Event: P.P.P. Tokyo Treasure And Party ~ When The Door To Dreams Opens
Date: February 6th, 2025
Location: Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 350
Broadcast: P.P.P. Tokyo Youtube Channel

Let us go together to the grimy underground of Japanese wrestling promotions and check out P.P.P. Tokyo! That is a bit overly dramatic, as while P.P.P. Tokyo started very small it lately has been drawing 300+ for their events and stream their events on Youtube. 300 fans isn’t a lot but it isn’t “wrestling in a bar” levels either, and they do sometimes have well known wrestlers take part of their shows. This is one such show, as Nanae Takahashi wrestles in the main event against a former porn star! The show had a total of six matches but only three had Joshi wrestlers, so I’ll just be reviewing those three matches. Here are the matches we’ll be watching:

• Echika Miyabi vs. ZONES
• Kabuto Mitomi and Marika Kobashi vs. Kaji Tomato and Natsu Sumire
• Chanyota vs. Nanae Takahashi

Some of these wrestlers are new to me so this will be fun. All Joshi wrestlers on the show have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Echika Miyabi vs. ZONES

They tie-up to start, Echika pushes ZONES into the ropes and they trade positions until ZONES hits a series of elbows. Echika fires back with a boot, she knocks ZONES into the corner and hits her with elbows. Echika stomps down ZONES in the corner before picking her up, snapmare by Echika and she kicks ZONES in the back. Another kick by Echika and she covers ZONES for a two count. ZONES slowly returns to her feet but Echika kicks her down against the ropes, slap by Echika and she jumps down onto ZONES’s back. ZONES fires up and elbows Echika in the chest, but Echika absorbs the blows. Shoulderblock attempts by ZONES and she can’t get Echika down, she goes off the ropes but Echika levels her with a back elbow for two.

Scoop slam by Echika, Irish whip but ZONES hits a jumping shoulderblock to finally knock over Echika. Lariat by ZONES in the corner, she gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a diving elbow drop for two. ZONES gets Echika on her shoulders but Echika gets away, ZONES goes off the ropes but Echika delivers a kick combination followed by a big boot. Echika picks up ZONES but ZONES chops her and the two trade blows. Echika grabs ZONES but ZONES hits a vertical suplex, she picks up Echika and hits an Oklahoma Slam for two. ZONES goes off the ropes and delivers a hard lariat, but Echika barely kicks out. ZONES goes off the ropes again but Echika catches her with a kick, running boot by ZONES but Echika kicks her in the chest. Side kick by Echika, she waits for ZONES to get up and nails a Pump Kick. Echika picks up ZONES and goes for a chokeslam but ZONES gets away and applies the Wild Clutch for the three count! ZONES is your winner!

I don’t know if I could call this match “good” as Echika still has a really simple moveset and some of the exchanges were a bit clunky, but I can say that ZONES sold her ass off in this match to make Echika look as good as possible. Very strike oriented with a few suplexes thrown in, it definitely had a “rookie match” feel. Which isn’t meant to be an insult, all wrestlers have to start somewhere and gain experience, but Echika did little to impress here and ZONES’ selling could only do so much to save it. Not a terrible match but maybe would have worked better as a tag match where Echika could hit her spots and get out.

Kabuto Mitomi and Marika Kobashi vs. Kaji Tomato and Natsu Sumire

Before the match everyone dances but once they are done they get right into the action as Kabuto smacks Kaji. The action immediately spills out to the floor as the men and women pair up, they battle up into the crowd while the referee patiently waits in the ring for them to return. Kaji and Marika eventually get into the ring as the legal wrestlers, snapmare by Kaji and he hits a dropkick for a two count. Natsu comes in the ring, double Irish whip from the corner but Marika kicks Kaji back. Kaji tries again but Marika gets kicked again, but Natsu encourages him to try a third time. Same result as Kaji gets mad at Natsu, but they make up and go for a double vertical suplex on Marika. Marika blocks it so Natsu hits Kaji for I guess not trying harder, they try again but Marika reverses it into a double DDT.

Marika then dropkicks both of them and tags Kabuto, scoop slam by Kabuto to both opponents and he gives Natsu a dragon screw. Natsu picks up Kaji and delivers a delayed vertical suplex, cover by Kabuto but it gets two. Kabuto picks up Kaji but Kaji elbows him and the two trade blows. Natsu and Marika both come but are immediately thrown back out, Kaji and Kabuto get back into it as they trade strikes until both are down on the mat. Both crawl to their corners and tag out, Natsu goes off the ropes but Marika catches her with an elbow followed by a sliding kick for two. Marika picks up Natsu but Kaji grabs her from the apron, Natsu gets her whip but she hits Kaji with it by mistake. Stunner by Marika but Kaji trips her from the floor.

Natsu runs over but hits a baseball slide on Kaji on accident, Kabuto then trips Natsu from the floor and Marika delivers a dropkick. Natsu is thrown into the corner and double teamed, cover by Marika but it gets two. DDT by Marika, but her cover gets another two count. Marika picks up Natsu and applies a guillotine choke, but Kaji breaks it up. Marika goes off the ropes but Kaji hits her with an elbow, double vertical suplex to Marika and Natsu covers her for two. Natsu elbows Marika in the back and goes off the ropes, but Kabuto kicks her and hits an enziguri. Marika goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, but Kaji breaks up the cover. Kaji gets both opponents seated in the corner, Natsu runs over and delivers the gyrating bronco buster. Kaji goes up top and hits a diving body press, Natsu sits on Marika’s face and she gets the three count cover!  Kaji Tomato and Natsu Sumire are your winners.

If haven’t seen Natsu Sumire in awhile and worried she had changed – no, no she has not. All four of these wrestlers are on the “average” side in regards to in-ring talent so they rely on personality and/or appearances to keep your attention. Natsu has both which helps but the two male wrestlers were mostly along for the ride as neither were particularly impressive or memorable. Marika is still a little awkward in the ring and in general I wouldn’t say this match was tightly structured, but Natsu was still Natsu which I think is what the crowd came to see. I wouldn’t say it was a good match but it wasn’t offensive which is a solid enough compliment for a mid-card tag match on a small show.

Chanyota vs. Nanae Takahashi

They tie-up to start, Nanae pushes Chanyota into the ropes but Chanyota switches positions with her and gives her an elbow strike before backing off. Knuckle lock and they go into a Test of Strength, kick by Nanae and she applies a wristlock. Chanyota reverses it as they go back and forth trading holds, side headlock takedown by Chanyota but Nanae struggles back up and hits a backdrop suplex. Irish whip by Nanae and the two collide with neither going down, they try a few more times until Nanae shoulderblocks Chanyota to the mat. Chanyota rolls out of the ring to re-group but Nanae goes after her, Chanyota greets Nanae on the apron but Nanae elbows her back down to the floor. Nanae hops down and takes Chanyota into the stands, she gets a chair and whacks Chanyota with it. The poor cameraman wasn’t ready for this and is struggling to get a shot, but he finally makes it to the wrestlers and Nanae beats Chanyota around the crowd.

Chanyota fights back with elbows but Nanae knocks her back down, Nanae rolls her into the ring and elbows Chanyota to the mat. Elbow drop by Nanae and she applies a sleeper hold, but Chanyota eventually gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Nanae headbutts Chanyota into the corner and hits a series of chops, but Chanyota switches positions with her and hits an elbow. A hard shoulderblock by Chanyota sends Nanae to the mat, shouldertackles by Chanyota in the corner and she hits a running one followed by an elbow drop for two. Chanyota picks up Nanae but Nanae elbows out of the hold, Irish whip by Nanae but Chanyota hits a shoulderblock for a two count cover. Chanyota picks up Nanae and they trade lariats with neither wrestler going down. Chanyota goes off the ropes but Nanae catches her with a release German suplex. Chanyota gets back up but eats a hard lariat, cover by Nanae but it gets a two count. Arm trap crossface by Nanae but Chanyota gets to the ropes for the break. Nanae picks up Chanyota but Chanyota elbows her, more elbows by Chanyota but Nanae absorbs the blows. Lariat by Chanyota and she gets Nanae up on her back before hitting an Argentine Samoan Drop for two.

Chanyota goes to the top turnbuckle but Nanae recovers and joins her, hitting a superplex for two. Nanae waits for Chanyota to get up but Chanyota ducks the lariat and hits one of her own. Another lariat by Chanyota, and she covers Nanae for two. Chanyota picks up Nanae and hits the Schwein, but Nanae gets out of the cover. Chanyota drags up Nanae but Nanae snaps off a backdrop suplex, she goes for the Sliding D but Chanyota ducks and hits one of her own for a two count. Chanyota picks up Nanae and slaps her, but Nanae slaps her back. More slaps by Chanyota and she hits a headbutt, enziguri by Chanyota but Nanae headbutts her and hits a sliding kick for two. Sliding D by Nanae, but Chanyota barely kicks out. Nanae picks up Chanyota and nails the One Second EX, cover by Nanae and she gets the three count! Nanae Takahashi is the winner.

I’m going to be honest, this was far better than I was expecting. It wasn’t a complicated story but it still worked – Chanyota is strong and could stand toe to toe with Nanae. In many of her matches, Nanae is the bigger/stronger wrestler and she uses that to be a bully, but she couldn’t bully Chanyota even though she is far more experienced. Thus, Chanyota got the better of several of the power struggles and Nanae had to go into her better technique to pick up the win. Even though she doesn’t have as many matches under her belt, Chanyota works really well with what she does and I think a wrestling fan not familiar with either wrestler wouldn’t know from this match that one wrestler had over 2,000 career matches and the other under 50. Maybe I went in with too low of expectations but I was really impressed with this and one of the better performances from Nanae I’ve seen in awhile. Really good match!  Recommended

The post P.P.P. Tokyo Treasure And Party on 2/6/25 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: NOMADS’ Freelance Summit
Date: May 20th, 2022
Location: Shinjuku FACE in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 470
Broadcast: Streamed on Zaiko

One of the more interesting developments in the last six months or so in the world of Joshi is wrestlers creating Freelancer stables that also put on their own events. We have COLOR’S, PROMINANCE, Rebel X Enemy, and here we get to watch my personal favorite: NOMADS’. NOMADS’ comprises of four wrestlers: Natsu Sumire, Maya Yukihi, Rina Yamashita, and Miyuki Takase. All are great. Course, as Freelancers, they are welcome and encouraged to wrestle all around the world on their own schedule, but they work together behind the scenes and will occasionally put on their own Freelance shows. Like this one, which is the first! As all four are very respected on the scene, they have a fair amount of influence to bring in the top Freelancers for the event. Particularly special about this card, besides the surprise match from Natsu Sumire, is the return of Kaho Kobayashi! Kaho is my stealth favorite and has been out of action for a year, so its great to see her back. Here is the full card:

• Exhibition Match: Miyuki Takase vs. Natsu Sumire
• Momoka Hanazono vs. Tae Honma
• Hikari Shimizu, Rina Amikura, and Yuko Sakurai vs. Kaori Yoneyama, Maika Ozaki, and Makoto
• Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kaho Kobayashi
• ASUKA and Yuu vs. SAKI and Saori Anou
• Maya Yukihi and Rina Yamashita vs. Miyuki Takase and Ryo Mizunami

All wrestlers have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. Onto the show!

Miyuki Takase vs. Natsu Sumire
Exhibition Match

Natsu attacks Takase before the match starts and stomps on her, Natsu picks up Takase but Takase blocks the slam attempt and hits a snapmare. Another snapmare by Takase and a third, she puts Natsu in a bodyscissors and rolls her around the ring. She eventually lets go, scoop slam by Takase and she covers Natsu for two. Takase puts Natsu in the corner, she tries to pull her back out but Natsu holds on for dear life. Natsu asks for a breather and gets some water, the referee keeps Takase at bay while Natsu composes herself. Natsu finally recovers, she throws Takase into the opposite corner and hits a back elbow. Natsu calls for and attempts her famous Bronco Buster, but Takase slides under it and cradles Natsu for two. Takase stomps Natsu, Irish whip by Takase and Natsu collapses near the ropes. Dropkick by Takase, she gets Natsu on her shoulders but Natsu slides off and hits a jumping neckdrop. Natsu boots Takase in the face twice while she is against the ropes, cover by Natsu but it gets two. Natsu picks up Takase, Takase chops her and goes off the ropes but Natsu delivers a big boot. Natsu goes for the cover but the bell rings as she does so, as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

A five minute exhibition is clearly going to end in a Draw, but it was still great to see Natsu in the right place (both mind and body) to wrestle again. Natsu was never a high end wrestler and wouldn’t have beaten Takase anyway, but she is entertaining and has the charisma that not many wrestlers possess. Natsu has a lot of fans around the world that appreciate the qualities she brings to the table, as she is a fun change of pace that has comedic elements to her character but isn’t a full-blown comedy wrestler that is limited in what she can do. A fun way to kick off the show and it would be hard to complain about an unadvertised match anyway, nothing but positives to take away from a surprise Natsu Sumire match even if it was short with an obvious conclusion.

Momoka Hanazono vs. Tae Honma

They both hype the crowd before Momoka decides to attack Tae from behind, they circle each other before tying up. Momoka gets Tae to the mat and twists her hair before throwing her into the corner. She gets a… bubble maker and holds it into Tae’s face, spraying her with bubbles. Momoka picks up Tae and slams her face into the mat, she gets the bubble maker again along with her plastic flower and sits on Tae’s back while spraying bubbles everywhere and choking her. I’m not really sure how to describe it so that’s the best I got. Momoka puts her toys away and Irish whips her, the referee decides to help and assists Momoka in kicking Tae in the chest. Momoka throws the referee to the mat before jumping off his back, hitting a footstomp on Tae for a two count. Irish whip by Momoka but Tae avoids the dropkick attempt and hits one of her own. Tae snaps Momoka’s arm, she picks up Momoka but Momoka elbows her and the two trade blows. Momoka kicks Tae in the shin and flips off everyone, but Tae kicks her in the shin back. Gut punch by Momoka, they do some shenanigans around the referee before Momoka hits a big spear on Tae for a two count. Momoka goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, but that gets two as well. Irish whip by Momoka but Tae blocks it, she flings Momoka to the mat and puts her in an armbar. Momoka tries to get a hand on the ropes but Tae captures that arm too, Momoka keeps inching however and gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Tae goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Tae but it gets two. Tae picks up Momoka and gets her back in the Fujiwara Armbar, she applies the Tae Lock and Momoka has no choice but to submit! Tae Honma is the winner.

I think this is the first full match I’ve seen of Momoka, I like her methods. She is a little goofy but she can wrestle, and she got serious when she needed to. Fun personality, solid wrestling skills, maybe one to keep an eye on if she finds a better opportunity to shine down the road. Tae is really good of course and for a sub-ten match this was pretty entertaining as they kept things interesting and Tae’s focus on the arm was consistent. Nothing that will blow you away, but for an opener not given a lot of time I think it delivered.  Mildly Recommended

Hikari Shimizu, Amikura, and Yuko Sakurai vs. Kaori Yoneyama, Ozaki, and Makoto

COLOR’S attack before the bell rings, they stack their opponents in the corner but the veterans soon take back over and isolate Amikura in the ring. They pose on Amikura, Shimizu and Yuko briefly pose with them before they help their tag partner out of the situation. Yoneyama is isolated in the ring as all three of COLOR’S run over her before hitting a triple body press. Things settle down with Yuko and Yoneyama as the legal wrestlers, Yoneyama grabs Yuko by the nose and chops it before tagging in Maika. Lariat by Maika in the corner and she hits an elbow drop for two. Maika puts Yuko in a camel clutch but it is quickly broken up, Yuko then puts Maika in a camel clutch but Maika muscles out of it. Irish whip by Maika but Yuko hits a dropkick and tags Amikura. Amikura and Maika take turns trying to shoulderblock each other over with no luck, kick by Maika but Amikura clubs her in the chest and finally shoulderblocks her to the mat. Amikura picks up Maika and chops her a few times, she gets Maika into the corner but Maika fires out of it with a hard shoulderblock, giving her time to tag Makoto.

Big boot by Makoto in the corner and she hits a double kneedrop for two. Makoto picks up Amikura, Amikura gets away but Amikura missing the senton attempt and Makoto is back on offense. Makoto goes off the ropes but Amikura clubs her and hits a twisting senton for two. She makes the tag to Shimizu, Shimizu comes in the ring with a diving crossbody which also gets a two count. Shimizu picks up Makoto, they go back and forth until Makoto blocks a Shimizu cradle attempt and hits a heel drop. Double underhook suplex by Makoto, but Shimizu kicks out of the cover. Makoto kicks Shimizu around but Amikura catches her with a powerslam, Shimizu then hits a footstomp off of Amikura’s back. Shimizu picks up Makoto, knee by Shimizu but Makoto drills her with a boot. Makoto picks up Shimizu but Shimizu slides away, superkick by Shimizu but Makoto delivers a spear. She goes off the ropes but Shimizu slams her, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They roll to their own corners and tag in Yuko and Yoneyama, shoulderblock by Yuko to Yoneyama but Yoneyama hits Mongolian Chops.

Yoneyama goes off the ropes but Yuko hits a scoop slam, she tries to go off the ropes but Maika hits her from the apron. Maika comes in, Yuko fights them off briefly but ultimately Maika and Yoneyama run through some double team moves successfully. Yoneyama gets on the second turnbuckle but hits her before she can jump off, Amikura gets Yoneyama on her shoulders and puts her upside down in the opposite corner. All three COLOR’S members attack Yoneyama, Yuko covers Yoneyama but it gets two. Yuko picks up Yoneyama but Yoneyama cradles her, Yuko gets a Dragon Sleeper applied before hitting the Final Cut, but the cover is broken up. All six wrestlers end up in the ring, the veterans get the upper hand and Yoneyama cradles Yuko for the three count! Yoneyama, Ozaki, and Makoto are the winners.

This was a little rough around the edges but not actively bad. There were bound to be some issues here – the COLOR’S team are generally well trained and solid enough wrestlers, but they aren’t high end wrestlers either and sometimes there were some awkward moments. Facing off against new opponents no doubt didn’t help, as the chemistry wasn’t really there. The veteran team clearly had the experience edge but they didn’t really “control” the action as they probably should have, with the exception of Makoto who is pretty entertaining. The hot ending helped and it wasn’t long enough to be offensive, but if this match wasn’t on the show at all I don’t think it would have hurt anything as it just came across as midcard fodder.

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Kaho Kobayashi

Kaho kicks Hiroyo during the handshake and starts on Hiroyo’s wrist, headlock by Kaho but Hiroyo Irish whips out of it and the two collide with neither going down. Hiroyo goes off the ropes as does Kaho, jumping shoulderblock by Kaho but Hiroyo stays up and knocks over Kaho with her own shoulderblock. Kaho kips up and hits an armdrag off the ropes, tilt-a-whirl headscissors by Kaho and Hiroyo falls out of the ring. Kaho goes off the ropes to do a dive but rolls back into the ring instead before posing to the crowd. Hiroyo seems annoyed as she returns to the ring, front necklock by Kaho but Hiroyo blocks the suplex attempt and hits one of her own. Hiroyo picks up Kaho and puts her across the second rope in the corner, she charges in and knees Kaho in the midsection. Double kneedrop by Hiroyo and she covers Kaho for two. Hiroyo stomps on Kaho and chops her in the corner, she chops Kaho around the ring as Kaho takes the abuse and asks for more. Kaho eventually Flair Flops, Hiroyo approaches Kaho but Kaho cradles her for two. Dropkick by Kaho and she stomps on Hiroyo’s foot repeatedly, Hiroyo blocks a slam attempt but Kaho wiggles away from her and dropkicks Hiroyo in the arm. Kaho gets Hiroyo on her shoulders but collapses under the weight, both wrestlers slowly get up and Kaho knocks over Hiroyo with a dropkick.

Another dropkick by Kaho and Hiroyo falls out of the ring, Kaho goes to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto Hiroyo with a plancha suicida. Kaho slides Hiroyo into the ring and goes up top again, hitting a missile dropkick for two. Kaho picks up Hiroyo, she goes off the ropes but Hiroyo blocks the cradle and hits a backdrop suplex. Hiroyo picks up Kaho and the two trade elbows, Kaho goes to stomp on Hiroyo’s foot but Hiroyo does so first and slams Kaho face-first into the mat. Reverse double kneedrop out of the corner by Hiroyo, but Kaho kicks out of the cover. Kaho fires up but Hiroyo elbows her, she goes for the Liger Bomb but Kaho gets away from her and hits a hurricanrana for two. La Magistral by Kaho, but that gets a two as well. Kick to the face by Kaho and she hits a Fisherman Suplex Hold, but Hiroyo kicks out. Kaho goes off the ropes but Hiroyo levels her with a back elbow, but Kaho rolls through the cover. Kaho goes for the 120% Schoolboy but Hiroyo rolls through it, elbows by Kaho but Hiroyo elbows her back. Step-up Enzuigiri by Kaho and she goes off the ropes, but Hiroyo levels her with a lariat. Hiroyo picks up Kaho and nails the Liger Bomb, cover by Hiroyo and she gets the three count! Hiroyo Matsumoto is the winner!

While the match wasn’t long, it certainly hit all the right notes. Kaho hasn’t lost a beat as she really brought it to Hiroyo, she couldn’t match her strength so instead she focused on speed and wit. In the end, Hiroyo’s power was too much and she put away the smaller wrestler, but Kaho had several close nearfalls so it was certainly not a lopsided affair. Kaho using the Flair Flop as a possum move was great as it made me go from “well that was kind of goofy” to respecting her methodology. I loved that even though she was the higher ranked wrestler that Hiroyo still respected Kaho’s finisher (120% Schoolboy) by not kicking out of it, leaving it as a move that Kaho still had in her back pocket up to the end to get a flash win. Fast paced and entertaining from bell to bell, a typical Kaho match that may not end up being the match everyone remembers from the show but a really fun contribution to the event as we roll onto the big matches.  Recommended

ASUKA and Yuu vs. SAKI and Saori Anou

ASUKA and Anou start the match, they do a pose off as they compete for the crowd’s attention, but that doesn’t last long as ASUKA hits Anou with a hard elbow. Anou elbows her back and they trade shots, headbutt by ASUKA but Anou avoids her boot and hits one of her own. Anou throws ASUKA into the corner but ASUKA hops on the top turnbuckle, leading to Anou backing off. She tags in SAKI while Yuu also tags in, Yuu and SAKI lock up and Yuu pushes SAKI into the corner. SAKI responds to her kindness with elbows, hard shoulderblock by Yuu but SAKI avoids her senton and hits a boot. She tags Anou but stays in the ring, they try to double team Yuu but Yuu hits a double crossbody on both of them. Yuu tags ASUKA, ASUKA chokes Anou with her boot in the corner with some help from Makoto who is at ringside. Sliding kick by ASUKA to Anou, and she covers her for two. ASUKA charges Anou but Anou catches her leg and hits a dragon screw. Anou starts on ASUKA’s leg but Yuu breaks things up, ASUKA picks up Anou and tags Yuu in. Yuu picks up Anou and hits a running elbow in the corner, cross armbreaker attempt by Yuu as SAKI tries to help her partner but ASUKA holds her back. Anou makes it to the ropes anyway, elbow drop by Yuu but Anou bridges out of the cover. Yuu tags ASUKA, ASUKA kicks Anou around the ring before putting her in Paradise Lock and posing on her.

Yuu sits on Anou which actually gets Anou out of the Paradise Lock, annoying ASUKA. ASUKA charges Anou but Anou rolls away and hits a step-up enzuigiri, giving her time to tag SAKI. SAKI kicks ASUKA and hits a vertical suplex, SAKI knees ASUKA in the corner and hits a Reverse Splash for two. SAKI picks up ASUKA but ASUKA pokes her in the eyes and delivers a dropkick. She tags in Yuu, shoulderblock by Yuu but SAKI lands in her corner and tags Anou. Missile dropkick by Anou, she goes for a slam but Yuu blocks it. SAKI comes in to help but Yuu hits a vertical suplex on both of them, Yuu puts Anou in a crab hold but Anou gets to the ropes for the break. Senton by Yuu and she covers Anou for a two count. Yuu gets up on the second turnbuckle but SAKI grabs her from the apron, running elbow by Anou and she joins Yuu. Frankensteiner attempt by Anou but Yuu catches her, Anou recovers and hits the Frankensteiner anyway followed by a sliding kick for two. Anou tags SAKI, SAKI goes to suplex Yuu but she can’t get her up. SAKI gets Yuu to the mat and puts her in an armtrap crossface, but Yuu gets a boot on the ropes for the break. SAKI goes off the ropes but Yuu tosses her to the mat, SAKI charges Yuu but Yuu hits a jumping crossbody. Yuu charges SAKI and delivers a cannonball, cover by Yuu but SAKI gets a shoulder up.

