SHOW REPORT: Stardom in YAMATO ARENA 2024 (Saturday, 13th July 2024)

July 13, 2024 Rob Goodwin News, Show Reports, Stardom 0
Photo Courtesy: World Wonder Ring Stardom

Notes

  • Thekla will be absent from the cards on the 12th, 13th and 14th July due to her ongoing suspension for attacking officials and media personnel at Korakuen Hall after her match with Sayaka Kurura on the 7th July.
  • Ami Sohrei will be absent from this weekend’s cards due to an injury picked up during training – relevant card changes are listed below.
  • HANAKO will be absent from this weekend’s cards due to an unspecified injury.

Card Changes

  • Due to Ami Sohrei’s absence, the following matches have been changed; Syuri & Ami Sohrei vs. Saya Kamitani & Ranna Yagami, Hanan & Rian vs. Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurura and Maika, Xena & Waka Tsukiyama vs. Konami, Lady C & Saki Kashima.
  • Saki Kashima will replace Ami Sohrei in the opening tag team match, meaning that the matches will now be; Syuri & Saki Kashima vs. Saya Kamitani & Ranna Yagami, Hanan vs. Aya Sakura, Waka Tsukiyama vs. Rian vs. Sayaka Kurura and Maika & Xena vs. Konami & Lady C.

Quick Results

  • Tag Team Match: God’s Eye (Syuri & Saki Kashima) def. Saya Kamitani & Ranna Yagami w/ Suzaku (9:32)
  • Singles Match: Hanan def. Aya Sakura w/ Blockbuster Hold (7:41)
  • Three-Way Match: Waka Tsukiyama def. Rian & Sayaka Kurura w/ Moonlight Dream (5:39)
  • Singles Match: Mina Shirakawa def. Momo Kohgo w/ Figure-Four Leg Lock (9:12)
  • Tag Team Match: EXV (Maika & Xena) def. Konami & Lady C w/ Thunderstruck (10:12)
  • 8-Woman Tag Team Match: Starlight Kid, Miyu Amasaki, AZM & Mei Seira) def. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori) w/ Tensei (14:35)
  • 8-Woman Tag Team Match: STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Saya Iida & Koguma) def. Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Ruaka & Fukigen Death) w/ Lariat (16:08)

Match #1 – God’s Eye (Syuri & Saki Kashima) def. Saya Kamitani & Ranna Yagami w/ Suzaku (9:32)

Both Saya Kamitani and Ranna Yagami advanced through the block stage of 2024 Pro Wrestling: Wave’s Catch the Wave tournament and joined together today in a tag team match that would see Yagami facing off with her God’s Eye faction teammates.

Being a champion means that a target of sorts is on your back, which Kamitani almost found out to her detriment when Saki very nearly managed to catch her out when apparently merely looking for a handshake. After wising up to Kashima’s intentions, Saya tagged out to Ranna to allow the first all-God’s Eye interaction of the match. Saki, apparently not enjoying having to attack her own faction mate, kicked her in the corner but then immediately grabbed a bottle of water and poured it down her throat in a clumsy attempt at an apology. In fact, it took direction from Syuri, and a Dropkick from Yagami, for Saki to begin taking the match-up seriously.

Interestingly, Saya and Syuri haven’t faced each other in singles competition since November 2021, and the very brief exchanges we got between the pair only heightened expectations. However, this match was more about highlighting Yagami, and though she certainly didn’t back down from her faction leader, she ultimately didn’t have enough to withstand the Suzaku, tapping out in just over 9 and a half minutes to the Suzaku, despite a good showing.

Syuri was clearly impressed with the heart shown by Yagami, taking to the microphone and once again highlighting her to the Osaka crowd. Hidden amongst this, Saki Kashima made a play for Kamitani’s High-Speed Championship – grabbing it away from the champion before smiling and handing it back.

Match #2 – Hanan def. Aya Sakura w/ Blockbuster Hold (7:41)

After defeating Rian in short order yesterday inside EDION Arena Osaka #2, Hanan faced another rookie in singles action in Cosmic Angels’ Aya Sakura.

Despite early aggression from Sakura, Hanan quickly regained control of the match, first locking in a Chin Lock before transitioning towards the arm. Sakura got to the ropes, but had to withstand a significant amount of punishment, including being trapped in the Muta Lock and ragdolled around the ring in another Chin Lock.

