Welcome to the final show of the Stardom FIVE STAR GP! I realize I didn’t review any of the events leading up to the finale but it was just way too much to watch so we are skipping right to the good stuff. Here are the standings going into the show:

This event has all the wrestlers’ last matches in the tournament, then the Finals will immediately take place. Here is the full card:

• AZM, Mari Apache, and Shiki Shibusawa vs. Natsuko Tora, Ruaka, and Starlight Kid
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block B: Hiromi Mimura vs. Xia Brookside
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block A: Konami vs. Mandy Leon
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block B: Hana Kimura vs. Kris Wolf
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block A: Jungle Kyona vs. Tam Nakano
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block A: Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block A: HZK vs. Io Shirai
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block B: Viper vs. Yoko Bito
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Block B: Kagetsu vs. Mayu Iwatani
• FIVE STAR GP 2017 Final

A long event, and since it was shown on Stardom World, all matches are unedited. The hard cam is slightly elevated which may annoy me, but a ten match card like this will be too clipped on Samurai TV to enjoy so I am going to push through it. As always, you can click on the wrestler’s name above to go straight to their profile on Joshi City.

AZM, Mari Apache, and Shiki Shibusawa vs. Natsuko Tora, Ruaka, and Starlight Kid

AZM (in new gear) starts the match with Natsuko, Natsuko attacks her from behind and AZM is triple teamed in the corner. Natsuko goes off the ropes and hits a hard shoulderblock, she picks her up but AZM whips off a hurricanrana. AZM tags in Mari, who promptly boots everyone in the face. Shiki and AZM get in the ring and all three put their opponents in submission holds, Mari cradles Natsuko but it gets a two count. Kicks by Mari but Natsuko elbows her back and hits a spear, she tags in Ruaka (also in new gear) while AZM is tagged back in. AZM throws down Ruaka by the hair but Ruaka comes back with a boot, another boot by Ruaka and she covers AZM for two. Shiki hops in and hits a missile dropkick, suplex by AZM and she covers Ruaka, but the pin is broken up. Ruaka tags in Starlight Kid but Mari is also tagged in and she quickly puts Starlight Kid in a submission hold. Starlight Kid gets out of it and hits a hurricanrana, dropkick by Starlight Kid and she hits the Shiranui. Body Press from the second turnbuckle by Starlight Kid, but Mari kicks out of the cover. Things break down as everyone runs in the ring, but Mari lariats both Natsuko and Ruaka. Mari puts Starlight Kid in the Atlantida (spinning backbreaker rack) and Starlight Kid submits! AZM, Mari Apache, and Shiki Shibusawa win!

This was simple, and at times a bit sloppy. Mari was the star as she should be, hitting her strikes soundly while also giving Starlight Kid quite a bit of offense as well so it wasn’t too one-sided. Ruaka hasn’t improved since I last saw her and Shiki didn’t do enough to get a feel of. Just a short opener with nothing particularly memorable.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Xia Brookside

After they confirm that Xia is taller than Hiromi, Xia picks up Hiromi but Hiromi wiggles away and applies a sunset flip for two. They trade flash pins with neither having success, Hiromi stomps down on Xia near the ropes before hitting a scoop slam. Camel Clutch by Hiromi, she picks up Xia but Xia puts her in the Tree of Woe and hits a dropkick to her face. Irish whip attempt by Xia, Hiromi reverses it but Xia hits a high knee in the corner. Face crusher by Xia and she dropkicks Hiromi for a two count. Xia picks up Hiromi and hits the Codebreaker, but again Hiromi kicks out of the cover. Xia picks up Hiromi again but this time Hiromi slides away and hits a jumping crossbody, dropkick by Hiromi and she dropkicks Xia again for a two count. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Xia delivers a high kick, sunset flip by Xia but Hiromi reverses it and they go back and forth with quick pins. La Magistral attempt by Hiromi, Xia blocks it but Hiromi puts her in the Endless Waltz for the three count! Hiromi Mimura wins the match and ends the tournament with four points.

They might have put on an even more basic match than the last match. No one will ever accuse Hiromi of being a high-end wrestler but in the right situations she can be entertaining as she is cute and has good comedic timing. But this was more a ‘dropkicks and flash pins’ style of match that didn’t do a whole lot for me. Technically sound, just not particularly interesting.

Konami vs. Mandy Leon

Lock-up to start, they end up on the mat but Mandy pulls Konami to her feet and hits a shoulderblock. Dropkick by Konami but Mandy quickly gets back up and they lock knuckles, monkey flip by Mandy and she keeps their knuckles locked so she can fling Konami to the mat again. Konami gets out of it and applies a short armbar, but Mandy rolls away and covers her for two. Cross armbreaker by Konami but Mandy gets a foot in the ropes, lariat by Mandy in the corner and she hits a running elbow. She goes for another one but Konami kicks her away and applies a hanging armbar, missile dropkick by Konami and she covers Mandy for two. Seated armbar by Konami but Mandy gets to the ropes, Konami goes off the ropes but Mandy catches her with a lariat. Elbow drop by Mandy, but her cover gets a two count. Mandy picks up Konami and throws her to the mat, DDT of sorts by Mandy but Konami kicks out of the pin. Mandy goes for a wrist-clutch slam but Konami reverses it with a cradle for the three count! Konami wins the match and ends the tournament with two points.

We have reached the part of the event that I regret not just watching the clipped up Samurai TV version. Like the last two matches, it wasn’t actively bad, it just wasn’t interesting or memorable or good either and was the least fluid match so far. Mandy’s offense is rough, and while I love Konami she isn’t really at the stage of her career where she is going to be able to elevate a wrestler much past where they already are. A watchable match in execution, but a skippable match in regards to entertainment value.

Hana Kimura vs. Kris Wolf

Hana has meat with her to taunt Kris with, I guess her sexy dancing wouldn’t work on her friend so she had to go in a different direction. Hana kicks Kris when she goes for the corn dog she is holding, stomps by Hana and she pulls back on Kris after twisting her in the ropes. Hana puts Kris in a Camel Clutch while waving some meat in her face, Irish whip by Hana but Kris ducks the lariat and hits a spinning headscissors. Jumping knee by Kris in the corner followed by a face crusher for a two count cover. Kris picks up Hana but Hana gets the meat out, Kris grabs it which gives Hana time to elbow her in the chest. Kris elbows her back and they trade blows on the mat, Kris gets the better of it but Hana blocks the suplex attempt. Eye poke by Kris and she applies a small package for two. Suplex by Kris, she gets on the top turnbuckle but Hana joins her and hits a superplex. Running boot by Hana, but the cover gets a two count. Hana picks up Kris but Kris applies a cradle and they go back and forth with flash pins. Kris goes off the ropes but Hana catches her with a dropkick, but boot by Hana and she nails the missile dropkick for the three count! Hana Kimura wins and ends the tournament with eight points.

I love both of these wrestlers. I was the first person on the Kris Wolf Bandwagon (I have documented proof), and I think Hana brings a lot to the table. They certainly weren’t trying to put on an epic match here as it barely went five minutes, and like every other match so far it was mostly strikes and flash pins. The meat thing was a bit too silly for me, I am not sure where the line is but Oedo Tai in general has been more “vicious” lately so I’d rather not it be a long term thing that Kris forgets to wrestle if she gets meat waved in her face. Its always a pleasure to see Hana and Kris, but not much of a match.

Jungle Kyona vs. Tam Nakano

They start the match trying to knock each other over with Kyona having success, cover by Kyona but Tam bridges out of it and hits a dropkick. Snapmare by Tam and she kicks Kyona in the back, Kyona returns to her feet and blocks Tam’s kick. Backbreaker by Kyona and she drapes Tam over the top rope before delivering a body avalanche. Single leg crab hold by Kyona, but Tam eventually makes it to the ropes for the break. Kyona goes off the ropes and hits a lariat, but Tam blocks the next one and applies an abdominal stretch. Sunset flip by Tam, but it only gets a two count. Stomps by Tam to Kyona’s already wrapped up arm but Kyona hits a body avalanche in the corner followed by a dropkick. Sliding lariat by Kyona, and she covers Tam for two. Kyona goes up top but Tam elbows her from behind, kicks by Tam and she suplexes Kyona back to the mat. Cover by Kyona, but it gets a two count. Tam picks up Kyona but Kyona blocks her kick and clubs her in the face, she goes off the ropes but Tam delivers a head kick for two. Tam picks up Kyona but Kyona elbows her off, Tam returns fire and nails another head kick, but Kyona is too close to the ropes and grabs the bottom one to break the pin. Elbows by Tam but Kyona hits a hard lariat, Kyona picks up Tam and drops her with a short range lariat. Hammerthrow Powerbomb by Kyona and she hits another short range lariat, she goes up top and delivers the diving body press for the three count! Jungle Kyona wins the match and picks up two points in the tournament.

