. Enzuigiri by Iwata, Satomura comes in and she drops Shirai with a backdrop suplex. Iwata goes off the ropes but she dropkicks Satomura by accident, Shirai puts Satomura on her shoulders while Hojo goes up top and Hojo hits a jumping elbow smash. Shirai grabs Iwata and hits a double underhook facebuster, but she lifts Iwata before the three count to taunt Satomura. Satomura comes in but so does Hojo, and Satomura kills Hojo with a high kick. Pele Kick by Satomura to Shirai, and Iwata rolls up Shirai for a two count. Iwata goes for a bodyscissors but Shirai catches her and hits a German suplex. Shirai hits a dragon screw on Satomura, Iwata slaps Shirai and Irish whips her but Shirai sails out of the ring with a plancha suicida onto Satomura. Hojo comes in the ring and hits a diving elbow drop onto Iwata, Shirai returns and nails a moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo are the winners!

This match did so much that I love. Satomura’s kicks, for starters, as she was blasting everyone that walked too close to her. I love when a wrestler comes in to help their partner and instead gets destroyed, one of my favorite wrestling things as its the opposite of what normally happens. Everyone looked good, Iwata did not look out of place even though she was the clear underdog in the match. Io was in full Cocky Champion mode here, toying with the young Iwata throughout and not minding who she took out with her crazy plancha suicida. Overall this was just a really fun hard hitting match, it would have been a touch better without one wrestler that ranked so much lower than the rest, but still top notch.  Highly Recommended

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Event: Stardom “Gold May”
Date: May 15th, 2016
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 910

About once a month, Stardom has a big event at Korakuen Hall, and they always go all out to put on an entertaining show. Here we get two big title matches, with Hojo looking to take the belt away from the often vacant Santana Garrett and Shirai battling against her tag team partner Mayu Iwatani for the #1 championship in the promotion. Plus we get Matsumoto killing a rookie and two giant gaijins going toe to toe. Here is the full card:

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

You can click on the names above to go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City. As this event was shown on Stardom World (just on a ringside camera, so multi-camera setup) the matches will not be clipped.

Alex Lee, Azumi, and Yoneyama vs. Eimi Nishina, Kato, and Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid and Yoneyama begin for their teams and trade holds but neither gets a real advantage so they tag in Azumi and Nishina. Azumi immediately gets the upper hand, her teammates come in and Nishina is triple teamed. Nishina comes back with a pair of dropkicks and she puts Azumi in a crab hold, but Azumi rolls out of it and tags in Lee. Kicks by Lee to Nishina and she throws her down by her hair, but Nishina hits a face crusher and covers Lee for two. Starlight Kid and Kato come in and they all dropkick Lee, Kato stays in but Lee knees her in the gut. Kato gets Lee’s back and rolls her to the mat with a cross armbreaker, but it is quickly broken up. Lee superkicks Kato a few times and hits a double underhook suplex, but the cover is broken up. Lee tags Yoneyama and she attacks Kato, but Starlight Kid comes in and hits Yoneyama with the Shiranui. Kato hits a diving crossbody on Yoneyama and tags in Starlight Kid, Starlight Kid rolls up Yoneyama and gets a two count. Yoneyama gets fed up and slams Starlight Kid, she tags in Azumi and they trade elbows. Dropkick by Starlight Kid and she hits a diving body press off the second turnbuckle, but the cover is broken up. Azumi suplexes Starlight Kid and hits a trio of DDTs, but again the pin is interrupted. Yoneyama and Lee are pulled out of the ring while in the ring Azumi goes for a Wing Clutch Hold, but Starlight Kid rolls though it and hits a standing moonsault for the three count! Nishina, Kato, and Starlight Kid are your winners.

Starlight Kid finally gets the big win over her arch rival! Needless to say a six wrestler tag that goes seven minutes is going to have some issues really getting moving but it was still an easy watch. The kids seem to be progressing and the veterans did their part keeping the match together. A few rough patches here and there but not a bad way to kick things off.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Natsumi Maki

Maki wants Matsumoto to dance and do her pose as the match starts, which she does, but then Matsumoto kicks Maki in the gut. Maki applies a wristlock and poses again, giving Matsumoto time to knee her in the stomach. Matsumoto shrugs off a dropkick and throws down Maki by her hair, double kneedrop by Matsumoto and she rakes Maki’s face in the ropes. Chops by Matsumoto and she hits a scoop slam, cover by Maki but it gets two. Maki slides away from Matsumoto and applies a sleeper, but Matsumoto slams her into the corner to break it up. Armdrag by Maki and she applies a crucifix pin, Matsumoto kicks out and breaks Maki with a backbreaker. Body Avalanche by Matsumoto and she puts Maki in an Argentine Backbreaker, leading to Maki submitting! Matsumoto wins the match.