Yuu picks up SAKI but Anou runs in and boots her in the face, SAKI drives Yuu’s head into the mat and both wrestlers tag out. ASUKA and Anou trade boots, Anou gets ASUKA’s back and drops her with a release German. Anou picks up ASUKA and hits a step-up enzuigiri, superkick by ASUKA and she hits a second one for a two count. SAKI comes in but ASUKA hits a springboard moonsault off the ropes onto both opponents, with both falling out of the ring. Yuu gets in the ring, she drops down and rolls out onto both SAKI and Anou. ASUKA goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out with a moonsault, but SAKI and Anou both move out of the way. Anou and SAKI attempt to double team ASUKA but it backfires, and ASUKA hits Anou repeatedly with chairs. Anou regains the advantage as the brawl at ringside continues, ASUKA and Anou end up in the crowd while SAKI and Yuu follow. The referee eventually figures he has given them enough leeway returning to the ring and calls for the bell. The match is a Double Count Out.

While I am not a big fan of moderately random matches on shows like this not having a conclusive ending, this was still pretty good. I do think there are storyline reasons where count outs, draws, etc. are fine, but as a general rule if the match doesn’t have a *reason* for a non-ending I’d rather it have one, it just gives fans a more satisfying feeling. I am not sure if we’ll ever see a pay-off from this and if we don’t, what was the point? That aside, the action was solid but something was missing. There were multiple stories going on (ASUKA and Yuu not always getting along, Saori/ASUKA hating each other, random limb work?) but it didn’t really mesh into a cohesive tag match. The pieces were there, they just never really joined them together so the match didn’t have a lot of flow to it. Still a good match as these four couldn’t have a bad match if they tried, but a little disappointing as I feel it could have been even better.  Mildly Recommended

Maya Yukihi and Rina Yamashita vs. Miyuki Takase and Ryo Mizunami

Takase and Maya start the match and start off trading holds, snapmare by Maya and she kicks Takase in the back. Takase wants more so Maya kicks her again, more kicks by Maya but Takase ducks the PK. Irish whip by Maya and but Takase hits an armdrag, kick to the chest by Maya but Takase kips up and chops Maya in the chest. They end up in a stalemate and both tag out, bringing in Ryo and Rina. Ryo and Rina lock knuckles, headlock by Ryo and she gets Rina to the mat. Rina gets back up and reverses the hold, they try to knock each other over with shoulderblocks with Rina eventually sending Ryo down. Rina knocks Takase off the apron as Maya comes in the ring, and they both attack Ryo while she is tied up in the ropes. Rina tags in Maya, kicks by Maya but Ryo elbows her back and the two trade blows. Maya gets the better of things, Rina returns and they go for a suplex but Ryo blocks it. Ryo knocks over both of them and stacks her opponents in the corner, lots of chops by Ryo and she hits a lariat on Maya. Cover by Ryo, but it gets a two count. She tags Takase but Maya kicks Takase and hits a backbreaker. Bootscrapes by Maya and she kicks Takase in the back, they trade strikes until Takase gets Maya against the ropes.

Lariat by Takase but Maya ducks the next one and hits a kick combination. Trip by Maya and she delivers a sliding kick, she tags in Rina and Rina lariats Takase in the corner. Scoop slam by Rina, Takase gets back up and Rina hits a hard elbow. Takase chops her in return but Rina hits another elbow and goes for a Sleeper. Takase runs into the corner to get out of the hold, Rina goes off the ropes but Takase catches her with a DDT followed by a cutter. Irish whip by Takase out of the corner, reversed, but Takase rebounds off the turnbuckle with a missile dropkick for two. Takase goes for a suplex but Rina easily reverses it into one of her own, she goes off the ropes but Takase hits a powerslam for a two count. She tags in Ryo, Rina and Ryo both connect with strikes until Ryo drops Rina with an overhead suplex. Rina quickly comes back with a backdrop suplex, sliding lariat by Rina and she covers Takase for two. Lariat by Rina, and she covers Ryo for two. Rina picks up Ryo but Ryo slides away and both wrestlers lariat each other to the mat. Rina tags in Maya, Maya goes to the top turnbuckle and comes in the ring with a missile dropkick. Jumping knee by Maya and she kicks Ryo in the chest for a quick two count. Maya rolls Ryo to the mat and applies a submission hold, but Ryo gets a toe on the ropes to force a break. Maya goes off the ropes but Ryo avoids her boot and Takase levels Maya with a spear.

Dropkick by Takase and she assists Ryo with a side slam, Ryo gets on the second turnbuckle as Takase hits a Kamikaze. Diving legdrop by Ryo, but Rina breaks up the cover. All four wrestlers trade running strikes, Rina lariats Maya by accident but on the second attempt she successfully lariats Ryo and Takase (and knocks out Maya in the process). Maya recovers and hits a dual superkick to Ryo, Rina goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving body press. Running knee by Maya, but Takase breaks up the cover. Maya charges Ryo but Ryo moves, strike combination by Maya but Ryo hits a hard lariat. Maya pops up just to eat another lariat, Ryo charges Maya but Maya kicks her to the mat. Buzzsaw Kick by Maya, and she covers Ryo for two. Sliding knee by Maya, but again Takase breaks up the cover. Maya picks up Ryo but Ryo blocks the Tiger Driver, high kick by Maya but Ryo blocks it again. Uranage by Ryo and she hits a spear, picking up a two count. Ryo goes off the ropes and delivers a hard lariat, she drags Maya back to her feet and nails the Hot Limit for the three count! Ryo Mizunami and Miyuki Takase are the winners!

One can’t help but compare this match to the one that came before it, as both had Freelance tag teams and went about the same amount of time. This match was much better, and a number of things helped it. First, both of the teams wrestled like they were a real team, lots of team work and fluid setups that kept the match interesting. It also had a real ending, which I appreciate, and there was more of a sense of urgency with all four of them. It didn’t hurt that Maya really brought her A Game, she is really underappreciated as far as in-ring ability goes and she was firing on all cylinders here. Ryo was more grounded, which I liked, and both Rina and Miyuki looked great as well. Just four talented wrestlers beating the hell out of each other for twenty minutes, what is not to love? Easily the best match on the card and worth watching, its going to slot below other matches in 2022 that maybe had more of a backstory and emotion behind it but as far as in-ring action goes it doesn’t get much better than this.  Highly Recommended

The post NOMADS’ “Freelance Summit” on 5/20/22 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom Yokohama Cinderella
Date: October 3rd, 2020
Location: Yokohama Budokan in Yokohama, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,007

For Stardom, this is a massive event at Yokohama Budokan, as they stack the card with surprises and title matches. Four titles are on the line here, although the High Speed, Trios, and Future of Stardom championships are not represented (Stardom has a lot of titles). We have two matches with “mystery opponents” plus the random one night return of former Stardom wrestler Yuna Manase. At the top of the card, both major single titles are being defended, and we will crown a new SWA Undisputed Women Women’s Champion after the title was vacated due to Jamie Hayter not being able to travel. On top of that, Oedo Tai and Tokyo Cyber Squad battle it out to see which faction will have to disband…… forever! Here is the full card:

• High Speed Championship: AZM vs. Starlight Kid
• Hanan vs. X (Mina Shirakawa)
• Natsu Sumire and Yuna Manase vs. Riho and Saya Iida
• Death Yama-san vs. X (Natsupoi)
• SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship: Bea Priestley vs. Momo Watanabe
• Losing Unit Must Disband Match: Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita vs. Himeka and Maika
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Giulia vs. Tam Nakano
• World Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri

Big show! Since it was shown on PPV and was uploaded on Stardom World, all matches will be shown on full. You can click on the wrestler’s name above to go straight to their profile on Joshi City.

AZM vs. Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid goes off the ropes to start but AZM dropkicks her to the mat, stomps by AZM and she Irish whips Starlight Kid from the corner and dropkicks her to a seated position. AZM flips Starlight Kid back to the middle of the ring and performs a cocky cover, scoop slam by AZM near the ropes and she stands on her arm. Slingshot footstomp to the arm by AZM, and she covers Starlight Kid for two. Starlight Kid tries to fight back with elbows but AZM levels her, AZM picks up Starlight Kid and Irish whips her but Starlight Kid jumps out to the apron and elbows AZM as she charges in. DDT onto the apron by Starlight Kid, AZM falls out of the ring and Starlight Kid goes up top and dives down onto her with a plancha. Starlight Kid picks up AZM and slides her back into the ring, she goes off the ropes and hits the Tiger Feint Kick. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid, but it gets a two count. Starlight Kid Irish whips AZM to the corner but AZM rebounds out of it with a dropkick, vertical suplex by AZM and she covers Starlight Kid for two.

Fujiwara Armbar by AZM but Starlight Kid quickly gets to the ropes, AZM goes up top but Starlight Kid avoids the diving footstomp. Starlight Kid catches AZM’s kick and delivers a dropkick, Backstabber by Starlight Kid out of the corner and she goes up top, but AZM recovers and joins her. Starlight Kid boots AZM back to the mat and delivers the swivel body press, but AZM kicks out and kicks her in the head. AZM then goes up top and hits the diving footstomp, but it gets a two count. Back up, head kick by AZM but Starlight Kid snaps off a DDT, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They both kip-up and trade elbows, Starlight Kid charges AZM but AZM kicks her in the head and sits on the top turnbuckle. Kick to the arm by AZM and she hits another diving footstomp, but again it gets two. AZM picks up Starlight Kid and hits La Mistica, she switches it to a seated armbar but Starlight Kid gets a foot on the ropes for the break. AZM picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid reverses the triple jump move into a Codebreaker, cross-legged suplex by Starlight Kid but AZM kicks out at two.

Starlight Kid picks up AZM but AZM blocks the Ki-chan Bomb, Starlight Kid ducks AZM’s kicks however and delivers another Codebreaker. Tiger Feint Kick to the back by Starlight Kid and she nails the Ki-chan Bomb, but AZM is too close to the ropes and gets a foot on one to break up the count. Starlight Kid goes to the second turnbuckle but AZM avoids the moonsault, they trade flash pins but neither can get the three count. Kick to the head by Starlight Kid, she goes to the top turnbuckle but AZM joins her, slamming her arm-first down to the mat. Cross armbreaker by AZM, but Starlight Kid gets to the ropes. AZM goes back to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp to Starlight Kid’s arm, she pulls Starlight Kid to the corner and hits an armbreaker to the mat. Double armbar by AZM, she switches it to another modified armbreaker hold and Starlight Kid has to submit! AZM wins and is still the champion.

A great way to kick off the show. I liked that AZM’s focus on the arm wasn’t just for killing time or for the fun of it, but it continued to be her main target and then she won the match with an arm submission. What else could one ask for? Normally the opener in Stardom doesn’t try to steal the show but they still put on some high flying moves to show they weren’t just two kids putting on an exhibition, and both hit their moves flawlessly. There were a few weird selling parts, which they will get better at as they continue having longer and more important matches, but overall I thought this delivered. An entertaining match between two of the promotion’s best rising stars.  Recommended

Hanan vs. Mina Shirakawa

They tie-up to start and trade wristlocks, Hanan gets Mina to the mat but Mina gains the dominate position as they trade holds. Irish whip by Mina and she hits an armdrag, she goes for a submission but Hanan quickly crawls to the ropes for the break. Mina goes off the ropes but Hanan catches her with a dropkick, dropkick in the corner by Hanan and she covers Mina for two. Hanan goes for a cross armbreaker but Mina blocks it, Hanan stomps on Mina’s arm but Mina elbows her and the two trade blows. Jumping double chop by Mina and she hits an elbow in the corner followed by another double chop for a two count cover. Mina puts Hanan in the Mexican Surfboard before releasing her after a moment, Mina goes off the ropes but Hanan hits a judo toss. STO by Hanan and she hits a double wrist armsault for two. Hanan goes off the ropes but Mina hits a Lou Thesz Press for two. Hanan ducks Mina’s back elbow and cradles her for two, Hanan goes off the ropes but Mina hits the backfist. Mina goes up top the top turnbuckle and hits a twisting crossbody, Impact DDT by Mina and she covers Hanan for the three count! Mina Shirakawa is the winner.

Its an odd choice to me to have Mina debut for the promotion and have a back-and-forth match with a 16 year old. Clearly Mina isn’t going to be used towards the top of the card and knowing that Stardom is also an “idol” promotion I think we all know the reason that Mina is here. The match had nothing wrong with it, it was technically sound and Hanan seems to have worked the rust off after her time off. This felt more like an opener, a slightly confusing match but non-offensive.

Natsu Sumire and Yuna Manase vs. Riho and Saya Iida

Riho and Saya attack before the bell rings and isolate Yuna, double teaming her. Yuna regains the advantage and lariats both of them, Yuna picks up Saya and hits a scoop slam. Yuna tags in Natsu, Natsu comes in with her whip and hits Saya in the midsection with it. Natsu throws Saya into the corner and mounts her, Yuna comes in to help but Riho breaks it up. Natsu hits the gyrating bronco buster on Saya while Yuna keeps Riho occupied, Natsu tags in Yuna, lariat by Yuna to Saya and she covers her for two. Saya fights back and goes for a scoop slam, but Yuna blocks it and hits a slam of her own. Yuna throws Saya into the corner and hits a lariat, big boot by Yuna and she covers Saya for another two count. Saya finally hits a slam and makes the hot tag to Riho, spinning headscissors by Riho to Yuna and she follows with a Tiger Feint Kick. Riho gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a diving crossbody, but Yuna rolls through it and throws Riho to the mat.

Yuna kicks Riho in the back before sitting on Riho for a two count. Yuna goes off the ropes but Riho rolls her to the mat and hits a footstomp. She tags in Saya, dropkick by Saya and she chops Yuna against the ropes. Yuna returns with shots of her own but Saya chops Yuna to the mat, they both go off the ropes and Yuna delivers a lariat. That gives her time to tag in Natsu, knees by Natsu and she boots Saya while she is against the ropes. Bridging slam by Natsu, but it gets a two count. Riho runs in to help her partner and they both dropkick Natsu, Saya goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Natsu for two. Saya picks up Natsu but Natsu blocks the Northern Lights Suplex, DDT by Natsu and she connects with the Shining Wizard. Natsu picks up Saya and drops her with the Demon, but Riho quickly breaks up the cover. Yuna shoulderblocks Riho, Natsu gets her whip but Saya avoids it and dropkicks her. Elbows by Natsu and Yuna comes in, but she boots Natsu by accident. Saya picks up Natsu and nails the Northern Lights Suplex, picking up the three count Riho and Saya Iida are the winners!

One of the issues with many Joshi fans online is an unwillingness to admit when a wrestler isn’t good in-ring. Even wrestlers that clearly aren’t very skilled are heavily praised, in cases starting ironically but then somehow becoming real just from persistently being said over a long period of time. I set that up to say – Yuna Manase and Natsu Sumire both aren’t very good wrestlers. Yuna has never been good, there is a reason she jumps from promotion to promotion and if anyone else but Natsu was doing whipping and gyrating bronco busters (particularly to children) everyone would be up in arms about how overly sexual and inappropriate it is. But I don’t get paid to lie (or at all) so the fact of the matter is this match had three ‘average to below average’ wrestlers and Riho, who is good but not good enough to drag everyone else to a good match. I don’t know why his match happened, this combination of wrestlers will never be in the ring together again (hopefully) and we can move on.

Death Yama-san vs. Natsupoi

Death of course poses off the start while Natsupoi ignores her, Natsupoi finally gets into it with her as they go off the ropes before Natsupoi hits an armdrag. Natsupoi throws down Death by the hair a few times, stomps by Natsupoi in the corner but Death grabs her by the nose. Death applies an abdominal stretch (while posing of course), she lets go after a moment and throws Natsupoi into the corner, but Natsupoi boots her when she charges in. Dropkick by Natsupoi but Death hits a throat trust, running senton by Death and she covers Natsupoi for two. Death goes for a suplex but Natsupoi lands on her feet and applies a tilt-a-whirl into a standing armbar. Death gets into the ropes for the break, cradle by Natsupoi but it gets two. Dropkicks by Natsupoi, she goes off the ropes and dropkicks Death in the head. Natsupoi goes up top and hits a diving crossbody, picking up a two count. Natsupoi goes for a neckbreaker but Death rolls out of it, Natsupoi hits a running neckbreaker but Death reverses the cover into a cradle of her own for two. Superkick by Natsupoi, and she nails a German Suplex Hold for the three count! Natsupoi is the winner.

Even though the match was a joke, Natsupoi looked really good as she tends to do so I wouldn’t consider it a wasted debut. Making a grand return to Stardom against a comedy wrestler is still an odd decision for Natsumi and there had to have been better options, but she made the best out of the situation and showed that she belongs. I look forward to more matches with Natsumi in the future, hopefully ones that will last longer and will be against better opponents.

Bea Priestley vs. Momo Watanabe
SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship

They immediately get into it trading elbows, Momo goes for a dropkick but Bea avoids it and stomps her in the back. Momo throws Bea out of the ring and goes out after her, snapmare by Momo and she kicks Bea in the back. Momo puts Bea on the apron and goes for the B Driver, but Bea blocks it. Kicks to the chest by Momo but Bea avoids one and Momo kicks the ring post by mistake. Bea pulls Momo back to the floor and stomps on her leg, she picks up Momo and throws her into the ring apron. Bea returns to the ring but Momo follows, Bea twists Momo’s leg around the bottom rope and stomps on it some more. Bea picks up Momo and throws her into the corner, as she continues working on her leg. Bea picks up Momo and hits a scoop slam, cover by Bea but it gets a two count. Bea keeps on Momo’s leg, Irish whip by Bea to the corner but Momo avoids her charge and delivers a dropkick. Another dropkick by Momo, she gets on the second turnbuckle and dropkicks Bea in the back. PK by Momo and she kicks Bea in the corner, cover by Momo but it gets two. Momo applies the chickenwing but Bea blocks the suplex, she rolls Momo to the mat and applies a kneelock. Momo gets out of it, Bea picks her up and hits a snap suplex for two.

Bea sets up Momo’s leg across the rope and goes up top, but Momo recovers and elbows her before she can jump off. Bea knocks her back but Momo catches her coming off the top and delivers a uranage. Momo picks up Bea, kick combination by Momo and she puts Bea on the top turnbuckle. Momo joins her and goes for a B Driver, but Bea flips over her and goes for a powerbomb. Momo blocks it but Bea then goes for a German suplex, which Momo blocks as well. Momo turns around and hits a Diving Somato, picking up a two count. B Driver by Momo, but that gets a two count as well. Momo picks up Bea and puts her on the turnbuckles again, but Bea slides away and superkicks Momo in the head. Queen’s Landing attempt by Bea but Momo rolls out of it, Knee by Momo and she covers Bea for two. Momo applies the chickenwing, release suplex by Momo and she delivers a Somato for a two count. Momo goes for a head kick Bea catches her leg, Momo goes for a suplex but Bea blocks it. Dragon Screw Leg Whip by Bea and she nails the Bea Trigger, Regal Plex by Bea but Momo kicks out at two. Bea hits another Bea Trigger in the corner, she gets Momo on the turnbuckles and drops her with the Queen’s Landing, picking up the three count! Bea Priestley is the new champion!

While I probably could have done without such a focus on the leg work in such a short title match, overall this was really good. Bea’s leg work was excellent but Momo didn’t do a whole lot to sell it when it wasn’t actively being worked on, which only matters when it is such a big part of the match. But Bea didn’t forget as really she set up the end run by hitting the Dragon Screw, so I appreciate her dedication to it. Besides the leg selling issue, Momo looked great and is stealthily one of the best wrestlers in Stardom, even if she doesn’t get much of a chance to show it. Everything looked crisp and they kept the match moving, which is good since it was only ten minutes long. I wish they could have gotten more time and a better spot on the card, but still an entertaining match between two quality wrestlers.  Mildly Recommended

Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima

Oedo Tai set up a little chair tower in the corner before the match started, which I appreciate so they don’t waste time during the match doing it. Oedo Tai attacks before the match starts, Jungle fights back against Natsuko and the two trade blows. Jungle tries to throw Natsuko into the chair tower but Natsuko slams on the breaks, Konami returns but Natsuko spears both of them. Saki comes in and they both throw Jungle into the chair tower in the corner, Natsuko hits Jungle in the midsection with a chair and Saki hits a facebuster onto it. Senton by Natsuko and a cover, but it gets a two count. Saki chokes Jungle with the chair and then hits both Konami and Jungle with one, she puts the chair on both of them and Natsuko hits a senton. Saki throws Jungle into the corner and tags in Natsuko (I guess this match has tags), Natsuko throws down Jungle by the hair, bootscrapes by Natsuko and she hits a running boot. Natsuko and Saki both try to suplex Jungle but Jungle reverses it into her own double suplex, giving her time to tag in Konami.

Konami delivers strikes on both opponents before putting Saki in a leg submission, Natsuko breaks it up but Konami kicks her in the head. Saki cradles Konami before kicking her, double arm suplex by Saki but it gets two. Konami catches a Saki kick and applies an ankle hold, but Saki quickly gets out of it and hits a hurricanrana. Running boot by Saki and she tags Natsuko, running elbow by Natsuko in the corner and she hits the cannonball. Samoan Drop by Natsuko, but it gets two. Natsuko gets a chain and puts it down on the mat, she picks up Konami and tries to slam her onto it, but Konami slides away. Kicks by Konami and she hits a German suplex onto the chain for a two count cover. Konami tags Jungle, shoulderblocks by Jungle to Natsuko but Natsuko doesn’t go down. She finally knocks Natsuko over, Jungle throws Natsuko into the corner but Natsuko avoids her charge. Saki comes in but they get stacked in the corner as all of TCS come in the ring to hit running strikes. Jungle goes to the top turnbuckle and hits the diving body press, but Natsuko barely kicks out. Jungle goes for the Hammer Throw Bomb but Natsuko gets away, Jungle goes off the ropes but Natsuko catches her with a lariat for two.

Natsuko gets her chain and chokes Jungle with it, but Konami breaks it up. Kick by Konami to Natsuko but Natsuko levels her with a lariat, swinging side slam by Natsuko to Jungle and she covers her for two. Saki and Bea set up a table, Jungle is put on the table as Natsuko goes up top, but she is grabbed from the apron which gives time for Jungle to recover. Jungle sets up Natsuko for a powerbomb while Konami simultaneously hits a missile dropkick, but Natsuko barely kicks out. They set the table back up while Jungle picks up Natsuko, Jungle drags Natsuko onto the table with her and drops her with a piledriver. Cover by Jungle, but Saki breaks it up by chucking a chair at her. Natsuko tags in Saki, she hits Jungle with the chair and puts it on top of her before hitting a diving footstomp. Konami comes in with a chair but Saki knocks it away form her, she goes to hit Konami with her own chair but stops. Konami picks up a chair but she hits her own partner Jungle with it, Kishikaisei by Saki to Jungle and she picks up the three count! Oedo Tai wins the match and Tokyo Cyber Squad must disband!

I am going to try not to go on a rant so I’ll keep it brief. As wrestling fans we have accepted that some things don’t make sense and are just tropes we deal with, but matches like this take it a bit too far for me. I don’t mind partners turning on each other but it should be early in the match, or part as a run-in, not after 13 minutes. If Konami was going to change sides there were many many nearfalls that could have ended the match prior to her turn and she beat the crap out of her future partners – its just a major logic jump for a partner to ‘play along’ for that long. I don’t mind the heel turn, but I would have preferred she just not be in the match and do it via interference if that was the way they were going.