Now we are getting somewhere, this was a really good match. Tam really looks better each time I see her, hanging around Stardom wrestlers and training with them seems to be helping. Easily the longest match on the show so far, they had a chance to tell a bit of a story so it wasn’t just strikes and pins. Tam’s kicks were on point and Kyona showed a lot of fire throughout, an exciting match from bell to bell. Really enjoyable and worth the watch.  Recommended

Kay Lee Ray vs. Toni Storm

Lock-up to start, Irish whip by KLR but Toni shoulderblocks her to the mat. Toni goes off the ropes but KLR trips her with a pancake, Toni trips KLR and she rolls her up for two. KLR gets Toni on her back but Toni cradles her before both wrestlers return to their feet. KLR fakes a handshake but kicks Toni in the head instead, KLR throws Toni into the corner and chops her in the chest. KLR rolls Toni to the mat and applies a front necklock, Toni muscles out of it however and hits a vertical suplex. Northern Lights Suplex by KLR, she rolls through it to hit another one but Toni reverses it with a DDT. They slowly get up and trade elbows, snap German by Toni and she hits a running hip attack in the corner. Suplex by Toni, she gets on the top turnbuckle but KLR kicks her before she can jump off, sending Toni to the floor. KLR quickly jumps on the top turnbuckle and sails out of the ring with a Swanton, she slides Toni back in the ring but Toni blocks the Gory Bomb. Toni goes for a kick but KLR catches it and hits the Gory Bomb anyway, cover by KLR but Toni gets a shoulder up. KLR gets on the top turnbuckle but Toni hits her before she can jump off, Toni grabs her but KLR wiggles away. KLR goes for a springboard off the ropes but Toni catches her with a German Suplex, piledriver by Toni but KLR barely kicks out of the cover. Toni picks up KLR and goes off the ropes, but KLR dropkicks her in the knee and hits a neckbreaker. KLR applies a choke but Toni gets a hand on the ropes, KLR gets on the top turnbuckle but Toni recovers and joins her. KLR goes for an elbow but Toni blocks it, and she nails the Strong Zero from the second turnbuckle. Cover by Toni, and she gets the three count! Toni Storm wins and now has 11 points in the tournament.

For a short tournament-style match (meaning more flash pins), I thought this was pretty damn good. KLR and Toni Storm are two of my favorite wrestlers period, and this was really smooth as they have great chemistry. Since it mattered for who won the Blue Block, they went a bit further with big moves and kicking out of finishers than we had seen thus far, raising the drama and excitement. The piledriver off the second turnbuckle was sick but a very definitive way to end the match while keeping KLR strong in the process. Fast paced and entertaining, wish it was longer but I can’t find any fault with the action itself.  Recommended

HZK vs. Io Shirai

They trade holds to start, they go off the ropes until HZK throws down Io by her hair. Bootscrapes by HZK, she goes off the ropes but Io dropkicks her in the face. Io returns the favor and boots HZK in the head, cover by Io but HZK kicks out. Stretch hold by Io, she lets go after a moment and stomps down on HZK’s stomach. Scoop slam by Io, and she covers HZK for a two count. Io picks up HZK and Irish whips her, but HZK slides out to the apron and snaps Io’s neck over the top rope. Dropkick by HZK into the corner and she finally hits the running kick that Io had prevented earlier, choke by HZK and she drives Io’s head into her knee. HZK picks up Io and hits a full nelson slam, cover by HZK but it gets a two count. She goes for the crossface but Io blocks it and applies her own armtrap crossface, she lets go after a moment and delivers a Tiger Feint Kick. Swandive dropkick by Io, she picks up HZK and elbows her in the face. They trade shots, Io gets the better of it and goes for a suplex, but HZK reverses it and hits a double stomp to Io’s stomach. HZK knocks Io into the corner and hits a running elbow, cover by HZK but it gets a two count. HZK goes up top but Io knocks her to the apron, Io joins HZK but HZK slides back in to avoid her palm thrust and knocks Io to the floor. HZK goes to the second turnbuckle and dives out onto Io with a diving lariat. HZK slides Io back into the ring, she gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton to Io’s back. Armtrap crossface by HZK but Io gets a foot on the ropes to force a break. Boot by HZK and she headbutts Io, scoop slam by HZK and she nails the Bombs Away, but Io barely gets a shoulder up. Armtrap crossface by HZK but again Io gets to the ropes. Io recovers and hits a German suplex hold, running double knee by Io and she hits the double underhook facebuster. Moonsault to the back by Io, she covers HZK but HZK kicks out of the cover. Quick roll-up by HZK but Io kicks out and boots HZK in the head. Texas Cloverleaf by Io but the bell rings, as the time limit has expired. The match is a Draw.

And Io is officially eliminated from winning the tournament. Another really good match, we had to get through some fluff but once the meaningful matches started this show has really delivered. HZK has improved tenfold since returning last December and looked like a legitimate challenger to Io here. Io did kick out of the Bombs Away, but HZK kicked out of the moonsault so they were even. Maybe too many armtrap crossfaces since neither ever win with the move so it felt a bit excessive that both kept using it, but otherwise everything made sense and it was an entertaining match. Keep an eye on HZK, if she sticks around this time she may be a future main event star.  Recommended

Viper vs. Yoko Bito

Viper dropkicks Yoko Bito while her streamers are flying in the ring, getting an early advantage in the match. Viper picks up Bito and clubs on her, sit-out slam by Viper but Bito rolls out of the ring to try to recover. Viper immediately goes out after her however and slams Bito into the apron, lariat against the post by Viper and she gets on the apron before hitting a cannonball down to the floor. Viper returns to the ring to wait for Bito, Bito slowly gets back in but Viper quickly puts her in a cobra clutch. Viper clubs on Bito some more, but Bito goes off the ropes and hits a jumping lariat. Running elbow by Bito and she hits a vertical suplex, Viper gets back up but Bito delivers a head kick for a two count cover. Viper and Bito trade elbows as they return to their feet, Bito goes off the ropes but Viper knocks her back with a headbutt. More headbutts by Viper and she hits a low running crossbody for a two count. Running senton by Viper, but that gets a two count as well. Viper throws Bito into the turnbuckles, cannonball by Viper and she goes for the Reverse Splash, but Bito rolls out of the way. High kick by Bito and she hits a second one, a third head kick by Bito and she nails the B Driver for the three count! Yoko Bito wins and gets two points in the tournament.

A step down from the last few matches. It was a simple story but told well, my main issue is that due to the time length, Bito’s comeback was really short in comparison to the amount of offense she took. I mean Viper threw everything at her but Bito won with a few head kicks and the B Driver with very little beforehand to weaken Viper. But that happens sometimes in tournament matches, these two could have a better longer match but as presented a bit disappointing.

Kagetsu vs. Mayu Iwatani

Kagetsu attacks Mayu as soon as she gets through the curtain, and with Oedo Tai’s help she beats her down on the stage. In an insane spot that has to be seen, Kagetsu tosses Mayu near the railing and then pushes over the entrance rigging on top of her, trapping her neck between the rigging and the guard rail. Mayu miraculously survives this and they finally make it back into the ring to officially start the match, Mayu immediately goes up top but Mayu manages to roll out of the way of the Oedo Coaster. Mayu grabs Kagetsu but Kagetsu gets away and hits a dragon suplex hold, picking up a two count. Mayu snaps off a quick Ebisu Drop for her own two count, as the wrestlers both steal each other’s signature moves. Both wrestler kip-up, they go off the ropes until Mayu hits a jumping elbow. Triple jump dropkick by Kagetsu and she hits a running elbow, vertical suplex by Kagetsu and she puts Mayu in a cross-arm submission hold. Mayu gets to the ropes for the break, the rest of Oedo Tai get on the apron as they all attack Mayu as she is in the ropes.

Kagetsu gets a bottle of water and dumps it onto Mayu, but Mayu regains the advantage with a dropkick. Elbows by Mayu and she kicks Kagetsu in the stomach before hitting a Sling Blade. Cover by Mayu, but it gets two. Mayu picks up Kagetsu, they both block each other’s strikes until Kagetsu delivers a high kick. Another high kick by Kagetsu and a third, Buzzsaw Kick by Kagetsu but she doesn’t go for the cover. Kagetsu goes off the ropes but Mayu hits a superkick, another superkick by Mayu and she hits several more until Kagetsu finally ends on her knees. Buzzsaw Kick by Mayu, and she covers Kagetsu for a two count. Iwatani goes off the ropes and gives Kagetsu a hard dropkick, she goes up top and nails the diving footstomp. Mayu drags up Kagetsu and goes for the Sakauchi but Kagetsu blocks it, kick combination by Kagetsu and she drops Mayu with a chokeslam. Kagetsu goes for the Ebisu Drop but Mayu reverses it with the Sakauchi, but Kagetsu barely kicks out of the cover. Kagetsu pushes Mayu into the referee, knocking him off his feet, allowing Kagetsu to spit blue mist into Mayu’s face. Kagetsu slams Mayu in front of the corner, she quickly goes up top and she nails the Oedo Coaster for the three count! Kagetsu wins the match and ends the tournament with ten points.

