SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
STARDOM GLORY STARS
JUNE 9, 2019
SAPPORO, JAPAN AT MARS GYM
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Onozaki said she finally had a singles match against Kyona. Kyona raised her but JAN was disbanded in the draft and Onozaki would like to win here. Kyona said she had pent-up aggression from wrestling to a time limit draw in the previous show.
(1) ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPION JUNGLE KYONA vs. LEO ONOZAKI
Kyona hit a top rope splash for the win.
WINNER: Jungle Kyona in 5:15.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Nice to see Kyona pick up a rare singles victory. Onozaki will have to wait another week for her first real chance at winning a match when she faces Hina in Korakuen Hall.)
-Iida said AZM’s back but she wants to win. AZM said she wrestled Kid to a 15-minute draw in Sapporo last year and she was ready to settle things here. She would just ignore Iida. Kid said she beat Iida earlier in the day and had a draw with AZM last year so she wanted to show the fans how much she’s grown.
(2) STARLIGHT KID vs. AZM vs. SAYA IIDA
AZM made Iida tap to an armbar.
WINNER: AZM in 5:28.
-Kimura said it had been a while since she and Tyler tagged but they’d always be friends. Hayashishita said she was so happy to return and team with Watanabe again.
(3) GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPIONS QUEEN’S QUEST (SWA World & Future Of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita & Momo Watanabe) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Artist Of Stardom Champion Hana Kimura & Bobbi Tyler) – NON-TITLE MATCH
Watanabe hit Peach Sunrise but Kimura kicked out. She wanted a second but the time expired.
DECISION: Time limit draw in 15:00.
-Kimura and Watanabe had to be pulled apart by their teams.
(Pageot’s Perspective: A bit of a surprising finish. Tyler means nothing in Stardom and could have easily taken the pin and this was the first time the tag champions have teamed together in two and a half months. I fully expected QQ to pick up the win here to remind us how strong of a team they are ahead of their title defense next week.)
-Oedo Tai ran through their catchphrases. Nakano said she was happy to be teaming with Iwatani while avoiding looking at Hoshiki.
(4) STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani, & Tam Nakano) vs. OEDO TAI (Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora, & Andras Miyagi)
Tora brought a steel chair into the ring. The referee fought to take it from her. With his back turned Kagetsu hit Iwatani with the Oedo Tai placard. Miyagi followed with a sit-out powerbomb and Tora hit F-Crash. Hoshiki and Nakano broke up the near-fall, though. Kagetsu took out Miyagi with a springboard dropkick by accident. Tora took a barrage of kicks from all three Stars members. Top rope moonsault from Iwatani to Tora for the finish.
WINNERS: Stars in 12:46
(Pageot’s Perspective: Tora’s lost a lot lately. I guess her push coming out of the draft has come to an end. Post-match seemed like a perfect time for a promo from Iwatani, addressing her two best friends competing for the white belt on the next show, maybe reminding them not to take things too far and that she cares about them both. I’m always, always in favor of more character development in my wrestling.)
-Kashima said she beat Hazuki earlier in the afternoon and now she’d take her title. Hazuki had been saying she’d beat Kashima in one minute but maybe she’d beat her in one minute. Hazuki admitted Kashima pinned her earlier but vowed to win here with the Hazukistral.
(5) HAZUKI vs. SAKI KASHIMA – HIGH SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP
Kashima got the first near-fall in thirty seconds. Hazuki managed one of her own too but we were quickly past the coveted sixty-second mark. Hazuki looked for a springboard but Kashima big booted her to the floor and hit a springboard crossbody of her own. Top rope double-stomp connected. Pedigree. Kick out from the champ. Hazukistral moments later for the pin.
WINNER: Hazuki in 2:46 to retain the high speed title.
-Hazuki asked for the time. She said 2:46 is her fastest yet. Anything more than two minutes spent on Kashima is a waste. With her next successful title match she can set the record for most high speed defenses. She nominated someone who returned today… AZM. (Of course.)
AZM said she wants to become the youngest champion. She offered a handshake but Hazuki shot her down.
(Pageot’s Perspective: She doesn’t realize it but the high speed title has become an albatross for Hazuki. She’s become so focused on her high speed defenses, winning matches in increasingly shorter fashion, that she’s no longer conditioned for long, drawn-out battles. So she keeps being very successful where this title is concerned but whenever she attempts to challenge for a different title in a different division she finds herself unable to keep up. If AZM takes the high speed title away from her it will be a cold wake-up.)
-Konami said her title match was finally here. She didn’t like that Queen’s Quest had the red belt. Her triangle lancer’s winning percentage is 100%. Priestley said she and Konami used to be good friends before Konami joined TCS. Priestley had her left elbow wrapped following a triangle lancer attack on the previous show.
(6) BEA PRIESTLEY vs. ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPION KONAMI – WORLD OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
Queen’s Landing hit just past the 13-minute mark but Konami kicked out. Konami countered a second attempt into a victory roll into an armbar but Priestley kept her hands locked. She tried to power Konami up but couldn’t lift her. Back suplex but Konami kicked out again. A second Queen’s Landing ended it.
WINNER: Bea Priestley in 15:55 to retain the red belt.
-Priestley said she’s beaten Kagetsu, Hazuki, and Konami now but she’s tired of wrestling people she doesn’t like. There are only two people in Stardom that she thinks deserve a title shot and that’s her stable mates and our tag team champions, Watanabe and Hayashishita.
Watanabe said that she’d challenge if Stars, Oedo Tai, and TCS aren’t good enough. She just suggested they wait until the time is right. Hayashishita looked on but didn’t say anything, apparently ceding the title opportunity to her superior.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Priestley is just boring. I get that Stardom’s bummed about Toni Storm signing with NXT UK, forcing them to find a new “top gaijin” but Priestley would not have been my first choice. I thought we’d have to wait for Watanabe to win the 5Star Grand Prix before getting her red belt match. The fact that she’ll be getting that match prior to the August tournament seems to discount her odds of being the GP winner.)
Hopefully AZM wins the High Speed title. It has held Hazuki back in a way, and if AZM can’t make the 5 Star GP, the High Speed belt will at least give her something to do.
I agree with you about Bea, and still don’t think putting the top title on her has been justified. She’s become a fairly decent in-ring performer, but she lacks charisma. The Japanese fans don’t really seem to love her or hate her, but are mostly indifferent, which is the worst possible thing.
That said, not sure if Momo should be winning the red belt this early either. But I’d probably take it at this point.