STARDOM is presenting its final PPV of 2024, ‘Dream Queendom’, on December 29th in the legendary Sumo Hall. This event marks the promotion’s last show of the year and will be a pivotal show as its outcomes could shape their direction leading into 2025. In addition to a strong undercard, the main event sees Saya Kamitani challenging Tam Nakano for the World of STARDOM Championship.
The card features several compelling matchups, making it a must-watch event. The ten-match lineup offers a solid mix of intriguing undercard bouts and multiple championship clashes, with STARDOM’s biggest match of the year headlining the show.
Let’s dive into the card.
Sayaka Kurara vs. Ranna Yagami
A year after their debut on Christmas night, Ranna Yagami and Sayaka Kurara face off to show who has gotten further in their development following their first year of competing in the ring. Both wrestlers had an interesting first year, with Ranna performing in Pro Wrestling WAVE’s Catch the WAVE and Stardom’s 5STAR Grand Prix tournaments in the same year with great results, while Kurara has been in the bigger storylines of the two. She’s been the focal point of the Tam Nakano-Saya Kamitani story for the World of STARDOM Championship and seems to have a major angle brewing soon, especially after losing the Future of STARDOM Championship match against Miyu Amasaki.
The two have had one singles match to this point, taking place back in May when Ranna picked up the first singles victory of her career against Kurara, and the competitive rivalry between the two has been growing ever since, leading their their big match here. Pay attention to this pre-show match as it could very well be a World of STARDOM Championship match in five years’ time.
Prediction: Ranna Yagami
Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura vs. Chi Chi and Matoi Hamabe
This is a preview match for January 3rd’s New Year Dream, where Chi Chi will put her Sendai Girls World Junior Championship on the line against Aya Sakura of the Cosmic Angels after Chi Chi and the rest of Pro Wrestling Evolution declared war on STARDOM. The two are making a late charge for the best Joshi rivalry of the year. They faced each other this past October in the finals of the Sendai Girls Jajauma tournament, and, on that occasion, Chi Chi was able to win in a great 18-minute match. Plus, all of their tag matches against each other have been clear standouts on their respective show and they’re likely to stand out again here. This one will be an intense battle to see who gains momentum heading into their title match.
While Aya Sakura teams with her Cosmic Angels partner Yuna Mizumori, Chi Chi is forced to team up with the company’s newest rookie Matoi Hamabe, who made her debut in November and is showing good potential so far. She’ll likely work the finishing stretch here together with Yuna Mizumori.
Prediction: Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura
Neo Genesis (AZM, Suzu Suzuki, Mei Seira & Miyu Amasaki) vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Koguma & Momo Kohgo)
Ahead of the IWGP Women’s Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 19 in the Tokyo Dome, AZM and Mayu Iwatani are fighting off alongside their respective stables in the undercard of Dream Queendom. After defeating Iwatani in the 5STAR Grand Prix, AZM has been shoved aside a couple of times in favour of Toni Storm & Momo Watanabe to challenge for the IWGP Women’s Title respectively, but now it’s the High Speed Bomb Girl’s time to get a chance at Iwatani’s title. This preview match will show their tremendous chemistry and will be the best undercard match of the show in terms of pure in-ring quality.
One of the most interesting stories this year has been Suzu Suzuki playing a side character in STARDOM and this spot on the card for her shows that again. Just a year after her Sumo Hall main event match against Maika, the former 5STAR Grand Prix winner is playing second fiddle in a preview tag team match that doesn’t even build to a match of her own. Her biggest match this year came in the form of a clear loss against Tam Nakano for the World of STARDOM Title in a match that was supposed to give her much-needed momentum again. It’s clear that the new management is higher on Starlight Kid and AZM rather than her and prefers to push them into the bigger spots, crowning Suzu’s stablemates as future top stars of the company ahead of Suzuki. Her fall from nearly reaching the mountaintop of the promotion has been interesting to follow and could set up something bigger for her in 2025, especially with the success AZM & Starlight Kid are having.
Momo Kohgo is likely in this match to take the fall, but a 50/50 trade between Iwatani and AZM ahead of their title match wouldn’t be shocking considering Taro Okada has been doing this all year long. Regardless, Neo Genesis will pick up the big victory here in the first of two preview matches for the IWGP belt ahead of Wrestle Kingdom
Prediction: AZM, Suzu Suzuki, Mei Seira & Miyu Amasaki
H.A.T.E. (Rina, Ruaka, Azusa Inaba & Fukigen Death) vs. E-neXus-V (Mina Shirakawa, HANAKO, Waka Tsukiyama & Rian) vs. God’s Eye (Saki Kashima, Tomoka Inaba, Hina & Lady C)
The match with the least interest is on the main card of the show. E-neXus-V has the momentum coming into this with Waka Tsukiyama & HANAKO winning the NEW BLOOD Tag Team Titles on the recent New Blood show and Mina Shirakawa facing AEW’s Mercedes Mone at Wrestle Dynasty.
