I Watched the next Osaka show. It was short and now I have started to pick stuff up I will be cutting the reviews a bit to try and catch up!
Quick Osaka recap
Jamie Hayter had a strange team up with Bobbi and Sadie against the Sisters. They did pick up the win, but it wasn’t a happy team. Then Hana tried to get Jamie to rejoin her group from Oedo Tai. Which led to a mass brawl and a Hana and Mary vs Natsu and Kagetsu match. This also ended in a big brawl. Now I went on a research mission. I saw Natsu had a top 100 match in the V.O.W match of the year so I watched that and ended up going into a deep dive of Stardom 2018 Oedo Tai storylines, which involved Tam Nakano, a draft, a Hana Kimura turning on Oedo Tai. So, there is clearly some unfinished business between the 2
In Other matches QQ beat J.A.N where Ruaka took another pin. Jungle Kyona is aware they haven’t won yet this year.
There was a Stars and QQ 8 women match that saw Alex Garcia take a pinfall from Momo Watanabe
And a good singles match Main Event for the High Speed Championship that Hazuki retained over Starlight Kid with a sort of Phoenix Shooting Star Press? Maybe it was just a Phoenix splash. Good knock though.
Korakuen Hall
That brings us to the big Korakuen Hall show on the 14th January featuring 3 Title matches!
I’d just got on to the top row of videos for 2019 and they’ve put another one up. Have a day off Stardom!
We open up Korakuen with Saya Iida’s debut match vs Natsuko Tora. She challenged her after the first ever match I saw. Which seems a while ago. But is only about 11 days in real time.
Promo Highlights: Saya - I’m going to win on my debut. Please support me.
Natsuko - I’m the Female Warrior. This is the 3rd debutant I’ve faced. It makes me remember my own debut.
I like Natsuko mentioning the fact that she thinks of what she went through on her own debut and how she knows how Saya will feel.
Respectful bows to all sides from Saya
STREAMER WATCH. - Loads of streamers for Natsuko and bloody loads for Saya on debut. She’s drowning in them. This venue is bigger I think, so maybe there will be more streamers all day.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS - Handshake and a very loud applause to start. Louder crowd here as well. Natsuko working the back early. Scoop slam, splash, kicks to the back then a Boston Crab. Saya gets close to the ropes then Natsuko sits down into a deep half crab, eventually to loud applause Saya makes the ropes. More stomps to the back. Nice forearm fire from Saya, then 4 dropkicks take Natsuko down to a knee. Two more finally take her down. Then a scoop slam of her own for 2.
Eventually Natsuko catches her for a Samoan drop but Saya rolls out into a pin for 2. Natsuko misses a middle rope frog splash and Saya does the start of a leg pinning combination then bridges over the rolled up Natsuko for a cool nearfall.
Natsuko looks pissed. Strike, rolling senton and a top rope frog splash. It’s over.
Nice debut from Saya. Great fightback with the forearms and she sold the Boston crab escape very well. In the end Natsuko just had too much for her on debut.
POST MATCH PROMO - Congratulations from Natsuko, crowd applaud. She says ‘Let’s both work hard together’
Saya - selling the back during the promo. She will work hard to be a complete wrestler. Then she asks to be in J.A.N.
Natsuko - I can’t answer. JK may get mad/
JK gets in the ring and shakes hands with Saya and all of J.A.N come in and pose to the J.A.N song.
Lovely moment.
Next up is the Gauntlet Tag -
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS…. Alex and Starlight are ready. Starlight has a new costume.
Rina and Hina - We haven’t won a tag match and we’d like to start today.
No promo from the other teams…. who are I think Hanan and Ruaka and Mary and somebody…?
Rina and Hina out first to what must be their own theme not the one they normally have with Hanan.
STREAMERS and intros come in before the next entrants are out.
