STARDOM Dream Queendom II Report: Syuri vs. Giulia

December 29, 2022 Karen Peterson NEWS, RECOMMENDED, Show Reports

STARDOM’s annual last show of the year, STARDOM Dream Queendom radiated forth from Ryogoku Sumo Hall (Kokugikan) with Katsuya Ichikawa and Makoto Ohe on commentary and later joined by Mayu Iwatani for the latter half of the show. Last year Syuri would begin her reign after finally dethroning Utami Hayashishita in nearly a two-year-long chase to the top of the STARDOM World. This year, Syuri walked in as the World of STARDOM Champion, with a stellar defensive record throughout the calendar year, leading to her long-awaited rematch with the woman who brought her into the company in 2020 as part of Donna del Mondo, Giulia. 

The Road to STARDOM Dream Queendom

 

Note: The STARDOM Rumble was part of the paid broadcast, but for some reason, only the High-Speed Championship (AZM vs. Hikari Shimizu) is viewable on the YouTube preview. 

Spoiler-Free Synopsis

  • STARDOM Rumble – Worth a Watch
  • High Speed Championship – The High Speed Bomb Girl takes on a COLORful Opponent – Highly Recommended
  • Triangle Derby Preview – All-STARS matchup – Worth a Watch
  • Mina Shirakawa’s Return Match – Venus with a Vengeance – Recommended
  • Goddesses of STARDOM Number One Contenders Three Way – a Trio of Goddesses Tag League Runners-up battle for the next space in line – Worth a Watch
  • Special Singles Match – The Pirate, The Ace & The Blue Rose of Hope – Highly Recommended
  • Artists of STARDOM – Hardcore Rules Title Defense – Worth a Watch
  • Goddesses of STARDOM -Goddesses Tag League Winners vs. Reigning Champions – Worth a Watch
  • Wonder of STARDOM – Kamitani’s Road to Top Continues – Highly Recommended
  • World of STARDOM – The separate paths of Alto Livello KABALIWAN converge – Highly Recommended

Pre-Show Opening Match STARDOM Rumble:Team Machine (Super Strong STARDOM Machine and Super Strong STARDOM Giant Machine) defeats Lady C, Waka Tsukiyama, Rina, Hina, SAKI, Tomoka Inaba, Yuna Mizumori, Gokigen Death, Miyu Ayasaki, Kikutaro, and Ram Kaichou.

This was a fun way to warm up the crowd. I always have my reservations when Kikutaro is included in the Rumble as he plays up the creepy, middle-aged man tropes, by wanting to hug, kiss, and make grabby hands at the women. Thankfully, none of it actually happens, but the pantomiming alone made my skin crawl. (Kikutaro is a professional and he keeps is respectful.) Props to the Supernova Miya Amasaki for hitting him with a low kick while the ref’s back was turned. Loved the debut of Super Strong STARDOM Giant Machine, and thought the team-up to demand the ref declare the pair of them the victors was a cute twist, despite it being a little disorganized at first.

What’s Next?

  • Triangle Derby: 2023 opens with the first trios tournament in which most of the rumble participants will participate. (See details below)

High Speed Championship (1/30): AZM © defeated Hikari Shimizu (COLOR’S) (9:39) – via Numero Uno (submission)

Hikari Shimizu turned a lot of heads when she headed to Mexico for her short excursion, and it was only a matter of time before she and AZM crossed paths. AZM has had a stellar second run as champion, especially with the variety of opponents from outside of STARDOM seeking her out. COLOR’s Shimizu was no exception! Hot off her excursion to Mexico earlier in the fall, Hikari returned to Japan with newfound confidence and has dialed up the speed and energy tenfold! Another great sub-10-minute match, proving that match quality doesn’t necessarily equal match length. While the High Speed matches have up to thirty minutes, AZM consistently keeps her matches under fifteen minutes, with the bulk of her victories being under TEN minutes. Despite opening the shows or being far lower on the card, AZM’s High Speed defenses are often some of the most talked about. In 2023, I would love to see her surprise Mayu’s record, but also set her sights on other singles championships. She’s more than earned it.  

With this win, AZM tied the record for a number of nine consecutive defenses, and she now stands alongside Mayu Iwatani. I know that STARDOM usually sends their long-time mainstays like Mayu abroad, but what I would give to see AZM wrestle in the United States. I would also like more independent promotions to bring the girls from GPU COLOR’S to the United States and other places abroad as well!

What’s Next?

