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

The post Stardom The Way To Major League on 2/8/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom 9th Anniversary
Date: January 19th, 2020
Location: Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: 1,602

The Bushiroad Era has officially begun. Bushiroad purchased Stardom in the fall of 2019 but since they are doing a gradual transition, this event feels like the first one Bushiroad really had a major hand in, especially after Stardom wrestlers had a match at the Tokyo Dome a few weeks prior for added publicity. So this feels like the real start, and what a start it is. With the help of extra marketing and buzz, tonight’s attendance at Korakuen Hall is the most in recent memory for Stardom, with additional seats being opened up before the show. Its a stacked event, with three title matches and a special singles match between Kagetsu and Tam Nakano. Here is the full card:

• AZM vs. Starlight Kid vs. Zoey Skye
• Itsuki Hoshino, Saya Iida, and Saya Kamitani vs. Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire, and Saki Kashima
• Kagetsu vs. Tam Nakano
• Goddesses Of Stardom Championship: Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter
• Death Yama-san, Hana Kimura, and Leyla Hirsch vs. Giulia, Maika, and X
• Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Arisa Hoshiki vs. Utami Hayashishita
• World Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe

A lot of potential for goodness. I am watching the Samurai TV! version of the show so some matches may be clipped. All wrestlers have profiles on the site, you can click on their names above to go straight to it.

AZM vs. Starlight Kid vs. Zoey Skye

After a quick test of strength they get into it, Starlight Kid is isolated first as AZM and Zoey work together. That is short-lived as Starlight Kid fights them off, double dropkick by Starlight Kid and she hits a Tiger Feint Kick on AZM. Standing moonsault by Starlight Kid, and she covers AZM for two. Starlight Kid picks up AZM and they have a strike exchange, AZM headscissors Starlight Kid into the turnbuckles before hitting a dropkick. Zoey gets on the apron and kicks AZM, she gets back in the ring and throws both opponents in opposite corners, hitting running strikes on both. Jawbreaker by Zoey to AZM, and she covers her for two. Zoey goes to the second turnbuckle but Starlight Kid recovers and joins her, AZM jumps up as well but Zoey pushes them both into a hanging position and hits a double footstomp on both of them for a two count cover. AZM and Starlight Kid go off the ropes, dropkick by Starlight Kid to Zoey and she avoid AZM’s sneak attack PK. Vertical suplex by AZM and she kicks Starlight Kid in the head, she goes to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving footstomp but Zoey breaks up the cover. Zoey grabs Starlight Kid and kicks her in the head, she goes off the ropes but AZM hits a tilt-a-whirl armbar into a cradle for the three count! AZM wins the match.

This was clipped but what they showed was fine. Starlight Kid was the star as she tends to be in her matches but no one looked out of place and they kept the action going at a quick pace. An enjoyable enough way to kick off the show, just not enough time given to get excited about.

Itsuki Hoshino, Saya Iida, and Kamitani vs. Natsuko Tora, Sumire, and Kashima

We join his one in progress, as Saki swats away Iida’s dropkick attempt. Stomps by Saki but Iida catches one and hulks up, chopping Saki in the chest repeatedly. Saki grabs Iida by the hair and flings her to the mat, Itsuki and Kamitani run in and dropkick Saki before Iida delivers a missile dropkick for two. Iida Bridge by Iida, but Saki kicks out at two. Natsuko comes in and spears both Kamitani and Itsuki, Natsu hits Iida with the board Saki boots her in the face. My Emblem by Saki, and she picks up the three count! Oedo Tai are the winners.

Well this was all clipped to hell, with eleven minutes taken down to two. Hard to really comment much with so little shown, but Saki Kashima was highlighted as expected. Not much to see here though, literally.

Kagetsu vs. Tam Nakano

They tie-up to start, armdrag by Kagetsu but Tam rolls away as they jockey for position on the mat. They reach a stalemate and return to their feet, kick by Kagetsu and she hits an armdrag. Tam returns the favor and Kagetsu rolls out of the ring to re-group, she gets back on the apron and spits water at Tam as she approaches her. Kagetsu pulls Tam out of the ring and throws her into the chairs at ringside, she quickly gets back into the ring and goes for a tope suicida, but Tam moves and she lands on Oedo Tai on accident. Tam goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives down onto Oedo Tai with a plancha suicida, she puts Kagetsu up on the apron and applies a Dragon Sleeper while sitting on the top turnbuckle. She lets go after a moment and delivers the Destiny Hammer, cover by Tam but it gets a two count. Tam picks up Kagetsu but Kagetsu elbows her off, she goes off the ropes but Tam catches her with a backdrop suplex. Kagetsu springs back to her feet and hits a kick combination, Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu and she goes to the top turnbuckle, but Tam recovers and joins her before she can jump off. Superplex by Tam but Kagetsu gets to her feet and hits a running knee, Tam fires back with a running knee of her own and both wrestlers are down on the mat.

