Stardom has had quite a few shows since I last reviewed one of their events, but this was one I couldn’t miss. I love crazy gimmick matches so how couldn’t I review an exploding bat death match? Even beyond the main event this was a big show for Stardom, as they stacked it up for one of their largest recent attendances outside of Korakuen Hall. They had a total of nine matches, which is a crazy high amount for Stardom, so while match times will probably be short we get a lot of singles matches to give the wrestlers a chance to shine. Here is the full card:

• Hanan and Nao Yamaguchi vs. Leo Onozaki and Ruaka
• IPW:UK Women’s Championship: Xia Brookside vs. Konami
• Future Of Stardom Championship: AZM vs. Starlight Kid
• Bea Priestley vs. Momo Watanabe
• Hana Kimura vs. HZK
• Faby Apache, Mary Apache, and Natsumi vs. Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima, and Shiki Shibusawa
• SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship: Viper vs. Jungle Kyona
• World Of Stardom Championship: Toni Storm vs. Mayu Iwatani
• Current Blast Exploding Bat Death Match: Io Shirai and Tam Nakano vs. Kagetsu and Natsu Sumire

What a card. All the wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name to go straight to it. I will be watching the Samurai TV Version of the event because I like the presentation and with a nine match card I figured some match clipping may help me get through it in a more timely fashion.

Hanan and Nao Yamaguchi vs. Leo Onozaki and Ruaka

Ruaka and Nao start off and try to knock each other over with no luck, body block by Nao against the ropes and she finally knocks down Ruaka with a lariat for two. Nao picks up Ruaka but Xia boots her in the chest, another boot by Ruaka and she covers her for two. Ruaka picks up Nao and delivers the fisherman suplex hold, picking up the three count! Ruaka and Leo are the winners.

Even without clipping this match was pretty damn short so we didn’t miss much. Hopefully next time I’ll get a chance to see Leo and Hanan participate, Ruaka is still pretty rough around the edges which was even evident in a clipped three minute matches. Nothing to see here.

(c) Xia Brookside vs. Konami
IPW:UK Women’s Championship

We join this one in progress as the pair trade strikes, dropkick by Xia and she knees Konami in the corner. Face crusher by Xia and she dropkicks Konami again, covering her for two. Head kick by Xia and she sits Konami on the top turnbuckle, but Konami kicks her away and applies a hanging armbar. Armdrag by Konami and she applies the cross armbreaker in the middle of the ring, back up Konami delivers a head kick and hits a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Konami goes off the ropes but Xia catches her with a Codebreaker, but Konami barely kicks out of the cover. Xia puts Konami in the Tree of Woe and hits a sliding kick, Xia flings Konami off the top turnbuckle and applies the Leg Roll Clutch for the three count! Xia retains the championship.

We only got to see half of this but what they showed was fine. Xia gets a bit better each time I see her, she is still a teenager but has shown some natural ability (not surprising) early in her career. And the crowd has taken to her quite a bit which is always a plus. Konami continues to be proficient but still hasn’t gotten anywhere in Stardom, we’ll see if that ever changes or if she’ll have to go elsewhere to find success. Too clipped to recommend but both are solid wrestlers.

AZM vs. Starlight Kid
Future of Stardom Championship

Starlight Kid charges AZM as the match starts, AZM goes for an armdrag but Starlight Kid lands on her feet. AZM connects with the next armdrag and they trade trips before reaching a stalemate back on their feet. AZM fakes a handshake and goes for a kick, Starlight Kid catches it and they take turns throwing each other to the mat by the head. They trade elbows and dropkicks, Starlight Kid kips up but AZM kicks her in the chest. Kicks to the back by AZM and she puts Starlight Kid in a camel clutch, after a moment she releases the hold and sets up Starlight Kid in the ropes. Dropkick to the back by AZM but Starlight Kid trips her when she goes for a second one, she goes for a Tiger Feint Kick but AZM ducks. Starlight Kid hits the move on the lower ropes instead, standing moonsault by Starlight Kid and she covers AZM for two. Irish whip by Starlight Kid to the corner and she delivers a dropkick, but AZM dropkicks her back. Rebound crossbody by AZM but Starlight Kid dropkicks her, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Starlight Kid is up first, she trips AZM and puts her in a crab hold, but AZM rolls out of it and they trade flash pins. Back up, high kicks by AZM and she covers Starlight Kid for a two count. AZM runs to the corner and goes for a triple jump attack, but Starlight Kid kicks her in the stomach and hits the cyclone suplex. Starlight Kid goes up top and she nails the swivel body press, cover by Starlight Kid and she picks up the three count! Starlight Kid is the first Future of Stardom Champion!

For a short match, I thought this was good. AZM was pretty iffy the first few years of her career (to be fair, she is a child) but has gotten a lot better in the last year or so. Starlight Kid has always had the flashy moves but just didn’t always string them together well, here though she was pretty tight with everything and they played off each other well. I’m not sure if another title was really necessary just for the children but at least they got a good match out of it.  Mildly Recommended

Bea Priestley vs. Momo Watanabe

We join this one in progress as they trade elbows while on their needs, they get to their feet and Momo hits a quick side slam followed by the Somato for a two count. Momo picks up Bea and goes for the B Driver, but Bea blocks it and superkicks Momo in the head. Bea traps Momo’s arm and elbows her repeatedly, she lets go and goes for a kick, but Momo catches her leg and delivers a head kick of her own. A second Somato by Momo, but Bea is too close to the ropes and grabs them when she goes for the cover. elbows by Momo but Bea grabs her and slams Momo into the mat. Bea steps off of Momo’s back and crushes her face into the mat with a double footstomp, cover by Bea and she picks up the three count! Bea Priestly is the winner.

This was way too clipped to really judge but everything they showed was solid. Momo stood no chance here, she is too far down on the totem pole to beat someone that Stardom will be building up to lose in more title matches down the road. All hope isn’t lost for Momo, she’ll be fine if she continues improving, but it isn’t her time yet.

Hana Kimura vs. HZK

Hana ducks a HZK boot early on and takes the time to pose to the crowd, which HZK doesn’t like as she dropkicks Hana in the back. Hana spits at HZK, HZK goes off the ropes and she hits an armdrag. Hana bails out of the ring, HZK follows her but Hana quickly slides back in. Armdrags by HZK but Hana sends her out of the ring, Hana follows her out and throws HZK into the ring post. Hana scoop slams HZK onto the floor and returns to the ring with HZK slowly following, stomps by Hana and she puts HZK in the Mexican Surfboard. Hana goes off the ropes but HZK catches her with a springboard dropkick, bootscrapes by HZK and she boots Hana in the face. HZK elbows Hana but Hana elbows her back as they trade blows, Hana grabs HZK and gets her in the Ground Manjikatame but HZK gets a toe on the ropes for the break. Hana goes off the ropes but HZK avoids her boot and drops her with the Codebreaker. HZK goes for a running senton but Hana moves and boots HZK while she is against the ropes, a second boot by Hana and she hits a series of elbows. Vertical suplex attempt by Hana but HZK blocks it, Hana delivers on her second attempt and she covers HZK for two. Back up, another boot by Hana but HZK decks her with the Pump Kick, she waits for Hana to get up and hits a running elbow in the corner. Tornado DDT by HZK and she covers Hana for a two count. Scoop slam by HZK, she goes up top and goes for the Bombs Away, but Hana moves. Hana quickly applies the Small Package to HZK, and she picks up the three count! Hana Kimura wins!

