STARDOM continues its 2024 with a PPV in Osaka EDION #1 on February 4th with nine matches. The show features four Championship matches including both the World and Wonder of Stardom Championship being on the line in the final two matches of the shows. In the undercard, Tam Nakano returns from the knee injury she suffered in October of last year, and a huge All Star Tag Team Match to celebrate the 13th Anniversary of the promotion. The show is available on PPV, and the link to buy the show will be posted on the English STARDOM Twitter account.
Mai Sakurai vs. HANAKO vs. Ranna Yagami
The show kicks off with a few undercard matches, with this three-way being match #0 on the preshow.
Following the Rolkies has been one of the best parts of STARDOM at the beginning of the year and with Ranna & HANAKO facing off for the first time since both Wrestlers joined a stable, both will be motivated to pick up the win in this match to show that they are better than the other. Mai Sakurai is the wildcard in this match and likely the favorite to win the match here to cut her typical promo is what should be expected from this match.
Prediction: Mai Sakurai
Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe & Ruaka) vs. Queen’s Quest (Miyu Amasaki & Lady C) & Sayaka Kurara
The result of this match is clear with one of the better Oedo Tai trios facing off against Amasaki, Lady C, and Kurara. It’s more about here how the underdogs, especially Kurara who has been great on the recent tour shows, look in defeat and how they will perform against the Oedo Tai trio.
Prediction: Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe & Ruaka
God’s Eye (Ami Sohrei & Saki Kashima) vs. wing*gori (Hanan & Saya Iida)
Hanan & Ami Sohrei continue their rivalry here which has been on fire lately. The rivalry started back when Ami Sohrei defeated Hanan for the Future of Stardom Championship to end the record-breaking reign of the “Young Lioness”. Since then, there have been tensions between the two that have brought out the best of Ami in recent memory. Their rivalry seems to lead to a future Singles match, likely in the Cinderella tournament that is coming up.
For the match itself, it should be an easy game for wing*gori, who are the current NEW BLOOD Tag Team Champions, so they shouldn’t lose a non title match.
Prediction: Hanan & Saya Iida
Future of Stardom Championship
Rina (c) vs. Yuzuki
Yuzuki will get her Future of Stardom Championship match against Rina, who has been dominant since winning the title last year. It’s the first time the title has been featured on a pay-per-view since MidSummer Champions in June 2022. The “Moon Arrow” has been on a roll since winning the 2023 edition of the “Rookie of the Year” tournament on the January 3rd show. Since then she has won multiple matches with her “Rolling Arrow” flash pin.
Rina has been dominant in her 9 months as Champion and defeated the likes of Ami Sohrei, Lady C, Waka Tsukiyama, Azusa Inaba, and Yuzuki’s rival HANAKO, but Yuzuki seems to be the first challenger with an actual chance to defeat the Pink Devil. While it feels like Yuzuki may win the title here, Rina winning wouldn’t be a shock at all with her nearing the 294 day reign of her sister Hanan.
Prediction: Rina
High-Speed Championship
Mei Seira (c) vs. Hazuki
Mei Seira puts her High-Speed Championship on the line against Hazuki, who is the master of High-Speed matches in STARDOM. She hasn’t lost a singles match for the High-Speed Title since she lost to Koguma in 2015, which is now 9 years ago. Since then she only lost two Triple Threat matches and won her past eight 1v1 matches for the Championship.
The odds can’t speak more against Mei Seira than they do here but with the High-Speed Rules applied (10 counts on the outside, 15-minute time limit) there is a chance for the “Moon Star” to score the upset, and the big win she needs to solidifies herself as the new Ace of the High-Speed division.
Hazuki doesn’t need the High-Speed Championship, but Seira winning seems unlikely here so the logical consequence is a draw for now. There is potential in this being a long-term story with Seira defeating Hazuki down the line to make the “pass the torch” moment feel bigger and more important for Seira than it does right now. The match should be a show stealer and the banger defense that Seira needs.