If I had to describe Maki as succinctly as possible, I would call her “full of energy but unpolished.” The crowd likes her, she has a bubbly personality and some bendy moves, but she is still early in her career in terms of some of the finer points of wrestling. Course she is still young and that is why she is wrestling early on the card, to gain some experience. Matsumoto is great of course and seemed to be having a great time also, but either way it was just a short opening-style match. A few cute spots though.

Diosa Atenea, Kagetsu, and Kimura vs. Mimura, Kyouna, and Watanabe

Atenea refuses to shake hands with the rookies, and quickly regrets her decision as all three of the rookies jump her. Atenea gets hit with many dropkicks but Atenea regains the advantage on Momo and kicks her out of the ring. Oedo Tai beats the rookies around the ring while Atenea returns with Momo, elbow by Atenea and she tags Kimura. Kimura throws Watanabe around by her hair before tagging in Kagetsu, as Momo plays the role of Face in Peril. Watanabe dropkicks Kimura and makes the hot tag to Kyouna, and Kyouna shoulderblocks all the members of Oedo Tai. Crossbody by Mimura (with help from Kyouna), but Oedo Tai gets all the rookies into submission holds. Atenea stays in with Kyouna and they trade elbows, kicks by Atenea but Kyouna catches her with a powerslam. Momo returns but Atenea tags Kagetsu, she goes for a swandive dropkick but Watanabe runs under it. Watanabe hits an armdrag. Missile dropkick by Watanabe, and she makes the tag to Mimura. Dropkicks by Mimura and she hits a DDT, cover by Mimura but it gets two. Rolling leglock by Mimura but all of Oedo Tai runs in and breaks it up. They stay in to attack the rookies, Mimura is isolated and they slam her to the mat. Kyouna runs in and hits a triple crossbody, she goes up top and she hits a diving crossbody on Kagetsu. Kyouna picks up Mimura and drops her into Kagetsu, but Kimura breaks up the pin. Kagetsu gets a parking sign and hits all three of the rookies with it, Kimura returns and they both boot Mimura in the chest. Mimura fires back with elbows to Kagetsu but Kagetsu gets her on her shoulders and hits the Ebisu Drop for the three count! Oedo Tai win the match.

Its a good idea in these Oedo Tai matches for Kagetsu to get the final pin, since she is new to the promotion it helps put her over a bit as more than just a lackey. The match was fine, lots of solid action and the rookies continue to grow early in their careers. Since I adore Wolf and Act I don’t mind them cheating when applicable, and Kimura does a solid job of being the base of the group. Everyone got a bit of a chance to shine, no real memorable moments but a good midcard match that flowed well.  Mildly Recommended

Alpha Female vs. Queen Maya

Alpha smashes Maya’s tiara before the match even starts to set the early tone, and Alpha immediately attacks Maya in the corner. They trade elbows until Alpha knocks Maya out of the ring, Maya gets a chair and sits down at ringside to re-group. Alpha grabs her by the hair but Maya hits Alpha in the head with the chair and covers her for two. Stomps by Maya and she clubs on Alpha’s chest, but Alpha finally blocks a shot and returns the favor. Big boot by Maya and she hits a second one, body avalanche by Maya and she hits an elbow drop for a two count. Maya goes to pick up Alpha but Alpha puts her in a triangle choke, but Maya gets a foot on the ropes. Vertical suplex by Alpha and she picks up Maya, but Maya slides away. Maya lariats Alpha out of the ring but Alpha pulls her out with her and throws her into the chairs at ringside. Alpha rams Maya into the apron, they battle up onto the stage and Female slams Maya onto the hard floor. Alpha gets Maya back into the ring but Maya blocks the Omega Slam and hits a lariat. DDT by Alpha, she picks up Maya but again Maya elbows herself free and hits a sidewalk slam for a two. Maya charges Alpha but Alpha levels her with a lariat, she picks up Maya and powerbombs her into the turnbuckles. Omega Plex by Alpha, and she picks up the three count! Alpha Female wins.

