A few times a year, Stardom releases a ‘complete’ photobook that features all the wrestlers that have been recently active in the promotion.  While it was advertised as a “Photo and Interview Book,” the vast majority of the book is pictures. The following wrestlers are featured in the photobook:

• Kairi Hojo
• Mayu Iwatani
• Yoko Bito
• Io Shirai
• Toni Storm
• HZK
• Jungle Kyona
• Hiromi Mimura
• Natsuko Tora
• AZM
• Arisu Nanase
• Konami
• Kris Wolf
• Viper
• Kay Lee Ray
• Nixon Newell
• Shayna Baszler
• Deonna Purrazzo
• Zoe Lucas
• Christi Jaynes
• Jessicka Havok
• Tessa Blanchard
• Rosa Negra
• Hetzza

The last ten pages feature interviews with the gaijin talent, however the interviews are in Japanese. Here is a look at some of the pictures in the photobook:

The post Stardom World Vol. 2 Photobook Review appeared first on Joshi City.

With the upcoming Mae Young Classic in WWE, I thought it would be fun to upload a match from each of the participants with matches in Japan (that I had a copy of). Not all the matches are necessarily great, but do show them in a different environment.

• Nanae Takahashi vs. Mercedes Martinez in Stardom on 7/24/11
• Crazy Mary Dobson (Sarah Logan) vs. Mia Yim vs. Leah Von Dutch in REINA on 6/9/12
• Alpha Female vs. Nanae Takahashi in Stardom on 3/17/13
• Alex Lee vs. Carmen Rose vs. Demi Bennett (Rhea Ripley) in REINA on 5/5/15
• Princesa Sugehit vs. Maki Narumiya in REINA on 5/5/15
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Evie (Dakota Kai) in Stardom on 2/21/16
• Candice LaRae and Joey Ryan vs. Daisuke Sasaki and Shuji Ishikawa in DDT on 3/26/16
• Kairi Hojo (Kairi Sane) vs. Santana Garrett in Stardom on 5/15/16
• Kairi Hojo (Kairi Sane) and Yoko Bito vs. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell in Stardom in Stardom on 1/15/17
• Io Shirai vs. Viper (Piper Niven) in Stardom on 1/15/17
• Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler in Stardom on 2/23/17
• Toni Storm vs. Jungle Kyona in Stardom on 3/20/17
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Jungle Kyona vs. Jessicka Havok and Tessa Blanchard in Stardom on 5/14/17

The post Mae Young Classic Wrestlers in Japan appeared first on Joshi City.

Championships Held: AIW Women’s Championship, PREMIER Women’s Championship
Tournaments Won: None
Awards Won: None

Notable Matches in Japan:

• February 23rd, 2017 vs. Io Shirai
• March 5th, 2017 vs. Toni Storm

Signature Moves:

• Gotch-Style Suplex
• Sleeper Hold

In Action:

Coming Soon 

Back to Gaijin Invaders

The post Shayna Baszler appeared first on Joshi City.

We are back again with Stardom! I know I just reviewed them, I am emotionally torn between wanting to mix up what promotions I review but also wanting to stay as current as I can. And it doesn’t get much more current than this, as this show aired on both Samurai TV! and Stardom World on Sunday. This is a really big show for Stardom and is chock full of interesting matches once you get past the opener. Four championships are on the line, plus we get a special singles match between Konami and Yoko Bito! Here is the full card:

• AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Zoe Lucas vs. Hiromi Mimura and Arisu Nanase vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
• Konami vs. Yoko Bito
• SWA World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo
• High Speed Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu vs. Kris Wolf
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo vs. Jungle Kyona
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler

As always, you can click on the wrestlers’ names above to go to their profile. I am watching the Stardom World version but using GIFs from the Samurai TV! version, since I like to watch the event unclipped but the Samurai TV! version offers a better visual.

AZM and HZK vs. Christi Jaynes and Zoe Lucas vs. Hiromi Mimura and Arisu Nanase vs. Kaori Yoneyama and Natsuko Tora
Tag Team Elimination Match

All eight brawl to start, Yoneyama stays in with AZM and AZM dropkicks Yoneyama in the chest. Hiromi and Zoe are up next, they trade wristlocks until Zoe rams Hiromi back into the corner. Yoneyama tags herself in but Zoe knees her in the head, Christi comes in too but Yoneyama avoids their kicks and puts them both in a submission hold. Arisu and Hiromi charge the ring and dropkick Natsuko and Yoneyama, but then AZM and HZK stumble in and attack Hiromi and Arisu. They both connect with running boots in the corner, HZK stays in with Hiromi and goes off the ropes, but Christi kicks her from the apron. Christi tags herself in (this makes no sense in an elimination match), Hiromi and Christi trade elbows, Hiromi goes for a crossbody but Christi catches her and hits a backbreaker. Christi goes for a kick but Hiromi ducks it and hits a low crossbody for a two count. DDT by Hiromi, Arisu runs in and clears all their opponents off the apron before going back so Hiromi could tag her in. Zoe is tagged in too and she goes to suplex Arisu, but Arisu reverses it into an inside cradle for two. Cross leglock by Arisu, Hiromi and Christi come in which leads to Christi being put in a leglock as well. Zoe gets out of the hold, Arisu picks her up and hits a double wrist armsault for two. Back up, kicks by Zoe and she covers Arisu for the three count! Arisu Nanase and Hiromi Mimura are eliminated.

HZK and AZM quickly come in but Zoe hits a crossbody on both of them, Zoe holds HZK for Christi but Christi dropkicks Zoe by accident. AZM dropkicks Christi, HZK then goes up top and delivers a seated senton for the three count! Zoe Lucas and Christi Jaynes are eliminated.

This leaves Queen’s Quest and Yoneyama/Natsuko. AZM and Natsuko become the legal wrestlers, kicks by AZM and she suplexes Natsuko. Another suplex by AZM, she picks up Natsuko but Natsuko hits a side Russian leg sweep. She goes for a senton but AZM rolls out of the way and hits a satellite schoolboy, but Yoneyama breaks it up. Yoneyama and Natsuko are stacked in the corner but they both avoid AZM’s charge and get the upper hand. Yoneyama and Natsuko go up to different corners but both are pushed off and land on the apron. HZK and AZM go off the ropes and dropkick them to the floor, eliminating them from the match! AZM and HZK are the winners.

A necessary result, if AZM and HZK are going to be taken seriously at all they have to win a match like this. The logic was missing here, in an elimination match there is no reason to tag yourself in, just stay on the apron and let the other teams eliminate each other. But that is wrestling for you. Not a bad opener as it was generally fast paced, but the action wasn’t always great and the structure was all over the place. Accomplished its goal but nothing really worth noting.

Konami vs. Yoko Bito

Konami kicks Bito to start while trying to stay out of Bito’s range, elbows by Konami and both wrestlers avoid each other’s kicks before Bito rolls up Konami for two. Bito puts Konami on the apron and hits a leg sweep, sending Konami to the floor. Konami gets on the apron and Bito tries to kick her, but Konami catches her leg and elbows it repeatedly. Back in, Konami keeps on Bito’s leg, Bito goes for a high kick but Konami catches her leg and applies an ankle hold. Bito gets to the ropes to force the break, kicks by Konami and she goes off the ropes, but Bito catches her with a boot to the face. Bito goes for a suplex but Konami lands on her feet and applies a sleeper, Bito tosses her off but Konami quickly applies a grounded necklock. Bito gets out of the hold and hits a vertical suplex, kick by Bito and she covers Konami for two. Back up, Bito goes for a high kick but Konami ducks it, release German by Konami and she delivers a Buzzsaw Kick for a two count. Konami goes up top but Bito elbows her and joins Konami, they trade elbows until Bito hits a superplex. Bito picks up Konami and goes for the B Driver but Konami gets out of it and applies an ankle hold. Bito again makes it to the ropes, kick combination by Konami and she covers Bito for two. Konami goes off the ropes but Bito drills her with a head kick, Doll B by Bito and she finishes off Konami with the B Driver for the three count! Yoko Bito is the winner.

Konami has to lose these matches, she is the young Freelancer, but I hope that Stardom sees the same things that a lot of fans see when Konami wrestles – she’s pretty fantastic at it. Honestly Bito was better here than I’ve seen her in awhile, I am not sure if being against another striker made her more comfortable laying in her own kicks but she was more snug than usual. I love that Konami rarely lets her opponents get too much offense in a row, she did the same thing with Io where each time Bito had an advantage suddenly Konami would slap on a sleeper or an ankle hold. She’ll just find any way to get back in control. And Bito showed Konami a lot of respect as even though it was a short match, she finished her off with three finisher-level moves to pick up the win. Really solid match and a good showing by both wrestlers.  Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo
SWA World Championship

Storm and Purrazzo lock knuckles to start, Storm gets Purrazzo to the mat but Purrazzo puts her in a headscissors. They return to their feet, after a headbutt Purrazzo jumps out of the ring but Storm quickly follows with a somewhat sloppy tope suicida. Back in, Purrazzo knocks Storm back, snapmare by Purrazzo and she boots Storm in the chest for two. Running kneedrop by Purrazzo and she tries a few quick pins, but Storm reverses one of them and the two trade elbows. Purrazzo goes for a kneelift but Storm avoids it and hits a release German, running hip attack by Storm and she hits a fisherman suplex for two. Storm goes for a piledriver but Purrazzo gets out of it and applies a short armbar, but Storm gets to the ropes. Kneelift by Purrazzo and she chops Storm in the corner, but Storm avoids her charge and hits a Backstabber for a two count. Purrazzo quickly goes back to the arm but Storm rolls out of it, she goes for a suplex but Purrazzo blocks it and goes back to the short armbar. Storm kicks Purrazzo in the head to get out of it, another Backstabber by Storm and she nails the piledriver for the three count! Toni Storm retains the championship.

