2/2 STARDOM KYOTO MAX report: Watanabe vs. Hayter for the white belt, Hayashishita vs. Gracia for the Future Of Stardom title

STARDOM KYOTO MAX
FEBRUARY 2, 2019
KYOTO, JAPAN AT KBS HALL
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Rina said she had to be careful of Sumire’s tricks. Ruaka said she hadn’t won yet this year but she’d try her best. Sumire spoke with the back of her head to the camera. She said she’d fight hard and end it quickly.

-Sumire posed for the paparazzi cameras while the others were introduced in-ring. She took a mic and refused the match. She said this isn’t a daycare center. She asked the others how old they are. Rina is 12 and Ruaka’s 14. Rina asked how old she is but Sumire dodged the question. She said they can play in the sandbox with each other and went to the apron to pose for her admirers.

(1) NATSU SUMIRE vs. RUAKA vs. RINA

Ruaka and Rina battled for the first minute. The second Ruaka was down Sumire jumped in and tried to steal the pin. As the rest of Oedo Tai distracted the ref Sumire whipped Rina with her baton. Rina got hold of it and complained to him. Sumire rolled her up for two. The kids double-teamed Sumire. Ruaka hit a fisherwoman’s buster but Rina broke up the pin. Sumire set both girls up for her crotch assault in the corner but Jungle Kyona jumped up and told her she can’t. Sumire paused but did it anyway. She small packaged Rina for the win.

WINNER: Natsu Sumire in 5:01.

(Pageot’s Perspective: I knew the twins were young but I had no idea they’re only twelve. Wow. This was really fun, especially since Sumire has some of the best character work in the promotion. The Kyoto venue is gorgeous as well with a wall of stained glass facing the hard camera. Stained glass afternoon shows over late night shows at dingy rec centers any day.)

-Both teams spoke about the beautiful stained glass. AZM and Konami said they’ll get some good photos and make it a quick one against the kids. Starlight Kid asked Hina if she was a member of Stars but Hina wasn’t sure.

(2) QUEEN’S QUEST (AZM & Konami) vs. STARS (Starlight Kid & Hina)

At 2:30 AZM kicked Kid in the back as she ran the ropes. She responded by shoving AZM and Konami into each other and hitting a split-leg dropkick on both. Kid hit her twisting splash on AZM but Konami broke up the pin. Hina got the hot tag and unloaded with a barrage of forearms to AZM. Hina got a very believable near-fall off a series of roll-up exchanges. Konami returned and AZM took out the 12 year-old with her top-rope double stomp.

WINNERS: Queen’s Quest in 6:41.

(Pageot’s Perspective: That was the best Hina’s looked this year and it really seemed like she might pick her up first win of 2019 there. AZM & Konami are becoming one of the most regular tag teams in the promotion but will that be coming to an end soon? My girlfriend’s convinced Konami is the traitor that Kagetsu has teased is interested in joining Oedo Tai.)

-Hana Kimura said they were facing that damn Oedo Tai. Bobbi Tyler was talking on the phone the entire time. Kagetsu said she and Hazuki were going to rock Kyoto while not addressing Kimura at all. Tyler got streamers for her entrance (rare for gaijin) while Kagetsu got zero.

(3) OEDO TAI (World Of Stardom Champion Kagetsu & High Speed Champion Hazuki) vs. HANA KIMURA & BOBBI TYLER

All four women immediately brawled to ringside and into the seats. Kimura and Tyler isolated Hazuki in the ring and worked her over. Tag to Kagetsu at 3:45. Kagetsu spit water in Tyler’s face at 8:00 and Hauzki locked in a crossface. Kagetsu hit her firefighter’s driver and Hazuki her top-rope frog splash but Kimura prevented the pin. Tyler looked for a bicycle kick on Hazuki but she sidestepped and rolled her up.

WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 9:53.

(Pageot’s Perspective: An okay match but it didn’t feel like there was much at stake, which is strange when you consider how much baggage there is between Kimura and Oedo Tai and the top champion in the promotion was in this one. I thought we might see seeds planted for Tyler challenging for the High Speed title but she’s somewhat slow in the ring so I don’t think she’s really qualified.)

-Alex Gracia said Hayashishita has proven herself one of the toughest competitors in Stardom. This is her first time in Japan and she came here to dominate, not just compete. She made a pinky promise that this won’t be the last time she and Hayashishita face each other. Utami Hayashishita said this is her second defense of the Future Of Stardom title. She doesn’t know much about Gracia but she appears to be a lightweight.