They elbow each other as they slowly return to their feet, kick by Kagetsu and she goes off the ropes, but Tam catches her with a kick of her own. Two more kicks by Tam, she picks up Kagetsu around the waist and hits a German suplex hold for two. t gets Kagetsu up and hits a double underhook facebuster, but again Kagetsu kicks out. Tam gets Kagetsu’s back but Kagetsu slides away, she pushes Tam into the referee and spits red mist in her face. Tiger Suplex Hold by Kagetsu, but it only gets a two count. Ebisu drop by Kagetsu in front of the corner, she goes up top and nails the Oedo Coaster, but Tam gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kagetsu quickly picks up Tam and goes for the Death Valley Bomb, but Tam gets away and nails a roundhouse kick. Tiger Suplex Hold by Tam, but it gets a two. Tam goes off the ropes and delivers a trio of running knees, Tiger Suplex by Tam and she picks Kagetsu back up, debuting the Twilight Dream Suplex for the three count! Tam Nakano wins!

While I am not a huge fan of no-selling without a receipt, which Kagetsu did once here, overall I really enjoyed this. Tam has always been a fun wrestler but she hasn’t always been technically sound, being in Stardom as a regular for the last couple years has really helped her grow and she has started pulling everything together. Kagetsu is a machine and does everything with such precision; there may not be a tighter wrestler in Joshi than her just with her movements and execution. I wouldn’t have minded if the match was a longer but it was a fast paced and entertaining match, definitely worth a watch.  Recommended

(c) Jungle Kyona and Konami vs. Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter
Goddesses of Stardom Championship

This one is Joined in Progress, with Jamie in the ring with Kyona. Elbows by Jamie in the corner and she hits a lariat, Jungle fires back with her own lariat but Jamie hits another one too as they go back and forth. Elbows by Jamie and she his a sidewalk slam onto her knee followed by a running knee. Falcon Arrow by Jamie, but Kyona kicks out of the cover. Jamie picks up Kyona and goes for a suplex, but Kyona blocks it and hits a vertical suplex of her own. Big lariat by Kyona, and the match clips ahead to Konami being in he ring with Bea as Konami gets on the top turnbuckle. Bea elbows her before she can jump off and joins her, but Kyona comes up from behind and hits Bea. Kyona slams Jamie on the mat, she then grabs Bea and powerbombs her onto Jamie’s head while Konami delivers a missile dropkick. Konami picks up Bea and hits a suplex, Buzzsaw Kick by Konami and she covers Bea for two.

Konami quickly applies an armlock which she switches to an armbar, Jamie tries to break it up but Kyona dropkicks her out of the ring. Konami rolls Bea around the ring while keeping the armbar applied, but Bea gets to the ropes for the break. Konami goes off the ropes but Jamie cuts her off with a lariat, she dumps Kyona out of the ring too before diving out onto both of them with a tope suicida. Jamie brings Konami onto the apron and goes for a side slam, but Konami blocks it. Bea jumps up to the top turnbuckle and hits her from behind, she gets back into the ring quickly with Konami and Jamie, and the Gaijin connect with a double strike to Konami. Knee to the back of the head by Bea, she gets Konami on her shoulders and nails the Queen’s Landing for the three count! Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter are the new champions!

Samurai TV clipped this down by several minutes but what they showed was entertaining. I love Bea and Jamie so I have no issue with them winning the titles, and if it means more of Jamie in Stardom than that’s even better. Even in defeat, Kyona looked great and Konami was her usual sound self. I am sure this match was better in full, but at least everything they decided to show us looked pretty fun.

Death Yama-san, Hana Kimura, and Hirsch vs. Giulia, Maika, and Syuri Kondo

Death and Maika start the match, Death tries doing her shtick but Maika attacks her from behind and applies a wristlock. Death gets out of it and tags Hirsch while Syuri also tags in, Hirsch works a headlock which is reversed by Syuri. Hard shoulderblock by Syuri but Hirsch kips up, snapmare by Syuri and she kicks Hirsch in the back. Hirsch ducks the PK, they return to their feet both both miss their strike attempts. Giulia and Hana tag in and they immediately start trading elbows, they switch to trading boots until Death knees Giulia from the apron to give Hana the advantage. Hana boots Giulia out of the ring and goes out after her, as all six wrestlers brawl on the floor and into the crowd. Back in the ring, Death and Hana double team Giulia before Hana tags in Death as the legal wrestler. Giulia quickly gets back in control and chokes Death against the ropes, with her teammates lending a hand. Giulia tags in Maika, Maika stomps down Death in the corner, armdrags by Maika and she hits a monkey flip. Maika applies a Fujiwara Armbar but Death gets into the ropes, Syuri is tagged in and she kicks Death in the back.