Alex and Starlight Kid are out to Kid’s tune. Starlight poses on the ropes for her STREAMERS.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS - Early apron punting and double team from Hina and Rina. Corner drop-kicks, double armbar. All the greats. Airtime corner dropkick from Kid. 6-1-9 from Alex into a standing Moonsault for a nearfall. Nikki Cross purge from Kid on Hina, Rina breaks It up. Alex takes out Rina and Kid hits the twisting Frog Splash off the top for the pin,
Mary and Natsumi out next. Mary cuts a picture in picture promo. Natsumi also gets showered in STREAMERS. Natsumi handshake then in comes Mary. Nice reversal sequence from Mary and Alex followed by a standoff and a double tag. Lovely roll through into a paradise lock by Natsumi, who then sits on Kid, then tags in Mary, who also sits on Kid. Then double missile dropkicks her out of the paradise lock. Excellent.
Midair counter into a DDT from Kid. Big Superkick and surfboard from Mary on Alex. A mistiming on a clothesline sees Mary pissed off and boot Alex on the floor. No mistiming that time. Mary takes Alex’s head off after Natsumi kicked Kid out the ring and it is over.
Hanan and Ruaka do their promo’s backstage. Despite being from different units they will do their best.
Not a great deal of STREAMERS for Ruaka, loads for Hanan. Will Ruaka get a win! Or even just avoid a pinfall.
They punt Mary of the apron and run shoulder blocks and dropkicks on Natsumi in the corner. Lovely dropkick from Hanan. That seems to have angered Natsumi. Hanan moves out the way of the spinning back kick. Not sure of the success rate of that move. Ruaka in and hits a crossbody for 2. I really want her to win….and she gets super kicked in the face.
Now Natsumi puts Ruaka in the Paradise Lock. Then jumps on her back for a nearfall. Hurricanrana from Natsumi, Mary superkicks Hanan of the apron and it’s over. Poor Ruaka gets pinned again.
Winners - Natsumi and Mary Apache.
Perfectly fine gauntlet match.
Oedo Tai vs Hana Kimura, Sadie Gibbs & Bobbi Tyler -
This feud has been building up nicely since I started watching with Jamie Hayter involved and my dive into 2018 has shown me that Hana turned on Oedo Tai, so it has been going on even longer than that. With Kagetsu in action later on I am going to guess we get Natsu, Jamie and Hazuki? I may be wrong.
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS - Mary is with Hana and the gang - Sadie says we’re here to kick arse which makes Hana laugh. Bobbi is nervous and excited, and Hana is looking forward to it.
Oedo Tai - Jamie talks and Natsu and Hazuki nod along. She calls their opponents “Hana and the Tokyo Cyber Squad” She says she hasn’t been with them long but they’re already good pals and obviously going to pick up the W. Natsu gives a thumbs up. Brilliant.
I’m now wondering how this show is presented to Japanese speakers. These promos with subtitles are usually led by the English speakers on the team, is there another service I can subscribe to that has lots more Natsu talking? Not that I don’t love Jamie. She’s a great promo. But just wondering.
Will they still come out to the music or is it Kagestu’s????
Yes, they will. Jamie has a mask as well now. Natsu has a message on her shirt, but it’s in Japanese so I can’t read it. I wonder if she’ll get find by Stardom’s equivalent of the F.A for pushing a personal agenda? Oh, hello Jamie has learnt the dance. Get in Jamie. That was excellent. I’m sure I haven’t seen that member of Oedo Tai who is doing Kagetsu’s normal role in the dance before?
Here we go. Hana Kimura’s freaky music. Bring me back the Oedo Tai banger.
STREAMER watch - None for Bobbi or Sadie. Great haul from Hana. None for Jamie then Natsu gets showered. Great haul for the great one. She walks to the wrong corner and Hana decks her. Classic Natsu. Hazuki also gets a good load of STREAMERS.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS - Natsu soaks up the crowd who cheer for Hana, so she rests on the rope and pretends to have a cigarette. Amazing. Jamie then rushes the ‘Tokyo Cyber Squad’ and we’re underway. Jamie is absolutely punting Bobbi in the back. Nao gets involved on the outside and now we have a lot of crowd barking. Hana takes Hazuki way up into the crowd to beat her up. Bobbi and Jamie are left in the ring. Hana is back. No sign of anyone else though. Hana and Bobbi go for a double team surfboard on Jamie that they don’t quite pull up and Hana gets up and Boos with a thumbs down. Love that.