Anyway, complaints of the structure aside, this was actually a really good ‘hardcore’ style match. They fought like four people that hated each other (which is part of the issue with my above point) as they were using weapons whenever possible but not taking excessive time in the process. There weren’t any long beatdown segments or slow parts, there was non-stop action and everything they did made sense. Jungle was fighting with a lot of passion and in general I thought their ‘acting’ was good as the match felt important. The illogical way they went about the turn brings down the match some for me, but the action was great and its worth watching in that regard for sure.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita vs. Himeka and Maika
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Utami and Maika start the match, they start slow as they trade holds until Utami shoulderblocks Maika to the mat. Saya comes in and they double team Maika, she leaves after a moment as Utami stomps on Maika. She tags Saya, stomps by Saya in the corner but Maika blocks the scoop slam attempt and hits one of her own. Maika tags Himeka and they double team Saya in the corner, Himeka tosses Saya around by her hair before hitting a scoop slam. Himeka picks up Saya and hits another slam before tagging Maika back in, slam by Maika and she stands on Saya’s back. Maika didn’t need help but Himeka comes in anyway, PK by Himeka and Maika covers Saya for two. Saya flips away from Maika and delivers a dropkick, giving her time to tag in Utami. Hard shoulderblocks by Utami but Maika gets her to the mat and applies an armbar. Utami wiggles to the ropes and makes it to force the break, Maika goes off the ropes and boots Utami in the head. STO by Maika and she tags Himeka, lariat by Himeka in the corner and she knees Utami in the face for a two count. Crab hold by Himeka but it gets quickly broken up, Saya stays in but Himeka stacks them in the corner and hits a lariat. Himeka puts both Utami and Saya up on the corner before putting both in an Argentine Backbreaker.

She drops them after a moment and puts Utami in a crab hold, but Utami gets to the ropes. Utami slips away from Utami and dropkicks her, hip toss by Utami and she hits a STO for two. Sleeper by Utami but Maika gets a foot on the ropes for the break, Utami picks up Himeka and tries to put her in the Argentine Backbreaker, but Himeka blocks it and hits a lariat. Utami stays up as they both trade lariats, Himeka knocks over Utami first but Utami quickly gets back up and returns the favor. They keep trading lariats until they both collapse to the mat, Utami makes the hot tag first and Saya hits a diving crossbody onto Himeka. Saya goes up top again and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Saya but it gets two. Himeka knocks down Saya with a lariat, Maika comes in and they both hit sliding strikes to Saya. Cover by Himeka, but it gets two. Himeka positions Saya and goes up top, and with Maika’s help she hits a front flip senton for a two count. Himeka picks up Saya and puts her in the Argentine Backbreaker, she slams Saya in front of her but Utami breaks up the cover. Himeka goes for the powerbomb but Utami breaks it up with a lariat. Release German by Utami to Himeka but Maika lariats her, Maika jumps back onto the apron so that Himeka can tag her in.

Maika tosses Saya around the ring but Saya recovers and slaps Maika, elbows by Saya but Maika knocks her back to the mat. Saya gets back up and they trade elbows again until Maika hits a side slam for two. Maika goes for a suplex but Saya reverses it into a guillotine choke, Maika muscles out of it however and still hits the vertical suplex. Maika goes off the ropes but Saya catches her with a dropkick, crab hold by Saya but Maika gets to the ropes. Saya goes up top but Maika joins her, hitting a superplex down to the mat. Cover by Maika, but Utami breaks it up. Maika goes off the ropes but Saya dropkicks her, kneedrop by Saya and she charges Maika but Maika catches her with a slam. Cross-arm STO by Maika, but Utami makes the save. Maika picks up Saya but Saya slides away and delivers a heel kick. Saya positions Maika and delivers the running Shooting Star Press, but Maika barely kicks out. Fisherman Driver by Saya, but Himeka runs in and breaks up the cover. Utami joins Saya and they hit the Magic Killer onto Maika, Saya goes to the top turnbuckle and she hits the Phoenix Splash! Cover by Saya, and she gets the three count! Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita are still the champions.

One thing that always fascinates me about Utami tag team matches is her partner always seems to do the bulk of the work. Saya was both the Face in Peril and the one that got the last hot tag, as she spent far more time in the ring. Since I love Utami, I’d like to see more of her but I liked her segments with Himeka and she hit a boss German suplex so I’ll let it slide. This match did have an identity issue, for a match that got plenty of time they didn’t really have a story to tell. The submissions were random and without meaning, and Saya seemed to be dominated for the bulk of the match before suddenly winning after hitting a few moves in a row. The action was really good though even if it wasn’t always cohesive, and they didn’t wrestle like a bunch of wrestlers early in their careers. A fun hard hitting match, didn’t quite reach that upper level but entertaining nonetheless.  Recommended

(c) Giulia vs. Tam Nakano
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They charge each other to start and immediately start throwing elbows, they go off the ropes and Tam elbows Giulia to the mat. Giulia gets back up and catches a Tam kick, Tam connects with the next one however and throws Giulia into the corner. Giulia avoids her charge and boots Tam in the corner, DDT by Giulia and she covers Tam for two. Giulia goes up top but Tam joins her, they trade slaps until Tam kicks Giulia in the head, sending her down to the floor. Tam goes back up top and dives out onto Giulia with a plancha, Tam slides Giulia back in but Giulia goes back to the apron. Tam grabs her and applies a dragon sleeper over the top rope, the referee gets her to break it so Tam tries to suplex Giulia back to the mat. Giulia blocks it and elbows her, she turns around while still on the turnbuckle and applies a stretch hold while still perched up top. They finally leave the turnbuckles with a powerbomb by Giulia, she goes back up again but Tam grabs her from behind and hits a German suplex off the turnbuckles.

They both slowly recover and trade elbows, backslide by Giulia and she knees Tam. Giulia puts Tam on the top turnbuckle and joins her, hitting a Glorious Buster down to the mat for a two count cover. Giulia picks up Tam and she goes for another one, but Tam blocks it. Heel kick by Tam but she is too hurt to capitalize, they get to their knees and trade strikes. As they get up, Tam hits a German Suplex Hold and then a Tiger Suplex Hold, but Giulia kicks out at two. Tam picks up Giulia but Giulia snaps off a backdrop suplex, she goes for the Stealth Viper and gets it locked in, but Tam barely gets a foot on the bottom rope to break it up. Giulia drags up Tam but Tam headbutts her, Tam charges Giulia but Giulia gets her in a headlock. Michinoku Driver by Giulia, she goes off the ropes and boots Tam in the head. Tam fires back with a heel kick, more kicks by Tam but Giulia boots her to the mat for a two count. Giulia quickly picks up Tam and drops her with the Glorious Driver, but Tam quickly kicks out. Giulia charges Tam but Tam schoolboys her for a two count. Front dropkick by Giulia, she picks up Tam and hits a final Glorious Driver for the three count! Giulia wins and retains the championship.

I have to say, they wanted to go in a certain direction with this match and they certainly went for it. From the start they were throwing bombs and doing high impact moves, as it felt like 20% of the match took place with one or the other (or both) on the top turnbuckle attempting to do something extra painful. It was a 15 minute dash with little time for breathing, which sometimes is needed just to let the moves have more of an impact with the viewer. They both showed off their toughness, and the match was smooth, it just felt at times like they were trying to do too much to try to one-up their previous match. Giulia stayed in control which made sense as she was the favorite going in, and she came across like she deserves to be in one of the top spots in the promotion. Certainly an entertaining match with a lot of memorable spots, it just needed a little more of a break at some point to let their moves have more meaning.  Recommended

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

Syuri pushes Mayu into the ropes to start and they end up on the mat as they jockey for position. Syuri goes for a cross armbreaker but Mayu blocks it, Syuri goes for Mayu’s leg but Mayu gets to the ropes. Back on their feet they trade wristlocks, Syuri works a headlock and gets Mayu to the mat. Back up, Syuri goes off the ropes and stomps on Mayu, Syuri kicks Mayu repeatedly but Mayu fires back with an elbow. Kick to the midsection by Mayu and they both kick each other in the leg, sending them to the mat. Syuri quickly regains the advantage and hits a running knee, sending Syuri fallout out of the ring to the floor. Syuri goes to the apron and hits a jumping knee, Syuri gets Mayu back into the ring and starts working on her leg. Syuri hits a running knee in the corner followed by another one, cover by Syuri but it gets a two count. Syuri applies a figure four leglock, snapmare by Syuri and she kicks Mayu in the back. PK by Syuri, but Mayu kicks out of the cover. Syuri picks up Mayu and continues to kick her, double arm suplex by Syuri and she covers Mayu for another two count. Syuri goes back to the leg but Mayu gets into the ropes for the break, Mayu rolls to the apron but Syuri goes out after her.

Syuri tries to suplex Mayu off the apron but Mayu blocks it, Mayu grabs Syuri and nails a German suplex on the apron. Mayu gets back in the ring, she goes off the ropes and sails out onto Syuri with a plancha suicida. Mayu slides Syuri back in, she goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick. Cover by Mayu, but it gets a two count. Mayu goes for the dragon suplex but Syuri grabs the ropes to block it, stomps by Mayu and she dropkicks Syuri while she is against the ropes, sending Syuri back out of the ring. Mayu goes to the top turnbuckle  but Syuri gets on the apron to stop her from jumping off, she tries to kick Mayu off the turnbuckle but Mayu catches her leg and snaps it over the ropes. Syuri sits on the top turnbuckle but Mayu joins her and hits a Frankensteiner, Mayu goes back up top and nails the Frog Splash for a two count. Mayu returns to the turnbuckle but Syuri moves out of the way of the moonsault, Buzzsaw Kick by Syuri but she is too hurt to capitalize. Syuri recovers first and elbows Mayu while they are on their knees, but Mayu elbows her back and they trade blows. They keep exchanging elbows as they return to their feet, Syuri hits a Codebreaker and delivers a head kick.

Another kick by Syuri but Mayu rolls out of the ring to recover, she returns after a moment and is immediately grabbed by Syuri. Kicks to the chest by Syuri, cover by Syuri but it gets a two count. Syuri gets Mayu on her shoulders but Mayu hits the Dodonpa for a two count. Syuri goes for a kick but Mayu hits a second one, which gets a two count as well. Mayu goes up top and hits the moonsault, but Syuri barely gets a shoulder up. Mayu goes off the ropes but Syuri nails a head kick, they both slowly get back up and they elbow each other. Superkick by Mayu and she hits a German Suplex Hold, getting a two count. Half and half suplex hold by Mayu, but that gets a two count as well. Syuri grabs Mayu’s leg and puts her in a Stretch Muffler, but Mayu gets to the ropes for the break. Syuri picks up Mayu and gets her on her shoulders, hitting the double knee gutbuster for two. Running knee by Syuri, she picks up Mayu and knees her in the back of the head for a two count. Syuri picks up Mayu but Mayu grabs her and hits a Tombstone Piledriver, Mayu goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers another moonsault for two. Superkicks by Mayu and she kicks Syuri in the head again, Mayu hits the Two Stage Dragon Suplex Hold and she picks up the three count! Mayu Iwatani remains the champion.

This was a very different match stylistically than we have seen up to this point, which I think helped it after the higher paced match that went on previously. Syuri’s leg work felt old school and certainly lasted awhile, the only small issue being Mayu was running around after it and didn’t seem to remember to limp around until later in the match. Mayu always comes across as borderline invincible in her title matches but not necessarily in a bad way and its going to mean a lot when someone finally takes the title off of her. Mayu sells strikes really well and her offense is fun, it was an interesting contrast to Syuri as Mayu really didn’t bother with submissions as she just went for high flying and high impact moves. Even with their style differences they worked together well and nothing felt awkward or out of place. It may have been a few minutes longer than it needed to be and may have taken too long to ‘get going’ for some but overall a fitting main event to a big show.  Recommended

The post Stardom Yokohama Cinderella on 10/3/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom Cinderella Summer In Tokyo
Date: July 26th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 483

After a summer of setting up new storylines, much of it leads to a climax here in Tokyo! This is a big seven match card with three title matches, including the crowning of a new Wonder of Stardom Championship and Goddesses of Stardom Championship as both were vacated prior to this event. Beyond the three title matches, we also get some special attraction style matches featuring Donna del Mondo and Natsu Sumire gets to wrestle a child which is in her Stardom contract for big events. Here is the full card:

• Hina vs. Saki Kashima
• Death Yama-san and Rina vs. Natsuko Tora and Natsu Sumire
• Maika vs. Momo Watanabe
• Himeka and Syuri vs. Mayu Iwatani and Saya Iida
• High Speed Championship: Riho vs. AZM vs. Starlight Kid
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Giulia vs. Tam Nakano

As this streamed on Stardom World, all matches will be shown in full. All wrestlers on the card have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Hina vs. Saki Kashima

Hina charges Saki to start and elbows her against the ropes, but Saki drop toeholds her into the ropes and kicks her in the back of the head. Saki picks up Hina and slams her head into the turnbuckle, she flings Hina to the mat and puts her in a stretch hold. Cover by Saki, but it gets a two count. Saki kicks Hina towards the corner before picking her up, Hina elbows her but Saki kicks her back to the mat. Hina keeps fighting back and eventually is able to sneak in a schoolboy for two, Saki boots Hina and goes off the ropes, but Hina catches her with a judo toss. Hina goes for a slam but Saki blocks it, toss by Hina and she delivers the scoop slam for a two count. Hina picks up Saki and elbows her against the ropes, Irish whip by Hina but Saki slides out to the apron and kicks Hina when she charges in. Saki goes up top but Hina avoids her diving footstomp and puts her in the Gedo Clutch for two. Hina goes off the ropes but Saki catches her with a double underhook facebuster, but Hina sneaks in a small package. Saki has finally had enough and drops Hina with the My Emblem, picking up the three count! Saki Kashima is the winner.

The “surprise cradle after taking a big move” is such a weird spot, but particularly when its a 13 year old doing it. I’m not going to really sweat it in an opener, but Hina blowing off the double underhook facebuster to get a flash pin attempt is one of those things that promotions need to be more careful about. Anyway, for an opener there was nothing wrong with this, Hina got in her hope spots as you’d expect before Saki put her away without taking much damage. I hope they find a better spot for Saki down the road, but a reasonable way to kick things off.

Death Yama-san and Rina vs. Natsuko Tora and Natsu Sumire

Natsuko and Death start the match, Death goes right to posing until Natsuko finally attacks her from behind. Natsu comes in and they double team Death, running senton by Natsuko and she covers Death for two. Rina gets on the apron and elbows Natsuko, Death tags Rina but Natsuko avoids her dropkick attempt. Elbow by Natsuko and she throws down Rina by the hair before delivering a running bootscrape. Natsuko tags in Natsu, Natsu stomps on Rina and elbows her in the corner. Natsu gets Rina down in a seated position so she can deliver her gyrating Bronco Buster, cover by Natsu but it gets a two count. Natsu nudges Rina against the ropes and chokes her with her boot, Rina fights back with elbows but Natsu knees her and boots her in the face. Natsu picks up Rina but Rina hits a scoop slam, giving her time to tag in Death.

Death charges Natsu but Natsu boots her back, she boots her a second and third time but Death hits a throat thrust. Natsu avoids her running senton though and boots her in the back of the head, Natsuko hits Death from the apron and Natsu connects with a bridging suplex for two. Natsuko is tagged in but Death avoids her charge and makes the tag to Rina. Rina dropkicks Natsuko a few times but can’t knock Natsuko over, elbows by Rina and she finally dropkicks Natsuko over. STO by Rina, and she covers Natsuko for two. A schoolboy by Rina gets two as well as does a backslide, jackknife by Rina but that also gets a two count. Rina goes for the Hydrangea and gets it applied, but Natsu breaks it up. Double Irish whip to Natsu but Natsu hits a double jumping lariat, Natsuko picks up Rina and hits the Kamikaze. She goes up top and nails the diving body press, cover by Natsuko and she gets the three count! Oedo Tai are the winners.

Besides the general humor of Natsuko struggling at times against Rina, not a whole lot to this one. Some of the usual comedy sections you’d expect in a match with Death and Natsu, but not every many as they mostly played it straight. I like Yoneyama but I’m not a huge fan of the Death gimmick, I just think they could get more out of her skills than being a goofy character that isn’t taken seriously. Rina looked pretty good and didn’t look out of place at all, not sure if that says more about her or the other wrestlers in the match. For where it was on the card, nothing really wrong with it but a pretty forgettable match overall.

Maika vs. Momo Watanabe

Maika and Momo circle each other before locking up, Momo pushes Maika into the ropes and gives a clean break. Waistlock by Maika but Momo reverses it as they trade holds, they reach a stalemate but Momo quickly delivers a running kick to Maika’s chest. Scoop slam by Momo and she kicks at Maika, snapmare by Momo and she kicks Maika in the back. Another kick to the back by Momo, Maika returns fire with elbows but Momo knocks Maika back to the mat. Snapmare by Momo but Maika catches her kick attempt and puts her in an ankle old. Momo quickly rolls away but Maika stays on the offense as she gets the hold re-applied. Momo gets to the ropes to force the break, Maika puts her leg in the ropes before delivering a running kick to it. Kneelock by Maika but again Momo gets to the ropes, Maika puts Momo’s leg over the second rope and kicks it repeatedly. Irish whip by Maika to the corner but Momo avoids her charge and kicks her in the chest.

Maika boots Momo in the head but Momo comes right back with a dropkick, another dropkick by Momo and she delivers a third in the corner. Vertical suplex by Momo, and she covers Maika for two. Momo picks up Maika, Maika wiggles away but Momo kicks her in the chest. Momo gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Momo but it only gets a two count. Momo goes all the way up but Maika recovers and tosses her back to the mat, Maika flings around Momo by the arm before hitting a side slam for a two count. Fujiwara Armbar by Maika but Momo rolls out of it, Momo goes for a kick but Maika catches it and puts Momo in an ankle hold. Sleeper by Maika, Momo almost goes out but gets a hand in the ropes for the break. Maika goes off the ropes but Momo kicks her in the head and hits a uranage. Somato by Momo, but it only gets two. Momo quickly goes up top and nails the diving Somato, and she picks up the three count! Momo Watanabe is the winner.

Limb work is always tough in a ten minute match, and I would have preferred they just not bother as it looks a bit off when Maika works on the leg for 20% of the match but five seconds later Momo is running around the ring hitting dropkicks. Then she never went back to it. Not that its a major infraction, its just an easily avoidable one and was a bit of a distraction. Momo is stealthily one of the best wrestlers in Stardom, she isn’t getting the push right now but she will again, and she’ll be ready. Maika kept up pretty well, but this was mostly about Momo asserting herself as still a force to be reckoned with. A fun little match, not without its flaws but Momo delivered as she tends to do.  Mildly Recommended

Himeka and Syuri vs. Mayu Iwatani and Saya Iida

Syuri and Mayu start the match, Mayu goes for Syuri’s leg but Syuri easily gets out of it as they jockey for position. Syuri gets away from Mayu as they both return to their feet and tag in their partners. Saya asks for a knuckle lock and the much taller Himeka obliges, pushing Saya to the mat. Side headlock by Himeka but Saya reverses it, shoulderblock by Himeka but Saya manages to stay on her feet. Saya tries to shoulderblock Himeka over but fails to do so, as Himeka sends her to the mat again. Syuri comes in and they hit a double vertical suplex on Saya, cover by Himeka but it gets two. Himeka throws Saya in the corner and tags Syuri, snapmare by Syuri and she kicks Saya in the back for two. Syuri sets up Saya in the ropes so that Himeka can assist in the attack, Syuri throws Saya to the mat before tagging Himeka. Scoop slam by Himeka and she applies a crab hold but Saya makes it to the ropes for the break. Himeka stomps on Saya but Saya dropkicks her in the knee and hits a hard shoulderblock. This gives her time to tag in Mayu, dropkick by Mayu but she bounces off Himeka. Irish whip by Himeka but Mayu reverses it and kicks her in the midsection, superkick by Mayu but Syuri comes in and kicks her. Double Irish whip to Mayu but she blocks it and hits a double springboard armdrag before dropkicking both of them. Irish whip by Mayu, reversed, and Himeka hits a lariat in the corner. Saya runs in but Himeka throws Saya in the same corner as Mayu, she then grabs them and puts both on her shoulders in an Argentine Backbreaker.

She can’t really hold it as they crumble to the mat, Himeka goes off the ropes and levels Mayu with a hard lariat. Cover by Himeka, but it gets two. Himeka rolls to her corner and tags Syuri, kicks to the chest by Syuri and she knees Mayu. Double underhook suplex by Syuri, and she covers Mayu for two. Syuri picks up Mayu and the two trade elbows, Mayu elbows Syuri to her knees but Syuri knees her. Mayu fires back with a dropkick, Saya comes in and they both chop Syuri. Sliding Kick by Mayu and Saya hits a Northern Lights Suplex, Mayu goes up top and nails the Frog Splash but Himeka breaks up the cover. Mayu picks up Syuri but Syuri kicks her in the head, Mayu kicks her back however and hits a German suplex. Syuri rolls through it and hits a suplex of her own, both wrestlers get up and both hit head kicks, sending them crashing to the mat. Mayu tags in Saya, she goes up top and hits Syuri with a missile dropkick for two. Saya picks up Syuri, elbows by Saya and she hits a scoop slam for two. Saya goes off the ropes but Himeka kicks her from the apron, DDT by Syuri and Himeka drops Saya with a Samoan Drop. Running knee by Syuri, but Saya gets a shoulder up on the corner. Syuri goes for Saya’s arm and applies a seated armbar, but Mayu breaks it up. Footstomp by Saya, she picks up Syuri but Syuri blocks the Northern Lights Suplex. She gets Saya on her shoulders and hits a double knee gutbuster, but Mayu breaks up the pin. Syuri goes for a Buzzsaw Kick but Saya blocks it, she goes for a few flash pins including the Iida Bridge, but she isn’t able to get to three. Saya goes off the ropes but Syuri kicks her in the head, Buzzsaw Kick by Syuri and she covers Saya for the three count! Syuri and Himeka are the winners.

While I’m not a huge fan of tag matches with an obvious fall person, its a staple of Japanese Wrestling so it seems silly to complain about. At times this was a bit awkward and they never really got into a strong rhythm since the wrestlers have such different styles. Himeka failing in her feat of strength was probably due to the wrestlers being stacked backwards (I imagine she’d want Mayu on the bottom), but it took some of the wind out of the match. Syuri and Mayu are both great and their pairings were the best parts of the match, but they weren’t paired very often. A step down from the last match, not a bad one but it really only existed so that Syuri could challenge Mayu for the red belt.

(c) Riho vs. AZM vs. Starlight Kid
High Speed Championship

This may be a bit fast paced. Riho is attacked first as they quickly get into a fast paced exchange, Starlight Kid hits a double crossbody but both opponents bridge out of the pin. They eventually reach a stalemate, AZM is double teamed and hit with a double knee to the back by both opponents. Cover by Riho, but Starlight Kid breaks it up. Riho and Starlight Kid trade elbows, dropkick by Riho to Starlight Kid and she hits a bridging vertical suplex for two. Riho throws Starlight Kid into the corner and hits a jumping knee, AZM runs in and dropkicks Starlight Kid. AZM knocks Riho into the corner and kicks trips Starlight Kid into her, she then grabs Starlight Kid’s wrist and hits an armdrag/headscissors combination. AZM picks up Riho but Riho kicks her, rebound armdrag by AZM and she applies a reverse double armbar. Riho gets a toe on the ropes to force the break, AZM charges Riho but Riho drops her onto the apron. AZM quickly gets back in but Starlight Kid arrives and jackknifes Riho for a two count.

Riho drop toeholds AZM into the ropes and goes for the Tiger Feint Kick, AZM catches it but Starlight Kid hits a Tiger Feint Kick on both of them. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid on both of them, she picks up AZM but AZM kicks her in the head. Riho knees Starlight Kid in the head and then knees AZM as well, and all three wrestlers end up on the mat. The all kip-up and get back into it, Starlight Kid elbows Riho but AZM catches Starlight Kid with La Mistica. Starlight Kid quickly gets to the ropes for the break, AZM gets on the second turnbuckle but Riho walks over and joins her. Starlight Kid recovers but she gets booted back, Riho and AZM both go for footstomps on Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid moves. AZM hits a PK on Starlight Kid, but Starlight Kid ducks Riho’s Somato attempt. Diving footstomp by AZM to Riho, but Starlight Kid breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid boots AZM, she goes back to Riho and hits the Ki-chan Bomb, but AZM breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid and AZM trade flash pins, but AZM gets the Azumi Sushi applied and picks up the three count! AZM is the winner and the new champion!