After the hot start the match dipped a bit in excitement, but still a great match. The stage spot looked incredibly dangerous and painful, which almost made the fact Mayu was fine a minute later doing a fast paced exchange difficult to believe. It was certainly a memorable moment though. The rest of the match was really fluid, they have great chemistry and every match they have they just ramp up the things they do to each other. Lots of hard strikes and snug suplexes, which is all one can ask for in life. I wouldn’t have minded if it was longer or if the opening killer move felt a bit more important to the match overall, but still a high end match between two of the best in Stardom.  Recommended

I don’t know what convoluted method Stardom used to determine who won the Red Block, but it is Yoko Bito! The finals of the FIVE STAR GP will now immediately take place!

Toni Storm vs. Yoko Bito
FIVE STAR GP 2017 Final

They shake hands but Bito immediately hits a pump kick afterwards, running elbow by Bito in the corner and she delivers a series of kicks. Bito puts Toni in the ropes and chops her in the chest from the apron, she charges Toni but Toni moves and Bito ends up stuck in the ropes. Toni kicks Bito out of the ring, she goes off the ropes and sails out onto her with a tope suicida. Toni chops Bito down onto a chair, she gets a running start and hits Bito with a jumping knee. Toni goes for a piledriver but Bito blocks it and hits a B Driver on the floor. Bito and Toni slowly return to the ring and they trade elbows, Bito goes off the ropes but Toni boots her in the chest. Neck crank by Toni and she hits a series of hip attacks, cover by Toni but it gets two. Toni goes back to the neck to help set up Bito for the Strong Zero, she picks her up but Bito ducks the lariat attempt and hits one of her own. Bito goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, cover by Bito but it gets two. STF by Bito but Toni crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Bito picks up Toni and delivers a high kick, elbows by Bito but Toni headbutts her and hits a quick Strong Zero. Cover by Toni, but Bito barely kicks out. They both slowly get up and Bito drops Toni with a B Driver, he picks Toni up but Toni ducks her kicks and hits another Strong Zero. Toni rolls through it and hits a second Strong Zero, she then hits a third Strong Zero and covers Bito for the three count! Toni Storm is the new FIVE STAR GP Champion!

Its rough having the finals on the same event as nine other matches, as the show is already long so you know the main event is going to be a bit condensed. I liked what they did during the match though, I didn’t mind Toni hitting her finisher three times for the win as it wasn’t like Bito was kicking out between them, Toni was just being extra thorough. Toni is just so much fun to watch, between the dives and the hip attacks and her piledriver its hard for me not to get into her matches. Bito was mostly along for the ride in this one but she held her own as well, I never really got the sense she was winning as the match wasn’t long enough to have an epic end run. A solid match overall, I just wish the match was on a future event so they could have had more time.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom FIVE STAR GP Finale on 9/18/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

And we are back with Stardom! This event is their last before the big tournament starts, and features four championship matches. Io Shirai has returned after a brief absence due to a neck issue, and Kagetsu challenges for the World of Stardom Championship! Here is the full card:

• AZM vs. Hanan vs. Ruaka
• FIVE STAR Grand Prix 2017 Qualifying Match: Natsuko Tora vs. Tam Nakano
• Gabby Ortiz and Hiromi Mimura vs. Hana Kimura and Kris Wolf vs. Konami and Yoko Bito vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid
• SWA Undisputed Women’s Championship: Toni Storm vs. Xia Brookside
• High Speed Championship: Shanna vs. Mari Apache
• Artist Of Stardom Championship: Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. HZK, Io Shirai, and Viper
• World Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu

All wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name to go straight to it. I start off watching the Stardom World version of this event, but by the end I’ll be reviewing the Samurai TV version, I’ll explain why when I get there.

AZM vs. Hanan vs. Ruaka

Hanan and Ruaka tie-up while AZM watches, elbows by Hanan but Ruaka elbows her back. AZM gets involved, Hanan elbows her in the corner but Ruaka rolls up Hanan for two. AZM tosses Hanan by her hair, AZM grabs Hanan’s arm and applies a wristlock. Hanan kicks AZM but AZM trips her and hits a dropkick. Ruaka kicks AZM from behind but AZM drops Hanan, AZM avoids Ruaka’s big boot the first time but Ruaka connects the second time for a two count. Dropkick by AZM, she throws Ruaka into the corner and delivers another dropkick. Crab hold by AZM but Hanan breaks it up, AZM and Hanan trade elbows until AZM kicks Hanan out of the ring. AZM goes for a crossbody on Ruaka but Ruaka catches her and tosses AZM to the mat, big boot by Ruaka in the corner and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for two. Hanan returns and helps Ruaka on AZM, judo toss by Hanan to Ruaka and she hits a STO. Cover by Hanan, but Ruaka kicks out. Hanan picks up Ruaka and elbows her into the corner, vertical suplex by AZM to Ruaka but Hanan quickly covers AZM for two. STO by Hanan to AZM, Ruaka comes back and they double team AZM. Hanan dropkicks AZM but Ruaka rolls up Hanan for two, she goes off the ropes but Hanan rolls Ruaka to the mat and cradles her for the three count! Hanan wins!

Short and to the point, I will say that there were no issues of miscommunications here which is no small feat when dealing with a fast paced match with three really young wrestlers. I still see Hanan as the best of the bunch, but too early to really tell for any of them. At least AZM is back where she belongs on the card, so that’s one plus.

Natsuko Tora vs. Tam Nakano

Tam and Natsuko run into each other as the match starts but neither wrestler goes down, they trade elbows until Natsuko puts Tam in a headlock. Tam Irish whips out of it and hits a hard shoulderblock, but Natsuko returns the favor. Snapmare by Natsuko and she hits a dropkick, leglock by Natsuko but Tam gets into the ropes for the break. Natsuko charges Tam and dropkicks her into the corner, cover by Natsuko but it gets a two count. Tam comes back with her own dropkick, kick to the back by Tam and she applies a Dragon Sleeper. She lets go after a moment and goes off the ropes, but Natsuko hits a shoulderblock. Jumping elbow by Natsuko but Tam dropkicks her, running shoulder tackle by Natsuko and she levels Tam with a spear. Natsuko applies an armbar with a headscissors, cradle by Natsuko but it gets two. A backslide by Natsuko gets the same result, Natsuko goes off the ropes but Tam ducks the PK and kicks Natsuko in the head. Kicks to the chest by Tam and she kicks Natsuko in the head for a two count. Tam throws Natsuko into the corner and hits the Space Rolling Elbow, she follows with a Stunner and running footstomps. Senton by Tam, but Natsuko gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kick to the chest by Tam, she gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a diving senton for another two count. Tam goes up top but Natsuko joins her, Natsuko gets Tam on her shoulders and hits a Samoan Drop. Natsuko goes off the ropes and knees Tam in the stomach, running knee by Natsuko but Tam kicks out. Natsuko picks up Tam but Tam blocks the slam and kicks Natsuko in the head. More kicks by Tam but Natsuko mostly blocks them and slaps her, two more kicks by Tam but Natsuko gets a shoulder up. Spinning Back Kick by Tam, and she picks up the three count! Tam Nakano wins and is in the FIVE STAR GP.

For two inexperienced wrestlers, this was a really solid match. Natsuko looks really smooth already in her career and showed some fire, she’s really progressed a lot since joining Team Jungle. Tam for most of the match looked really good as well, a few kicks at the end had too much hesitation but its their first ever match together so I can excuse some minor communications issues. A well done match, excited to see what Tam Nakano can do in the tournament.  Mildly Recommended

So I started this show watching the Stardom World version, which is why those two matches I saw in full, but I’m switching over to the Samurai TV version now because there is something wrong with Stardom’s hard cam. Everything looks tinted and weird, which is distracting. It normally isn’t like that so I’ll assume it was just a one-time issue.