  • AZM:  Continues her second reign as High Speed Champion; joins Utami Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani to represent QQ in the Triangle Derby. 
  • Hikari Shimizu: We’ll have to see where Hikari crops up next. The remaining three members of COLOR’S are all participating in the Triangle Derby, but I hope we see her again sooner rather than later. 

Triangle Derby Preview (1/15): H&M (Mayu Iwatani, Hanan & Momo Kohgo) defeated Classmates (Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida)  (12:04) – with Mayu Iwatani pinning Saya Iida with a Dragon Suplex hold

The match opened with Koguma coaxing each member of H&M to join her in the ring to do her signature bear pose, and it finished with Momo having way too much fun and missing out on Koguma tagging Hazuki in while Kohgo’s back was turned. The central focus of this match is the continuation of Momo Kohgo sitting under Hazuki’s learning tree, and Hazuki being exceptionally strict with her to bring out the best in her. Like most exhibition or preview matches, it was a great way to hype up the next series with a pairing of teams who will likely play heavily into the series but may not necessarily make it to the finals, especially as they’re in opposing blocks. It also snuck all of STARS onto the card in a neatly wrapped package without it feeling contrived. 

What’s Next?

  • H&M: Red Triangle Block in the inaugural Triangle Derby. First match will be against OedoTai (Natsuko Tora, Ruaka & Saki Kashima)
  • Classmates: Blue Triangle Block in the inaugural Triable Derby. First match will be against 7Uppp (Nanae Takahashi, Yuu & Yuna Mizumori) on January 3rd. 

Mina Shirakawa’s Return Match (1/15): Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka defeated Thekla & Mai Sakurai (10:13) – with Mina Shirakawa pinning Thekla after GLAMOROUS DRIVER MINA

I was curious when Unagi came out to her own music instead of joining Mina Shirakawa to their Pink Kabuki remix. The last time we saw Shirakawa in the ring was her match against Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of STARDOM championship. When she resurfaced at the press conference to announce her return, her face was dramatically bandaged. The reveal was worth it! She waltzed in with her beautiful costume from her Wonder match, but she wasn’t alone. Flanked by Xia Brookside and Mariah May, she made a surprising return with her long hair cropped into a short bob. 

More than the reunion of Pink Kabuki, I really looked forward to the reunion of Thekla and Mina in the ring together. Their battle over the SWA Championship earlier this year and the personality chemistry they have is simply one of my favorites in the entire company. “LOOK YOU’RE STILL A CUTIE!” as Thekla mashed Mina’s cheeks is the playful banter I truly enjoy. 

“Unagi, I know you’re out there doing your best… but why did you leave without saying anything?! Pink Kabuki is dead. We want different things, so and I am prepared to walk on my own. Pink Kabuki is GAME OVER.” – Mina Shirakawa (in-ring promo)

Unagi fought tears on the ramp, but she waited for Shirakawa to meet her for the final time. What was said may forever remain between the two of them, but it seems they’re both prepared for the road ahead. When Goddesses Tag League happened earlier in the fall, Pink Kabuki didn’t get their chance to participate in the tournament as Unagi’s Gyan Period (Freelance Rampage Tour) coincided with the announcement that Shirakawa would team with SAKI (COLOR’S) as KAWAILD VENUS… only to have Shirakawa drop out after Hiroshima Goddess Festival when she sustained a mouth injury in her Wonder of STARDOM Championship challenge against Saya Kamitani. 

Although Shirakawa’s return match was announced on December 6th, she was surprisingly excluded from representing COSMIC ANGELS in the Triangle Derby, with SAKI being paired with Tam Nakano and Natsupoi. Again, all the stars and aligning for a cosmic disturbance could come to a head as early as the opening of the Triangle Derby or a slow burn until CA meets the XXXes later on in the Red Triangle Block. 

Xia “Angel of the Ring” Brookside, previously toured with STARDOM four times between 2017-2019, prior to her signing with NXT UK. Mariah May, The Fighting Princess, will be making her STARDOM and Japan debuts should Club Venus become a permanent addition to STARDOM. This could spell very VERY big things for Shirakawa in 2023. Much like Tam setting up COSMIC ANGELS under Mayu Iwatani/STARS’ very noses, Club Venus could also lead to devastation in CA.

Mina Shirakawa openly states that she is in COSMIC ANGELS (however, there is an implied ‘for now’ vibe about it), but Xia and Mariah are in Club Venus. This could potentially lead to a fractionating of CA, especially with the added pressure of the clock running against Waka Tsukiyama’s (and her ability to translate quickly between English and Japanese). 