Always a bit of a downer when the champion isn’t pinned to lose their title, but politics may have gotten in the way here. This was as fast paced as you’d expect and 99% of it they hit very smoothly. AZM and Starlight Kid are clearly very familar with each other but Riho fit in fine, with lots of segments with all three flying around going off without a hitch. I’m happy for AZM finally winning a singles title but I wouldn’t have complained if Starlight Kid had won as she is fantastic, maybe now they will feud so the belt actually gets defended. A high energy entertaining match even if it wasn’t terribly long, certainly worth a casual watch.  Mildly Recommended

Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Saya and Jungle are the first two in, they trade wristlocks until Jungle knocks over Saya with a shoulderblock. Jungle goes off the ropes but Utami grabs her from the apron, allowing Saya to hit a dropkick. Utami comes in but she dropkicks Utami while Konami kicks Saya, they end up out of the ring and Konami hits a double baseball slide. Jungle then goes to the ropes and dives out onto both opponents with a pescado, Jungle picks up Utami and throws her into the guardrail. Back in the ring, Jungle twists on Saya’s arm some before tagging in Konami. Konami stays on Saya’s arm, she throws Saya into her corner and tags Jungle back in. Scoop slam by Jungle and she hits a body press onto Saya’s arm, cover by Jungle but it gets two. Seated armbar by Jungle but Saya inches to the ropes and forces the break. Jungle kicks at Saya’s arm before tagging in Konami, Konami kicks Saya in the arm and holds it so that Jungle can club her arm, Jungle is tagged in as Saya finally starts to fight back. It ends poorly for her as Jungle clubs her to the mat, Jungle goes off the ropes but Saya cartwheels past her and hits a dropkick.

This gives her time to tag Utami, dropkick by Utami and she knocks Konami off the apron. Utami throws Jungle into the corner and hits a running elbow, dropkick to the back of the head by Utami and she covers Jungle for two. Konami runs in but Utami throws Jungle into Konami and Saya hits a spinning heel kick on both of them. Utami picks up Jungle and hits a STO, elbow drop by Utami and she covers Jungle for two. Sleeper by Utami but Jungle drops backwards to get out of it, both wrestlers go for a lariat but they remain on their feet. Utami finally knocks down Jungle with a lariat, Saya comes in and they go for a double vertical suplex, eventually hitting it. Jungle gets up quickly however and hits a double lariat, Konami arrives and they both deliver running strikes. Jungle gets Utami up in a powerbomb and nails the move right as Konami hits a missile dropkick, but Utami barely gets a shoulder up on the pin attempt. Jungle goes for the Hammerthrow Bomb but Utami blocks it, running elbow by Utami but Jungle hits a hard elbow. Jungle tags Konami, Konami stomps Utami from tagging out and hits a head kick followed by a release German. Buzzsaw Kick by Konami, but the cover gets two.

Konami applies the Triangle Lancer but Saya quickly breaks it up, Jungle takes care of her while Konami picks up Utami, but Utami avoids her kick and applies a reverse neckbreaker. Schwein by Utami, but Konami kicks out of the cover. Utami goes off the ropes but Jungle hits her from the apron, sunset flip by Konami but Jungle lariats Konami by accident. Backdrop suplex by Utami to Konami and Saya hits the running Shooting Star Press, deadlift German suplex by Utami but Konami barely kicks out. Utami picks up Konami and puts her in the Argentine Backbreaker, she spins Konami into a powerbomb but Jungle breaks up the cover. Utami drags Konami to her feet, Jungle comes in but again she accidentally lariats Konami. Saya dropkicks Jungle out of the ring, they pick up Konami and deliver the Magic Killer. Utami puts Konami on her shoulders before spinning her to the front and delivering a German suplex hold for the three count! Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani are the winners and new champions!

Now this was an entertaining match. One thing I love about Stardom is if they see potential in a wrestler, they go ahead and push them instead of making them “work their way” up the card. We saw it with Utami and now we are seeing it with Saya Kamitani, as she wins her first title just 50 matches into her career. Even with the miscommunications, Jungle and Konami have such great chemistry and I liked both were going for Saya’s arm as they were on the same page on what the easiest path to victory was. It just didn’t work out, and I also liked that Utami never tagged Saya back in once she finally tagged out. So often we see the ‘face in peril’ immediately get tagged back in after finally getting the hot tag, but its much smarter to just let the injured wrestler stay on the apron. The ending was exciting as all four were in the ring together more often than not, giving the match that Joshi Chaos feel that we all love and enjoy. Overall a great effort by all four, I wouldn’t have complained if it was a little longer but everything they did clicked.  Recommended

Giulia vs. Tam Nakano
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They start slow as they fight for control, Giulia pushes Tam into the ropes and she bops Tam in the head before backing off. They lock knuckles, Tam pushes Giulia to the mat and slaps her, leading to Giulia returning to her feet as the two trade elbows. Reverse cutter by Tam, she grabs Giulia and hits a scoop slam. Tam stomps on Giulia’s leg and kicks her in the head, snapmare by Tam and she kicks Giulia in the back. More kicks to the leg by Tam and she applies an inverted figure four leglock, Giulia crawls to the ropes and makes it for the break. Sliding kick to the leg by Tam and Giulia rolls out of the ring, Tam goes up top and dives out onto Giulia with a plancha. Tam picks up Giulia and hits a German suplex hold, hurting both Giulia and herself in the process. Tam recovers first and picks up Giulia, but Giulia throws her into the railing before hitting a big boot. Giulia gets Tam up and drops her in the floor with the Glorious Driver. Giulia slides back in the ring to beat the count with Tam following behind, Giulia rolls Tam to the mat and applies a guillotine but Tam gets into the ropes. Giulia picks up Tam and hits a neckbreaker, but Tam bridges out of the pin and hits a running neckbreaker.

Kick to the head by Tam, she picks up Giulia but Giulia blocks the suplex attempt. Backdrop suplex by Tam, she goes up top but Giulia recovers and joins her before she can jump off. They trade elbows while on the second turnbuckle, superplex by Giulia but Tam quickly recovers. Giulia drops Tam with a release German and follows up with a dropkick for a two count cover. Giulia picks up Tam but Tam kicks her in the leg, Giulia boots her back as they trade strikes. Tam kicks Giulia in the leg until she collapses to the mat, she picks her back up but Giulia boots her in the head when she goes off the ropes. Tam grabs Giulia and connects with a heel kick, they both kick each other in the head which sends them both crashing to the mat. They slowly get up, Tam goes for a shoulderblock but Giulia stays up. Tam finally manages to shoulderblock Giulia, she applies a cross kneelock but Giulia gets to the ropes. Irish whip by Tam but Giulia collapses, knee to the back of the head by Tam and she covers Giulia for two. Tam goes up top and nails the Destiny Hammer, she picks up Giulia but Giulia lands on her feet on the attempted German suplex. Waistlock by Giulia and she elbows Tam in the back of the head before hitting a heel drop. Giulia throws Tam into the corner, she sets up Tam over the second rope before hitting a neckbreaker. Giulia gets up Tam and hits the Glorious Buster, but it only gets a two count. Giulia goes up top but Tam recovers and grabs her from behind, avalanche German suplex by Tam but she is too hurt to take advantage.

They both slowly get up and start trading elbows, hard slap by Giulia but Tam headbutts her. Giulia gets Tam’s back and applies an armbar, she drags Tam to the mat while keeping an armbreaker applied, but Tam muscles up and slams Giulia to get out of the hold. Tam goes for a Tiger Suplex but Giulia blocks it, they trade cradles but neither can get the three count. Boot by Giulia, she picks up Tam and hits a backdrop suplex. Another backdrop suplex by Giulia and a third, she gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers a jumping boot to the head. Sliding kick by Giulia, and she covers Tam for a two count. Glorious Driver by Giulia, but Tam kicks out of the cover. Giulia goes for the Stealth Viper but Giulia rolls out of it and hits a running knee, another running knee by Tam and she hits a third. Tam goes up top and delivers a diving kick, she picks up Giulia and hits a Tiger Suplex Hold for a two count. Tam gets Giulia back up but Giulia blocks the suplex attempt, Tam charges Giulia and kicks her in the head. Superkick by Tam but Giulia catches her with a Michinoku Driver. Giulia puts Tam in a headscissors before applying an armbreaker, she switches positions after a moment to get a better grip on Tam’s arm, using her leg for extra pressure. Giulia reaches over to choke Tam while keeping a hold on the arms, and after Tam stops responding, the referee calls for the bell! Giulia is the winner and the new champion!

There is a lot to unpack here. First, my quick reaction to the match is that I enjoyed it, it went off mostly without a hitch and both are fun wrestlers. It probably didn’t need to be quite this long but it didn’t really drag anywhere, and they have enough offense variety to keep things interesting. The leg work by Tam generally was well done and Giulia sold it the appropriate amount, you can’t expect a wrestler to limp forever but they never completely forgot about it either. The early “outside the ring” bit probably came too early and wasn’t timed great, as the Glorious Driver was done too late in the count it wasn’t really sold by Tam. In general the transitions weren’t well laid out, a lot of examples of one wrestler hitting a big move and the other quickly recovering (and not in the “fighting spirit” way). Nothing overly egregious, I just would have preferred a bit more selling of the bigger spots.

I’m not really sure what happened with the ending, or if something that sounded great on paper just didn’t execute properly. I’m still not completely sure if that was supposed to be an armbreaker or a choke, as she definitely wrapped the arms up but the referee reacted as if she was unconscious. I am guessing Giulia wanted the Stealth Viper but couldn’t get it applied from that position so she improvised. Either way it was a little deflating but didn’t take away the effort put in up to that point, as both were really laying in the strikes and suplexes for 28 minutes with very little downtime or opportunity to breath. All in all this was a very good match, and certainly exciting, but not without areas of improvement. These two may be feuding for awhile, so I’m interested to see what adjustments they make in future matches to make the action tighter and reach that high level we have come to expect from Stardom championship matches.  Recommended

The post Stardom Cinderella Summer In Tokyo on 7/26/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom “New Summer” Day 1
Date: July 11th, 2020
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 140

Since Stardom is currently the most popular Joshi promotion among Western fans, for the sake of general interest in my reviews its a good idea if I give them extra attention. Its not a hard decision anyway, since I like so many of Stardom’s wrestlers and they rarely put on a bad show. This isn’t a big event, as there are no title matches, but with wrestling finally back in swing these shows are important to set up storylines. Plus we get Syuri vs. Starlight Kid, what’s not to love about that. Here is the full card:

• Death Yama-san and Rina vs. Jungle Kyona and Konami
• Saya Iida and Tam Nakano vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita
• Starlight Kid vs. Syuri
• AZM and Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani and Riho
• Giulia, Himeka, and Maika vs. Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire, and Saki Kashima

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

Death Yama-san and Rina vs. Jungle Kyona and Konami

Kyona and Death start the match, Death poses around the ring but kicks Kyona when she gets her to do the same. Hard shoulderblocks by Kyona and she hits a body press for a two count. Kyona throws Death into the corner but Death avoids her charge and makes the tag to Rina. Double Irish whip to Kyona and she eats a double boot, they pick up Kyona but Kyona hits a double vertical suplex. Wristlock by Kyona to Rina and she gets her to the mat with an armbar, she keeps twisting on the wrist before feeding her to Konami so that Konami can apply an armbar over the top rope. She lets go after a moment and Kyona tags her in, Konami keeps on Rina’s arm and puts her in a stretch hold. She lets go and covers Rina, but it gets a two count. Konami picks up Rina but Rina fights back with elbows, she goes for a judo toss but Konami blocks it. Scoop slam by Rina and she tags Death, but Konami avoids Death’s running senton. Kyona comes in but Death avoids both of them and hits a senton/dropkick combination on both opponents before hitting a running senton on both of them. Kyona leaves the ring, Death picks up Konami but Konami catches her in a Fujiwara Armbar. She switches to a cross armbreaker but Rina breaks it up, Death tags in Rina and Rina dropkicks Konami in the corner. STO by Rina and a second one, cover by Rina but Konami kicks out. Rina picks up Konami but Konami gets away from her, backslide by Rina switched into a jackknife hold but it gets two. Rina goes for the Hydrangea and gets it applied still on their feet, but Konami gets into the ropes for the break. Kyona comes in to help and hits a sliding lariat, Konami picks up Rina but Rina avoids the Triangle Lancer and schoolboys Konami for two. Kick to the chest by Konami, she picks up Rina and applies the Triangle Lancer. Rina struggles for a moment but has to tap out! Jungle Kyona and Konami are the winners!

Somewhat interesting the effort they made to ease Kyona back into it, not only putting her in the short opener but having Konami pick up the win. Nothing I’d look into too deep and probably a good idea, as she took Hana’s death the toughest of the current roster members. A pretty short match, not a whole lot to it. Rina doesn’t look out of place which is probably the best compliment I can give her at this point in her career, and everything was smooth. A step better than your average opener and an easy watch to start the show.

Saya Iida and Tam Nakano vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita

Tam and Kamitani start the match, they lock knuckles and go into a Test of Strength which Kamitani wins as she pins Tam down to the mat. Tam pushes her off and they both bridge before returning to their feet, headlock by Tam but Kamitani Irish whips out of it. Armdrag by Kamitani but Tam returns the favor and the two reach a stalemate. They both tag out, Utami pushes Iida into the ropes but she gives a clean break. They tie-up again, this time Iida gets Utami into the ropes and she elbows her repeatedly in the chest. Irish whip by Iida but Utami hits a hard shoulderblock, Kamitani comes in and they double team Iida. Kamitani leaves the ring as Utami stomps on Iida, Utami tags Kamitani back in and Kamitani stomps down Iida in the corner. Kamitani picks up Iida and hits a scoop slam, cover by Kamitani but it gets a two count. Kamitani applies a leg submission while Utami protects her she lets go after a moment and puts Iida in a Sickle Hold. She releases it so she can apply a crab hold, but Iida crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Kamitani tags Utami, scoop slam by Utami and she hits a second one. Iida pushes Utami back but Utami tags in Kamitani, scoop slam by Kamitani but Iida dropkicks her twice. This gives her time to tag Tam, Tam goes off the ropes but Kamitani avoids her running boot. Utami comes in to help but Tam fights them both off, ending with her hitting a cutter on Utami. Cartwheel into a double kneedrop by Tam to Kamitani, and she covers her for two.

Back up, Kamitani elbows Tam off and they trade blows, back kick by Tam but Kamitani knocks her down with a heel kick. She tags in Utami, shoulderblock by Utami to Tam and she hits a running elbow in the corner followed by a dropkick for a two count. Utami picks up Tam but Tam slides away from her, Tam goes for a suplex but Utami blocks it as they struggle for position. Tam gets away but Utami hits a Samoan Drop, sleeper by Utami but Tam wiggles to the ropes to force the break. Utami picks up Tam in a waistlock but Tam blocks the suplex, kicks by Utami but Tam gets her back and hits a backdrop suplex. She makes the hot tag to Iida, dropkick by Iida to Utami and she chops her in the chest. A double chop by Iida sends Utami to the mat, she goes off the ropes and hits a running back elbow for two. Tam gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers the Destiny Hammer, Iida then goes up and hits a missile dropkick for two. Iida picks up Utami but Utami blocks the Northern Lights Suplex, she gets Iida’s back but Iida gets away and puts Utami in the Iida Bridge for two. Superkick by Tam to Utami, Iida delivers the Northern Lights Suplex but Kamitani breaks it up. Iida goes off the ropes but Kamitani dropkicks her, lariat by Utami and she covers Iida for two when Tam breaks it up. Utami and Kamitani take care of Tam, Utami goes back to Iida and with Kamitani they hit the Magic Killer. German suplex hold by Utami, and she gets the three count! Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani are the winners!

Even though the end result was obvious, I’ll give Stardom credit for how quickly they have elevated Kamitani up the card. It doesn’t feel forced, she fits right in with Tam and Utami, aided of course by her size and general demeanor in the ring. Iida has her fans but her ceiling is Hiromi Mimura, so there really isn’t any reason for them to give her much focus in a match like this where the others have stories to tell. She kept up however, which helped make the Queen’s Quest team look stronger in the end. For a lower card match, this was pretty entertaining and maybe a sign of things to come with Utami and Kamitani if they continue to rack up wins.  Mildly Recommended

Starlight Kid vs. Syuri

They circle each other to start, Syuri slams Starlight Kid into the corner but Starlight Kid switches positions with her and gives a clean break. Waistlock by Syuri, reversed by Starlight Kid but Syuri reverses it back and gets Starlight Kid to the mat. Starlight Kid quickly returns to her feet as they go through a quick exchange, but they reach a stalemate. Armdrag by Starlight Kid and she hits another off the ropes before dropkicking Syuri out of the ring, she goes to do a dive but feints back into the ring instead. Syuri elbows Starlight Kid as she gets back on the apron, she returns to the ring and catches Starlight Kid’s crossbody attempt. Syuri slams Starlight Kid to the mat, stomps by Syuri and she snapmares Starlight Kid before kicking her in the back for a two count cover. Syuri twists Starlight Kid’s arm around the top rope, she lets go after a moment and kicks Starlight Kid in the back. She goes for the cross armbreaker and gets it locked in, but Starlight Kid quickly gets to the ropes to force the break. Stomps by Syuri, she picks up Starlight Kid and throws her into the corner. Running knee by Syuri, she pulls Starlight Kid back to the the middle of the ring and covers her for two. Syuri applies an armlock but Starlight Kid gets to the ropes again, stomp by Syuri and she knees Starlight Kid in the midsection.

Irish whip by Syuri but Starlight Kid ducks the lariat and delivers the tilt-a-whirl headscissors. Tiger Feint Kick attempt by Starlight Kid, Syuri ducks down but Starlight Kid hits it anyway over the bottom rope. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid, but it only gets a two count. Starlight Kid picks up Syuri but Syuri blocks the suplex attempt, elbows by Starlight Kid but Syuri knees her in the gut. Syuri connects with a DDT, she goes for the cross armbreaker again but Starlight Kid blocks it so she switches to a seated armbar. Starlight Kid inches to the ropes until she gets the break, Syuri picks her up and hits a double underhook suplex for two. Syuri goes off the ropes but Starlight Kid does too and hits a satellite DDT, she goes up top and connects with the diving crossbody. Starlight Kid quickly grabs Syuri and nails the cross legged suplex, but Syuri barely kicks out. Starlight Kid gets Syuri up and hits the cyclone neckbreaker, she goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers the swivel body press, but again Syuri kicks out. Starlight Kid goes for the Ki-chan Bomb but Syuri blocks it and hits a running knee for two. Syuri goes for the Buzzsaw Kick but Starlight Kid ducks it, Syuri picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid applies a sunset flip for two. They trade flash pins with neither having any luck, Starlight Kid goes off the ropes bu Syuri drills her with a head kick. Cover by Syuri, but Starlight Kid kicks out. Syuri gets Starlight Kid on her shoulders and drops her with a double knee gutbuster, she puts Starlight Kid in the Suzaku Armbar and Starlight Kid is forced to submit! Syuri is the winner.

This was straight-forward, but still solid. The match was structured exactly how you would have expected, which I guess isn’t a big surprise for a random midcard match. If they ever want to go outside the box with these two, this probably wasn’t the time. So it has the Syuri control segment, some Starlight Kid hope spots and nearfalls, then Syuri regaining control and getting the tap out. Just because its predictable doesn’t mean it wasn’t good, but the first part did seem to be going at a slower speed before they really got into it. Starlight Kid is so smooth, I’ll always have nice things to say about her, but nothing here was really special. Just her usual fun self. A good midcard match, but nothing more than that.  Mildly Recommended

AZM and Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani and Riho

AZM and Riho start the match, they immediately go into a fast exchange but they end up in a stalemate. They tag out, Mayu and Momo circle each other more methodically and tie-up, Momo pushes Mayu into the ropes and she gives a clean break. They trade waistlocks and then wristlocks, they end up on the mat but Momo quickly gets away from Mayu as they return to their feet. Snapmare by Mayu and she kicks Momo in the back, she then stands on Momo’s back before stomping down on it. Mayu picks up Momo and tags Riho, Riho throws down Momo by the hair before stomping her in the corner. Riho puts Momo in a Camel Clutch as Mayu comes in to pose with her, double knee to the back by Riho and she tags Mayu back in. Scoop slam by Mayu and she covers Riho for a two count. Armdrag by Mayu and she puts Momo in a stretch submission hold, AZM comes in to try to help but Riho cuts her off. Mayu lets go after a moment and stomps on Momo’s back, kick to the back by Mayu and she tags Riho. Dropkick by Riho, and she covers Momo for a two count. Riho goes for a suplex but Momo blocks it, Riho goes off the ropes but Momo kicks her in the chest and makes the tag to AZM. Dropkick by AZM, Mayu comes in but AZM stacks them both in the corner and hits a dropkick. AZM tosses them both to the mat and connects with a double dropkick, cover by AZM to Riho but it gets a two count. Riho goes off the ropes but AZM cradles her and the two trade flash pins. Knee by Riho but AZM kicks her in the head before tagging in Momo.

Momo gets Riho up for the B Driver but Riho wiggles away, she drop toeholds Momo onto the second rope and hits the Tiger Feint Kick. She rolls over to her corner and tags Mayu, Irish whip by Mayu to the corner but Momo reverses it. Mayu slides out to the apron when Momo charges in but Momo kicks her back into the corner and delivers a dropkick. Another dropkick by Momo, she picks up Mayu and hits a vertical suplex for two. Momo applies an armlock but Riho breaks it up, Irish whip by Riho to Momo and both she and Mayu dropkick her. Mayu picks up Momo and hits a dragon screw, Scorpion Deathlock by Mayu but AZM breaks it up. Mayu picks up Momo and they trade kick attempts, high kick by Momo but Mayu delivers a superkick and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Momo makes the tag first, AZM cuts off Mayu from tagging out and hits a vertical suplex for two. Fujiwara Armbar by AZM, she switches it to a double armbar but Mayu gets into the ropes for the break. AZM goes up top and delivers a diving double footstomp, she picks up Mayu and hits the La Mistica but Riho quickly breaks it up. Momo takes care of Riho, she tries to catapult AZM onto Mayu but Mayu moves out of the way. Riho returns to even the odds, they take care of Momo before hitting a double suplex on AZM. Buzzsaw Kick by Mayu to AZM, but AZM kicks out of the cover. Mayu goes up top and connects with the Frog Splash, but Momo breaks up the cover. Riho knees Momo in the face, Mayu picks up AZM and she applies the Child Crusher (modified Dragon Sleeper), leading to the quick tap out! Mayu Iwatani and Riho win!

I can’t think of any other time Mayu has won with that dragon sleeper than against AZM since it requires a tiny person to put it on, but it does look really good. This match got a fair amount of praise online which I think says more for Stardom than anything else as its a pretty standard tag match. But, its a standard tag match with four quality wrestlers that know how to put on a tight and entertaining match, even though there were no particular blow-away moments. Its just solid from bell to bell, well-worked with a nice variety of offense to keep it going for 13 minutes. In a way this is a “normal” meaningless tag match in Stardom but “normal” is better than most promotions can pull off on their best day. A fun match and a key one for Riho as it shows she can hang with the Stardom wrestlers without any issue.  Recommended

Giulia, Himeka, and Maika vs. Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire, and Saki Kashima

Natsuko and Giulia start the match, punch to the guy by Natsuko but Giulia quickly gets her to the mat with a headlock. Natsuko reverses it into a hammerlock as the two struggle for position, Natsuko pulls on Giulia’s hair to get an armlock applied but Giulia pushes Natsuko into the ropes. Armdrag by Giulia but Natsuko trips her and the two end up in a stalemate. They tag out as Maika and Saki come in, Saki throws down Maika by the hair but Maika gets her in a Fujiwara Armbar. It quickly gets broken up but Giulia and Himeka both run in the ring to help. Maika gets the hold sunk back in but Saki gets to the ropes for the break, Maika stomps on Saki’s arm and throws her into the corner so her teammates can help with the beatdown. She tags Giulia, Giulia applies a choke before eventually letting Saki go and hitting a scoop slam. Giulia tags Himeka who hits a slam before tagging Maika, who hits a slam as well. Donna del Mondo take turns on Saki until Giulia ends up the legal wrestler again, Natsuko tries to help Saki but Giulia tosses her out of the ring and Saki is triple teamed. Giulia goes off the ropes but Natsuko trips her from ringside, giving Saki time to tag her in. Natsuko bootscrapes Giulia and nails a running boot, she tags in Natsu who come in with her whip. Natsu hits Giulia with the whip a few times until she tosses it out of the ring, she kicks at Giulia before tagging in Saki. Saki throws Giulia down by the hair a couple times and stands on her neck, she tags in Natsuko who comes in the ring with her chain.