All three members of Giulia’s team apply submission holds in the ring, they let go after a moment as the ring clears for Death and Syuri, with Syuri applying a hanging armbar over the top rope. Syuri gets back in the ring but Death chops her in the throat and makes the tag to Hana. Hana boots Syuri in the face twice, cover by Hana but it gets two. Hana grabs Syuri but Syuri blocks the suplex attempt, Giulia comes in and clubs on Hana but Hana dropkicks both of them. Death and Hirsch both come in the ring, TCS gets their opponents in opposite corners and all three take turns delivering running strikes. Dropkicks by Tokyo Cyber Squad, and they pose in the ring while their opponents are slumped in the corner. Hana grabs Syuri and hits a vertical suplex, cover by Hana but it gets a two count. Hana goes off the ropes but Syuri kicks her in the stomach and hits a half hatch suplex. PK by Syuri, and she covers Hana for two.

Syuri tags in Giulia, Giulia goes to the top turnbuckle and delivers a missile dropkick. Maika comes in too but Hana rams them into each other, she goes off the ropes but Maika hits her with a face crusher. Giulia applies a crossface but it gets quickly broken up, Giulia picks up Hana but Hana slides away from her and Giulia eats a double DDT. Boot by Hana and she covers Giulia, but the cover is broken up. Hana puts Giulia in the Ground Manjikatame, but Giulia gets into the ropes for the break. Giulia recovers and boots Hana, Hana rolls to her corner and tags in Hirsch. Giulia and Hirsch trade elbows until Hirsch hits a release German, running knee by Hirsch and she hits a moonsault for a two count. Hirsch applies a cross armbreaker but Syuri breaks it up, Syuri and Maika clear the ring before double teaming Hirsch. Knee by Giulia to Hirsch, she picks her back up and nails the Glorious Driver for the three count! Giulia, Maika, and Syuri are the winners!

This was a good way to introduce a new group, although I wouldn’t necessarily say the match was great. Hirsch felt out of place during some of her spots, and disappeared for long stretches. That’s not to say she isn’t a fine wrestler, but probably without a lot of prior experience with this batch of wrestlers there were definitely some chemistry issues here and there. Maika was better but she is only in her first year of wrestling, so really it was up to the other four to carry things. They needed to make it 3 vs. 3 to form the new faction, but for match-quality purposes it would have worked better with just four of them. Hana and Giulia looked great however, with Hana in particular standing out. Both groups also worked together well, which is a plus. The beginning and the end were a little awkward at times but the middle portion was well done, and I think they accomplished their goal of introducing two new wrestlers to Stardom fans.  Mildly Recommended

(c) Arisa Hoshiki vs. Utami Hayashishita
Wonder of Stardom Championship

Arisa asks for a knucklelock to start but Utami kicks her instead, Arisa pulls Utami by the hair and elbows her, but Utami elbows Arisa back and the two trade blows. Dropkick to the back by Utami and she kicks Arisa into the corner, snapmare by Utami and she kicks Arisa in the back. Irish whip by Utami to the corner and she hits a running elbow, she tosses Arisa to the mat before kicking her for a two count cover. Neck crank by Utami but Arisa wiggles to the ropes and makes it for the break. Utami picks up Arisa and hits a scoop slam, she goes off the ropes but Arisa catches her with a pump kick followed by a high kick and a jumping knee. Utami rolls out of the ring but Arisa goes out after her, she rams Utami’s head into the apron, busting her head open in the process. The referee gets Utami a towel as he checks on Utami’s cut, but she is deemed to be ok as Arisa nails her with a 1399 off the ropes down to the floor.

Arisa returns to the ring with the bloody Utami slowly following, mounted punches by Arisa and she punches her again as they get to their feet. Cover by Arisa, but the referee won’t count (probably due to all the illegal punches). Back up, Arisa goes for a kick but Utami ducks it and applies a sleeper. Arisa switches positions with her and applies a choke, but Utami gets into the ropes for the break. Kick by Arisa but Utami ducks the next one, she goes for a suplex but Arisa elbows out of it. They trade blows before Arisa hits a high kick, she springboards off the ropes but Utami catches her with a release German suplex. German suplex hold by Utami, but it gets a two count. Utami picks up Arisa and puts her in an Argentine Backbreaker, Arisa slides away but Utami puts her in a hanging submission. Schwein by Utami, but Arisa kicks out of the cover. She goes for the backbreaker again but Arisa gets away and applies a Cobra Clutch, she lets go before Utami can reach the ropes and kicks her in the head.