Gabby Ortiz and Hiromi Mimura vs. Hana Kimura and Kris Wolf vs. Konami and Yoko Bito vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid

The match begins with Hana, Hiromi, Bito, and Shiki in the ring so naturally they have a pose off. Which Samurai TV did not clip. After everyone gets a turn they start fighting, with Hana being triple teamed in the corner. Everyone runs in to attack Hana, with them all having success except for Hiromi. Konami stays in the ring and helps Bito attack Shiki, but Starlight Kid re-enters and both deliver dropkicks to Konami and Bito. Gabby and Hiromi enter and both hit DDTs on Starlight Kid and Shiki, but Hana and Kris attack them from behind. We clip ahead to Bito hitting a double lariat on Gabby and Hiromi, Bito drops Hiromi on Gabby and covers her for two. Bito goes off the ropes but Kris trips her from the floor, Konami goes outside the ring and kicks both Hana and Kris while Gabby drops Bito with a Cyclone Neckbreaker. Small package by Gabby, she goes off the ropes but Bito kicks her in the head. Bito picks up Gabby and delivers the B Driver, but Hana boots Bito when she goes for the pin. Kris runs in and quickly covers Gabby, and she picks up the three count! Kris Wolf and Hana Kimura win!

Samurai TV kindly clipped this one quite a bit. The pose off is cute and fine for a midcard thing, and I laughed pretty good when Hana booted Hiromi in the face, but nothing else here was really memorable. I am glad Oedo Tai got the win though, it may not seem like much but every pinfall counts when trying to get a faction over. Quite skippable but harmless.

(c) Toni Storm vs. Xia Brookside
SWA Undisputed Women’s Championship

This match is joined very in progress, as Xia drops Toni with a spinning headscissors. Running knee by Xia and she hits a face crusher, cover by Xia but it gets a two count. Xia goes for a kick but Toni ducks it and hits a release German, running hip attack by Toni in the corner and she hits a snap vertical suplex. Toni goes up to the top turnbuckle but Xia elbows her before she jumps off, Xia tosses Toni to the mat and covers her for two. Crucifix slam by Xia, she picks up Toni and elbows her in the chest, but Toni throws her into the corner. Buckle Bomb by Toni, and she nails the piledriver for the three count! Toni Storm is still the champion.

Since the match was clipped down to under three minutes its hard to give a real opinion on it, but everything they showed was fine. Toni Storm is one of the best, she hits everything so crisp and I love watching her. Obviously too short to really recommend not a bad way to spend a couple minutes.

(c) Shanna vs. Mari Apache
High Speed Championship

Apache quickly armdrags Shanna around to start the match, but Shanna hits a spinning bodyscissors and dumps Apache out of the ring. Apache returns after a moment, Shanna elbows her into the corner before snapmaring Apache and kicking her in the back. Sleeper by Shanna, she lets go after a moment and knocks Apache into the corner. Irish whip by Shanna but Apache kicks her when she charges in, kick to the back by Apache and she puts Shanna in an armlock. She lets go of the hold after a moment, she tosses Shanna towards the corner but Shanna reverses it and hits a running elbow. Elbow smash by Shanna, and she covers Apache for two. Back up they trade elbows, drop toehold by Apache and she puts Shanna in the rolling Mexican Surfboard. Apache ties up Shanna’s legs, she then picks up Shanna and stretches her over her back. Shanna spins out of it and hits a hurricanrana, cover by Shanna but it gets a two count. Superkick by Shanna, Apache rolls out of the ring but Shanna quickly goes to the top turnbuckle and dives down onto her with a plancha suicida. Shanna and Apache return to the ring, elbow by Shanna but Apache blocks the suplex attempt. Enzuigiri by Shanna, she goes up top but Apache avoids her dive and delivers a heel drop. Shanna temporarily regains the advantage but Apache knocks her down with a lariat, sit-down powerbomb by Apache but Shanna barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Apache picks up Shanna but Shanna reverses the slam attempt into a DDT. Shanna goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, but Apache rolls out of the pin and covers Shanna for two. Tiger Suplex Hold by Shanna, but Apache kicks out at two. Shanna goes off the ropes but Apache catches her with a Michinoku Driver, she goes up top and nails the Swanton Bomb for the three count! Mari Apache is the new champion!

For whatever reason, this match never really clicked. I think part of the reason the match wasn’t gripping is there was just no clear structure to it, I never was sure what either wrestler’s plan to win was as the offense was so random. Apache knows what she is doing but her offense here had no rhyme or reason to it, and Shanna wasn’t very crisp as several moves didn’t connect as she intended. I think I actually liked their match on July 23rd better, something just felt off here. No lack of effort, it just never hooked me and didn’t have that title match feel.

(c) Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona, and Kaori Yoneyama vs. HZK, Io Shirai, and Viper
Artist of Stardom Championship

Io and Kaori begin the match, they quickly get into a fast exchange with Io being Io, as she shows that she hasn’t lost anything in her month off. She tags in Viper while Hiroyo also tags in, Hiroyo works a headlock but Viper takes Hiroyo to the mat. Hiroyo quickly gets out of it, HZK and Kyona tag in next and Kyona hits a body avalanche in the corner. Scoop slam by Kyona but HZK avoids the body press, Viper comes in but Kyona avoids her body press as well. Io kicks Kyona from the apron and comes in the ring, and  Kyona is triple teamed. Kaori and Hiroyo come in to help but they all end up being cannonballed by Viper in the corner, dropkick by HZK to Kyona and she covers her for two. Bootscrapes by HZK in the corner and she hits a running boot, she tags in Io and Io hits a running boot as well. Cover by Io, but it gets a two count. Io kicks Kyona and hits a double knee in the corner, she goes for another one but Kyona meets her with a hard shoulderblock. Kyona tags in Kaori but Io avoids her running senton, HZK comes in but Kaori fights them both off. Kaori picks up Io and hits Mongolian Chops, throat trust by Kaori but Io trips her and hits a slingshot dropkick. Io hits a running knee on Kaori in the corner and tags in Viper, bodyblock by Viper on Kaori but Kaori hops on her back and applies a sleeper. Viper drives Kaori into the corner to get her off, Viper charges Kaori but Kaori moves and goes for a suplex. Viper blocks it, Kaori goes off the ropes and she drops Viper with a DDT. She tags in Hiroyo, Hiroyo throws Viper into the corner and hits a body avalanche. Viper and Hiroyo trade lariats, Hiroyo crushes Viper against the ropes and goes for a suplex, but Io dives in the ring with a sunset flip onto Hiroyo.

Crossbody by Viper and she hits a running senton onto Hiroyo for a two count. Viper picks up Hiroyo but Hiroyo hits a German suplex, sliding lariat by Hiroyo and she covers Viper for two. Hiroyo tags in Kyona but Viper also tags in HZK, Kaori goes up top and hits a missile dropkick onto HZK. Pump Kick by HZK and she applies a rolling cradle, but Kyona kicks out at two. Kyona sneaks in a pin on her own two count, lariat by Kyona and she gets another two count cover. Kyona goes for the powerbomb but Io flies in the ring with a swandive missile dropkick, Io dropkicks Kaori and Hiroyo but Hiroyo fires back with a lariat. Double lariat by Kyona and Hiroyo to HZK, Kyona goes for the cover but Viper comes in to break it up. Viper lands on top of HZK by accident, diving attacks by Kaori and Kyona but Kyona’s cover gets broken up. Kyona picks up HZK for the Hammerthrow Bomb but HZK gets out of it, Viper comes in and hits a jumping crossbody on all three Team Jungle members. Pump Kick by HZK to Kyona, but Kyona barely gets a shoulder up. HZK picks up Kyona but Kyona hits a lariat, Io runs in and kicks Kyona before dives out of the ring onto Hiroyo. In the ring, Viper knocks Kyona into the corner and hits the Michinoku Driver, then Io goes up top and nails a moonsault. Bombs Away by HZK to Kyona, and she covers her for the three count! Queen’s Quest are the new champions!

Trios matches generally aren’t my favorite, but I do enjoy them a lot more if they are just pure chaos like this match. There was always something going on, it wasn’t a match about limb work or submissions, it was about playing the odds game and seeing which team could hit the winning combination of moves first long enough for the pinfall. Which I think they did a great job of, I have no idea how they do what they do so smoothly but everything flowed really well. Kyona got legit knocked hard in the face and started bleeding but it had no impact on the match as she kept on trucking as if nothing was wrong. An exciting match, I’m glad Queen’s Quest upgraded their third member for trios and it really helped here as all six wrestlers looked fantastic. I still prefer a quality singles match, but this was pretty damn entertaining.  Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu
World of Stardom Championship

They start in the traditional fashion, with a tie-up, Kagetsu pushes Mayu into the ropes but she surprisingly gives a clean break. Kagetsu gets Mayu to the mat but Mayu springs up, hard shoulderblock by Kagetsu and they run off the ropes until Mayu hits an armdrag. Dropkick by Mayu but Kagetsu hits a back bodydrop, another dropkick by Mayu and both wrestlers kip-up. Snap German by Mayu but Kagetsu moves when Mayu goes for her dropkick and Mayu falls out of the ring. Kris and Hana beat on Mayu at ringside before sliding her back in, Mayu throws Kagetsu into the corner but Kagetsu avoids her charge and dropkicks Mayu in the knee. Kagetsu picks up Mayu and slaps at her, running knee by Kagetsu and she goes for a swandive dropkick, but Mayu dropkicks her mid-air which sends Kagetsu out of the ring. Mayu dives from the top turnbuckle down to the floor but Oedo Tai jumps her, Natsuko and Jungle come over to help though and Mayu gets free and chops Kagetsu into the crowd. Mayu pulls Kagetsu up near the balconies and they trade elbows, vertical suplex on the floor by Mayu and she goes up to the balcony. She goes to do a dive but Kris grabs her leg, Kagetsu joins Mayu up at the top of the balcony and Kagetsu hangs Mayu off the balcony.

