STARDOM is presenting STARDOM THE CONVERSION on June 22nd in Yoyogi. It’s another major PPV, and it will be the next big test for STARDOM under Taro Okada, who has been struggling lately as the head of creative. The show features a World of Stardom and a Wonder of Stardom Championship match with both Champions having surprising challengers and the “Final Chapter” between OEDo Tai and Queen’s Quest.
The mind-boggling build-up aside, the card has a couple of great match-ups that make you want to tune into the show. The nine-match card features a good mix of interesting undercard matches and multiple championship bouts, with Maika & Xena fighting for the World of Stardom Championship in the main event.
Let’s dive into the main card of the show.
God’s Eye (Tomoka Inaba, Saki Kashima & Ranna Yagami) vs. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurara)
Following her return to STARDOM at today’s New Blood show for the first time since she & Azusa Inaba challenged for the New Blood Tag Team Championships in June of 2023, Tomoka Inaba will open the show. She is teaming with her God’s Eye partners Ranna Yagami & Saki Kashima against the Cosmic Angels trio of Tam Nakano, Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurara.
With Inaba facing World of Stardom Champion Maika in a special singles match in the main event of JTO’s 5th Anniversary at Korakuen Hall on July 15th, she is likely picking up the win to gain some momentum heading into the major match between the two rivals. Maika teased putting her Red Belt on the line if she’s still the Championship by then, which could lead to the match ending up as a Championship match.
Prediction: Tomoka Inaba, Saki Kashima & Ranna Yagami
E-neXus-V (Mina Shirakawa & HANAKO) vs. Cosmic Angels (Natsupoi & Yuna Mizumori)
Just a week away from challenging Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Forbidden Door, Mina Shirakawa will be in action together with HANAKO to face Natsupoi & Yuna Mizumori in an undercard tag team match.
The co-leader of EXV getting the win seems to be the most likely move to give her a momentum boost ahead of Forbidden Door, but Natsupoi is also in need of a momentum boost as well with the 5STAR Grand Prix coming up in August.
Prediction: Mina Shirakawa & HANAKO
STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) vs. God’s Eye (Syuri & Ami Sohrei)
A special tag team match that is presented by Mayu Iwatani’s biopic ‘Runaway Wrestler’ with Anna Hirai, who played Iwatani in the film, being ringside for the match. This is a cool little showcase as all four wrestlers had an involvement in the movie and have promoted it all over Japan.
Tough match to predict as Iwatani should in theory win a match that is presented by her biopic, but she has two tough opponents with Syuri, who is aiming for the Goddess of Stardom Championship, and Ami Sohrei, who is coming fresh off her biggest match of her career in a losing effort against Saori Anou. The match stands and falls for the ‘Icon’ with her tag partner Momo Kohgo, who has suffered many losses recently and is trying to get back on track.
Prediction: Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo
Starlight Kid vs. Mei Seira
Nezt up, Mei Seira & Starlight Kid will face each other in a special singles match that was set up in Nagoya. This will be a great match, and there should be no doubt about it, considering how good both have been recently. Starlight Kid has shown new fire after her babyface turn, while Seira has been one of the most consistent wrestlers in STARDOM since joining the promotion.
With Suzu injured and her losing both her Championships, Seira has been searching for an important role and has found it on this show against Starlight Kid, who is one of the most important characters in STARDOM right now. After being kicked out from OEDo Tai at All Star Grand Queendom, the ‘Sky Tiger’ has been looking for a new stable and has been teaming up with every faction that STARDOM has, which is seemingly leading to her joining Cosmic Angels with Nakano even offering to wear a mask.
The match screams like a time limit draw with both wrestlers not being in the position to lose this match just shortly before the 5STAR Grand Prix.
Prediction: Time Limit Draw
Queen’s Quest (Saya Kamitani, AZM, Miyu Amasaki, Lady C & Hina) vs. Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Thekla, Ruaka & Rina) in an Elimination Match with four wrestlers other than the final loser are forced to leave their faction
One last time, two of the most prominent stables in the history of STARDOM will collide with the biggest stakes imaginable as four wrestlers will be forced to leave their faction leaving the final loser alone in the respective stable to either rebuild or disband the unit.
Last year, STARDOM told a similar story with Queen’s Quest & OEDo Tai colliding in a Steel Cage Match with one of the best endings in the history of the promotion as Utami Hayashishita defended QQ and won the match for her team with the help of AphroditE. One year later, the situation looks different… much different. Utami has left STARDOM for Marigold, and Queen’s Quest is once again in trouble as Kamitani is trying to establish herself as the new leader, but her stablemates aren’t fully trusting her yet.
