Stardom New Year Stars 2018
Event Date: January 13, 2018 (13:00 JST)
matches published individually on Stardom World
City: Naka, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Venue: Yokohama Radiant Hall
Attendance: 275
Series: New Year Stars 2018
Commentary: none
Ring Announcer: Fuka
Match 1
Hanan vs Ruaka vs Miranda
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Ruaka pins Hana with a bridging fisherman suplex
Time: 7:00
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was practically a handicap match for Miranda. Almost the only times Hana and Ruaka fought each other were when Miranda was out of the ring or incapacitated. Otherwise, Hanan and Ruaka teamed up. There were some alright moments in this one, and I think it was a pretty good rookie opener. Ruaka is developing a nice fisherman suplex.
Match 2
Natsuko Tora & Kaori Yoneyama vs Hiromi Mimura & Mari Apache (High Speed Champ)
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: Mari Apache pins Natsuko Tora after a Liger Bomb
Time: 8:14
Match Thoughts
Pretty good math. A lot of the first half was a comedy match. Mimura and Tora got into a shouting contest, and Mimura kept having to set up her running dropkick because Yoneyaa kept moving out of the way. Once Apache got tagged in the match picked up a bit, though it never really got super competitive.
Match 3
Sumire Natsu & Hana Kimura (Goddess of Stardom Champ) & Kagetsu (Goddess of Stardom Champ) w/ Tam Nakano vs Xia Brookside (IPW:UK Women’s Champ) & Nicole Savoy (Shimmer Champ) & Kay Lee Ray
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Kagetsu pins Xia Brookside after a chokeslam
Time: 13:07
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The World Selection team forced Oedo Tai out of their game a little in this one. Savoy and Ray especially took the fight to Oedo Tai like few teams have recently, and it made Oedo Tai fight the match mostly in the ring and partially on the defensive. It was good to see, especially heading into the big match with Queen’s Quest. It showed a different side of Oedo Tai, a side that can work extremely well as a team without constant cheap tricks and outside fighting. Both teams looked really good here.
Match 4
Shiki Shibusawa & Starlight Kid & Konami & Jungle Kyona vs AZM & Momo & Watanabe & HZK (Artist of Stardom Champ) & Viper (Artist of Stardom Champ)
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Viper pins Shiki Shibusawa after a running senton
Time: 12:11
Match Thoughts
Good match. It was kind of frenetic and chaotic, in a good way. Both teams had periods where they were in control, and there were some fun individual matchups. Early in the match, Starlight Kid wanted to tag in when Viper stepped into the ring, HZK and Jungle Kyona had a good sequence, and AZM and Shibusawa had a nice sequence late in the match. I really liked seeing Viper take the younger, smaller girls under her wing in this match. She kind of led things during the match, and afterwards she checked on all of her teammates. I liked Queen’s Quest’s unity.
Match 5
Wonder of Stardom Title Match
Rachael Ellering vs Io Shirai (Wonder of Stardom Champ)
(referee: Daichi Murayama; title match official: Rossy Ogawa)
Result: Io Shirai wins via pinfall after a diving moonsault
Time: 13:13
Match Thoughts
Good match. Ellering was bigger and (probably) stronger, and she dished out a lot of the punishment in this match. Shirai had to survive, but she also hit Ellering with some big moves at the right times. I liked how these two worked together. Most of the fight took place right in the center of the ring. It wasn’t necessarily a flashy match, but it didn’t need to be.
Ring Area
After the match, Nicole Savoy enters the ring and says she’s beaten the best. Therefore, she wants to beat the best Stardom has to offer. She then challenges Io Shirai.
Show Impressions
This was a good show. The first two matches were alright, and the last three matches were all very good.
Match of the Night
Oedo Tai vs World Selection
I think the main event was good, but my favorite match tonight was Oedo Tai versus Brookside, Ray, and Savoy. I thought it was a lot of fun, and it was a little different from the usual Oedo Tai matches.
Official results (Japanese): http://wwr-stardom.com/?result=2018%E5%B9%B41%E6%9C%8813%E6%97%A5%E3%80%80new-year-stars2018