Stardom Shinkiba Meeting
Event Date: February 10, 2018 (18:00 JST)
matches published individually on Stardom World
#stardomworld
City: Koto, Tokyo, Japan
Venue: Shinkiba 1st Ring
Attendance: 295
Commentary: none
Ring Announcer: Fuka
Match 1
Hanan & Miranda vs Ruaka & Kaori Yoneyama
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Miranda forces Ruaka to submit to a Last Chancery
Time: 6:19
Match Thoughts
This was a fine opener. Yoneyama brought the most personality to the match, the young wrestlers did fine, and Miranda looked pretty good. As a warm-up match, I liked this.
Match 2
Xia Brookeside (IPW:UK Women’s Champ) & Nicole Savoy (Shimmer Champ) vs Natsuko Tora & Jungle Kyona
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: Natsuko Tora pins Xia Brookside after Ascension (?? – shouten) (falling side slam)
Time: 8:33
Match Thoughts
I really liked this tag match. Brookside and Savoy dominated most of it, but Team Jungle hung in there and managed to find offense in some important spots. Savoy looked the best in this one. She is bigger than everyone else in the ring, so she used a combination of her strength and technical skill to pretty much do whatever she wanted to. Team Jungle had better teamwork though, and they managed to isolate Brookside to gain an advantage late in the match.
Ring Area
After the match, Natsuko Tora celebrates her victory by challenging Xia Brookside to the IPW:UK Women’s Title. Jungle Kyona joins in and challenges Nicole Savoy for the Shimmer Title. Savoy doesn’t necessarily accept the challenge, but she does say that she’ll make Kyona tap out. Brookside accepts Tora’s challenge, saying she’ll put her title on the line later this month.
Match 3
Shiki Shibusawa & Starlight Kid vs Konami & Hiromi Mimura
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: Starlight Kid pins Hiromi Mimura with a counter to Endless Waltz
Time: 5:59
Match Thoughts
Pretty good match. It was a bit chaotic, but I liked how Starlight Kid and Shiki Shibusawa worked together. Whenever Kid would get in trouble, Shibusawa would try to help out. I like the team, though they have a long way to go before they can think about contending for the tag titles.
Ring Area
After the match, Starlight Kid celebrates by attempting a shout with Shibusawa. Before they can shout though, Konami and Mimura smack them both on their head. Mimura takes the mic. She hesitates before announcing that she is going to retire on March 28 at Korakuen Hall. She asks that everyone continue to shout with her until the end.
Match 4
Sumire Natsu & Hana Kimura (Goddess Champ) & Kagetsu (Goddess Champ) vs Mari Apache (High Speed Champ) & Tam Nakano & Mayu Iwatani
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: the match ends in a Time Limit Draw
Time: 20:00
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Kagetsu and Iwatani started things off with a nice sequence of chained counters, then Mari Apache dominated Sumire Natsu. After the opening sequences, the real focus of the match became apparent. Hana Kimura tagged in and wanted Tam Nakano. Nakano was tagged in, and Kimura beat her up and nearly put Nakano to sleep. Nakano was about to be counted out when Kimura released her hold so the match could continue. From there, the focus was on Nakano trying to survive with the help of her new friends, while her old friends got meaner and nastier as the match went along.
Kimura seems to have conflicting emotions about Nakano. Kimura seems angry, likely having to do with how quickly Nakano made new friends after being forced out of Oedo Tai. Kimura was aggressive with Nakano right from the start, but she didn’t seem to enjoy what she was doing. She just seemed mad. Kagetsu doesn’t really care about anything, and she thinks most things are funny, so she had no problem being mean to Nakano. Natsu didn’t quite feel the same way. She hesitated to attack Nakano, and she refused to do her usual thing where she spits water on a downed opponent even though Kagetsu and Kimura wanted her to. Natsu would later join in the attack as the action got more heated, but I think it’s interesting how Nakano’s departure from Oedo Tai is affecting each of the current members.
Ring Area
The fight continues after the match. The two teams are eventually pulled apart, and Iwatani says that a time limit draw for a championship team is kind of like a loss. This match was just a stepping stone for Iwatani and Nakano.
Kagetsu isn’t impressed. Oedo Tai didn’t win but neither did Iwatani and Nakano. Kagetsu yells at Nakano, so Nakano yells back. Nakano says she is not an enemy to Oedo Tai. She loved Oedo Tai. Nakano wants to know what Kagetsu and Kimura’s problem with her is. Kimura just laughs, and Kagetsu leaves the ring.
Match 5
Momo Watanabe & HZK (Artist Champ) vs AZM & Io Shirai (Artist, Wonder Champ)
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Momo Watanabe pins AZM after a diving meteora
Time: 14:46
Match Thoughts
Good match. Watanabe and HZK managed to isolate Shirai for a large portion of the match. AZM tagged in late in the match, and she was able to hold her own for a while before Watanabe and HZK had time to recover from the beating Shirai was dishing out. I liked how this match developed and how it made perfect sense for everyone involved. I don’t know how much intrigue this adds to Watanabe’s title shot against Shirai, but it does show that everyone is concerned with winning first and foremost, even if they are all friends and teammates.
Ring Area
Momo Watanabe gets on the mic and tells Io Shirai that she won tonight, and she’ss take the white belt at Korakuen Hall. She’ll make the title shine. Shirai tells Watanbe that she won’t get the satisfaction of taking the Wonder Title. Shirai will crush Watanabe. That’s how Queen’s Quest handles their business.
Watanabe is ready to wrap up tonight’s show, but Rossy Ogawa has an announcement. Three new wrestlers will debut in March. THey enter the ring and introduce themselves. First is Noa Yamaguchi. She will be the first of Stardom’s 9th graduating class to debut when she has a match on March 4th. Next is Aiko Onozaki. Wrestling has been her dream, and she will debut on the 25th of March. Last is Natsumi who will debut on March 28th.
Ogawa has one more announcement. Saki Kashima will be returning after five years away from Stardom. Her return match hasn’t been decided yet, but she will be ready. Fuka enters the ring and gives Kashima a Stardom jacket with her name on it.
Watanabe gets back on the mic and calls everyone to the ring to end the show.
Show Impressions
Good show. The main focus was definitely to promote the Korakuen show coming up next, but the matches here were good. I’m really liking the story line surrounding Tam Nakano. I felt really bad for her tonight and want to see her succeed. I love Oedo Tai, but I want to see them lose in this feud. I think that’s a testament to the great work everyone is doing to make me feel that way even though Oedo Tai is my favorite entity in Stardom right now.
Match of the Night
Oedo Tai vs Mari Apachi & Tam Nakano & Mayu Iwatani
This one had really good action and interesting story developments. It worked very well on multiple levels, and I’d easily watch it again.
Official Results (Japanese): http://wwr-stardom.com/?result=2018%E5%B9%B42%E6%9C%8810%E6%97%A5