This is the most important match of the STARDOM era under Taro Okada as regardless of what happens, a bold decision is being made. It can either lead to greatness or end up being questionable, which is all about how the result of this match is going to be. STARDOM has teased a lot – from a turn of Saya Kamitani on Queen’s Quest to Momo Watanabe turning on OEDo Tai to AZM or Kamitani ending up alone in Queen’s Quest. The potential results go from great to terrible, and as a STARDOM fan, it’s hard not to be worried about the potential direction that the promotion will take.
That being said, Queen’s Quest seems like the loser out of this as OEDo Tai will try to avenge their loss from last year. A potential story with Saya Kamitani losing everything and trying to rebuild Queen’s Quest on her own would be the most interesting outcome.
Prediction: Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Thekla, Ruaka & Rina
FWC (Hazuki & Koguma) (c) vs. wing*gori (Hanan & Saya Iida) – Goddess of Stardom Championship
The two top STARS teams will collide for the Goddess of Stardom Championship as Koguma & Hazuki put their titles on the line against Saya Iida & Hanan. This has the potential to not only steal the show but also be one of the best matches of the year in STARDOM.
FWC, who won the titles in May from Crazy Star, have been on one hell of a run as they cement themselves as the best tag team in the history of STARDOM. The three-time Goddess of Stardom Champions face the current New Blood Tag Team Champions as both Hanan & Iida compete for the Goddess of Stardom Championship for the first time in their careers.
This match will be enjoyable as both teams are on a great run this year. While the Champions are almost certainly retaining here, this will be the match that establishes wing*gori near the top of the tag division and will put them as the front runners for the Goddess of Stardom Tag League later in the year.
Prediction: Hazuki & Koguma
Saori Anou (c) vs. Mika Iwata – Wonder of Stardom Championship
Saori Anou will put her Wonder of Stardom Championship on the line for the fourth time against reigning Sendai Girls World Champion Mika Iwata, who appeared at the STARDOM show in Sendai and challenged Saori Anou to a White Belt match. They wrestled to a 20-minute time-limit draw on February 20th in SENJO earlier this year and have been teasing another match recently. Now, Iwata has confronted Anou, and the match will happen on June 22nd in Yoyogi.
Iwata makes for an interesting challenger since she is the first non-regular World or Wonder of Stardom Challenger in over 1 1/2 years, with the last one being Haruka Umesaki at Stardom Dream Queendom 2022. It’s an interesting decision as STARDOM has a great roster that has so many talented wrestlers that could use spots like this as Ami Sohrei’s great performance last month has shown. The hope is that this is just a one-time thing, and the focus goes back to establishing the STARDOM roster moving forward.
Nonetheless, there is no doubt about the potential quality of this match as both Anou & Iwata have shown in their past matches that they have the chemistry to have a good showing and they need to have one here. The problem that they will face is that the drama will be lacking as there is no chance that Mika Iwata will be walking out as the Wonder of Stardom Champion from this match. A draw might be possible, but the likeliest outcome is Anou retaining her championship.
Prediction: Saori Anou
Maika (c) vs. Xena – World of Stardom Championship
Maika will defend the World of Stardom Championship against her EXV stablemate Xena in the main event of the show, and it’s a surprising match-up for the top belt of STARDOM. A huge spot for Xena, who has shown in recent months how far she has come, but this is her biggest test so far.
After believing that STARDOM is seemingly heating Xena up for a potential Wonder of Stardom Championship challenge against Saori Anou in the future due to a staredown both had after a match in Kyoto, she surprisingly ended up as the next challenger for the World of Stardom Championship. It will be the first major championship match for Xena in STARDOM and an important one since she has been in the spotlight since her comeback after picking up multiple big wins, having pinned Natsupoi, Momo Watanabe, and even her opponent Maika.
The booking of the ‘Empress’ as Red Belt Champion has been baffling recently, but once the bell rings, she continues to prove why she has been put in this spot. She had great chemistry with the Australian in their preview matches, which showed that the two have the potential to deliver a great match on June 22nd in Yoyogi. Xena has been training a lot with GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion Daga and has adapted some of his lucha offense, and her chops are her best weapon.
That being said, Maika is not going to lose this match and is retaining her Championship for a fifth time, but this is more about putting Xena on the map as an established foreigner who can even compete for the World Championship and not feel out of place.
Prediction: Maika