While there is no way to know what the future holds for these two, I can say that so early in their careers both are progressing well. They are getting a lot more crisp with their respective offense while expanding it, as I really love Hana’s Ground Manjikatame and HZK’s tornado DDT was on point. It wasn’t perfect as some of the bigger moves were recovered from a bit too quickly, and it was a little clipped, but overall a fun match between two of the rising stars in Stardom.  Mildly Recommended

Faby Apache, Mary Apache, and Natsumi vs. Natsuko Tora, Kashima, and Shibusawa

We join slightly in progress with Saki and Natsumi in the ring, stomps by Saki but Mary comes in help her daughter. Natsumi attempts a slam and eventually succeeds in hitting her, giving her time to tag in Mary. Boots by Mary to everyone, Faby comes in too with Natsumi and all three put their opponents in a submission hold. Team Apache all hit dropkicks before continuing their assault, the ring eventually clears expect for Saki and Mary and Mary tags in Faby. Saki hits a spinning headscissors on Faby and applies a cradle, but it only gets two. Saki grabs Faby and hits the Unprettier, but Mary breaks up the cover. Saki tags Shiki but Faby promptly kicks Shiki in the chest, Shiki comes back with a dropkick followed by a face crusher for a two count. Faby drives Shiki into the corner and she boots Shiki in the face, giving her time to tag in Mary. Natsuko tags in as well, knees by Natsuko but Mary hits a lariat followed by a scoop slam. Heel drop by Mari, she picks up Natsuko and with Faby they place Natsuko on the top turnbuckle. Double Muscle Buster to Natsuko, but Mary’s cover is broken up. Saki stays in to help and they hit a double face crusher, Natsuko runs in with a knee and she goes up top to hit a diving frog splash for two. Natsuko goes off the ropes but Mary blocks the spear, Natsuko gets away however and she cradles Mary for two. Another roll-up by Natsuko also gets a two, she goes off the ropes but Mary plants her with a lariat. Mary gets on the top turnbuckle and nails the diving kneel kick, cover by Mary and she gets the three count! Team Apache are your winners.

In a continued trend on this card, this was short but ok. One of the downsides of having so many matches on a card is they weren’t going to get a ton of time, but honestly I’m not sure I would have wanted this particular match to be any longer. The Apache sisters were fine but Natsumi and Shiki in particular are still pretty rough and Saki is still working things out after such a long layoff. So there were some issues with technique here. The youngsters still have a ways to go but having Mary and Faby in the match at least gave it some structure so it wasn’t a bad watch.

(c) Viper vs. Jungle Kyona
SWA Women’s Championship

Kyona tries to knock over Viper as the match begins without any luck, elbows by Kyona but Viper swipes her to the mat. Viper pushes Kyona into the ropes but she gives a clean break, hard shoulderblock by Viper but Kyona wiggles away and goes for the sliding lariat. Viper blocks it but Kyona trips her, quick cover by Kyona but it gets a two count. Kick by Kyona but Viper blocks the scoop slam and hits one of her own, running senton by Viper and Kyona rolls out of the ring to re-group. Viper goes out to the apron but Kyona knocks her legs out from under her, Kyona pulls Viper out of the ring but Viper throws Kyona into the ring post. Viper gets on the apron and dives down onto Kyona (and other wrestlers) with a cannonball, she returns to the ring with Kyona slowly following. Headbutts by Viper and she hits another cannonball in the corner, cover by Viper but Kyona kicks out. Viper gets on the second turnbuckle but Kyona recovers and elbows Viper before she can jump off. Kyona powerbombs Viper off the second turnbuckle to the mat, but Viper barely gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kyona elbows Viper but Viper elbows her back as they trade blows, Kyona goes for a lariat but Viper absorbs the blow. Kyona finally knocks down Viper with a lariat, she slowly makes the cover but it only gets a two count. Kyona picks up Viper but Viper knocks her down with a lariat, Reverse Splash by Viper but Kyona gets a hand on the rope to break up the cover. Viper picks up Kyona and hits the Michinoku Driver, but Kyona reverses the cover into a cradle of her own for two. Viper goes up top but Kyona avoids the diving body press, lariat to the back of the head by Kyona and she body slams Viper. Kyona goes up top and delivers the diving body press, but she only gets a two count. Kyona goes for a powerbomb but Viper blocks it, headbutt by Viper and she hits a backdrop suplex. Cannonball by Viper in the corner, she picks up Kyona and nails the Michinoku Driver for the three count! Viper is still the champion.

The layout of this match was predictable, but it was still an entertaining match. While for the bulk of it I felt that it was too lopsided to Viper and Kyona wasn’t getting enough in, they got the crowd into it a bit towards the end as Kyona had some quality near falls and even in defeat she didn’t look weak. Kyona wasn’t going to hit her finisher on Viper but she has enough in her arsenal that she could have won without it, and it helps keep the Hammerthrow Bomb stronger anyway that she didn’t do a finisher spam on the way to defeat. The match stayed pretty well paced and the Hoss vs. Hoss spots were fine, even if the Hossness between the two is lopsided. Overall I liked it, Kyona isn’t quite ready yet to take down someone like Viper but she is slowly getting there, and perhaps she will get another chance at her down the road.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Mayu Iwatani
World of Stardom Championship

They circle each other to start, Toni gets Mayu to the mat but Mayu recovers and they end up back on their feet. Springboard armdrag by Mayu and she dropkicks Toni, she goes for another dropkick but Toni gets back up and boots Mayu in the head. Toni goes for a dropkick by Mayu moves, Toni feigns injury but rolls up Mayu before delivering a hip attack. Uppercut by Toni and she starts on Mayu’s previously injured arm, Toni knocks Mayu into the corner and chops her in the chest before covering her for two. Toni drags Mayu back up and sends her into the corner, but Mayu kicks her back and rolls Toni to the mat before kicking her in the face. Northern Lights Suplex by Mayu, but it gets a two count. Mayu knocks Toni against the ropes and delivers a hard dropkick, sending Toni out of the ring to the floor. Mayu goes up top and dives down onto Toni with a plancha suicida, she rolls Toni back in the ring and goes up top, hitting a missile dropkick. Hurricanrana by Mayu, but it gets two. Superkick by Mayu and she hits a diving footstomp, she goes up top again and delivers a diving body press, but Toni barely gets a shoulder up on the pin attempt.

Mayu goes for the dragon suplex but Toni elbows out of it, she then goes for the piledriver but Mayu blocks it and hits a super kick. German suplex hold by Mayu, but it gets two. Toni grabs Mayu and delivers a quick Strong Zero, but is too hurt to capitalize. They trade elbows on their knees as they recover, Mayu goes for a kick but Toni catches it and hits a snap release German Suplex. Hip attack by Toni in the corner and she hits the reverse neckbreaker, cover by Toni but Mayu kicks out. Toni quickly applies an armbar, but Mayu gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Toni picks up Mayu but Mayu cradles her for two, Mayu scoops up Toni and goes for the tombstone, but Toni reverses the hold. Mayu slides away from Toni and applies a quick backslide, but Toni gets out of it and delivers a Strong Zero for a two count. Toni goes to the top turnbuckle but Mayu hits her before she can jump off and joins her. Toni slides under Mayu and hits a Buckle Bomb, Strong Zero by Toni and she rolls Mayu into a second Strong Zero for the three count pinfall! Toni Storm retains the championship.

This was a really good match but something was missing from letting it hit that next level. Maybe just not being the main event/focus of the event alone hurt it, and it is a shame that such a big (on paper) title match got overshadowed by the Exploding Bat Death Match. Everything they did was great, I enjoyed the arm work as a throwback to how Toni won the title, it had lots of hard strikes and memorable spots and big moments. I wish it was longer of course, 13 minutes is a bit shot for a title match, and it just didn’t have the aura of a title grudge match. Which isn’t really their fault and I won’t take away from them that it was a really well executed and entertaining match. It just felt a bit flat, I hope they get a re-match in the future on a bigger stage where they can go all out and have the type of match I know they are capable of.  Recommended

Io Shirai and Tam Nakano vs. Kagetsu and Natsu Sumire
Exploding Bat Death Match

Oedo Tai attack before the bell rings and the action immediately spills to the floor, as they use chairs on both of their opponents. Tam is isolated in the ring, Kagetsu gets the exploding bat but Tam kicks her from behind and hits a series of elbows. Backdrop suplex by Tam, Io comes in but so does Natsu, Io dropkicks both of her opponents out of the ring before kipping back up to her feet. Io goes off the ropes and dives out onto both Kagetsu and Natsu with a tope suicida, Io slides Kagetsu back into the ring and delivers a dropkick. Io goes off the ropes and hits the Tiger Feint Kick, she goes for a swandive move but Kagetsu gets out of the way and kicks her to the mat. Kagetsu gets the exploding bat and waits for Io to get back up, but Io blocks it when Kagetsu tries to use it. Io gets the bat but gets distracted before she could use it, Kagetsu gets the back bat but Io ducks her swing and hits a palm strike. Tam runs in and hits a double kneedrop onto Kagetsu, dragon sleeper by Tam and she hits a Stunner. Tam goes off the ropes but Kagetsu catches her kick, Tam slides away however and kicks Kagetsu in the head anyway.