Arisa goes for the Shining Star Cutter but Utami grabs her around the waist to block it, sleeper hold by Utami and she goes off the ropes but Arisa catches her with a jumping knee. Arisa goes up to the top turnbuckle and delivers the 1399, cover by Arisa but it gets two. Running knee by Arisa, she goes off the ropes but again Utami blocks the Shining Star Cutter attempt and puts Arisa in the Argentine Backbreaker. She slides her to the front and hits the German suplex hold, but Arisa kicks out at two. Utami picks up Arisa and sits her on the second rope, she goes for a suplex but Arisa knocks her back and finally hits the Shining Star Cutter. Arisa waits for Utami to get to her knees and plants her with a Shining Impact, she lifts her up instead of completing the cover and nails her with the Brazilian Kick for the three count! Arisa Hoshiki wins and retains the championship.

I strongly feel that blood helps most matches (unless it is just overdone on a given event) and I think that was the case here as well. Everything just feels more real when a wrestler with blood running down their face starts making their comeback, its an image that sparks more emotion than most other situations in wrestling. Without that added drama, this was a good match but probably on the lower end of Arisa’s recent big matches. I actively dislike the Shining Star Cutter in any variation and this match showed why, as she kept going for it at bad times and when she finally did ‘hit’ the move, she didn’t hit it cleanly and it was just a rough looking spot. Everything else in the match was smooth at least, and while Utami is still working on some things she showed the fire here that you’d expect from a young challenger. Arisa being extra vicious (such as pulling Utami up after the Shining Impact) was a bit puzzling as normally she’s a pretty pure babyface, but maybe seeing blood just got her excited too. Overall a fun match, not a high-end one but entertaining nonetheless.  Recommended

(c) Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe
World of Stardom Championship

They circle each other to start, Mayu gets Momo’s waist but Momo trips her as they jockey for position on the mat. Momo applies a kneelock but Mayu gets into the ropes for the break, Momo picks up Mayu and starts working on her arm. Kick to the arm by Momo but Mayu cradles her, she goes for a dropkick but Momo moves and applies a modified double armbar. Mayu eventually gets to the ropes, she gets out of the ring but Momo goes up to the top turnbuckle and dives out to the floor with a Diving Somato. Momo gets back into the ring but gets tired of waiting for Mayu so she goes out to get her, dropkick by Momo in the corner and she hits a side slam followed by a knee to the back of the head. Running Somato by Momo, but Mayu kicks out of the cover. Momo picks up Mayu  and drops her with the B Driver, but that gets a two count as well. Momo goes up to the top turnbuckle but Mayu grabs her from behind before she can jump off, she goes for a powerbomb but Momo slides away. Mayu blocks Momo’s suplex attempt and kicks her in the head, dragon suplex by Mayu but Momo quickly recovers and hits a tiger suplex.

Both wrestlers are down on the mat, they trade elbows as they return to their feet, Dodonpa by Mayu but Momo kicks out of the cover. Mayu goes up to the top turnbuckle but Momo avoids the moonsault and kicks Mayu in the head. Momo gets on the second turnbuckle and hits a Diving Somato, she goes up top and hits another Diving Somato for a two count cover. Momo locks up Mayu and hits a release Tequila Sunrise, she nails the Peach Sunrise but Mayu barely kicks out of the cover. Momo picks up Mayu and delivers a double wrist-clutch suplex hold, but that gets a two count as well. Momo picks up Mayu and puts her on the second turnbuckle, she goes for another suplex but Mayu blocks it and his a reverse hurricanrana. Mayu quickly goes up top and hits a Frog Splash, but she only gets two. She goes up top again and this time delivers a moonsault, but again Momo kicks out of the cover. DDT by Mayu and she hits a tombstone piledriver, she nails the Two Stage Dragon Suplex Hold and she picks up the three count! Mayu Iwatani wins and retains the championship.

Post match: During the usual promo work after a big match, Bea came down in support of her faction teammate Momo Watanabe, but instead of helping her she kneed her in the head. She then announced that she was joining Oedo Tai, as the group came into the ring and celebrated with her. At the end as Mayu was closing the show, Sareee showed up on the screen in a recorded video, challenging Mayu to a match!

This match was clipped by Samurai TV but I think it was mostly mat work that we missed and nothing too critical. A great match between these two, and I hope Momo’s rumored demotion from the top tier in Stardom doesn’t come true as she may be the best wrestler on the roster (and is only 19 years old). The chemistry these two have is off the charts, everything else on the card felt pretty fluid but Momo and Mayu took it to another level as they put on a masterclass. Momo showed how important the match was to her with the Diving Somato out of the ring, which looked great, and the match had the fast past action you’d expect from Mayu. My only small quibble is that Momo went through all her finishers (including the Peach Sunrise), making it unclear in the home stretch how Momo would have even won the match since she had already emptied her arsenal instead of keeping a big move in her pocket. Still, that is more excusable in a Korakuen Hall main event title match as wrestlers tend to go all out and kick out of things that normally work. I’m not sure if they quite reached that “must see” MOTYC level but it was critically close, and either way a fitting ending to a quality Korakuen Hall show.  Highly Recommended

The post Stardom 9th Anniversary on 1/19/20 Review appeared first on Joshi City.