Hazuki thrown into the corner by Hana and Sadie jumps on to turnbuckle spins and hits a nice double dropkick. Then a big air springboard dropkick on to Hana. Excellent stuff. Submission from Hazuki on Hana with mandatory apron punting from the other Oedo Tai members. Then a nice codebreaker on Bobbi. Hana follows Hazuki to the ropes and blasts her in the face. That looked painful. Nice shot. Big vertical on Hazuki for a nearfall. Sadie lifts Hazuki up for a scoop slam but its reversed into a DDT. Nice. Natsu is in!
Jamie and Hazuki deck Sadie in the corner and Natsu hits the bronco buster. Everyone takes out everyone until it is just Natsu and Sadie left, Natsu goes for the ribbon shot. Sadie ducks, clotheslines and the audience get excited as everyone else it outside. They know what’s coming! Handspring corkscrew plancha I’m going to call it. Takes Oedo Tai out and it looks bloody impressive, whatever it’s called. Sadie to the top, Twisted Bliss on Natsu, but she held her shoulder up when she pinned her. Roberts doesn’t notice and awards the win to the Tokyo Cyber Squad. “Do your job Roberts!”
Natsu getting up looks like Bruce Grobbelaar trying to save a penalty. Selling like a champ as always.
Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Arisa Hoshiki vs AZM, Konami & Bea Priestly
First Mayu outing for me to see. I’m expecting big things when it comes to Streamers
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS
QQ - It’s Stardoms 8th Anniversary, Mayu’s 8th Anniversary and her return but QQ will be victorious
Team Mayu - 8th Anniversary so they’ve got the old gang back together. It’s the first time they’ve teamed as a 3 though. Hoshiki is bantering about times they’ve faced off. Legend. Also, even better I can hear the Oedo Tai theme in the background. Unless it’s just in my ears from playing it so much. Mayu wants to beat up everybody. They are hyped.
I wonder who was the first person to think ‘I know I’ll where half trousers, half trunks’ Where has that come from?
Mayu’s ring walk gear is impressive.
Hoshiki has a hat on. She gets better and better.
STREAMER watch - 3 streamers for Bea, AZM gets swamped, she trips getting out of them. Konami also covered. No trippage though. Kashima has been covered. Excellent streamer game. Hoshiki with a double roundhouse there is that many streamers. They hadn’t even finished clearing Kashima’s yet. Mayu with the spin so she has made the streamers into an outfit. Fantastic. She also takes them with her to the corner by doing this, saving a job for the streamer collectors. I think streamer collector is the job I’d like in wrestling. Probably my favorite streamer segment except possibly when one hit Natsu in the face.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS -
QQ refuse handshakes and Mayu volunteers to start first. Big chants from the crowd. Nice pacy reversal sequence ended when Konami kicks Mayu from the apron. QQ take a 3 on 1 advantage on Mayu. QQ now working the knee, there is extra padding there, I assume that’s the injury she has come back from. Eventually Hoshiki and Kashima get rid of Bea and AZM and STARS get some 3 on 1 work on Konami. Ended by a vicious chest kick from Konami on Kashima, followed up by a sliding chest kick to a seated Kashima. I really liked that.
Hoshiki comes in and just starts kicking the crap out of Konami in the corner. We then get a melee which is ended with dual corner kicks from Mayu and Hoshiki. Konami also has a nice array of kicks. I’d like to watch these two have a singles match. Bea comes in and Hoshiki just ducks under a huge PK. Then Bea follows Hoshiki to the ropes and hits my second favorite knee in wrestling (Don’t worry Rids, you’re still number 1). This one is bloody great though. I’m worried for Hoshiki after that. Bea follows up with a cool submission that I obviously don’t know the name off. She has her legs wrapped round Hoshiki’s neck in a triangle type hold and is pulling both her arms straight behind her back.
The others are obviously punted off the apron. Hoshiki’s long legs make it to the ropes. Cantona kick to a seated Bea for 2. Then the rope walk PK for another nearfall. Mayu and Bea have an exchange, during which I notice Mayu has a hood on her wrestling top. Anyway, that ends with Bea hitting what I can only describe as an Electric Chair Drop Suplex with a bridge. I liked that. Don’t remember seeing that before.