The New Karate Girl did manage to get off a few of her kicks, landing several into Hanan’s chest, before avoiding the Crossbody and tempting Hanan into a strike so she could subsequently snatch her into a Triangle Choke. Sakura continued with a renewed level of aggression, but found herself on the end of a Hip Toss and Corkscrew European Uppercut. She was able to lock the Triangle Choke in for a second time and hit a Northern Lights Suplex, before a series of flash roll-up attempts almost got her the three count.

However, after cutting Sakura with off with a Fame-asser, one Blockbuster Hold was all that was needed for Hanan to register a second singles victory in as many days.

Match #3 – Waka Tsukiyama def. Rian & Sayaka Kurura w/ Moonlight Dream (5:39)

A lot of temporary alliances were formed and broken during the course of this short three-way match. Initially seeing rookies Sayaka Kurura and Rian teaming up to get rid of the more-experienced Tsukiyama, this soon fell by the wayside as they began trying to pin each other. Tsukiyama and Rian’s partnership was even more short-lived before the rookies reconvened to hit the EXV member with Splashes in the corner and Missile Dropkicks.

Tsukiyama patiently waited for her moment, Dropkicking Kurura out of her pinfall attempt after she had hit Rian with the Spear, before then hoisting Rian up into the Bridging Hammerlock Suplex she calls the Moonlight Dream for the victory.

Despite the victory, Waka didn’t seem all too impressed, gesturing first to someone at ringside before engaging in a brief scuffle with Kurura, who had taken exception to Waka mock-crying at both her and Rian as she attempted to leave the ring.

Match #4 – Mina Shirakawa def. Momo Kohgo w/ Figure-Four Leg Lock (9:12)

Desperate to get her name into consideration for the upcoming 5Star Grand Prix, Momo Kohgo had a chance at a real upset against Mina Shirakawa, herself somewhat surprisingly yet to be announced for the tournament.

Unfortunately, it would ultimately prove a lot harder than that for the Nectar Peach, as Mina was at her destructive best, repeatedly targeting Momo’s knee with an almost savage amount of glee. From wrapping it in the ropes, to the use of Inverted Dragon Screw Leg Whips, Shirakawa would refuse to let her opponent build a head of steam, cutting her down at the knee at every possible opportunity.

For Momo’s part she fought valiantly, but it seemed to more a matter of time than anything for The Venus, eventually trapping Momo in the Figure Four Leg-Lock, capitalising on the damage done to her right leg in order to make her tap. Post-match, Mina seemed to have some strong-yet-constructive words for the despondent Momo, words that she seemed to nod in agreement with before Shirakawa ruffled her hair roughly and departed the ring. 

Match #5 – EXV (Maika & Xena) def. Konami & Lady C w/ Thunderstruck (10:12)

In the vein of singles matches we have not seen for a while we have Konami and Maika, who haven’t faced each other since the 2021 5Star Grand Prix, but are in the same block for this year’s tournament. They gave us a brief taste of what we can expect with that match-up, but on top of that we also got to see an extended one-on-one sequence between Xena and Konami, with the former taking full advantage of the platform by being the undoubted MVP of the match. 

After the conflict that led to excellent Red Belt match between the pair at THE CONVERSION, the EXV pairing were back to their cohesive best in this match and it was this chemistry, alongside the hard-hitting chops, lariats and frightening pace of Xena, that saw her and Maika edge out their opponents. 

Lady C however, despite still not being an official member of God’s Eye, fought tooth and nail to stay in the match, attempting to match Maika blow-for-blow. Even this commendable resilience wasn’t enough though, especially after a Double Wheelbarrow Suplex wiped Konami out of proceedings. From there, it took little time for Xena to hoist Lady C into the Thunderstruck for a definitive victory. 

Post-match, we did see a stand off of sorts between Konami and Maika, the former gesturing to both the Red Belt and Artist Belt before Xena forcibly intervened. Undeterred, Konami simply retrieved her own Goddesses of Stardom belt and held it aloft, clearly saying that if Maika and Xena were willing to put there belts on the line, so was she. Hopefully for Konami and Syuri, this doesn’t mean that the former is overlooking the very real Oedo Tai challenge on the horizon in Korakuen Hall on the 23rd July. 

Match #6 – Starlight Kid, Miyu Amasaki, AZM & Mei Seira) def. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Yuna Mizumori) w/ Tensei (14:35)

After Miyu pledged her allegiance to Starlight Kid and Mei Seira’s new faction yesterday, AZM also proceeded to confirm her own in her backstage interview. All four walked to the ring together, with Kid clearly barely able to contain her excitement. 

It was Kid who opened up proceedings, across the ring from her Mutual Love tag team partner Natsupoi. Respectful handshakes were observed before the pair launched themselves into a delightfully-fast high-speed sequence, with both taking time out to perform the other’s signature taunts. 

