H.A.T.E Collides at STARDOM New Year Stars in Osaka Day 1

By Noah Leatherland

STARDOM continued their New Year Stars tour in Osaka on their path towards their anniversary show. The show saw an all H.A.T.E main event as the anticipation for Rina’s upcoming challenge of Konami’s Wonder of Stardom title builds.

The show began with Maki Itoh still on the hunt for her first win in a STARDOM ring. She teamed with Maika and Rian to take on the Neo Genesis trio of AZM, Mei Seira and Starlight Kid. Itoh’s win column remained empty however, as Starlight Kid made Rian submit. Having bounced between tag team partners, it seemed Itoh might have found some new allies as she walked back to the curtain with Neo Genesis. However, the trio soon put their boots to the STARDOM newcomer.

Rina is not the only one with gold in her sights. Olympia was singled out by Hazuki as the next challenger for the CMLL-Japan Women’s title. In Osaka, Olympia teamed with Kikyo Furusawa to take on Hazuki and Anne Kanaya. The luchadora planted Furusawa with a big powerbomb for the win, before exchanging words with Hazuki in the aftermath. Olympia will challenge Hazuki on January 25th.

H.A.T.E was divided in the main event trios match. It was an all-champion side as white belt holder Konami teamed with Goddesses of Stardom champions Natsuko Tora and Ruaka. Opposite them, Rina filled her ranks with Azusa Inaba and Fukigen Death. It was the team of champions that came away with the win. The climax saw Konami making her challenger, Rina, submit. In the post-match comments, Konami dared her young challenger to bring the fight:

I’ve been right there beside you all this time, watching just how hard you’ve been pushing yourself over the last year. That’s precisely why losing to me so easily in this preliminary match feels so unlike you. I wonder which it’ll be – will you disappoint me, or will you manage to give me even a little enjoyment?

(Quote translated via DeepL)

Konami and Rina will collide over the Wonder of Stardom title on January 21st.

Here are the full results for STARDOM New Year Stars in Osaka Day 1, courtesy of purolove.com:

• Starlight Kid, AZM & Mei Seira def. Maika, Rian & Maki Itoh (10:48)
• Olympia & Kikyo Furusawa def. Hazuki & Anne Kanaya (10:18)
• Lady C, Tomoka Inaba & Ranna Yagami def. Natsupoi, Yuna Mizumori & Sayaka Kurara (10:27)
• Xena & Waka Tsukiyama def. Suzu Suzuki & Akira Kurogane (8:59)
• Syuri, Ami Sohrei, Saki Kashima & Hina def. Saya Iida, Bea Priestley, Momo Kohgo & Yuria Hime (10:19)
• Saori Anou def.  HANAKO, Aya Sakura & Miyu Amasaki (9:37)
• Natsuko Tora, Konami & Ruaka def. Rina, Azusa Inaba & Fukigen Death★ (16:21)