What’s Next?

  • Mina Shirakawa: Currently without any plans for January, yet a mysterious Trio of Xes berth in the Triangle Derby could spell a Club Venus debut, which sets the wheels for Shirakawa into motion for 2023. 
  • Unagi Sayaka: continues her Gyan Period, making the rounds of the women’s independent scene. Keep an eye out for more information on her show dates in Dream Slam Weekly.
  • Thekla/Mai Sakurai: will tag with Giulia as the Baribari Bombers in the Triangle Derby. Their first opponents will be Rebel x Enemy on January 3rd. Sakurai is also the next challenger for Ami Sohrei’s Future of STARDOM Championship.

Goddesses of STARDOM Number One Contenders Three Way (1/15): THE NEW ERAS (MIRAI & Ami Sohrei), MaiHime (Maika & Himeka) BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka) (10:06) – Maika pins Ruaka after the Michinoku Driver II

This was another fun match, but I didn’t think it was entirely necessary as MaiHime should have won this year’s Goddesses Tag League. This was a good way to get more people on the main event card, but with five championship matches on the card already, this number one contenders’ match could have easily been on the YearEnd Climax/Christmas show they had over the weekend. MIRAI and Ami had a great 2022 with the former winning the Cinderella Tournament and the latter finally shattering Hanan’s streak for the Future of STARDOM Championship. Maika and Himeka both had outstanding World of STARDOM Championship challenges against their former stable mate, Syuri, and also gave Wonder of STARDOM Champion, Saya Kamitani, runs for her money in their attempts as well. Tora/Ruaka did what OedoTai does, cheat so others don’t look weak in defeat.

It was a good transition to the upper card match but ultimately could have been wrapped into the pre-show rumble or made into another Triangle Derby Preview match instead. 

What’s Next?

  • MaiHime: Will challenge the winners of meltear/7Upp for the Goddesses of STARDOM Championships in 2023 (probably at Supreme Fight in Osaka on February 4th). They will also team with Lady C for Triangle Derby with their first match being against COSMIC ANGELS (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi & SAKI) on January 3rd.
  • THE NEW ERAS: Will team with Syuri for the Triangle Derby as Abarenbo GE. Their first match will be against Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saki Kamitani & AZM) on January 3rd. 
  • BMI 2000: Will split up for Triangle Derby with Tora teaming with Momo Watanabe and Saki Kashima, and Ruaka joining Starlight Kid and Haruka Umesaki (likely as her evil alter ego KARMA) as Unique Glare. 

Mayu Iwatani joined commentary for the second half of the show. 

Special Singles Match (1/15) KAIRI vs. Utami Hayashishita (15:00) – Time Limit Draw

I couldn’t multitask during this match at all. There was so much at stake for a non-title match with the agreed stipulation being the loser had to go back to square one: rookie debut costume, no entrance music, and possibly their debut haircut. I loved that KAIRI,  much like Natsuko Tora before her, presented Utami with a rose. It would later be revealed that in the language of flowers, a blue rose represents the realization of dreams. Prior to their match, KAIRI recounted her meeting the Super Rookie, Utami Hayashishita, as she was departing STARDOM to join WWE in 2017. In her five years away from STARDOM, Utami became not only a mainstay in the company but one of the pillars who put the company on her back, racking up international acclaim for the company during her run with the red belt in 2021. 

With a fifteen-minute time limit, this match had just about everything I love about women’s wrestling compressed into it. Power, passion, creativity, emotion, technical prowess, daredevil risk-taking, and a constant back-and-forth forced me to literally stop everything I was doing and to focus solely on watching the match. With the unusual match stipulation, I genuinely wondered if I was going to have to witness Utami relinquish leadership of Queen Quest and return to her Super Rookie status or if mere days before her first IWGP Women’s Championship match in the Tokyo, if KAIRI would turn the clock back over eleven years and be reborn as Kairi Hojo once more. Both brought everything to the ring and left everything there with regard to why they are two of the best in the world of wrestling. I could watch them over and over… just not right away. 

With the formalities out of the way, I would love Utami to circle back and demand a rematch in the future, but I beg to let there be several defenses for KAIRI before they loop back. I love a journey, and Utami as one of the four STARDOM candidates from the tournament needs to have her own voyage first. The same goes for Mayu because we know she’ll be back in the conversation soon enough. 