As new and exciting as the still-as-of-yet-unnamed group undoubtedly is, their cohesion is still nowhere near the level of Cosmic Angels, especially the trio of Natsupoi, Tam and Saori Anou. This seamless chemistry led to the early isolation of Miyu Amasaki, with both Yuna Mizumori and Anou in particular enjoying their offence against the Supernova. A DDT from Amasaki allowed her to tag out to Mei Seira though, and her and AZM displayed some incredible tandem offence before the former was left in the ring with Anou, eating a Fisherman’s Suplex and a Dropkick before she subsequently tagged in Tam. 

Eventually, Kid and Tam would face off for the first time in the match, leading to some quick-reversals that illustrated just how well the pair had gotten to know each other in the past few months since Kid’s nomadicity following her eviction from Oedo Tai back in April. We even got the briefest of ‘cute-offs’ on the apron before the pair continued to throw each other around the ring. 

A frantic to-and-fro between Yuna and Miyu brought us into the closing stretch, both getting incredibly close pinfalls on the other until a huge Diving Crossbody from Starlight Kid to the outside wiped out the rest of the Cosmic Angels, leaving Mizumori alone in the ring. An Assisted-Release German Suplex from Mei Seira gave Miyu the opportunity to hit the Tensei onto the prone Mizumori for the victory, giving the team of Kid, AZM, Mei and Miyu their first success as an official faction. 

Post-match, the four winners took to the microphone to reiterate that the partnership between them was indeed official, before promising that the new faction would soon by replete with a new name, new logo and new music, which is an extremely exciting prospect to say the least.

Match #7 – STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Saya Iida & Koguma) def. Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Ruaka & Fukigen Death) w/ Lariat (16:08)

It is simultaneously terrifying and unsurprising how quickly this main event descended into utter-chaos. From a bizarre opening exchange between Koguma and Fukigen Death, the action immediately moved to the outside, where Death dragged Mayu Iwatani into the upper reaches of the bleachers, Ruaka located a crate of basketballs and began launching them at both Hazuki and Koguma in a warped game of dodgeball, all while Momo Watanabe and Natsuko Tora hucked anyone in their path into the front row of chairs.

Once the action did return to the ring, a modicum of calm prevailed as we saw hard-hitting exchanges between Hazuki and Momo and then Hazuki and Tora, before Fukuoka Double Crazy briefly showcased why so many people are touting them as the best tag team in wrestling. For all STARS’s impeccable teamwork however, Oedo Tai had an underhand tactic to match, dragging Mayu, Koguma and Hazuki from the ring as they attempted some tag team offence, allowing Ruaka to target Saya with a Fisherman’s Suplex. Shortly after Iida had built up a head of steam with a Corkscrew European Uppercut, a swift crack in the back courtesy of Momo Watanabe’s baseball bat saw her halted once again and subsequently hit with a Hanging Bomb from Ruaka.

Much as Oedo Tai have seen some success with their bending – and breaking in some cases – of the rules in recent shows, STARS would not be denied in Yamato, and after a Hazuki Suicide Dive and a Koguma top rope Crossbody to the outside wiped out three members of Oedo Tai, Ruaka found herself completely cut off from her team. A one-two punch of the ‘Threedom Dropkick’ and a Saya Iida Lariat was more than enough to keep her down, with STARS able to claim the victory and close out Stardom’s first foray into the Yamato Arena.

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 14th July – Stardom in Maibara 2024 Jul., Shiga Prefectural Cultural and Industrial Exchange Center Event Hall, Maibara (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
  • Friday 19th July – Stardom in Sendai 2024 Jul., Sendai PIT, Miyagi (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
  • Sunday 21st July – Stardom in Chiba 2024 Jul., TKP Garden City, Chiba (LIVE)
  • Tuesday 23rd July – Stardom Nighter in Korakuen 2024 Jul. 2, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
  • Saturday 27th July – Stardom Sapporo Wonder Rendezvous, Hokkaido Chateau Kingdom, Sapporo (PPV)
  • Sunday 28th July – Stardom Sapporo World Rendezvous, Hokkaido Chateau Kingdom, Sapporo (PPV)
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About Rob Goodwin 394 Articles
Hailing from Stoke-on-Trent, Rob fell back in love with the Wrestling Business in 2016 after a decade-long break. Rob is the host of the PodMania Wrestling Podcast, the StardomCast and reviews retro PPVs - with an odd fascination with 1995 WWF/WCW!
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