She drops her after a moment and Mayu falls down onto the steps below, Kagetsu brings Mayu to the steps and kicks her down them. Literally, Mayu tumbled down the stairs end over end like a bag of potatoes. Kagetsu slides Mayu back into the ring, she picks her up but Mayu slides away. Kagetsu kicks Mayu in the head, she goes up top but Mayu recovers and joins her. Frankensteiner by Mayu, she goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick. Cover by Mayu, but it gets a two count. High kick by Mayu and she delivers a German suplex hold, but Kagetsu kicks out. Mayu goes back up top and hits the diving body press, but that also only gets a two. A dragon suplex hold also doesn’t get a three count. Mayu drags up Mayu but Kagetsu gets away and Hana hits a missile dropkick while Kris has the referee distracted. Chokeslam by Kagetsu, and she covers Mayu for a two count. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, she goes up top but Mayu gets her knees up on the Oedo Coaster attempt. Mayu picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu lands on her feet on the dragon suplex attempt, Sakauchi by Mayu and she drops Kagetsu on her head with a dragon suplex. Mayu nails her version of a dragon suplex hold, and she finally picks up the three count! Mayu Iwatani is still the champion!

The main takeaway from this match is that Mayu Iwatani is insane. Kagetsu isn’t much better but some of the things Mayu did in this match aren’t really things I’d recommend any wrestler doing. I mean it was entertaining and exciting, so I am not complaining, but she is certainly risking her health for my amusement. Them doing crazy bumps was the highlight of the match, whether it was Mayu tumbling down the stairs or Kagetsu landing on her head on a dragon suplex, but there wasn’t a lot connecting those moves. A few minutes was clipped which may explain some of the issues, but at times it was mostly a match about big spots. Certainly no lack of effort, both were going all out, and since they have long time feud they have great chemistry. It felt like it was lacking something to really be a ‘must see’ match but it was still very enjoyable.  Recommended

The post Stardom Midsummer Champions on 8/13/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

While normally I don’t review Stardom house shows, Michiko Omukai making a return was enough to get me to watch it. But its actually a pretty big show in general, as there are seven matches which is very unusual for Stardom. We also get a title match between Viper and Mayu Iwatani, and a grudge match between Jungle Kyona and HZK. Lots of potential on this show, here is the full card:

• Hanan and Ruaka vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid
• Gabby Ortiz and Xia Brookside vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
• AZM vs. Hiromi Mimura
• Mari Apache vs. Shanna
• HZK vs. Jungle Kyona
• Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Kris Wolf vs. Konami, Michiko Omukai, and Yoko Bito
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Viper

All the wrestlers have profiles on the site, you can click on their name to go straight to it. Since this aired on Stardom World, all matches are shown in full.

Hanan and Ruaka vs. Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid

Hanan and Starlight Kid start off, they go through a sequence off the ropes but they reach a stalemate. Shiki comes in briefly to help Starlight Kid get the advantage, Starlight Kid tags in Shiki and Shiki puts Hanan in a crab hold. Hanan gets to the ropes to force a break, scoop slam by Shiki and she puts Hanan in a sleeper. Hanan slides out of it and they trade front necklocks, Shiki goes off the ropes and she dropkicks Hanan to the mat. Another dropkick by Shiki and she covers Hanan for two. Shiki goes off the ropes but Ruaka grabs her, but Starlight Kid grabs Hanan too. STO by Hanan to Shiki, and she gets a two count cover. Hanan tags in Ruaka, Ruaka goes for the big boot but Shiki moves out of the way. Reverse STO by Ruaka to Shiki and she nails the big boot in the corner, she goes for a fisherman suplex but Shiki blocks it. Hanan and Starlight Kid both come in, Hanan is knocked out of the ring and Starlight Kid hits a standing moonsault onto Ruaka. Missile dropkick by Shiki, but Hanan breaks up the cover. Shiki tags Starlight Kid, Starlight Kid goes for a crossbody but Ruaka catches her and throws Starlight Kid to the mat. Tiger Feint Kick by Starlight Kid but Ruaka mostly blocks it, Ruaka and Starlight Kid trade elbows until Ruaka hits a side Russian leg sweep. Ruaka tags Hanan, dropkicks by Hanan to Starlight Kid and she covers her for two. Hanan and Starlight Kid trade waistlocks, Shiki comes in but she dropkicks Starlight Kid by accident. Ruaka boots Shiki while Hanan throws Starlight Kid to the mat. Fisherman suplex by Ruaka to Starlight Kid, Hanan goes off the ropes and she hits Starlight Kid wit a STO for a two count. Hanan goes off the ropes but Shiki trips her from the floor, Tiger Feint Kick by Starlight Kid to Hanan, and she hits a standing moonsault. Starlight Kid gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, cover by Starlight Kid and she picks up the three count! Shiki Shibusawa and Starlight Kid win!

Some definite miscommunications but considering their experience levels that is to be expected. Its hard to criticize a bunch of wrestlers with less than a year of experience (some much less than a year), its all a learning process. Some good spots and a few of them show some early promise, but I wouldn’t say it was a good match.

Gabby Ortiz and Xia Brookside vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora

Team Jungle attacks before the match starts and attack both of their opponents in the corner. Double body block by Team Jungle, scoop slam by Natsuko on Xia and she slams her a couple more times. Xia elbows Natsuko and hits a dropkick, she tags in Gabby and they hit a double face crusher onto Natsuko. Gabby picks up Natsuko and hits a flipping neckbreaker, dropkick by Gabby and she covers Natsuko for two. Stretch hold by Gabby, Kaori comes in to help but Xia puts her in an Octopus Hold. Irish whip by Gabby to Natsuko but Natsuko hits a shoulderblock and tags in Kaori. Kaori boots Gabby in the head, Xia comes in but Kaori hits a crossbody onto both of them followed by a senton. Kaori picks up Gabby and they trade strikes, back elbow by Gabby and she tags in Xia. Xia goes off the ropes and hits a spinning headscissors onto Kaori, jumping knee by Xia and she hits a face crusher for a two count. Northern Lights Suplex by Kaori and she tags Natsuko, shoulderblocks by Natsuko and she covers Xia for two. Gabby comes in but Natsuko hits a spear onto both of them, another spear by Natsuko to Xia and she covers her for two. Kaori comes in and gets on the second turnbuckle, but Xia avoids her diving senton. Xia tosses Natsuko off the top turnbuckle and applies the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch, picking up the three count! Team Jungle wins the match.

Pretty short, just a hair over six minutes, so still not a great look at the wrestlers new to Stardom. I was surprised to see Xia pick up the pinfall, not sure if they have something in mind for her or if they just didn’t put too much thought into a midcard house show match. Solid action, and Kaori looked great as she tends to, but too short to recommend.

AZM vs. Hiromi Mimura

They get right to it as AZM quickly gets Hiromi to the mat and dropkicks her, AZM throws Hiromi into the corner and connects with another dropkick. Footstomps by AZM near the ropes and she puts Hiromi in a camel clutch, she lets Hiromi up but Hiromi delivers a dropkick. AZM tosses Hiromi out to the apron but Hiromi elbows her back, she returns to the ring but AZM hits a satellite cradle for two. AZM and Hiromi trade elbows, sunset flip by AZM but Hiromi rolls through it and hits a crossbody for two. AZM blocks a suplex and hits rolling verticals for two, she jumps on Hiromi’s back but Hiromi shrugs her off and applies La Magistral for a two count. Hiromi goes off the ropes and delivers a DDT, she charges AZM in the corner but AZM moves and cradles her for two. A backslide by AZM gets a two count as well, she goes for the Japanese Leg Roll Clutch but Hiromi blocks it. The two trade flash pins, until Hiromi is able to hold down AZM for the three count! Hiromi Mimura is the winner!

This match was even shorter, but I am not complaining since these are not two of the better in-ring wrestlers in Stardom. I am not sure what the long term plan can be with either, AZM is still a kid but Hiromi hasn’t improved much in the last year and her last singles win in Stardom (which was also against AZM). The flash pins I guess were done well and nothing stuck out as bad, just nothing was particularly memorable. Short and inoffensive.