Prediction: Time Limit Draw
Tam Nakano Return Match
Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano & Yuna Mizumori) vs. E-neXus-V (Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama)
Tam Nakano is back and will make her in-ring return by teaming with Yuna Mizumori to face Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama from E-neXus-V, who left the Cosmic Angels around a year ago. The former World of Stardom Champion hasn’t been in the ring since suffering a knee injury on October 9th when she defended her World of Stardom Championship against Natsuko Tora, which led to the World Title being vacated.
Nakano will score the win in this match, but the bigger picture is.. what is next for her? She never lost her Championship in a match and should be in contention to challenge the winner of Maika & Kamitani at the end of this show.
Prediction: Tam Nakano & Yuna Mizumori
13th Anniversary Special Tag
Mayu Iwatani, Utami Hayashishita, Nanae Takahashi & AZM vs. Giulia, Syuri, Suzu Suzuki & MIRAI
STARDOM is holding an All-Star Tag Team Match to celebrate the 13th Anniversary of its existence, with the homegrown team of Mayu Iwatani, Utami Hayashishita, AZM & Nanae Takahashi teaming up to face the outsider team Giulia, Syuri, Suzu Suzuki & MIRAI.
The homegrown team represents different eras of STARDOM, with Nanae representing the early era of STARDOM, Mayu representing the late 2010s, Utami representing the present as the current Ace, and AZM is representing the future of the promotion. On the other side, there are four of the most dominant women in the 2000s with the winners of the past three 5STAR Grand Prix and two recent World of Stardom Champions being on the team.
Looking at the line-up, AZM seems to be the one to take the fall here, likely from Giulia, who needs to be the one next in line to challenge Maika, before she leaves the promotion.
Prediction: Giulia, Syuri, Suzu Suzuki & MIRAI
Wonder of Stardom Championship
Saori Anou (c) vs. Starlight Kid
After defeating MIRAI to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship, Anou is making her first defense against Starlight Kid, who won the Wonder Rumble at the last Korakuen Hall Show.
“The Black Tiger” came back from injury last 3 months ago and has the chance to win the White Belt Championship, which is surprising after the underwhelming year SLK had in 2023, with her losing every big match she had including her matches against the legends and her terrible 2-6 record in the 5STAR Grand Prix before her injury.
The White Belt always felt destined for Starlight Kid and it was always a matter of time until it happened, and this show seems to be a likely place for SLK to win. A V0 wouldn’t be surprising at all, considering SLK’s push over the past years, but Saori Anou shouldn’t be losing the title already with a return of Natsupoi being on the horizon. She should be the one who brings stability to the White Belt, that it desperately needs after the Mina-Tam-MIRAI fiasco in 2023.
Prediction: Saori Anou
World of Stardom Championship
Maika (c) vs. Saya Kamitani
The main event is for the World of Stardom Champion with Maika making her first defense against the „Golden Phoenix“ Saya Kamitani, and it can’t get much tougher for the newly crowned Champion here.
The „Empress“ is facing off against her career rival whom she hasn’t beaten in a Singles Match since October 2020. Since then Kamitani defeated Maika in the Cinderella Tournament Final, the 5STAR GP match, and in a Wonder of Stardom Championship match in front of Maika’s family in Fukuoka. Maika wants to finally take revenge for the losses and aims to defeat one-half of the Goddess of Stardom Champions.
For that, Maika needs to bring out her best game possible to overcome her rival, who has been fantastic since coming back from her injury in November, and has been adding devastating moves to her move-set as the „Phoenix Strike“ and the „Phoenix Shine“ and on top has still the „Phoenix Splash“ in her back pocket.
What speaks for Maika is that she recently got her faction together with Mina Shirakwa, and has more fan support than anyone else on the roster. It would be stupid to deny her the chance to show why she should be at the top of the promotion.
Prediction: Maika