What’s Next?

  • KAIRI: Her first defense as IWGP Women’s Champion will be against Tam Nakano at The Antonio Inoki Memorial Wrestle Kingdom 17 at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.
  • Utami Hayashishita: will represent Queen’s Quest with Saya Kamitani and AZM in the Triangle Derby. Their first opponents will be God’s Eye (Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei) on January 3rd.

Artists of STARDOM Championship (1/30): PROMINENCE (Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki & Kurumi Hiiragi) defeat OedoTai (Saki Kashima, Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe) (15:54) – Suzu pins Kashima with a German Suplex

This was a fun hardcore match, but it could have easily been on the recent STARDOM in SHOWCASE.  I felt like some of the other matches could have more time or this could have been another Triangle Derby Preview match. Suzu and Risa have both had outstanding 2022s both in STARDOM and all over the women’s wrestling scene, and this match was largely focused on them. With this hardcore match on the card, I wish spots from other matches (see World of STARDOM Championship below) were avoided. This match was a heaping service of humble pie for OedoTai, but a nice palette cleanser. I would have swapped this match with KAIRI/Utami.

Taking the Artists Belts off of OedoTai makes more sense now, especially with the trio being split up for the Triangle Derby. Having PROMINENCE in the mix for the Derby makes me wonder how much hardcore could possibly weave their way into the league matches.

What’s Next?

  • OedoTai: The team will be split in half for Triangle Derby with Watanabe & Kashima teaming with Tora and SLK leading Haruka Umesaki and Ruaka as Unique Glare.
  • PROMINENCE: The trio goes into the Triangle Derby as the Artists of STARDOM Champions. I wonder if they’re going to require all hardcore stipulations or make every match in the tournament a championship opportunity. We’ll have to watch and find out. 

Goddesses of STARDOM Championship (1/30): 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi & Yuu) defeated meltear (Tam Nakano & Natsupoi) © (15:57) – with Yuu pinning Natsupoi after a Last Ride

The match was shorter than I expected but turned out exactly how I expected. With Tam challenging KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship next week paired with the belt collection that Yuu has and the seniority/history that Nanae has, everything fell onto Natsupoi in the match. Despite fighting her heart out, the High Speed Fairy had her wings clipped. It was a good match, but with 7Upp also participating in the Triangle Derby, I am trying to figure out the reasoning behind the decision to have a the title change here. 

I just feel bad that meltear got the championships during the Goddesses Tag League, and did a heap of promotion wearing them, including tagging in one of the mixed tags at Historic X-Over, only to lose them on their first defense. I’m usually okay with a transitional champion if someone is leaving or injured, so I’m trying to make it all make sense. meltear could have easily held onto them unless the aim for Triangle Derby is to protect everyone and any losses in the tournament for 7Uppp will be Yuna Mizumori’s cross to bear. 

Another decent match, but really didn’t invoke any passion out of me, largely because I felt like meltear just had their momentum stopped. 

What’s Next?

  • meltear: will team with SAKI (COLOR’S) for Triangle Derby; Tam will challenge KAIRI for the IWGP Women’s Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 1st.
  • 7Upp: will team with Yuna Mizumori for Triangle Derby as 7Uppp; 7Upp will have their first defense of the Goddesses of STARDOM Championship at Supreme Fight in Osaka on February 4th.

Wonder of STARDOM Championship (1/30): Saya Kamitani © defeated Haruka Umesaki (DIANA) (16:33) – with a pin after a Frankensteiner

Kamitani still hasn’t recovered mentally from the Phoenix Splash that injured Mina Shirakawa at the beginning of November. It’s been a slow constant story that’s been told, and her match with Umesaki was another chapter. Both competitors have less than four years of experience apiece, yet they had a fast and furious match. Umesaki has not only feuded with Starlight Kid but become one of the regulars in the New Blood series. They had a great match, and I was actually relieved that this was one of Kamitani’s shorter defenses. 

This is Kamitani’s 12th successful consecutive defense as Wonder of STARDOM Champion. She has the possibility of tying Momo Watanabe’s record at 13 on her next defense. After the match, Kamitani called out Mina Shirakawa and congratulated on her return from injury, citing she wants to wrestle her again in the future after Shirakawa has had some time back in the ring. Instead, for her next challenger, she called out Ami Sohrei. 

What’s Next?