Tam grabs the exploding bat while Io knocks Natsu off the apron, Tam goes to hit Kagetsu with the bat but Kagetsu ducks. Kagetsu gets the bat but Io hits a swandive dropkick on her, running double knee by Io to Kagetsu in the corner and she hits a second one, cover by Io but it gets a two count. Io goes up top but Kagetsu knocks her to the apron, she superplexes Io back into the ring and covers her for two. Kicks by Kagetsu, she picks up Io and drops her with a chokeslam. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, she goes up top and nails the Oedo Coaster, but Tam breaks up the cover. Kagetsu picks up Io and kicks her in the head, she gets the exploding bat and hits Io in the chest with it a few times before she hits the button to make it explosive. Kagetsu finally hits the button, she then hits Io in the chest again with the bat, sending sparks flying everywhere. Io rolls out of the ring and gets water poured on her before she is rushed to the back, temporarily leaving Tam alone. Natsu slides Tam into the ring, Kagetsu gets the bat again and gives it to Natsu, but Io is suddenly back and hits a missile dropkick onto Natsu. Io hits Natsu repeatedly in the chest with the bat (its not explosive at the moment), cover by Io but it gets a two count. Io goes for the double underhook facebuster but Natsu gets out of it and whips Io repeatedly. Natsu scoops up Io but Io slides away, waistlock by Io but Natsu gets into the ropes and Kagetsu hits Io with the bat. Roll-up by Natsu to Io, but Tam breaks it up.

Kagetsu gets the bat but hits Natsu with it by accident, Io and Tam take turns striking Kagetsu before taking care of Natsu as well. Diving senton by Tam to Natsu, but Natsu kicks out of the cover. Tam gets the bat and hits the trigger in the corner, she waits for Natsu to get up and hits her in the chest, causing another massive explosion. Io picks up Natsu and hits a double underhook facebuster, moonsault by Io but Kagetsu breaks up the cover by spitting red mist in her face. She tries the same with Tam but Tam kicks Kagetsu in the head, Kagetsu kicks her back however and hits the Ebisu Drop for two. Io and Kagetsu trade blows until Io hits a hurricanrana, Kagetsu falls out of the ring and Io dives out onto her with a moonsault from the top turnbuckle. Back in the ring, Natsu is up and knees Tam in the head, boot by Natsu but Tam boots her back. High kick by Tam and she nails a spinning heel kick, Violent Shooting (running knee strike) by Tam and she covers Natsu for the three count! Io Shirai and Tam Nakano are the winners!

Even though this had a few of the common pitfalls of wild gimmick matches, I still enjoyed it a lot. The main issue of course with the bat is for the middle chunk of the match they did a lot of the ‘one wrestler gets the bat, another steals it, another steals it’ etc. without a lot of actual action going on. But the explosions did not disappoint, the “exploding bat” is the gimmickiest of all gimmicks but its still fun as its so over the top, and seeing a different match style in Stardom was a treat. The last five minutes of the match was really hot as it became less about the gimmick and more about four talented wrestlers executing a really well done home stretch, and that really helped put over the match as more than just a big boom. There were a lot of little things here that were done well and only a few small annoyances, overall definitely a match worth a watch and probably one of the most ridiculous yet entertaining matches we will see in Joshi wrestling this year.  Highly Recommended

The post Stardom Dream Slam In Nagoya on 4/1/18 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

One thing that I am a complete sucker for is retirement shows. I love the atmosphere, the emotion, everything about them. Sure, not all wrestling retirements stick long term (looking at you, Chigusa Nagayo) but I still enjoy them anyway, as not only are they special events but the wrestlers tend to put a little more effort to make the send-off for their friend more memorable. I purchased this event on DVD as it didn’t air anywhere, I’ll only be reviewing the regular wrestling matches on the show. Here is the card:

• Debbie Malenko, Jaguar Yokota, and Kaoru Ito vs. Kyoko Inoue, Takako Inoue, and Mariko Yoshida
• Aja Kong, AKINO, and Mary Apache vs. Leon, Mariko Yoshida, and Melissa
• Aoi Kizuki and Misaki Ohata vs. Bambi and Cherry
• Maruko Yoshida Retirement Match: Mariko Yoshida vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto

All the wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it. These matches won’t have a ton of backstory but I’ll at least fill in some gaps on who the wrestlers are and why they are on the card.

Debbie Malenko, Yokota, and Ito vs. Kyoko Inoue, Takako Inoue, and Mariko Yoshida

Yoshida and Malenko start the match, they grapple until Malenko gets Yoshida to the mat, but Yoshida switches positions with her as struggle for control. Malenko gets a short armbar applied but Yoshida quickly gets into the ropes for the break, Yoshida tags in Kyoko while Ito is also tagged in. Ito immediately hits a big lariat, she picks up Kyoko and the pair trade elbows. Short range lariat by Ito but Kyoko doesn’t go down, she returns fire as the veterans go back and forth with lariats. Kyoko wins the battle and tags in Takako, double Irish whip to Ito and she eats a double kick to the gut. Yoshida comes in too and poses on top of Ito, she stays in and tries to suplex Ito, but Ito blocks it and hits a back bodydrop. Ito throws Yoshida into the corner and hits a lariat, running senton by Ito and she covers Yoshida for two. Crab hold by Ito but she lets go after a moment, Irish whip by Ito but Yoshida flips over her back and cradles Ito for two. Yoshida tags in Takako, boots by Takako to Ito but Ito lariats her to the mat. Takako elbows Ito away and delivers a high kick, but Ito eventually has enough and drops her with a uranage. Ito tags in Yokota but Takako catches her with a backdrop suplex. Yoshida comes in but Yokota sends them both down, they recover however and Takako cradles Yokota for two. Yokota recovers and shoulderblocks Takako into the corner, Irish whip by Yokota but Takako hits a bridging backdrop suplex for two.

She tags in Kyoko, lariat by Kyoko but Ito runs in and lariats Kyoko. Things break down as all six come into the ring, Kyoko gets Yokota onto the top turnbuckle and hits a superplex for two. Kyoko picks up Yokota and goes for a powerbomb, but Yokota reverses it with a hurricanrana. Somersault legdrop by Yokota and she tags in Malenko, who comes in the ring with a diving face crusher for two. Running back elbow by Malenko and she hits a second one, but Kyoko chops her to the mat. Malenko goes for a cutter but Kyoko pushes her off and tags in Yoshida, double underhook facebuster by Yoshida and she covers Malenko for a two count. Irish whip by Yoshida but Yoshida is grabbed from the apron, giving Malenko a chance to deliver a boot. Yokota comes in and helps Malenko hit a double backdrop suplex onto Yoshida, before Ito follows with a diving footstomp. Malenko picks up Yoshida and delivers a Northern Lights Suplex, but the pin is broken up. STF by Malenko but Yoshida crawls to the ropes to get the break. Everyone runs in the ring as the action breaks down, Kyoko lariats both Ito and Malenko and Yoshida cradles Malenko for two. Yoshida picks up Malenko and puts her in the Spider Twist, and she has no choice but to submit! Double Inoue and Mariko Yoshida are the winners!