AZM clocks Mayu before running into a Superkick. Konami again attacks Mayu as she runs the ropes and then Bea proper punts her with a PK. Bea is at Progress in 2 weeks, I am looking forward to seeing her Live. AZM follows it with a double stomp from the top and Mayu nails the late kick out. Triple dropkick for another nearfall.
Kashima in with a springboard double bulldog then a big crossbody to the outside cleans out QQ. Hoshiki stomps them on the floor for good measure. Just Mayu and AZM left in the ring and Mayu catches AZM and throws her out of a power bomb. Strong. Then she locks in another awesome looking submission. I’ll have to cap this. It’s I want to say a chicken wing, but she has AZM’s legs off the ground wrapped around her thighs. Whatever it’s called it looks great.
Eventually she has to drop her and climbs the top hits a Moonsault. Knees right in the lower midsection and that is it. Mayu’s team win. Hoshiki and Kashima in to celebrate. Mayu selling the knee. Hoshiki is the happiest person ever. Some excellent stuff in that match. Hoshiki is even entertaining leaving the ring.
Utami Hayashishita vs Viper
We have 3 Titles matches to finish off. Beginning with the battle of Queens Quest for the SWA Title and the Eve International Title. Both currently belonging to Viper but Utami is looking to add to her growing collection of straps.
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS - Utami says it’s her biggest challenge and she’s bringing all she has
Viper - She’s going to take her time to enjoy being in Korakuen today. Foreshadowing what could be her last appearance here?
Old No expression is in the ring for the pre-match belt photo. He loves it, or does he? No-one would be able to tell.
STREAMER watch - Good knock for Utami. Still none for Viper.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS - Early part of match is all about Viper’s strength. Every time Utami got a chance she would try and lift Viper which didn’t work, and Viper would be in control again. Utami getting closer to lifting Viper but then she wouldn’t quite manage it and Viper would be back in charge. Patronizing head tap from Viper as she went for a Cannon Ball to Utami who was seated on a chair on the outside. Utami moved and had the upper hand for the first time. Utami has learnt and now tries to keep Viper grounded.
Viper misses another Cannon Ball but catches Utami off the ropes into a big scoop slam. Utami back to the well again going for a suplex, but she still can’t get Viper up. This time Viper hits the Cannon Ball for a 2 count. Viper up top and Utami stops her and lifts her out into the Torture Rack but she can’t hold her and rolls through into a sort of DVD type move and gets 2. Another suplex attempt blocked and a big Viper Headbutt and huge back suplex, followed by another Cannon Ball and the Vader Bomb. Surely that’s it…. but no Utami foot on the ropes and Roberts actually noticed something this time.
Viper talking trash as she gets frustrated. Misses a splash from the top rope. Utami locks on the sleeper and takes Viper down to the ground keeping it locked in. Utami lifts Viper turns around and hits the Bridging German and it’s over.
Utami wins the SWA title and the Eve International Title.
This was the one match I knew the outcome of going in as I’d seen it on the Eve Twitter, so I was expecting a finish like that based on the story they were telling throughout. The Eve belt is so big. Haha. Utami now has 4 belts and a trophy.
Viper up looks like she is going to throttle her but gives her a big hug, raiser her hand and leaves. Utami’s music is decent. She’s going to need a hand carrying around her hardware now though.
Hopefully this means she’ll be over to Eve at some point.
Momo Watanabe vs Tam Nakano - Wonder of Stardom Championship
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS - Tam has come from despair in the Loser Leaves Unit match a year ago. Today she must prove she can do it without Mayu. It’s just Tam tonight.
Momo - She is going to prove STARS are nothing without Mayu.
Tam looks pensive as she pauses in the entrance way. She looks like she is questioning if she is ready for this.
Momo is the opposite. Acting like she belongs. Big Flag, Confident smile. Belt, the lot!
No expression actually moved his mouth this time.
STREAMER watch - Tam still looking nervous gets a good streamer haul. Momo has a few more though if you ask me.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Lovely kick blocks and misses to start, then they exchange forearm smashes and a punt in the back from Momo is followed by multiple back punts from Tam, who is finding her way quickly.
Violent corner dropkicks from Momo. They are excellent. Momo just battering Tam now and her early confidence looks gone. Momo then volleys Tam in the arm a couple of times when she is in the ropes. Roberts angrily tells her to stop.
