SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
STARDOM 5STAR GRAND PRIX
SEPTEMBER 14, 2019
TOKYO, JAPAN AT SHIN-KIBA 1ST RING
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Kamitani said she knew Tora would use some unfair tricks but she’d take her down. Tora said she didn’t know about Kamitani but she heard she was going to beat her. Tora shrugged.
(1) NATSUKO TORA vs. SAYA KAMITANI
Top rope frog-splash for the win.
WINNER: Natsuko Tora in 6:33.
-Tora teased a handshake but instead slapped Kamitani for being so gullible.
(Pageot’s Perspective: This had serious “big sister beats up little sister for tattling while mom’s at work” energy.)
-Konami wondered if this match meant Avary was in TCS. Hoshiki and Iida were giggly. Hoshiki kept calling her Dada-san.
(2) STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki & Saya Iida) vs. GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPION KONAMI & AVARY
Iida and Konami started. Hoshiki got a cheap shot in while Konami ran the ropes. Not-TCS took over on Iida. Avary with cattle mutilation to Iida. Iidabashi but Konami broke it up. Hammerlock DDT to Iida gave Avary the win.
WINNERS: Avary & Konami in 7:46.
-AZM said Kashima’s won in eight seconds on two different occasions so she would win in four seconds instead. Kashima said a loss here would make winning the whole tournament very tough. She’d win in seven seconds.
(3) SAKI KASHIMA vs. AZM – RED STARS BLOCK
AZM looked for a dropkick on Kashima during her entrance but Kashima side-stepped. They traded roll-ups for 30 seconds before AZM hit her with a kick. Top rope double-stomp avoided. Pedigree from Kashima. My Emblem avoided by AZM. Tilt-a-whirl armbar avoided by Kashima. More roll-ups traded back and forth. AZM with a flash pin of her own.
WINNER: AZM in 3:35.
(Pageot’s Perspective: AZM only has one tournament match left against Avary but she’s now tied for the lead. Kashima still faces Sumire, Hazuki, and Nakano so she’s not technically out yet but she’d have to beat all three and have Watanabe and Hazuki lose their remaining matches too.)
-Sumire still had Producer P with her. A few months ago she picked up this trash that Nakano left in the ring. Even though she threw him away she won’t stop talking about him. It’s disgraceful to the tournament. She’s about to throw Nakano into the trash too. Nakano said the end of summer is sentimental. Today she would beat up Sumire and get P back. Summer is over.
(4) ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPION NATSU SUMIRE (w/Producer P) vs. TAM NAKANO – RED STARS BLOCK
Sumire offered a handshake with P sticking out of her cleavage. Nakano kicked her. She looked for a forearm but stopped short, realizing she’d be hitting the panda in the process. Sumire backed her into the ropes. Penalty kick to Sumire. Sumire sprayed cold-spray in Nakano’s face. She threatened to do the same to P and made Nakano kneel on the apron with her back to her. She hit her with a boot to the back of the head. Sumire set Nakano and P up in the corner and hit the crotch assault. Back suplex from Nakano. Nakano avoided a cradle DDT but took a clothesline. Facewash. Northern lights suplex. Dragon sleeper. Sumire wanted a cradle DDT onto P but Nakano avoided. She tossed P to Sumire, hit her with a roundhouse kick as she caught him, and followed with a running knee strike. Nakano pulled Sumire up to prevent the three-count. She and P hit an assisted bridging tiger suplex for the pin.
WINNER: Tam Nakano in 7:05.
(Pageot’s Perspective: Good match. Nakano and P are reunited after a long summer apart and she joins AZM, Hazuki, and Watanabe in a four-way tie to lead the red stars with bouts against Avary and Kashima remaining.)
-Onozaki deluded herself into thinking she wasn’t getting pinned in this one.
(5) QUEEN’S QUEST (World Of Stardom Champion Bea Priestley, Momo Watanabe, & Leo Onozaki) vs. OEDO TAI (Hazuki & Artist Of Stardom Champions Kagetsu & Andras Miyagi)
Hazuki with a brainbuster to Onozaki for the win.
WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 7:14.
