STARDOM x STARDOM 2022 Review

STARDOM x STARDOM 2022 Review

By Trent Breward
Those who fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. When the first ever Red Belt champion came to reclaim her title, only Syuri could defend STARDOM’s present.

It was exactly the kind of match one would have expected from these two. A knockdown slugfest in the mid August summer heat. Nearly a decade from when she last held the World of Stardom Championship, Nanae Takahashi came out swinging and used all of her experience and guile to test the champion. There were several times when it looked like she might pull it off too. However the problem was that to do so she needed to engage with Syuri head on, and that’s always a dangerous proposition.

It was Syuri’s striking that won the match, throwing several head kicks that changed the complexion of the fight and kept the challenger at bay, and anything Nanae threw at her Syuri could return in kind. After enduring several headbutts throughout the match, Syuri threw one at the back of Nanae’s head, leaving her helpless to fight off the Syu-Sekai finisher.

Now Syuri is chasing records. With eight successful defenses of the Red Belt, only Utami Hayashishita and Io Shirai have managed to to fend off more challengers than she has, and with each successful reign Syuri continues to cement herself as one of the most dominant wrestlers to step inside a STARDOM ring. The 5 Star Grand Prix has shown she’s not unbeatable, but there isn’t a better big match performer, and it is going to take a herculean effort to rip that title away from her.

【📺名古屋決戦PPV生配信中‼️】

朱里が高橋奈七永にパンチ！

🔻PPV購入はこちらhttps://t.co/CD4vQCeHjq

🔻PPV for fans from overseas(Japanese commentary)https://t.co/WEqR8znHGc#STARDOM pic.twitter.com/d5dV5zqRvs

— スターダム✪STARDOM (@wwr_stardom) August 21, 2022

It was less convincing than Syuri’s defense, but Saya Kamitani managed to walk out of the Aichi Dolphin Arena with the White belt still around her waist. The specter of the Pirate Princess still hangs over her shoulder, but KAIRI’s Covid diagnosis opened the door for another princess to step up. The Jumbo Princess Himeka served as a last minute replacement and looked utterly dominant as she battered the champion from pillar to post.

Yet again her weakness to flash pins proved her undoing. As she perched Saya up on her shoulders, the champion managed to spin out into a Poison-Rana and jump straight into a three count. Himeka kicked out, but it was a second too late. The damage was done, and Saya Kamitani survived to fight another day.

It nearly went horribly wrong for her. Through much of the match she was able to keep up with the larger and stronger opponent, but after Himeka hit a bone shaking second rope powerbomb it looked as though her reign was on life support. She desperately clung on as Himeka unleashed heavy lariats and tried to drive her through the mat with more powerbombs, hoping for one momentary lapse that she could capitalize on. Saya would get her wish, and she made the most of it. Not a bad effort given she was preparing for a completely different opponent.

Fukuoka Double Crazy were not as fortunate in their defense. Tam Nakano had long been haunted by her inability to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship, but next to Natsupoi that curse was finally lifted.

Hazuki and Koguma had them fighting on the back foot several times throughout the match, but the connection they had with one another far exceeded the time they had been teaming together. Their rivalry had solidified the partnership, and whenever one looked as if their spirit was fading, they would lock hands and remind themselves what they were fighting for. Their emotion fueled their fight, and it overflowed at the end as they held their newly won championships.

Tam had failed with Mayu Iwatani and she had failed with Arisa Hoshiki. It ate her up inside to the point she was hesitant to even try for the Goddess titles again. With Natsupoi, she was able to fight past that fear, and now she has finally achieved what she thought she never would. It also marks the first championship of the year for Cosmic Angels, an important step as they continue to build momentum after a tough first half of the year.

pic.twitter.com/U9vPJHVYSH

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) August 21, 2022

Full Match Results

• Future of Stardom Championship: Hana (c) Def. Miyu Amasaki
• Maika Def. Hina
• MIRAI & Ami Sourei Def. Ruaka & Rina, and Giulia and Mai Sakurai
• AZM, Utami Hayashishita & Lady C Def. Saya Iida, Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo in a Captain’s Fall match
• Artist of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid & Saki Kashima Def. Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka and SAKI
• Goddess of Stardom Championship (NEW CHAMPIONS): Natsupoi & Tam Nakano Def. Koguma & Hazuki (c)
• Wonder of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani Def. Himeka
• World of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) Def. Nanae Takahashi

Rapid Fire Takeaways

• Hanan added another successful defense to her Future of Stardom Championship reign, dispatching of the rookie Miyu Amasaki in her first title match. That makes 9 for the JK Fighter, but there’s not time to rest on her laurels. She faces Aoi at NEW BLOOD 4 next week and she has already expressed her interest in challenging for the belt if Hanan was still the champion.
• Suzuki-Gun stalwarts El Desperado and Taichi were on hand to not only provide guest commentary, but present flowers to the competitors in the Artist and Goddess title matches. Considering they are connected to Starlight Kid and Tam Nakano respectively, they turned out to be good omens for the women.
• Starlight Kid and SAKI got into it a bit after the match, which is of particular interest considering they are in separate 5 Star GP blocks. That could be a burgeoning rivalry later in the year. Unagi Sayaka had words after the match too, but that is to be expected from her.
• Mayu Iwatani made a bold call in choosing Saya Iida as the captain for their Captain’s Fall match against Queen’s Quest. It might have been an attempt to instill confidence in a wrestler who has struggled to earn any points in the 5 Star Grand Prix tournament. It was a valiant effort, but Utami’s power overwhelmed her in the end.
• Hina put in one of her best efforts yet despite being hopelessly outgunned by Maika. 2022 continues to be a year of great growth for her as both her and Rina start to reach the age where they will get more opportunities to prove themselves.
• She’s been wrestling with it for over a week now, but it can’t be fun grappling with the kind of sunburn Maika currently has. She fought the sun and the sun won.