Mari Apache vs. Shanna

Shanna hits the first big move of the match with a hurricanrana, dropkick by Shanna and Mari rolls out of the ring to re-group. She returns after a moment, Shanna goes for another dropkick but Mari avoids it and hits a backbreaker. Mari puts Shanna in the Mexican Surfboard while rolling her around the ring, modified STF by Mari but Shanna gets a hand on the ropes for the break. Kick by Mari in the corner but Shanna snaps off a hurricanrana for a two count. Mari pushes Shanna against the ropes and boots her in the head, heel drop by Mari and she covers Shanna for two. Camel Clutch by Mari, she lets go of the hold after a moment and puts Shanna in a single leg crab hold. Shanna eventually gets to the ropes, stomps by Mari and she puts Shanna on the top turnbuckle, but Shanna kicks her back and hits a diving hurricanrana. Stunner by Shanna, and she covers Mari for a two count. Shanna puts Mari in a cross armbreaker but Mari gets a foot on the ropes for the break, Shanna picks up Mari but Mari rocks her with a lariat. Sit-down powerbomb by Mari, but Shanna gets a shoulder up on the cover. Elbow by Shanna and she delivers a high kick, sending Mari rolling out of the ring to the floor. Shanna gets a running start and dives out onto Mari with a tope suicida, but Mari grabs her and stomps Shanna in the head. Mari throws Shanna into the chairs at ringside but Shanna returns the favor, Shanna goes to re-enter the ring but Mari grabs her from behind as they take turns trying to get back into the ring. Neither can make it however in time, as the referee reaches a 20 Count with both still on the floor! The match is a Double Count Out.

I was enjoying this until the overly telegraphed ending. Its always suspicious in Stardom when the referee is obviously counting since Stardom wrestlers are known for taking forever on the floor without the referee caring. Plus the spots with both wrestlers pulling each other by the leg to prevent the other from getting back in weren’t very well done. Up to that point it was a pretty fun match, a bit mat-based but Mari has some quality submissions so it was entertaining. Impressed that Shanna managed to squeeze three hurricanrana variations in such a short match, but it was more a Mari match than a Shanna match in structure. Above average overall, the ending was just a bit lame.

HZK vs. Jungle Kyona

HZK asks for a knuckle lock to start, which Kyona accepts, and they go into a Test of Strength. They both end up on the mat while still locked up, they get back on their feet and HZK gives Kyona a hard headbutt. Both are staggered but recover at about the same time, hard shoulderblock by Kyona and she hits a second one. Cover by Kyona, but it gets a two count. Kyona throws HZK into the corner but HZK catches her with a dropkick, HZK tosses Kyona into the corner and gives Kyona some bootscrapes. Running boot by HZK and she kicks Kyona in the back, more strikes by HZK but Kyona keeps fighting back. Kyona gets HZK’s back and puts her in a sleeper before spinning her around, Kyona keeps the hold applied on the mat. HZK manages to get back to her feet and falls backwards to get Kyona off of her, running elbow by HZK in the corner and she covers Kyona for two. Kyona goes for a powerbomb but HZK gets out of it and kicks Kyona in the head before jackknifing her for a two count. Hard lariats by Kyona but HZK ducks one and hits a release German. HZK nails the Pump Kick, she picks up Kyona and hits a backbreaker in front of the corner. HZK goes up top and delivers the diving senton, but Kyona gets a shoulder up on the cover. She goes up top again but Kyona recovers and joins her, they trade elbows until Kyona powerslams HZK off the top down to the mat. Kyona picks up HZK but HZK snaps off a DDT, they trade elbows as they return to their feet until Kyona levels HZK with a lariat for a two count. Kyona goes up top and delivers the diving body press, but she gets another two. Kyona deadlifts HZK up and nails the Hammer Throw Powerbomb, and she picks up the three count! Jungle Kyona wins the match.

A great match, which was expected as they have really solid chemistry. Some complained about the headbutt spot but I have no issue with it, I’m not their mother and adding an occasional bit of realism to wrestling is welcome in my book. A very back and forth match, both came out of it looking strong as the dominating wrestler constantly changed as they ramped up the violence. Plus they protected HZK’s finisher which they can use down the road when they inevitably have a rematch. This one will fly below the radar since it was a shorter midcard match on a smaller show, but they both delivered.  Recommended

Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Kris Wolf vs. Konami, Michiko Omukai, and Yoko Bito

Oedo Tai attacks before the bell and knocks all of their opponents out to the floor, they quickly join them as the brawl spills to ringside. Kris pairs up with Omukai but it doesn’t go well for her for long as Omukai quickly gets the advantage. Konami and Kagetsu eventually return to the ring as the legal wrestlers, and all the members of Oedo Tai attack Konami near the apron. Dropkick by Kagetsu to Konami, she tags in Hana and Hana chops Konami in the corner. Kris is in next, she sets up Konami in the corner and dropkicks her in the midsection. Kagetsu returns and spits water (I assume) into Konami’s face, kicks by Kagetsu but Konami delivers a kick of her own and makes the tag to Omukai. Omukai boots Kagetsu and knocks Kris out of the ring, she goes back to Kagetsu and throws her down by the hair. Bito comes in and they double team Kagetsu, Konami comes in too and all three pose on their opponent. Konami stays in and kicks Kagetsu, dropkick by Konami and she goes for Kagetsu’s arm, but Kagetsu slams her into the corner. Konami applies a hanging armbar and dropkicks Kagetsu, she goes for a suplex but Kagetsu reverses it with a suplex of her own and tags in Hana. Hana hits a jumping knee on Konami before delivering a dropkick, running boot by Hana and she covers Konami for two.

Hana picks up Konami but Konami sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Konami tags in Omukai, Hana elbows her but Omukai elbows her back and they trade shots. Omukai wins the battle, she kicks Hana in the back but Hana boots her and both wrestlers end up down on the mat. Omukai tags in Bito while Kris is also tagged in, vertical suplex by Bito and she covers Kris for two. Bito goes off the ropes but Kagetsu trips her from the floor, she comes in the ring and Bito is triple teamed in the corner. Bito fights off all three of them but eventually eats a triple dropkick, spear by Kagetsu and Hana dropkicks Bito against the ropes. Suplex by Kris, and she covers Bito for two. All six wrestlers end up in the ring, Bito eventually regains the advantage and hits a missile dropkick onto Kris. Cover by Bito, but Kris gets a shoulder up. Kris and Bito trade elbows, Bito knocks Kris to the mat and she hits a dropkick. Hana comes in and boots Bito in the face, quick cover by Kris but it gets a two. Kris goes for a footstomp but Bito moves, Omukai comes in to kick Kris and Bito delivers the B Driver for a two count. Omukai and Bito both kick Kris, buzzsaw kick by Konami and Omukai nails a Shining Wizard. Bito picks up Kris and nails the BT Bomb, picking up the three count pinfall! Konami, Michiko Omukai, and Yoko Bito win.

While not a ‘high end’ match, it sure was fun to see Omukai again. Omukai still looks great, its been a long time since she was a regular wrestler but they were able to protect her a bit from any ring rust in a six woman tag. A few minor miscommunications, oddly not with Omukai but with some of the regulars, and as one would expect there wasn’t much of a structure as it was mostly just random violence. Still, I couldn’t help but enjoy it just seeing Omukai mix it up again. A solid match overall, nothing to get excited about but a fun watch nonetheless.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Viper
Wonder of Stardom Championship

Mayu tries avoiding Viper to start the match, with limited success, Mayu goes for a scoop slam but Viper easily blocks it. Viper picks up Mayu but Mayu wiggles away, she goes for a crossbody but bounces off of Viper. Running senton by Viper and she throws Mayu out of the ring, where she is beaten down by Oedo Tai. They roll Mayu back in and she is attacked more by all the members of Oedo Tai while the referee is distracted, cover by Viper but she gets a two count. Viper twists on Mayu’s arm and puts her in a cobra clutch, short range lariat by Viper and she covers Mayu for two. Snapmare by Viper and she hits a running crossbody, but Mayu bridges out of the cover. Viper throws Mayu hard in the corner and hits a body avalanche, she goes for a second one but Mayu moves and hits an enzuigiri. Viper doesn’t go down so Mayu goes for a hurricanrana, but Viper catches her and nails a powerbomb. Viper picks up Mayu and throws her head-first into the corner, cannonball by Viper and she goes up for a reverse splash, but Mayu recovers and elbows her back to the mat. Mayu goes up top but Viper joins her, Mayu slides away and she delivers a superkick. Dropkick by Mayu, she goes up to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp. Cover by Mayu, but it gets two. Mayu picks up Viper but Viper blocks her dragon suplex attempt and hits a Michinoku Driver. Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Mayu rolls out of the way of the reverse splash, kick combination by Mayu but Viper lariats her when Mayu goes off the ropes. Viper positions Mayu and gets on the turnbuckles again, but Mayu grabs her from behind and delivers a release dragon suplex. Mayu goes up top and nails the Frog Splash, but Viper kicks out of the cover. Mayu picks up Viper but Viper blocks the dragon suplex, superkick by Mayu and she delivers a Reverse Hurricanrana for the three count! Mayu Iwatani retains the championship!

