Maki Itoh Challenges Sayaka Kurara to a Meet-and-Greet Contest Ahead of STARDOM QUEENS DYNASTY

By Noah Leatherland

STARDOM stopped in Korakuen Hall for their final event ahead of QUEENS DYNASTY on May 23rd. While the final preview matches took place across the card, Maki Itoh challenged Sayaka Kurara to one more contest before they clash for the World of Stardom Championship.

In the Korakuen Hall main event, Sayaka Kurara teamed with Ranna Yagami, AZM and Miyu Amasaki to take on Maki Itoh, Kikyo Furusawa, Hazuki and Koguma. Kurara led her team to victory, with a devastating Tokimeki Spear wiping out Furusawa for the pin. With that win, it seemed that Kurara had secured the momentum heading into the first defence of her newly won World of Stardom title.

However, Itoh took to the microphone after the match and challenged Kurara to one more contest. This one would not take place in the ring, but in an arena where Itoh believes she has the upper hand.

Itoh:

Is this the final warm-up match? You’re being too soft. I believe that being at the top of STARDOM means you have to be number one in merchandise sales too. So, before next week’s big match, let’s hold a meet-and-greet with Maki Itoh and Sayaka Kurara as the ‘final warm-up match’!

Kurara:

I’ll take on any challenge!

Itoh:

Now is the time for the Itoh Respect Gundan to rise up. Itoh Respect Gundan, forever!

Kurara:

The winner today is me, Sayaka Kurara! Maki Itoh lost, so please go home.

Then, Kurara addressed the Korakuen Hall crowd with a rallying cry, promising to lead STARDOM to a bright future:

The fact that the venue can come together like this is one of the wonderful things about pro wrestling. I want to spread STARDOM, with its vast blue skies, across the world and into the universe, so I will race forward with this belt.

(Quotes translated via DeepL)

Elsewhere on the card, a pair of title matches added some extra drama to the show. Yuna Mizumori successfully defended the High Speed Championship against Xena, completing a fourth defence with the belt.

Then, HATE also made a fourth defence of the Artist of Stardom titles. They overcame the STARS trio of Hanan, Momo Kohgo and Saya Iida. Three more teams emerged as potential challengers for the belts. First, a God’s Eye trio of Ami Sohrei, Lady C and Hina emerged, only to be interrupted by Akira Kurogane, representing Mi Vida Loca by herself. Finally, a Cosmic Angel team of Natsupoi, Aya Sakura and Mizumori made their intentions known. As a result, those three teams will compete in a three-way at QUEENS DYNASTY to decide the next contenders.

Here are the full results for STARDOM in Korakuen Hall, May 17th, courtesy of purolove.com:

• Syuri & Tomoka Inaba def. Aya Sakura & Kiyoka Kotatsu (9:02)
• Rian def. Waka Tsukiyama and Matoi Hamabe (8:23)
• Ami Sohrei, Hina, Lady C & Ema Maishima def. Maika, Suzu Suzuki, Akira Kurogane & HANAKO (10:44)
• Starlight Kid, Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Fuwa-chan def. Saya Kamitani, Natsuko Tora, Ruaka & Azusa Inaba (10:57)
• High Speed Title: Yuna Mizumori (c) def. Xena (13:04)
• Artist of Stardom Title: Konami, Rina & Fukigen Death★ (c) def. Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo (20:09)
• Sayaka Kurara, AZM, Miyu Amasaki & Ranna Yagami def. Hazuki, Koguma, Maki Itoh & Kikyo Furusawa (12:58)