It will be a solid match to get everyone on the card as Mina Shirakawa will likely pick up the win for her team to continue her momentum heading into her major Tokyo Dome match.
Prediction: E-neXus-V (Mina Shirakawa, HANAKO, Waka Tsukiyama & Rian)
Submission or KO Match: Syuri vs. Konami
In one of the most shocking moments of Stardom in 2024, Konami turned her back on Syuri during their defence of the Goddesses of STARDOM Championships against Momo Watanabe & Thekla to join Oedo Tai (now H.A.T.E.). Syuri and Konami have known each other for nearly a decade now, as Syuri was the one who took Konami under her wing when Asuka left for America. Konami has always looked up to her mentor and called her the “ideal” wrestler so it wasn’t a shock that, after she went part-time following her Dream Queendom match against Giulia in 2021, she returned to team up with Syuri in God’s Eye, but her inner heel side never was gone.
From her criticizing Saki Kashima and MIRAI to cheating to win the Goddess of Stardom Tag Team Titles from Hazuki & Koguma, the real Konami was still hidden inside of her and she showed her true colors again once Syuri stopped her from cheating in their title defence against Watanabe & Thekla. The friendship was dead and it led to Syuri and Konami constantly fighting each other at every chance that they could be leading up to this match. The two agreed to keep make it a match that could only end via knockout or submission, resembling their well-known UWF Rules Match in 2021, and Konami is seeking to prove that she has finally surpassed the wrestler she once regarded as her master and the “ideal wrestler”, while Syuri vows to put an end to Konami and H.A.T.E., being unable to forgive the betrayal of trust that shattered their bond.
Prediction: Konami
Saori Anou vs. Mika Iwata
Match number FIVE between Saori Anou & Mika Iwata in 2024, with the rivalry starting back in June when Iwata won the White Belt at STARDOM The Conversion from Anou in the most shocking title change of the year. The two have been linked since they battled for the Wonder Of STARDOM Title and the Sendai Girls World Title in Sendai Girls.
This match will be good as a stand-alone, but the question is how much new content will they be able to add to their 5th match this year. My personal interest isn’t high for this particular reason, but considering this is just a midcard match that may go 10-15 minutes, it doesn’t matter too much. Anou will likely win to enter 2025 with some more momentum as she will likely head into the main event picture sooner rather than later.
Prediction: Saori Anou
No Disqualification: Maika vs. Natsuko Tora
Not many have had as dominant a run in STARDOM as Maika had throughout 2024. She held the World of STARDOM Championship for seven months of the year and won the 5STAR Grand Prix undefeated, becoming the first person in the history of the company to do so. One of two blemishes that she has left is her loss against Natsuko Tora when Saya Kamitani betrayed The Empress and cost her the World of STARDOM Championship. It marked the birth of H.A.T.E. and started the group’s growing influence in the company.
Ever since the turn, Maika has been fighting the new heel stable, destroying them one by one in the 5STAR Grand Prix while Natsuko Tora lost the Red Belt to Tam Nakano not even 34 days after winning it. Still, she stayed in a relevant role and got a well-deserved Sumo Hall spot here in a No DQ match that was set up after Tora brutally destroyed Maika’s protégé, Rian, on December 8th, prompting Maika to demand this No DQ stipulation, determined to beat Tora at her own game and finally put an end to her.
The No DQ stipulation makes the match quality intriguing as it’s not a style that fits particularly well to Maika’s wrestling, but this could create some cool spots and could be fun, at least that’s what I hope for. The chemistry Maika & Natsuko Tora had in their singles & tag team this year is promising for this to be good, and there is no question over the winner- Maika is the Ace and Natsuko Tora is not. Maika wins.
Prediction: Maika
Goddesses of Stardom Championship: H.A.T.E. (Momo Watanabe & Thekla) vs. wing★gori (Hanan & Saya Iida)
After winning the Goddess of STARDOM Tag League, Hanan & Saya Iida are getting their shot at the Goddess Championships against Thekla & Momo Watanabe. The H.A.T.E. duo has been champions for over 5 months now, with their only defence taking place back in September, meaning their run has been more than underwhelming. Momo & Thekla have been focusing more on their singles careers during their run than they have on being tag champions and it’s noticeable heading into the match as the tag division feels really cold and needs a hot title run soon – enter Saya Iida & Hanan. wing*gori has been the most consistent tag team in Stardom this year, alongside FWC, as they were great with the New Blood Tag Team Titles and in the Goddess of STARDOM Tag League, constantly having the best matches on the shows and were a reason why tag team wrestling in Stardom was so great in the first half of the year.
