Photo c/o Masahiro Kubota
By: Thom Fain
Giulia rolled the dice, and cashed in at New Japan STRONG Fighting Spirit Unleashed tonight in Las Vegas. The style icon and former Red Belt champion of STARDOM needed the victory to turn the page on a rough week – online controversy swirled earlier this week after Sherri Martell’s former manager used a popular podcast to question Giulia’s starpower, following her #2 ranking in PWI’s annual list of best women’s wrestlers. Giulia and Thekla (Mafia Bella) also lost their Goddess of Stardom Tag League bout on the 22nd as Suzu Suzuki and Mei Sera pull ahead of the Red Goddess block.
Giulia’s opponent, “The Renaissance Woman” HYAN, has toured the independents for eight years after graduating from Booker T’s Reality Of Wrestling. HYAN proved to be no match for the champ and became the fifth challenger to lose after the Northern Lights Suplex put her down for the three-count. Giulua looked every part the international star and ready for battle when she arrived in Vegas sporting a purple power suit. Alongside Mayu Iwatani, she continues leading the STRONG brand’s integration of top joshi into New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
“The world has changed and the speed of change has been exponential. We cannot stick to the outdated ideas of male-only professional wrestling,” New Japan President Takami Ohbari said previously in our exclusive interview. “We often say that professional wrestling is a mirror reflecting the world. All wrestlers and all matches should be appreciated, and any wrestlers should be provided fair opportunities in the ring regardless of gender or anything else.”
Although the match vs. HYAN was unexceptional by her high standards, it drew some “This is Awesome!” chants and still served to further develop a budding New Japan women’s division. The Vegas victory also sets the table for the highly anticipated match with Mercedes Moné. The challenge was made and accepted by Mercedes Moné last August.
Double titles
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Double the Moné
🤑
Oh and julia gulia this is my country now bitch#theceo
🇯🇵
🤣 https://t.co/0iCr1t8ke5— Mercedes Moné Varnado (@MercedesVarnado) April 18, 2023
Moné, of course, is out rehabbing a significant ankle injury after going down in a New Japan STRONG Title loss to Willow Nightingale in a three-way gauntlet on May 21 that also featured Momo Kohgo.
Giulia’s next challenger has yet to be announced, but after Ami Sourei wrestled and lost to Giulia on Oct. 6th it’s not out of the question to expect another challenger from within STARDOM. New Japan tours Dallas, Texas for their next STRONG event on November 11.
Trish Adora – who currently works in Ring of Honor and previously wrestled in Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling – stepped up backstage after the match to introduce herself as a potential challenger for Giulia after the champ told reporters that weak challengers need not apply.
#AndStill ‼️
Giulia has asked for the strongest competitors, yet, Trish Adora’s phone has yet to ring… so she decided to cut the middle man and introduced herself to the Champ‼️#njFSU #njpwSTRONG #STARDOM pic.twitter.com/T9hRrMNxZY
— Issa – PWI 📸 Contributor (@IssitaMarie) October 29, 2023
We are STRONG champions🔥#njpwSTRONG#stardom #DDM pic.twitter.com/GsqxDvnStf
— ジュリア=Giulia (@giulia0221g) October 28, 2023
HYAN laid down the challenge to Giulia! October 28 in Las Vegas, the STRONG Women’s title is on the line at NJPW Fighting Sprit Unleashed!
pic.twitter.com/BaxlGpXm4W— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) October 1, 2023
Date:
October 28, 2023
Category:
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