Event: Stardom New Years Stars 2020
Date: January 11th, 2020
Location: Osaka World Pavilion in Osaka, Japan
Announced Attendance: 221

This year I am going to try to balance the Stardom reviews so that I am not reviewing everything, but so that I am not only hitting the really big shows. I am still going to review all the Korakuen Hall events, but beyond that I am going to selectively review other shows of theirs if something catches my attention. For this show, two things caught my eye – Kagetsu vs. Giulia and Riho vs. Miyagi. That was enough to convince me to review the show, as some of the other matches look like fun too. Here is the full card:

• AZM and Utami Hayashishita vs. Itsuki Hoshino and Saya Iida
• Andras Miyagi vs. Riho
• High Speed Grand Prix: Leyla Hirsch vs. Starlight Kid
• Bea Priestley, Leo Onozaki, and Momo Watanabe vs. Jamie Hayter, Saki Kashima, and Zoey Skye
• Kagetsu vs. Giulia
• Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani, Tam Nakano, and Saya Kamitani vs. Death Yama-san, Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, and Konami

As I am watching this event from Stardom World, all matches will be shown in full. There were a few match changes due to the flu going around Japan, but none of the bigger matches had any modifications. Every wrestler on the card has a profile on Joshi City, you can click on their name above to go straight to it.

AZM and Utami Hayashishita vs. Itsuki Hoshino and Saya Iida

Utami starts the match with Saya but Itsuki immediately runs in too as they double team Utami. Dropkicks by Saya and Itsuki to Utami’s back while she is in the ropes, cover by Saya but it gets two. Saya picks up Utami but Utami blocks the slam attempt and hits one of her own. She tries to tag in AZM but Itsuki cuts her off, Saya picks up Utami but again she fails on the slam attempt. Saya gets away from Utami, Itsuki comes in and they both dropkick Utami. Saya finally manages to scoop slam Utami, she covers her but AZM breaks it up. Saya throws Utami towards the corner but Utami reverses it, Saya avoids Utami’s charge and chops her repeatedly in the chest. Utami eventually ducks one and delivers a dropkick, but again Itsuki runs in and knocks AZM off the apron before Utami can make the tag. Saya tags in Itsuki, dropkicks by Itsuki and she covers Utami for two. Itsuki applies a sleeper but Utami quickly gets out of it and applies one of her own, but Itsuki gets into the ropes.

Itsuki goes for a hurricanrana but Utami blocks it, victory roll by Itsuki but Utami rolls through it for her own two count. Itsuki goes off the ropes but Utami catches her with a scoop slam and finally tags in AZM. AZM and Itsuki trade elbows until AZM knocks Itsuki to the mat, AZM goes off the ropes but Itsuki sneaks behind her and applies a sleeper hold. Utami breaks it up, Itsuki goes off the ropes but Utami armdrags her. PK by AZM, but Saya breaks up the pin. Utami takes care of her, Irish whip by AZM to Itsuki but Saya comes back and AZM eats a double dropkick. AZM ends up in the corner and gets dropkicked some more, cover by Itsuki but it gets two. Itsuki elbows AZM into the corner but AZM slides to the apron when she charges in, missile dropkick by AZM and she covers Itsuki, but Saya breaks it up. AZM goes back to the top turnbuckle but Itsuki avoids the diving footstomp, hurricanrana by Itsuki but AZM gets a shoulder up. Buzzsaw Kick by AZM, she goes up top and this time she nails the diving footstomp for the three count! AZM and Utami Hayashishita are the winners!

If you had told me that Utami would be the Face in Peril in this match and that Itsuki would get in so much offense, I’d have never believed you. It’s wild the way they structured this match, with the rookies basically dominating. Utami only hit a couple moves in the whole match and AZM didn’t fair much better. There was at least one pretty noticeable mistake (oddly enough, made by Utami and not one of the rookies) but otherwise it was pretty fluid and both teams worked together well. I don’t know if the match was good but it was definitely interesting and unexpected, so I’ll give them some credit for that considering it was a late addition to the card.

