Photo Credit: STARDOM
By Noah Leatherland
STARDOM were back in Korakuen Hall for the quarter finals of the Cinderella Tournament, as well as a title defence from HANAKO. The tournament intensifies as the field narrows, with Hanan, Aya Sakura, Rina and Miyu Amasaki as the four participants left standing.
The first of the four quarter finals saw Hanan taking on Maki Itoh. Itoh fought hard, but she fell to Hanan’s might. Speaking in her post-match comments, it seems Itoh got a bit ahead of herself planning her Cinderella wish:
Maki Itoh: Fuck! Fuck! What should I do! What should I do! What should I do! I lost! What am I going to do! What am I supposed to do!
Kikyo Furusawa: Wh… even if you ask me what to do… But you worked so hard! I was so moved again today!
Itoh: That is not the point! Because Itoh thought she would win the tournament, she already ordered 1000 ‘Itoh Respect Army T–shirts’ of slightly higher quality!
Furusawa: 1… 1000 shirts?!?!
Itoh: How am I going to pay for them, Kikyo! How am I supposed to pay! Itoh cannot even transfer this month’s rent! What should I do, Kikyo! Let me live with you! Kikyo, let me live with you!
Furusawa: That is, well… my room is, I do not have a room!
Itoh: Fuck! Shit! How am I supposed to pay for this! Itoh does not want to live in a park or something! What am I going to do! …Well, if it has come to this, the only option is to sell off those ‘slightly higher quality Itoh Respect Army T–shirts’ at Yokohama Budokan! Kikyo!
Furusawa: Yes!
Itoh: Listen up? Pro wrestling is 100 percent about the merchandise sales! Kikyo!
Furusawa: Yes!
Itoh: Yokohama Budokan! We are going to sell those Itoh Respect Army T–shirts by hand!
(Quotes translated via meraWRESTLING on X)
The next knockout match saw Aya Sakura take on Rian. Rian came into the match on an incredible tournament run, having beaten High Speed champion Yuna Mizumori in the first round, and then getting a huge upset win against Natsupoi. However, she faltered against Sakura’s kicks and was finally pinned with a German suplex. Sakura advances to the semi-finals with an eye towards redemption:
Last year I lost in the first round, and watching my partner Kurara shine as Cinderella during the ceremony from backstage was absolutely heartbreaking. I’m determined to make up for that pain this year. There are two things I want to achieve as Cinderella. I will absolutely make my wish come true. I could feel Rian’s growth, and it’s precisely because she’s pushing up from below that I can become even stronger. Seems like you’re aiming for High Speed, but come and take this NEW BLOOD belt too. I’ll be waiting.
Rian’s target on the High Speed Championship became firmly locked in after losing to Sakura. As Rian was making her post-match comments, Yuna Mizumori interrupted and pitched Rian a title match on March 31st.
The third quarter final saw Sayaka Kurara, continuing her quest to challenge Saya Kamitani, against Rina. Rina ended Kurara’s hopes of back-to-back Cinderella Tournament wins, with a Gory Special sealing the deal and Rina’s spot in the semi-finals. Speaking after the match, Rina took some pleasure in snuffing out Kurara’s plans:
The only thing I’m focused on is winning the Cinderella Tournament. That’s all. Was it Kurara’s second consecutive victory you wanted to see? Was it Kurara, or Amasaki, or Hanan, or Hina, or any of those lot winning? Was it seeing them in their dresses? Well, tough luck. I’m going to smash all that to pieces. You’d best look forward to it.
Though Kurara was eliminated from the tournament, Saya Kamitani appeared in the ring to speak to her. Kamitani opened another route to Kurara earning a shot at the World of Stardom title, but Kurara must put up a prize of her own first.
The last of the quarter finals saw Hina taking on Miyu Amasaki. In a hard-fought battle, Amasaki managed to walk away with the victory, securing the last spot in the semi-finals. In her post-match comments, Amasaki elaborated on how big a win this was for her:
This is our first singles match since she took the Future title from me a year ago. I’m delighted we’ve reached this point, and I believe there’s still a story to be told. Honestly, when I debuted, I carried immense expectations and pressure. I’ll never forget my debut opponent telling me, “Whether you can turn that into strength is entirely up to you, Miyu. ” I believe that mindset helped me secure victory today. I know everyone’s looking forward to seeing me in a dress, so until I win Cinderella, please keep supporting Miyu Amasaki.
In the face of defeat, Hina is keeping her head up, and ready to keep progressing:
If this had been me a year ago, I probably would have broken. But that person is no longer here. I lost today, but this isn’t the end. I want to find my next goal and run towards it once more.
(Quotes translated via DeepL)
On March 15th, Hanan will face Aya Sakura in the first semi-final, while Rina and Miyu Amasaki will meet in the second. The winners will then compete in the final round on the same night to crown the 2026 STARDOM Cinderella Tournament winner.
Elsewhere on the show, HANAKO successfully defended the Future of Stardom Title against Yuria Hime, the JP Coaster laying the challenger out for the count. HANAKO was soon confronted by yet another challenger as Ranna Yagami appeared. Never one to shy away from a match, HANAKO is set to defend against Yagami on March 15th.
Here are the full results for STARDOM Cinderella Tournament Quarter Finals, courtesy of purolove.com:
Date:
March 12, 2026
Category:
Latest News
