STARDOM:
The biggest Joshi Promotion in the world had a busy week last week with three essential shows. The 5th Edition of NEW BLOOD was the first one. rhythm, Ancham and Chanyota all made their STARDOM debut on this show. Also, Haruka Umesaki, who at the NEW BLOOD 4 fully snapped and hit MIRAI with a chair, came out with her new look and name. She is now called “KARMA” and she left a great first impression after beating Nanami in a Six-Woman Tag. She hit her with a fireball and then choked her out. Nanami asked Syuri after the Match to join God’s Eye and is the 6th Member of the Stable.
In the Main Event of the show, Hanan lost her Future Of STARDOM Championship to Ami Sourei. Hanan held the belt for an outstanding 294 days with 10 successful title defenses, a record for the title, after winning it at Queendom last year in December from Ruaka. Ami won her first title in her entire career and is now the 9th-ever Future Of STARDOM Champion.
On October 22nd and 23rd, STARDOM held two shows with tournament matches for the IWGP Women’s Title. In the Korakuen Hall Show on Saturday, Utami Hayashishita defeated Himeka and Mayu Iwatani defeated Momo Watanabe to advance to the final of the STARDOM bracket of the Block. On the first Tag League night, KAIRI defeated the former World Of STARDOM Champion Alpha Female to advance to the final while in a great Main Event, the Icon Mayu Iwatani defeated Utami to follow KAIRI to the final. The final in the IWGP Women’s Title Tournament on November 20th is Mayu Iwatani vs. KAIRI. It will be their first singles match against each other in over five years. A match that will go down in the history of STARDOM.
The 6th edition of the Goddesses Of STARDOM Tag League started on Sunday. In the first Tag League Match of the tournament, Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death picked up the first win against Mai Sakurai & Lady. The Natsuko Tora return Tag League Match was next, when she & Ruaka lost to Mina Shirakawa & SAKI via DQ because Tora didn’t stop choking out the KaWild Venus Tag Team with the Pipe. AZM & Miyu Amasaki picked up their first two points against Saya Iida and Hanan. The first draw of the tournament, but also the first awesome match, happened in the Syuri & Tomoka Inaba vs. Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe Match. Both Teams weren’t able to finish the match within the time limit. It was a great back-and-forth contest with outstanding actions and a great finishing sequence where you thought a couple of times that both teams had it in the bag. Maika & Himeka proved why they are among their favorites, defeating MIRAI & the newly crowned Future Of STARDOM Champion Ami Sourei in a match with a lot of lariats & shoulder tackles. The Champions Natsupoi & Tam Nakano lost their first tournament match to Giulia & Thekla after the 5STAR Winner submitted Natsupoi. Meltear came out with a new dance routine and a new theme song, while Giulia and Thekla presented their new Tag Team look. In the last Tag Tournament Match of the first night, the last year’s tournament Champions Hazuki and Koguma lost to the NEO STARDOM Army represented by Yuu & Nanae Takahashi.
Next Week’s Goddesses Of STARDOM Tag League Matches:
Day 8 on August 20th in Osaka:
Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani vs Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death
Hazuki & Koguma vs AZM & Miyu Amasaki
Hanan & Saya Iida vs Natsuko Tora & Ruaka
Official Goddesses Of STARDOM Tag League Standings following Day 1:
RED STARS BLOCK –
2 – Fukigen Death & Saki Kashima (1-0-0)
2 – Giulia & Thekla (1-0-0)
1 – Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid (0-0-1)
1 – Syuri & Tomoka Inaba (0-0-1)
0 – Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo (0-0-0)
0 – Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita (0-0-0)
0 – Lady C & Mai Sakurai (0-1-0)
0 – Natsupoi & Tam Nakano (0-1-0)
BLUE STARS BLOCK –
2 – Himeka & Maika (1-0-0)
2 – Mina Shirakawa & SAKI (1-0-0)
2 – Nanae Takahashi & Yuu (1-0-0)
2 – AZM & Miyu Amasaki (1-0-0)
0 – Hazuki & Koguma (0-1-0)
0 – Ami Sourei & MIRAI (0-1-0)
0 – Natsuko Tora & Ruaka (0-1-0)
0 – Hanan & Saya Iida (0-1-0)
Match Recommendation:
Himeka vs. Utami Hayashishita (22/10/2022)
Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe (22/10/2022)
Oedo Tai (Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid) vs. God’s Eye (Syuri & Tomoka Inaba) (23/10/2022)
Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita (23/10/2022)
SEAdLINNNG
After Arisa Nakajima vacated her Beyond The Sea Title due to injury, SEAd announced a one-night tournament to crown a new champion. Hiroyo Matsumoto won the tournament and with that the vacant belt after defeating Itsuki Aoki in the main event to win the belt. Hiroyo defeated Ayame Sasamura, Riko Kaiju, Riko Kawahata and Aoki to win the tournament. She is now the 8th Champion of the Beyond The Sea Title and will carry SEAdLINNNG while Arisa is recovering from her injury
Performer Of The Week
After two amazing performances in the IWGP Women’s Title tournament, Mayu Iwatani is the Performer of the Week. The Leader of STARS showed again why she is the Icon Of STARDOM with two outstanding victories against two of the best talents STARDOM has to offer. Only a handful of Wrestlers ever are on her level and she showed it again with incredible moves and selling. Just look at the triple jump poisenrana against Momo. Outstanding.
Match Of The Week
This week’s Match of the week is Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita in the IWGP Women’s Tournament Match from the October 23rd Goddesses Of STARDOM Tag League Show. Two of the best in STARDOM fighting for a spot in the finals of the Women’s IWGP Championship tournament. Both showed from the first minute on that they wanted to win the match and advance to the finals. They gave everything, hit every move they could and counter everything they could. In the end, Mayu finished Utami with a rare Running Three and then two Moonsaults in a row to give her no chance but to stay down for the three count.
(**** 1/4)