Andras Miyagi vs. Riho

They circle each other to start but quickly end up on the mat, Riho works a waistlock but Andras reverses it. Andras gets in the dominate position but Riho kicks her off as she returns to her feet, Andras pushes Riho into the ropes and she gives a clean break. Andras goes off the ropes and hits a shoulderblock, but Riho bridges out of the pin and headscissors Andras out of the ring. Riho goes after her and hits an ax handle, but Andras grabs her and hits a scoop slam on the floor. Andras slides Riho back into the ring and joins her, stomps by Andras and she chokes Riho with her boot. Snapmare by Andras and she applies a camel clutch, but Riho inches to the ropes and forces the break. Andras picks up Riho and hits a delayed scoop slam, cover by Andras but it gets two. Riho fights back but Andras boots her in the chest, Andras throws Riho into the corner and hits a running elbow.

Another elbow by Andras, she gets Riho up on her shoulders and spins her around before delivering a Liger Bomb for a two count. Riho rolls out of the ring to try to regroup but Andras goes out too and throws Riho into the ring post. Andras tries to ram her with a chair but Riho moves, Riho gets back in the ring to escape and hits Andras with a Tiger Feint Kick as she gets on the apron. Riho goes for a diving footstomp but Andras moves, dropkick by Riho and she puts Andras in a crossface. Andras inches to the ropes to get the break, quick footstomp off the second turnbuckle by Riho and she goes all the way up to deliver another diving footstomp for a two count cover. Riho picks up Andras but Andras quickly applies a crucifix pin, Riho gets out of it and knees Andras in the face. Riho goes off the ropes but Andras pushes the referee in front of her, Riho rolls Andras to the mat with a clutch hold and keeps her pinned for the three count! Riho is the winner.

I’m not really sure what they are doing with Andras and this match didn’t give me any clarity. It was a good enough match, about what you’d expect on the lower midcard of a smaller show, but Andras has just become a punching bag the last few months as she keeps getting slotted below new wrestlers coming into the promotion. Unlike Andras’ match with Giulia, these two had pretty good chemistry but some of the transitions were non-existent, and the ending didn’t really flow with everything else they had been doing. Not a bad match but ultimately forgettable, aside from the general confusion surrounding Andras Miyagi.

Leyla Hirsch vs. Starlight Kid

Starlight Kid tries going right into a fast exchange but Leyla shoulderblocks her down, they trade armdrags and leg trips before Starlight Kid hits a dropkick. Starlight Kid goes off the ropes but Leyla hits another hard shoulderblock, bodyscissors by Leyla and she lets go after a moment to stomp on Starlight Kid’s back. Irish whip by Leyla and she goes for a slam, but Starlight Kid reverses it with a DDT. Tiger Feint Kick by Starlight Kid and she hits a standing moonsault for a two count. Starlight Kid picks up Leyla, strikes by Leyla and she dropkicks Starlight Kid in the chest. Running double knee by Leyla in the corner, she covers Starlight Kid but it gets a two count. Leyla goes for a cross armbreaker but Starlight Kid quickly gets to the ropes, Leyla picks up Starlight Kid but Starlight Kid slides down her back and hits a swinging fisherman neckbreaker for two. Starlight Kid goes up top and delivers a diving crossbody, she picks up Leyla and nails a leg clutch suplex hold, but Leyla gets a shoulder up. Starlight Kid goes for the Yoshi Tonic but Leyla shrugs her off and drops her with a modified Samoan Drop. Running knee by Leyla, and she covers Starlight Kid for two. Leyla gets Starlight Kid around the waist but Starlight Kid cradles her for a quick two count. Starlight Kid goes off the ropes but Leyla levels her with a lariat, Leyla applies the cross armbreaker and Starlight Kid has no choice but to submit! Leyla Hirsch is your winner.

I hope that Leyla sticks around in Stardom, as she offers something that the High Speed division doesn’t really have. She is short in stature but is a power wrestler, which is a fun dynamic that gives the wrestlers a lot more options to put on a unique match. This was too short to get excited about but I enjoyed it, it didn’t have the chemistry issues that one may expect and its too early in her run to know if Leyla winning with the armbreaker was just a cop out to get a quick win or if its a move she is going to use to win matches regularly. Starlight Kid continues to impress with her smoothness but really this was more about Leyla showing why even as a first time wrestler in the promotion she still could win the tournament. Wish it was a longer but fun while it lasted.  Mildly Recommended