Natsuko puts the chain in the middle of the ring, she slams Giulia on the chain and covers her for two. She tags Natsu, snapmare by Natsu and she applies a headscissors. She lets go after a moment, Giulia elbows her but Natsu boots her back and the two trade shots. Natsu gets Giulia in the corner and goes for the Bronco Buster, but Giulia greets her with a boot and tags in Himeka. Hard shoulderblock by Himeka to Natsu, Himeka picks her up but Natsuko comes in to help. She fails, as Himeka stacks them in the corner and hits a lariat, Himeka then scoops up both Natsu and Saki and puts them on her shoulders in an Argentine Backbreaker. Natsuko breaks it up, Himeka goes off the ropes and hits a running knee on Natsu for a two count. Himeka goes off the ropes again but Natsu catches her with a small package for two. Natsu gets Himeka in the corner and nails the gyrating Bronco Buster, but Himeka muscles out of it and goes for a powerbomb. Natsu slides away but Himeka lariats her, but Natsu drops her with a sit-down double arm DDT. Both wrestlers tag out as Maika and Natsuko arrive, eye rake by Natsuko but Maika applies a Fujiwara Armbar, she switches it to an attempted cross armbreaker but can’t get it locked in. Natsuko gets into the ropes to get Maika off of her, Maika goes off the ropes but Natsuko catches her with an elbow. Powerslam by Maika but Natsuko nails a spear, she tags in Saki and Saki boots Maika in the head.

Irish whip by Saki and she hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors, running boot by Saki but Maika tosses her to the mat. Cover by Himeka, but it gets a two count. Himeka tags Giulia, Giulia picks up Saki but Saki throws her into the corner as her Oedo Tai teammates come in. Backbreaker by Natsu to Giulia and she hold she holds her there so that Natsuko can hit a leg drop. Double arm suplex by Saki, but it gets a two count. Drop toehold by Giulia and she applies a STF, but Natsuko breaks it up. Natsuko clears the ring and Giulia is triple teamed, Saki goes up top and hits a diving footstomp on Giulia for a two count. Saki grabs Giulia and hits a double underhook facebuster, but Giulia kicks out. Giulia spins away from Saki and Maika tosses her to the mat, lariat by Himeka to Saki and Giulia hits a backdrop suplex for a two count. Giulia picks up Saki but Saki blocks the Glorious Driver, Natsuko comes in but she lariats Saki by accident. Maika and Himeka chokeslam Natsu and Natsuko, they go to Saki and elevate her before dropping her onto Giulia’s knee. Giulia picks up Saki and hits a Falcon Arrow, but it only gets a two count. Giulia grabs Saki and goes for the Glorious Driver, but Saki gets away and applies a crucifix pin for the three count! Oedo Tai win!

I’m really not sold on this version of Oedo Tai. As far as in-ring goes, this is probably the least talented group of wrestlers that Oedo Tai has ever had, with all being serviceable but none really elevating beyond that. They also don’t seem to have a unifying style, with all three wrestling different (the “badass,” the comedy/playful wrestler, and the sneaky underdog) which leads to them not really meshing as a unit. I almost wish Natsuko had just made her own faction with a different name, but I guess I’ll just have to separate them in my own mind from the past versions of Oedo Tai and just pretend they aren’t the same so I stop holding them to a standard they can’t reach.

Anyway, the match was fine but nothing beyond that. As I mentioned above, with so many different styles in the ring they never really got into a rhythm, with the only particularly good parts being when one team or the other was controlling the ring with triple teams and working together so they felt like real factions. Giulia was by far the best wrestler in the match and held it together, but there were lots of just stomps and poor transitions throughout as they didn’t seem equipped to go 20 minutes. I like Maika but she didn’t add much, just some tosses and random arm submissions, and she didn’t leave much of an impression. I can get why Saki picked up the fluke win as it gets in Giulia’s head but even though I’m not a fan of long undefeated streaks I think they could have at least had her drop her first fall on a bigger show. As much as I love, love, love Giulia I didn’t love this match, it was just ‘decent’ at best and a bit boring and meandering at worst. Should have been a 10 to 12 minute midcard match, not a 20 minute main event, it would have worked better that way.

The post Stardom New Summer on 7/11/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom FC My Stardom ~ Stardom Is Again!
Date: June 21st, 2020
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 100

It has been almost three months since we last saw Stardom. To say a lot has changed in that time would be a tragic understatement. First, on May 20th, Arisa Hoshiki announced she was retiring from wrestling due to persistent injuries. As she was the Wonder of Stardom Champion and one of the most pushed wrestlers in the promotion, this was a sudden and unfortunate development that saddened fans worldwide. That news quickly felt insignificant however on May 23rd, when Hana Kimura passed away. Hana’s death was heartbreaking and devastating, not only to fans but more importantly to her friends, family, and co-workers. But here we are, almost a month after Hana’s passing, as Stardom still honors and remembers her but hopes to pick up where they left off as the promotion was really gaining steam before the pandemic hit. This isn’t a big show, as there are no title matches and some key wrestlers are not here, but it still should be a fun and emotional one. Here is the full card:

• Hina vs. Natsu Sumire vs. Rina
• Death Yama-san vs. Saki Kashima
• Konami vs. Natsuko Tora
• AZM and Momo Watanabe vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita
• Giulia, Maika, Syuri, and X vs. Mayu Iwatani, Saya Iida, Starlight Kid, and Tam Nakano

As this aired on Stardom World, all matches will be shown in full. To go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City (including X), click on their names above to go straight to it.

Hina vs. Natsu Sumire vs. Rina

The sisters go after Natsu to start and pull on her arms until Natsu gets to the ropes, double Irish whip to Natsu but she hits a crossbody on both of them. Natsu stomps on them, she kicks Hina down in the corner and then does the same to Rina in the same corner. Natsu gets a running start and hits the gyrating Bronco Buster on both of them (see, I told you), she picks up Rina but Rina blocks her suplex attempt and her sister Hina helps her suplex Natsu to the mat. Rina monkey flips Natsu, they then hit a double monkey flip and Hina dropkicks Natsu, but Rina then dropkicks her sister. Rina throws down Hina by the hair a few times, but Natsu returns and hits Rina from behind. Natsu picks up Rina and hits a scoop slam, running boot by Natsu and she covers Rina for two. Rina puts a bag over the referee’s head and spins him around to get him out of the way, she grabs her whip and hits Rina in the midsection with it. Natsu puts Rina in the ropes and nails a running facewash, bridging vertical suplex by Natsu but Hina breaks it up. Stomps by Hina and she elbows Natsu in the chest, but Natsu hits her back and they trade blows. Hina tosses Natsu to the mat three times and covers her, but she only gets two. Gedo Clutch by Hina, but that gets a two count as well. Hina charges Natsu but Natsu boots her back and chokes her with the whip, Rina comes in and grabs the whip from her before putting Natsu in the Hydrangea. Hina breaks it up, she picks up Rina and goes for a toss but Rina drops her with a STO. She then puts Hina in the Hydrangea, and Hina submits! Rina is the winner.

Rumor has it that Natsu Sumire is still smiling to this day. All kidding aside, if you just are looking at the in-ring content, this wasn’t very good. Hina and Rina are 13 years old and I am never one to criticize children excessively, but they still have a ways to go. Rina does show the personality to excel, so there is that anyway, and her winning the match with Hana Kimura’s move made her understandably emotional. Natsu isn’t anywhere near good enough to elevate the children, and she didn’t really try to anyway. A skippable opener, aside from just seeing that Rina will continue to wrestle in a style that Hana would surely approve of.

Death Yama-san vs. Saki Kashima

Describing what happens in a match with Death is always difficult since she isn’t your traditional wrestler. She poses for the crowd to start but Saki attacks her from behind and she throws down Death by the hair into the corner. Saki picks up Death and throws her into the ropes on each side of the ring, allowing her to pose at each stop before kicking her. The referee gets into it too but Saki pulls down Death by the hair and chokes her. Saki knocks Death down in the corner and applies a Fujiwara Armbar, she picks her up after a moment and pushes her into the ropes. Saki goes for a scoop slam but Death blocks it, Saki kicks Death into the corner but Death reverses the Irish whip. Saki boots Death when she charges in twice, another boot by Saki but Death ducks her lariat attempt and thrusts her to the mat. Running senton by Death and she applies a chinlock while forcing Saki to do her pose. Death picks up Saki but Saki snaps off a vertical suplex, she goes off the ropes and delivers a running facewash. Saki goes up top and hits the diving footstomp, cover by Saki but it only gets a two count. Double underhook by Saki but Death reverses it into a Backslide for two. Double underhook facebuster by Saki, but again Death kicks out. Saki goes for My Emblem but Death reverses it into a crucifix pin for the three count! Death Yama-san is the winner.

Unless the goal here was to give Tokyo Cyber Squad a win in each match to honor Hana, I’m not really sure what this accomplished. Saki Kashima just joined Oedo Tai not long before the pandemic and seemed to be getting a bit of a push from the midcard she was stuck in, but losing to a comedy act (although also a respected veteran) feels like an odd decision. The action wasn’t overly smooth or inventive anyway, with a lot of stomps and posing before it suddenly ended at just over five minutes. An odd choice for a big return show, seems like they could have found a better spot for both wrestlers.

Konami vs. Natsuko Tora

They circle to start, takedown by Konami and they jockey for position on the mat. Natsuko gets to the ropes and Konami picks her up, the pair trade elbows until Konami elbows Natsuko to the mat. Natsuko rakes Konami in the eyes and goes off the ropes, but Konami catches her with a kick to the stomach. Natsuko pulls Konami to the mat and hits a series of running sentons, Natsuko throws down Konami by the hair and kicks her against the ropes. Natsuko throws Konami by the hair again and facewashes her before delivering a boot to the head. Natsuko gets her chain but the referee stops her from using it, stomps by Natsuko but Konami blocks the Irish whip out of the corner. Hard elbow by Natsuko and she Irish whips Konami, but Konami reverses it. Natsuko avoids Konami’s charge however and chops her in the chest. More chops by Natsuko and she clubs Konami to her knees, she goes off the ropes but Konami catches her with a Fujiwara Armbar. She switches it to a cross armbreaker attempt but just as she gets it locked in, Natsuko gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Konami kicks Natsuko repeatedly in the chest, sliding kick by Konami and Natsuko falls out of the ring. Konami slides Natsuko back in and puts her in a choke, sleeper suplex by Konami and she delivers a Buzzsaw Kick. Konami picks up Natsuko and goes off the ropes, but Natsuko pushes the referee into Konami and hits an uppercut. Kamikaze by Natsuko and she gets her chain, putting it on Konami’s chest. Natsuko goes up top and hits the diving body press, cover by Natsuko but the referee sees what she did and doesn’t do the count. Natsuko pushes down the referee and hits a lariat with the chain, she starts choking Konami with it while using the ropes for extra leverage. The referee recovers and finally has seen enough, calling for the DQ. Konami wins!

For what they were going for, I thought this went pretty well. Natsuko isn’t a high end in-ring wrestler and probably never will be, so she needs to really get over her character if she is going to be seen as the leader of Oedo Tai. Its going to take some time for the act to really gain steam but having her go full-chain is a good idea, even though the entire faction is still struggling since Saki as we just saw isn’t really doing well and Natsu is more of a comedy wrestler. Konami held the match together as far as the action went, and her offense looked smooth and impactful as always. I’m willing to keep an open mind and see where this goes, but Stardom will have to really stick with it if it is going to work, if Natsuko has too many matches where she is just another random person in a six wrestler tag the character will never succeed beyond the midcard.  Mildly Recommended

AZM and Momo Watanabe vs. Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita

Utami and AZM kick things off, Utami pushes AZM to the mat and goes off the ropes as they get into a fast pace exchange. AZM hits a hurricanrana and a dropkick, she goes off the ropes but Utami catches her with a dropkick of her own. Saya comes in and they both shoulderblock AZM, Utami puts AZM in a Camel Clutch and Saya dropkicks her. Utami picks up AZM and tags Saya, scoop slam by Saya and she hits a second one. Irish whip by Saya to the corner but AZM avoids her charge, Momo runs in and dropkicks Saya and AZM puts her in a Camel Clutch so that Momo can kick her repeatedly. AZM throws down Saya by the hair and tags Momo, Momo stomps Saya in the corner and she hits a scoop slam. Saya tries to fight back but gets kicked in the chest for her troubles, they trade elbows until Saya cartwheels out of Momo’s way and hits a dropkick. She tags in Utami, shoulderblock by Utami and she throws AZM at Momo in the corner. Running back elbow by Utami and she dropkicks Momo in the back for a two count. Utami picks up Momo but Momo slides away and kicks her in the chest. Momo tags AZM but Utami drops her with a sidewalk slam before tagging in Saya. Saya throws AZM in the corner but AZM slips out to the apron, she quickly gets back in and temporarily gets control until Saya dropkicks her in the knee.

Sickle Hold by Saya, she lets go after a moment and applies a single leg crab hold but AZM eventually gets to the ropes for the break. Saya quickly pulls AZM to the middle of the ring and puts her in a full crab hold, but Momo breaks it up. Scoop slam by Saya, she’d get on the second turnbuckle but AZM armdrags her back to the mat. Vertical suplex by AZM, she gets on the top turnbuckle and delivers a diving footstomp. La Mistica by AZM into a seated armbar, but Utami quickly breaks it up. Utami hits a Samoan Drop on AZM, dropkick by Saya and she covers AZM for two. Saya goes for a running Shooting Star Press but AZM moves, Saya trips her and hits a handstand into a double kneedrop. Pele Kick by Saya but AZM kicks her back and the two are both down on the mat. AZM tags in Momo before Saya can tag out herself, Momo grabs Saya but Saya blocks the B Driver. Dropkick by Saya and she tags in Utami, Utami throws Momo into the corner but Momo avoids her charge and hits a dropkick. Hard shoulderblock by Utami, Momo gets back up quickly and the two trade elbows. Momo gets Utami’s back and applies a crossface chickenwing, Utami gets out of it however and puts Momo in a reverse neckbreaker. She finally drops Momo with the Schwein, Saya comes in and Utami helps her hits a standing moonsault. They pick up Momo and hit a double vertical suplex, cover by Utami but it gets a two count. Utami picks up Momo and applies a sleeper, but Momo gets out of it and AZM kicks Utami in the head. B Driver by Momo and AZM hits a diving footstomp, Momo waits for Utami to get up and kicks her in the head.

Cover by Momo, but it gets a two count when Saya breaks it up. Double Irish whip to Saya and she eats a double dropkick after failing to cartwheel her way out of it, Momo puts Utami in the crossface chickenwing, but Utami gets into the ropes for the break. Momo picks up Utami and nails a half and half suplex, Somato by Momo but Saya breaks up the cover. AZM runs in to take care of Saya, Momo goes for the Peach Sunrise on Utami but Utami rolls out of it and hit a short range lariat. AZM comes in and with Momo they kick Utami in the head, Momo gets on the top turnbuckle and nails the Diving Somato, but Saya breaks up the cover. Momo picks up Utami but Utami gets her back, missile dropkick by Saya to Momo and Utami goes up top to hit a missile dropkick of her own. Utami picks up Momo and delivers a deadlift German, but AZM breaks it up. Momo and Utami trade elbows while on their knees, head kicks by Momo and she nails the Peace Sunrise, but Saya barely breaks it up in time. AZM kicks Saya out of the ring, head kick by Momo to Utami but the bell rings before she can do anything as time has expired. The match is a Draw.

Normally I am somewhat critical of the Draw cop-out, but it makes sense here since it just shows that both sides of Queen’s Quest are strong. I like when rookie wrestlers are ‘extra’ and Saya is definitely that, not everything she hits looks perfect and she looked out of place a few times, but its hard to argue that she isn’t fun to watch. AZM of course is a seasoned vet at this point and wrestles like one even she is only 17. I held my breath when Utami went for the missile dropkick but she managed to connect without hurting anyone, and they didn’t look too rusty considering that all had a few months off. Some of the transitions were iffy when they switched which wrestler was in control and I would have preferred that Momo wasn’t so dominate at the end as it would have been nice if it was more back-and-forth leading to the bell, but overall this was an entertaining match with three quality wrestlers and one overly ambitious rookie.  Recommended

Giulia, Maika, Syuri, and Himeka vs. Iwatani, Saya Iida, Starlight Kid, and Nakano

Himeka and Saya begin the match, Himeka pushes Saya into the ropes and she gives a clean break. Saya goes for a takedown but Himeka blocks it, Saya gets Himeka into the ropes this time and she gives a clean break as well. Himeka asks for a Test of Strength but Saya knows better, side headlock by Saya but Himeka reverses it. Himeka keeps the hold applied on the mat but Saya reverses it into a headscissors, but Himeka gets out of it and they tag out as Starlight Kid and Syuri come in. They go through a quick exchange but reach a stalemate, spinning headscissors by Starlight Kid but Syuri avoids the Tiger Feint Kick. Armdrag by Starlight Kid and she dropkicks Syuri, all of STARS come in and all four take turns on Syuri. Four way dropkick to Syuri, standing moonsault by Starlight Kid and she covers Syuri for two. Starlight Kid stomps on Syuri but she is kneed from the apron, snapmare by Syuri to Starlight Kid and she kicks her in the back. Syuri tags in Maika, Maika works on Starlight Kid’s arm and puts her in an armbar, but Maika lets go after a moment and tags Himeka. Himeka picks up Starlight Kid and hits a scoop slam, another slam by Himeka and she hits a third. She tags in Giulia, neckbreaker by Giulia and she covers Starlight Kid for two. Giulia works on Starlight Kid’s mask a bit just to mess with her, kick by Giulia and she tags Maika. Irish whip by Maika and she puts Starlight Kid in a Fujiwara Armbar, but Tam breaks it up.

Giulia tosses Tam out of the ring, Maika twists Starlight Kid in the ropes and continues working on the arm. Syuri returns, she covers for a few covers on Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid kicks out each time. She tags Giulia, Giulia picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid elbows her. Giulia boots Starlight Kid back to the mat and chokes her near the ropes, she throws Starlight Kid into her corner and tags in Maika. Syuri and Himeka come in too and all four attack Starlight Kid, cover by Maika but it gets two. Maika quickly transitions to a cross armbreaker, she picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid rebounds off the ropes with a crossbody and makes the hot tag to Mayu. Maika avoids Mayu’s dropkick but Mayu gets her wrist and hits a springboard armdrag out of the corner. Maika avoids Mayu’s charge but Mayu slides out to the ropes and rolls Maika to the mat before hitting a dropkick. Back kick by Mayu but Maika catches her with a side slam and tags in Giulia. Giulia boots Mayu in the face but she lands back in her corner and tags in Tam. Tam and Giulia face off and pull each other’s hair, Tam slaps her but Giulia slaps her back. Elbows by Giulia and she hoots Tam to the mat, Tam ends up by the ropes and Giulia drills her with Hana’s charged up running boot. She does it again for extra measure, cover by Giulia but it gets a two count. Giulia goes up top but Saya stops her from jumping off, Tam tosses Giulia back to the mat and goes up top herself, hitting the 1399 for a two count. Tam picks up Giulia and they trade elbows, head kicks by Tam but Giulia catches her with a Michinoku Driver.

Both wrestlers tag out as Starlight Kid and Syuri come in, elbows by Starlight Kid and Syuri knees her into the corner. Dropkick by Starlight Kid and she hits a jumping lariat, cover by Starlight Kid but it gets a two count. Starlight Kid picks up Syuri but Syuri puts her in an armbar, Maika and Himeka come in also to put other members of the opposing team in submission holds but Starlight Kid eventually makes it to the ropes to break the hold. Double underhook suplex by Syuri, she picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid elbows her off and hits a spinning neckbreaker. Starlight Kid tags in Saya, dropkick by Saya and she chops Syuri repeatedly in the chest. Double chop by Saya and she delivers a spinning elbow to Syuri for a two count. Saya picks up Syuri, snapmare by Starlight Kid and she hits a PK. Syuri tags Himeka, body avalanche by Himeka and she covers Saya for two. Himeka puts Saya in a crab hold but Saya quickly gets to the ropes, Himeka knees Saya in the back and covers her for two. Himeka gets Saya on her shoulders but Saya slides off, Mayu superkicks Himeka and Tam hits a German suplex hold. Jackknife by Saya to Himeka, but it gets a two count. All of Donna del Mondo end up against the ropes and all four eat dropkicks, they fall out of the ring and Mayu goes to the top turnbuckle, she tries to dive down onto Donna del Mondo but she lands on her STARS teammates instead. Himeka slides Saya back in, crab hold by Himeka but Saya gets to the ropes for the break. Himeka gets Saya up but Saya wiggles away, she puts Himeka in the Iida Bridge but it gets broken up. The other six wrestlers all come in and exchange moves, everyone ends up on the mat before Himeka levels Saya with a lariat. Himeka picks up Saya and drops her with a running powerbomb, but Mayu breaks up the cover. Himeka grabs Saya and and with Maika they lift up Saya before dropping her while Giulia and Syuri deliver kicks to Saya’s midsection. Argentine Backbreaker by Himeka, and Saya has to submit! Donna del Mondo are the winners!

Eight wrestler tags have their pros and cons. The main advantage of them is there is always something going on, with constant action as new wrestlers tag in and out and Stardom wrestlers have boundless energy. The main con is that its hard to really get into a rhythm or tell a story, as at times it felt directionless. Some parts were great, I enjoyed whenever the teams worked together as the multi-wrestler spots were all well done, and I always enjoy watching Giulia and Starlight Kid. For an introduction for Himeka it was fine but she didn’t get to do too much as Donna del Mondo had such an even split with who was legal. Overall I enjoyed it even though it was far from a MOTYC, the time flew by and there were enough fun moments spread throughout to keep it going. I am interested, however, to see what they do going forward to give Maika and Himeka more of a chance to get over on their own.  Recommended

The post Stardom FC My Stardom ~ Stardom Is Again! on 6/21/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Natsu Sumire Produce Forever
Date: December 15th, 2019
Location: Shin-Kiba 1st RING in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 361

When this event was first announced, little did we know how special it would be. For her show, Natsu Sumire invited all her Oedo Tai buddies, which would end up being the last time they ever teamed together as Hazuki would retire later in the month. On top of that, Kagetsu retired not long afterwards too so it really was the end of an era. Unlike in Stardom, here Oedo Tai was given the send-off they deserved, as they battle random wrestlers from other promotions in unique match-ups in three different matches. That’s the main interest from the event but we also get Jamie Hayter teaming with CIMA, which seems wacky and fun. I’ll only be reviewing the Joshi matches, so here are the Joshi matches on the card:

• Aoki Itsuki and Miyuki Takase vs. Natsuko Tora and Natsu Sumire
• Hazuki and Kagetsu vs. Kaho Kobayashi and Takumi Iroha
• CIMA and Jamie Hayter vs. Martina and Shigehiro Irie
• Hazuki, Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora, and Natsu Sumire vs. Makoto, Rina Yamashita, Syuri, and Yuu

As this event was only released on DVD, all matches will be shown in full. The Joshi wrestlers on the show have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Aoki Itsuki and Miyuki Takase vs. Natsuko Tora and Natsu Sumire

Takase and Natsuko start the match, they lock up and Takase applies a headlock, and she works it down to the mat. Natsuko gets out of the hold after a moment and they return to their feet to trade elbows, hard shoulderblock by Natsuko but Takase fires back with a dropkick. Both wrestlers tag out as Natsu and Aoki come in, but Takase stays in as well as they double team Natsu. Aoki hits a body block to Natsu before Takase follows with a dropkick, Aoki jumps down on Natsu’s back and Takase then hops on her back to apply even more pressure. Takase finally leaves, Aoki Irish whips Natsu to the corner but Natsu reverses it. Natsu gets the microphone to cut a mid-match promo, I assume she is offering a bribe to Aoki, but its all a ruse as Natsu kicks Aoki in the back. Takase is apparently mad that Aoki was going to accept it and has walked most the way up the ramp, while Natsu and Natsuko double team Aoki while she is in the ropes. Big boot by Natsu to the back of Aoki’s head, cover by Natsu but it gets a two count. Natsu sits down Aoki in the corner and hits the gyrating Bronco Buster before tagging in Natsuko. Chops by Natsuko in the corner as Takase finally makes it back to the apron, cover by Natsuko but it gets two. Aoki fires back with an elbow and the two trade blows, scoop slam by Natsuko and she covers Aoki again for a two count. Natsu comes in the ring but Aoki hits shoulderblocks on both of them, she goes off the ropes and hits a double shoulderblock on both of them.