There were certainly some issues here, as Maya is limited and the pacing was off at times, but they did make up for it with some big moves. If this was the main event it would have been disappointing, but as a ‘special attraction’ monster gaijin collision and a change of pace match I thought it worked pretty well. Alpha is just so strong, I haven’t ever seen another wrestler hit moves to Maya like she does, and Maya was game for anything. A bit of a guilty pleasure match but definitely different from everything else on the card which is always a plus. I enjoyed it but no promises that you will, especially in a vacuum where it being a change of pace style match won’t matter as much.

(c) Santana Garrett vs. Kairi Hojo

They immediately start trading elbows and they take turns striking each other in the corner. Space Rolling Elbow by Garrett and she throws down Hojo by the hair, Hojo tosses Garrett out to the apron and slams Hojo into the turnbuckles, Garrett goes up top and flings Hojo out of the ring. Tope Suicida by Garrett, she pulls Hojo near the apron and puts her in a stretch hold while the referee tries to get her to let go. She eventually does and throws Hojo into the ring post before sliding her back into the ring. Garrett starts working on Hojo’s arm, Hojo goes up to the corner and goes to do her springboard move but she loses her balance and jumps out of the ring onto no one. That must have hurt. But she gets back into the ring like a trooper but Garrett kicks her in the face and covers Hojo for two. Shoulderblock and a neckbreaker by Hojo, she puts Garrett in a leg submission and then an arm submission before letting the hold go. Back up they trade elbows, Hojo goes off the ropes but Garrett catches her with a superkick. Enzuigiri by Garrett, but when get they back up Hojo levels her with a spear. Ikari by Hojo, she picks up Garrett and hits a Final Cut. Hojo goes up top but Garrett joins her, Hojo pushes Garrett into the Tree of Woe and hits a jumping footstomp to the chest. Hojo delivers the Sliding D and she covers Garrett for a two count. Hojo goes up top but Garrett blocks the Diving Elbow Drop and applies a short armbar. Garrett kicks Hojo in the head and drops her with a DDT, she nails the Shining Star Press but Hojo barely gets a shoulder up. After trading pin attempts, Garrett picks up Hojo and hits a handspring elbow, but Hojo catches her with a spinning double chop. Hojo picks up Garrett and hits a leg clutch bridging suplex, but Garrett kicks out. Hojo slams Garrett in front of the corner, she goes up top and delivers the Diving Elbow Drop for the three count! Kairi Hojo wins the match and the Wonder of Stardom Championship!

A very good match, not quite great in-ring wise but a necessary match to get the belt off of Garrett and continue Hojo’s storyline. I am not thrilled with every Stardom title (eight total) being held by three wrestlers but that is just where the promotion is right now, hopefully it gets resolved soon as the upper midcard is non-existent. The match itself was generally entertaining, Garrett doesn’t have a ton of chemistry with Hojo but they worked together pretty well and the crowd was into just about everything Hojo did. Good match with some emotional moments, but with some odd transitions and illogical decisions by both wrestlers that took it down a peg or two.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Mayu Iwatani

Before the match even starts, Iwatani asks that the match have no time limit, which Shirai agrees to. They go through an extended feeling out process as Iwatani is all business, Iwatani tries to elbow Shirai but Shirai has none of it and pulls her by the hair. Iwatani flips Shirai to the mat and kicks her repeatedly, Shirai gets back up and they run the ropes until Shirai dropkicks Iwatani out of the ring. Shirai gets a running start and then sails out onto Iwatani with a plancha suicida, she goes up top but Iwatani kicks her to send Shirai back to the floor. Diving plancha by Iwatani to the floor, she goes for a dragon suplex but Shirai reverses it and hits a German suplex onto the floor. Stiff kicks by Shirai before she rolls Iwatani back in and hits a slingshot footstomp. More kicks by Shirai and she dropkicks Iwatani in the head, dragon screw by Shirai and she hits a hard palm strike. Shirai stays in control on the mat and flings Iwatani in the corner before hitting a running double knee strike.

