SHOW REPORT: Stardom Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 – Night 1 (Saturday, 26th October 2024)

Notes

• Ami Sohrei will be absent from all cards as she begins the process of recovering from ACL and meniscus tears in her knee. Ranna Yagami will replace her in the 5Star Grand Prix.
• Kaori Yoneyama – more commonly known as Fukigen Death in Stardom – has also suffered an ACL tear and will be out of action for a year.
• Xena has suffered a ligament injury in her knee, and will be out of action for an undisclosed period of time.
• Saki Kashima makes her return to in-ring competition after taking time to recover from a ‘nagging’ injury, her first in-ring appearance since losing the Goddesses of Stardom Championships match against Thekla and Momo Watanabe on the 28th September in Korakuen Hall.
• Attendance Notes: This is the fifth time Stardom have run Shinjuku Sumitomo Hall in their history, and their second time this year. The announced attendance of 499 people is their highest attendance ever at the venue, beating out the previous best of 418 (New Blood 5 in October 2022). It sees an increase of over 44% from the last time Stardom ran the venue (30th June 2024).

Current Block Standings (Before 26th October 2024)

Quick Results

• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddesses Match: SaoriPoi (Saori Anou & Natsupoi) (2) def. Star Fox (Mei Seira & Kohaku) (0) w/ Temps Tendre (9:22)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddesses Match: Reckless Fantasy (Waka Tsukiyama & Rian) (2) def. Team Classroom (Lady C & Hina) (0) w/ Auxi Suplex (11:09)
• 6-Woman Tag Team Match: EXV (Maika, Mina Shirakawa & HANAKO) def. Ranna Yagami, Suzu Suzuki & Saya Iida w/ Implant DDT (10:21)
• Tag Team Match: Starlight Kid & Haruka Umesaki vs. H.A.T.E (Momo Watanabe & Rina) Ended in a Double Countout (10:42)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddesses Match: Anecon (Syuri & Saki Kashima) (2) def. PsyQueen (Saya Kamitani & Konami) (0) w/ White Tiger (12:17)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddesses Match: Peach Rock (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) (2) def. 02 Line (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) (0) w/ Two-Step Dragon Suplex (13:40)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddesses Match: FWC (Hazuki & Koguma) (2) def. BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka) (0) w/ Hazukistral (14:52)

Undercard

Having only teamed once before the tournament, you might think that Kohaku and Mei would struggle for the same level of cohesion as the former-Goddesses of Stardom Champions. However, in spite of Kohaku also fighting a battle with the ropes throughout this match and nearly falling on two separate occasions, the pair are able to perform some excellent tandem offence. Unfortunately, its just not up to the calibre of SaoriPoi, who take the match by the scruff of the neck in the closing stretch and never let go, hitting a stereo Fairy Magic/Temps Tendre before Saori Anou finishes the match with a second Temps Tendre. A solid if unsuccessful start for Star Fox, but a strong start to the competition for the former-champs. (**3/4)

It’s interesting to think that, were it not for Xena’s desperately unfortunate injury, Rian may not have even been in this tournament. Maybe that’s something that fires her up in the opening of the match as she erupts into Lady C with a small explosion of fighting spirit. It doesn’t last though, and the MVP for this match in Lady C completely dominates the vast majority of this match, whether it be Rian or Waka in the ring with her. Hina makes an appearance towards the end and seems to have the match won, only for Waka to find enough energy to transition into the Ohara Suplex for a shock win. It’s the worst possible start for Team Classroom, especially for Hina in her own Tag League debut, but if we are looking for positives, this could be a breakout tournament for Lady C which would be a welcome reward for tireless effort on her part. (***1/4)

There’s a lot of firepower on Suzu Suzuki’s team, especially when you consider Saya’s chops and Ranna’s submission and strike game. However, EXV prove here that is secondary to excellent teamwork and chemistry – and it’s ultimately this that gains them the win here. An opening salvo between Saya and HANAKO starts things off well before a brief reintroduction of the feud between Maika and Suzu Suzuki that saw us through the tail-end of 2023. However, its the exchanges between Yagami and Mina Shirakawa that set this match alight, with Ranna’s transitions into submissions melding really well with Mina’s strike-based and aggressive style. It takes Maika and HANAKO coming into break up the Paradiddle, and with their impressive Vertical Suplex/Backbreaker tag team move, they are able to clear the ring and allow Mina to bring it home, planting Ranna with the Implant DDT for the win. (***1/2)

Momo Watanabe and Haruka Umesaki are quite familiar with each other recently courtesy of their excellent main event match in Diana. That aside, this is actually Umesaki’s first match in Stardom since December 2023, where she successfully teamed with Miyu Amasaki against HANAKO and Yuzuki at New Blood 12. Momo seems not to have forgotten her and Umesaki’s Diana rivalry, and her and Rina work hard to completley dominate and isolate Umesaki from Starlight Kid for a huge portion of the opening of this match. Once Starlight Kid manages to insert herself into the ring however, she is an absolute house of fire, accelerating round the ring with frightening pace and athleticism, gaining such an incredible reaction from the Shinjuku crowd that is seems utterly impossible that she was ever a heel! Despite Haruka returning to have another run at Momo, H.A.T.E force the action to the outside and administer a typically violent beatdown that results in both a bat shot for Haruka, and a double countout for both teams. The beatdown doesn’t stop of course, and Momo actually drags Haruka backstage to give her backstage comments whilst standing triumphantly over her opponent’s unmoving body in a show of ultimate badassery! (***1/4)