She tags in Takase, dropkick by Takase to Natsuko and she hits a second one. Takase chops and elbows Natsuko in the corner, Natsu tries to help but gets chopped for her trouble. Takase goes back to Natsuko and hits a dropkick out of the corner, lariat by Takase and she hits a diving elbow strike for a two count cover. Takase picks up Natsuko but Natsuko hits a spinning backfist, Samoan Drop by Natsuko and she gets a two count. Takase knocks Natsuko back but Natsuko catches her with an uppercut, she goes off the ropes and both wrestlers lariat each other without going down. Takase goes off the ropes and drops Natsuko with a lariat but Natsuko hits a spear and both are down on the mat. Natsu comes in and knocks Aoki off the apron, she makes it back in time for Natsuko to tag her and Natsu boots Takase while she is in the ropes. Cutie Special by Natsu, but Aoki breaks it up with a double kneedrop. Aoki picks up Natsu and hits a STO, Takase jumps on Aoki’s shoulders and she hits a falling body press. Leg drop by Takase, and she covers Natsu for two when Natsuko breaks it up. Backbreaker by Natsu to Takase before Natsuko hits a running leg drop, cover by Natsu but Aoki breaks it up. Double Irish whip to Aoki but Aoki hits a double lariat, Takase goes off the ropes but Natsu has gotten her whip and hits Takase with it. The referee stops her from using her again which gives Aoki time to run in and lariat her, Takase gets Natsu on her shoulders and hits a rolling fireman’s carry slam followed by a diving legdrop for two. Takase picks up Natsu and delivers a tornado vertical suplex, and she picks up the three count! Aoki Itsuki and Miyuki Takase are the winners.

This was an interesting mixture of comedy and seriousness, which is perfectly fine for an opening match. I haven’t seen much from Aoki Itsuki but she was really solid here and didn’t seem out of place, which can sometimes happen with wrestlers that mostly hover in smaller indies. Natsu is a treasure, as she doesn’t really have any issue transitioning from funny to serious and can hold her own even while playing around. They had enough time that everyone had a chance to shine, and they kept the pace up to keep it interesting. A solid opener.  Mildly Recommended

Hazuki and Kagetsu vs. Kaho Kobayashi and Takumi Iroha

After some false starts we finally get started with Kaho squaring off with Hazuki, they go into a fast paced exchange ending with a Kaho dropkick. Kaho goes off the ropes but Kagetsu trips her from the floor and pulls her out of the ring. Hazuki pulls Takumi out of the ring too as they battle around the floor, Kagetsu tosses Kaho back in and Hazuki greets her with a scoop slam. Kagetsu picks up Kaho, scoop slam by Kagetsu and she tags Hazuki back in. Hazuki slams Kaho again before Kagetsu returns to the ring, double drop toehold and and they kick Kaho in the back before hitting a double senton. Kagetsu covers Kaho, but it gets two. Snapmare by Kagetsu which lands Kaho in the ropes, she tags in Hazuki and Hazuki stands on Kaho’s back. Running boot to the back of the head by Hazuki, bootscrapes by Hazuki and she hits another running boot. Hazuki tags in Kagetsu who gets a drink of water, Irish whip by Kagetsu and she spits the water in Kaho’s face. She spits water in the face of Takumi and the referee too for good measure, she goes back to Kaho but Kaho fights back with elbows. Kaho goes off the ropes but Kagetsu slides out of the ring and trips her, Hazuki runs over and hits a slingshot footstomp to Kaho’s back. Swandive footstomp by Kagetsu, she elbows Kaho but again Kaho fights back.

Irish whip by Kagetsu but Kaho delivers a tilt-a-whirl headscissors followed by a dropkick. That gives her time to tag in Takumi, kick combination by Takumi and she hits a PK and a dropkick. Takumi picks up Kagetsu but Hazuki interrupts her, Takumi suplexes both of them and turns her attention back to Kagetsu. She goes off the ropes but Hazuki knees her from the apron, Kagetsu rolls up Takumi from behind but it gets a two count. Swandive missile dropkick by Hazuki, she throws Takumi in the corner and hits a running elbow. Codebreaker by Hazuki, and she covers Takumi for two. Armtrap crossface by Hazuki while Kagetsu keeps Kaho back, but Takumi gets into the ropes for the break. Hazuki slaps at Takumi and goes off the ropes, but Takumi kicks her in the chest. snap vertical suplex by Takumi and she covers Hazuki for two. Takumi picks up Hazuki but Hazuki elbows her and the two trade blows, kick combination by Takumi and she delivers a superkick. Hazuki fires back a big boot, DDT by Hazuki but Takumi blocks her hurricanrana attempt and plants her with a powerbomb for a two count. Boot by Hazuki but Takumi returns fire with a superkick, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They both manage to tag out, dropkick by Kaho but Kagetsu dropkicks her back. Another dropkick by Kaho and she hits a third, sending Kagetsu into the ropes.

Kaho goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Kaho but it gets two. Kaho goes for the fisherman suplex but Kagetsu blocks it, Hazuki boots Kaho and Kagetsu hits a Codebreaker. Backstabber by Hazuki to Kaho, Kagetsu nails the Ebisu Drop but Kaho gets her shoulder up on the cover. Kagetsu picks up Kaho and hits another Ebisu Drop in front of the corner, she goes up top but Takumi runs in and joins her. Superplex by Takumi and Kaho hits an enzuigiri. Fisherman suplex hold by Kaho, but Kagetsu kicks out. Kaho twists up Kagetsu in a modified armbar but Kagetsu gets a toe on the ropes to force the break. Kaho goes up top but Hazuki grabs her from the apron, giving Kagetsu time to recover and dropkick to the floor. Takumi comes in but a double dropkick sends her right back out, Hazuki and Kagetsu go to do a dive but Takumi and Kaho interrupt them before they can finish it. Kaho gets in the ring and dives out on both opponents with a tope suicida, Kagetsu is slid back in the ring and Takumi slams her in front of the corner. Kaho goes for a corkscrew senton but Kagetsu moves out of the way and spits blue mist in her face. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu in front of the corner, she goes up top and nails the Oedo Coaster, but Takumi barely breaks up the cover. Hazuki takes care of her, Kagetsu picks Kaho up but Kaho slides away and applies the 120% Schoolboy, but Hazuki breaks it up. Kaho goes off the ropes but Hazuki hits her from the apron with the Oedo Tai Board, Death Valley Bomb by Kagetsu and she covers Kaho for the three count! Kagetsu and Hazuki win the match!

I’m not sure if it is because I am already nostalgic for Hazuki and Kagetsu, but this match in my opinion was pretty much flawless. I have literally nothing bad to say about it. Hazuki and Kagetsu work so well together as a team with the constant support and assistance you’d expect to see, while Takumi and Kaho did so a lot less which is completely logical since they aren’t a regular team. The action was so fast that I barely even had time to get a sip of water, in fear I’d miss something. Kaho took a beating but she is so good at that, and when she was on offense she was super crisp and smooth, which is impressive since she doesn’t regularly wrestle Hazuki or Kagetsu. I loved the ending, as Kaho got a real hope spot after the mist instead of just going right down, and it took something extra for Kagetsu to get the pin. Just about the perfect match within this style and incredibly fun to watch, I can’t imagine how it could have been any better.  Highly Recommended

CIMA and Jamie Hayter vs. Martina and Shigehiro Irie

CIMA and Martina start the match, but Martina is too much for CIMA to handle so he tags in Jamie. Jamie and Martina lock up, Jamie pushes Martina into the ropes and gives a clean break. They lock up again, Jamie gets Martina to the mat in a headlock but Martina struggles back to her feet. Waistlock by Jamie but Martina dances her way out of it, hard elbow by Jamie but she hurt Martina more than she intended and asks for forgiveness. Martina elbows her back instead and the two trade blows, Irish whip by Jamie to the corner but Martina boots her as she charges in. Release German by Martina and she hits a back elbow in the corner. Another elbow by Martina but Jamie avoids the next one, Martina kicks Jamie and hits a Backstabber out of the corner. Snapmare by Martina and she kicks Jamie in the back, but Jamie snapmares her in return and kicks her in the back as well. On their feet, they block each other’s kicks and both elbow each other before deciding they’ve had enough and tags in their partners. CIMA and Irie tie-up, CIMA pushes Irie into the ropes and gives a clean break. Irish whip by CIMA but Irie delivers a hard shoulderblock, Irie throws CIMA into the corner but CIMA avoids his charge and dropkicks Irie in the knee. Enzuigiri by CIMA but Irie catches him with a powerslam.

Irie tags Martina, Martina goes to slam CIMA but CIMA blocks it. Irie comes over to help and with him she is able to hit the slam, body press by Irie to CIMA but CIMA moves when Martina goes for one. CIMA then hits a bulldog/dropkick combination on both opponents, she tags in Jamie and they both chop Martina in the chest. Lariat by Jamie to Martina and she hits a spinebuster before quickly applying a crab hold. Irie gives Martina a beer to help motivate her, and Martina makes it to the ropes for the break. Martina gets the advantage with a suplex and tags in Irie, Irie clubs Jamie in the back but Jamie fires back with elbows. Irie knocks Jamie to the mat, CIMA comes in to shield her but the referee gets him back to the apron. Irie throws Jamie into the corner and tags Martina, but Jamie elbows her as she charges in and suplexes her into the turnbuckles. Side slam onto her knee by Jamie, and she tags in CIMA while Martina also tags Irie. CIMA dropkicks Irie and knocks Martina off the apron, Irish whip by CIMA but Irie reverses it. CIMA kicks Irie before hitting a double knee in the corner, Martina runs in but CIMA scoop slams her. He then drop toeholds Irie onto Martina before hitting a splash, Jamie comes in and dives on top of the pile as well.

CIMA goes back to Irie, Irish whip by CIMA but Irie blocks it. Chop by CIMA but Irie catches him with a spinning side slam, giving him time to tag in Martina. Elbows by Martina but CIMA chops her back, tilt-a-whirl DDT by Martina into a vertical suplex and she covers CIMA for two. CIMA gets the advantage and tags Jamie, CIMA spanks Martina before leaving the ring so Jamie can take over. Martina dropkicks Jamie however and tags Irie, Irie gets Jamie on his shoulders but Jamie slides away. Lariat attempt by Jamie but Irie stays up, she goes for a suplex but Irie blocks it. Headbutt by Irie, he throws Jamie into the corner and delivers a running lariat. Cover by Irie, but Jamie gets a shoulder up. Irie goes off the ropes but Jamie kicks him, she lariats Irie but he stays on his feet. Scoop slam by Jamie and she hits a running senton, cover by Jamie but it gets a two count. Jamie picks up Irie but Irie snaps off a vertical suplex and tags Martina. Martina goes up top and hits a diving Codebreaker, cover by Martina but Jamie kicks out. Martina picks up Jamie and elbows her, Jamie goes off the ropes and knocks Martina over with a lariat. Jamie picks up Martina, Martina gets away but CIMA runs in and dropkicks her. Schwein by CIMA to Martina, Jamie lariats Martina in the back of the head and nails the Cow Killer for the three count! Jamie Hayter and CIMA are the winners!

This match had a similar mix of serious and playful as the first match, and while it didn’t hit as well with me it still wasn’t bad. Both of the male wrestlers seemed happy to take part in the playful bits but less excited to give the women much in the serious parts, and with the mixed genders the match had a lot of stop-and-go since the same genders seemed to prefer to be against each other. So some of the transitions weren’t great and it came across a bit clunky. The wrestlers themselves are all talented so when they got to it, the match was fun, but the structure was just all over the place. A unique match for sure which gives it some extra appeal, but a step down from the first two matches on the show.

Hazuki, Kagetsu, Tora, and Sumire vs. Makoto, Yamashita, Syuri, and Yuu

Oedo Tai start the fight during the pre-match handshake, and the ring quickly clears with Syuri and Natsu alone in the ring. Natsu doesn’t see Syuri at first but eventually does, snapmare by Syuri and she kicks Natsu in the back. Kick to the chest by Syuri but Hazuki grabs her foot when she goes for a PK and pulls her out of the ring. Oedo Tai maintains the advantage on the floor while Natsu waits in the ring, Syuri is eventually rolled back in as Hazuki comes in as well. Natsuko and Kagetsu get in the ring as well and bring their opponents with them, Miyuki Takase and Aoki Itsuki are tossed in too as Jamie and Martina come in, and all six of Oedo Tai connect with running boots to one of their enemies. Rina is wrapped up in the ropes with a band wrapped near her mouth, Hazuki takes the other end of the band into the stands and snaps it back into Rina’s face. They put the band around her head again and this time Nao Yamaguchi takes it up into the crowd, but Natsuko accidentally lets go and snaps the band back into Nao. Martina checks on Nao while Natsu and Hazuki Irish whip Rina, with Hazuki hitting an assisted Codebreaker. Natsu puts Rina in the corner and delivers the gyrating Bronco Buster, but Rina picks her up and hits a powerbomb. Rina tags in Syuri, stomp by Syuri to Natsu and she snapmares her before connecting with a kick to the back. Syuri goes for a cross armbreaker but Natsu quickly gets out of it, she puts Natsu’s arm in the ropes and stomps down on it before tagging in Yuu. Yuu throws Natsu into the corner and hits a jumping elbow, senton by Yuu and she covers Natsu for two. Makoto is tagged in, she throws Natsu in the middle of the ring and goes up top, hitting a diving body press. Running double kneedrop by Makoto, and she covers Natsu for two.

Makoto tags Rina, Rina comes in with a t-shirt and hits Natsu with it repeatedly. Giant Swing by Rina to Natsu while Syuri comes in to jump over her while she swings round and round before Rina drops Natsu to the mat. Natsu tries to tag out but crawls to the wrong corner due to her dizziness, while Rina tags in Makoto. Double underhook suplex attempt by Makoto but Natsu blocks it and elbows her, Natsuko hands Natsu her whip and she hits Makoto with it. She tries to hit Yuu but Yuu catches it, Natsu and Yuu talk for a bit, but Yuu knocks Natsu down with a lariat. Natsu knocks Yuu back and hits atomic drops on Syuri and Rina, Makoto runs in and she gets an atomic drop as well. This gives Natsu time to tag Hazuki, Hazuki rolls Makoto to the mat and chops her in the chest. Natsuko comes in and they both slam Makoto, they hit a double boot as well before Natsuko finally leaves. Hazuki picks up Makoto and the two trade elbows, pump kick by Hazuki but Makoto fires back with a boot of her own before hitting a double underhook suplex for two. Makoto tags in Yuu, hard shoulderblock by Yuu and Kagetsu and Natsu eat hard shoulderblocks as well. Natsuko comes in and Yuu can’t knock her over, they both charge at each other as they attempt to knock the other to the mat but neither can. Eye rake by Natsuko but Yuu drops her with a spinning side slam. Senton by Yuu, and she covers Natsuko for two. Yuu picks up Natsuko, chops by Yuu but Natsuko fires back with an elbow. They trade strikes until Yuu dropkicks Natsuko in the corner, Cannonball by Yuu and she covers Natsuko for two. Yuu gets on the second turnbuckle but Natsuko recovers and tosses her off, spear by Natsuko but Yuu tosses her to the mat when she charges in. Both wrestlers tags out as Kagetsu and Syuri become the legal wrestlers, they trade kicks to the chest until Syuri knocks Kagetsu to the mat. Cover by Syuri, but it gets two. Syuri quickly goes for the cross armbreaker while her team protects her, but Kagetsu rolls out of it and delivers a strike combination. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, but Syuri kicks out of the pin attempt.

Kagetsu picks up Syuri but Syuri snaps off a German suplex, Kagetsu returns to her feet and hits a head kick but Syuri returns the favor and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Syuri tags in Rina while Kagetsu tags in Natsu, Natsu goes for a knee but Rina blocks it and drives her into the corner. Lariats by Rina and she knees Natsu in the back, cover by Rina but it gets two. Rina picks up Natsu but Natsu elbows her and the two trade strikes. Hazuki, Natsu, and Kagetsu all run in as Rina is attacked by all four, Nao Yamaguchi gets in the ring too and she lariats Rina. Natsu suplexes Rina but the cover is broken up, Syuri grabs Natsu from behind and hits a Backstabber with Yuu following with a body press. Cartwheel double kneedrop by Makoto to Natsu, Rina goes off the ropes and hits a lariat but Natsuko grabs the referee to break up the cover. Rina goes off the ropes again but Natsu catches her with an inside cradle for two. Rina picks up Natsu but Jamie Hayter hits her in the head with the Oedo Tai board, big boot by Natsu to Rina but Yuu breaks up the cover with a senton. Hazuki pump kicks Yuu, Makoto then boots Hazuki but Kagetsu kicks Makoto out of the ring. Syuri takes care of Kagetsu and then kicks Natsuko in the head for good measure, leaving bodies everywhere. Rina and Natsu slowly recover and trade elbows, Natsu boots Rina while Rina returns fire with lariats. Rina finally knocks Natsuko off her feet with a lariat, she picks her up and kicks Natsu in the head. Another lariat by Rina, but Natsu barely kicks out of the cover. Rina picks up Natsu and goes for the Splash Mountain, she nails it but the rest of Oedo Tai break up the cover. Rina drags Natsu to her feet and goes for it again, but Martina spits water in her face. Spear by Natsuko to Rina, she falls out of the ring and Kagetsu and Hazuki dive out onto their opponents with stereo tope suicidas. Rina is rolled back in and Kagetsu hits her with an Ebisu Drop, then Natsuko goes up top and hits a guillotine legdrop on Rina. Hazuki follows with a diving senton, Natsu picks up Rina and nails the Demon for the three count! Oedo Tai are the winners!

While the number of wrestlers and different styles may have prevented the match from really getting into a good rhythm, its hard not to enjoy the final match with this version of Oedo Tai. There were some stretches where it felt like nothing was happening but they sprinkled in memorable and fun spots throughout to keep things interesting, whether it was Syuri playing jump rope over Natsu’s body or Yuu and Natsuko having their stand-off. The other Oedo Tai members getting in on the action felt appropriate and it was nice to see Nao Yamaguchi getting involved as well. With eight wrestlers in the match, none really got a chance to stand out but everyone did get their big moves in, and none looked out of place in this chaotic environment. A fun match and a fitting main event for Natsu Sumire’s show, it wouldn’t win any MOTY awards but delivered what they were going for.  Recommended

The post Natsu Sumire Produce Forever on 12/15/19 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom No People Gate
Date: March 8th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: No fans in attendance

We are living in unusual times in early 2020, as we are getting our first ever Stardom event not taking place in front of a crowd. Due to concerns over the coronavirus, many events in Japan are either being cancelled or taking place in an empty arena. Most of Stardom’s events for a month were cancelled, however this event still took place, possibly due to TV contracts. Also for the first time ever, this event was streamed live on Youtube, so we got to watch it in real time. This is not the strongest Korakuen Hall show but there is still some potential, with the tag title match in particular giving me hope for an excellent match. Here is the full card:

• Time Change Battle Royal with Death Yama-san, Saya Iida, AZM, Momoe Nakanishi, Ruaka, Rina, Hina, Captain STARDOM, Starlight Kid, Leyla Hirsch, Konami, Tam Nakano, Natsu Sumire, Saya Kamitani, and Super Strong Starlight Machine
• Natsuko Tora vs. Battle Royal Winner
• Giulia and Maika vs. Hana Kimura and Jungle Kyona
• Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter vs. Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashishita
• Lumberjack Match: Mayu Iwatani vs. Saki Kashima

Originally, this event was supposed to have Natsuko Tora vs. Arisa Hoshiki, but Arisa was a very late scratch due to a neck injury. So the matches were changed to have Natsuko Tora challenge the winner of the Battle Royal, that way she didn’t lose her spot on the card altogether. As this aired live on Youtube, it will be shown in full. All wrestlers on the show have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

Time Change Battle Royal

The first two participants in the match are Death Yama-san and Saya Iida. Death does Death things until Iida gets tired of it and kicks her from behind, dropkick by Iida but Death blocks the scoop slam. Chops by Iida as the next wrestler comes down, AZM! AZM is in no rush to get in the ring but eventually does and covers Saya Iida for the three count! Saya Iida is eliminated. AZM and Death trade chops while the next wrestler comes down, Momoe Nakanishi (in a mask)! Well that’s a hell of a surprise. She does some Death things but they rip the mask off of her, as Ruaka comes down to the ring as the fourth wrestler. They all go after Nakanishi but she manages to stay in the ring, so AZM and Ruaka go at it while the next wrestler comes down, Rina! Rina puts AZM in an Octopus Hold while Ruaka has Nakanishi in an armbar, as the countdown goes and the next wrestler runs in the ring – Rina’s sister Hina! Hina goes after Death and hits a hip toss, Momo☆Latch by Nakanishi to Death and she picks up the three count! Death Yama-san is eliminated. All four wrestlers cover Ruaka next, and she is eliminated! Rina and Hina both attack AZM while Nakanishi gets some water, there seems to be some delay with the next wrestler since music has been playing for awhile. Finally a wrestler wearing a green mask and cape comes down, and its… Captain STARDOM! I think its Saya Iida again but she is attacked by everyone and they rip at her mask, but they don’t get it off as Starlight Kid enters the match.

Starlight Kid and Captain STARDOM are attacked by everyone else, they are both covered but both kick out at two. Starlight Kid is trying to protect the other masked wrestler while the next participant comes down, Leyla Hirsch! Leyla goes after Rina and then AZM, as she slams AZM on top of her. Rina is slammed on the stack as well but Nakanishi feigns an injury to avoid Leyla’s wrath. The next wrestler arrives as Konami enters the match, she goes after AZM as they make a suplex chain with six wrestlers. Konami’s side wins the battle as Tam Nakano arrives. We have a headscissors chain in the ring, with Tam hopping on the end of it while Nakanishi runs over the entire group. Nakanishi turns them over with a crab hold while the next wrestler comes down, Natsu Sumire! Natsu brings some water in the ring with her, she takes a drink before spraying some of the wrestlers with cold spray. She then uses the water to drool on all of them, leading to the headscissors chain to finally be broken. Saya Kamitani makes her entrance with a mask that will probably be on Depo Mart tomorrow for $700 dollars, meanwhile Captain STARDOM rolls up Rina for the three count! Rina is eliminated. Starlight Kid then cradles Hina, and she is eliminated as well! Leyla and Captain STARDOM trade flash pins with no luck, another cradle by Leyla and she holds down Captain STARDOM for the three count! Captain STARDOM is eliminated.

Konami and Leyla control the action while the next wrestler comes down, Mima Shimoda! She has a chair, of course. Natsu gets Konami in the corner and hits the Bronco Buster, but Shimoda hits her from behind with a chair and covers her for three! Natsu Sumire is eliminated. Meanwhile, a new masked wrestler comes down, Super Strong Starlight Machine! Who oddly resembles Saya Iida. Meanwhile, Starlight Kid goes for a moonsault on Nakanishi but misses, moonsault by Nakanishi and she gets the three count! Starlight Kid is eliminated. Tam and Konami trade kicks, Fujiwara Armbar by Konami and she hits a sliding kick, but Tam holds down the tope rope when Konami charges in to send her to the apron. Konami applies a hanging armbar but Tam kicks her as she gets back in the ring and sends her to the floor! Konami is eliminated. Shimoda ends up on the mat and is literally run over by all the other wrestlers still in the match, but Shimoda recovers and dumps Tam onto the apron. Tam pulls Shimoda out onto the apron with her and goes for a suplex, but Shimoda blocks it. Shimoda kicks Tam’s arms until she can’t hold on, and she falls to the floor! Tam Nakano is eliminated. Shimoda manages to get back in the ring but eats a suplex from Nakanishi, Pele Kick by Kamitani and she hits the running Shooting Star Press on Shimoda, but Nakanishi breaks up the pin.