-“What did I tell you?” Hayter asked. “Jamie, tonight you will die,” Kyona said in English before pointing her paintball gun at the camera and miming pulling the trigger.
(6) GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPION JUNGLE KYONA vs. JAMIE HAYTER – BLUE STARS BLOCK
Kyona’s right shoulder was bandaged. Lock-up. Hayter with a series of clubbing blows and kicks. Camel clutch. Wet willy. Kyona wrenched around the ring post while the referee scolded Hayter. Shoulder tackles from Kyona. Stinger splash. Backbreaker from Hayter and a second that slammed Kyona to the mat. Cover and a kick out from Kyona.
Kyona could be seen saying something to the referee. Hayter went for a Boston crab but Kyona screamed out in what sounded like real pain so Hayter switched to a half-crab instead. The referee lay on the mat to talk to Kyona. They spoke back and forth. She shook her head in response to some questions from him and clutched at her right shoulder. Hayter tried her best to cover for what was going on but the ref finally called for the bell.
WINNER: Jamie Hayter in 7:17 via referee stoppage.
-Konami jumped into the ring to check on her partner. You could tell that Hayter wanted to check too but had to keep up appearances. The referee ran to the back while Kyona lay on the mat. Kamitani brought in an ice pack. The referee returned with a sling for Kyona’s arm. Kyona managed a bow to the crowd before leaving.
(Pageot’s Perspective: That was hard to watch. It was announced on social media after the show that Kyona dislocated her shoulder and would have to be pulled from the tournament. It’s the first injury in her four-year career. The tape on her shoulder entering the match makes me think that it had been sore all day but the bump at the end there seemed to be too much. This close to the finish line of the Grand Prix must be killing her. Considering Kyona got victories over Priestley and Kagetsu in the tournament I fully expected her to win this one, moving into a five-way tie for first place in the red stars. Either way she was completely in contention still and could have definitely won the whole thing. The only solace is that her count-out victory over Priestley in the tournament means that she should be owed a match for the red belt in the future regardless.
Kyona had two remaining scheduled matches against Konami and Hoshiki so they will both be awarded 2 points as a forfeit. For Hoshiki, it doesn’t matter. She only has one match left against Kagetsu. A win there would only tie Hayter and Hayter beat her in their match opening the tournament so Hoshiki has been eliminated.)
-Kimura said Iwatani has a bad knee so she’d be aiming for that. Iwatani fully expected Kimura to attack her during her entrance or introduction. If she lost here, her chances of going to the finals would be slim.
(7) HANA KIMURA vs. MAYU IWATANI – RED STARS BLOCK
Sure enough, Kimura tried to attack during Iwatani’s introduction. Iwatani avoided it but got dumped to the floor. Kimura took her into the fan seats. Iwatani with a high crossbody but Kimura moved and she took out Stars. Kimura dragged her up the aisle, then kicked her back down the stairs. She wrapped Iwatani’s leg around the middle rope and bit her kneepad. Springboard armdrag from Iwatani. Guillotine choke. Kimura nearly passed out but then hulked up and powered Iwatani over into a suplex. Superplex from Kimura. Top rope Frankensteiner from Iwatani. Second rope moonsault. Top rope moonsault but Kimura got her knees up. Octopus. High crossbody to Kimura at ringside. Top rope frog-splash. Roll-up from Kimura for two. Bridging dragon suplex.
WINNER: Mayu Iwatani in 12:01.
(Pageot’s Perspective: A little boring. It was just connect the dots for all of their usual moves and sequences. Not much of a story unless you count “Mayu has a bad leg”, which is the story of every single one of her matches. We’re back into a five-way tie for first in the red stars.)
Blue Stars standings after show 9:
Jamie Hayter – 10
Kagetsu – 8
Konami – 8
Arisa Hoshiki – 8
Andras Miyagi – 6
Bea Priestley – 6
Jungle Kyona – 6
Utami Hayashishita – 6
Natsuko Tora – 2
Red Stars standings after show 9:
AZM – 8
Hazuki – 8
Mayu Iwatani – 8
Tam Nakano – 8
Momo Watanabe – 8
Hana Kimura – 6
Saki Kashima – 4
Avary – 2
Natsu Sumire – 2
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