Bea Priestley, Onozaki, and Watanabe vs. Jamie Hayter, Kashima, and Zoey Skye

Oedo Tai attacks before the match with Saki staying in as the legal wrestler against Leo, scoop slam by Saki and she rubs Leo’s face along the top rope. Saki tags in Jamie and she rams Leo into the turnbuckle as Oedo Tai each take a turn beating up Leo, Leo makes a comeback against Zoey and makes the hot tag to Bea. Bea suplexes Zoey, they trade kick attempts until Bea lands with one but Zoey hits a Codebreaker for a two count. Zoey tags Jamie, Jamie knocks Bea into the corner but Bea blocks the suplex attempt and hits a high knee. Lariat by Jamie and both wrestlers are down, they both slowly crawl to their corners to tag in Saki and Momo. Momo kicks Saki in the chest, dropkick by Momo but Saki avoids her next attempt as Jamie and Zoey both run in to deliver running strikes. Side slam backbreaker by Jamie, Saki goes up top and hits a diving footstomp on Momo for the two count. Momo comes back with a side slam to Saki but Saki throws her to the mat by her hair. Saki cradles Mom but Bea kicks her in the head to break it up, Somato by Momo but it only gets a two count. Momo picks up Saki and goes for the Peach Sunrise but Saki blocks it, high kick by Momo but Saki pins down Momo with a crucifix hold for two. Momo goes for the B Driver but Saki blocks it and hits a double underhook facebuster. Momo immediately fires off a head kick and crawls to her corner to tag Leo, elbow to the back by Leo and she hits a cutter for two. Leo goes off the ropes but Saki kicks her in the chest, Saki slides out to the apron and kicks Leo between the ropes. Back in the ring, Bea runs in and knees Saki, suplex by Momo and Leo cradles Saki for two. Elbows by Leo, she goes off the ropes but Jamie hands Saki an Oedo Tai sign and she hits Leo with it. My Emblem by Saki to Leo, and she picks up the three count! Oedo Tai wins!

I don’t really like Stardom’s trend recently of having Leo Onozaki in these types of matches, as it makes the “fall guy” just way too obvious. When she is anywhere outside the opener there is a 90% chance she is going to be pinned, which is an issue since it kills some of the drama. Plus I’d rather see a high end wrestler in there with this group, not a wrestler that likely will never ‘make it’ past the midcard. Anyway, aside from that complaint I enjoyed the match, Bea looked great in the few things they let her actually do and Saki seems to be embracing her evil ways very well, a welcome change for her. An easy watch with some solid wrestling from some great wrestlers, just predictable and it could have been a few minutes longer.  Mildly Recommended

Kagetsu vs. Giulia

They lockup to start but end up in the corner, leading to a clean break. A Test of Strength with Kagetsu winning follows, but Giulia gets away from her and they return to their feet. They jockey for position on the mat, Kagetsu gets in the dominate position but Giulia makes it to the ropes for the break. Kagetsu kicks Giulia in the chest and chokes her in the corner, Irish whip by Kagetsu and she hits a running elbow. Dropkick to the knee by Kagetsu, she gets a drink of water and spits it in Giulia’s face. The referee complains so she spits water in his face as well, Kagetsu goes back to Giulia but Giulia fights back with elbows and they exchange blows. Big boot by Giulia but Kagetsu kicks her in the midsection, she jumps up to the top turnbuckle but Giulia elbows her down to the apron. Giulia snaps Kagetsu’s neck on the top rope, Kagetsu falls out of the ring and Giulia goes out after her, slamming Kagetsu on the floor. Curb Stomp by Giulia on the stage, she brings Kagetsu back to ringside and throws her into the ring post before finally back into the ring. Giulia sets up Kagetsu in the corner across the second rope and knees her in the midsection, she hangs Kagetsu over the side of the apron and boots her in the head. Back in the ring again, Giulia goes up top and hits a missile dropkick to the back of Kagetsu’s head. She goes up top again and hits another missile dropkick, cover by Giulia but it gets two.

Giulia applies a crossface, but Kagetsu gets to the ropes for the break. Falcon Arrow by Giulia, and she covers Kagetsu for two. Kagetsu recovers and gets Giulia on her shoulders, but Giulia slides away and stomps on Kagetsu. Strike combination by Kagetsu and she hits the Ebisu Drop, cover by Kagetsu but it gets a two count. Kagetsu goes up top but Giulia recovers and joins her, superplex by Giulia but Kagetsu comes back with a running knee strike. Big boot by Giulia, and both wrestlers are down on the mat. Giulia picks up Kagetsu and nails the Glorious Buster, but Kagetsu kicks out of the cover. As she kicks out, Kagetsu puts Giulia in a hammerlock hold, but Giulia gets to the ropes. Ebisu Drop by Kagetsu in front of the corner, she goes up top but again Giulia recovers and joins her on the turnbuckles. Elbows by Giulia, she pulls Kagetsu off the turnbuckles and hits a tombstone piledriver. Glorious Driver by Giulia, but Kagetsu barely kicks out of the pin. Giulia goes for a submission but Kagetsu quickly gets away and delivers a running knee, another knee by Kagetsu and she hits an Ebisu Drop near the corner. She goes up top and this time nails the Oedo Coaster, cover by Kagetsu but Giulia kicks out. Kagetsu picks up Giulia and gets her on her shoulders as the bell rings, signifying that time has expired. Kagetsu hits the Death Valley Bomb anyway, but the match is a Time Limit Draw.

