SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
STARDOM NEW SUMMER 2020
JULY 12, 2020
TOKYO, JAPAN AT SHIN-KIBA 1ST RING
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Again none of the matches were announced ahead of time so each faction cut generic group promos to start the night.
Donna Del Mondo were up first. Giulia said it didn’t matter who their opponents were because they’d beat them up anyway. Himeka bemoaned them losing yesterday via some fluke move. Giulia was in denial about losing. She stormed off in a pout.
Queen’s Quest said they’d win even if they didn’t know their opponents.
Tokyo Cyber Squad complained about the heat but said the hottest thing around was them.
Oedo Tai didn’t know where they were. They debated whether they’d prefer facing Stars or not. Sumire suggested a trios tag against Hina, Rina, and Saya Iida.
Stars checked in last. Kid said she’s been losing a lot lately and didn’t want to anymore. Nakano said she hasn’t been feeling well because of how badly she wants to beat up a certain someone. Iwatani said she was still looking for somebody to step up and challenge her for the red belt.
(1) RINA vs. HINA
Rina wanted the octopus but Hina rolled through into a pin instead.
WINNER: Hina in 4:43.
(Pageot’s Perspective: I genuinely hope we get to watch the twins wrestle each other for another 20 years. Every time they come out for a match against each other I laugh that it’s happening yet again but it’s such an easy way to mark their progress as they grow older. What are they, 15, now? That’s it? Incredible.)
(2) JUNGLE KYONA vs. SAYA IIDA
Handshake to start and clean breaks between the former JAN members. Kyona bent Iida in half with a Boston crab but she refused to quit and finally made it to the ropes. Kyona avoided the Iidabashi and put her former protégé away with a top rope splash.
WINNER: Jungle Kyona in 10:44.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Iida seems to really be getting over with the crowd due to her character work. The gorilla-powered series of chest slaps in particular had the whole crowd clapping along. She seems to be working really hard off-camera so it’s lovely to see it paying off. I don’t know if Ogawa would ever give her a singles title but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s a trios champ before the year is over.)
(3) WORLD OF STARDOM CHAMPION MAYU IWATANI vs. MOMO WATANABE vs. KONAMI – NON-TITLE MATCH
Double teaming of the champion to start but things quickly broke down. Some creative threeway sequences like a headlock chain and Konami suplexing Watanabe while keeping a cloverleaf on Iwatani. In the end they took turns dropping each other with German suplexes. With Iwatani down Konami looked for the triangle lancer on Watanabe but the bell rang.
DECISION: Time limit draw in 15:00.
-Konami left first, then the referee. Iwatani had the ring announcer slide her a mic while she and Watanabe were still recuperating on the mat. She said she wanted to beat these two, then challenge for the red belt. Wait, that’s not right. She meant she wanted to defend the red belt. She said they’re stronger than before but everybody wants to see the red belt defended. She regretted not winning the match but there was somebody else she had to fight first anyway. She waited for her to come out but nobody appeared so she summoned her by name.
Jungle Kyona ran out. Kyona said she had been waiting for this since February. (Kyona was announced as challenging Iwatani for the red belt before the show got cancelled due to the pandemic.) She suggested July 24 in her hometown of Nagoya as the new date. This would be their first singles match ever. She vowed that Iwatani would see the best Kyona anyone has seen in her five-year career. She thought she could reach Iwatani’s level. Kyona told the crowd it was okay if they had sympathy for her at first but don’t go thinking this is only happening because people feel sorry for her (losing Hana Kimura). She has faith in her own ability to become champion.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Looking at this unadvertised main event-caliber match on paper you had to suspect we were going to a draw. And that’s fine. It would have taken a really creative finish for me to walk away okay with Konami or Watanabe getting pinned here. Kyona getting the next title shot makes sense within kayfabe as her title match was cancelled five months ago and also obviously makes sense outside of booking with how popular she’s become in the past year and all the emotion on her shoulders after it came out that she may have been the one to find Kimura’s body. I love that she addressed that and made a point of saying that this isn’t a handout because people sorry for her so don’t you think that. People are already making Rey Mysterio comparisons with his first world title win coming only after the death of Eddie Guerrero.)
(4) QUEEN’S QUEST (AZM, Utami Hayashishita, & Saya Kamitani) vs. OEDO TAI (Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima, & Natsu Sumire)
Hayashishita and Tora started. In the end Sumire tried to introduce her whip into the match. As she and the referee fought over it Tora wrapped her steel chain around her arm and clotheslined Kamitani. An Ascension (swinging side slam) ended things.
WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 14:03.
(Pageot’s Perspective: With Oedo Tai challenging for the Artist titles soon and Team QQ having both AZM and Kamitani working the match this was another one where the outcome was never in doubt. Here’s a stat for you, though – the trio of Tora, Kashima, & Sumire are now 7-0 in 2020. That’s the best record of any act in the promotion.)
(5) DONNA DEL MONDO (Himeka & Artist Of Stardom Champions Giulia & Maika) vs. HIGH SPEED CHAMPION RIHO & STARS (Tam Nakano & Starlight Kid)
Nakano wanted Giulia but Himeka insisted in starting so Riho stepped in. (Hey, if she can handle Nyla Rose, she can handle Himeka.) White belt candidates Giulia and Nakano wound up being the focal point of the match anyway. And Kid of course took the pin following a Glorious Driver from Giulia.
WINNERS: Donna Del Mondo in 17:46.
-Nakano and Giulia exchanged dirty looks. Giulia called her irritating and asked why she won’t fall in line. She mocked Nakano’s ASMR videos on Instagram and reminded everyone that she won the Cinderella tournament. She suggested the two of them for the vacant white belt in Korakuen Hall.
Nakano said she was crazy, right? She laughed at Giulia being worried about her and got in her face. Giulia shoved her down. “You bitch!” Nakano screamed. She said she’d never forgive her for bruising the cutest face in the universe. She made a promise with her former tag partner Arisa Hoshiki. Because of that she’ll never give the white belt to Giulia.
Natsuko Tora stormed out. She bludgeoned Nakano into the corner. Wasn’t she supposed to be the next person challenging for the white belt before Hoshiki unexpectedly retired? She asked how they run things around here as she stared down Rossy Ogawa at ringside. She asked for Giulia’s thoughts. Giulia said she was fine with a three-way.
Konami walked out. She thought it would be better to include her and make it a tournament. The fans liked the idea.
The babyfaces left and Tora and Giulia slapped each other until the rest of DDM and the referee separated them. Giulia closed the show. She said she’d win the white belt, retain the trios titles, and stay undefeated for a long, long time. Himeka and Maika pointed out that she lost yesterday so she bopped them on the head and remained in denial.
(Pageot’s Perspective: No way DDM was losing two nights in a row. They’re still the most protected group in Stardom by far. I’m glad we’re getting the white belt back into play. It would be nice to have Hoshiki there at ringside for the show since we never got to say goodbye. As far as the tournament goes I’ll predict Nakano over Tora, Giulia over Konami, and Giulia over Nakano. Unless Hoshiki’s there to present the belt to the winner, in which case Nakano wins and has a short reign.)
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