A fun way to kick off the show. What I loved the most was the maximum effort shown by everyone, I mean Kyoko hit a superplex while 56 year old Yokota was flying around with a hurricanrana and somersault legdrop, they didn’t hold anything back. Malenko looked great in her first official wrestling match since 1993, and Kaoru Ito is still really solid as well. Even though it was a ‘reunion’ match they didn’t wrestle like it as there were no lighthearted moments – they were all in from start to finish. Better than I would have imagined, enjoyable in every aspect.  Recommended

Aja Kong, AKINO, and Mary Apache vs. Leon, Mariko Yoshida, and Melissa

Yoshida and AKINO start the match, AKINO immediately sneaks in a backslide but it gets a two count. AKINO goes off the ropes but lll kicks her from the apron, Yoshida and AKINO grapple on the mat and trade submissions until they reach a stalemate. lll and Apache tag in, armdrag by lll but Apache returns the favor as they go back and forth. They reach a stalemate as well as they return to their feet, Irish whip by Apache but lll delivers the spear. lll tags in Melissa, elbow drop by Melissa and she applies the Kondo Clutch, but Apache gets into the ropes. Apache gets away from Melissa, Melissa goes for a scoop slam but Apache blocks it and lands on top of her. Heel kick by Apache and she tags in Kong, Irish whip by Kong but Melissa hits a lariat. Kong doesn’t budge, they both try to knock the other one over but Kong outsmarts Melissa and knocks her to her knees. Kong picks up Melissa but Melissa knocks Kong to the mat with a lariat, diving strike by Melissa and she tags in Yoshida. Kong punches Yoshida in the throat and kicks her in the head, she goes for a suplex but Yoshida lands on her feet and applies a sleeper. Kong almost goes to sleep but gets a hand on the ropes in time, Yoshida goes for a suplex but she can’t get Kong over. Leon comes in to help but Kong suplexes both of them instead, giving her time to tag in AKINO. Kicks by AKINO to Yoshida but Yoshida blocks a lariat attempt and puts AKINO in the Spider Twist.

AKINO rolls out of it and puts Yoshida in the Spider Twist instead, but Yoshida also rolls out of it and applies an ankle hold. AKINO gets out of it and puts Yoshida in a cross armbreaker, but Yoshida pins down AKINO’s shoulders for a two count. High kick by AKINO, Apache runs in but Yoshida blocks her powerbomb attempt and throws Apache out of the ring. AKINO has gone up top in the meantime but Melissa joins her and hits an avalanche Samoan Drop, Leon goes up top and nails a somersault senton onto AKINO for a two count. Leon picks up AKINO but AKINO blocks the Capture Buster, Apache runs in and lariats Leon before Kong drops her with a backdrop suplex. High kick by AKINO, she covers Leon but Yoshida breaks it up. AKINO picks up Leon but Leon slides away, she goes for a sunset flip but AKINO blocks it. Melissa runs in and elbows AKINO, double underhook facebuster by Yoshida to AKINO and Leon delivers her diving body press for another two count cover. Leon picks up AKINO but AKINO avoids her kick and punches Leon in the head. Yoshida tries to help but boots Leon by accident, Melissa comes in but she is shoulderblocked by Kong and Apache. Kong and Apache accidentally run into each other, Leon goes off the ropes and delivers a high kick, but AKINO snaps off a hurricanrana for the three count! Aja Kong, AKINO, and Mary Apache are the winners.

Not as good as the last match but still solid. There were some chemistry issues, which isn’t surprising since some of these wrestlers don’t wrestle each other very often (if ever), but it all came together for the home stretch. AKINO was the workhorse here, she was really on top of her game and helped tie the match together. Too disjointed to recommend too strongly but I still an easy and entertaining watch.  Mildly Recommended

Aoi Kizuki and Misaki Ohata vs. Bambi and Cherry

Aoi and Misaki attack before the match starts and double team their opponents in the corner, double vertical suplex to Bambi and they then suplex Cherry on top of her. Ohata and Cherry stay in as the legal wrestlers, Misaki tags in Aoi and Aoi hits Mongolian Chops onto Cherry. Elbow by Aoi in the corner and she hits a face crusher, running senton by Aoi and she covers Cherry for two. Misaki returns but Cherry hits a jumping neck drop on both of them, Cherry picks up Aoi but Aoi snaps her back over her knee before slamming Cherry fast-first into the match. Aoi goes for a diving senton but Cherry moves, Cherry goes for an armbreaker and gets it locked in, but Aoi quickly wiggles to the ropes for the break. Cherry tags Bambi, Bambi chops Aoi in the corner and Cherry returns as both hit running hip attacks onto Aoi. Irish whip by Bambi, reversed by Aoi but Bambi avoids her charge and hits a high kick. Running boot by Bambi, and she covers Aoi for two. Bambi charges Aoi but Aoi kicks her back and applies a sunset flip for two, Bambi goes off the ropes but Aoi chops her in the chest and hits the double wrist-clutch armsault. Jumping lariat by Aoi and she tags in Misaki, Misaki elbows Bambi in the corner and delivers the low crossbody. Misaki goes up top but Bambi ducks the crossbody and boots Misaki in the face. Misaki fights back and dropkicks Bambi in the face, she goes off the ropes but Bambi delivers a big boot again. Bambi tags Cherry, Cherry goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, double Irish whip to Misaki and she is knocked down by a double shoulderblock. Body press by Bambi, Cherry goes to the top turnbuckle and nails the Swanton Bomb, but Aoi breaks up the cover. Cherry goes off the ropes but Aoi elbows her, Misaki cradles Cherry but it gets a two count. Bambi tries to help but boots Cherry by accident, lariat by Misaki to Cherry and she hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Misaki picks up Cherry and nails the Fisherman Buster, but Bambi breaks up the pin. Misaki picks up Cherry but Cherry gets away and chops her in the face, uranage by Cherry and both wrestlers are down. Cherry recovers first but Aoi dropkicks her, double Irish whip to Cherry but Cherry avoids them both and cradles Misaki for two. Bambi is back but Aoi throws her out of the ring, Misaki cradles Cherry from behind but Cherry reverses it as they trade flash pins. Spinning chop by Ohata and she applies a hammerlock into a cradle for the three count! Misaki Ohata and Cherry win the match.

This felt like a standard midcard tag match, which is to say it was perfectly fine but nothing memorable about it at all. Bambi can’t really keep up with Aoi and Misaki so the pace wasn’t quite what you’d expect, and some of the strikes were a bit loose. Cherry looked inspired though and had a lot of emotion, and generally speaking nothing was really wrong with it and they kept it short. Decent enough but nothing more than that.

Mariko Yoshida vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto
Mariko Yoshida Retirement Match

Yoshida asks for Matsumoto’s hand as the match starts, Matsumoto goes to shake it but Yoshida cradles her for a quick two count. Starting her retirement match with a bang. Kick to the stomach by Yoshida and she throws down Matsumoto by the hair, another kick by Yoshida and she covers Matsumoto for two. Choke by Yoshida and she puts Matsumoto in a headscissors, but Matsumoto quickly gets out of it. Bodyscissors by Yoshida but Matsumoto gets out of that as well and puts Yoshida in a crab hold, Yoshida crawls to the ropes and she reaches them to force the break. Chops by Matsumoto, she gets Yoshida on her shoulders and tries to decide where to toss her, with the wrestlers at ringside trying to discourage her. Matsumoto eventually tosses Yoshida out of the ring anyway and down onto the wrestling mob at ringside, but the wrestlers help out and hold Matsumoto out on the floor so that Yoshida can go to the top turnbuckle and dive down onto Matsumoto. Back in the ring, Matsumoto puts Yoshida in the corner and all the wrestlers at ringside come into the ring to take turns on Yoshida, with a variety of strikes, hugs, and even a kiss. Yoshida comes out of this two minutes later in pretty rough condition, Matsumoto covers her but she only gets a two count. Crab hold by Matsumoto but again Yoshida reaches the ropes, scoop slam by Matsumoto and she delivers the reverse double kneedrop, but Yoshida gets a shoulder up.

