STARDOM Clocks Lowest Attendance in Company’s History This Week

By: Jeff Brown

The rollercoaster of news continues for STARDOM, as Rossy Ogawa announced via Twitter that the recent Osaka show drew 114 in attendance. It follows a rash of injuries that have muddled the title picture, and forced a corporate shakeup over at Bushiroad Fight. New president Taro Okada officially took over on December 1st, and hopes are high for a quick turnaround in STARDOM fortunes.

By comparison to the Osaka bust, STARDOM’s first show, Birth of Nova, drew 466 fans in 2011. Ogawa also commented that “the sales policy of simply finding available venues at local tournaments and posting them on SNS has reached its limit.” The company was plagued with injuries throughout the summer, but stars such as Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita have returned to the fold.

STARDOM had one of the largest gates for a Joshi show since the glory days of AJW, with over 5,539 for Stardom All-Star Grand Queendom in April, an event Monthly Puroresu was on hand for live and backstage.

本日の観客動員数はスターダムのワースト記録114名。場内は底冷えする悪条件が重なる中、選手はいつも以上に気合いが入った試合を繰り広げた。終わったことをあれこれ言うのではない。地方大会において空いてる会場を押さえてSNSで発信するだけの営業方針は限界にきている。今こそ興行の原点に戻ること… pic.twitter.com/CNZSkkxL8t

— ロッシー小川　Rossy Stardom (@rossystardom) December 7, 2023

Hope is not totally lost for STARDOM, obviously, a promotion that ascended to number two in all of Japan during the covid-19 Pandemic on the backs of budding talent and the best women’s wrestling of a generation. It famously attracted free agent Mercedes Moné (fka Sasha Banks) to Japan, and the expectation is she might soon return for unfinished business.

Ticket sales for Dream Queendom 3 have been strong, where the fate of the vacant World of Stardom will be decided between 5★STAR GP winner Suzu Suzuki and Maika, as well as new tag champions AphrOditE (Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani) defending against XL (Natsuko Tora and Momo Watanabe) on December 29th at Sumo Hall.