Both of these women are fine wrestlers, but I am still having an issue with these matches not feeling like title matches. It wasn’t very long and they really didn’t have much of a chance to tell a story. Purrazzo kept going for short armbars but there was no work on the arm previously, I never felt like it was a tactic that would work and she wasn’t making it interesting by going for a variety of moves to weaken the arm. Storm didn’t do a lot to get the win as Purrazzo went from perfectly fine to pinned after a quick series of moves. For just a run of the mill gaijin midcard match it was decent enough, but for a championship match it was disappointing.

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kagetsu vs. Kris Wolf
High Speed Championship

As predicted, Wolf and Kagetsu start off working together against Mayu, she hits a double crossbody on both of them but is tripped from the apron by Hana Kimura. The double teaming continues, Mayu dropkicks Wolf and armdrags Kagetsu, Kagetsu quickly rolls up both of them for two which Wolf doesn’t appreciate. They do a triple wristlock, Mayu is kicked in the stomach by both but Mayu avoids their dropkicks and knocks them both out of the ring. Mayu goes up top but Wolf and Kagetsu run away before she can dive off and Mayu chases them, the chase abruptly ends however when Hana trips Mayu and she crashes hard to the floor. After Mayu is attacked on the apron, including the spot where Wolf carries a band into the crowd and snaps it back into Mayu’s face. Wolf goes to do it again but Mayu knocks the band back at her instead, she finally has Kagetsu alone in the ring but Kagetsu hits a spear. Mayu comes back with a Sling Blade, high kick by Kagetsu but Mayu delivers a superkick. Crucifix slam by Mayu, but Wolf breaks up the cover. Wolf goes to run off the ropes but Mayu grabs her tail, Backstabber by Wolf and she holds Mayu for Kagetsu, but Mayu moves when Kagetsu swandives into the ring.

Kagetsu slams on the breaks before hitting Wolf and they double team Mayu in the corner, Mayu fights back with a superkick to Kagetsu before flinging Wolf onto her. Diving footstomp by Mayu to Wolf (who is still on top of Kagetsu), Mayu goes for the dragon suplex on Kagetsu but Wolf rolls her up from behind for a two count. They both take turns covering Iwatani with no luck, they start disagreeing so Wolf schoolboys Kagetsu for two. Kagetsu pushes Wolf and slams her back into the corner before tying Wolf to the ropes by her tail. Kagetsu tries to hit Mayu with some luggage but Mayu kicks it out of her hand and hits a German suplex hold for a two count. Mayu goes up top and hits a diving footstomp, cover by Mayu but Wolf frees herself and tries to break it up. Mayu moves and Wolf accidentally knees Kagetsu instead, suplex by Wolf to Mayu but it gets two. Knee by Wolf and she covers Iwatani, but Kagetsu throws the luggage at her to break it up. Mayu superkicks both Kagetsu and Wolf, but they come back with an assisted slam. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu to Mayu but Wolf jumps over her and holds down both Mayu and Kagetsu for the three count! Kris Wolf is the new champion!

It is hard for me to be subjective here, since I am a big fan of Kris Wolf and have been closely following her career since she debuted in August of 2014. She is that fun and feisty wrestler that all promotions need, she isn’t a threat to be the Ace but she has an important role and has worked hard at improving. She missed several months due to concussions but came back with even more fire and antics; she has been a pleasure to watch. This match had some cute spots but obviously was limited by the triple threat rules, everything was hit smoothly though as they have a lot of practice together. I would have liked Mayu to have lost the belt after having it for so long in a bigger match with more of a rub to whomever beat her, but this was an easy way to get the belt off of her without her really losing anything as she continues her feud with Io. A fun lighthearted match, maybe not what you’d hope for in a title match but the High Speed Championship isn’t taken too seriously most of the time. A big moment for Kris, and much deserved.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Kairi Hojo vs. Jungle Kyona
Wonder of Stardom Championship

They immediately get into it as Kyona throws Kairi into the corner, elbows by Kairi and they trade shots. Dropkick by Kairi, sending Kyona out of the ring, Kairi goes out after her but Kyona moves when she charges in which causes Kairi to run into the ring post. Kyona slams Kairi into the apron before hitting a back bodydrop, she rolls Kairi back in and puts her in a backbreaker. Body avalanche by Kyona, and she covers Kairi for a two count. Crab hold by Kyona but Kairi gets into the ropes, she returns to her feet as they trade elbows until Kairi delivers a spear. Kyona falls out of the ring, Kairi goes up top and dives out onto her with a plancha. Kairi slides Kyona back in, Kairi goes up top and she hits a diving elbow strike for two. Ankle hold by Kairi but Kyona gets in the ropes, Kairi stomps on Kyona and starts working on her lower back. Kyona fights back with elbows but Kairi slaps her in the chest, flipping neckbreaker by Kairi and she covers Kyona for two. Final Cut by Kairi, she goes up top but Kyona recovers and joins her, they go back and forth until Kyona powerslams Kairi down to the mat for a two count. Kyona and Kairi trade elbows as they slowly get up, clubbing blows by Kyona but Kairi hits a spear.

Kyona holds on from the spear and slams Kairi to the mat, back up Kyona puts Kairi in a sleeper and spins her around before taking Kairi to the mat. Powerslam by Kyona, she goes up top and delivers a diving body press for a two count cover. Kyona deadlifts Kairi up but Kairi slides away and rolls up Kyouna for two. Kairi picks up Kyona but Kyona blocks the Alabama Slam and hits a powerbomb for a two count. Kyona deadlifts Kairi again, spins her around and nails a sit-down powerbomb but Kairi barely gets a shoulder up. Kyona picks up Kairi and hits a lariat, but Kairi rolls through the cover. Kyouna goes off the ropes but Kairi smacks her with a backhand, more spinning backhands by Kairi and she covers Kyona for a two count. Sliding D by Kairi, she picks up Kyona and delivers End Voyage but Kyona kicks out at two. Kairi gets Kyona near the corner and hits an Alabama Slam, Kyona grabs her as she tries to go up top but Kairi comes back and hits an elbow drop onto her ribs. Kairi goes up again but Kyona slowly joins her, Kairi knocks her down in a Tree of Woe and delivers the Marine Spike. Kairi goes back up top one last time, she nails the Diving Elbow Drop and she picks up the three count! Kairi Hojo retains the championship.

One of the best matches I have seen in Joshi so far this year. Anyone that is unsure of Kyona’s future in Stardom needs to watch this match, she is one of the best wrestlers to debut in the last two years in Japan. She’s stealthy strong but so crisp, she very rarely makes mistakes or looks out of place, everything is so smooth. I loved her trying so hard at the end to stop Kairi from climbing the top turnbuckle, she knew if Kairi hit the diving elbow drop she was done and was using every ounce of strength she had to prevent Kairi from hitting it. The swinging sleeper by Kyona was great and they did a good job mixing high spots, suplexes, strikes, and submissions so that the match stayed interesting throughout. A really entertaining match and a must-see, even if you aren’t familar with Kyona you won’t forget her after watching this one.  Highly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Shayna Baszler
World of Stardom Championship

Io won’t shake Shayna’s hand off the start and elbows her instead, Shayna quickly applies a sleeper but Io rolls away and they return to their feet. Io goes for a leapfrog but Shayna catches her and slams Io to the mat. Shayna picks up Io but Io wiggles away, Io goes off the ropes but Shayna knees her in the face. Shayna starts on Io’s arm, Io gets away after a moment and rolls out to the apron to re-group. She returns and puts Shayna in a stretch hold, but Shayna muscles out of it and slams Io again. Shayna quickly goes back to the arm, Io gets to the ropes but Shayna picks her up and slaps on the Sleeper. Io backs Shayna into the corner but Shayna applies the sleeper from the top turnbuckle until the referee forces her to break. Io quickly gets up and hits a springboard dropkick while Shayna is on the top turnbuckle, Frankensteiner by Io and Shayna quickly rolls out of the ring. Io goes up top and she dives way out over the corner onto Shayna on the floor, she sets up a chair on the floor and puts Shayna’s head in it. Io then dropkicks the chair, she then grabs the chair and throws it at Shayna. Io throws Shayna into the crowd before returning to the ring, with Shayna slowly following behind. Stomps by Io, she picks up Shayna and puts her in the armtrap crossface. Shayna gets to the ropes, Tiger Feint Kick by Io and she hits a swandive dropkick to the back of Shayna’s head.

Running double knee strike by Io in the corner and she covers Shayna for two. Io goes up top but Shayna smacks her before she can jump off, Shayna joins her and hits a gutwrench suplex down to the mat. Shayna rolls through it and hits a second one, cover by Shayna but Io gets a shoulder up. Shayna and Io trade elbows, kicks by Shayna and Io falls to the mat. Shayna goes for a running knee but Io move and delivers a German suplex hold. Shayna quickly puts her in a kimura but Io is too close to the ropes and forces the break. Shayna picks up Io and nails a high kick and spins Io into a sleeper hold, cover by Shayna but it gets a two count. Shayna picks up Io and hits a strike combination, Io runs over and headbutts Shayna before stomping her in the back. Moonsault to the back by Io, and she covers Shayna but as she kicks out, Shayna puts her in an armbar. Io gets out of it and puts Shayna in a Texas Cloverleaf, she release the hold after a moment and hits a package German hold for a two count. Io picks up Shayna and hits a tombstone piledriver, moonsault by Io and she picks up the three count! Io Shirai retains the World of Stardom Championship!