  • Saya Kamitani: will team with Utami Hayashishita and AZM, representing Queen’s Quest. Their first match at Triangle Derby will be against God’ Eye (Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei) on January 3rd.
  • Haruka Umesaki: to team with Starlight Kid and Ruaka as Unique Glare. Unsure if it will be as Haruka or her alter ego KARMA. Their first match in Triangle Derby will be against the new Artists of STARDOM Champion: PROMINENCE (Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki & Kurumi Hiiragi) on January 3rd. 

World of STARDOM Championship (1/30): Giulia defeats Syuri © (29:51) – with a pin after a Glorious Driver

This match was three years in the making, and arguably one of the most emotional ones for me in the last year. When Syuri finally toppled Utami at Dream Queendom last year, Giulia and all of DDM were ringside to cheer her on and celebrate her victory afterward. Giulia had dropped out of the 2021 Five Star Grand Prix due to a sustained neck injury that forced her to drop out of the tournament and then miss the remainder of the 2021 schedule, minus facing Konami at last year’s Dream Queendom (along with her suspicious activities as the masked assailant). After vacating the SWA Championship in January and ALI KABA losing the Goddesses of STARDOM Championships in January, Syuri announced that after her match with Giulia at STARDOM WORLD CLIMAX (March 26), she would depart DDM and establish her own faction. 

Their parting of ways in March was an emotional one, but one they both understood needed to happen. When Giulia lost to Syuri, she openly admitted defeat, but we all knew it wouldn’t be the last time they would meet. As Syuri kept racking up title defenses, Giulia fought her way to the finals of the 2022 Five Star Grand Prix, where she and Tam Nakano rekindled their Wonder of STARDOM Championship rivalry in the finals. Fans around the world got a taste of what would be on the menu between the former tag partners turned rivals at Historic X-Over in their mixed tag match with Tom Lawlor and Zack Sabre, Jr.

Much like KAIRI/Utami, my gut told me that this match would cut it exceptionally close to the time limit. They fought all around the venue, including Giulia launch Syuri off the ramp into the audience and Syuri getting some payback using Giulia’s regularly scheduled big-match table piledriver spot later on. Seeing all the tape all over Syuri’s shoulders, back and knee, really drove home how hard she worked this year, carving her legacy for STARDOM. With only thirty minutes to get everything in, and make it feel natural that Giulia would finally close the loop on her own World of STARDOM journey, the pair of them went much harder than they needed to, to the point where you could see how exhausted they were by going full throttle for nearly the entire match. 

By the time the final thirty seconds closed in, I was exhausted for them. I wanted them to keep going a la ‘fight forever,’ but I also wanted them to hurry up and finish, so they could go celebrate together. Seeing all of DDM and God’s Eye in the ring after the match really got me, as if I hadn’t been crying since the pre-match VTR started playing. There’s the concept of kizuna (connection), and Giulia and Syuri’s respective journeys to the red belt are undeniably intertwined with one another. Honestly, I liked the order in which all of this happened for both of them as it allowed each of them to develop their own journeys in a believable, authentic manner.

Syuri remarks: “It’s all on Giulia now,” but the understood meaning is that this is a torch passing because Giulia’s worked her way back and it’s now her time to shine atop the STARDOM World. 

I fell to absolute pieces when Syuri took the belt from Giulia and affixed it around her waist (with a little help from the lead referee). Any time a champion (or someone close to the winner) does this, it’s one of my favorite moments. In her victory address, she thanks Syuri profusely for everything she did not just for Giulia, but for DDM, God’s Eye, the World of STARDOM Championship, and for helping elevate STARDOM to the international stage. Syuri was her wall that she needed to scale, and she hopes they both become stronger and can meet again in the future.    

What’s Next?

  • Giulia: fulfilled her promise to close out 2022 in the main event and become the new World of STARDOM Champion. She’ll team with Thekla and Mai Sakurai in Triangle Derby as Baribari Bombers. Their first league match will be against Rebel x Enemy (Ram Kaicho, Maika Ozaki, and Maya Yukihi). 
  • Syuri: after an exceptionally busy 2022 as World of STARDOM Champion, she passes the torch to Giulia. In a banner year where she earned accolades one after another, The Woman Unlike No Other can finally take some time to heal up her body after shouldering the World for one calendar year. She’ll team with MIRAI and Ami Sohrei in Triangle Derby, facing Queen’s Quest on the opening night.

