11/15 STARDOM GODDESSES OF STARDOM REPORT: Priestley & Hayter vs. either Kimura & Death or Hoshiki & Nakano in the tag league finals

STARDOM GODDESSES OF STARDOM
NOVEMBER 15, 2019
NAGOYA, JAPAN AT NAGOYA LEGEND HALL
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Tora said two members of Queen’s Quest were returning here. Onozaki also said it was a double comeback.

(1) QUEEN’S QUEST (SWA World Champion & Future Of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita & Leo Onozaki) vs. OEDO TAI (Hazuki & Natsuko Tora)

Tora and Hayashishita started. Tora overpowered her and kept her grounded. Quick tags in and out from Oedo Tai. Cenashishita hulked up and took out both opponents at the same time. She foolishly tagged in Onozaki, which signaled the end was near. Hayashishita entered illegally and took out Hazuki with a hiptoss. Oedo Tai double-teamed Onozaki in response. Hazuki finished her off with a top rope back senton.

WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 7:20.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Hayashishita was returning from injury for her first match since September 7. I didn’t even realize Onozaki was injured as well but she wrestled as recently as October 27 and the rookies do regularly go two weeks without matches.)

-Martina & Sumire were celebrating the fact that it was Friday night and the tag league finals. They admitted they never have any idea what the other one is saying (due to speaking different languages) but who cares? Let’s drink! Iida said it might not be easy to beat them but she’d take a chance.

(2) 3838 TAG (Saya Iida & Saya Kamitani) vs. THE DRUNK QUEENS (Artist Of Stardom Champion Natsu Sumire & Session Moth Martina) – BLUE GODDESSES BLOCK

The queens hit stereo crotch assaults out of the gate, then a double-team crotch assault to Iida. Sumire mounted her on the mat, sitting on her face again, until the referee scolded her. She and Martina both drank and set up to spit the beer in her face but Iida ducked and they sprayed one another. Iida stole one of their cans and teased drinking herself. She finally chugged to a big pop and threw the can down but she’s so tiny that one drink left her wasted. She staggered around and almost fell over before going berserk with a cavalcade of fierce chops. One to Sumire! One to Martina! Another to Sumire! A second to Martina! One to Kamitani! Wait… One for the referee! Everyone was down. Iida sputtered and collapsed to the mat as well. With all four women down the referee counted them out but his slaps on the mat woke them all up.

Kamitani dragged Iida to their corner and tagged herself in. Body slams to Sumire and a submission but she escaped. Tags to Martina and Iida. Running dropkicks from the little giant. The rookies stacked the women in one corner and hit a train of dropkicks on them. Iida with a top rope missile dropkick to Martina. Kamitani with a running shooting star press. Iidabashi! But Sumire was there to break it up by whipping Iida across the stomach. Kamitani ducked a shot with the whip and dropkicked Sumire to the floor. Martina with a northern lights suplex but Iida powered out. Roll up for two. Forearms to Martina. A headbutt to Iida. Abdominal stretch slam for the win.

WINNERS: The Drunk Queens in 7:29.

(Pageot’s Perspective: In case you can’t tell I loved this so, so much. I’m a huge fan of all four of these women and they put together the perfect mix of comedy and underdog pluckiness here. The 4’10” Iida getting wasted off half a can of beer is perfect and I’m always a sucker for the spot where the wrestler loses it and accidentally takes out their own partner and the referee as well. I really wanted SayaSaya to pick up another win here but maybe they’ll continue to team together post-tournament? Kamitani has not pledged allegiance to any faction yet but at this point her joining Oedo Tai, Queen’s Quest, or TCS would seem awkward.)

-Lucas said they’ve already lost the tournament but that’s okay because taking part is all that counts.