The best thing about this match is it just felt different than most of Io’s recent gaijin defenses. Shayna’s offense is unique (especially compared to other Stardom wrestlers), and in the biggest wrestling match in her career she really stepped up as this is the longest and most complete match I’ve ever seen her in. Her selling was also really good, as Io targeted the back and Shayna was holding it throughout the match, and it did indirectly lead to Io winning. Io’s dive outside the ring was impressive and the ending stretch was really well done. They had a tough match to follow but I think they really delivered, a quality main event and a fitting ending to a great show.  Recommended

The post Stardom “Stardom of Champions 2017” on 2/23/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

It is time for some February reviews! Up first is Stardom, this month the two Stardom shows I will be reviewing are this show and their big event on 2/23. I chose this one because it looked like the second best of the bunch on paper, plus I really love Konami and wanted to see her against Io Shirai. We also have one title match here, as Viper challenges Toni Storm for the SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship. Here is the full card:

• Kris Wolf vs. Ruaka
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Zoe Lucas
• Jungle Kyona, Arisu Nanase, and Natsuko Tora vs. Shayna Baszler, Deonna Purrazzo, and Christi Jaynes
• Io Shirai vs. Konami
• SWA World Championship: Toni Storm vs. Viper
• Io Shirai and HZK vs. Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito

You can click on the names above to go to their profiles on the site, since this was shown on Stardom World it is unclipped.

Kris Wolf vs. Ruaka

Wolf and Ruaka lock knuckles before trading wristlocks, Wolf puts Ruaka in the ropes and stretches her face. Wolf elbows Ruaka in the corner and puts her across the ropes, she then stands up on her back and and poses in the corner. Running knee by Wolf, and she covers Ruaka for a two count. Ruaka fights back as they trade elbows, snapmare by Wolf and she puts Ruaka in a crab hold. Ruaka gets to the ropes, Wolf picks her up and she slams Ruaka in front of the corner. Wolf gets on the second turnbuckle but Ruaka avoids her dive and boots Wolf in the chest. Running boot by Ruaka in the corner, she goes for a slam but Wolf blocks it. Reverse STO by Ruaka and she rolls up Wolf, but Wolf reverses it. Knees by Wolf and she hits a running knee in the corner, snapmare by Wolf and she kicks Ruaka in the back. Scoop slam by Wolf, she gets on the second turnbuckle and she delivers the diving kneedrop for the three count! Kris Wolf is the winner.

Even on the Stardom Opener Scale this was pretty basic, but when one of the wrestlers is 12 years old that is to be expected. Kris Wolf was fun as always but she was nicer than usual, no biting or poking. Nothing offensive but not much to it.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Zoe Lucas

After trading wristlocks to start, Zoe gets Hiromi to the mat but Hiromi quickly wiggles away and they return to their feet. Zoe wants a Test of Strength but Hiromi can’t reach the high so she kicks her instead, Hiromi goes off the ropes but Zoe kicks Hiromi in the chest. Knee by Zoe and she puts Hiromi in a guillotine, but Hiromi gets out of it and dropkicks Zoe in the corner. Shoulder tackle by Zoe but Hiromi ducks the PK and rolls up Zoe for two. Running crossbody by Hiromi, she rolls Zoe to the mat and she applies a leglock. Zoe gets into the ropes for the break, Hiromi tries to slam Zoe but Zoe blocks it. High kick by Zoe and she hits a fisherman suplex hold for a two count. Back up they trade elbows until Hiromi sneaks in a backslide for two, La Magistral by Hiromi but that gets a two count as well. High kick by Zoe, Hiromi goes off the ropes but Zoe kicks her in the head again. Spin Kick by Zoe and she picks up the three count! Zoe Lucas wins!

I try to be a positive happy kind of guy but this was bad. Its not something I can defend or try to find the bright side of, there is nothing particularly good here. I never have seen Zoe before so maybe this was an issue of wrestling in a new promotion against a new wrestler but she looked very stiff and awkward. Hiromi was her usual self but she needs someone really good to pull her up and it didn’t happen here. Even the ending looked partially botched, which I think was Hiromi being out of position but who knows. Not a good first impression for a wrestler on her first Stardom tour.

Jungle Kyona, Arisu Nanase, and Natsuko Tora vs. Shayna Baszler, Purrazzo, and Jaynes

Kyona and Shayna start things off, they try to shoulderblock each other over but neither can, so Shayna kicks Kyona to the mat. Kyona comes back with a hard shoulderblock to send Shayna off her feet, she quickly gets up and connects with a strike combination. She tags in Deonna, Christi comes in too but Kyona hits a double crossbody on both of them. Natsuko and Arisu jump in the ring and Deonna is triple teamed in the corner before posing on her. Kyona tags in Natsuko, shoulderblocks by Natsuko and she hits a body press on Deonna for two. Deonna fights back with elbows, kneelift by Deonna and she rakes Natsuko’s eyes with her boot. Deonna tags Shayna in, kicks by Shayna and she tags in Christi. Christi twists Natsuko’s arm in the ropes before Shayna returns, as they take turns attacking the rookie. Natsuko fights back against Christi and dropkicks her into the corner, she crawls to her corner and makes the hot tag to Arisu. Elbows by Arisu to Christi and she dropkicks her, Kyona come sin to help but so does Shayna. Arisu hits a spinning headscissors onto Shayna and hits a crossbody on Christi, but Christi drops her with a STO.

Enzuigiri by Christi, but the cover is broken up. She tags in Deonna, she picks up Arisu and hits a neckbreaker for a two count. Arisu gets away and dropkicks Deonna, giving her time to tag in Kyona. Backdrop suplex by Kyona but Deonna retorts with a release German, she gets to her corner and tags Shayna. Natsuko is tagged in too and she dropkicks Shayna, but Shayna spears her for a two count. Shayna goes for a cross armbreaker but Kyona breaks it up, Kyona picks up Shayna and with Natsuko they hit a double shoulderblock. Senton by Natsuko, but Shayna kicks out. Christi comes in but Kyona lariats her, while Natsuko keeps the attack on Shayna. Natsuko gets on the second turnbuckle but Shayna grabs her and hits a bridging vertical suplex for two. Fisherman Buster by Shayna, but Kyona breaks up the pin. Arisu comes in too but Shayna suplexes both of them, she kicks Natsuko in the stomach and delivers a rolling gutwrench suplexes for the three count! Shayna Baszler, Deonna Purrazzo, and Christi James are the winners.

This match really lagged some towards the beginning and I was concerned, but it picked up at the end and turned out to be a decent match. Christi is still early in her career but never looked lost, easy to hide new wrestlers in six wrestler tag matches but no one in this one stood out as being out of place. Shayna continues to impress, and Kyona asserted herself as ready to continue her ascension up the card. Nothing overly exciting but an above average midcard match.

Io Shirai vs. Konami

Io won’t shake hands before the match, Konami gets Io on the ground first but Io switches positions with her and both return to their feet. Io pushes Konami into the ropes, Konami switches positions with her and instead of giving a clean break she kicks Io in the head. Punches and knees by Konami and she kicks Io in the chest for a two count cover. Waistlock by Konami but Io gets into the ropes, knees by Konami but Io ducks the PK and rolls Konami up before kicking her in the back of the head. Dropkick by Io and she knees Konami into the corner, Io goes up top and she delivers a missile dropkick. Io picks up Konami but she blocks the facebuster and puts Io in an ankle hold. Io inches to the ropes to force a break, kicks to the leg by Konami but Io knocks her back. Kick to the stomach by Konami and she dropkicks Io in the leg, Konami charges Io but Io moves out of the way and dropkicks Konami. Dragon screw by Io and she hits the running double knee in the corner, double underhook facebuster by Io and she covers Konami for a two count. Io goes for the moonsault but Konami kicks her in the leg before she can jump off, Konami pulls Io off the turnbuckles and puts her in a sleeper. Schoolboy into an ankle hold by Konami, release German by Konami and she nails the Buzzsaw Kick for two. Konami picks up Io and applies an ankle hold into a pin, but Io kicks out and rolls up Konami with the Magistra del Io for the three count! Io Shirai sneaks out a win.

Let me count the ways I loved this match. Just for full disclosure, I will openly admit these are two of my favorite current wrestlers so naturally I am going to enjoy watching them face off. But the reason they are two of my favorite is because they are so damn good in the ring, and they immediately had chemistry. It was very different than the normal Io match as Konami dominated, Io never did her big comeback or got a chance to be cocky as Konami stayed on her from bell to bell. Io still won since she is a crafty veteran with a big bag of tricks, but it came across as Konami having her number and Io having to get the win by any means. I wish it was longer of course, I’d love to see them in a main-event style match, but for a sub-10 minute match I thought it was fantastic. If you haven’t seen Konami before, just two years into her career she is already great at what she does, a really fun match.  Highly Recommended

(c) Toni Storm vs. Viper
SWA World Championship

After trading waistlocks and wristlocks Storm gets Viper to the mat, she starts working on Viper’s arm but Viper trips her and applies a leglock. Storm gets out of it and applies a headlock, headscissors by Viper but Storm gets out of it and shakes Viper’s hand as she lets her back up. Storm and Viper lock knuckles, monkey flip by Viper but they reach another stalemate. Hard shoulderblock by Viper, armdrag by Viper but Storm rolls her up for a two count. Viper returns the favor before they return to their feet again, Storm rakes Viper in the eyes and chops her in the corner. Viper jumps out to the apron but Storm boots her down to the floor, she gets a start off the far ropes and hits a tope suicida. Stomps by Storm and she tries to chop Viper against the post, but Viper moves out of the way. Storm rolls Viper back into the ring but Viper hits a crossbody as Storm returns herself.

Viper chops Storm in the corner, Storm fights back with elbows but Viper hits a crossbody for two. Viper jumps on the second turnbuckle and hits a quick tornado DDT, running butt smash by Storm and she covers Viper for a two count. Storm goes for a piledriver but Viper blocks it, she puts Storm on the top turnbuckle and Storm goes for another tornado DDT, but Viper blocks it and slams her to the mat. Cannonball by Viper, and she covers Storm for two. Viper picks up Storm but Storm slides away, headbutt by Viper but Storm headbutts her back. Backstabber by Storm, but Viper kicks out of the pin. Storm goes up top and delivers a diving leg drop, and again Viper barely gets a shoulder up. Storm goes off the ropes but Viper grabs her and hits a Michinoku Driver. Cover by Viper, but Storm rolls out of it and holds down Viper’s shoulders for a three count! Toni Storm is still the champion.

