SHOW REPORT: Stardom in Korakuen 2024 Sep 2. (Saturday, 28th September 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.
• 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.
• 34th Goddesses of Stardom Champions Momo Watanabe (3) and Thekla (1) have been champions for for 67 days – in their first reign. This will be the first title defence of their reign.
• Toni Storm returns to a Stardom ring for the first time since 7th July 2019, and to Korakuen Hall for the first time since 16th May of the same year; a time-limit draw against Kagetsu.

Quick Results

• 6-Woman Tag Team Match: Cosmic Angels (Natsupoi, Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura) def. H.A.T.E (Konami, Rina & Azusa Inaba) w/ Fairial Gift (9:29)
• Singles Match: HANAKO def. Momo Kohgo w/ Shirasagi (5:44)
• Three-Way 12-Woman Tag Team Match: God’s Eye (Tomoka Inaba, Hina, Lady C & Ranna Yagami) def. NEO-GENESIS (Starlight Kid, Mei Seira, Miyu Amasaki & Suzu Suzuki) & EXV (Maika, Waka Tsukiyama, Xena & Rian) w/ Gedo Clutch (15:09)
• 6-Woman Tag Team Match: Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Saori Anou & Sayaka Kurura) def. H.A.T.E (Natsuko Tora, Saya Kamitani & Ruaka) w/ Jakknife Pin (10:42)
• Tag Team Match: STARS (Koguma & Saya Iida) def. STARS (Hazuki & Hanan) w/ Diving Body Press (18:14)
• Tag Team Match: Mina Shirakawa & Toni Storm def. Mayu Iwatani & AZM w/ Storm Zero (13:23)
• Goddesses of Stardom Championships Match: H.A.T.E (Momo Watanabe & Thekla) (c) def. God’s Eye (Syuri & Saki Kashima) w/ (16:11)

The Undercard

With this being the final showdown between Aya Sakura and Rina ahead of their Future of Stardom Championship match at New Blood 15, a lot of the focus to begin with is rightly on them. However, the exchanges between Natsupoi and Azusa Inaba are – for me at least – the highlight of this match, especially the transitions between submission manoeuvres. Interestingly, following Poi’s victorious Fairial Gift onto Inaba, we cut to Thekla – the next challenger to Poi’s White Belt and very active member of H.A.T.E – applauding the victory; how very curious! (**3/4)

A wise tactic sees Momo Kohgo – replete with excellent new theme music – attempt to focus on HANAKO’s arm to negate her overwhelming power advantage, even utilising the Tiger Feint Kick in a rather unique way to target the arm. Unfortunately for the Peach Star, it’s that power that proves pivotal for HANAKO, and having flattened Momo with the JP Coaster, she proceeds to deadlift her into the Shirasagi for the win. (**3/4)

Mei Seira is a treasure that needs to be protected at all costs. Not only because of her excellent opening sequence with Xena, but also because of that fact she is effortlessly funny in everything he does – this match struggling to get her leg to a height where she can partake in a pose with the rest of NEO-GENESIS. The very structure of this match means we get brief partnerships we would never get before the explode into match-ups we’d love to see, case and point is Starlight Kid and Maika. After the latter deadlifts Kid out of a pin and dumps her over the top rope to the outside in one smooth motion, the pair later team to take out Inaba before they embarking on a furious exchange. Unfortunately, this appears to be cut short when Maika doesn’t quite catch an SLK Diving Crossbody, leading to a worrying moment where the referee is evidently worried about the former-World of Stardom champion who seems to struggle to get to her corner, or to even get off the mat. Thankfully, she seems to be fine after regaining her bearings, and joins the match later on, appearing to be back to normal. It’s Hina that gets the pinfall for her team, despite the focus very much being on Kid and Maika for much of this match, surprising Miyu with the Gedo Clutch to secure the victory. For those worrying about Maika’s condition following the match, she did then take to social media to say that she went out and got drunk and as a result, felt fine. Never change Maika! (***1/2)

Looking at the two teams, you would be forgiven for thinking that there is one outlier in terms of taking a pinfall – however you, as I was, would be sorely mistaken! It’s also a mistake that Saya Kamitani makes, as the Phenex Queen seems far more interested in Saori Anou and Tam than she is with Sayaka Kurura. The Excited Spear will not lie down however, and from the moment she calls out Saya to start the match, she keeps attacking her with an annoying relentlessness. Imagine Saya’s surprise then when, after a series of reversed roll-ups, Kurura uses the help of stereo kicks from Saori and Tam to pin Kamitani with a Jakknife pin! Considering Saya has eaten very few pins since she turned heel, this is an enormous win for Kurura, and it’s one that the Korakuen crowd respond to massively, collectively gasping before erupting into a chance ‘Kurura!’ It is a thoroughly heart-warming moment. (***)