Matsumoto goes up top and she hits a missile dropkick, another cover but she only gets two. Yoshida slaps Matsumoto but Matsumoto slaps her back, Matsumoto goes for a powerbomb but Yoshida gets out of it and applies the sleeper hold. Spider Twist by Yoshida but Matsumoto gets up while still in the hold and slams Yoshida into the turnbuckles. Yoshida flips Matsumoto and applies a cross armbreaker, but Matsumoto gets to the ropes. Boots by Yoshida but Matsumoto hits a body avalanche against the ropes, she goes for the sliding lariat but Yoshida ducks it and puts Matsumoto in an armtrap facelock. Yoshida reverts it into the Spider Twist but after struggling for a bit, Matsumoto is able to make it to the ropes. Yoshida picks up Matsumoto and goes for the Air Raid Crash, but Matsumoto blocks it and goes for a powerbomb. Yoshida rolls out of it, Matsumoto goes for the backdrop suplex and eventually hits it, but is too hurt to make the cover. They slowly get up and trade strikes, with Matsumoto winning the battle with a hard club to the head. Matsumoto picks up Yoshida but knocks her back down with an elbow, she drags Yoshida to her feet and nails the powerbomb, but Yoshida gets a shoulder up. Matsumoto picks up Yoshida and goes for the backdrop suplex, but Yoshida reverses it with the Air Raid Crash! She’s too hurt to make the quick cover, she eventually does so but Matsumoto kicks out. Back up, hard lariats by Matsumoto and she nails the Backdrop Driver for the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto is the winner!

As I mentioned at the top, I love retirement matches, and this one certainly hit the spot. Obviously Yoshida isn’t the force she was in her prime, but she still can bring it when she needs to and mostly kept up with one of the top Joshi wrestlers on the scene. Yoshida had a few really close calls, with the Air Raid Crash and Spider Twist, but realistically speaking she wasn’t going to win against her younger trainee even though she put up a good fight. The match was played pretty straight, as it went almost 20 minutes and only a few minutes of that was spent doing retirement match type spots, and they really delivered. Yoshida went out holding nothing back (and taking lots of damage in the process), showing why she in her heyday was one of the top female wrestlers in the world. Really entertaining match and worth tracking down.  Highly Recommended

The post Mariko Yoshida Retirement Mariko Final – 11/19/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Now this should be a better event than the Stardom show I reviewed from the week before. There are a lot of possibilities for goodness here, as we get the amazing Kay Lee Ray in a title match plus the return of The Icon Mayu Iwatani! The main event is a big ten woman elimination match, with the last wrestler to be pinned for her team being kicked out of their faction. High stakes indeed. Here is the full card:

• Hanan, Shiki Shibusawa, and Starlight Kid vs. Hiromi Mimura, Konami, and Ruaka
• Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama, and Natsuko Tora vs. Miranda, Nicole Savoy, and Xia Brookside
• High Speed Championship: Mary Apache vs. Kay Lee Ray
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Rachael Ellering
• Elimination Tag Team Gauntlet Match: AZM, HZK, Io Shirai, Watanabe, and Viper vs. Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf, Natsu Sumire, and Tam Nakano

I am watching the Samurai TV version of this match, as if I watch another full Stardom rookie match I will literally die. Plus I like the replays. All the wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names to go straight to it. Onto the fun!

Hanan, Shiki Shibusawa, and Starlight Kid vs. Hiromi Mimura, Konami, and Ruaka

Shiki and Hiromi start the match, dropkick by Shiki but Hiromi hits an armdrag and puts Shiki in a stretch hold. Shiki’s friends run in to help and triple team Shiki in the corner, they put Hiromi into the ropes to attack her some more but she manages to tag in Konami. Shiki teams in Hanan and Hanan gets all three of her opponents to the mat, standing moonsault by Starlight Kid and she hits Konami with a Tiger Feint Kick. Konami gets Hanan to the mat and goes for a triangle choke, but it is quickly broken up. Hanan tags in Starlight Kid but Konami kicks her in the head, cover by Konami but it gets two. Konami hits a vertical suplex and tags in Ruaka, Ruaka boots Starlight Kid in the corner and boots her in the chest for a two count. Ruaka picks up Starlight Kid but the fisherman suplex is blocked and Ruaka hits a reverse STO. Hiromi comes in and dropkicks Starlight Kid, Ruaka comes in and she hits a fisherman suplex hold onto Starlight Kid for two. Ruaka picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid rolls her up for two, dropkick by Starlight Kid and Shiki hits a missile dropkick. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid on Ruaka, but Ruaka barely gets a shoulder up. Cyclone suplex by Starlight Kid, Konami and Hiromi come in but they quickly get cleared out. Starlight Kid goes up top and nails the Frog Splash on Ruaka, and she picks up the three count! Hanan, Shiki Shibusawa, and Starlight Kid win!

They did as well as could be expected, as they kept the speed up with very limited downtime/silliness (except when Hiromi Mimura was around). Not as much was clipped as I was expecting but what they showed was perfectly fine. I’ll give Konami much of the credit since she by far was the best person in this match, but everyone played their roles well. Not bad for an opener.

Jungle Kyona, Yoneyama, and Natsuko Tora vs. Miranda, Savoy, and Xia Brookside

Team Jungle attacks before the bell rings, Xia is isolated in the ring until Savoy runs in to help even the odds. Savoy slams Natsuko before suplexing Kaori onto her, she then grabs Miranda and tosses her onto Natsuko for extra measure. Xia and Kaori stay in as the legal wrestlers, chop to the throat by Kaori and she connects with the running senton. Kaori tags in Natsuko but Xia drops her with a headscissors, knee by Xia in the corner and she slams Natsuko’s face into the mat. Dropkick by Xia, and she covers Natsuko for two. Xia tags in Savoy, butterfly suplex by Savoy and she hits a gutwrench suplex onto Natsuko. Natsuko quickly rolls up Savoy but it only gets a two, Savoy boots Natsuko but Natsuko hits a running shoulder tackle in the corner. She goes for the spear but Savoy catches her and hits a suplex, Savoy picks up Natsuko but Natsuko hits a back bodydrop. Spear by Natsuko and she makes the hot tag to Kyona, Kyona shoulderblocks Savoy and goes up to the second turnbuckle, but Savoy avoids the bodypress. Sliding Kick by Savoy, but Kyona kicks out of the cover. Knees by Savoy to the midsection and she delivers a backdrop suplex, Savoy tags in Miranda while Xia comes in as well. Kyona is triple teamed, ending with a satellite roll-up by Miranda of sorts for a two count. Miranda picks up Kyona and hits an enzuigiri, cutter by Miranda but Kyona barely kicks out of the cover. Miranda picks up Kyona but Kyona levels her with a lariat, Savoy and Xia come in but so does Natsuko and she spears both of them. Kaori comes in as Miranda is now isolated, Hammerthrow Powerbomb by Kyona on Miranda and she picks up the three count! Team Jungle are the winners.

Just a short fun midcard match. I will say that Xia was really fired up and Savoy looked good with her suplexes. No surprise that Team Jungle won, no reason for them not to since Miranda is basically in Stardom for this tour to eat pins. Not long enough to get excited about but fine for what it was.

(c) Mary Apache vs. Kay Lee Ray
High Speed Championship

They get right into it, as KLR springboards off the ropes, but Apache moves and knocks her to the mat. Camel Clutch by Apache, she picks up KLR and swings her around in the Gory Special but KLR gets away and rolls her up for two. KLR rolls Apache to the mat and kicks her in the chest, KLR elbows Apache but Apache elbows her back and they trade blows. Heel Kick by Apache, they trade elbows again until Apache slams KLR to the mat with a spinebuster. Mexican Surfboard by Apache but KLR spins out of it and applies a choke. Apache goes off the ropes but KLR trips her and slides out of the ring, she pulls Apache up on the apron but Apache knocks her down and puts KLR in a Surfboard while still on the apron. Apache picks up KLR but KLR superkicks her down to the floor, KLR gets a running start in the ring and sails out onto Apache with a tope suicida. Apache stands up but KLR dives out onto her again, KLR goes up top and dives onto Apache a third time with a cannonball. KLR slides Apache back into the ring, she goes off the ropes and dropkicks Apache in the chest for a two count. Gory Bomb by KLR, but Apache kicks out of the cover. KLR puts Apache in a submission, but Apache wiggles to the ropes and forces the break. KLR chops Apache and goes off the ropes, but Apache catches her with a sit-down powerbomb for two. Apache gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving heel kick, Apache picks up KLR and drops her with a Michinoku Driver II for the three count! Mary Apache retains the championship.