This match was weird. I don’t even know how to describe it. The first third was mat wrestling and a few “mutual respect” spots. Then it went straight to be moves (tope suicida, tornado DDT, etc.) before going into the home stretch with very little build. It wasn’t that anything they did was bad, but the way it was structured I never really got into the match. The action itself was generally smooth, just as a match it didn’t really do anything for me, it lacked the passion and the sense of urgency you’d like to see in a title match. Two good wrestlers but a disappointing match between them.

Io Shirai and HZK vs. Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito

Kairi and HZK begin the match, quick dropkick by HZK but Kairi chops her to the mat. Elbows by HZK and she hits another dropkick, mounted elbows by HZK but Kairi trades positions with her and hits elbows of her own. HZK throws down Kairi by her hair repeatedly, Io grabs Kairi from the apron but Bito grabs HZK as well. Io gets in the ring and they double team Kairi, Bito comes in too however and they dropkick Io and HZK out of the ring. Kairi then gets on the top turnbuckle and dives out of the ring onto both of them, while Bito holds them in place. Kairi rolls HZK back in, Kairi slams HZK to the mat and covers her for two. She tags in Bito, kicks by Bito and she dropkicks HZK in the chest. Kairi is tagged back in, she knocks Io off the apron and invites Bito into the ring so they can double team HZK some more. Kairi picks up HZK but HZK hits a double chop and tags in Io. Bito immediately comes in too but Io dropkicks both of them, Io knees Kairi in the corner and covers her for two. Io tags HZK, HZK throws Kairi in the corner and nails a running boot to Kairi’s face. HZK puts Io in a camel clutch before hitting a curb stomp, Io returns and she kicks Kairi around the ring. Chops by Io but Kairi levels her with a spear and tags in Bito. Bito picks up Io and dropkicks her in the corner, vertical suplex by Bito and she suplexes HZK onto Io for a two count. Bito tries to PK Io but Io ducks it and puts Bito in the armtrap crossface, Kairi tries to help but HZK intercepts her and puts her in the same hold. Bito crawls to the ropes and eventually makes it for the break, Io goes for the Tiger Feint Kick but Bito ducks it and makes the hot tag to Kairi.

Kairi snaps Io’s leg and elbows it while it is in the ropes, she goes up top and hits a diving elbow smash for a two count. Kairi applies an ankle hold but Io kicks her away, Io is up first but Kairi hits a headscissors into a roll-up for two. Stretch Muffler by Kairi, Io stands up to get out of it but Kairi hits an Alabama Slam. She climbs up top but HZK grabs her from the apron, this gives Io times to recover and she hits a Frankensteiner. Running double knee by Io in the corner, but she hurts her own leg in the process, Kairi elbows Io but Io hits a palm strike and both wrestlers fall to the mat. They both crawl to their respective corners and tag out, Bito tosses HZK out to the apron before hitting a leg sweep and a kick to the back. Bito goes up top and hits a missile dropkick, cover by Bito but it gets two. Kairi then goes up top and hits a footstomp while HZK is hanging over the top rope, vertical suplex by Bito and Kairi goes for a backfist, but HZK ducks and Kairi hits Bito by accident. Swandive missile dropkick by Io to Kairi while HZK kicks Bito in the head, Manami Roll by HZK but Bito kicks out of the cover. Io and HZK double team Bito, Bito fights back and temporarily regains the advantage until Io helps HZK hit a tornado DDT. Assisted moonsault by Io to Bito, jackknife cover by HZK but Kairi breaks it up. HZK goes to the second turnbuckle and hits a diving senton, but Bito gets a shoulder up. HZK goes up top but Bito recovers and joins her, Io hits Bito from behind and powerbombs Bito. Io goes for a moonsault but Bito rolls out of the way, Kairi hits a diving elbow drop on Io while Bito hits a superplex on HZK. Sliding D/kick combination to HZK, Bito picks up HZK and hits the B-Driller for the three count! Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito are the winners!

A solid house show main event but that’s about it. I really don’t think that Bito is on the level of Kairi or Io, at least not yet. She is still a bit awkward, which she was back in 2012 as well, she is good with strikes but is generally not as fluid as a lot of the other wrestlers in Stardom. HZK wasn’t asked to do as much but looked good in what she did, and Io remembering her injured leg (maybe even carrying it over from the previous match) was a nice touch. An entertaining home stretch and generally a fun match, but pretty standard with nothing to set it apart from other similar matches these teams have had the last few months.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom Kyoto Stars on 2/4/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

As I mentioned in my review of the Stardom show on January 8th, on this tour Stardom happened to bring in quite a few wrestlers that I like so I am looking forward to this event. The show lost a big match when Mayu Iwatani was too sick to wrestle Momo Watanabe for the High Speed Championship, so Momo got thrown into a different match instead. But we still do have two title matches, with Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell challenging for the tag team championship and Viper challenging for the World of Stardom Championship. Here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase and Azumi vs. Ruaka and Natsuko Tora
• HZK vs. Konami vs. Kris Wolf
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Saori Anou
• Jungle Kyona vs. Momo Watanabe vs. Shayna Baszler
• Goddess of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito vs. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell
• World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs. Viper

Clicking on the names above will take you to that wrestler’s profile on Joshi City. Since I am watching the Stardom World version of the show, it will be shown in full but no multi-cam setup.

Arisu Nanase and Azumi vs. Ruaka and Natsuko Tora

Arisu and Natsuko start the match and they lock-up, Natsuko pushes Arisu into the ropes but she gives a mostly clean break. Azumi attacks Natsuko from behind and they double team her in the corner, but Natsuko snapmares Arisu and kicks her in the back. Natsuko tags in Ruaka, she kicks Arisu back into her own corner which allows her to tag in Azumi. Front necklock by Azumi to Ruaka and she throws her into the corner, but Ruaka elbows her and they trade strikes. Scoop slam by Azumi and she applies a crab hold, but Ruaka crawls to the ropes and forces the break. Natsuko tries to help but Azumi boots her off the apron and hits a footstomp onto Ruaka’s back. Ruaka is already in her corner so she tags Natsuko, shoulderblock by Natsuko to Azumi and she hits two more for a two count cover. Natsuko goes for a leg sweep but Azumi blocks it and hits a DDT. Dropkicks by Azumi and she applies a satellite roll-up for a two count. Azumi tags in Arisu, elbows by Arisu but Natsuko elbows her back. Natsuko throws down Arisu by her hair, Irish whip by Natsuko but Arisu rolls through it and hits a dropkick. Anther dropkick by Arisu but Natsuko hits a senton and tags in Ruaka. Big boot by Ruaka in the corner and she hits a second one, she goes for a scoop slam but Arisu blocks it. Natsuko comes in and hits a side Russian leg sweep on Arisu, big boot by Ruaka and she covers Arisu for two. Azumi comes in but Natsuko cuts her off, shoulderblock by Natsuko to Azumi but Arisu dropkicks her. Ruaka runs over and rolls up Arisu, but it only gets a two count. Back up, Reverse STO by Ruaka and she puts Arisu in a crab hold, but Arisu gets out of it and applies a jackknife cover for the three count! Arisu Nanase and Azumi win!

For an opening rookie match this was fine. It felt longer than it really was, which is never a good sign, and it lacked a veteran to help tie things together as the tag in/out transitions were pretty lackluster. But the action itself was ok, and Ruaka and Natsuko appear to be coming along nicely. Nothing special but nothing offensive either.

HZK vs. Konami vs. Kris Wolf

Kris Wolf immediately leaves the ring to sit in the crowd as the match starts, so HZK and Konami are alone in the ring. HZK and Konami trade holds until Kris suddenly returns to help Konami, they both kick HZK to the mat but Kris stops Konami when she goes for the cover. All three get back up and get into a triple knuckle lock, but HZK and Konami promptly kick Kris out of the ring. She returns and dropkicks Konami, but HZK dropkicks Kris back out and hits bootscrapes on Konami in the corner. HZK clubs Konami in the chest and covers her, but it only gets two. HZK goes off the ropes but Konami kicks her in the chest, running knee by Konami but that gets a two as well. Konami quickly goes for the cross armbreaker but Kris runs in and covers both of them for a two count. Enzuigiri by Kris to Konami and she hits a running knee in the corner, suplex by Kris but Konami kicks out of the cover. Kris goes off the ropes but HZK kicks her from the apron and snaps her neck over the top rope. Konami kicks HZK back to the floor and grabs Kris by the tail before hitting a release German. Buzzsaw Kick by Konami, but Kris barely gets a shoulder up. Konami applies a necklock but HZK breaks it up, she elbows Konami but Konami elbows her back and they trade shots. HZK punches Konami into the corner but Konami kicks her in the stomach, Konami charges HZK but HZK boots her in the head. HZK goes up top but Kris quickly runs in and covers Konami, so HZK has to hop back down to break up the pin. HZK goes off the ropes but Konami connects with a back kick, Konami charges HZK but HZK pulls down the top rope and Konami falls to the floor. Kris runs over and attacks HZK, she goes for a kick but HZK ducks it and applies the armtrap crossface. Bodyscissors by HZK, she rolls Kris around the ring before holding down her shoulders and getting the three count! HZK gets the win.

