BITE-SIZE SHOW REPORT: Stardom New Blood 22 (Wednesday, 25th May 2025)

Pre-Show Notes

• 4th New Blood Tag Team Champions Rice or Bread (HANAKO (1) and Waka Tsukiyama (1)) have been champions for 160 days – in their first reign. This will be the third title defence of their reign.
• Though Diana’s Himiko has challenged for the belts previously, against Rice or Bread back on the 1st March, Yuma Makoto has never challenged for them. In fact, at just 17-years old, this will be Makoto’s first challenge for any title in any promotion.
• Ami Sohrei will be absent from all cards as she begins the process of recovering from ACL and meniscus tears in her knee.
• Xena has suffered a ligament injury in her knee, and will be out of action for an undisclosed period of time.
• Maika will be out of action for indeterminate amount of time due to an elbow injury she has been suffering from for three years.
• Matoi Hamabe will be missing missing from upcoming shows due to injury; no timetable is currently available for Matoi’s return to the ring.
• Anne Kanaya will be missing missing from upcoming shows due to an injury on her hand for which she has now undergone surgery; no timetable is currently available for Anne’s return to the ring.
• Momo Wantanabe is out of action indefinitely as she continues her recovery from a nagging ankle injury sustained at AEW Revolution on the 9th March.
• Suzu Suzuki was announced to be suffering from ‘poor-health’ and was pulled from Natsupoi and Saori Anou’s 10th Anniversary show, though no timescale was given for her return.
• This show will mark the Stardom debut of Irish Freelancer ‘Coffee Queen’ Debbie Keitel
• Attendance Note: The announced attendance inside TOKYOSQUARE in Itabashi was 153, announced to be a sell-out by Stardom in advance, though it is a 23.88% decrease on the last time they ran a show there (201 for New Blood 18 on 5th February). Despite the sell-out, New Blood 22 is now the lowest drawing show in the New Blood chronology, being a 13.41% decrease on the previous lowest attendance (178 for New Blood 19 in March of 2025). It is also a 42.54% decrease on the previous New Blood show (268 for New Blood 21 on the 9th May). 153 also marks the lowest attendance of the year for Stardom as a whole, and is the lowest the company has recorded since 2023.

Quick Results

• Tag Team Match: Cosmic Angels (Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurura) def. Ema Maishima & Kikyo Furusawa (9:11)
• Singles Match: Asuka Goda def. Yuria Hime w/ Reverse Body Splash (8:15)
• Singles Match: Debbie Keitel def. Akira Kurogane w/ Midnight Espresso (10:15)
• Three-Way Tag Team Match: God’s Eye (Hina & Ranna Yagami) def. H.A.T.E (Azusa Inaba & Fukigen Death) & Sakuran & Honoka w/ Gedo Clutch (14:22)
• Singles Match: Nanami Hatano def. Rian w/ Diving Body Press (11:39) (***1/2)
• NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championships Match: Rice or Bread (HANAKO & Waka Tsukiyama) (c) def. Himiko & Yuma Makoto w/ Smelt (12:22) (***1/2)

Show Notes

• Immediately following the semi-final match, Nanami offered some positive words of encouragement to Rian before she was replaced by Hina and then Akira Kurogane. After much back-and-forth, it was decided that Rian and Kurogane would have a number one contendership match at the 8th June Korakuen Hall show, with the winner taking on Hina for the Future of Stardom Championship.
• As a sign of respect, HANAKO and Waka both shook the hands of Himiko before the champions were then confronted in ring by Yuria Hime, who challenged the champions for the belts, but didn’t tell them who her tag team partner would be.

You can check out the Stardom roster win/loss records for 2025 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 8th June – Stardom in Korakuen Hall 2025 June, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Saturday 14th June – Stardom in Numazu 2025, Kiramesse Numazu, Shizuoka (TBA)
• Sunday 15th June – Stardom in Maibara 2025 June, Shiga Prefectural Cultural & Industrial Exchange Center, Shiga (TBA)
• Saturday 21st June – THE CONVERSION 2025, Yoyogi National Stadium 2nd Gymnasium, Tokyo (PPV)
• Friday 27th June – Stardom in Kochi 2025, Kochi Cerise Gymnasium, Kochi (TBA)
• Saturday 28th June – Stardom in Matsue 2025 ~Saki Kashima Triumphant Return~, Shimane Matsue City General Gymnasium, Shimane (TBA)
• Sunday 29th June – Stardom in Okayama 2025 June, Okayama Convention Center, Okayama (TBA)