SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
STARDOM BIG SUMMER IN OSAKA
JULY 20, 2019
OSAKA, JAPAN AT OSAKA WORLD PAVILION
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Tyler said she’d kick the star out of Starlight Kid and leave her as just Light Kid. Then she’d turn the light off. Kid said this was their first singles match ever and she was nervous because she hadn’t wrestled a foreigner in a while.
(1) STARLIGHT KID vs. BOBBI TYLER
Match results. Kid connected with her twisting splash at 5:50 but Tyler kicked out. Tyler with the pump-kick for the win.
WINNER: Bobbi Tyler in 7:22.
-Tora said she had no worries being with Hayter. Hayter called Iida a toad. Hoshiki said it was her first time teaming with Iida and they had a lot of power.
(2) STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki & Saya Iida) vs. OEDO TAI (Natsuko Tora & Jamie Hayter)
Tora and Iida started. Hayter pinned Iida off of her release vertical suplex into a shoulderbreaker.
WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 10:41.
-The new tag champs were still celebrating with their belts. Konami said Kimura wasn’t with them because she only thinks about herself. Watanabe said they wanted to get momentum heading into the next two QQ title matches.
(3) QUEEN’S QUEST (World Of Stardom Champion Bea Priestley, Momo Watanabe, & Leo Onozaki) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Hana Kimura & Goddess Of Stardom Champions Jungle Kyona & Konami w/Bobbi Tyler)
Kyona and Onozaki started. Onozaki of course took the pin, this time following a missile dropkick from Kimura.
WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 10:38.
-Kimura smacked around Watanabe until their teams separated them.
-Lucas said she was in a rush. All we need to know is that she wants the SWA belt. Hayashishita said she collected a lot of belts in QQ but recently lost two (the Eve international title and the Stardom tag title). She had to stop this streak.
(4) FUTURE OF STARDOM CHAMPION UTAMI HAYASHISHITA vs. ZOE LUCAS – SWA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Lucas seemed to lose her mind a little more with each kick out. Hayashishita with a rear naked choke at 10:30. Bridging German suplex for the pin.
WINNER: Utami Hayashishita in 11:50 to retain the SWA title.
-You can guess what Death said. AZM said this was her third shot at the high speed title and she could pin either opponent to win so the odds were good. Hazuki said she could break the record for most high speed defenses here.
(5) HAZUKI vs. AZM vs. DEATH YAMA-SAN – HIGH SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP
A high speed opening with all three racing around the ring and bouncing off the ropes, up and over. AZM and Hazuki fought for a bit with the youngster coming out on top. She went up top but Death came in and put Hazuki in an Indian death lock instead. AZM with an octopus to Death at the same time. Hazuki forced the rope break. They all jackknifed each other at the same time but Hazuki kicked out. Double codebreaker to both challengers at the same time from Hazuki. Springboard dropkick to both. Code red from Death to Hazuki. AZM saved the pin. Tilt-a-whirl into an armbar on Hazuki from AZM. Pump-kick from Hazuki to AZM. Hazukistral to Death but AZM narrowly broke it up. Hazuki tried to springboard into the ring but Death ran AZM into her, knocking her to the floor, and rolled through on AZM for the pin.
WINNER: Death Yama-san in 5:26 to capture the high speed title.
-“Death! Death! I’m happy! This is awesome! Death!”
(Pageot’s Perspective: Why? The match was really fun, but… why? Okay, I understand half of the why. This frees up Hazuki to go after the white belt and move into the upper card scene. But why put the title on a one-note Gene Simmons impersonator? AZM’s a joke. The only people she can ever beat are Starlight Kid and the rookie squad. Unless she turns heel and joins Oedo Tai like Kagetsu wants I have no idea what you do with her now.)
-Kagetsu said there was a special flower presentation for her here in Osaka and they were taking the trios titles. Nakano said this was their second defense and they were pretty confident. The belts were back where they belong.
(6) STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Tam Nakano, & Saki Kashima) vs. OEDO TAI (Kagetsu, Andras Miyagi, & Natsu Sumire) – ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
Oedo Tai teased handshakes but instead kicked them in the guts. The teams fought into the crowd immediately. Stars triple-teamed Sumire at 13:00, capped off with Kashima hitting a top rope double-stomp, but Kagetsu broke up the pin. Kashima hit an unprettier but Miyagi broke up the pin. The heels triple-teamed Kashima. Sumire with her northern lights suplex but Kashima kicked out. Cradle DDT but the rest of Stars broke up the pin. Kashima with a backslide but the teammates again broke up the pin. Stereo suicide dives from Kagetsu and Miyagi. Oedo Coaster from Kagetsu to Kashima. Another cradle DDT from Sumire to Kashima for the surprise win.
WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 16:19 to capture the trios titles.
-Sumire said she was in her sixth year and this was the first belt she’s ever won. She made an analogy to grade school and said she might not be the best wrestler but she’s so happy. Her, Kagetsu, and Miyagi walk their own paths but they found each other. The choices they made were never the wrong choices. She thanked the fans and said they were in Kagetsu’s hometown so she would close the show.
Kagetsu said Miyagi just won her first title in Stardom as well. Oedo Tai are back at the forefront of Stardom. She wants their future defenses to be the best six-women tags we’ve ever seen.
Hazuki grabbed the mic out of her hand. She said she knows Kagetsu better than anyone. She suggested an all-Oedo Tai trios title match. Kagetsu said she already had the same idea and polled the crowd.
(Pageot’s Perspective: On a show with Death winning the high speed title over AZM and Stars losing the trios titles they just won less than a month ago, Natsu Sumire turning babyface is easily the most shocking development from this show. And don’t tell me that wasn’t a turn because that was the most babyface promo I’ve heard since Kyona’s white belt defeat back in March. I know Kagetsu’s into Oedo Tai fighting each other (she voluntarily defended the red belt against Hazuki earlier this year) but it has to catch up to her sometime, right? Is this the beginning of an Oedo Tai Hollywood vs. Oedo Tai Wolfpac split?)
I can tell you why Death won. She’s really popular(I don’t get why) and Rossy himself for reasons that baffle me just thinks the Death gimmick is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Seriously, he loves the gimmick he’s posted more about it on his Twitter page than he has about half the roster combined. And since TCS moves tons of merch, and AZM apparently doesn’t, he thinks AZM isn’t worthy of pushing.