A good match, but its a bit hard to take Viper seriously at this point as a title challenger, with her historical levels of failure in them. They really need to get her a title in Stardom, even if its just the Trios title, to give her a bit of legitimacy. Viper as one would assume dominated the match, Mayu is an A+ seller and a few times you’d have been convinced she was genuinely hurt. They stayed away from doing the “dumb gaijin” stuff they sometimes do with Viper, which was much appreciated, and while Mayu’s win seemed sudden that was the only way she was realistically beating Viper anyway. It was also a bit short for a main event title match, one of the downsides of having a seven match card is the matches get less time. Pretty fun, but it definitely felt like a ‘house show’ main event with its telegraphed ending and match time.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom “Stardom X Stardom in Osaka” on 7/23/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Welcome to the first big event in the post Kairi and Io Era. Io may be back, we aren’t sure of her long term situation, however Kairi has left Stardom for the greener pastures of WWE. Mayu Iwatani defeated both of them in the last few months, and currently holds the top two singles titles in Stardom as she looks to assert herself as the Ace. She is challenged by Yoko Bito for the World of Stardom Championship, Yoko Bito was considered the Ace Candidate before she took a four year break from wrestling. Also on the card, both the tag titles and High Speed Championship are defended as well, plus we get a look at a new rookie and new Gaijin. Here is the full card:

• AZM vs. Hanan vs. Ruaka
• Natsuko Tora vs. Shiki Shibusawa
• Gabby Ortiz, Mari Apache, and Xia Brookside vs. Hiromi Mimura, Konami, and Starlight Kid
• High Speed Championship: Kris Wolf vs. Shanna
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Hana Kimura and Kagetsu vs. HZK and Jungle Kyona
• World Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoko Bito

I am watching the show on Samurai TV this week, so hopefully the clipping won’t impact my enjoyment. All wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it.

AZM vs. Hanan vs. Ruaka

Ruaka and Hanan both attack AZM off the start but she stacks them in the corner and delivers a dropkick. AZM kicks both in the back as the 14 year old dominates her juniors, but Hanan and Ruaka soon recover and Hanan ends up double teamed by her opponents. Hanan kips up and knocks down AZM but she kips up too. AZM rolls up Ruaka when she goes to do her own kip up and they all trade roll-up with no one getting the three count. AZM ends up alone with Hanan, armdrag by Hanan but AZM hits a dropkick. Ruaka returns and puts Hanan in a crab hold, but AZM puts Ruaka in a sleeper from behind. Hanan recovers and puts AZM in a sleeper as well, AZM gets out of it and hits a double DDT on both her opponents before hitting rolling verticals on Hanan. AZM charges Hanan but Hanan blocks the Rolling Clutch, Ruaka runs in and boots AZM in the corner. Judo toss by Hanan to AZM, but Ruaka drops Hanan with a side Russian leg sweep. Fisherman suplex hold by Ruaka to AZM, but Hanan breaks it up. Hanan and Ruaka trade elbows until Hanan hits a running STO, she picks up AZM but AZM sneaks in an inside cradle for two. Hanan tosses AZM to the mat again, Ruaka boots Hanan and rolls up AZM for a two count. Japanese Rolling Clutch by AZM to Ruaka, and she picks up the three count! AZM wins.

This is probably exactly what you’d expect – a few miscommunications, some cool moves from Hanan, and then a quick ending. Hanan continues to impress me the most of the rookies, the judo background really comes in handy, but nothing else really stood out. A typical start to a Stardom card, nothing offensive but nothing really worth noting.

Natsuko Tora vs. Shiki Shibusawa

Natsuko has now cut her hair short, which I assume means she is stepping up her game. Natsuko starts with a wristlock and they trade holds, Natsuko stretches out Shiki before Shiki goes for a dropkick, but Natsuko avoids it and hits a hard shoulderblock. Sleeper by Natsuko but Shiki gets out of it, dropkicks by Shiki and she covers Natsuko for two. Shiki goes for a scoop slam but Natsuko reverses it into a slam of her own, she puts Shiki back in the sleeper but she releases her after a moment for two count cover. Natsuko tries to go up the turnbuckle but Shiki keeps grabbing her, Shiki dropkicks Natsuko to get her off the turnbuckle before dropkicking her into the corner. A final dropkick by Shiki, but Natsuko kicks out of the cover. Shiki gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, but another pin fails as Natsuko gets a shoulder up. Shiki elbows Natsuko but Natsuko elbows her back, slap by Shiki and she rolls up Natsuko for two. Dropkick by Natsuko, she picks up Shiki and the two trade elbows. Natsuko drops Shiki with a series of running knees, she picks up Shiki and nails the F Crash for the three count! Natsuko Tora wins the match.

Obviously, you can’t really judge a wrestler based off their first match. I will say that she faces an uphill battle, as she doesn’t have the background that generally leads to a successful career. She seemed a bit awkward at times with her movements, so while she may go on to have a long and successful career, there isn’t anything here that I can pinpoint as a sign of potential. Natsuko looked fine as the one ‘leading’ the match and I am sure they practiced this quite a bit, it wasn’t a bad match but a pretty typical debut match.

Gabby Ortiz, Mari Apache, and Xia Brookside vs. Mimura, Konami, and Starlight Kid

Apache and Hiromi start the match for their teams, Apache pushes Hiromi against the ropes and she gives a clean break. She does it a second time as well, Hiromi finally learns not to try to lock up with Apache and go through a fast sequence before squaring off again. Starlight Kid and Xia are tagged in, they trade armdrags but then tag out themselves as the last pairing comes in. Gabby goes for a few flash pins on Konami with no luck, Starlight Kid and Hiromi run in the ring and all three triple team Gabby in the corner. We clip ahead a bit with Starlight Kid now being the legal wrestler, Gabby and Xia double team Starlight Kid before Gabby covers her for two. Dropkick by Gabby, she picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid elbows her away. DDT by Gabby, but the cover is broken up. Gabby tags in Apache, Apache puts Starlight Kid in a rolling Mexican Surfboard before knocking her back into the mat. Modified STF by Apache but it gets broken up as well, Irish whip by Apache but Starlight Kid hits a spinning headscissors.

Dropkick by Starlight Kid, she goes off the ropes but Apache levels her with a lariat. Apache picks up Starlight Kid but Hiromi and Konami run in to stomp her down, double dropkick to Apache and Starlight Kid hits her with a Tiger Feint Kick. Hiromi follows with a crossbody, standing moonsault by Starlight Kid but Apache kicks out of the cover. Starlight Kid tags in Hiromi, Hiromi goes up top and hits a diving crossbody for another two count. A La Magistral gets the same result, Hiromi picks up Apache but Apache hits a lariat. Heel drop by Apache, but Hiromi barely gets a shoulder up. Apache puts Hiromi in a modified Argentine Backbreaker, she drops her to the mat but Hiromi reverses the Michinoku Driver with a DDT. Konami runs in and kicks Gabby, but Xia hits her with a Codebreaker. Starlight Kid dropkicks Xia out of the ring but Apache levels both her and Konami with a lariat. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Apache rocks her with a lariat, Michinoku Driver by Apache and she gets the three count! Gabby Ortiz, Mari Apache, and Xia Brookside win!

Most of this was pretty useless, but the one aspect I did love was that Mari Apache was working really snug which stood out since no one else was. Gabby, Xia, and Hiromi are all young and/or somewhat new to wrestling, so they are barely hitting each other, while Apache was happy to knock people’s heads off their shoulders. Besides that, the match was disappointing as I got to see very little of the young Gaijin do anything at all, and I’d like to see Konami doing something a bit more important. A forgettable match, aside from Apache destroying people.

