SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
STARDOM GLORY STARS
JUNE 9, 2019
SAPPORO, JAPAN AT MARS GYM
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Iida pointed out that since she and Kid are both in Stars they don’t get to fight very often. Kid said they were in Sapporo for the first time in a year. This was her first singles match against Iida since the latter was drafted to Stars.
(1) STARLIGHT KID vs. SAYA IIDA
Kid easily controlled the action early on. Iida got a Boston crab locked in at 4:00 but Kid reached the rope break. Dropkick to the small of her back. Iida mounted and pummeled Kid with forearms. Dropkick to the chest. Iidabashi but Kid grabbed the bottom rope to prevent the three-count. Tiger feint kick to Iida. Standing moonsault. Backslide from Iida for a near-fall. Slingblade from Kid. Swinging neckbreaker. Twisting splash from the top rope for the pin.
WINNER: Starlight Kid in 6:32.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Good match. I’m ready for Kid to step up a level and graduate from the rookie squad to the midcard. It seemed like she was poised for that with her feud with AZM and Hazuki but she was bumped back to opening card matches right after. The venue itself is dark with big acoustics and lots of echo. The referee was an elderly man I’ve never seen before. Not sure if it’s the venue or the cameras but the video also had a gritty quality to it that made me feel like I was watching an old VHS tape from the early ‘90s. It actually gave it a really cool vibe.)
-Onozaki said she was honored to be Hayashishita’s opponent in her return match. Hayashishita said she was back after two months away. Her left hand is one hundred percent and this was her first singles match against Onozaki. She couldn’t lose her return match.
(2) GODDESS OF STARDOM, FUTURE OF STARDOM, & SWA WORLD CHAMPION UTAMI HAYASHISHITA vs. LEO ONOZAKI – NON-TITLE MATCH
Onozaki connected with two running cutters but took a judo throw and a STO. Missile dropkick from the second rope. Body slam. Torture rack and Onozaki tapped.
WINNER: Utami Hayashishita in 3:59.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Hayashishita’s last match was a challenge for Momo Watanabe’s white belt at Stardom American Dream In The Big Apple in New York City on April 5. It was reported afterward that she wrestled that match with a broken thumb. Her time away felt considerably longer than two months, probably due to how frequently Stardom runs shows. She currently holds three of Stardom’s seven active titles. Will she set her sights on Hazuki or Arisa Hoshiki now that she’s back?)
-Tora said this three-way battle was pretty rare and we might never see it again. Kyona was caught chewing on some umeboshi (a sort of fermented plum). Round and round, she’ll mow you down with jungle power. She said things were getting hot and the cause of the heat was… her. Nakano and Producer P said this was a mysterious three-way. She’s getting ready to challenge for the white belt. P made a polar bear face.
(3) ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPION JUNGLE KYONA vs. TAM NAKANO vs. NATSUKO TORA
The three women went face to face to face in the center of the ring. They took turns shoving each other, then traded forearms. The former JAN women teamed up for a moment to shoulder block Nakano out of the ring. They immediately went back at each other. Nakano hit a running blockbuster on Kyona. Backbreaker into a gutbuster from Kyona. Stinger splash in the corner. Sliding clothesline. Tora paced at ringside, watching the action and waiting for her moment. As Kyona ran the ropes, she yanked her out by the feet and went after the hurting Nakano. Hair toss. Stomps to the spine. Camel clutch. Kyona broke the hold with a running dropkick. They traded pin attempts. Nakano finally made a comeback at 8:30. Diving crossbody from the top rope to Kyona and Tora at ringside. Double knees from the top to Tora in the ring but she kicked out. Cartwheel into the double knees to Tora’s back. Spinebuster from Tora. Headscissors but Nakano made the rope break. Body slam. Tora with a top rope frog-splash but Kyona prevented the three-count. As Kyona and Tora fought Nakano looked for a schoolgirl on Kyona but Tora stopped it. Three forearms connected simultaneously and they all went down. Kyona with a clothesline train on both women in opposite corners. She managed to suplex both women at the same time, one under each arm. Kyona stacked Nakano on top of Tora for a double Boston crab. Second rope splash to Tora’s back. Sharpshooter! Nakano broke it up with kicks to Kyona. Ripcord roundhouse kick to Kyona. Top rope knee strike to her head. Tora broke up the pin with a senton. F-Crash from Tora to Nakano. And one for Kyona. Tora covered Kyona but Nakano pulled her off and hit a German suplex. Kyona broke up the pin.