(4) SWA WORLD CHAMPION/GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPION UTAMI HAYASHISHITA vs. ALEX GRACIA – FUTURE OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP

Back and forth chain-wrestling to start. Hayashishita hit two body slams and a camel clutch. Gracia came back with a tarantula and a running boot in the corner. Shining wizard. Springboard crossbody. Hayashishita blocked a 619 attempt but Gracia connected a moment later. Hayashishita hit a delayed German suplex for the win.

WINNER: Utami Hayashishita in 6:54 to retain the Future Of Stardom title.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Hayashishita’s dominance continues but this wasn’t a burial of Gracia. She held her own for most of the match. The fact that she pinky-promised this wouldn’t be their only encounter makes me wonder if the Texan will challenge for Hayashishita’s SWA world title at some point.)

-JAN said that in honor of Setsubun we’d see demons throwing beans. Are they real demons? Yes, because Stars are demons. The Stars women said they’re the most beautiful, strong, refreshing, pure, and cute.

(Pageot’s Perspective: True.)

-JAN entered the arena wearing red oni masks.

(5) STARS (Arisa Hoshiki & Artist Of Stardom Champions Mayu Iwatani, Tam Nakano, & Saki Kashima) vs. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Natsuko Tora, Kaori Yoneyama, & Saya Iida)

JAN tried to do their pyramid pose early on but the rest of Stars toppled them over. Iida found herself isolated until Tora was able to tag in at 5:30. She and Nakano exchanged blows. Kyona worked over Kashima with some fast offense. Iwatani got the big tag at 9:00 exactly. Kyona countered a hurricanrana into a Boston crab. Spinning backbreaker. Sharpshooter. All the teammates jumped in and took each other out. Kyona was to her feet first. She and Iwatani exchanged strikes. Iwatani connected with a superkick that left both women down. Tags to Iida and Hoshiki. Hoshiki took hits from all four JAN members but Stars broke up the pin. The three elder JAN members went for synchronized top rope splashes but Stars moved. Iida tried for a bridging pin on Hoshiki but she kicked out. Running high knee from Hoshiki. Superkick from Iwatani. Snap kick from Hoshiki to the head of Iida and she was out.

WINNERS: Stars in 14:37.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Well, that one’s on Kyona for making the late-match hot tag to the rookie Iida. As soon as that happened we knew what the outcome was. A good finishing sequence that showed off the combination skills of Iwatani and Hoshiki, though, as they gear up to challenge Hayashishita & Watanabe for the tag titles soon.)

-Jamie Hayter admitted she was a bit nervous as Watanabe had defeated her before. She said she was bringing the belt to Oedo Tai. Momo Watanabe said this is her tenth defense and she hoped there would be no outside interference.

(6) GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPION MOMO WATANABE vs. JAMIE HAYTER – WONDER OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP

Hayter targeted Watanabe’s right knee with two dragonscrew leg whips and a series of clubbing blows. She wrapped the leg around the bottom rope and pulled on it. She continued to work over the leg including wrapping it around the ring post at 9:30. Watanabe started to mount a comeback at 11:00 with three running dropkicks. Both women connected with simultaneous kicks to the head that left them laying on the mat. Watanabe with a rear naked choke at 17:10. Hayter made it to the ropes, blocked a dragon suplex attempt, and hit a kick to the head. Superplex from Hayter with a roll-through into a sloppy brainbuster (or maybe it was supposed to be a gutbuster). Watanabe with the rear naked choke again into a dragon suplex. She followed with a pumphandle suplex for the win.

WINNER: Momo Watanabe in 20:44 to retain the white belt.

-Watanabe said her legs were attacked but she’s still champion. She addressed her tag title defense upcoming at Korakuen Hall and called out Iwatani & Hoshiki. Hoshiki came out alone. Watanabe asked where Iwatani was and said she’d be insulted if she didn’t come out. Iwatani showed up. Watanabe told Hoshiki that she didn’t care about her and told Iwatani she’d pin her again. Hayashishita vowed revenge on Iwatani for beating her in the finals of the 5 Star Grand Prix.

(Pageot’s Perspective: An okay main event that was missing something. Hayter being on offense for 80% of the match made it a little boring. The story was her targeting Watanabe’s knee but Watanabe rarely sold the knee when she would go on her short bursts of offensive. It was refreshing not to get shenanigans from Oedo Tai but I’m not sure what this means for Hayter going forward now.)

Find Harley on Twitter @talkinghonor and listen to he and Emily Fear talk all things Ring Of Honor every Wednesday on the PWTorch Dailycast “Talking Honor.”