(3) ARTIST OF STARDOM CHAMPIONS OEDO TAI (Kagetsu & Andras Miyagi) vs. TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Bobbi Tyler & Zoe Lucas) – BLUE GODDESSES BLOCK

Oedo Tai attacked during the introductions and dragged their opponents into the crowd as is typical. TCS played the babyfaces with Tyler trying to fight off both Kagetsu and Miyagi simultaneously. Kagetsu looked to hit her with the placard but she ducked. Kagetsu was able to stop short and avoid hitting Miyagi. TCS hit some tandem offense on Kagetsu. Kagetsu held Tyler for a placard shot. Tyler moved again and Miyagi stopped short of hitting Kagetsu. But suddenly she swung at Kagetsu anyway. Kagetsu avoided it and grabbed her by the throat. Tyler rolled up Kagetsu from behind for the pin.

WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 3:27.

-Kagetsu was irate. Miyagi threw Kagetsu’s trio title to her and took off. Kagetsu kicked the belt across the ring and left empty-handed.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Very short, seemingly entirely designed to set up the spot between Kagetsu and Miyagi. What does it mean? Is Miyagi turning on Kagetsu? Along with Sumire they’re the current trios champions and Oedo Tai have the best overall record of the four factions in 2019. Things are going pretty good for the unit.)

(4) DREAM*SHiNE (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano) vs. TOKYO DEATH SQUAD (Death Hana & Death Yama-San) – BLUE GODDESSES BLOCK

Nakano was isolated to start. She and Death traded roll-ups at 5:00. Stars hit stereo knee strikes on their opponents. Nakano with a bridging tiger suplex to Death.

WINNERS: DREAM*SHiNE in 5:41.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Surprisingly short considering this gave Stars the blue block win. The one-note Death character doesn’t exactly lend itself to long matches, though. Yoneyama’s a good wrestler. The KISS makeup and chanting just doesn’t do anything for me. It’s also still weird to me that Kimura went from winning the Grand Prix to losing her title match very quickly and then putting on her own KISS makeup and heading into tag team action like failing to capture the red belt doesn’t mean anything. I think it’s the emotional disconnect that both characters have that makes me not really invest in anything they do.)

-Priestley was pouting about losing the red belt. Hayter acknowledged that she failed to win the white belt as well but they’re still going to the finals of tag league. She shook Priestley until she would admit they’re the best. Kashima pointed out that she and Iwatani have only earned two points. She wanted to leave a mark by winning their final match.

(5) STARS (World Of Stardom Champion Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima) vs. TOP GAIJINS (Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter) – RED GODDESSES BLOCK

Priestley and Iwatani started. Kashima hit a top rope double-stomp to Hayter at 5:30 but she kicked out. Kashima with an octopus but Priestley for the save. Hayter with a series of lariats. Revival to Hayter but Priestley broke up the pin. Backbreaker to Kashima. Ushigoroshi to Kashima and Hayter with the pin.

WINNERS: Top Gaijins in 7:38.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Just a match. Obviously you want the finalists to look strong heading into the finals. No indication Iwatani has any further red belt business with either woman going forward.)

-Queen’s Quest said they would win. Kyona said she has concluded her fourth year as a professional wrestler and is now entering her fifth. Holding the tag titles with Konami is a nice restart. Konami said they focused what they had together to bring them to this point. They wanted to win this last match.

(6) GODDESS OF STARDOM CHAMPIONS TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Jungle Kyona & Konami) vs. QUEEN’S QUEST (Momo Watanabe & AZM) – RED GODDESSES BLOCK

Watanabe and AZM attacked before the bell. B Driver from Watanabe to Kyona at 5:40 but Konami made the save. Missile dropkick + powerbomb combo from TCS to Watanabe. AZM with an armbar to Kyona’s injured shoulder, into a triangle lancer. Kyona made the rope break. Top rope double-stomp but Kyona kicked out again. Swinging sleeperhold to AZM but Watanabe saved her. AZM with a roll-up to Kyona for the win.

WINNERS: Queen’s Quest in 9:56.

-AZM boasted about beating the tag champions. She doesn’t want them, though. She wants Hayashishita to join them so they can go after the trios titles. Hayashishita said Oedo Tai are in bad shape and ripe for the picking.

