12/8 STARDOM GODDESS OF STARS report: Giulia debuts vs. Hazuki, Kagetsu vs. Andras Miyagi, 2019 rookie tournament

STARDOM GODDESS OF STARS
DECEMBER 8, 2019
TOKYO, JAPAN AT SHIN-KIBA 1ST RING
AIRED ON STARDOM WORLD
REPORT BY HARLEY R. PAGEOT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Ruaka said Rina was important to them (being a member of TCS as well) so she was aiming for Hina. Hina said she’d do this by herself.

(1) TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Death Yama-San & Ruaka) vs. HINA & RINA

TCS dropped Hina early. Rina ran in to pose with them. Hina slapped her sister to make the tag. Death rolled up Hina for the win.

WINNERS: Tokyo Cyber Squad in 4:16.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Despite what they said TCS did fight Rina but that’s not unusual in Stardom. The teens continue to grow steadily as wrestlers.)

-Onozaki said she missed last year’s rookie tournament (due to injury). She’s faced Iida in singles action before and lost to the Iidabashi but today she had a new technique of her own. Iida said she wouldn’t lose to seniors or juniors!

(2) SAYA IIDA vs. LEO ONOZAKI – 2019 ROOKIE OF STARDOM TOURNAMENT: OPENING ROUND

They charged at each other and locked up with ferocity before trading strikes. Boston crab from Onozaki. Iida fired up with dropkicks. They traded forearms. Onozaki hit a trio of running cutters but Iida kicked out. She dropkicked the youngster into the ropes and hit a bodyslam. Iida went up top but Onozaki sidestepped a missile dropkick. They traded roll-ups. Iidabashi!

WINNER: Saya Iida in 4:52 to advance to the finals.

(Pageot’s Perspective: All hail the little giant. I must admit I’m a sucker for the flash pins they use in Stardom. The Iidabashi, the Hazukistral, Kashima’s Revival… They look great and they make for unpredictable endings at any time. I’m quite surprised that I don’t see these used regularly in any other promotion.)

-Hoshino pointed out that this was only the fifth match of her career. She had many emotions but wanted to win. Kamitani said she would do her best.

(3) SAYA KAMITANI vs. ITSUKI HOSHINO – 2019 ROOKIE OF STARDOM TOURNAMENT: OPENING ROUND

Hoshino with a handshake, then a dropkick. Kamitani took her down and they tussled on the mat. Kamitani tossed her by the hair. Boston crab. Sleeperhold from Hoshino. Hurricanrana. More dropkicks from Kamitani. Running shooting star press.

WINNER: Saya Kamitani in 6:13 to advance to the finals.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Seeing these two matches back to back you really get a sense of what the rookies are taught in training as so much of their offense is the same, dropkicks being the single most common attack. Hoshino’s still quite new so Saya vs. Saya in the finals makes sense.)

-Tora was brushing her teeth while the other three sang and danced in circles around her. Kimura again said she was frustrated being stuck in meaningless eight-person tags.

(4) TOKYO CYBER SQUAD (Hana Kimura, Zoe Lucas, & Goddess Of Stardom Champions Jungle Kyona & Konami) vs. OEDO TAI (Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire, Jamie Hayter, & Session Moth Martina)

Everything broke down and Oedo Tai hit a series of moves on Lucas. Hayter finished her off with the ushigoroshi.

WINNERS: Oedo Tai in 9:42.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Like Kimura said this one and the next are just about getting everyone on the card.)

-Watanabe said that Iwatani and Nakano weren’t there. (They were in California wrestling at convention). Without them Stars are pretty bland. She wanted to crush them. Kashima said this was her third match in a row against QQ. This was another preview of the forthcoming trios title match. They won two in a row and wanted to make it three.

(5) STARS (Wonder Of Stardom Champion Arisa Hoshiki, High Speed Champion & AEW Women’s Champion Riho, Saki Kashima, & Starlight Kid) vs. QUEEN’S QUEST (Bea Priestley & Artist Of Stardom Champions Momo Watanabe, AZM, & SWA World Champion & Future Of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita)

Kid and AZM traded roll-ups. Code Red from Kid for the pin.

WINNERS: Stars in 9:26.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Kid’s big push continues. Will 2020 be the year when she makes the permanent transition from rookie squad to legitimate midcarder?)

-No pre-match comments for this one.

(6) SAYA IIDA vs. SAYA KAMITANI – 2019 ROOKIE OF STARDOM TOURNAMENT: FINALS

Iida with a flurry of chops. Kamitani with a single-leg crab. They traded forearms. Iida got pissed and pulled out her hair tie, using all her strength to drop the taller Kamitani. They traded dropkicks. Kamitani avoided an Iidabashi. Iida avoided a shooting star press. Iidabashi landed but Kamitani kicked out. Missile dropkick from Kamitani. Another. Iida kicked out at two and a half. Running shooting star press.

WINNER: Saya Kamitani in 7:08 to become the 2019 Rookie Of Stardom.