Shimoda and Nakanishi hug but are dropkicked, Shimoda momentarily gets back in control until Kamitani dropkicks her. Missile dropkick by Kamitani, but Shimoda kicks out of the cover. Kamitani picks up Shimoda and hits a scoop slam, she goes up top but Shimoda recovers and pulls her back to the mat. Shimoda gets on the second turnbuckle but Kamitani dropkicks her, sending Shimoda out of the ring! Mima Shimoda is eliminated. Super Strong Starlight Machine and Kamitani go at it next, dropkick by Kamitani to Super Strong Starlight Machine and she hits the Pele Kick. Running Shooting Star Press attempt by Kamitani but Super Strong Starlight Machine rolls out of the way and hits a lariat. Devil Windmill Suplex by Super Strong Starlight Machine, and she picks up the three count! Saya Kamitani is eliminated. Nakanishi and AZM both attack Super Strong Starlight Machine but AZM attacks Nakanishi. Nakanishi pulls AZM onto the apron with her, but Super Strong Starlight Machine runs over and dropkicks them both to the floor! Super Strong Starlight Machine is the last wrestler remaining and wins the Battle Royal!

I think I missed Leyla Hirsch’s elimination but there was a lot going on. While I went in with low expectations since Battle Royals aren’t overly serious affairs in Japan, I loved the surprise of Momoe Nakanishi. Nakanishi retired back in 2005 and has only done a few exhibition matches since then, so she was definitely unexpected. Of course she hasn’t lost a step and out-worked most of the other wrestlers in the ring, which isn’t too big of a surprise as she was pretty great back in her day. Logically it doesn’t make sense that Iida can enter the match multiple times but it goes in with the general wackiness of Battle Royals so no complaints. A few fun surprises and the action moved pretty quick, so overall a pretty satisfying Battle Royal.

Natsuko Tora vs. Super Strong Starlight Machine

This match was decided on pretty late, and it showed since they didn’t do a whole lot. Most memorable thing for me is how Natsuko Tora’s new finisher looks rough, they need to figure out how to make that smoother or its just going to be a flat way to end her matches. A decent enough match and I’ll give them credit for trying to make changes to include a fifth match on the card, but pretty skippable aside from Iida getting a bit of the rub in this whole sequence.

Giulia and Maika vs. Hana Kimura and Jungle Kyona

Maika and Kyona start the match, Kyona tries to shoulderblock Maika over but Maika doesn’t budge. Maika returns the favor as they both go for shoulderblocks, but Kyona eventually sending Maika to the mat. Giulia grabs Kyona from the apron but Hana grabs Maika from the opposite apron, as they have a stalemate. They both eventually get free, Giulia gets in the ring to help and Kyona is double teamed. Hammerlock by Maika to Kyona and she drives her into the corner, Maika tags Giulia who puts Kyona in an armlock. Double armbar by Giulia but Hana comes in to break it up, Maika comes in but Hana tosses her out of the ring. Giulia sends Hana out of the ring as well before going back to Kyona, she throws Kyona in the corner and tags Maika. Maika twists Kyona’s arm in the ropes and kicks it, Giulia comes back in and they take turns booting Kyona. Giulia holds Kyona while Maika pulls out her extensions, which pisses off Kyona and she bodyslams Maika. She makes the tag to Hana, Hana gets rid of Giulia before booting Maika in the head. She boots her a second time, cover by Hana but it gets two. Hana picks up Maika but Maika blocks the suplex attempt, Giulia attacks Hana from behind but Hana dropkicks both of them.

Hana picks up Maika and applies a Cobra Twist, Giulia tries to break it up but Hana puts her in a dragon sleeper at the same time. She lets go after a moment and picks up Maika, but Maika flips her to the mat and makes the tag to Giulia. Neckbreaker by Giulia, and she covers Hana for two. Giulia picks up Hana but Hana pushes her away and the two trade elbows. Hana goes off the ropes but Giulia boots her, Hana boots her back however but Giulia sends Hana to the mat with one final boot. Both get back up as Giulia goes for the Spider Web, finally getting it locked in. Hana muscles out of the hold and slams Giulia to the mat, she picks up Giulia but Giulia boots her in the face and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Both tag out as Kyona and Maika come back in, Maika puts Kyona in an armbar but Kyona gets into the ropes for the break. STO by Maika, and she covers Kyona for two. Maika applies the cross armbreaker but Kyona gets out of it, Giulia comes in and they hit a double STO. Giulia goes off the ropes and assists Maika in hitting a cross armbreaker takedown, Maika gets the hold locked in but Kyona is too close to the ropes and makes it to get the break. Hana runs in and boots Maika, double dropkick to Maika and Kyona hits a sliding lariat for two. Giulia throws Hana out of the ring and stomps on Kyona, but Kyona throws them into each other and Hana comes off the top with a double missile dropkick. Kyona lariats Maika in the corner and puts her on the top turnbuckle, she goes for the Kinniku Buster and drops her in the middle of the ring. Cover by Kyona, and she gets the three count! Tokyo Cyber Squad win!

This was a step down from the last Donna del Mondo match I watched but still solid. Maika isn’t quite ready for this type of spot, and while I appreciate them trying she really needs more experience. When she was in the ring the match tended to be far less crisp, she has the mat game but just isn’t smooth with it. The match needed more Hana and Giulia going at it, but what we got from them was really good and elevated the match. It was still a decent match overall since the other three really enhanced it, but Maika still being a bit light with her strikes and clunky brought it down from the level I was hoping it may reach.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter vs. Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashishita 
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Queen’s Quest try to attack before the match but Jamie and Bea both bail out of the ring, Utami and Momo go after them but are immediately jumped for their trouble. Bea and Jamie both take a victory lap around the ring before hitting a high five, they go back to stomping on Momo and Utami before Momo is finally slid back in. Bea joins Momo and twists her arm in the ropes, she props up Momo’s arm on the mat before stomping on her elbow. Cover by Bea, but it gets two. Bea throws Momo into the corner so Jamie can help her with Momo, she tags in Jamie and Jamie elbows Momo in the corner. Scoop slam by Jamie and she slams Momo into the turnbuckles, strikes by Jamie but Momo hits a missile dropkick and makes the hot tag to Utami. Utami shoulderblocks Jamie and throws her into the corner, Bea runs in but Utami slams Bea into the same corner before hitting a running elbow. Utami gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Utami but it gets two. Utami charges Jamie but Jamie catches her and suplexes her into the turnbuckle, running elbow and she hits a lariat. Short-range lariat by Jamie, and she covers Utami for a two count. Knees by Jamie and she hits an elbow combination, side slam onto her knee by Jamie and she hits a vertical suplex for two. Bea is tagged in, Irish whip by Bea but it is reversed. Bea kicks Utami when she charges in but Utami ducks her boot, elbows by Bea and she goes off the ropes but Utami catches her with a lariat.

Utami tags Momo, dropkick by Momo in the corner but Jamie grabs her from the apron. Bea runs over but dropkicks Jamie by accident, kicks by Momo to Bea and she hits a low dropkick in the corner. Side slam by Momo, and she covers Bea for two. Momo goes off the ropes but Bea catches her with a jumping knee, cover by Bea but it gets two. Bea goes off the ropes and knees Momo in the head, Momo ends up on the apron but Bea springs up to the top turnbuckle to jump after her. Momo moves and grabs Bea, hitting the B Driver on the apron. Utami holds Bea while Momo goes up top and hits a Somato to her back, regular Somato by Momo and she covers Bea for two. Momo hits a second B Driver, but Jamie breaks up the cover. Utami tries to get rid of Jamie but Jamie throws her out instead, leading to Momo being double teamed. Jamie and Bea wait for Momo to get up but Momo avoids their charge, she hits a Tequila Sunrise on Bea while Utami hits a German suplex on Jamie. Momo goes up top a nails the diving Somato, but it only gets two. Peace Sunrise by Momo to Bea, but Jamie barely breaks up the cover. Utami collects Jamie and they exit the ring, Momo picks up Bea but Bea snaps off a Regal Plex. Bea grabs Momo by the arms and knees her in the head, cover by Bea but Momo kicks out. Jamie gets rid of Utami and stays in the ring, they wait for Momo to get up and deliver a double strike. Bea knees Momo in the back of the head, she sets her up in the corner and nails the Queen’s Landing, and she gets the three count! Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter retain the championship.

This was good, it took a few minutes to get going but the last few minutes were really exciting. This is the first Joshi event that took place in Japan that I’ve ever watched unspoiled, so its extra fun not knowing who is going to win as the match unfolds. I love all four of these wrestlers, both teams work together well and while Bea is obnoxious I find her obnoxious in an good way. Everything was smooth as there wasn’t a “weak link” in the match, and Momo takes a beating pretty well. No major complaints about the match, it didn’t reach the high peak but stayed interesting up to the hot ending. Not a MOTYC, but a fun co-main with four of my personal favorites in Stardom.  Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Saki Kashima
Lumberjack Match

Mayu attacks Saki before the match starts but Saki quickly gets in control and throws Mayu into the turnbuckles. Mayu kicks Saki and tosses her out of the ring, but she runs away from the STARS lumberjacks and slides back in. Saki throws Mayu out and she is beaten by Oedo Tai, Natsu Sumire wraps up Mayu in the ring apron while Natsuko hits her with an umbrella. Natsu slides Mayu back in and Saki starts working over Mayu’s leg. Saki sets up Mayu in the ropes while Natsu takes off one of the turnbuckle pads, Saki throws Mayu into the exposed corner before choking her in it. Saki trips Mayu and applies an ankle submission hold, but Mayu gets to the ropes for the break. Saki sets up Mayu’s leg in the ropes and dropkicks it, sending Mayu crashing out of the ring. Natsu beats her with the turnbuckle pad until STARS comes over to try to help, but Oedo Tai wins the melee and go back to attacking Mayu. STARS returns as they brawl again, with STARS getting the better of it this time. Saki comes out to and hits Mayu with the turnbuckle pad herself, she slides Mayu back into the ring and continues stomping on her. Saki throws Mayu into the corner but Mayu avoids her charge and delivers a dropkick.

Mayu goes off the ropes and hits a dropkick, sending Saki out of the ring. Mayu goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out onto Oedo Tai with a plancha suicida, but they catch her and carry Mayu up into the (empty) stands. STARS run after them and rescue Mayu, Mayu goes to the top of the balcony and dives off of it onto the crowd. Saki hits her from behind with a chair while she is celebrating, Saki takes Mayu even higher into the stands and kicks her down the stairs. They finally get back into the ring, Saki goes for a diving footstomp but Mayu rolls out of the way and drop toeholds her into the exposed turnbuckle. Mayu gets Saki up in the Running Three position and tosses her out of the ring and down onto the lumberjacks. They roll Saki back in, dropkick by Mayu and she kicks Saki in the back. Slap by Mayu but Saki slaps her back, kicks by Saki and she slams Mayu into the mat. More slaps by Saki and she boots Mayu, cover by Saki but it gets two. Saki picks up Mayu but Mayu gets away and hits a release dragon suplex.

Saki charges Mayu but Mayu moves, she goes for a superkick but hits the referee by accident. The rest of Oedo Tai all run in the ring and attack Mayu in the corner, but STARS come in and do the same to Saki. Mayu goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Mayu but there is still no referee. Mayu goes up top again and hits a diving body press, she calls for the moonsault and nails it as the referee returns. Cover by Mayu, but Saki barely gets a shoulder up. Mayu goes for the Two Stage Dragon Suplex but Saki blocks it and cradles her for two. Head kick by Mayu, she picks up Saki and hits the dragon suplex hold, but the referee is pulled out of the ring before he can finish the count. Mayu goes off the ropes but Natsu hits her with a chair, Bea boots Mayu but STARS come in to even the odds as they clear the ring. Superkick by Mayu to Saki and she hits two more, Buzzsaw Kick by Mayu and she hits a tombstone piledriver. Mayu goes up top (referee is back) and hits a second moonsault, cover by Mayu and she gets the three count! Mayu Iwatani wins the match.

There was so much going on in this match. First, the good – Mayu Iwatani is amazing. She held this match together, while people around her were having issues she was laying in hard kicks and diving off things and tumbling down things to make the match memorable and fun. As for the bad, there were a lot of little missed spots like Natsu with the chair and the lumberjack setup at times was overly chaotic. Its a fine line, some chaos is good but a few times it felt like it was just dragging things out. The referee bump wasn’t really necessary since the rules were pretty loose anyway, but at least he recovered both times pretty quickly. All in all, a fun match that had a lot of small flaws but ultimately was enjoyable due to the strong effort by Mayu.  Recommended

The post Stardom No People Gate on 3/8/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Kagetsu Retirement Show ~ Many Face
Date: February 24th, 2020
Location: EDION Arena Osaka #2 in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 733

As is always the case in the world of Joshi, the retirement hits never stop coming. This one is harder to swallow than most as Kagetsu not only is a fantastic wrestler and trainer but is still (at least in the eyes of fans) in her prime. But Kagetsu had a pretty lengthy career for a Joshi wrestler (twelve years) and has openly considered retiring in the past, and at least she is going out on her own terms as she booked her own retirement show. As tends to be the case with wrestler-produced events we will see a fun variety of wrestlers on the show, ending with Kagetsu battling her trainer Meiko Satomura for the first time since 2014 in her final match. I’ll be reviewing the Joshi matches on the event, here is the match line-up:

• Leyla Hirsch, Syuri, and Yuu vs. Natsuko Tora and Natsu Sumire
• AZM vs. Kaho Kobayashi vs. Mei Suruga
• Saya Iida vs. X
• Kagetsu vs. Meiko Satomura

All wrestlers on the show have profiles on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it. Even though we are watching the TV airing of the event I am assuming there will not be any clipping, but if there is I will point it out as we go along.

Leyla Hirsch, Syuri, and Yuu vs. Natsuko Tora and Sumire

Natsu Sumire talked on the mic as the match was starting until Syuri and friends got tired of listening to her and all attack her. Natsuko tries to help but gets tossed out of the ring, Yuu stays in the ring with Natsu and goes off the ropes, but she is tripped from ringside and pulled out to the floor. Oedo Tai takes over, with Hazuki helping to even the numbers, as they fight on the floor and into the crowd. Hazuki throws Yuu back into the ring, Natsu joins her and sets up Yuu in the ropes. Natsuko puts the big rubber band around Yuu’s head, Natsu takes the other end and runs up into the crowd before snapping it back into Yuu’s face. Natsuko punches Yuu and puts her in the ropes again, this time Hazuki grabs the other end of the band and snaps it into Yuu. No idea where Syuri and Leyla ran off to. Natsu throws Yuu into the corner and knocks her down into a seated position, she charges in and delivers her gyrating bronco buster. Natsu tags in Natsuko but Yuu chops her and the two trade blows. Natsuko goes off the ropes but Yuu catches her with a sidewalk slam, running senton by Yuu and she covers Natsuko for two.

Yuu positions Natsuko near the corner and goes up top, but Natsuko recovers and gets Yuu on her shoulders. Yuu slides away and goes off the ropes, Natsuko goes for a Samoan Drop but she accidentally drops her. Headbutt by Natsuko, she manages to pick up Yuu this time and hits the Samoan Drop. Natsuko goes off the ropes but Yuu catches her with a toss and finally makes the tag to Syuri. Syuri kicks Natsuko repeatedly in the chest, running knee by Syuri and she hits a double underhook suplex for a two count. Cross armbreaker by Syuri and she switches it to a seated armbar, but Natsu breaks it up. More kicks by Syuri, she goes off the ropes but Hazuki hits Syuri from ringside. Syuri kicks Natsuko in the head anyway but Natsuko comes back with a spear, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. They crawl to their corners as Leyla and Natsu are tagged in, knee by Natsu and she boots Leyla in the head. Running boot by Natsu but Leyla elbows her back, Irish whip by Natsu but Leyla flips her to the mat and hits a running knee. Olympic Slam by Leyla, but Natsu kicks out of the cover.

Leyla goes for the Triangle Moonsault but Natsu moves out of the way and stomps on her head. Leyla kicks Natsu and tosses her to the  mat, giving her time to tag Yuu. Yuu chops Natsu in the chest but Natsu avoids the running senton and whips Yuu. Irish whip by Natsu from the corner but Yuu reverses it, Natsu avoids Yuu’s charge and both Hazuki and Natsuko run in the ring as Yuu is triple teamed. Diving crossbody by Natsu, but it only gets two. Natsu picks up Yuu but Leyla and Syuri both run in to help, Natsu takes care of both of them and picks up Yuu, hitting a double arm DDT. Somato by Natsu, but Yuu gets a hand on the ropes to break up the cover. Yuu dropkicks Natsu into the corner, Syuri comes in and delivers a running knee. Cannonball by Yuu, they pull Natsu out of the corner so that Leyla can hit the Triangle Moonsault. Cover by Yuu, but Natsuko breaks it up. Yuu picks up Natsu and nails a powerbomb, cover by Yuu and she gets the three count! Yuu, Syuri, and Leyla Hirsch are the winners.

The only good thing about this match was seeing Hazuki again, love her and she seemed to be having so much fun. Everything else was rough though. Natsuko’s lack of chemistry with Yuu was clear and distracting, with several spots not looking right. Syuri did virtually nothing and wasn’t needed in the match, matches having extra wrestlers just for the sake of it will always be a pet peeve of mine. Wrestlers disappeared for long stretches and for a short match it took awhile to get going. So a very skippable opener, with the lone reason to watch being Hazuki, who obviously wasn’t even in the match.

AZM vs. Kaho Kobayashi vs. Mei Suruga

AZM is slow to shake Mei’s hand before the match but finally does so, Mei and AZM both try to get the crowd’s support while Kaho looks on. All three engage in a double headlock before going into a fast paced exchange, AZM and Mei force Kaho to run the ropes until she collapses on the mat. AZM covers her but Mei breaks it up, Mei and AZM get into it until they all miss a dropkick and face off again. Kaho collapses due to still being tired from running the ropes but recovers as AZM is double teamed. Mei rolls AZM round the mat before posing as she pins AZM down, Kaho poses next to Mei but AZM kicks out. Mei tells Kaho to go on the top turnbuckle so she does, but Mei rolls up AZM real quick for a two count. She tries a few more times before Kaho jumps down and kicks her, Irish whip by Kaho and both she and AZM dropkick Mei. Double Irish whip to Mei to the corner and they take turns dropkicking her, with AZM encouraging Kaho to dropkick her more. Senton by Kaho to Mei and AZM kicks Mei in the back, AZM puts Mei in a camel clutch and Kaho bounces off the ropes a bunch of times before dropkicking Mei. They switch places with Kaho holding Mei for AZM, AZM goes off the ropes but she kicks Kaho instead. Dropkick by AZM to Kaho, she goes to Mei but Mei grabs her wrist and jumps off the ropes before hitting an armdrag.

Mei charges AZM but AZM boots her back, Mei catches her next boot and rakes her face until the referee gets her to stop. Mei tosses the referee to the mat and catapults off his back with a dropkick, cover by Mei but AZM kicks out. Back up, AZM hits a suplex followed by a head kick, cover by AZM but Kaho breaks it up. Irish whip by Kaho but AZM hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors into an armbar. Kaho rolls out of it but AZM kicks her in the head, she goes up top and nails the diving footstomp but Kaho barely kicks out of the cover. Fujiwara Armbar by AZM but Kaho gets into the ropes for the break, AZM picks up Kaho but Kaho schoolboys her for two. AZM elbows Kaho but Kaho elbows her back as they trade shots, Kaho kicks AZM in the shin and delivers a DDT. Step-up kick by Kaho, she covers AZM but it gets two. Kaho goes to the top turnbuckle but Mei reemerges and schoolboys AZM for two. Kaho comes off the top turnbuckle with a missile dropkick to Mei, she then dropkicks AZM and AZM falls out of the ring. Kaho goes for a tope suicida but AZM and Mei both move, so she splats head-first into the floor. AZM and Mei return to the ring, they trade flash pins but neither can get the three count. Head kick by AZM, she knocks Kaho off the apron but Mei cradles AZM for two. They trade quick covers again until AZM puts Mei in the Azumi Sushi and picks up the three count! AZM is the winner.

This type of comedy wrestling, or a wrestling match with comedy elements, is the type that hits better with me. It was playful throughout but when it got down to it they all were trying to win, all three wrestlers have ‘flash’ style methods of pinning their opponent so everything going on fit within their characters. Kaho being the ‘old’ one they tried to tire out was a fun touch and anytime I get to see Mei I don’t complain. An easy watch and entertaining match. Mildly Recommended

Saya Iida vs. Kagetsu

Kagetsu won’t shake Saya’s hand before the match but as soon as the bell rings, Saya charges her and dropkicks Kagetsu into the corner. More dropkicks by Saya but Kagetsu doesn’t fall to the mat, finally Saya dropkicks her in the knee and again in the chest to knock her over. Saya picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu blocks the scoop slam, chops by Saya but Kagetsu ducks one and rakes her in the eyes. Kagetsu goes off the ropes but Saya chops her to the mat, she picks up Kagetsu and delivers a scoop slam for a two count. Saya goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, she goes to the top turnbuckle again and hits a second one. A third time she goes up and delivers a third missile dropkick which she follows with a fourth one for a two count cover. With Kagetsu down, Saya goes to the top turnbuckle but Natsuko and Natsu grab her from the apron. They let go after a moment, Saya goes for a missile dropkick but Kagetsu moves out of the way and throws Saya out of the ring. Natsuko finds a weapon (Utami) and throws her at Saya before sliding Saya back into the ring, vertical suplex by Kagetsu and she covers Saya for two. Kagetsu picks up Saya and hits a Samoan Drop, but again Saya kicks out of the pin. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, but Saya barely gets a shoulder up. Kagetsu picks up Saya but Saya slides away and cradles her for two. Iida Bridge by Saya, but Kagetsu kicks out of that as well. Saya goes off the ropes but Kagetsu catches her with a cross armbreaker takedown. Kagetsu switches the hold to an arm lock and Saya has no choice but to submit! Kagetsu is the winner.

Its important to remember that a wrestler’s retirement show is for them, not for us. They let us watch, but each match the retiring wrestler is in is one that personally makes them happy or satisfied, they aren’t necessarily concerned with putting on high end matches. This match is what you would expect in an opener between a trainer and a student. Saya got in some hope spots so that it wasn’t a squash, but Kagetsu pretty thoroughly beat her down and won with a random submission hold that isn’t even one of her finishers. A pretty emotional match for Saya and one that likely meant a lot to Kagetsu (even if she didn’t show it), but a pretty average match in the grand scheme of things through the eyes of a viewer.

Kagetsu vs. Meiko Satomura

Kagetsu is in her “traditional” wrestling attire for this match, going back to her roots for her final match. Satomura pushes Kagetsu into the ropes to start and kicks her in the leg instead of giving a clean break, they end up on the mat but roll into the ropes. Back on their feet they lock knuckles, Satomura gets Kagetsu to the mat again and puts her in a side headlock. Kagetsu returns to her feet and gets out of the hold, she tries to shoulderblock Satomura over but Satomura stays on her feet. A dropkick does the trick, Kagetsu picks Satomura up and hits a side headlock takedown, keeping the hold applied on the mat. Satomura quickly reverses it into a headscissors but Kagetsu reverses it back as they trade submissions. Satomura gets the advantage and kicks Kagetsu, uppercut by Satomura and she elbows Kagetsu into the corner. Wristlock by Satomura and she kicks Kagetsu repeatedly in the chest, double kneedrop by Satomura and she covers Kagetsu for two. Satomura goes up top but Kagetsu springboards up and kicks her down to the floor, Kagetsu goes off the ropes and hits a tope suicida. She quickly gets back in the ring and she hits a second tope suicida followed by a third. Kagetsu throws Satomura into the chairs at ringside, she takes her into the crowd and chokes her with a chair. Kagetsu slides Satomura back in the ring and hits a swandive missile dropkick, she puts Satomura in a submission hold but Satomura gets into the ropes for the break.