NEW! Triangle Derby I (1/3-3/4/2023) – A round-robin trios tournament. Much like STARDOM’s other tournaments, the teams will be divided into a RED and BLUE block, with the winners of each meeting in the finals on the last day of competition. Standard tournament scoring: Win (2 points), Tie (1 point), and Loss (0 points). With 14 teams and 42 participants, it should be a very busy and exciting tournament!

The series will open at Yokohama Budokan on January 3, 2023. Updates will be included via Dream Slam Monthly starting in late January 2023.

Triangle Blue

  • Rebel x Enemy (Ram Kaicho, Maika Ozaki & Maya Yukihi)
  • Lollipop (Waka Tsukiyama, Yuko Sakurai & Rina Amikura)
  • Classmates (Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida)
  • MaiHime w/ C (Maika, Himeka & Lady C)
  • Abarenbo GE (Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei)
  • PROMINENCE (Suzu Suzuki, Risa Sera & Kurumi Hiiragi) – Current Artists of STARDOM Champions
  • OedoTai (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe & Saki Kashima)

Triangle Red

  • H&M (Mayu Iwatani, Hanan & Momo Kohgo)
  • Unique Glare (Starlight Kid, Haruka Umesaki/Karma, & Ruaka)
  • Baribari Bombers (Giulia, Thekla & Mai Sakurai)
  • Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM)
  • Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, & SAKI)
  • 7Uppp (Nanae Takahashi, Yuu & Yuna Mizumori)
  • X-XX-XXX – Possibly Club Venus  – with the arrival of Xia Brookside and Mariah May as part of Mina Shirakawa’s return and Club Venus announcement, they are likely the mysterious entry. 

1/3 ~NEW YEARS STARS~ Triangle Derby Opener – Yokohama Budoukan

  • Opening 3-Way Match: Miyu Amasaki (QQ) vs. Rina (OedoTai) vs. Hina (QQ)
  • Triangle Blue: Baribari Bombers (Giulia, Thekla & Mai Sakurai) vs. Rebel x Enemy (Ram Kaicho, Maika Ozaki & Maya Yukihi)
  • Triangle Red: Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM) vs. God’s Eye (Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei)
  • Triangle Red: Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi & SAKI) vs. MaiHimeC (Maika, Himeka & Lady C)
  • Triangle Blue: Classmates (Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida vs. 7Uppp (Nanae Takahashi, Yuu & Yuna Mizumori
  • Triangle Blue: H&M (Mayu Iwatani, Hanan & Momo Kohgo) vs. OedoTai (Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima & Momo Watanabe) 
  • Triangle Red: Unique Glare (Starlight Kid, Haruka Umesaki & Ruaka) vs. PROMINENCE (Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki & Kurumi Hiiragi) ©Artists
  • Triangle Red: X-XX-XXX vs. Lollipop (Waka Tsukiyama, Yuko Sakurai & Rina Amikura) 

2023 Big Match Calendar

  • 1/3-3/4 Triangle Derby I 
  • 1/4 IWGP Women’s Championship: KAIRI vs. Tam Nakano (COSMIC ANGELS) – It is worth noting that while STARDOM talent is participating in the IWGP Women’s Championship match, it is labeled as “an outside appearance” (meaning NOT STARDOM) on their annual calendar. Also, on today’s commentary, the IWGP Women’s Championship was referred to as “New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s IWGP Women’s Championship,” so moving forward, it’s worth noting that IWGP Women’s Championship matches don’t necessarily equate to STARDOM participation. 
  • 1/20 New Blood 7
  • 2/4 STARDOM 12th Anniversary STARDOM  Supreme Fight (Osaka)
  • 2/26 STARDOM in SHOWCASE vol.4 (Kobe)
  • 3/4 Triangle Derby I Finals at Yoyogi National Stadium
  • 4/23 All-Star Grand Queendom – Yokohama Arena

Today’s One Point Promo!

In KAIRI’s match against Utami and Giulia’s closing remarks, the phrase “yoi o-toshi wo~” was used! This is wishing everyone to “have a Happy New Year” (before the year changes at midnight on 12/31). Once the clock strikes and the new year arrives, a different greeting is used. “Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu” is used to greet one another once the new year properly begins!

About Karen Peterson 121 Articles
Occasionally drops by wrestling podcasts, but remains rather elusive. Joined the Japanese wrestling fan scene in summer 2017, and continues to work on bridging the language gap between fans. Outside of wrestling, she’s a dog mom, perpetual Japanese learner, and when conditions permit, world traveler. Never skips dessert.
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