This match has good heat as Thekla was suspended for three weeks for attacking Taro Okada after she & Momo were eliminated from the Tag League. She returned early to cost Hanan the International Women’s Cup Spot and helped Watanabe to advance. Ever since, the tensions have been high between Hanan & Thekla and they fight whenever they have the chance. Interestingly enough, Momo unintentionally hit Thekla with the bat to cost H.A.T.E a preview match against wing*gori & Tam Nakano on December 21st. It seems that they are slowly building a rift between the tag champions that will lead to a split in 2025 with either Thekla leaving the company or Watanabe finally turning babyface again.
That being said, Hanan & Iida need to win here. A title change is a must here.
Prediction: Hanan & Saya Iida
Wonder of Stardom Championship: Natsupoi (c) vs. Starlight Kid
Starlight Kid challenges for the Wonder of STARDOM Title for the fifth time in her career as she faces Natsupoi in the semi-main event of this show. Ever since Starlight Kid was kicked out from Oedo Tai in April at All-Star Grand Queendom, the match between her and Natsupoi has been slowly building up. After Nakano saved her from the initial attack of Oedo Tai, SLK started to form the team “Mutual Love” with Natsupoi before forming the stable Neo Genesis with AZM, Miyu Amasaki, Suzu Suzuki, and Mei Seira. Since then, Natsupoi claimed the Wonder of STARDOM Title from her rival and friend Saori Anou in July and has defended it twice since. Her reign has felt underwhelming so far and the White Belt has seemed to be cursed for a while now, with the last great title reign being Saya Kamitani’s which ended over 18 months ago.
The eventual match between the two for the White Belt was inevitable as Starlight Kid never took her eyes off the belt she’s been going after ever since she challenged Giulia in February of 2021. Unlike the other matches, this doesn’t have a major personal backstory but is rather built around emotions, the respect they gained for each other through their matches for the High Speed Championship back in 2021, and the goal to have the best match of the show which Starlight Kid has mentioned a couple of times during their final promo exchanges.
As mentioned before, Natsupoi’s run hasn’t been what fans wanted it to be and it’s time for a change with Starlight Kid being the right person to take the belt as the it needs a great run more than any other championship in STARDOM right now. This needs to be Starlight Kid’s moment as she’s destined for this belt and it’s her time to move up the ranks of the promotion.
Prediction: Starlight Kid
World of Stardom Championship: Tam Nakano (c) vs. Saya Kamitani
Saya Kamitani and Tam Nakano will face off with the World of STARDOM Championship on the line in the main event of the show as they battle in a singles match for the third time in the Sumo Hall. Kamitani gets her chance of revenge on Nakano after blaming her for her elbow injury during their previous match in the 2023’s 5STAR GP. That had a ripple effect which saw the ‘Golden Phoenix’ character die and the Queen’s Quest stable disband, leading to the birth of the ‘Phenex Queen’ when Kamitani turned on Maika to join H.A.T.E. in July.
Until a couple of weeks ago, Saya Kamitani seemed to be the clear winner of this match and favourite to walk out as the new Red Belt Champion, but something changed. They went away from the Sayaka Kurara story, where they teased her turning heel and Nakano started to shit all over Kamitani as the story took a more comedic role with the press conference, where Tam destroyed the Phenex Queen on the microphone and made her look like a total geek. The match turned from a 70-30 for Kamitani to a 60-40 for Nakano. That being said, the new management has shown that they love to use red herrings so it’s still possible that they bring up the Kurara angle here again and make her a big decider in the match shouldn’t be counted out.
This is the only championship match, where the winner doesn’t really matter as both can be seen as the right decision. Nakano is the clear top star of the company and draws like no other, which is seen by the ticket sales of this show, while Kamitani is the big project of the new management, alongside Maika, and no defending world champion has retained her title at Dream Queendom yet. The chance that Kamitani flat-out wins the title is there as there is a lot of story potential with her, especially if the rest of her stable loses all of their respective matches, which seems likely. There are multiple stories to run with her as champion with the obvious one being against Maika, who she lost to in the 5STAR Grand Prix final. That being said, it doesn’t feel like the company have used the full potential of Nakano’s Red Belt run yet so a continuation of her reign with Kamitani getting one last setback is likely whats happening here as the top star of STARDOM will close out the final show of the year victorious.
Prediction: Tam Nakano