(c) Kris Wolf vs. Shanna
High Speed Championship

Kris and Shanna quickly get into it, and living up to the titles name they have a high speed exchange which ends with a string of flash pins with neither getting the three count. They go into a Test of Strength, which Kris gets the better of, but Shanna hits a monkey flip before spinning Kris to the mat. Another monkey flip by Shanna and she hits a hurricanrana, cradle by Shanna but it gets two. Sliced Bread #2 by Shanna, she hits a trio of running elbow in the corner before applying a sunset flip for two. Double underhook backbreaker by Shanna, she goes up top but Kris rolls out to the apron before she can jump off. Shanna returns to the ring but Kris snaps her neck over the top rope, Kris stays on the apron too long however and Shanna boots her down to the floor. Kris trips Shanna and pulls her out with her before throwing her into the chairs at ringside. Chops by Kris but Shanna reverses an Irish whip and throws Kris into the ring post. Now it is Shanna that throws Kris into the chairs, she gets up onto the stage and jumps off of it with a crossbody onto Kris. Back in the ring they trade slaps to the chest, eye rake by Kris but Shanna applies a rolling cradle and holds down Kris for a two count. Release Tiger Suplex by Shanna but Kris gets back up and suplexes Shanna twice to the mat. Shining Wizard by Kris, but Shanna gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kris picks up Shanna and delivers a strike combination, release German by Kris and she hits a diving double knee from the second turnbuckle for another two. Kris gets on the second turnbuckle but Shanna clips her from behind with a crossbody, she goes up top but Kris climbs up with her. Shanna elbows Kris into the Tree of Woe but Kris avoids the diving footstomp, Kris pushes Shanna against the ropes but Shanna connects with a roaring elbow. Dragon Slayer by Shanna, she picks up Kris and nails the tiger suplex hold, but Kris barely gets a shoulder up. Shanna drags Kris back up and hits a second tiger suplex hold, and this time she gets the three count! Shanna is the new champion!

Several minutes of this was clipped, which is never ideal for a title match. This was really oddly laid out, and I am not certain if that was due to the clipping or how they planned it. Kris no-selling the first tiger suplex seemed off, Shanna never have a receipt for it so it came across as a lazy transition. On the plus side, I loved Kris’ new offense and she was deadly serious here, showing that she isn’t all fun and games. This probably is the best singles match of Kris’ career, as usually she is in tag or triple threat matches, and I think she showed a lot of ability while Shanna looked good too. The structure and/or clipping hurt the match a bit, but still a fun watch overall.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Hana Kimura and Kagetsu vs. HZK and Jungle Kyona
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Kyona forces HZK to shake her hand before the match starts, but while they do so they are jumped by Hana and Kagetsu. Double dropkicks by Oedo Tai but HZK and Kyona roar back with strikes in the corner. HZK and Kyona accidentally collide with each other, and Oedo Tai takes the action out to the floor. HZK and Kyona are both thrown into the chairs at ringside. Hana eventually rolls HZK back into the ring and double teams her with Kagetsu, Kyona tries to help but gets choked by Kagetsu for her trouble. Hana picks up HZK but HZK fires back with elbows, Kyona comes in to help but HZK kicks her away. Elbows by Hana to HZK and she clubs her to the mat, Hana goes off the ropes but HZK catches her with a dropkick. HZK rolls to her corner and tags Kyona, shoulderblock by Kyona to Hana as Kagetsu comes in, but Kyona fights them both off. Kyona sets up both Hana and Kagetsu in the corner, she invites HZK back into the ring and suplexes HZK onto Hana and Kagetsu. Cover by Kyona to Hana, but it gets two. Kyona goes for a lariat but Hana ducks it, Hana goes for a high kick but Kyona blocks it and goes for a powerbomb. Hana punches out of the hold and boots Kyona in the face, dropkick by Hana but Kyona falls back into her corner and HZK tags in. HZK puts Hana in the crossface while Kyona keeps Kagetsu at bay, but Hana makes it to the ropes for the break. HZK facewashes Hana against the ropes, cover by HZK but Hana gets a shoulder up.

HZK goes for the pump kick but Hana avoids it and hits a series of mounted punches. HZK returns the favor as they go back and forth, dropkick by Hana and she nails HZK with a running boot to the face. Hana goes for a sleeper but HZK spins out of it and hits a Codebreaker, giving her time to get to the corner to tag Kyona. Kagetsu is tagged in too and she dropkicks Kyona in the face, high kick by Kagetsu and she deliver the Ebisu Drop for a two count. Kagetsu tries to go up top but Kyona grabs her from behind, elbows by Kagetsu and she elbows Kyona until HZK comes in to help. Hana comes in too but HZK dispatches her, HZK slaps Kyona I guess to motivate her and they both toss Kagetsu into the air before hitting a double shoulderblock. Lariat by Kyona, but Kagetsu kicks out at two. HZK slams Kagetsu in front of the corner and Kyona hits a diving body press, but Hana breaks up the cover. Kyona picks up Kagetsu but Hana goes up top and drops her with a missile dropkick, HZK runs in and hits a Pump Kick onto Hana, but Kagetsu kicks HZK in the head and all four wrestlers are down. Kyona lariats Hana while Kagetsu takes care of HZK, Kagetsu and Kyona trade elbows until Kyona hits a pair of lariats for a two count cover. Kyona goes for the Hammer Throw Powerbomb but Hana comes in and boots her, chokeslam by Kagetsu to Kyona but Kyona gets a shoulder up on the cover. Hana and Kagetsu both boot Kyona, Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu in front of the corner and she nails the Oedo Coaster for the three count! Kagetsu and Hana Kimura are still the champions.

The action itself in this match was good, bordering on great, but I still can’t say that I love the decision to have the match in the first place. Two enemies suddenly being on the same page to challenge for the tag team titles, just to go back to being enemies again, is not my ideal way for a match to be constructed. Still though, all four looked great and everything was hit smoothly, HZK and Hana are really coming along and Kagetsu has just been on a tear since returning. Despite my opinion of the way the match came together, I can’t fault anything that happened between the bells, as they kept the HZK/Kyona oddness to a minimum and concentrated on the fight. Definitely a fun match, and probably even better for those that don’t follow the storylines since at least then you wouldn’t know it wasn’t a particularly logical match to happen.  Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoko Bito
World of Stardom Championship

Bito kicks Mayu as the match starts, they get into a fast exchange but end up squaring off on their feet again. They tie-up and struggle for position, Bito pushes Mayu into the ropes but Mayu hits a running elbow and kicks Bito against the ropes. Mayu picks up Bito and kicks her in the back, she puts Bito in an armbar before pushing her into the ropes and chopping Bito in the chest. Mayu dropkicks Bito in the corner, another dropkick by Mayu and she covers her for two. Bito pushes Mayu back and goes for a kick, but Mayu catches it and hits a dragon screw. Mayu works over Bito’s leg, she grabs Bito’s arm and hits a split-legged springboard armdrag. Bito lands against the ropes, dropkick by Mayu and Bito falls out of the ring. Mayu quickly goes up top and dives out onto Bito with a plancha suicida, she picks up Bito but Bito nails her with a kick to the head. Bito rolls back into the ring with Mayu slowly following, high kick by Mayu but Bito hits a release dragon suplex. Mayu and Bito trade elbows as they slowly get up, kick to the chest by Bito and she covers Mayu for two. Bito goes off the ropes but Mayu catches her with a superkick, Northern Lights Suplex by Mayu but it gets a two count. Mayu goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp, she then goes all the way up but Bito recovers and joins her. Mayu knocks Bito into the Tree of Woe and hits a footstomp down onto Bito, she goes back up top but again Bito recovers and brings Mayu back into the ring with a superplex. Now it is Bito that goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick, cover by Bito but it gets two. Bito goes for the B Driver but Mayu reverses it with a sunset flip, high kick by Bito and this time she delivers the B Driver. A second B Driver by Bito, she picks up Mayu but Mayu ducks the high kick and drops Bito with a release German. Kick to the head by Mayu, she goes up top and nails the Frog Splash for a two count cover. Mayu picks up Bito but Bito nails a spinning head kick, push kick by Bito but Mayu comes back with a superkick. Dragon Suplex Hold by Mayu, and she picks up the three count! Mayu Iwatani is still the champion.

So about four minutes of this match was chopped, as Samurai TV opted for this show to knock a few minutes off of each match instead of just heavily clipping a couple matches. I wanted to love this match, but either because of the structure or the clipping they didn’t make it easy. Bito continues to improve since returning but still is a bit clunky at times, the double B Drivers in particular looked a bit off. Some moves got blown off quickly and I was surprised how much Mayu dominated the first half of the match. The ending stretch was really good but ended suddenly, as Bito connected with a few kicks but Mayu shrugged them off with little reasoning to quickly win. Mayu is so much fun to watch and they were trying to make it memorable with big moves and suspense, it was just lacking in execution, which may partly be blamed on a chunk of the match missing. Worth a watch but far from the best World of Stardom match this year.  Mildly Recommended

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Championships Held: Sky High of ARSION Championship, AAA Reina de Reinas Championship, AAA World Mixed Tag Team Championship, and the AAA World Trios Championship
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches in Japan:

• June 29th, 2000 vs. AKINO
• October 29th, 2014 vs. Hikaru Shida
• November 2nd, 2014 with Aja Kong vs. Hikaru Shida and Kagetsu

Signature Moves:

• Michinoku Driver II
• Senton Bomb
• Sit-down Powerbomb

In Action:

Coming Soon 

Back to Gaijin Invaders

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