This was fun but man there were issues with offensive transitions. There were several times that one wrestler would do a major move and the other just took over on offense for no explainable reasons seconds later, I normally give a lot of leeway for that but it shouldn’t be so obvious. Beyond that, this is the best I have seen of Giulia so far in Stardom as they looked like they had been wrestling against each other for years with how the match was structured and how it seamlessly flowed. There was a bit of time wasting outside the ring as it took a few minutes to get going, but once they got focused the action was fast paced and generally interesting. Even though it was a smaller show they weren’t holding back any, aside from the lack of Kagetsu Poison Mist, but maybe Giulia just didn’t want her face covered in green. Pretty solid, some definite issues that would keep it out of any MOTYC lists but entertaining nonetheless.  Recommended

Hoshiki, Iwatani, Nakano, and Kamitani vs. Yama-san, Kimura, Kyona, and Konami

Hana and Saya start the match for their respective teams, Saya fires away at Hana with elbows but Hana just invites her to throw more before eventually booting her to the mat. All of TCS attack/taunt Saya while she is in the ropes, Death comes in for a moment as Saya is double teamed. Hana tags in Kyona as she takes her turn on the rookie, with Konami helping from the apron as well. The rookie beatdown continues until Saya dropkicks Death and makes the hot tag to Mayu. Mayu rolls Death to the mat and stomps her in the head, Kyona and Hana come in but so do Tam and Arisa as the odds are evened up. STARS gets the better of the exchange, the ring clears leaving just Mayu and Death and Death thrusts Mayu in the throat. She tags in Hana, Hana goes off the ropes and she boots Mayu in the head. Another boot by Hana, she picks up Mayu but Mayu kicks her in the midsection. She goes off the ropes but is kicked by Konami from the apron, delayed vertical suplex by Hana to Mayu and she gets a two count cover. Hana picks up Mayu and applies the Ground Manjikatame, but Tam and Arisa quickly break it up. Hana goes off the ropes but Mayu catches her with a Sling Blade, Mayu tags in Arisa and Arisa hits a double knee to Hana in the corner. Double kneedrop by Arisa, and she covers Hana for two. Arisa picks up Hana but Hana elbows her and the two trade blows. Jumping knee by Arisa but Death run in and DDTs her, running boot by Hana and she covers Arisa for two. Hana tags Konami, strike combination by Konami but Arisa fires back with a kick of her own and both wrestlers end up on the mat.

Arisa tags Tam, boot by Tam to Konami and she hits a cutter. Tam goes off the ropes but Konami catches her kick and applies an ankle hold. German suplex by Konami and she hits a buzzsaw kick, but Tam kicks out of the cover. Bridging Suplex by Konami, but Saya breaks up the count. This leads to all the wrestlers running in and hitting their signature moves, Konami and Tam crawl to their corners and tag in Kyona and Saya. Kyona kicks at Saya, she goes off the ropes but Saya catches her with a dropkick. Konami kicks Saya from the apron, Hana comes in and helps Kyona hit an assisted face crusher. Sliding lariat by Kyona, she picks up Saya but Mayu runs in with Tam to help. They get cleared out of the ring, Kyona goes for a pescado but STARS move and she ends up landing on Tokyo Cyber Squad. Tam and Mayu both go up to different turnbuckles and dive out of the ring with dives onto their opponents, they rolls Kyona back into the ring and Tam, Arisa, and Mayu all superkick her. Saya goes up top and delivers a missile dropkick, cover by Saya but the pin is broken up. Saya hits the handstand kneedrop but Kyona avoids the running Shooting Star Press, she goes for a cradle but Saya reverses it for one of her own for two. STARS get in the ring but Kyona moves when they all go for dropkicks, TCS come in and they dropkick the members of STARS. Hard elbow by Kyona, but Saya gets a shoulder up on the cover. Kyona grabs Saya around the waist and plants her with the Hammer Throw Bomb, and she picks up the three count! Tokyo Cyber Squad win the match.

I don’t mind Saya being such a big part of this match as we saw earlier with Leo since at least Saya is being pushed as a future star, but for a main event this was still a bit lacking. It is hard for all eight wrestlers to get a chance to shine in an twelve minute match, I would have preferred that either they got more time or they trimmed a couple wrestlers. The plus here is that both teams work together really well, lots of fast paced exchanges and smart tag team work that made the match far more exciting than if they did just a traditional tag. Hana looked the best, probably by design, and if nothing else I can say that time flew by while I was watching this. While I’d like more from the main event, even for a smaller show, still a pretty enjoyable match.  Mildly Recommended

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