This is Saki Kashima’s first match in just under a month, where she and Syuri were unsuccessful in their bid to gain the Goddesses of Stardom Championships. God’s Eye’s problems with H.A.T.E, and with Konami in particular, are well-documented, and should make for a fairly explosive match-up here. It’s this well-documented hatred between Syuri and Konami that leads the former to make silly mistakes, fuelled by the betrayal of her former-friend. It’s an interesting dynamic shift as ordinarily, it would be Syuri making the save on Saki’s behalf. However here, Saki plays the part of the hot tag, and repeatedly has to make the save with Konami having gotten on top by successfully getting into Syuri’s head. Most notably, Saki breaks up the Triangle Lancer, which gives Syuri the impetus to go on and win the match, fighting free of the Triangle Choke to lock in her own White Tiger for the victory and Anecon’s first two points of the tag league. Of course, Syuri and Konami have to be separated at the bell, with Saki hanging onto Syuri and trying desperately trying to hold her back, while Saya notably hang back and does nothing; how curious… (***1/2)

Main Event Matches

Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddesses Match: Peach Rock (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) (2) def. 02 Line (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) (0) – It’s no secret that Momo Kohgo has been putting pressure on herself after admitting to both herself and STARS that she sees herself as the weak link. Having begged Mayu for a chance to tag with her during the tag league, it’s unsurprising that Momo has a determined yet nervous look on her face. She’s also donned a very Mayu-esque robe and tail to give the impression that Peach Rock are completely in-sync with one another. Miyu Amasaki squares of with Momo, and the pair have a great sequence together, the former having expanded her arsenal of DDTs to include an assisted one with the help of AZM. Momo remains doggedly determined though, and is buoyed by Mayu’s repeated encouragement, resulting in her taking flight to the outside with a huge Springboard Crossbody. Speaking of Mayu however, it’s the moments between her and AZM where the sparks really begin to fly, as the chemistry between them is truly off the charts. The breathless closing stretch between the pair is incredible, as is the finish itself. As Mayu sets for the Two-Step Dragon, AZM fights furiously to roll through into a pinning attempt. To stop this, Iwatani locks in the Modified Dragon Sleeper to grind the High-Speed Bomb Girl down and then successfully connect with the Two-Step Dragon Suplex for the victory. Momo is over the moon to get off to a winning start, and this is only compounded when Mayu points to her after securing the victory, almost saying that the victory is for her. The good vibes don’t last though, as Momo Watanabe chooses that moment to appear and challenge for the IWGP Women’s Championship ahead of Historic X-Over. Mayu accepts, but this simply gets her baseball bat shot. (****)

Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddesses Match: FWC (Hazuki & Koguma) (2) def. BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka) (0) – I don’t think there is a single person in Sumitomo Hall that is surprised that FWC don’t actually make it into the ring before being attacked by BMI2000. Indeed a protracted beatdown on the outside later, and it’s Tora and Ruaka that remain on top, obliterating Hazuki for an almost uncomfortably long amount of time. Even when Koguma manages to finally get into the ring to allow Hazuki some respite, it’s not for long as BMI2000 are too powerful and too willing to bend the rules in place to retain the advantage. FWC do manage to get a foothold of sorts in the match, but can’t offer any period of sustained offence throughout the vast majority of the match. You can feel the end is nigh when Ruaka hits Koguma with a Choke Bomb and Tora hits Hazuki with a Death Valley Bomb, especially after Ruaka was able to break up a Hazukistral attempt on Tora; this feeling like it could have been FWC’s best chance. However, Ruaka misses the Freezer Bomb and Tora the Swanton Bomb to allow FWC a window of opportunity. They accept this offer, with Hazuki immediately rolling Tora up into a second Hazukistral for the win, whilst Koguma keeps Ruaka in check with a Kuma Roll. FWC’s quest to become the first team to win the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League twice is off to the best possible start, whilst BMI2000 must be wondering how they have lost! (***3/4)

Block Standings

You can check out the Stardom roster win/loss records for 2024 right here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/103h_Y27csTgcS-CcBwswaj-D7hVazTC_Wn0SPn0BZBM/edit

You can check out a comprehensive run down of the Stardom Championship Histories here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-Dk6T0ukSXm6R8eOTQU96i4rsfoy34wnz0-rKP5mwmQ/edit

Upcoming Shows

• Sunday 27th October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 2, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Thursday 31st October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 3, Takamatsu Symbol Tower, Takamatsu (VOD)
• Saturday 2nd November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 4, Fukuoka Munakata Yurix, Fukuoka (TBA)
• Sunday 3rd November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 5, Ozu Arena, Oita (TBA)
• Monday 4th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 6, UMK Sports Studio, Miyazaki (TBA)
• Saturday 9th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 7, New Pier Hall, Tokyo (TBA)
• Sunday 10th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 8, TKP Garden City, Chiba (TBA)
• Monday 11th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 9, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (TBA)
• Saturday 16th November – New Blood West 2, Azalea Taisho Hall, Osaka (TBA)
• Sunday 17th November – NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over II, EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka (LIVE)
• Wednesday 20th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 10, Aomori Budokan, Tohaku (TBA)
• Thursday 21st November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 11, Akita Furusato Village Dome Theatre, Tohaku (TBA)
• Saturday 23rd November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 12, Aztec Museum Sendai Industrial Exhibition Hall, Miyagi (TBA)
• Sunday 24th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 13, Big Palette Fukushima, Koriyama City (TBA)
• Saturday 30th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 14, Ishibashi Sports Center, Tochigi (TBA)
• Sunday 1st December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 15, DUO CEREZO, Niigata (TBA)
• Saturday 7th December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 16, Act City Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu (TBA)
• Sunday 8th December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 17, Act City Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu (TBA)