6/1 STARDOM SHINING STARS report: Eight-woman tag team tournament to determine the best faction in Stardom, Bobbi Tyler returns

STARDOM SHINING STARS
JUNE 1, 2019
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN AT RADIANT HALL
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Sumire cheerfully proclaimed “I’ll do my best!” (mocking the traditional opening promos of the young rookies?). Ruaka said this was her first singles match against Sumire. She heard she was dangerous so she’d be careful.

(1) RUAKA vs. NATSU SUMIRE

Rina tried to warn the referee of Sumire’s underhanded tactics, which only served to distract him long enough for Ruaka to get whipped. Sumire went to the top rope. Ruaka cut her off. Sumire sat back and lectured her, eventually convincing Ruaka to climb down. Sumire tried to take advantage with a crossbody but Ruaka stopped her and hit a superplex off the second rope instead. Ruaka hit a fisherwoman’s suplex for two. Sumire hit her northern lights suplex but also only got two. Crossbody to Sumire coming off the ropes for a near-fall. Inside cradle for the win.

WINNER: Natsu Sumire in 7:35.

(Pageot’s Perspective: This was Ruaka’s first singles match in almost a month. Not a lot to see here but she’s still young.)

-Tyler said this was the start of her second tour of Stardom, this time with Tokyo Cyber Squad. New tour, new her. Iida said this was her first singles match against a gaijin.

Tyler wore a dayglo face shield to meet her TCS raver quota.

(2) IPW: UK WOMEN’S CHAMPION BOBBI TYLER vs. SAYA IIDA – NON-TITLE MATCH

Tyler was very aggressive, pummeling Iida to the mat and immediately targeting her arm. Iida responded with some dropkicks but took an enziguiri. Flatliner ended it.

WINNER: Bobbi Tyler in 3:38.

(Pageot’s Perspective: I know she’s Saya Iida but oof, that made her look like a complete nobody. Tyler came across as a huge heel here, which will only complicate TCS’ alignment even more going forward.)

(3) QUEEN’S QUEST (World Of Stardom Champion Bea Priestley, Goddess Of Stardom Champion Momo Watanabe, Hina, & Leo Onozaki) vs. OEDO TAI (High Speed Champion Hazuki, Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora, & Andras Miyagi) – UNIT TOURNAMENT: ROUND 1

QQ attacked before the bell and the teams fought to the floor, leaving Tora alone with her former JAN stable mate Onozaki. Lots of quick tags from both teams with wrestlers hitting one or two moves before stepping out for somebody else to get their showcase. Hazuki and Watanabe had a nice sequence with Hazuki coming out on top before tagging to Tora. Oedo Tai quadruple-teamed the former white belt holder. Watanabe foolishly tagged to Onozaki so you knew the end was near. We were back where we started with Onozaki vs. Tora. QQ hit a four-way dropkick to a seated Tora but she kicked out of the pin. Kagetsu cracked Onozaki in the back with the Oedo Tai placard as she ran the ropes. F-Crash from Tora for the pin.

WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 11:18.

(Pageot’s Perspective: The results of this tournament aside, QQ is the best faction in Stardom. Not only do they currently hold four of the seven championships [World, Goddess, SWA, & Future] they also have the best record of all the factions in tag matches. If we combine the 2019 results of all traditional tag, trios, quartet, and quintet matches QQ are 27-16 this year now compared to Oedo Tai’s 23-14-1 record. In third is TCS/International Army at 16-14 followed by Stars at 28-37-1 and Jungle Assault Nation at 7-20.)

(4) STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki, Tam Nakano, Saki Kashima, & Starlight Kid) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Death Yama-san & Artist Of Stardom Champions Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, & Konami) – UNIT TOURNAMENT: ROUND 1

Nakano and Kyona started. (Be still, my heart.) TCS worked over Kashima in the opening stages. Konami and Hoshiki battled next. Formula back and forth action with everyone in and out, over and over. Death rolled up Kid for the win.

WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 9:30.

(Pageot’s Perspective: My general disinterest in quartet and quintet matches stems from the fact that it’s a lot of people in and out, hitting moves and breaking up pins, with no psychology or flow to anything and nobody in particular standing out or gaining anything. This was no different.)

-TCS stayed in the ring as Oedo Tai returned for the tournament finals.

(5) OEDO TAI (High Speed Champion Hazuki, Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora, & Andras Miyagi w/Natsu Sumire) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Death Yama-san & Artist Of Stardom Champions Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, & Konami) – UNIT TOURNAMENT: FINALS

Kagetsu and Konami started. The teams fought into the crowd two minutes into the match. Formula back and forth action with everyone in and out, over and over. Tora and Konami were legal at the ten-minute mark. Tora hit a top rope frog-splash but Konami kicked out. Triangle lancer and Tora presumably tapped. (We couldn’t see it but the bell rang.)

WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 10:49.

-Konami asked what they get for winning. A prize? Nothing? What was the point of the tournament? At least it shows that TCS are taking over. Stardom is just one big playground for them.

(Pageot’s Perspective: From all indications Kimura and TCS are a “print your own money” act for Stardom president Rossy Ogawa and that’s how he likes them. If their t-shirts keep selling out as quickly as the first batch did expect to see them win many more big matches like this.)