I imagine if wrestling did interventions, that is exactly what this match would be. Though Hazuki is certainly in a better place than she was immediately following Namba Grand Fight, she’s still not herself. STARS however are determined to build her back up, and draw out some that infamous ‘Hazuki Violence’ out of her. Even Hanan, her own tag team partner, joins in on showing that tough love, with the Korakuen crowd swelling in a huge groundswell of support for her. Slowly but surely, you can almost see the light reignite in her eyes. Then comes an absolutely fantastic closing stretch between Koguma and Hazuki, the two best friends. They throw absolutely everything at each other, with Saya Iida and Hanan playing the part of desperate partners repeatedly trying to break up pinfalls. Eventually, after Saya plants Hazuki off the top rope with an Avalanche Powerslam, Koguma launches herself into a Diving Body Press for the pin. The win is completely immaterial however, because the moment the bell sounds, Fukuoka Double Crazy embrace on the floor, joined by Saya and Hanan. After incredibly emotional speeches from both Saya and Koguma, Hazuki takes to the microphone and completely breaks down, before leading the crowd in a chant for her birthday. Hazuki is back people! (****)

Main Event Matches

Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa def. Mayu Iwatani & AZM – I love the fact that we get the monochrome filter for Toni’s entrance, her first for a Stardom match since 2019. My only concern heading into the impending IWGP Women’s Championship Match with Mayu, was whether Toni’s ‘Timeless’ gimmick would translate well to Japan. Well, it transpires that the Korakuen crowd are very receptive to it, cheering whenever Storm strikes a pose, or labels Mayu a bitch indignantly.

Mina and Toni work very well together and provide the live crowd with lots of moments to cheer when performing stereo offence such as the Hip Attacks, the Romero Special and the corner Hip Attacks that ultimately lead into the finish. Mayu and AZM also work well together, but there offence is very much based on pace. AZM takes a lot of the heat, especially from Storm, though her nearfall with Azumi Sushi is one of a number of close calls as the intensity ramps up towards the closing stretch.

To me at least, it appears that Toni is still more than capable of wrestling at this pace, proving it in the opening sequence with Mayu, and then when all four women opt to begin throwing themselves around with Release German Suplexes. We’ve seen it before when the difference in styles between American and Japanese styles means that a wrestler has to slow down somewhat, most notably the case IYO SKY, and it’s this in-ring Toni that we haven’t seen for a long time, and one that I’m excited to see in Nagoya. The Storm victory was inevitable, planting AZM with the Storm Zero after the aforementioned Stereo Hip Attacks, but this was all about reintroducing the audience to her and her new gimmick, and it has to be said that in that regard, the match is rip-roaring success. (***3/4)

Goddesses of Stardom Championships Match: H.A.T.E (Momo Watanabe & Thekla) (c) def. God’s Eye (Syuri & Saki Kashima) – Looking at the four competitors in this match, it’s almost a given that it will be good. However, there is something that stops it short of being great and I can’t quite put my finger on it. 

H.A.T.E dominate proceedings for the vast majority of the match as we knew they probably would, especially given God’s Eye’s appalling record heading into this match. Having completely isolated Saki Kashima, the champions absolutely obliterate her whilst periodically having to weather Syuri’s furious attempts to shift momentum. For her part, Saki’s performance as a babyface in peril is fantastic and it’s one that easily gets the Korakuen crowd onside, perhaps buoyed by the fact that the ordinarily cowardly Saki is intent on fighting her former stablemates. 

The champions retain, but it all feels rather safe, ironically considering the violence that usually follows H.A.T.E everywhere they go. The one exception to this is the thunderous exchange of kicks that Momo and Syuri share, reminiscent of their phenomenal 5Star final from back in 2021. Momo pins Saki with the Peach Sunrise, but what is a good match feels like they are holding something back – maybe a rematch down the line, or a big victory in the upcoming Goddesses of Stardom Tag League? (***1/2)

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 29th September – New Blood 15, Saitama Tokorozawa Sakura Town Japan Pavilion Hall, Saitama (LIVE)
• Wednesday 2nd October – Stardom Nighter in Korakuen Oct, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Saturday 5th October – Nagoya Golden Fight 2024, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Aichi (PPV)
• Friday 11th October – Stardom in Osaka 2024 Oct, EDION Arena Osaka #2, Osaka (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 12th October – Stardom in Komatsu, Ishikawa Suehiro Gymnasium, Komatsu City (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Monday 14th October – Stardom in Toyama 2024 Oct, Bolfert Toyama, Toyama (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 19th October – New Blood 16, BelleSalle Shinjuku Grand, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Sunday 20th October – Stardom in Fuji 2024 Oct, Fujisan Messe, Shizuoka (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 27th October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 ~Opening Round~ in Shinjuku, Shinjuku Sumitomo Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Sunday 28th October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 in Korakuen, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Thursday 31st October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 in Takamatsu, Takamatsu Symbol Tower, Kagawa (VIDEO ON DEMAND)