Kagetsu elbows Satomura into the corner, Irish whip by Kagetsu and she hits a jumping elbow smash. Running boot to the face by Kagetsu, she picks up Satomura and spits water in her face. Satomura doesn’t like that and slaps her, dropkick by Kagetsu but Satomura delivers a heel kick. Satomura goes for a backdrop suplex but Kagetsu lands on her feet and hits a pair of kicks. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu, and she covers Satomura for two. Kagetsu gets Satomura on her shoulders and hits another Ebisu Drop, she goes to the top turnbuckle but Satomura recovers and joins her. Superplex by Satomura but Kagetsu returns to her feet and nails a sliding knee, so both wrestlers are down on the mat. They slowly get up, Kagetsu goes for a cross armbreaker and gets it applied, but Satomura rolls out of it. Kagetsu switches it to an armlock but Satomura gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Snapmare by Kagetsu, she goes up top but Satomura nails her with a Pele Kick. Back in the middle of the ring, kicks to the chest by Satomura and she hits a backdrop suplex for a two count. Satomura goes for another one but Kagetsu elbows out of it, kicks by Satomura and she drives Kagetsu into the corner. Satomura goes up top and hits a diving body press, but Kagetsu gets out of the cover. Sleeper hold by Satomura, but Kagetsu gets to the ropes.

Satomura kicks Kagetsu before picking her up and goes for a Death Valley Bomb, but Kagetsu gets out of it and spits blue mist in her face. Death Valley Bomb by Kagetsu but Satomura gets back up and  and hits a backdrop suplex. Kagetsu quickly returns to her feet as well and the two trade elbows, high kick by Satomura but Kagetsu kips up and hits her own head kick. Death Valley Bomb by Kagetsu but Satomura avoids the Buzzsaw Kick and hits a leg sweep. Head kick by Satomura and she hits a Death Valley Bomb, cover by Satomura but Kagetsu barely kicks out. Satomura hits a second one, but again Kagetsu kicks out of the cover. Cartwheel kneedrop by Satomura, she picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu pushes the referee down and spits mist in her face again. Ebisu Drop in front of the corner by Kagetsu, she goes up top and nails the Oedo Coaster before hitting a Death Valley Bomb. Kagetsu picks Satomura back up and hits a second Death Valley Bomb before hitting a third. Cover by Kagetsu, but Satomura manages to get a shoulder up. Kagetsu goes to pick up Satomura but Satomura kicks her off, they trade strikes until Satomura hits a Pele Kick. Head kick by Satomura and she hits a Death Valley Bomb, but the cover gets two. Scorpio Rising by Satomura, and she covers Kagetsu for the three count! Meiko Satomura is your winner.

If you enjoy excess in wrestling, this is the match for you. Under normal circumstances I wouldn’t be a big fan of them spamming their finishing moves, but this being simultaneously a retirement match and a trainer/student match I am willing to let it slide. Kagetsu slipping back into her Oedo Tai roots when her normal tricks weren’t working was a nice touch and showed her progression since she left Satomura’s tutelage, but in the end it didn’t matter as she still couldn’t take down her former master. Satomura was also smart enough to still end the match with a different finisher then one they were doing over and over earlier in the match. As you’d expect, the strikes were all on-point as Satomura legitimately hasn’t lost a step, and both were going all-out for Kagetsu’s final match. In any situation I’d probably love this match, but with the backstory and everything else involved it was an emotional and perfect ending to Kagetsu’s successful career.  Highly Recommended 

After the final match, they had the retirement ceremony for Kagetsu. Different wrestlers came down to give her a gift and say farewell, including Queen’s Quest, Jinsei Shinzaki, Meiko Satomura, and of course Hazuki. Then the bell tolled, the streamers were thrown, and Kagetsu was carried out of the wrestling ring for the last time.

The post Kagetsu Retirement Show ~ Many Face on 2/24/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom The Way To Major League
Date: February 8th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,519

And we are already back with a Stardom review! Trying to stay as current as possible with their Korakuen Hall events so I don’t fall too far behind. This is another big show for the promotion, as they packed Korakuen Hall with over 1,500 fans for the second straight month. Today we have two title matches, plus a special singles match between Mayu Iwatani and Takumi Iroha! Here is the full card:

• Gauntlet Match: Jamie Hayter and Zoey Skye vs. Hina and Rina vs. Saya Iida and Saya Kamitani vs. Death Yama-san and Leyla Hirsch vs. Starlight Kid and Tam Nakano
• Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire, and Saki Kashima vs. Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, and Konami
• Artist Of Stardom Championship: AZM, Momo Watanabe, and Utami Hayashishita vs. Giulia, Maika, and Syuri
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Arisa Hoshiki vs. Bea Priestley
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Takumi Iroha

I am watching the Samurai TV! version of the event, so some matches will be clipped. All the wrestlers have a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it.

Jamie Hayter and Zoey Skye vs. Hina and Rina vs. Saya Iida and Saya Kamitani vs. Death Yama-san and Leyla Hirsch vs. Starlight Kid and Tam Nakano
Gauntlet Match

First two tag teams in are STARS (Starlight Kid and Tam Nakano) and the sister team of Hina and Rina. Who are in different factions. Anyway, Starlight Kid starts with Hina, Hina tosses Starlight Kid to the mat and goes for a cross armbreaker, but Starlight Kid blocks it and they trade flash pins. Hina almost gets one but Tam breaks it up, Hina picks up Starlight Kid and goes off the ropes, but Tam kicks her from the apron. Cyclone Suplex by Starlight Kid, she slams Hina in front of the corner and goes to the top turnbuckle. Swivel Body Press by Starlight Kid, and she picks up the three count! Rina and Hina are eliminated.

3838 Tag are the next team down and they immediately attack Tam and Starlight Kid, Kamitani and Iida throws Starlight Kid into the corner and both connect with dropkicks. Tam recovers and helps Starlight Kid even the odds, they set up Iida and Kamitani in the ropes and both hit Tiger Feint Kicks. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid to Iida, and she covers her for two. Starlight Kid picks up Iida but Iida throws her into the corner, chops by Iida and she sends Starlight Kid to the mat. Iida tags in Kamitani, dropkick by Kamitani and she puts Starlight Kid in a crab hold. Tam breaks it up, Kamitani picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid slides away. Tam slams Kamitani to the mat, Starlight Kid goes up top and she connects with the Swivel Body Press, but Iida breaks up the cover. Starlight Kid tries to go off the ropes but Kamitani grabs her and traps her with a jackknife hold for two. Tam tries to help but kicks Starlight Kid by accident, Kamitani goes up top and hits a missile dropkick on Starlight Kid. Iida hits a missile dropkick of her own, Kamitani picks up Starlight Kid and delivers a Pele Kick. Running Shooting Star Press by Kamitani, and she picks up the three count! Kamitani covers Starlight Kid and gets the three count! STARS are eliminated.

Jamie Hayter and Zoey Skye run down as the next challengers, they jump their opponents in the corner before isolated Iida in the ring. Double Irish whip to Iida but Iida dropkicks them both, Jamie clubs on Iida and stomps on her back. Jamie picks up Iida but Iida fires up and chops her in the chest, but Jamie blocks one and elbows Iida to the mat for a two count. Jamie picks up Iida but Iida sneaks in a small package for two. Kamitani dives in the ring with a missile dropkick to Jamie, Iida goes up top and hits her own missile dropkick for a two count. Iida Bridge by Iida, but Zoey breaks it up. Iida goes off the ropes but Jamie catches her with a lariat, Cow Killer by Jamie and she picks up the three count! 3838 Tag are eliminated.

The last tag team of the match are next, as Death and Leyla enter the match. They are attacked before they even get to the ring by Jamie and Zoey, Leyla is thrown into the ring but she immediately goes off the ropes and dives out onto her opponents with a tope suicida. They rolls Jamie back into the ring, double Irish whip and Jamie eats a double DDT. They go for a double vertical suplex but Jamie blocks it and lariats both of them. She tags in Zoey, Zoey stomps on Leyla and drops her with a Codebreaker. Chokeslam onto her knee by Jamie, cover by Zoey but Death breaks it up with a senton. Zoey boots Jamie by accident, Leyla hits a German suplex on Zoey and with Death they connect with a double running knee. Triangle jump moonsault by Leyla out of the corner, and she covers Zoey for the three count! Death Yama-san and Leyla Hirsch win the match!

It would have been more interesting by not having the ‘new’ team win every time, but for an early-card match this was fine. All the wrestlers got a chance to show a little something (except Rina but I think that was just due to some clipping), with everyone hitting their spots. Not much to it but fast paced and an easy watch.

Natsuko Tora, Sumire, and Kashima vs. Hana Kimura, Kyona, and Konami

Hana and Saki start the match, Irish whip by Hana and she shoulderblocks Saki down. Saki fires back with an elbow but Hana just laughs at her, Saki pulls Hana down by her hair and goes off the ropes, but Konami kicks her from the apron. Boot by Hana, and the match clips ahead to Kyona being in the ring with Saki. Saki goes off the ropes and hits a hurricanrana, Kyona ends up in the corner and Saki connects with a running boot. Saki tags in Natsu, Natsu stomps Kyona in the corner and charges her, but Hana cuts her off before she can do the Bronco Buster. Atomic Drop by Natsu to Hana and Konami, she kicks Kyona down in the corner again and this time delivers the gyrating Bronco Buster. Natsu kicks Kyona low, cover by Natsu and she covers her for two. She tags in Natsuko but Kyona suplexes both of them, she goes off the ropes and tries to shoulderblock Natsuko but Natsuko stays on her feet. She tries again but Natsuko knocks her down, Kyona returns the favor but Natsuko levels her with a spear.

They both return to their feet and go for lariats, hard elbow by Kyona and she tags in Konami. Konami kicks Natsuko repeatedly in the chest, she goes for the Fujiwara Armbar but Natsuko rolls out of it. Knee by Konami in the corner but Natsuko avoids her next charge and the other Oedo Tai members run in to help. In control now, Natsuko goes up top and she delivers the diving body press for two. Natsuko picks up Konami but Konami gets away, Natsuko goes off the ropes but Konami blocks the spear and applies the Triangle Lancer. Natsu breaks it up, Konami knees Natsuko a few times and goes off the ropes, but Natsu hits her with a bucket. She tags Saki, Saki goes up top and hits a diving footstomp on Konami for two. Kick combination by Konami to Saki and she hits a wrist-clutch suplex for a two count cover. Kyona and Hana both end up in the ring and they dropkick Natsuko, Konami kicks Saki in the head and Kyona delivers an assisted face crusher. Kick to the head by Konami, but Saki barely kicks out. Konami picks up Saki and goes for the Triangle Lancer, but Saki blocks it and applies the Kishikaisei for the three count! Oedo Tai win the match.

A short match clipped down even further, which didn’t really give them time to get into a real flow. My issue with matches like this is that none of the wrestlers really get a chance to show what they can do or get into a groove. We’ve seen Kyona and Konami as a team have great matches, but this didn’t really click. One of the problems is that the current Oedo Tai team doesn’t have a great worker so to speak, they are better characters than technicians, making it difficult for the Tokyo Cyber Squad team to put together a cohesive match. Not an actively bad match or anything, just too disjointed and random to really get invested in.

(c) AZM, Momo Watanabe, and Hayashishita vs. Giulia, Maika, and Syuri
Artist of Stardom Championship

Maika and Utami start the match, Maika gets Utami to the mat and they jockey for position. Utami gets a headlock applied but Maika reverses it into a headscissors, Utami gets out of it and they return to their feet. Syuri and Momo are tagged in, they trade wristlocks until Momo gets Syuri’s back but Syuri switches positions with her and tosses Momo to the mat. Both wrestlers hit armdrags with Syuri holding onto hers with an armbar, she lets go after a moment and kicks Momo in the back. Momo gets up and returns the favor with her own kick, she sits down on the mat and challenges Syuri to go again. Syuri kicks Momo in the back and invites Momo to kick her, but she catches Momo’s kick and applies an ankle hold. Momo gets out of it and they too reach a stalemate, tagging in the last pairing. AZM and Giulia immediately get into it with a high speed exchange, AZM tries to do a kip up but Giulia boots her as soon as she gets back to her feet. Giulia knocks AZM out of the ring and goes out after her, and she throws the child into the chairs at ringside. She slides AZM back into the ring and steps on her head, she tags in Maika but AZM dropkicks her. AZM tags Utami, Utami slams Maika and puts her in a Camel Clutch while both Momo and AZM kick her. Utami scoop slams Maika and tags Momo, scoop slam by Momo and she covers Maika for a two count. Momo kicks at Maika but Maika catches her with a toss and makes the tag to Syuri.

Syuri kicks and knees Momo, Utami runs in but Syuri kicks her as well. AZM comes in also but Syuri throws AZM at Momo and drops her with a Backstabber. Jumping knee in the corner by Syuri to Momo and she hits a suplex for a two count cover. Syuri picks up Momo but Momo kicks her in the leg, Syuri kicks her back as they go back and forth. Momo dropkicks Syuri in the corner before dropkicking her again, a third dropkick by Momo and she covers Syuri for two. Momo tags Utami, hard shoulderblock by Utami and she throws Syuri into the corner. Running elbow by Utami and she hits the STO for a two count. Utami goes off the ropes but Syuri knees her, snapmare by Syuri and she kicks Utami in the back. PK by Syuri, but her cover only gets two. Syuri tags Maika, Maika picks up Utami and she puts her in a Fujiwara Armbar. She then applies a cross armbreaker but Utami quickly wiggles to the ropes to force the break. Maika picks up Utami but Utami elbows her and they trade shots. Side slam by Maika, she hits a monkey flip followed by a judo toss and a STO of her own for a two count cover. Maika waits for Utami to get up but Utami tosses her to the mat, she gets Maika on her shoulders in the Argentine Backbreaker but Maika grabs her arm and reverses it into a cross armbreaker attempt.

Utami tries to block it but ends up in a Triangle Choke for her trouble, but Utami slams her way out of it. Backdrop suplex by Utami and she makes it to her corner to tag AZM while Giulia was also tagged in. They avoid each others kicks before trading elbows, AZM goes off the ropes but Giulia catches her with a knee to the face. Neckbreaker by Giulia and she puts AZM in the STF, but it gets broken up. Giulia goes up top but Utami tosses her off and Momo nails her with a Somato. Diving Footstomp by AZM to Giulia, but Giulia barely kicks out. AZM, Utami, and Momo all dropkick Giulia, AZM goes off the ropes and hits the La Mistica, but Giulia gets into the ropes for the break. Irish whip by AZM but Giulia reverses it, dropping her with the Glorious Buster. Syuri and Maika both come in to get their shots on AZM, knee by Giulia and she covers AZM, but it gets broken up. AZM picks up Giulia but Giulia pushers her off, she gets up AZM for a Glorious Buster again but AZM gets away and cradles Giulia for two. Giulia picks up AZM and hits a delayed Falcon Arrow, but AZM gets a shoulder up. Syuri and Maika return, with both Giulia and Syuri kicking AZM while Maika has her elevated in the air. Giulia picks up AZM and nails the Glorious Driver, cover by Giulia and she picks up the three count! Donna del Mondo are the new champions!

Its possible I loved this more than I should have, but man did I enjoy this match. Donna del Mondo just feel legitimately different and fresh in Stardom, which has a pretty set match structure they use throughout the card. Its a structure I enjoy, not really complaining, but when a group comes along and does things a bit different its a breath of fresh air. From Giulia cutting off AZM’s high speed segment, to Syuri cutting off the “taking turns” kicks with Momo, to just being dominate I thought everything clicked to make the group stand out. While I am afraid they will find some way to change them in the future, how they are currently being used is perfect. All six wrestlers looked good here even though not everyone got much of a chance to show off, with Utami in particular standing out on the Queen’s Quest team. The time just flew by as they kept the action going, and from start to finish its the most fun I’ve had watching a Stardom match in awhile. It probably won’t hold up in the long run, but watching it ‘in the moment’ I couldn’t think of a way to make it any better. Really great match.  Highly Recommended

(c) Arisa Hoshiki vs. Bea Priestley
Wonder of Stardom Championship

Bea won’t shake Arisa’s hand at the start of the match and instead immediately dropkicks her into the corner, elbows by Bea and she hits another dropkick for a two count. Bea grabs Arisa’s wrist and walks the ropes, but Arisa kicks her before she can do a move, sending to to the mat. Bea leaves the ring to re-group but returns after a moment, Irish whip by Arisa and she kicks Bea in the chest. Arisa walks on Bea’s midsection before hitting a double kneedrop, Irish whip by Arisa to the corner but Bea reverses it and hits a Backstabber for two. Bea picks up Arisa and hits a scoop slam, kick to the back by Bea and she chokes Arisa in the corner with her boot. Arisa fights back with elbows but Bea hits a dragon screw leg whip, she taunts Arisa and Arisa kicks her in the face. Arisa lays in the kicks while Bea is in the ropes, she wraps Bea’s arms around the second rope and goes out to the apron so she can kick her some more. Arisa returns to the ring and connects with a running kick to Bea’s back, Bea rolls out of the ring but Arisa goes out after her and hits the 1399 off the ropes to the floor. Arisa brings Bea back up onto the apron and applies a sleeper over the ropes before dragging her into the ring, she re-applies the choke but Bea gets a foot on the ropes for the break. Arisa kicks Bea before putting her in a leg lock, but again Bea gets to the ropes. Running knee to the head by Arisa, she goes off the ropes again but this time Bea catches her with a jumping knee. Cyclone neckbreaker by Bea, she puts Arisa in the corner and goes for the Queen’s Landing, but Arisa pushes her away.

Jumping Somato by Arisa, but Bea kicks out at two. Arisa goes for a kick but Bea ducks it and delivers a German suplex, she goes for a Regal Plex but Arisa blocks it and kicks her in the head. Arisa goes up top and hits the 1399, cover by Arisa but it gets a two count. Arisa goes for the Shining Star Cutter but Bea catches her before she can rebound off the ropes and delivers a German suplex. Bea goes off the ropes and knees Arisa in the back of the head, cover by Bea but Arisa gets a hand in the ropes. Bea applies an ankle hold, Arisa struggles but eventually gets to the ropes for the break. Bea stomps on Arisa and clubs her in the back, she runs to the corner to rebound out of it but Arisa catches her with a face crusher. Arisa grabs Bea by the wrists and knees her in the face, cover by Arisa but it gets a two count. Arisa goes for the Shining Impact but Bea moves out of the way and connects with a running knee of her own. They both slowly get up as they trade elbows, kick to the knee by Bea and she kicks Arisa in the side of the head for two. Bea picks up Arisa and delivers the Regal Plex, but Arisa gets a shoulder up. Bea knees Arisa in the back of the head as she starts to get up, she sets her up in the corner and kicks her in the face. Bea goes for the Queen’s Landing but Arisa reverses it with a front roll into a cradle. Back up, jumping knee by Bea and she goes for another knee, but Arisa catches it and hits a jumping knee of her own. Another jumping knee by Arisa, and she covers Bea for a two count. Arisa goes off the ropes and hits the Shining Star Cutter, she picks up Bea and drops her with the Brazilian Kick. Shining Impact by Arisa, and she covers Bea for the three count! Arisa Hoshiki wins and retains the championship.

This match was good but not without its issues. Bea and Arisa are both a bit… clunky sometimes, which isn’t the end of the world but when paired together there were some issues here and there with execution. Nothing earth-shattering, just little things like a move not being hit quite right or a spot looking awkward that can add up. Bea’s random ankle hold mid-way through the match just screamed “killing time” since she did no prior work on the leg, its one thing to do that to open a match but its different when its in the latter portion, it should mean something at that point. Still, when they were focusing on kneeing each other in the face they did well, and there was certainly a lot of that, and I think the fans really did buy into some of the nearfalls as they were very convincing. When they stuck to their strengths (throwing strikes mostly), it was good, but it didn’t reach the levels of some of Arisa’s recent title defenses.  Mildly Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Takumi Iroha

After a feeling out process to start they trade wristlocks, Takumi works a headlock until Mayu Irish whips out of it. They end up at a stalemate, Takumi kicks Mayu in the midsection but she waits for Mayu to get up without taking advantage. Mayu charges Takumi but Takumi puts her in an armbar, Mayu gets the break in the ropes but Takumi keeps on the offense. Takumi wraps Mayu’s arm in the ropes and yanks on it as she stays focused on her limb, she pulls Mayu out of the ring and rams her shoulder-first into the ring post. Takumi slides Mayu back in and hits a double knee to her arm, Takumi goes off the ropes but Mayu catches her with a Sling Blade. Mayu goes off the ropes and dropkicks Takumi out of the ring, Mayu goes to the top turnbuckle and dives out of the ring onto Takumi. Mayu rolls Takumi back in and goes up top, but Takumi avoids her dive, they trade attempted attacks in the corner until Mayu rolls Takumi to the mat and hits a dropkick. Takumi kicks Mayu in the chest, Mayu gets back up so Takumi kicks her in the chest again. Mayu returns to her feet but she is greeted by more kicks. Dropkick by Takumi, she picks up Mayu and hits a snap vertical suplex for a two count.

Takumi goes off the ropes but Mayu dropkicks her in the knee, she goes off the ropes but Takumi grabs her arm and kicks it. Takumi dropkicks Mayu in the arm before putting her in a Fujiwara Armbar, but Mayu makes it to the ropes for the break. Mayu rolls out of the ring to attempt to regroup but returns after a moment just to eat more kicks, Takumi grabs Mayu around the waist and spins her around before nailing a German suplex hold for a two count. Powerbomb by Takumi, but that gets a two count as well, so Takumi quickly transitions into a Fujiwara Armbar. Mayu gets to the ropes for the break, Takumi goes up top and she delivers the Swanton Bomb for two. Takumi picks up Mayu and goes for the Running Three, but Mayu blocks it and cradles Takumi for two. Kick to the head by Mayu, she goes up top and hits the diving footstomp. Mayu goes up top again but Takumi recovers and kicks her in the head before she can jump off. Takumi joins Mayu up top and delivers a delayed superplex, Takumi waits for Mayu to return to her feet and kicks her in the chest. Mayu catches one of the kicks and hits a dragon screw, Scorpion Deathlock by Mayu but Takumi is too close to the ropes and makes it there to break the hold.

Mayu picks up Takumi but Takumi elbows her, Mayu elbows her back and they trade blows. Mayu ducks Takumi’s kick combination and hits a German suplex hold, getting a two count. Mayu goes up top and delivers the Frog Splash, but Takumi gets a shoulder up. Mayu goes up top again and nails the moonsault, but again Takumi kicks out. Mayu goes for a dragon suplex but Takumi grabs the ropes to block it, Mayu puts Takumi in the corner and goes for the Running Three, but Mayu slides away. Dodonpa by Mayu, but it gets two. Mayu goes for the Two Stage Dragon Suplex but Takumi blocks it, hard elbow by Takumi but Mayu fires back with a superkick. Head kick by Takumi and she drops Mayu with another powerbomb, Last Ride Powerbomb by Takumi but Mayu barely kicks out. Takumi sets up Mayu for the Running Three, but Mayu reverses it into a hurricanrana for a two count. Kick combination to the head by Takumi, but Mayu reverses her cover into one of her own for a two count. Back up, another head kick by Takumi and this time she nails the Running Three for the three count cover! Takumi Iroha is the winner.

The lasting memory from this match will be the last five minutes or so, when Takumi was just killing Mayu in a variety of entertaining ways. That’s not to say there was nothing good about the lead-up, as Takumi’s arm work was solid and Mayu had her fair share of offense so it wasn’t too one-side, but the last few minutes were just a clinic on how to put down an opponent. Mayu is very hard to pin, so it seemed perfectly reasonable that it would take a head kick, a powerbomb, a Last Ride, another kick combination, a head kick, and a Running Three within a couple minutes of each other to finally keep Mayu on the mat. Takumi carries herself as such a weapon that she feels different than anyone else in Stardom, she just has an aura to her and she delivers on that visual promise with her in-ring performances. She’d work out great in Stardom as a long term outsider since they don’t have anyone quite like her, but even if she just pops in a few times a year I won’t complain. A really entertaining match between two of the better wrestlers in Japan and a great way to end the event.  Highly Recommended

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