Tam eventually comes back with a blockbuster off the top and now it’s her turn to lay in the kicks. Tam gets a kneebar in for a long time before Momo eventually gets to the ropes. Tam jumping knee to Momo’s knee wrapped in the ropes. Momo goes to boot Tam who blocks her by hitting her injured knee. Tam runs the ropes and gets caught by a dropkick. Momo then goes back to punting her in the arm. Sort of running double knees (like Almas) but not in the corner into a pin for a near 2.
They do the both on one knee kick each other in the face spot I remember from one of their tag matches. Love that spot. Tam wails away hots the ropes and Momo leaps and hits double knees to a standing Tam. That was brilliant. Then into the armbar, which has been set up by all the arm punts. Tam rolls outside so Momo goes on the apron and punts her. Brilliant.
Momo looks for the dragon suplex on the outside, which is Mayu’s move, the crowd get worked up, but Tam fights out and hits a German of her own on the outside. STARS bang the apron as Tam goes up top and hits a flying knee to the head for a near fall. Good knee. She hits the ropes and Momo ducks the flying knee and comes back with her own double knees. Hitting the ropes has not been successful for Tam in this match. Hopefully she’ll notice this when reviewing the film.
Tam bridges out of the pin, hits the ropes again and this time it works, and she hits the flying knee for a near fall. Tam keeps trying I think for a Tiger suplex but Momo is thwarting her. Momo then hits the dragon and picks her up into a chicken wing. Hits a chicken wing suplex, keep hold and goes for another kind of suplex but Tam rolls through for a long 2. Tam then hits the Tiger suplex with bridge and it’s another late kickout from Momo. This is very good.
Momo looks out face down, Tam picks her up. 5 roundhouse kicks knock her down, but Tam picks her up again. Lifts her to the top. Looking for a top rope Tiger. Momo fights her off and hits a huge Meteora for near fall. Chicken wing into chicken wing suplex with bridge. 2 count, she holds on. Hammerlock suplex (?) with bridge and it’s over. Momo Watanabe retains the Wonder of Stardom Championship in a certified banger. More Streamers and a trophy for Momo. Tam is dejected in the ring.
Post-Match Promo Highlights - Momo - I could tell how much you wanted to win. You’re not at my level yet, please do your best to catch me up.
Tam takes the mic - I may have lost, but admit STARS is not just Mayu Iwatani. I won’t give up, I won’t stop coming for that belt. Be waiting,
Suddenly Sadie and Jamie Hayter are out.
Momo - What do you two want?
Sadie tries to challenge Momo, but Jamie takes the mic and she is going to bring the title home to Oedo Tai. She finishes by asking Momo if she understands?
Momo ‘No Understand’ But I think you want a shot at my white belt. I accept, but one at a time. I’ll be waiting. Jamie and Momo exchange disrespectful gestures whilst Sadie and Momo shake hands.
Jamie vs Momo. Yes please. I’m sure Sadie vs Momo will also be good.
Kagetsu vs Jungle Kyona - World of Stardom Championship
PROMO HIGHLIGHTS - It’s a big moment for JK, she’s taking the belt.
Kagetsu promises a clean wrestling match. Please enjoy.
Still not quite sure how Jungle Kyona has this shot, pretty sure her squadron have lost every match since I’ve been watching. Kagetsu is in full get up here. Her music is not as good as the Oedo Tai theme.
Here is the big man. Hang on. Hang on a minute. Was that a smile as he lifted the belt?????
STREAMER watch - Jungle did OK. Not as good as many before her though. Kagetsu gets streamers. I was hoping she’d cut them with her dagger. She didn’t.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS - Kagetsu offers hand shake. JK reluctantly accepts and its clean. Are we getting the clean match from Kagetsu?
Mild mannered start with Kagetsu giving a clean break suddenly turns into big wailing forearms. That escalated quickly. Springboard crossbody to the outside from JK, she then throws Kagetsu back in and hits the same move coming back in, JK targeting the neck with wrenches, punches, kicks and elbows. Sliding forearm snaps the neck again. Kagetsu punches JK in the stomach twice really hard, then removes her protective arm sleeve and starts punting the arm.
