Artist Trios Titles Stay with God’s Eye in Victory Over STARS

By: James Carlin

At STARDOM AWARD 2023, God’s Eye proved they are still a unit to be reckoned with after beating STARS handily, hoisting the trophy with pride alongside their trios titles. It was enough to impress the young Ranna Yagami, who asked Syuri to join God’s Eye.

Syuri accepted as the new-look unit walked up the ramp and addressed reporters backstage.

In the match, STARS’ Hanan continued her head-turning ascent in the ring and added fuel to her rivalry with Ami Sohrei. The pair had a torrid exchange towards the end of the match, but it was Syuri’s crew who outlasted STARS in the end. Sohrei had choice words for Hanan, who was laid out for several minutes after the bout after taking the loss.

The match was set up after Hanan pinned Sohrei with her backdrop driver in Osaka on January 13th, the Young Lioness stated her intentions to win gold with STARS, asking if the unit could challenge Abarenbo God’s Eye for their Artist of Stardom titles. Sohrei accepted her challenge on her team’s behalf, saying they want their win back against Hanan, Mayu Iwatani and Hazuki. This will mark Abarenbo GE’s first defence of the belts since winning them on January 3rd, defeating BariBari Bombers in the Triangle Derby tournament finals to become Artist of Stardom champions.

The champions are no strangers to teaming together, having competed in both trios tournament finals since the Triangle Derby was established in 2023 and with The New Eras (MIRAI and Ami Sohrei) being former Goddess of Stardom tag team champions as well as Syuri formerly holding trios and tag gold when she was part of Donna del Mondo between 2020 and 2022.

STARS may have less experience as a trios team, but it was made up for by the individual tag team experience of their members. Hazuki is a former two-time tag team champion with Koguma, Mayu Iwatani is a former tag team champion with Io Shirai as Thunder Rock – with the two still holding the defence record that stands to this day – and Hanan is the current New Blood Tag Team champion with Saya Iida. The sum of their best parts may allow them to potentially end Abarenbo GE’s reign before they can even manage their first victory as champions. Iwatani can also brag multiple trios titles reigns with different partners, having been champions with Hiroyo Matsumoto and Miho Wakizawa as Tawashis, Io Shirai and Takumi Iroha as Heisei-gun, Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo as Threedom, and Saki Kashima and Tam Nakano as STARS – making the Icon of STARDOM one of the best people to lead a new trios team to potential gold.

All photos by Masahiro Kubota for Monthly Puroresu LLC