MAYU IWATANI VS. SYURI: THE BEAUTIFUL VIOLENCE OF JOSHI

Every year in pro wrestling, there are matches that should smash through the glass ceiling of most wrestling fans and be watched — no matter what. That glass ceiling, more often than not, are the wildly known promotions of WWE, AEW, and NJPW. Getting to wrestling fans’ eyes beyond those promotions is a task unless it’s widely recommended. Well, here I am to recommend a match that should be viewed by wrestling fans far and wide. That match is Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri for the IWGP Women’s Championship from STARDOM’s Ittenyon Stardon Gate on January 4th.

While most wrestling fans were prepping themselves for a long night of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 18, mere minutes before that show kicked off, it was these two wrestlers tearing it up next door at Tokyo Dome City Hall with a sold-out crowd of 1,536 in what should go down as one of the best wrestling matches of the year.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri: The Build Up

For this match, they didn’t need a traditional pro wrestling build to create excitement in this match. Part of it was quite simple, actually — go watch two of the best of this generation, two of the best on the planet put on a show in a first-time-ever event. But the other part? It’s all about making a statement.

After not making it onto this year’s Wrestle Kingdom card due to the catastrophe that was a six-minute forced sprint between KAIRI and Tam Nakano a year ago, Mayu and Syuri wanted to show the world why they should be the ones wrestling inside the Tokyo Dome, and higher up the card, at that. 

You felt it in the lead-up. Iwatani said as much, stating that she wanted to defend the title that has the prestigious IWGP attached to it inside one of pro wrestling’s last true historic venues. She didn’t get that chance, despite defeating Mercedes Moné of all people to become the champion back in April and representing the new championship the best she could. Even with the limitations put ahead of her since winning, Iwatani has proven why she will go down as an all-time great in the eyes of more than just STARDOM fans.

Syuri deserved just as much love as Iwatani heading into this match. After the work she put in to help put STARDOM more on the map than ever before in 2021 and 2022, this match really looked to be the payoff. A huge IWGP Women’s Championship match that was fitting of any card in the world. And as she’s done time and time again in her major matches, she went out there to not only put on a show but be the best of any show on January 4th or, as we learned by the end, any show of 2024.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri: The Match

Mayu Iwatani and Syuri have wrestled before. Whether it’s a tournament match (5STAR Grand Prix) or World of Stardom Championship matches — they’ve done this before. As someone who has seen all those matches, I was always of the belief that they still had one better than them. Each of those matches saw them patch things together, making things work that didn’t prior, and adding to their recipe. Yet, they didn’t reach that top level that two workers at this stage of their career are highly capable of doing.

By the end of this match, they comfortably got there.

To understand how great this match was is to understand the situation. Wrestle Kingdom is minutes away from kicking off with their annual Ranbo match, and we’re coming off the heels of Giulia’s long-time faction Donna del Mondo officially disbanding. There’s a time crunch to get the fans out who are heading to the Tokyo Dome out. In many ways, the world seemed to be working against them to make magic. Something that was trying to be avoided when STARDOM was moved away from Wrestle Kingdom for the first time since taking part in the preshow in 2020.

It didn’t matter. Why would any of this matter? Two of the best in the world had chips on their shoulder. 

Don’t doubt the best is what I and many others learned over the next 19 minutes and 6 seconds.

The way that this match started, I was convinced they had to squeeze in a 20-minute match in 10 minutes. They packed everything, including an Iwatani Dragon Suplex to Syuri on the apron, some of the nastiest headbutts you’ll see (or hear) all year, and then the match kept going.

The pace from bell to bell was incredible. There’s no other way to say it. Even watching this back, I was left in amazement by what these two packed into each minute — from brutal moves to great, traditional pro wrestling. Anything these two did, it clicked.

