As wrestling fans, we all have our own story behind what drew us into the industry and made us keep coming back for more. For many, our first exposure to the business will have come from the WWE, as its mainstream status meant that we’d at least heard of wrestling growing up, but, in order to become a fan, something had to grab you.
The bright colours, vibrant personalities and bell-to-bell action are good for getting people through the door, but what really counts are the connections you form with the wrestlers who, for whatever reason, just resonate with you. From there, if you choose to follow the path of one specific competitor, the journey wrestling can take you on is one that very few media forms can match.
So, when it eventually comes time to look beyond the four walls of WWE, or whatever promotion first drew you in, and really find out what’s out there in the wider wrestling landscape, the same principles apply. When daring to get invested in a new company, you have to find something that connects with you, and, although it can be daunting to learn all the titles, roster members and ongoing storylines, once you find a specific wrestler to go on that ride with everything else falls into place.
As for my own experience, thanks to recommendations from some friends, I finally decided to take the leap into following World Wonder Ring STARDOM in early 2023. I’d heard of it before, and it was something I thought I’d be interested in, but, despite the best efforts of those around me, information about the company just wasn’t sticking with me. That was, until I found Natsupoi.
To me, Natsupoi was immediately everything I could wish to find in a professional wrestler. She had infectious positivity, overwhelming energy and, most of all, she had that underdog fire that instinctively made me want to root for her. From her funny antics that often go viral on social media, to her awesome showings in the ring, it’s hard to find something to dislike about her character and style. To me, if you wanted a face of a company that could be a genuine hero to the fans, you could certainly do a lot worse than the ‘High Speed Fairy’.
Yet, despite holding both Goddess and Artist of STARDOM gold twice each, she hadn’t ever found success in any of the company’s singles divisions. In truth, this is down to how stacked the company’s roster has been over the years, but, with many good options available to hold the World and Wonder titles, there was often a backlog of top talent that couldn’t reach their main goals.
Natsupoi made it clear that she aimed to one day hold the company’s White Belt, but many opportunities came and went as she unsuccessfully challenged for the gold during the reigns of Tam Nakano, Saya Kamitani and Mina Shirakawa. She even had to watch on as her stablemate and tag team partner Saori Anou ticked off the Wonder of STARDOM Championship just eight months after making her return to the company. Despite her unwavering desire to call herself the champion, it sometimes felt as if her time would never come.
“Natsupoi will definitely wear that belt. I won’t give up! I WILL NOT GIVE UP! I will definitely wear it.”
These words after she had lost a Wonder of STARDOM challenge to Mina Shirakawa are so important. Fundamentally, Natsupoi is an optimistic, loving character who was naturally happy to see her friend acquire the second most important belt in STARDOM, but she never lost sight of her goal and overtly kept trying to find her way to the White Belt while Anou was champion.
The pair maintained an amicable relationship through Saori’s reign, but everything was underpinned by the end goal of defending against the ‘Ring Fairy’. It was clear to most that this was the direction we were heading, and that it was a matter of when she’d come after the title, not if.
Time ticked by, but it looked as if the moment had come when a number one contenders match for the White Belt was set up between Natsupoi and Ami Sohrei, taking place on May 3. Yet, to the shock of those wanting to see the 29-year-old succeed, she lost. Despite telling us that the underdog babyface was the natural challenger for Anou, the God’s Eye member took the title match after Natsupoi had gotten so close to the match she’d always wanted.
It was a heartbreaking roadblock in the path that looked to be ironed out, and it shook her to her core. Even though she was usually a determined character who wouldn’t let much stop her, Natsupoi was utterly dejected at her recent failing, and, with another loss on her record, her goal looked as distant as ever. Even if Anou wanted to compete against her friend, could we really say that the wannabe challenger had earned it?
Thankfully, in true Natsupoi spirit, she kept going. Falling back into tag team action, she earned victories alongside her Cosmic Angels stablemates, and even formed an endearing partnership with Starlight Kid as ‘Mutual Love’, which came out on top at All Together. She began to get her momentum back.
However, much like before, challengers seemed to step up and receive opportunities before Natsupoi got her shot, including a collaboration between companies which saw then Sendai Girls World Champion Mika Iwata stand across the ring from Anou over STARDOM’s gold. To everyone’s surprise Iwata walked out of ‘Stardom The Conversion’ on June 22 as the White Belt Champion, leaving fans stunned as to what the plan was for the defeated champion’s promise to defend against her teammate.
“You’re not giving up, are you?”
Backstage, Natsupoi remained supportive of Anou post-loss, wanting to help her friend who had just lost her championship. However, of course, it wasn’t lost on her that the once promised title opportunity was now out of their hands. Struggling to come to terms with what had happened, Anou could only muster an apology through her sobs after the shock title change, but the ‘High Speed Fairy’ remained undeterred.
It was her determination that spurred Saori to keep fighting and reclaim the gold just three weeks later, but it was telling that her first response to loss was despair, whereas Natsupoi was fuelled with hope. Anou felt embarrassed by her loss, and she couldn’t face training or respond to her teammate after failing to keep her word.
While the course was corrected and the title was back with the 21st Wonder of STARDOM Champion, we got a telling look into how both women deal with challenge. It had gone wrong for Anou, and she was emotionally wrecked by her own shortcomings, only recovering when eve was able to reclaim the belt and deliver her promise. Not wanting to let it slip again, the title match between the two Cosmic Angels was set just 12 days after Saori reclaimed the gold.