-Stardom president Rossy Ogawa presented her with the medal and a small trophy. Iida got a runner-up medal.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Pfft. Everyone knows that Saya Iida was the actual 2019 rookie of the year. This is bogus.)

-Kagetsu reminded us that she kicked Miyagi out of Oedo Tai. She requested this match, hoping Miyagi might just be misunderstood. No pre-match words from Miyagi.

(7) KAGETSU vs. ANDRAS MIYAGI

They circled each other slowly before slowly locking up. Kagetsu backed Miyagi into the ropes and slapped her a couple times. Miyagi with a chinlock, then she pulled off her t-shirt and choked Kagetsu with it until the referee intervened. Anarchist suplex to Kagetsu. Camel clutch. Kagetsu looked for a German suplex. Miyagi grabbed the referee to prevent it. Kagetsu charged, Miyagi moved, and Kagetsu knocked Natsuko Tora off the apron. They traded forearms. Springboard dropkick from Kagetsu. Miyagi avoided a suicide dive and Kagetsu took out Jamie Hayter. Miyagi attacked her with the Oedo Tai placard. Piledriver in the ring but Kagetsu kicked out. A second. Kagetsu kicked out again. Miyagi into the corner. Hayter and Session Moth Martina jumped onto the apron to contribute to a three-way elbow strike. As the referee chastised them for getting involved Kagetsu clocked Miyagi with the placard and sprayed her with the blue mist. Death valley driver.

WINNER: Kagetsu in 9:10.

-Kagetsu took a mic and addressed Miyagi, who was down on the mat. Since she’s been leader of Oedo Tai some people came and some left but she never kicked anyone out before. “You’re different. Now that you’re alone you need to think about what the unit meant to you.” She told her to be grateful and think about what to do with her future. Kagetsu told her she was capable of so much but she wastes everyone’s time. She should aim higher. Miyagi yelled that she doesn’t need her advice and took off.

(Pageot’s Perspective: Only an okay match. They must have something significant planned for Miyagi because her turning on Kagetsu was very abrupt and the build from that first moment to this blow-off match here felt rushed. Maybe she starts her own unofficial faction so that she can be the fifth person in next year’s five-way draft match similar to the role Hana Kimura and the International Army played this year. Miyagi roping in someone like Hoshino and another new person or two for a goth faction would be interesting.)

-Hazuki had nothing to say. Giulia said she was back. Us guys who love her, enjoy her all we want. Arrivederci.

Both women were unaccompanied. Giulia wore a black hooded ring coat over black and gray gear.

(8) HAZUKI vs. GIULIA

Test of strength. Side headlock takedown from Giulia. Hazuki took her into the crowd and threw her into the chairs. Giulia jabbed her in the gut with a chair but Hazuki just looked at her. Hazuki hit Giulia across the leg with a chair and threw her into another side of the crowd. Back in the ring Hazuki hit her facewash. Hazuki tossed her around by the hair. Giulia hit a big boot. Sleeperhold to Hazuki dangling off the apron. Bow and arrow lock at ringside into a stomp to the back of the head. Missile dropkick. They traded forearms. Another facewash from Hazuki. Springboard dropkick. Crossface. Codebreaker. Falcon arrow from Giulia. STF into a surfboard. Hazuki passed out.

WINNER: Giulia in 14:14.

-A medic checked on Hazuki. Both women were slow to get to their feet. Hazuki offered a handshake. Giulia teased it but blew her off. Hazuki left.

Giulia was given a mic but didn’t seem to know what to say. She introduced herself. She said Hazuki’s retiring soon and thanked her for being her stepping stone since she couldn’t lose her first match. They’ll never fight again so she’s onto crushing the rest of Stardom one by one. Up first is Saki Kashima, Andras Miyagi, and Hana Kimura. She vowed to break Kimura at the Christmas Eve show and called her out.

Kimura appeared on the stage. She teased leaving but headed to the ring. Giulia grabbed her by the back of the head and smacked her. Kimura spit on her and smacked her. Kimura threw her to ringside. They grabbed each other by the throat and trash-talked while the bell rang and the paparazzi chased them out of the arena. Konami and Kyona tried to separate them in the parking lot. They fought into a locker room door. The referee shut the door behind them as a photographer could be seen laughing.

Back in the ring Saya Kamitani asked for the rookies to close the show.

(Pageot’s Perspective: This was my first exposure to Giulia as I haven’t seen any of her work from Ice Ribbon. It wasn’t a terrific first impression. The match was pretty slow and bland, though that could be due to the fact they’ve obviously never worked together before. Her submission finisher ought to stand out at least since there aren’t many women on the roster with a strong submission as their finishing move. Kimura and Hayashishita are the only ones that come to mind immediately. Giulia definitely comes across as a heel already but the “wild brawl” was very tame with them essentially just grabbing each other by the hair and walking out of the arena and then back in. There was no sign of Queen’s Quest here but they were the ones who first introduced her back on October 14 so presumably that’s where she’ll land.)