This was actually a lot better than I was expecting. Still a shortish early card match, but the action was really solid and they worked together well. Konami looked great, you wouldn’t have guessed this was her first tour with Stardom as she had good chemistry with both wrestlers. Kris trying to get the win by sneaky means throughout the match added a wrinkle to it, and the spots all connected well without any awkward moments. Hard to recommend a match like this in a vacuum, but for where it was on the card/expectations I thought it succeeded.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Saori Anou

Hiromi is all business here as they trade waistlocks, shoulderblock by Saori and she hits another, but Hiromi blocks the third with a drop toehold and dropkicks Saori near the ropes. Hiromi puts Saori in the ropes and dropkicks her a few more times, crab hold by Hiromi but Saori gets to the ropes for the break. Irish whip by Hiromi but Saori reverses it, dropkick by Hiromi but Saori fires back with a shoulderblock. Hiromi and Saori trade elbows, Saori wins the battle and gets Hiromi on her shoulders, but Hiromi slides off and stomps her to the mat. Hiromi goes off the ropes but Saori boots her and hits a sidewalk slam. Fisherman Suplex by Saori, and she covers Hiromi for two. Saori picks up Hiromi and hits a jumping knee in the corner, she goes for another one but Hiromi moves and schoolboys her for two. Elevated DDT by Hiromi and she hits a rebound bulldog out of the corner for another two count. Hiromi goes up top but Saori joins her before she can jump off, Hiromi slaps Saori back to the mat and hits a diving crossbody followed by La Magistral for two. Hiromi picks up Saori and applies a headlock, Saori punches out of it as Hiromi jumps up on the second turnbuckle, but Saori grabs her and hits rolling Fisherman Suplexes for a two count. Backslide by Hiromi, she charges Anou but Anou applies a backslide into a bridge for the three count! Saori Anou is the winner.

This was a touch better than their last match. Maybe. There are just too many small things that Hiromi doesn’t do quite right, her offense can look awkward (such as the bulldog) and she telegraphs transitions (such as sitting on the turnbuckles for no reason so Saori could suplex her off). Saori is solid but isn’t experienced enough to cover for these types of issues, so the match was just rough around the edges. Both are still early enough in their careers that it isn’t the end of the world, but I don’t think either are quite ready yet to be elevated higher on the card than they are right now.

Jungle Kyona vs. Momo Watanabe vs. Shayna Baszler

All three get into a knuckle lock to start, which Baszler wins with little issue and she puts both opponents in a headlock. Baszler locks both their arms before stacking Momo and Kyona in the corner, but both avoid her charge. Momo dropkicks Baszler but when Kyona goes after Baszler she is intercepted by a Momo dropkick. Momo quickly regrets this as Baszler kicks her repeatedly in the leg before a kick to the chest sends Momo to the mat. Baszler charges Momo but Momo dropkicks her, she charges again but she is caught in the ropes and Momo dropkicks her out of the ring. Kyona gives Momo a couple hard shoulderblocks but Momo gets away from her and kicks Kyona in the chest. Kyona kicks her back and applies the airplane spin before slamming Momo to the mat. Kyona picks up Momo and spins her into the returning Baszler, she puts them both into the corner and hits a body avalanche. Kyona goes for a face crusher on Baszler but Baszler slams on the breaks and hits a backdrop suplex. Baszler tries to pick up Kyona but Kyona flops to the mat, she finally gets her up as Momo gets on the second turnbuckle, but Baszler moves and Momo missile dropkicks Kyona on accident. Baszler charges Momo but Momo pulls down the top rope and Baszler lands out on the floor. Momo goes up top but Kyona avoids the avalanche Somato, hard shoulderblock by Kyona and she gets a two count. Momo and Kyona both go for backslides, Baszler comes back in the ring but she eats a double dropkick.

Kyona and Momo go off the ropes to do their old double team move, but Kyona instead hits a lariat onto Momo. Baszler punches Kyona, Momo tries to hit Baszler but she hits Kyona by accident. Double lariat by Baszler and she hits jumping knees on both Kyona and Momo in opposite corners. Baszler grabs Momo and suplexes her onto Kyona, double cover by Baszler but they kick out. Vertical suplex by Baszler to Momo, but Momo gets a shoulder up. Baszler kicks Momo and hits a dragon screw, she applies a kneelock but Kyona goes up top and hits a body press onto Momo, she covers her but Baszler breaks it up by picking her up and hitting rolling gutwrench suplexes. Cover, but Kyona kicks out. Baszler picks up Kyona and goes for the Waterwheel Drop, but Kyona slides away and goes off the ropes as she tries to lariat Baszler over. It doesn’t work, high kick by Baszler and she goes off the ropes, but Kyona finally does manage to lariat Baszler down. Cover by Kyona, but Momo breaks it up by hitting a Somato onto Kyona for a two count of her own. All three are slow to get up, but as they do Baszler hits a spear on Momo. Baszler picks up Kyona, Momo charges them but Baszler suplexes both of them to the mat. Baszler puts Kyona into a sleeper, once Kyona is out of it she spins her again and hits the Waterwheel Drop. Cover by Baszler and she gets the three count! Shayna Baszler wins!

All things considered, I thought they did a really good job. For a last minute situation, Momo and Kyona’s interactions were all on point as occasionally they’d have to work together since Baszler is so big, but other times they’d go after each other as bitter enemies. Kyona lariating Momo instead of doing their old move together was a great moment, showing that even if they sometimes helped each other here they were far from friends. Baszler looked good as she tends to, she hit her power moves well and looked like a dominate force and not a comedy act like in the last show I watched. Overall a pretty solid match that furthered a few storylines even if it wasn’t really planned.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito vs. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

Kay Lee Ray and Nixon attack Kairi and Yoko during the customary handshake but the champions quickly take back over. The challengers recover as Nixon picks up Kay Lee Ray so that Kay Lee Ray can kick both of their opponents and they both then hit jumping lariats. Kairi is thrown into the corner but she slides out onto the apron, Yoko comes in and she knocks both Kay Lee Ray and Nixon out of the ring. Kairi then goes up top and dives down onto the floor, but her opponents move and she lands on Yoko by accident. Nixon and Kay Lee Ray take Yoko and Kairi up on different sides of the stands, leading up to opposite balconies. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon then get onto their own balcony and dive down onto they opponents, they quickly sprint back to the ring while the referee starts his count. Kairi and Yoko are assisted back to the ring, Nixon stays in with Kairi so they appear to the the legal wrestlers as Nixon covers Kairi for a two count. Nixon tags in Kay Lee Ray, Kay Lee Ray stomps on Kairi and she hits a scoop slam for two. Nixon returns as the Kairi Beatdown continues, she briefly gets away but Nixon stops her from making the hot tag. Kicks by Nixon, she goes off the ropes but Kairi does too and she delivers the spear. Kay Lee Ray runs in but Kairi kicks her off and she finally makes the tag to Yoko.

Kicks by Yoko to everyone but Nixon and Kay Lee Ray catch her with a double vertical suplex. She fires back with a double lariat, Yoko then picks up Kay Lee Ray and drops her onto Nixon for a two count cover. Yoko goes up top and connects with a missile dropkick to Nixon, she picks her up but Nixon headbutts her and tags in Kay Lee Ray. Kay Lee Ray chops Yoko into the corner but Yoko delivers a head kick, they trade kicks until both of them fall to the mat. They both manage to tag out, Nixon superkicks Kairi and hits a pair of running elbows in the corner, but Kairi avoids the third. Rebound crossbody by Nixon out of the corner and she tags Kay Lee Ray, double superkick to Kairi and they connect with a catapult dropkick for two. Yoko comes in but eats a double headbutt, they go back to Kairi but Kairi drops them with a headscissors/DDT combination. Yoko puts Kay Lee Ray draped over the top rope, Kairi hits a diving footstomp onto her back and Yoko follows with a suplex. Dragon Sleeper by Kairi to Kay Lee Ray and they hit a Final Cut/Kick combination, Kairi goes up top but Nixon kicks her from the apron, Kay Lee Ray grabs Kairi and with Nixon they hit a Gory Bomb/Superkick combination. Shining Wizard by Nixon, Kay Lee Ray covers Kairi but Yoko breaks it up. Kay Lee Ray crouches so that Nixon can go for a Super Shining Wizard, but Yoko catches her in midair with a kick to the face. Sliding D by Kairi to Kay Lee Ray, Yoko then picks up Kay Lee Ray and she delivers the B Driller. A Diving Elbow Drop by Kairi quickly follows and she picks up the three count pinfall! Kairi Hojo and Yoko Bito are still the champions!

I think a match like this would probably be better with full production so I reserve the right to come back later and change my opinion, but I still thought it was great. Both teams work so well together, everything was so smooth and seamless which says a lot as there was constantly something going on. The ending came quick but I actually liked it that way, both teams were having issues keeping both of their opponents down so the most logical way to win was to knock out one and finish off the other as fast as possible. We had balcony dives, devastating strikes, and everything else you could hope for. I do wish it was longer as it was under 15 minutes, but I often think that when two teams are really clicking. I am going to re-watch it in a couple days on Samurai TV to get a better view of all the action, but a very early contender for best Joshi match of 2017.  Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Viper
World of Stardom Championship

Viper throws down Io after the bell rings to assert her dominance, elbows by Viper but Io kicks her away when she goes for an elbow drop. Io goes off the ropes but Viper decks her with a body block, Io gets Viper’s back but Viper gets away. Elbows by Io but Viper throws her into the corner and hits a body avalanche. Body press by Viper, but Io kicks out of the cover. Viper beats down Io for several minutes, she goes for a back bodydrop but Io kicks her in the head. Dropkick by Io, and Viper rolls out of the ring to re-group. Io goes off the ropes and sails out onto Viper with a tope suicida, she then puts a chair around Viper’s neck and slams it into the floor. With Viper’s head still in the chair, Io gets a running start and dropkicks it, she then gets on the top turnbuckle but Viper has recovered and hits her before she can jump off. Viper gets Io on her shoulders while standing on the apron before tossing her to the floor on top of other Stardom wrestlers. Viper then gets a running start on the apron and jumps down onto the crowd, hurting everyone in the process.

