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Cinderella Tournament 2024: Four Wrestlers to Watch

3 months ago Masahiro Kubota | Monthly Puroresu

Masahiro Kubota | Monthly Puroresu

Cinderella Tournament 2024: Four Wrestlers to Watch

By: Ben Harris

With all of the news and speculation surrounding STARDOM recently, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that the promotion’s tenth annual Cinderella Tournament is fast approaching. Beginning 9th March and ending on 20th March, 24 wrestlers will battle to earn a wish and a lovely dress.

A previous article explained how this year’s format is different in that many big names are absent. This has created more excitement and provided a great opportunity for lower card talent to potentially rise up the ranks.

While all participants deserve your attention, I’ve picked out four names to keep a closer eye on as they have a strong chance of going far.

Hanan

STARS’ Young Lioness is arguably the fastest rising wrestler in STARDOM right now. Ever since becoming a full-time talent last year, Hanan has greatly improved in every area. She’s more confident, has added to her offense and she’s not been afraid to show off some impressive charisma. Hanan’s currently in the midst of an enjoyable New Blood Tag Team Championship reign with Saya Iida, her WingGori team mate, but more accolades could be on the way.

Hanan’s recent rise means she’s capable of shocking fans by going far in the 2024 Cinderella Tournament. Winning the whole thing will give her the platform to start fulfilling her immense potential, especially since there may soon be spots opening up near the top of the card. Hanan would also possibly get the chance to challenge for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. It’s a title that she’s seemed destined to compete for sooner than later. Getting that opportunity from winning the Cinderella Tournament would be huge for her career.

Mai Sakurai

Last year’s runner-up stunned the world by reaching the finals, losing narrowly to MIRAI. Her new Ladyship character gave her the confidence to strut through each round. This year, however, Mai Sakurai is in a different situation. She’s now on her own after the disbandment of Donna del Mondo. Recent defeats to Yuna Mizumori and WingGori may have you wondering why she’s one to watch in the Cinderella Tournament. The reason is simple: She has the experience. It’s a big advantage to have when a large number of the participants are inexperienced.

This tournament could provide Sakurai with the motivation needed to step up as a singles competitor, proving to fans that she doesn’t need a unit or Giulia to succeed. It should be said that Mai has continued to improve over the past year despite her recent misfortunes. She may hope to test herself again against MIRAI, perhaps being the one to prevent the two-time winner from accomplishing a three-peat.

Momo Kohgo

Returning to action in the Cinderella Tournament is Momo Kohgo. The STARS member has been absent due to injury since September, but her social media hints that she’s coming back in top ring shape. It’ll be great to see her back. The timing of Kohgo’s injury was cruel as she impressed many last year with her performances in the US. Her and Willow Nightingale, in particular, had an excellent match. Momo’s ability to hang with the likes of Willow, Deonna Purrazzo and Giulia shows that she’s capable of becoming a bigger star. This upcoming tournament could allow her to do just that.

Some may think it’s unlikely that a lower card wrestler just coming back from injury will win the Cinderella, but we’ll be seeing a different Momo Kohgo. She cut a passionate promo at a recent press conference, where she claimed that she’ll be a new person when she steps back into the ring. If this determined attitude makes the Peach Star a stronger competitor then it’s fair to say that she has a good chance of progressing far. A showdown with her STARS teammate Hanan could be on the cards and would be an interesting sight.

Hazuki

My personal pick to win this year’s Cinderella Tournament. Hazuki has been trying to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship throughout her whole career. Her most recent attempt took place last year where she narrowly lost to Saya Kamitani, a match highly acclaimed by many fans. Now, Hazuki has the opportunity to get one more chance by becoming STARDOM’s Cinderella for the first time. There’s no doubt that she has the talent and the determination to succeed. The only thing stopping her could simply be luck.

Hazuki has experience of reaching the final four, but she’s never competed in a final. That’s still more than what most of the participants have experienced in the tournament. If she was to battle last year’s runner-up Mai Sakurai in the final, however, then some may be tempted to give the advantage to our Ladyship.

Hazuki has slightly struggled to find momentum lately also, with a recent defeat to Xena being rather shocking. If there’s anyone who can immediately get back on track, though, it’s the Wildheart.

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Date:

February 23, 2024

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