While I wouldn’t have minded if the match was a bit longer, it was still entertaining. KLR is a pleasure to watch, she’s such a firecracker and flies around the ring like few other female wrestlers can. Apache is more old school but really solid as well, her submissions are always on point and she doesn’t mind dropping people on their heads if necessary to pick up victories. I loved KLR going the reckless route since Apache was stronger, and even though it didn’t work out she came out of the match looking strong. A really solid midcard championship match.  Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Rachael Ellering

They lock-up to start, Rachael pushes Mayu into the ropes and she gives a clean break. They trade shoves, wristlock by Rachael but Mayu rolls out of it and reverses the hold. Snapmare by Rachael and she puts Mayu in a headlock, Mayu elbows out of it and she delivers a dropkick. Elbows by Mayu and she dropkicks Rachael again, she goes off the ropes but Rachael boots Mayu in the face. Rachael stomps on Mayu’s still wrapped up arm, she pulls Mayu’s arm while it is in the ropes and continues to focus on it with kicks. Rachael picks up Mayu, superkick by Mayu and she dropkicks Rachael while she is against the ropes. Rachael falls out of the ring, Mayu goes up top and she dives out onto Rachael with a plancha suicida. Mayu slides Rachael back into the ring, she goes up top again and delivers a missile dropkick for a two count. Mayu picks up Rachael and goes for the dragon suplex, but Rachael blocks it and boots Mayu in the head. Spinebuster by Rachael, she charges Mayu and hits a jumping elbow. Another elbow by Rachael and she hits a scoop slam, slingshot leg drop out of the corner and Rachael covers Mayu for two. Rachael picks up Mayu but Mayu hits a crucifix slam, she charges Rachael but Rachael takes off her head with a lariat. Swinging Side Slam by Rachael, but Mayu barely kicks out. Rachael picks up Mayu but Mayu gets away and hits a German suplex, she goes up top and delivers the diving footstomp. Mayu kicks Rachael in the head, another high kick by Mayu and she nails her dragon suplex hold for the three count! Mayu Iwatani wins!

It is so nice to have Mayu Iwatani back, she is such an important part of Stardom now and cards have been noticeably lacking something during her time away. Mayu makes matches exciting just by being her natural self, such as bumping like a crazy person and showing so much emotion. For her part, Rachael was pretty great here too and executed her moves in such a way that I almost was sold on the idea she could win the match. Just almost of course, but it was a very back and forth match with both getting a chance to show off. I am not sure if this match was super great or if I just missed Mayu, but either way I was really entertained by this one. Definitely worth a watch.  Recommended

Queen’s Quest (Io, AZM, HZK, Viper, and Momo) vs. Oedo Tai (Kris, Sumire, Kagetsu, Hana, and Tam)
Elimination Tag Team Gauntlet Match

AZM vs. Kris Wolf – We start with the recently injured Kris against the youngest wrestler in the match, Kris charges AZM and hits a knee, but AZM rolls her up for the three count! Kris Wolf is eliminated and Queen’s Quest is up 5-4.

AZM vs. Natsu Sumire – Natsu quickly runs into the match and starts beating on AZM, she put AZM in the ropes and all the members of Oedo Tai attack her. The cheating continues as the referee has already lost control, Natsu gets some water in her mouth and spits it down onto AZM. AZM slides behind Natsu and tries to throw her over the top rope to the floor, but Natsu lands on the apron. AZM tries to kick Natsu off but Natsu slides back into the ring and lariats AZM to the mat. Knees by Natsu but AZM fights back with an elbow as they trade blows, they both go off the ropes until Natsu boots AZM in the face for two. A Cutie Special gets a two count for Natsu as well, she picks up AZM but AZM cradles her for a two count. AZM charges Natsu but Natsu catches her and nails the Yoran (cradle DDT) for the three count! AZM is eliminated and the teams are tied 4-4.

Natsu Sumire vs. Io Shirai – Hard elbow by Io, she goes after Natsu but Natsu grabs the top rope to get a break. Natsu wastes some time and lays down on the mat, Io covers her but Natsu quickly rolls up Io for two. Natsu goes for the Yoran but Io blocks it and applies an armtrap crossface, Natsu rolls out of it but Io knees her in the head. Io drags up Natsu and slams her on front of the corner, she goes for the moonsault but Natsu recovers and tries to push Io from the top to the floor, which would eliminate her. Io holds onto the top rope as Natsu tries to pry her fingers off, Natsu goes to charge at Io but Io skins the cat before Natsu reaches her. Dragon screw by Io and she puts Natsu in the Texas Cloverleaf. Natsu struggles for a quick moment but has to tap out! Natsu is eliminated and Queen’s Quest is up 4-3.

Io Shirai vs. Kagetsu – They feel each other out and end up grappling on the mat, but neither gets a clear advantage. Irish whip by Io but Kagetsu shoulderblocks her down, she goes off the ropes but Io avoids her charge and does a backflip into a dropkick. Io goes to pick up Kagetsu but Kagetsu slams her into the corner, running elbow by Kagetsu and she hits a vertical suplex for two. Kagetsu picks up Io and goes off the ropes, but Io catches her with a hurricanrana for a two count. Kick attempts by Kagetsu but Io blocks them, palm strike by Io but Kagetsu blocks the double underhook facebuster. Io flips away from Kagetsu and hits a German suplex hold, but Kagetsu gets a shoulder up. Io goes for the Texas Cloverleaf but Kagetsu quickly gets to the ropes for the break, running double knee by Io in the corner and she hits the double underhook facebuster. Io goes up top but Tam Nakano hits her with a sign before she can jump off, Kagetsu then dropkicks Io off the top turnbuckle down onto the apron. Io gets up on the apron but Kagetsu dropkicks her as she tries to return to the ring, Kagetsu picks up Io while still in the ring but Io hits a palm strike. Tiger Feint Kick by Io while she is still on the apron, she goes to springboard back into the ring, but Kagetsu spits blue mist at her face. Kagetsu then slides out to the apron and chokeslams Io off the apron down onto the floor (and a mob of wrestlers), giving her the win! Io Shirai is eliminated and the match is tied 3-3.

Kagetsu vs. Viper – Kagetsu immediately goes for the chokeslam but it doesn’t work, Viper throws Kagetsu into the corner but Kagetsu avoids her charge and applies a few flash pins for two counts. Viper returns the favor but also gets a two, kick by Kagetsu but Viper catches the next one and hits a backdrop suplex. Viper goes off the ropes but Kagetsu avoids the senton, she gets on the second turnbuckle but Viper catches her hurricanrana attempt and powerbombs Kagetsu to the mat for a two count. Natsu gets on the apron to distract the referee while the rest of Oedo Tai sneaks into the ring to attack Viper. It doesn’t help for long as Viper is quickly back in control, she goes off the ropes but Kagetsu spits water in her face. Kagetsu jumps up to the top turnbuckle but Viper runs into the ropes to send Kagetsu out onto the apron. Kagetsu tries to springboard back in the ring but Viper knocks her back to the apron, Kagetsu almost falls out but Oedo Tai catches her and pushes her back to safety. Viper also almost tumbles out but she catches herself, and both wrestlers end up safely back in the ring. Viper picks up Kagetsu but she gets away, running crossbody by Viper and she delivers the senton followed by a low crossbody for a two count cover. Viper picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu gets away and kicks Viper in the head. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, but Viper gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kagetsu positions Viper and goes up top, but Viper avoids the Oedo Coaster. Viper picks up Kagetsu and headbutts her repeatedly, Viper Driver by Viper but the bell rings before she can make the cover, as time has expired. Both wrestlers are eliminated, and the match is tied at 2-2.