Finally, the stage was set, the main event of STARDOM’s Sapporo Wonder Rendezvous, the first of a two-night spectacle for the company, and the difference in how much the occasion meant to each wrestler was evident just from the entrances of champion and challenger.
First out was Natsupoi whose usual energy was calmed by an air of focus. Importantly, as she had her back turned the camera, the titantron showed an image of both her and Anou together, reminding the challenger of their journey together before making the walk to the ring to face her friend. The same sentiment, however, could not be found in the entrance of Anou.
Instead, the screens displayed the show name, occasionally flashing up the champion’s name: no mention of Natsupoi or their shared past at all. It felt as if this was just another title match for Saori, a favour to her teammate that she just had to get past so she could say she delivered on her promise, without it being of too much importance to the champion. Then, at last, it was time for the long-awaited clash to take place.
Immediately, it was intense. The bell had just sounded, and Anou was on her way back to the corner, but turning her back meant Natsupoi had an opportunity to take the advantage in the match that could allow her to achieve her dream. She hit an excellent release German Suplex right off the bat, and went straight for the Fairial Gift from the top rope, her iconic finishing move which Anou actually borrowed in order to get her title back from Iwata.
This set the tone right from the first second, as Natsupoi was wasting no time in trying to get the win. Anou was kind enough to give her friend a shot at the Wonder Title, but the challenger wasn’t about to be underestimated, and she’d tasted defeat on this level many times before. She was doing everything to make this match different to the pain she felt in losing her previous title challenges.
Natsupoi had let chances slip in the past, and she’d seen those from other companies take the title away from STARDOM just weeks before this, so there was absolutely no time to waste if she wanted to wear the championship around her waist. Quite fittingly, the opening exchange was similar to that of a high speed match, as the ‘High Speed Fairy’ ensured that she controlled pace from the off. Saori even retreated to the outside at one point, and, as Natsupoi looked on from the top rope, could Anou have underestimated her teammate?
It didn’t slow down once the champion was back in the ring, either. The ‘Ring Fairy’ continued with an onslaught of explosive offence. As the match went on, it felt as if their familiarity with each other crept through. Particularly for the challenger, she watched as Saori dealt with the journey of losing and then reclaiming the title, all while Natsupoi could keep her mind focused on the title opportunity Anou had promised her and how to make the most of it. She had an answer to everything.
Of course, the champion wasn’t about to lose her gold easily, and Saori’s offence got increasingly more aggressive as the bout went on. There was an element of resistance to Anou, who couldn’t quite believe how the match had gone to this point. It became more even towards the middle section, and both competitors took gnarly hits on the apron as they battled for supremacy over the other, seemingly neither woman was giving an inch.
With both fuel tanks nearing empty, their eyes met back inside the ring for an intense stardom where they traded blows. It broke down into an intense strike exchange, as Anou’s wicked spin kick was answered by a slap prior to Natsupoi hitting one of her own, perhaps with even more power. In a moment of defiance, Saori smirked at the fire behind the kick she’d just taken before being put down with two more.
Desperate, the champion grabbed her challenger’s leg as she was looking to ascend to the top rope. More strikes were in order to leave Anou laid out for long enough to climb the turnbuckle and attempt to Farial Gift, yet, on the landing, Saori got the knees up, hurting both women.
Withstanding a last burst of offence from the then Wonder of STARDOM title holder, Natsupoi produced some epic last second kickouts that perfectly sum up the babyface fire that makes her so unique, including getting the shoulder up at the final moment after Anou had hit the Farial Gift, her opponent’s own signature move that she’d previously copied to great success.
To close, the pair reverted back to the how they started, a high speed sprint to the finish. Both doing everything they can to secure the win, their respective game plans went out the window and they kept attempting quick pins. After champion and challenger took turns to kick out at one, it was the technical ability of the ‘Ring Fairy’ that had her teammate tied up enough to finally secure the three-count.
She had found a way to do it, and couldn’t hold back her emotions as it dawned on her that she had become the 23rd Wonder of STARDOM Champion. In a land of unwavering talent, Natsupoi had finally found her place, and it was exactly where she hoped she’d be. After being promised a shot at her dream, she finally received her opportunity and realised her dream.
It was hard, and, at times, it was unknown whether she’d ever get her hands on the White Belt, but her story is about one thing: not giving up. We all have goals, we all have dreams, but the path we imagine to get there doesn’t always pan out how we hope. There’s such magic to be found in finding a babyface wrestler who can go through the struggle, like we all do every day, and come out the other side to achieve.
While competing with others, it’s so easy to lose track of yourself, or lose faith in your own ability, but, with the support of those around her, Natsupoi was able to keep going until she had enough to reach her level. It’s electric, and professional wrestling is all about seeing loveable people succeed.
From here, the hope is to see an extended run with the gold, particularly as the recent title changes have meant that there hasn’t been a reign spanning more than five months since the legendary run of Saya Kamitani, but the main thing for me is getting to watch the continued growth of one of STARDOM’s most naturally likeable characters.
As regular viewers will know, Natsupoi is certainly capable of having a stint to be proud of. She is one of the best in-ring wrestlers on the STARDOM roster, and it’s safe to expect some top White Belt contests in her reign, but, most of all, her win is a triumph for optimism and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