They slowly get back into the ring, Viper goes off the ropes but Io catches her arm and applies an armtrap crossface. Tiger Feint Kick attempt by Io but Viper catches her and puts Io in an Argentine Backbreaker. Cover by Viper, but it only gets two. Viper picks up Io but Io wiggles out of it and lands on the apron, she goes for a swandive move but Viper elbows her. Io stands up on the apron but Viper hits a lariat, Viper goes out to the apron and she hits a running senton while Io is still lying on the apron herself. Viper slides Io back into the ring and hits a running crossbody, but Io kicks out of the cover. Io gets away from Viper and hits a missile dropkick, she goes for a German suplex but Viper gets out of it. Io knees Viper in the back and hits the Tiger Feint Kick, swandive missile dropkick by Io and she covers Viper for two. Running double knee by Io in the corner, she goes for the moonsault but Viper gets both feet up to block it. Io charges Viper in the corner but Viper moves, cannonball by Viper and she hits a Reverse Splash for a two count. Viper goes up top but Io avoids the diving bodypress, leaving both wrestlers down on the mat. They slowly recover and trade elbows, palm strike by Io and she dropkicks Viper in the knee. Io goes for a kick but Viper elbows her leg away and delivers a lariat. Michinoku Driver by Viper, but Io gets a shoulder up on the cover. Viper puts Io up top and joins her, she puts Io on her shoulders but Io reverses whatever she planned on doing with a Frankensteiner. Moonsault by Io, she picks up Viper and hits a delayed German suplex. Instead of holding onto it, she rolls through the hold and delivers a cross-arm suplex hold, picking up the three count! Io Shirai retains the championship!

Another quality match, and better than their last singles match as they got more time and freedom to do bigger spots. Io is in an odd place right now, as she is simultaneously the head of the heel faction, but also still the Protector of Stardom Against Giant Gaijins, which in theory is a ‘good guy’ role. But her wrestling style really hasn’t changed either way, especially here since she was more the face than the heel. Viper’s offense can look a bit rough but it is effective, and Io showed off her strength by hitting a couple suplexes on her to send the crowd home satisfied. A good way to end the show, predictable but still an enjoyable journey as Io overcame another obstacle again to stay the Ace of Stardom.  Recommended

The post Stardom 6th Anniversary on 1/15/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Jumping ahead with Stardom a little bit. For 2017 I am trying to not review more than two events for a promotion per month and since I will be reviewing Stardom 1/15 next week, I had to be selective. This was not Stardom’s 2nd biggest show of the month, I am reviewing it because I thought that Kairi and Konami teaming was adorable. Doesn’t mean it won’t be a fun show even though its a small one, as we have a fistful of new gaijins plus Queen’s Quest in the main event. Here is the full card:

• Arisu Nanase vs. Azumi
• Kris Wolf vs. Natsuko Tora
• Hiromi Mimura vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Viper
• Kairi Hojo and Konami vs. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell
• Io Shirai, Momo Watanabe, and HZK vs. Yoko Bito, Jungle Kyona, and Mayu Iwatani

As always, you can click on the names above to go to the wrestler’s profile on Joshi City. Since this aired on Stardom World, it will be shown in full.

Arisu Nanase vs. Azumi

Azumi won’t shake Arisu’s hand so Arisu dropkicks her in the back when she turns around, backslide attempt by Arisu and she dropkicks Azumi. Double wrist armsault by Arisu, she throws Azumi into the corner but Azumi reverses it and hits a dropkick. Crab hold by Azumi but Azumi gets out of it and they trade quick pins. La Magistral by Azumi, but Arisu barely kicks out. An Oklahoma Roll gets the same result, Azumi then jumps on Arisu and applies a Japanese Leg Roll Clutch for the three count! Azumi wins!

A very short match but not without some purpose. This was Azumi’s first pinfall over Arisu, so it keeps up the storyline of these two battling for supremacy at the beginning of the card. Arisu is pretty great for a 15 year old but didn’t get much of a chance to show off anything here, just a quick storyline-driven match.

Kris Wolf vs. Natsuko Tora

They lock up to start, Kris gets Natsuko to the mat but Natsuko rolls her up for a two count. Back up they trade holds until Kris snaps Natsuko’s arm on the second rope. Kris goes out to the apron while Natsuko is hanging over it and hits a running knee, back in the ring she stands on Natsuko’s stomach before hitting a double knee drop. Kris slams Natsuko into the corner and chops her in the chest, jumping knee by Kris and she covers Natsuko for two. Belly Claw by Kris but Natsuko gets into the ropes, Natsuko fights back with elbows but Kris kicks her in the chest. Running knee by Kris, she picks up Natsuko but she ducks the next one and rolls up Kris for two. Natsuko bites on Kris’ tail but Kris bites her ankle until both let go, stomps by Natsuko and she hits a body press followed by a senton. Another senton by Natsuko and she hits a third for a two count cover. Natsuko gets on the second turnbuckle but Kris rolls to the other side, but she hops back off and hits a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Natsuko puts Kris in a submission but Kris inches to the ropes and forces a break. Natsuko picks up Kris but Kris sneaks in a roll-up, knee to the stomach by Kris and she applies a schoolboy. Kick to the face by Kris, she gets on the second turnbuckle and delivers the diving double knee drop for the three count! Kris Wolf is the winner.

Because Kris Wolf has a comedic element to her wrestling style, I think a lot of Stardom fans don’t notice that she is also a really solid wrestler. She has to stay within her character but her timing and strikes are on point and she led the rookie well here. Natsuko is still a bit rough around the edges, as would be expected, as that smoothness can take some time to develop. A fine early card match, simple but perfectly watchable.

Hiromi Mimura vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Viper

Shayna and Viper completely ignore Hiromi as the match starts as they are focused solely on each other, Viper punches Shayna but Shayna punches her back as thy trade blows. Hiromi jumps in and elbows them both but is swatted to the mat, waistlock by Shayna to Viper but Viper elbows her off. Viper clubs Shayna to her knees and goes off the ropes, but Shayna applies a cross armbreaker takedown. Viper gets out of it, Hiromi goes up top but Shayna puts her in a Triangle Choke when she jumps off. Viper breaks it up, Hiromi hits a diving crossbody on Viper but Shayna pulls her off and focuses back on Viper. Viper and Shayna trade strikes, Hiromi runs over to get involved but both Shayna and Viper fall to the mat before she can do so. Hiromi covers both of them for two counts, Shayna and Viper get back up and take turns trying to slam Hiromi but they keep stopping each other from completing the move. Hiromi dropkicks Shayna into Viper and kicks Shayna so that she gives Viper a Stunner, cover by Hiromi but Viper kicks out. Shayna hits rolling gutwrench suplexes on Hiromi, waterwheel drop but Viper breaks up the pin. Shayna tries to pick up Viper but Viper blocks it and hits a body avalanche in the corner. Body press by Viper to Hiromi, and she picks up the three count! Viper wins the match.

I realize this is just a midcard match on a house show that most people won’t see, but I actively hate this style of Stardom match. Not the comedy triple threat, but the comedy triple threats that have a monster gaijin that I am supposed to be taking seriously. In her first tour, I just don’t like seeing Shayna doing comedy spots with Hiromi, it doesn’t help that ‘asskicking’ aura that I think she naturally has without any help. Having Viper there too just made it worse since she is in the same boat. On top of that, much of the match wasn’t done well, it clearly was thrown together with some spot ideas but without thinking about how they would be executed. I’m glad this wasn’t at Korakuen, but still this match didn’t do anyone any favors.

Kairi Hojo and Konami vs. Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell

Kay Lee Ray and Nixon attack before the bell rings and the action spills out to the floor, with the European wrestlers controlling things. Kay Lee Ray throws Kairi into the ring post while Nixon slams Konami into the apron, Kay Lee Ray dropkicks Konami before Nixon hits a catapult dropkick onto Kairi. Kairi and Konami are both slid back into the ring as the double teaming continues, but the momentum swings as Konami and Kairi take over and connect with unison strikes on Kay Lee Ray and Nixon. Things finally settle down with Kay Lee Ray and Kairi in the ring together, they trade strikes until Kay Lee Ray chops Kairi to the mat. Headscissors by Kairi but Kay Lee Ray avoids her when Kairi charges in and plants her on the mat for a two count. Kay Lee Ray picks up Kairi, Nixon comes in but Kairi kicks Nixon away and rolls up Kay Lee Ray for two. Spear by Kairi to Kay Lee Ray and she makes the tag to Konami, kicks by Konami to Kay Lee Ray with a head kick sending Kay Lee Ray to one knee.

Konami goes for the fisherman suplex but Kay Lee Ray blocks it, Konami goes off the ropes but Kay Lee Ray catches her with a dropkick for a two count. Kay Lee Ray picks up Konami and tags Nixon, double superkick by Nixon and Kay Lee Ray and Nixon connects with running elbows in the corner. Konami finally avoids one but Nixon kicks her in the head, Nixon goes up top and she hits a diving crossbody for two when Kairi breaks up the cover. Takedown by Konami and she applies a kneelock, Kairi gets on the second turnbuckle while Nixon is still on the hold and hits a diving elbow drop. Kay Lee Ray tries to help but Kairi puts her in an Octopus Hold while Konami keeps the knee lock applied to Nixon, but Nixon finally makes it to the ropes. Release German by Konami and she nails a Buzzsaw Kick, but Kay Lee Ray breaks up the cover. Konami picks up Nixon and elbows her against the ropes, but Nixon superkicks her while Kay Lee Ray also superkicks Kairi. Nixon slams Konami in front of the corner, Swanton Bomb by Kay Lee Ray to Konami and Nixon follows with a Shining Wizard for the three count! Kay Lee Ray and Nixon Newell are your winners.