DECISION: Time limit draw in 15:00.
-Kyona left and Tora attacked Nakano, throwing her out of the ring.
(Pageot’s Perspective: My two favorite women in the promotion plus the always reliable Tora. This was really good. The time limit draw was expected but still disappointing. We don’t get to see these three in singles action often enough, but I suppose that’s what the 5Star Grand Prix is for later this summer.)
-Konami said she was challenging for the red belt on the evening show and this would be a preview. She wanted to beat QQ and carry the momentum into the next show. Watanabe said they come to Sapporo once a year. AZM’s back and they were going to eat good food.
(4) QUEEN’S QUEST (World Of Stardom Champion Bea Priestley, Goddess Of Stardom Champion Momo Watanabe, & AZM) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Bobbi Tyler & Artist Of Stardom Champions Hana Kimura & Konami)
Kimura and AZM started. TCS isolated AZM early on until she was able to tag to Watanabe. Kimura and Watanabe were evenly matched before tagging in the red belt champion and her #1 contender. QQ prevented the triangle lancer on Priestley. Top rope double-stomp from AZM to Konami. AZM tapped to the triangle lancer.
WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 10:08.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Wow, it wasn’t until AZM hit the double-stomp that I even remembered/realized that she and Konami were best friends and tag team partners before the draft and AZM’s injury. What a waste of a storyline there to just throw this interaction out like it was nothing. Like Kyona-Tora that’s something that should be hanging over every match that AZM and Konami are in. At the very least there should always be a little reticence on their part to fight each other. Unfortunately Konami getting drafted into TCS caused her to suddenly vehemently hate everyone in QQ for no real reason when they were never anything but good friends and allies to her.)
-Kagetsu unenthusiastically said “Let’s do our half-assed best.” Iwatani was chewing on a candy. She said she forgot part of her costume and told Kashima to handle the talking.
(5) OEDO TAI (High Speed Champion Hazuki, Kagetsu, & Andras Miyagi w/Natsuko Tora) vs. STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani, & Saki Kashima)
Iwatani and Kagetsu started. They mirrored each other and wound up in a stand-off one minute in before tagging out to Hazuki and Kashima. The teams fought to ringside. Tora got involved and threw Iwatani into the fan’s chairs. Miyagi tried to do the same but Iwatani reversed the Irish whip and sent Miyagi crashing instead. Oedo Tai worked over Kashima. Hoshiki made the hot tag at 5:30 and unloaded with kicks on Miyagi. Iwatani tagged in and the heels immediately took over again.
Kashima and Hoshiki both tagged back in at 10:00. Kashima hit her top rope double-stomp and pedigree but Hazuki kicked out. Hazuki avoided an unprettier and Kagetsu spit water in Kashima’s face. Michinoku driver from Hazuki but the rest of Stars broke up the pin. Kashima caught Hazuki with a pinning combination.
WINNERS: Stars in 13:09.
-Kashima said she was challenging for the high speed title on the next show later in the evening and she’d win there like she did here. She asked Iwatani to speak on her return from injury. Iwatani said it was a safe return and would like to wrestle in Sapporo multiple times per year if possible.
(Pageot’s Perspective: The challenger for the high speed title pinned the high speed champion. Fairly predictable.)
Stardom’s rep explained on the Stardom Reddit that Starlight Kid is in a very high level high school and she’s a strong student. She cannot miss days, which means she cannot guarantee being at shows much outside of the Tokyo area. This is what limits her push at the moment, once she finishes high school(and I believe this is her final year) then she will likely move up the card. AZM on the other hand specifically chose a high school that grants her a lot of freedom to focus on her wrestling career, so she is less restricted than Kid is despite being a year younger. And yeah, that elderly ref isn’t one of their normal ones. The Stardom rep explained that he owns the ring they were using for the Sapporo shows so he got to ref a couple matches at each show.