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STARDOM: NEW BLOOD 4 Review

2 years ago

STARDOM: NEW BLOOD 4 Review

STARDOM: NEW BLOOD 4 Review

By Trent Breward

God’s Eye already has two bright stars being led by Stardom’s strongest wrestler, and now they’ve added someone with even more potential.

The Queen of JTO Champion Tomoka Inaba has been a regular on the NEW BLOOD shows, but she wasn’t content with just appearing in the opening match against Hina. With Oedo Tai pouncing on MIRAI and Ami Sourei after their match against Starlight Kid and Haruka Umesaki, it was Inaba who came out to send the delinquents running.

One impassioned plea later, and the Red Belt Champion Syuri welcomed her onto the team. If Inaba was to align with any of the Stardom factions, God’s Eye seems like the perfect fit for her. The karate star will find herself at home within the hard hitting MMA orientated stable, and learning from one of the very best in Syuri should help her unlock her style. Inaba already had a bright future ahead of her, but under God’s Eye the sky is now the limit.

The God’s Eye match came to a premature end after Haruka Umesaki chose to slam a steel chair over MIRAI’s head while she had Starlight Kid locked in the Miraimare submission. The move came as quite a shock – Haruka had teamed with the villainous faction before despite her on and off rivalry with Starlight Kid, but this was the first time she’s shown a willingness to sink to their level. However when her partner extended out her hand, Umesaki chose to leave her in the ring. This won’t be the last time to the two young stars find themselves in the ring together, but more and more the question needs to be asked as to whether they’ll do so as allies or enemies.

Hanan’s Future of Stardom championship reign has now reached double digits with a successful defense against JTO’s Aoi. Originally set as just a regular singles match, once Hanan had defended against Miyu Amasaki at STARDOMxSTARDOM Aoi put forth the challenge to put the title on the line.

It was a more methodical match for Hanan, as she and Aoi traded holds on a more even setting that Hanan’s previous defence. However the JK Fighter managed to gain control when it mattered most and put down the stylish dancer who has become a fan favorite on these NEW BLOOD shows. It’s the second time she’s survived a JTO challenge, having wrestled Inaba to a draw in Korakuen Hall in June.

Her biggest challenge now awaits her. After the match Ami Sourei came out to challenge her for the Future of Stardom Title on the next NEW BLOOD show. The two squared off earlier in the month as part of the 5 Star Grand Prix tournament, where Sourei managed to score the win over the champion. It’s been a record breaking reign for the eighteen year old, but her time as champion might be coming to an end.

It wasn’t the only title challenge that was put forth on the show. AZM might not have been wrestling, but she was keen to get in the ring and challenge Ram Kaicho to a Fall’s Count Anywhere match. Before she could escape though, the eccentric Momoka Hanazono made a challenge of her own – requesting a High Speed Championship match at Stardom’s next big Osaka show. How convenient that the next time they’re in Osaka is for a double header on September 17 and 18, and AZM isn’t booked to have a 5 Star tournament match on either show.

Momoka will present a unique challenge to the High Speed Champion. She’s a wrestler who can be quite disarming with her joyful demeanor and comedy spots, but beneath the gimmick is a deceptively talented wrestler. AZM has faced opponents like this before, having dealt with the antics of Mei Suruga and Fukigen Death previously, but Momoka has plenty of tricks up her sleeve, even if she was unable to help guide Waka Tsukiyama to her first win in STARDOM.

The NEW BLOOD brand of shows continue to deliver an easy to digest package featuring the up and coming stars of the joshi world. The quality continues to exceed the expectations that might come from a show built around highlighting newer wrestlers.

Full Match Results:

  • Tomoka Inaba Def. Hina
  • Ruaka Def. Lady C & Chie Koishikawa in a Triple Threat Match
  • Rina & Ram Kaicho Def. Waka Tsukiyama & Momoka Hanazono
  • Mai Sakurai & Linda Def. Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida
  • MIRAI and Ami Sourei Def. Haruka Umesaki & Starlight Kid via DQ
  • Future of Stardom Championship: Hanan (c) Def. Aoi
  • Tam Nakano Def. Miyu Amasaki

Rapid Fire Takeaways

  • Whenever a STARDOM rookie goes through a trial series she’s in for a beating. Miyu Amasaki has had to endure both Giulia and Tam Nakano, two experienced vets who won’t pull punches against a newcomer. Tam in particular wanted to really test her resolve. She could have ended it early but wanted to see if Miyu had one last bit of fight left in her. The slap Amasaki threw at her didn’t change the final result, but it demonstrated that she has the fire inside her to go down swinging. An important attribute for any young wrestler.
  • The JTO women have been standouts from these first 4 NEW BLOOD shows, and there’s a reason both Aoi and Inaba have received title matches (and the latter now joining one of the factions).
  • Likewise whenever a Gatoh Move wrestler appears, you’re sure to know about it. Chie Koishikawa’s uniquely boundless energy commands your attention, and anyone who has studied under Emi Sakura is going to know how to handle themselves in the ring. Unfortunately her pairing with Lady C (whose real name incidentally is Chie) didn’t last too long. Their attempts to teach Ruaka a lesson fell apart as they both searched for a key victory.
  • Mai Sakurai seems to be heavily influenced by whoever she teams with. Giulia has helped guide her since joining Donna Del Mondo, but next to Linda she resorted to many of the her heelish tactics. Those tactics? Lots and lots of whipping.

Date:

August 26, 2022

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