Even though this one had a ‘house show’ feel (under ten minutes, mostly general chaos), I still enjoyed it. Each of their individual strengths shown through, but Kay Lee Ray as usual stole the show. Her Swanton Bomb was absolutely insane, as Nixon set her up a bit far away so she had to clear half the ring. Kairi took a backseat which is unusual for her, as Konami did much of the work once they returned to the ring. A fun match, nothing mind-blowing but a good introduction for some new wrestlers to Stardom fans.  Mildly Recommended

Io Shirai, Momo Watanabe, and HZK vs. Yoko Bito, Jungle Kyona, and Mayu Iwatani

Momo and Mayu are the first two in, swinging headscissors by Mayu but Momo armdrags her and they end up in a stalemate. Io and Yoko tag in and lock knuckles, snapmare by Yoko but Io ducks the PK. Leg sweep by Yoko and she kicks Io in the back before hitting the PK on the second attempt. Back up, dropkick by Io and they tag out as HZK and Kyona come in. Kyona throws HZK in the corner but HZK avoids her charge and applies a sleeper. Kyona slams HZK into the corner to get out of it, body avalanche by Kyona but Momo kicks her from the apron. HZK kicks Kyona in the corner before hitting a body slam and tagging in Momo. Momo puts Kyona in the ropes and pulls her hair, dropkick by Momo and she covers Kyona for two. Momo tags in Io, HZK comes in too and they double team Kyona. Handstand kneedrop by Io, she throws Kyona into the corner and stomps her down to a seated position. The beatdown on Kyona lasts several minutes, Yoko comes in to help but HZK tosses her out of the ring. Yoko elbows Io from the apron and Kyona hits a jumping crossbody on all three opponents, giving her time to tag in Yoko. Yoko kicks Io in the chest and hits a double vertical suplex on Io and HZK before dropping Momo onto both of them. Cover by Yoko to Io, but it gets two. Yoko kicks Io in the corner repeatedly and tags in Mayu, missile dropkick by Mayu and she goes for the dragon suplex, but Io blocks it and applies an armbar. Mayu goes for a spinning headscissors but Io lands on her feet, Mayu knocks Io against the ropes but Io trips her and hits a slingshot dropkick.

Io tags Momo and Momo dropkicks Mayu in the corner, tornado DDT by Momo and she covers Mayu for two. Mayu kicks Momo but Momo kicks her back, Somato by Momo but Mayu reverses the pin and they trade quick covers. Superkick by Mayu to Momo and she kicks her in the head again, giving her time to tag in Kyona. HZK tags in too, shoulderblocks by Kyona and she hits a lariat on HZK for two. Kyona picks up HZK but HZK pushes her off and hits a Codebreaker, knees by HZK and she punches Kyona against the ropes. Momo comes in but Kyona gets away from them and Yoko delivers a double lariat. Mayu comes in too and catapult her at HZK with a dropkick, Kyona goes up top and nails the diving body press but Io breaks up the cover. Io drops Kyona with a German suplex, but Mayu comes in and hits a Sling Blade. Momo takes care of Mayu and then hits a missile dropkick on Yoko, as now all six wrestlers are down on the mat. Kyona and HZK slowly get up as they trade elbows until HZK nails Kyona with a jumping boot. HZK gets on the second turnbuckle and hits the diving senton, she then goes all the way up and delivers a second one, but the pin is broken up. Io hits a double swandive dropkick on Yoko and Mayu, she then gets on the top turnbuckle and hits a moonsault down onto both of them. In the ring, Momo hits an avalanche Somato onto Kyona, HZK then goes up top and nails the Atomic Bomb’s Away for the three count cover! Queen’s Quest win!

This was a pretty standard six woman tag match. I mean it was fine but it was by-the-book, the only ‘new’ thing was just seeing different double team spots since both of these sides are pretty recent factions tagging together. HZK looked good, I was concerned she may have more ring rust after taking so much time off when still in the ‘learning’ phase of her career but she doesn’t seem to have missed a beat. Io was Io, loved her landing on her feet on the headscissors attempt as she always does, but there was nothing that really stood out as special. A good match, but a pretty tame main event.  Mildly Recommended

The post Stardom New Years Stars 2017 on 1/8/17 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Please note that I am reviewing the Stardom DVD, which clipped the matches on this show. I think ClickWrestle has the full matches, but since I didn’t want to buy the same match twice, I am still just reviewing the DVD. If a match on this event sounds entertaining I’d recommend getting the matches from ClickWrestle instead of getting the DVD.

The second event took place on October 18th, 2015 in Baldwin Park, CA. This must have been seen as the “B” show as only three of the matches were included on the Stardom DVD. There is one additional match on ClickWrestle, and I guess one match just got lost in the void forever as it was a five match card. Here are the three matches included on the DVD that I will be reviewing:

• GRPW Lady Luck Championship: Melissa vs. Shayna Baszler
• Kairi Hojo and Melina Perez vs. Hudson Envy and Mia Yim
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater

These were the top three matches and include most of my favorite wrestlers, so we should be fine. This event was only filmed by a ringside camera, no hard cam, so the action will be up close and personal throughout. Let’s get rolling.

(c) Melissa vs. Shayna Baszler

They go straight into a Test of Strength, which Baszler obviously wins, and they trade holds on the mat before returning to their feet. Melissa tries to knock over Baszler with no luck and Baszler kicks Melissa around the ring. Baszler keeps on Melissa as she works on the arm, kick to the chest by Baszler and she covers Melissa for two. Cross armbreaker by Baszler but Melissa gets out of it and gets Baszler in the Kondo Clutch. Baszler reverses that into an ankle hold before going back to the arm, but Melissa gets back in control with a Samoan Drop. Melissa gets the Kondo Clutch re-applied with her foot on Baszler’s head, Baszler passes out from the pain and the referee stops the match! Melissa wins the match and retains the championship.

This was clipped, two or three minutes were missing from the match, which I am never a fan of. This was a solid mat-based match however, Baszler was very smooth with the transitions as I am sure her years of MMA training came in handy. Melissa won very suddenly but I do not know what was clipped, so it may have been a clipping issue rather than a match structure issue. Hard to recommend a match were 25% is missing, but what they showed was solid.

Kairi Hojo and Melina Perez vs. Hudson Envy and Mia Yim

No time for pleasantries as Melina and Hojo promptly dropkick their opponents and double team them in the corner. Envy kicks Melina low to regain the advantage and knocks her into the corner, but Melina moves when Envy charges in and hits a double knee drop in the corner. Yim helps Envy get back in control, and Envy works over Melina on the mat. Envy tags in Yim, and Yim suplexes Melina for a two count. Sleeper by Yim and she headbutts Melina, but Melina hits a jawbreaker and tags in Hojo. Yim beats on Hojo as soon as she gets in the ring before tagging in Envy. Envy and Yim hit a Chokebomb/Backstabber combination on Hojo, Tiger Driver by Envy but Melina breaks up the cover. Melina hits Envy with the Splits Legdrop, Yim tries to kick Melina but Melina ducks and she kicks Envy by accident. Melina drops Yim onto Envy, then Hojo goes up top and nails a diving elbow drop onto both of them! Cover by Hojo, and she picks up the three count! Hojo and Melina win the match.

This was clipped, pretty cleanly but still clipped nonetheless. The Chokebomb/Backstabber looked great as did all of Envy’s offense, and it is always a pleasure to see Melina. I am glad the live crowd got to see the diving elbow drop since Hojo did not do it on the first show, and I bet in full this match was a blast. Too snipped to get excited about but there was enough goodness shown that it is still worth a watch. Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater

Skater and Iwatani kicks things off, they some introductory moves back and forth but neither gets an advantage so they tag out. Matsumoto starts working on Shirai’s arm before shoulderblocking her to the mat. Shirai dropkicks Matsumoto, Iwatani comes in the ring and they double team Matsumoto in the corner. Skater runs in to help Matsumoto get back in control, Skater is tagged in as legal and she hits a jumping elbow in the corner. Skater clubs on Shirai and tags Matsumoto back in, Matsumoto chops Shirai in the corner and stomps her to the mat. Skater takes back over on Shirai but Shirai hits a missile dropkick and tags in Iwatani. Spinning headscissors by Iwatani and she hits a double springboard armdrag on both Matsumoto and Skater followed by a double dropkick. Skater regains control and drops Iwatani into the corner before making the hot tag to Matsumoto.

Body avalanche by Matsumoto and she knocks Iwatani out of the ring before then throwing Shirai onto Iwatani. Matsumoto then picks up Skater and throws her out of the ring also, down onto Iwatani and Shirai. Back in, Matsumoto hits a big backdrop suplex on Iwatani for a two count cover. Iwatani kicks Matsumoto in the head, Shirai and Skater are both tagged in and Shirai cartwheels away from Skater before hitting a dropkick. Skater kicks her back and hits a vertical suplex for a two count. Ankle hold by Skater, Matsumoto runs in and puts Iwatani in a backbreaker. Shirai gets to the ropes to force a break, double Irish whip by Skater and Matsumoto but they are both hit with hurricanranas. Tiger Feint Kick by Shirai to Skater followed by a swandive dropkick, but Matsumoto interrupts the pin. Iwatani kicks Matsumoto but Skater kicks her both Shirai knocks down Skater with a palm strike. Shirai and Skater get back up, and Shirai delivers a German suplex hold for a two count. Iwatani dives out of the ring onto Matsumoto, she then gets up top and with Shirai hits an assisted piledriver onto Skater. Shirai goes up top and nails the Moonsault onto Skater, and she picks up the three count! Shirai and Iwatani retain the championship!

This was the best match of the two day tour, hands down. It was just a really smooth and well done match, they kept the action up with really no downtime at all. While it won’t go down as a classic (having just one camera always hurts the action a bit, the poor cameraman had to haul ass once to not miss a move), the action was very crisp and the strikes all had impact. I freely admit that Skater is one of my favorite wrestlers and she spent a good bit of the match in the ring, and they did a few dives to spice things up. Overall just a really entertaining match and a great way to end the tour. Recommended

The post Stardom USA Tour on October 18, 2015 (Partial) Review appeared first on Joshi City.