But the reason that I believe this match between these two teams went to that extra level, unlike their previous collisions, is all because of Iwatani. We’ve moved on from her having to wrestle from underneath as the underdog. The IWGP Women’s Champion became the first woman I’ve ever seen in STARDOM to simply destroy Syuri move after move. Mayu went into the killer mode that she only reaches into once or twice a year — but it’s the best version of “The Icon.”

She didn’t flip the switch for the whole match, but after answering Syuri with a headbutt that rang through Tokyo Dome City Hall, I knew it was coming down the pipelines. Iwatani met Syuri’s head with some of the nastiest, stiffest kicks she’s ever hit — holding nothing back and hitting them so hard you would have thought Syuri’s skull was being dented.

Once we got to the final stretch, this match went to that epic level that you look for in any Match of the Year contender. Iwatani would hit her signature Moonsault, leading to a Syuri kickout. They’d throw each other with Suplexes before Iwatani hit that Tombstone Piledriver that she only brings out in the biggest matches before once again kicking Syuri until she had nothing left in the tank.

The champion hit a Dragon Suplex before hitting her Dragon Suplex Hold, which would result in a lucky Syuri getting her foot on the rope just from being too close. As Iwatani went for her Moonsault once more, a desperate Syuri — who we’ve rarely ever seen in this spot — truly looked like she had nothing left in the tank. She grabbed at her foot before Iwatani lifted her up and hit the loudest kick of the match, mirroring the headbutts from earlier on.

But as any great match has, Syuri had one final surge after that to try and win the IWGP Women’s Championship. She’d answer with a V-Trigger style knee, Buzzsaw Kick, and would even hit the Syu-sekai, the same move that won her the World of Stardom Championship. But Iwatani kicked out.

Just brilliant. The wrestling match you lose yourself in. Edge of your seat closing stretch.

Syuri’s surge became so much more than just a surge. She lawn darted Iwatani into the turnbuckle and looked to be closing in before the finish came out of nowhere with a Dragon Suplex, Superkick, and the Dragon’s Ray (Greatest Poisonrana Ever) to get the win and successfully defend her championship.

It brought the memories of those AJW matches where they dropped each other on their heads, punched one another in the skull, and made every bit of their match feel like a real fight. It had the elegance of the STARDOM main event that we’ve become accustomed to over the years. And it had the big match feel packed in a sub-20 minute match, which is another unreal trait all in itself in the age of 30+ minute classics.

It was two of the best in the world doing what they do best. A new STARDOM classic.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Syuri: Why You Need To Watch

Two of the best from their generation wrestled a true Match of the Year contender before Bryan Danielson and Kazuchika Okada even put their gear on to wrestle their match later in the night (read about that here while you’re at it). 

Don’t miss out because of the fear of violence but rather the beauty of that widely talked about violence. Don’t let the quarter of a star make you think this isn’t worth your time. Because it is. Every single second of this match is.

This match personifies what Joshi wrestling is supposed to be. Hard-hitting, jaw-dropping, out-of-this-world action with a pace that few big match wrestlers can come close to. It’s why this style of wrestling has been my favorite ever since I first saw it. Nothing comes close.

If you have read my work or follow me anywhere — you know how I feel about Iwatani. I firmly believe she’s the greatest to ever do it. Her matches just bring the emotion, action, and believability that makes the best pro wrestling night in and night out. She can be that ultimate underdog that has everyone rooting for her. Or, as we saw in this match, she flips that switch and can be the best, nastiest killer in the business. There are levels to this, and Iwatani is the highest of them all.

And Syuri, as we’ve all seen over the last few years, is right up there. She’s solidified her status as an all-time great in the world of wrestling, not just Joshi. The more she puts on performances like this, the more the general wrestling world will have to catch up and agree.

I can’t make you watch anything. But if you made it this far in the article and want to give Joshi a chance, I can’t think of a better match to dive in on than this one right here. 

It’s Mayu Iwatani. It’s Syuri. Main event. IWGP Women’s Championship. Something to prove.

It’s the latest Joshi masterpiece that everyone should be checking out. You will not regret it.