Iwatani comes back with an armdrag and a headscissors before drilling her with a dropkick. Northern Lights Suplex by Iwatani, she goes up top but Shirai throws her back down. Iwatani joins Shirai and guillotines her on the top rope, Shirai is leaned over the second rope and Iwatani hits a footstomp to her back. Iwatani goes up top and hits a diving footstomp, cover by Iwatani but it gets two. Iwatani goes for the dragon suplex but Shirai blocks it and she hits a German suplex of her own for a two count cover. Iwatani kicks Shirai but Shirai blocks the hurricanrana and applies a crab hold. Iwatani gets into the ropes, Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai and she hits the swandive dropkick for two. Armtrap Crossface by Shirai, but Iwatani gets out of it and kicks her in the head. Palm strikes by Shirai but Iwatani catches her with a pair of superkicks, but Shirai catches her from behind and hits a big suplex. Texas Cloverleaf by Shirai, she picks up Iwatani and she delivers a tombstone piledriver.

Shirai goes up top but Iwatani avoids the moonsault, high kick by Iwatani and Shirai rolls to the apron. Iwatani joins her on the apron, she picks up Shirai and and nails a dragon suplex! Shirai flops to the floor and lands on her head for extra measure, Iwatani rolls back in the ring while Shirai slowly regains her bearing and barely makes the count. Iwatani hits a German suplex hold as soon as Shirai returns, but she gets a two count. Iwatani goes for the reverse hurricanrana but Shirai blocks it, frog splash by Iwatani but it gets a two as well. Dragon suplex hold by Iwatani, but Shirai barely gets a shoulder up. She goes for another one but Shirai blocks it and hits a tiger suplex. Package German suplex hold by Shirai, she goes up top and nails the moonsault for the three count! Io Shirai is still the champion!

Being the company ace has both its advantages and disadvantages. Io Shirai has to always be at the top of her game, luckily she is always up for the challenge as in the last year she has pretty much developed into the perfect character. She manages to still be pleasant but deadly serious and deadly accurate with her moves, she isn’t a heel but rather just really confident in her abilities and she pulls it off as well as anyone in wrestling. Iwatani was wrestling as the underdog all match, as her ‘big match’ moves couldn’t get her the win and she made a few miscues here and there. The only complaint about the match would just be that Io took so much damage and came back quickly to win but that is just who she is, if you are going to beat Io you will either have to sneak out a win or kill her, just normal moves aren’t going to do the trick. Mayu is still young, she’ll get more chances, so a loss here doesn’t hurt her or her story. An incredible match that had all the elements I look for in wrestling, just a must see.  Highly Recommended

The post Stardom Gold May on 5/15/16 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.

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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Championships Held: None
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches:

• November 3rd, 2016 vs. Hana Kimura (title challenge)
• October 9th, 2017 with Saori Anou vs. Command Bolshoi and Leon (title challenge)
• November 8th, 2018 vs. Riho (title challenge)

Signature Moves:

• Backlash (shown below)
• Diving Body Press
• German Suplex
• Neck Screw

Sample of Matches Reviewed on Joshi City:

• June 4th, 2016 – Natsumi Maki vs. Arisu Nanase in Stardom
• October 23rd, 2016 – IOTICA (Io), MAYUCHIKA (Mayu), and Poi Man (Maki) vs. Pirate Kaiser (Kairi), Aloha Beat (Yoko), and Fuzzy Peach (Momo) in Stardom
• January 9th, 2017 – Sareee and Natsumi Maki vs. Yako Fujigasaki and Manami Katsu in JWP
• January 14th, 2017 – Natsumi Maki vs. Nao Kakuta in WRESTLE-1 ACE
• March 20th, 2017 – Hanako Nakamori and Natsumi Maki vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Tam Nakano in GPS
• March 21st, 2017 – Hiroe Nagahama vs. Natsumi Maki in WAVE
• July 14th, 2017 – Command Bolshoi and Tae Honma vs. Hanako Nakamori and Natsumi Maki in PURE-J
• May 13th, 2018 – Natsumi Maki vs. Sakura Hirota in Marvelous
• August 8th, 2018 – Nagashima, DASH Chisako, KAORU, and Yabushita vs. Maki, Sahara Seven, Watanabe, and Yuu Yamagata in Marvelous

In Action:

Backlash

Back to Joshi Freelancers

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