The first event took place on October 16th, 2015 in Covina, CA. Here is the full card:

• Act Yasukawa, Kris Wolf, and Kyoko Kimura vs. Brittany Wonder, Datura, and Shayna Baszler
• Mayu Iwatani vs. Nicole Savoy
• Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater vs. Kahmora and Kairi Hojo
• Hudson Envy and Thunder Rosa vs. Melina Perez and Santana Garrett
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai vs Mia Yim

All the matches are shown in full, but none are terribly long, as the in-ring time for the event was a little over an hour. Let’s get to the first match.

Act Yasukawa, Kris Wolf, and Kyoko Kimura vs. Brittany Wonder, Datura, and Shayna Baszler

Wolf and Datura kick things off but after trading holds they tag in Wonder and Yasukawa. Yasukawa spits Sake in Wonder’s face and dropkicks her, Wonder gets Yasukawa in the corner but she avoids the charge and tags in Kimura. Baszler is also tagged in, Baszler gets Kimura’s leg but Kimura rolls out of it. Datura is tagged back in and is quickly triple teamed by Oedo Tai, she temporarily gets away but Kimura whips Datura down by her hair. Datura finally armdrags her way out of the situation and tags in Baszler, Baszler stacks up Oedo Tai in the corner and hits a body avalanche. Kimura pokes Baszler in the eyes to calm her down, twice, Wolf rolls up Baszler but it gets a two count. Baszler for reasons unknown tags in Datura, and Wolf quickly gets in control, hitting a high knee in the corner. Wolf tags Yasukawa, rollings reverse STOs by Yasukawa and she covers Datura for two. Kicks by Datura and she dropkicks Yasukawa, getting a two count cover. Datura goes for a moonsault but misses, giving Yasukawa time to tag in Kimura. Wonder is also tagged in, and they trade hip attacks and elbows. Wonder wins the battle, Baszler comes in and she slams Kimura to the mat. Banzai Drop by Wonder, but Wolf saves Yasukawa from being pinned. Kimura gets a metal pole and cleans house, Yasukawa spits Sake at Wonder and Kimura puts her in a sleeper. Wonder struggles for a moment but has to submit! Oedo Tai win the match.

My lasting impression from this match was Baszler. This was only her second match and she really seems like a natural, wrestlers strong enough to deadlift and toss other wrestlers around are ok in my book. I didn’t mind Oedo Tai cheating to win, that is what they do, and all the wrestlers got a chance to do a little something in the match. It didn’t get a ton of time but it got enough to get their point across, and overall I thought it was a solid opener. Keep an eye out for Baszler, if she keeps into it she could be something special down the road. Mildly Recommended

Mayu Iwatani vs. Nicole Savoy

Savoy and Iwatani roll around on the mat to begin but they quickly return to their feet and start trading elbows. Savoy gets Iwatani’s arm but Iwatani crawls to the ropes, Iwatani springboards off the ropes and armdrags Savoy into the ropes. Running dropkick by Iwatani and she hits a Northern Lights Suplex for a two count. Another bridging suplex by Iwatani gets two and she hits a third with the same result. Savoy takes back over and hits a suplex, she applies a cross armbreaker but Iwatani gets out of it and kicks Savoy in the back. Diving footstomp by Iwatani but Savoy fires back with a kick to the chest and they trade shots. Savoy gets the armbreaker put back on but Iwatani gets to the ropes. Jumping knee by Savoy but Iwatani rebounds out of the corner with a dropkick. Kick by Iwatani, she goes up top and hits another diving footstomp for a two count. Savoy goes for a tiger suplex but Iwatani switches positions with her and hits the dragon suplex hold for the three count! Iwatani is your winner.

This was too condensed of a match to impress. Savoy going for armbreakers is fine but there was no buildup to them or other arm work, it was just random armbreakers. Same with Iwatani, she didn’t really have time to build up to the ending, they were trading moves and suddenly Iwatani won. There was nothing bad here, both wrestlers were smooth and they had solid chemistry, it was just too short to get anything going.

Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater vs. Kahmora and Kairi Hojo

Matsumoto and Hojo are the first legal wrestlers and go right at it with elbows, Matsumoto wins the exchange and drops a knee onto Hojo’s chest. Skater comes in but Hojo armdrags both of them and gets help from Kahmora to knock Matsumoto over. Skater is tagged in and she suplexes Hojo for a two count. Kicks by Skater and she knees Hojo hard in the chest before tagging Matsumoto back in. Hojo is double teamed as the referee hopelessly tries to keep control, and Matsumoto hits a backbreaker. Hojo plays Face in Peril, at least Hojo is putting the work in since she is no doubt one of the main wrestlers the American crowd came to see. Course she is getting her ass kicked but thus is life. Hojo finally hits a nifty headscissors and makes the hot tag to Kahmora, and Kahmora quickly takes control of Skater before Hojo runs back in and Kahmora slams Hojo onto Skater.

Hojo stays in and elbows Skater, neckbreaker by Hojo and she gets a two count. Hojo applies a cross-arm submission but it is broken up, and Skater plants Hojo with a DDT. Hojo goes off the ropes but Skater kicks her and drops Hojo in the corner. Lariat by Skater, but it gets two. Skater tags Matsumoto but Hojo kicks her, Kahmora comes in but Matsumoto puts them both in the corner and hits a body avalanche. Backdrop suplex by Matsumoto to Hojo but Hojo ducks the backfist and hits a spear. Hojo goes up top and hits a diving forearm smash before tagging in Kahmora. Kahmora hits a seated senton in the corner and applies a jackknife pin for a two count. Dropkick by Kahmora and she powerslams Matsumoto, but Skater breaks up the cover. Kahmora and Hojo try to double team Matsumoto but they eat a double backdrop suplex for their trouble, Matsumoto and Kahmora trade elbows, with Matsumoto winning the exchange. Big backdrop suplex by Matsumoto to Kahmora, and she picks up the three count! Matsumoto and Skater win the match.

They structured this match really smartly, as Skater and Hojo did the bulk of the work. That isn’t a knock on Matsumoto, but Skater and Hojo were able to get a bit of a flow going so the match wasn’t just constant tag-ins and tag-outs. Skater looked great here but everyone held their own, Kahmora was the least smooth of the four being with wrestlers she probably wasn’t very familiar with, but there were no awkward moments or anything like that. The match got enough time to tell the story, and while the offense was a bit random it stayed entertaining throughout. Another solid match but not overly memorable, although it was a pleasure getting to see Skater again. Mildly Recommended

Hudson Envy and Thunder Rosa vs. Melina Perez and Santana Garrett

Melina finally hits a seated senton on Melina to change the momentum, but Envy kicks Melina hard in the chest. Bridging suplex hold by Envy, but Melina ducks her lariat attempt and kicks Envy out of the ring with a splits kick. Garrett comes in but she gets double teamed, Envy returns to the ring and she hits a Samoan Drop on Melina followed by a rolling kick. Both wrestlers slowly crawl to their corners and tag out, lariats by Garrett to Rosa and she kicks Rosa in the chest. Space Rolling Elbow by Garrett but Rosa hits a full nelson twisting slam. Rosa stretches Garrett and slams her to the mat, Rosa gets on the second turnbuckle but Garrett recovers and headscissors Rosa back down to the mat. Garrett applies a submission but Envy breaks it up, Melina comes in too and she hits Envy with the splits legdrop. They roll out of the ring, Garrett kicks Rosa to the mat and she nails the Shining Star Press for the three count! Melina Perez and Santana Garrett are your victors!

Just to get it out of the way, the mere fact that Melina was in the match elevated it, I haven’t seen her in a long time and it felt like a big deal that she was involved. And she didn’t just stay on the apron, as she hit most of her big moves and was the Face in Peril at one point. It wasn’t 100% smooth, there were a few timing issues which you’d expect after a long layoff, but overall I was impressed by her performance. Everyone was on their game actually and the match stayed engaging from start to finish. Definitely an enjoyable experience for me personally, but even without the Melina factor it was an entertaining match. Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs Mia Yim

Yim and Shirai go straight into a Test of Strength, Shirai pushes Yim into the ropes and gives a clean break. Shirai tries to shoulderblock Yim over with no luck, Shirai rolls up Yim but she quickly kicks out. Shirai armdrags Yim out of the ring, Shirai goes to do a dive but Yim hits her before she can dive through. Yim rolls Shirai out of the ring and kicks her into chairs at ringside, she gets on the apron and kicks Shirai as she stands up on the floor. Back in the ring, Yim applies a camel clutch before hitting a vertical suplex. Big boot by Yim and she applies a crab hold, Shirai reverses it into an ankle hold but Yim quickly grabs the ropes. Kicks to the chest by Yim but Shirai catches her leg and hits a dragon screw. Space Rolling Elbow by Shirai and she dropkicks Yim in the head for a two count. Shirai goes up top but Yim kicks her in the leg before she can jump and plants her with a powerbomb for two. PK by Yim and she puts Shirai in a stretch hold, she releases her after a moment and hits a few knees. Shirai cartwheels away from Yim and dropkicks her out of the ring, Shirai goes out to the apron and hits an Asai Moonsault down to the floor. Back in, swandive missile dropkick by Shirai followed by the Tiger Feint Kick. Palm strike by Shirai but Yim comes back with a high kick. German suplex hold by Yim, but Shirai kicks out. Yim goes up top but Shirai joins her and hits the Frankensteiner. German suplex hold by Shirai, but it only gets two. Double underhook facebuster by Shirai, she goes up top and she nails the moonsault for a three count! Shirai is still your champion!

This didn’t quite reach the level I was hoping for, maybe I was just still on a high from the last match. The match wasn’t as long as I would have expected, so in some ways it was a more condensed version of a normal Shirai title match. They did take it up a step, with high flying moves and dives that I think other matches were intentionally not doing to make this one feel more special. It was smooth and well-executed, and it was fun to see Shirai against a different opponent that presented different challenges. A fitting way to end the show, it just didn’t reach that higher level I have learned to expect from Stardom main events. Recommended

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