(Pageot’s Perspective: I hate this company. Your tag team champions now finish 10th out of 12 teams in the tag league. Priestley & Hayter, Riho & Kid, Hazuki & Tora, and Watanabe & AZM are all already owed title matches and, if Hoshiki & Nakano win this main event, their names will also be added to the list. Ogawa gets some sick pleasure from putting Kyona into positions to disappoint. This year alone she challenged Kagetsu for the red belt and lost, challenged Watanabe for the white belt and lost, saw the Jungle Assault Nation disbanded and her being downgraded from stable leader to Kimura’s sidekick, and challenged Hoshiki for the white belt and lost. At this rate she and Konami will probably lose the tag titles at the Christmas Eve show and her last match of the year will be a clean singles loss to Hina.)

(7) TOP GAIJINS (World Of Stardom Champion Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter) vs. DREAM*SHiNE (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano) – GODDESSES OF STARDOM TAG LEAGUE FINALS

The gaijins went for their double-team knee strike at 11:00 but Hoshiki dodged and Priestley took out Hayter. Stars hit a double-team strike of their own to Hayter but Priestley broke up the pin. Stereo crossbodies from the faces to the heels at ringside. Tandem knee strikes from Stars to Hayter. Hoshiki with a kick to the head for the sudden win.

WINNERS: DREAM*SHiNE in 13:32 to win the 2019 Goddesses Of Stardom tag league.

(Pageot’s Perspective: I believe it was the Brazilian kick but it didn’t have the same snap that it usually does. The match had some good action but was lacking any internal story and the ending felt very abrupt and out of nowhere. Kind of a flat finish to the whole tournament. The winners are a logical choice. Hoshiki has been pushed to the moon this year and Ogawa obviously wants her, Iwatani, Hayashishita, and Starlight Kid as the four faces of Stardom.

I really hope we get some sort of epilogue to the Priestley-Hayter teaming story. The fact that members of QQ and Oedo Tai blew off their own stablemates to team with each other should have huge consequences. Ideally Hayter’s disloyalty would tie into whatever’s going on with Miyagi right now as well as Sumire & Martina’s binge drinking as a general “trouble in Oedo Tai” state of affairs. Priestley’s disloyalty to QQ, coupled with her losing the red belt and QQ having the worst record of the four stables post-draft, should hopefully also be connected and see either an overthrowing of Watanabe as QQ leader or Priestley being exiled from the group. If things just return to the status quo now I will be very disappointed.)

-Nakano celebrated the victory but regretted that she wasn’t the one to get the pin. She asked Hoshiki if she remembered why she agreed to team with her. She wanted to find her weakness so she could take the white belt. In the crowd a baby cried. Nakano asked it if that was okay. She said from now on let’s dream together. Hoshiki and Nakano hugged. Hoshiki said they would realize their dreams together. This was the first goal. The next was the tag titles. They called out the champs.

Konami and Kyona came out with their belts over their shoulders. Konami said she was calling for the title match to happen as soon as possible. Kyona said they lost today. They’re standing on the edge of a cliff. Today she enters her fifth year as a pro wrestler. She has great ambitions. To fulfill these she can’t lose her tag title or Konami. She vowed to defend the belts and return to Nagoya as champion.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Goddammit, Kyona, stop breaking my heart.)

Final Blue Goddesses standings:
DREAM*SHiNE (Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano) – 10
Tokyo Death Squad (Hana Kimura & Death Yama-San) – 8
The Drunk Queens (Natsu Sumire & Session Moth Martina) – 4
Oedo Tai (Kagetsu & Andras Miyagi) – 4
Tokyo Cyber Squad (Bobbi Tyler & Zoe Lucas) – 4
3838 Tag (Saya Iida & Saya Kamitani) – 2

Final Red Goddesses standings:
Top Gaijins (Bea Priestley & Jamie Hayter) – 10
Queen’s Quest (Momo Watanabe & AZM) – 6
Riho & Starlight Kid – 5
Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Natsuko Tora) – 4
Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami) – 3
Stars (Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima) – 2