Hana Kimura vs. HZK – Hana and HZK trade elbows as soon as the bell rings, HZK goes off the ropes but Hana catches her with a dropkick. Hana picks up HZK and they pull each other’s hair, Hana goes off the ropes and she pulls HZK down to the mat. Stomps by Hana and she knees HZK against the ropes before connecting with a running boot. Cover by Hana, but it gets a two. Hana picks up HZK and hits a delayed vertical suplex, she goes to the second turnbuckle but HZK recovers and hits a Codebreaker. Now HZK gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers the diving senton, HZK slams Hana to the mat and covers her for a two count. HZK charges Hana but Hana avoids the pump kick and pushes HZK onto the apron. Hana tries to boot HZK to the floor but HZK moves and she pulls Hana out onto the apron with her. Hana and HZK trade elbows on the apron, Hana goes for a suplex but HZK blocks it. Hana puts HZK on the second turnbuckle but HZK kicks her back and nails a sunset flip powerbomb down to the floor! Hana is hurt and both wrestlers are eliminated, as we are down to the last members of each team.

Momo Watanabe vs. Tam Nakano – The loser of this pairing must leave their respective faction. After a stare down they trade strikes, snapmare by Tam and she kicks Momo in the back. Momo returns the favor, more kicks by Momo and she covers Tam for two. Momo kicks Tam into the corner and delivers a dropkick, she goes for a second one but Tam moves out of the way and hits a dropkick of her own. Irish whip by Tam and she hits the Space Rolling Elbow followed by a running cutter, kicks by Tam and she dropkicks Momo in the chest. Senton by Tam, and she covers Momo for a two count. Elbows by Tam but Momo dropkicks her, vertical suplex by Momo and she holds down Tam for two. Momo gets Tam on her back but Tam rolls out of the hold, high kicks by Tam and she finishes Momo with a spinning head kick. Another spinning kick by Tam, but Momo kicks out of the cover. Kicks to the chest by Tam, she goes for another high kick but Momo ducks this time and delivers two high kicks of her own. Somato by Momo, but when she goes for the cover, Tam reverses it into her own pin attempt for two. Momo picks up Tam and slaps her, she goes up to the second turnbuckle and nails the diving Somato for the three count! Queen’s Quest wins the match and Tam Nakano must leave Oedo Tai!

That was a hell of a match, and there is a lot to digest. First, I should note that since I watched the Samurai TV version, some parts were clipped with Viper/Kagetsu’s portion being the most notable. But top to bottom this was an enjoyable match with the Kagetsu/Io pairing being the highlight. Both are just so good and I loved the ending with Io getting the mist (I’m a sucker for mist in matches, its one of my weaknesses). I can’t say I loved the Hana/HZK ending, not because it was dangerous since I enjoy dangerous spots, but it didn’t make a lot of sense for HZK to intentionally eliminate herself. That was the only real logic fail of the match though, as everyone else acted as one would expect in a match with such high stakes. Momo/Tam wasn’t quite as good as I was hoping, Tam is a great character but is a bit hit-and-miss in the ring while Momo is still working off some rust, but the emotion was there anyway. Top to bottom a really entertaining match, not without its flaws but as a package deal a quality effort by all involved.  Recommended

The post Stardom 7th Anniversary on 1/21/18 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

On to 2018! I know that I missed a lot of events from late 2017 but I don’t want to get even further behind so we are just moving on to the new year. I’ll have another Stardom review very shortly but I wanted to watch one event leading up to their big Korakuen Hall show. This show has a big main event, as Io Shirai accepts a challenge from Rachael Ellering! Here is the full card:

• Hanan vs. Miranda vs. Ruaka
• Hiromi Mimura and Mary Apache vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
• Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Natsu Sumire vs. Kay Lee Ray, Nicole Savoy, and Xia Brookside
• AZM, HZK, Momo Watanabe, and Viper vs. Jungle Kyona, Konami, Shiki Shibusawa, and Starlight Kid
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Rachael Ellering

All the wrestlers above have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name to go straight to it. As this was shown on Stardom World, all matches will be shown in full.

Hanan vs. Miranda vs. Ruaka

Hanan and Ruaka double team Miranda to start, they get her into the corner and Hanan delivers a dropkick. Hanan tricks Ruaka and rolls her up for a two count, she tries again but Miranda gets her from behind and all three trade flash pins with no luck. Miranda and Ruaka stomp on Hanan, but Hanan slams Ruaka to the mat and Ruaka gets double teamed instead. Hanan puts Ruaka in a crab hold before Miranda kicks her in the head, they switch positions but Hanan dropkicks Miranda instead. Hanan is not one to trust in this match. Miranda rocks Hanan with a hard elbow, Ruaka attacks Miranda but Miranda elbows her to the mat as well. Hanan and Ruaka Irish whip Miranda but Miranda hits a spear on both of them, Miranda covers Hanan but it gets two. Miranda chops Hanan into the corner before hitting a running elbow, Miranda throws Hanan to the mat and delivers a sliding kick for another two count. Miranda elbows Hanan against the ropes but Hanan hits a hip toss, Ruaka finally returns and they both slam Miranda, but Hanan schoolboys Ruaka for two. Reverse STO by Ruaka to Hanan, she picks up Hanan and delivers the fisherman suplex hold for a two count when Miranda breaks it up. Miranda kicks Ruaka into the corner, dropkick by Miranda and she hits a second one on Ruaka for a quick cover. Cutter by Miranda, but Hanan breaks up the cover. Hanan and Ruaka both grab Miranda and hit a double fisherman suplex hold, but Miranda kicks out. Big boot by Ruaka in the corner, superkick by Hanan and she hits a STO on Ruaka. Another STO by Hanan, but Ruaka barely gets a shoulder up. Hanan gets on the second turnbuckle but Ruaka recovers, she hits a fisherman suplex back to the mat before delivering a second fisherman suplex hold for the three count! Ruaka is your winner.

I will say this – I expected this match to be really disjointed and awkward but it was pretty smooth overall. A minor hiccup here and there but Miranda didn’t seem out of place in the ring with two wrestlers that have faced off on a very regular basis in the last year. Nothing to get excited about of course, but all three got a bit of a chance to shine and it was a respectable way to start off the show.

Hiromi Mimura and Mary Apache vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora

Yoneyama and Apache start off trading armdrags and trips before reaching a stalemate, Apache tags in Hiromi while Natsuko also tags in. They do a pose-off before trading elbows, hard shoulderblock by Natsuko and Yoneyama comes in to help double team Hiromi. Yoneyama stays in and throws Hiromi by the hair into the corner, chops by Yoneyama and she chops Hiromi in the throat. Hiromi fights back with a dropkick, she kicks Natsuko off the apron but goofs around too much and doesn’t capitalize. Yoneyama charges Hiromi in the corner but Hiromi hits a tornado DDT, giving her time to tag in Apache. Apache puts Yoneyama in a Mexican Surfboard, Hiromi returns and she helps Apache jump down on Yoneyama against the ropes. Natsuko runs in and helps Yoneyama turn the tide on Apache, Yoneyama tags in Natsuko and she hits a running shoulder tackle on Apache in the corner. Apache recovers but Natsuko delivers a spear, Yoneyama comes in and hits a diving senton onto Apache. Tora follows with a diving senton of her own, Natsuko picks up Apache but Apache nails Natsuko with a jumping heel kick, cover by Apache but Yoneyama breaks it up. Apache lariats both of them, Hiromi comes in and she dropkicks Natsuko in the face. Lariat by Apache, and she covers Natsuko for two. Ligerbomb by Apache, and she picks up the three count! Hiromi Mimura and Mary Apace win!

Almost literally a nothing match, with very little substance. Natsuko and Yoneyama work well together but nothing else can really be pulled out of this match, aside from Hiromi being goofy and Mary Apache not really being given a chance to add anything of note. Skippable match.

Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, and Natsu Sumire vs. Kay Lee Ray, Nicole Savoy, and Xia Brookside

Oedo Tai attacks before the match starts, Kagetsu stays in with KLR but Savoy runs in and drops Kagetsu with a gutwrench suplex. Xia comes in too to help, neckbreaker by KLR to Kagetsu and she puts her in a quick submission. Hana and Natsu come in but the Gaijin Team stays in control, KLR elbows Kagetsu in the corner and tags in Savoy. Xia is tagged in but Tam pulls her out of the ring and beats down Xia at ringside. Natsu helps Tam before Xia is rolled back into the ring as all the members of Oedo Tai pose around her. Kagetsu kicks Xia before tagging in Hana, Hana kicks at Xia and tags in Natsu, as Xia plays the Face in Peril, Natsu gets her bottle water and spits water down onto Xia. Natsu suplexes Xia into the corner and hits the Bronco Buster, but Xia comes back with a jumping knee and a face crusher for a two count. Xia tags in Savoy, butterfly suplex by Savoy and she drops Natsu with a German suplex. Kagetsu runs in but she gets suplexed as well, she then hits a Fallaway Slam on Hana before booting Natsu. Natsu schoolboys Savoy which gives her time to tag in Hana, drop toehold by Hana and she boots Savoy in the head. Fisherman Buster by Savoy to Hana and she tags in KLR, KLR slaps Hana in the chest and delivers a high kick for a two count. Dropkick by Hana to KLR and she puts her in the Ground Manjikatame, but KLR quickly gets to the ropes. Hana elbows KLR but KLR nails her with a superkick, she tags in Xia while Kagetsu is also tagged in. Spinning headscissors by Xia and she kicks Kagetsu in the head for a two count. Xia gets Kagetsu on her shoulders but Kagetsu slides off, Codebreaker by Xia and she covers Kagetsu for another two. Xia picks up Kagetsu and puts her on the top turnbuckle before flinging her to the mat, but Hana breaks up the cover. Elbows by Xia but Kagetsu tosses P-chan at her and kicks Xia in the head. Hana runs in and boots Xia, Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu but KLR breaks up the pin. Kagetsu picks up Xia and hits a vertical suplex, chokeslam by Kagetsu and she covers Xia for the three count! Oedo Tai are the winners!

A fun midcard match. The wrestlers are capable of more than that of course but with the match length and placement on the card, this was about all we could hope for. All the gaijin team members looked great in limited action, with Savoy and KLR being particularly impressive. Natsu on a skill-level is below everyone else but was well protected here, and everyone played their part well. Solid, but nothing overly memorable long term.  Mildly Recommended

AZM, HZK, Momo, and Viper vs. Jungle Kyona, Konami, Shibusawa, and Starlight Kid

Momo and Kyona kick things off, Kyona boots Momo in the stomach and hits a hard shoulderblock. Armdrag by Momo and she rolls up Kyona for two, but Kyona gets her to the mat and they end up in a stalemate. Kyona tags in Starlight Kid while Viper is also tagged in, Starlight Kid stomps on Viper’s foot and hits a few dropkicks, but Viper catches her on the crossbody attempt. Viper tries to sit on Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid moves, dropkick by Starlight Kid and she covers Viper for a quick two count. Starlight Kid goes for a tilt-a-whirl headscissors but Viper catches her, she goes off the ropes but Shiki runs in and stops her from hitting a bodypress. Queen’s Quest stacks up all their opponents in the corner before Viper hits a cannonball, Viper then picks up Starlight Kid and headbutts her. She tags in AZM, scoop slam by AZM and she kicks Starlight Kid in the back. AZM tags Momo, Momo dropkicks Starlight Kid in the corner and hits another scoop slam for two. Starlight Kid elbows Momo but Momo knocks her to the mat and tags in HZK. HZK picks up Starlight Kid and elbows her against the ropes, but Shiki runs in and dropkicks HZK. Tiger Feint Kick by Starlight Kid and Shiki hits a face crusher, double dropkick to HZK and Starlight Kid makes the hot tag to Konami.

Konami applies a seated armbar to HZK but it gets broken up by Momo, Viper tries to break it up too but Konami puts all three in an armbar. Knees by Konami to HZK and she delivers a dropkick, back kick by Konami and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for two. Konami tags Kyona, Kyona and HZK trade elbows until Kyona swings HZK to the mat with a sleeper. Momo breaks it up and with HZK they suplex Kyona, double knee to the back to Kyona and Momo delivers the Somato. Pump Kick by HZK and she hits Michinoku Driver on Kyona for two. HZK gets on the second turnbuckle but Kyona avoids the senton, lariat to the back by Kyona but HZK avoids the next lariat and hits a headbutt. Kyona comes back with a hard shot but HZK sneaks in a DDT and both wrestlers are down. Shiki and AZM are tagged in, dropkicks by Shiki and she scoop slams AZM. Standing Moonsault by Starlight Kid and Konami delivers a sliding kick to AZM, Shiki follows with a missile dropkick and she covers AZM for two. AZM gets away from Shiki and hits a triple jump crossbody out of the corner, giving her time to tag in Viper. Elbow by Viper and she hits a low crossbody, but the cover is broken up. All of Queen’s Quest stay in the ring, triple dropkick to Shiki and Viper follows with a running senton for the three count! Queen’s Quest win the match.

A small step down from the last match but still decent enough, even though it wasn’t an ideal match for a semi-main event. They kept the pace up, as you’d expect in a pretty short eight wrestler tag match, but it lacked anything resembling a structure as it was mostly just random carnage. Perfectly fine for a casual watch, but nothing more than that here.

(c) Io Shirai vs. Rachael Ellering
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They tie-up to start, wristlock by Rachael but Io applies a headlock. Rachael gets out of it but Io drops her into the ropes, she goes for a Tiger Feint Kick but Rachael slides out of the way. Irish whip by Rachael and she hits a shoulderblock, Io kips up but Rachael elbows her back down to the mat. Chops by Rachael but Io avoids a senton, Io goes for a dropkick but Rachael moves out of the way. Io blocks a piledriver but Rachael snaps off a cutter for two. Rachael grabs Io around the waist and flings her to the mat, kicks by Rachael and she shoulder tackles Io in the corner. Rachael scoops up Io and hits a shoulder breaker to the gut, cover by Rachael but Io kicks out. Elbow by Rachael and she hits a scoop slam, senton by Rachael and she covers Io for two. Rachael kicks at Io and connects with a few elbows, she goes for a kick to the back but Io catches it and dropkicks Rachael in the knee. Io charges Rachael in the corner, Rachael drops her onto the apron however and boots Io down to the floor. Io quickly gets back into the ring and hits a scoop slam, she goes up top and hits a flying body press for two. Rachael rolls out of the ring, but Io goes off the ropes and sails out onto her with a plancha suicida. Io slides Rachael back in and hits a missile dropkick, running double knee by Io in the corner and she covers Rachael for two. Io goes up top but Rachael hits her from behind, Rachael pulls Io off the top and hits a STO. Leg drop out of the corner by Rachael, but Io kicks out of the cover. Io lands on the apron, Rachael goes for a boot but Io catches it and snaps Rachael’s leg on the top rope. Io goes up top but Rachael joins her and delivers an Avalanche Falcon Arrow for a two count cover. Rachael picks up Io and elbows her, but Io elbows her back and they trade blows. Palm strike by Io but Rachael boots her in the face, spinebuster by Rachael, but Io gets a shoulder up on the cover. Rachael picks up Io but Io gets away on the powerbomb attempt and delivers a German suplex hold for two. Io picks up Rachael and hits a dragon screw, Io picks up Rachael and delivers a tombstone piledriver. Io goes up top and she nails the moonsault, cover by Io and she picks up the three count! Io Shirai is still the Wonder of Stardom Champion!

While obviously I adore Io and think she is one of the best wrestlers in the world, this match was a bit disappointing. I am not faulting Rachael either, she was on point, but at times they just didn’t mesh well and it didn’t feel near as fluid as I expect from Io’s matches. The biggest slip-up was all Io but other times I couldn’t fault one or the other, it just didn’t always feel natural. I did love Rachael’s dangerous looking Falcon Arrow and the big spots were executed well, it just didn’t get enough time (about 13 minutes) for them to overcome the issues early in the match. It was still “good” overall because current day Io isn’t capable of not having a good match, but for a title match it didn’t fully deliver.  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:

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