Can Mina Shirakawa Break the ‘Double Crown’ Curse?

By: James Carlin

The idea of a “double crown” championship match is an intriguing but monumental bout. It pits two champions against each other, either with both wrestlers’ titles on the line or to see who is the best between the two.

For STARDOM, these matches have been far and few between, with the spectacle of the encounter between two champions always being a reason to tune in.

In its most recent iteration, the double crown match comes with new Wonder of Stardom champion facing off against newly crowned World of Stardom champion, and former Cosmic Angels unit member, Tam Nakano.

May 27 at Stardom Flashing Champions, it’s Tam Nakano vs Mina Shirakawa in a Double Title Match with both the World of Stardom and Wonder of Stardom titles at stake! pic.twitter.com/O2emK3mKmV

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) May 9, 2023

2013 saw the first ever double crown match in STARDOM’s history when the ace of JWP Arisa Nakajima put her championship on the line against World of Stardom champion Io Shirai, who also put her title on the line, at Year End Climax 2013. The match would end in a draw, with each woman keeping their respective company’s top championships, but despite the result, fans both in the arena and watching online were treated to one of the company’s best championship matches in its history.

Since this match, multiple championships from other companies have appeared on STARDOM’s shows throughout the years such as Toni Storm with the PROGRESS Women’s title, but only a few such as Mayu Iwatani’s Women of Honor title, Viper’s EVE International title and Arisa Nakajima’s JWP Openweight title have been contested within STARDOM’s squared circle, and the JWP Openweight being one of the only two external titles to be contested in double crown fashion.

Both the Red Belt and JWP Openweight title get put on the line in December 2013. Credit: STARDOM

Io Shirai would once again take part in a double crown championship match in 2015 – this time against Santana Garrett with Garrett putting her NWA World Women’s title on the line whereas Shirai would put her Wonder of Stardom championship on the line. Unlike the last title vs title encounter, this one ended with Garrett taking the White Belt from the grasp of the Genius of the Sky, ending up with both NWA World Women and Wonder of Stardom championships.

There wouldn’t be another double crown match-up for three years, until World of Stardom champion Kagetsu and Wonder of Stardom champion Momo Watanabe came head-to-head in the first ever double crown for STARDOM’s top two titles.

5★STAR Grand Champion Carnival 2018, 9/30 Nagoya 12:00 PM

◆World of Stardom & Wonder of Stardom Double Title Match

World of Stardom Champion Kagetsu
vs
Wonder of Stardom Champion Momo Watanabe pic.twitter.com/IgWwIJk1WG

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) September 18, 2018

This match, besides its historic nature, had an intrigue around it as the 5STAR GP winner (which would later be won by Mayu Iwatani) would face the winner of this match and decide which championship she wanted to fight for.

However, the match would end similarly to Nakajima vs Shirai, ending in a double KO and having both Kagetsu and Momo Watanabe keep ahold of their championships. Instead of Mayu getting to choose who she faced, Momo Watanabe instead calls Mayu out, making the White Belt match official for the following month.

At the end of 2020 at Osaka Dream Cinderella, Wonder of Stardom champion Giulia would face-off against her Donna del Mondo stablemate and SWA Undisputed champion Syuri in another double crown match.

Yet again, this would end in a draw where both women retained their respective championships, but it wouldn’t be Syuri’s first double crown match either as Dream Queendom in 2021 saw World of Stardom champion Utami Hayashishita face 5STAR GP winner Syuri for the opportunity to hold the Red Belt and SWA title – with Syuri coming out on top and finally defeating Utami to become World of Stardom champion.

With three double crown title matches ending in a decisive winner and three ending in a draw or knockout, and only one coming out with a new Red Belt champion, Mina Shirakawa has an interesting history to defy if she wants to become World of Stardom champion. If the past is any indicator, Shirakawa is at her best when it comes to defying the odds.