Kagetsu now leading JK through the crowd by the injured arm. Slamming it into a wall. So much for the clean fight. She then does the Suzuki/Gable arm bar rope spot but over a gangway entrance balcony type thing. Bloody hell Kagetsu.
She then wraps the arm around a railing. Really working this arm. After being out of the ring for about 4 minutes Roberts starts counting. Kagetsu comes off the top straight onto the arm. Then into the armbar. JK powers u and goes for a one-armed choke slam……with the bad arm. …. but Kagetsu takes her down and back into the armbar. JK just makes it to the ropes. JK fights back using the injured arm to sweep Kagetsu then hitting a running missile dropkick. She picks her up and does a giant swing but holding her by the neck for a 2 count. She is using the bad arm a lot but is suggesting it hurts. She puts a leg head scissors on Kagetsu, working the neck she attacked earlier, Kagetsu makes the ropes. Then a neck breaker and frog splash but Kagetsu gets the knees up.
Double slap, gut kick, head kick, fireman carry into a Michinoku driver sequence from Kagetsu. Only a 2! Then a chokeslam and a PK to the head. Only 2 again!!! Another Fireman carry into Michinoku driver and Kagetsu goes up top but JK is up!!!!!! Throws her off the top with a move I don’t know. Kagetsu is straight up and gets hit by a huge Clothesline. But JK used her bad arm and can’t make the pin!
Both run at each other and JK hits 3 huge clotheslines all with the bad arm. Goes for another but Kagetsu kicks the arm. JK throws away her second arm padding and turns Kagetsu inside out with a clothesline. Scoop Slam, Frog Splash and a late kick out. Kagetsu as she kicks out locks in a sort of Kimura lock, I think. It’s some arm-based submission anyway. After an age JK makes the ropes.
JK then catches Kagetsu and basically hits half a Styles clash. Just dropping her on her head without hooking the legs. Deliberately not by accident. Bloody hell.
Then at 2 she lifts her up and power bombs her and gets a long 2. She gets for a spinning powerbomb but drops Kagetsu and appears to be claiming an eye rake. Kagetsu is hiding behind the ref and as JK comes in she pulls him down and mists JK. Where did that mist come from, she must have had it in her mouth for ages, Another Fireman Michinoku Driver. Then a beautiful 450 then a Death Valley Driver, I think. And Now it’s over.
That was very good. Picked up pace and had a lot of good nearfalls towards the end. Not enough kicks for it to beat Tam and Momo for me, but very enjoyable none the less.
POST MATCH PROMO HIGHLIGHTS - Kagetsu calls JK an idiot for believing she’d wrestle a clean match. Kagetsu then calls Hazuki in to the ring and offers her a title match in Osaka. Hazuki says she’s surprised Kagetsu chose her, but she will accept and use everything Kagetsu has taught her to beat her for the title.
Everyone is in the ring and Kagetsu lets Mayu close the show. They have some posing bants to close the show.
I really enjoyed this show. I’ve had a few smaller tag-based shows to get to know who’s who and try and figure out what is going on and I’ve started to piece stuff together. I have my favorites. If I had my complaints, I don’t really hate anyone. Probably my fault as I think Oedo Tai are heels and they’re brilliant. Anyway, this show had some great matches to finish off and had the likes of Natsu, Jamie Hayter and Hoshiki on the undercard. Plus, my first (since one match 2 or 3 years ago) look at Mayu Iwatani in the ring. This roster is strong.
Stars of the Show
1. Momo Watanabe
2. Tam Nakano
3. Kagetsu/Jungle Kyona
JCH Stardom power rankings.
1. Arisa Hoshiki. - Settled in at number one with the enthusiasms and kicks - Currently number 1 contender for my new Kris Wolf
2. Natsu Sumire. - Smaller outing for the Great one today, but Grobbelaar impression keeps her high.
3. Jamie Hayter - Just enjoy everything she does, funny and proper hard.
4. Ruaka. - This girl gets pinned every week. I just want her to win one!
5. Momo Watanabe - Everything she does looks like it hurts. Carries herself like a champ.
Humberto Carrillo award for most improved stock.
Jungle Kyona - 1st singles match I've seen from JK and she stepped up. Top job.
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