Stardom 9th Anniversary in Osaka
Event Date: January 26, 2020 (12:00 JST)
matches published individually on Stardom World
City: Naniwa, Osaka, Osaka, Japan
Venue: EDION Arena Osaka – Second Stadium
Attendance: 626
Series: Stardom 9th Anniversary
Commentary: none
Ring Announcer: Yurie Kozakai (1 – 5, 7), Yoritaka Ando (6)
Match 1
Three Way Battle
Itsuki Hoshino vs Leo Onozaki vs AZM (Artist Champ)
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: AZM pin Itsuki Hoshino after a diving double-foot stomp
Time: 6:05
Match Thoughts
This was a good opening match. AZM and Leo Onozaki are both in Queen’s Quest, and before the match Onozaki said she wanted to cooperate with AZM while still getting the win. AZM had other plans, and Onozaki was stabbed in the back almost immediately. Since AZM is the most experienced of the three, Onozaki was forced to team with Hoshino against her stablemate, but even Hoshino grew wise to the situational teammates in the match. This was fast and fun.
Match 2
High Speed Grand Prix Round Robin Match
DEATH Yama-san (0 – 0:1:0) vs Starlight Kid (0 – 0:1:0)
(referee: ?)
Result: DEATH Yama-san wins via pinfall with an O’Connor roll
Time: 3:02
Match Thoughts
Good match. Both women had some very nice, quick chains of moves and pin attempts all throughout the match. I was a little surprised by the finish, but that’s a good thing. Even though the match was short, I think the action and the finish will make it memorable for me.
Match 3
Zoey Skye & Bea Priestley (Goddess Champ) vs Saya Kamitani & Tam Nakano
(referee: ?)
Result: Bea Priestley pins Saya Kamitani after Kamigoye
Time: 8:14
Match Thoughts
This was okay. I thought the tie Priestley and Nakano spent in the ring together was very good, but Kamitani struggled tonight. Late in the match when Kamitani was facing Priestley, Kamitani repeatedly missed her big moves. It was a little awkward until Priestley just grabbed Kamitani and suplexed her. It was a tough night for Kamitani.
Match 4
Maika & Giulia vs Saya Iida & Arisa Hoshiki (Wonder Champ)
(referee: ?)
Result: Giulia pins Saya Iida after the Glorious Buster
Time: 11:16
Match Thoughts
Very good match. it definitely looked like Giulia wanted to start something with Arisa Hoshiki tonight. Saya Iida started the match against Maika, but Giulia and Hoshiki had some very good exchanges throughout the rest of the match. But even though Giulia wanted to prove a point against Hoshiki, it looked like Giulia and Maika’s plan to get the win was to isolate Saya Iida. They did that, but Iida had a very good match tonight. Iida got in some good moves on Giulia and Maika even if Iida did always eventually get beaten up. This was a fun match, and I’m really liking Donna del Mondo.
Match 5
Natsu Sumire & Saki Kashima & Natsuko Tora vs Leyla Hirsch & Konami & Hana Kimura
(referee: ?)
Result: Natsuko Tora pins Leyla Hirsch after a guillotine leg drop
Time: 12:58
Match Thoughts
Very good match. The advantage went back and forth for a while (after Oedo Tai started with an obvious trap that still worked), but eventually Hana Kimura got isolated for a long time. That led to an extended sequence between Kimura and Tora that I quite enjoyed. Before the though, Natsu Sumire hit Kimura with an inverted atomic drop that Kimura sold for the rest of the match (and after). That was pretty funny, and I enjoyed it. Nothing was on the line here, and I think the person taking the pinfall was fairly obvious before the opening bell even rang, but this was still a nicely done tag match.
Match 6
SWA Title Match
Jamie Hayter (Goddess Champ) vs Utami Hayashishita (Future, SWA, & Artist Champ)
(referee: Daichi Murayama; title match official: Rossy Ogawa)
Result: Jamie Hayter wins via pinfall after an ushigoroshi and becomes the new SWA Champion
Time: 15:31
Match Thoughts
Very good match. This was harder-hitting than I expected. Not that there were a ton of strikes, but there were some really nice slams and suplexes being thrown. I kind of expected Hayashishita to dominate more of the match (and she did dominate some), but Hayter really took control tonight. Hayter is on a hot streak in Stardom, and this match was proof of that. I’d like to see a rematch of this, but with the SWA Title being defended so rarely, I doubt we’ll see this match-up again any time soon.
Ring Area
The main event tonight Kagetsu’s last Stardom match. The four women in the match (Jungle Kyona, Momo Watanabe, Mayu Iwatani, and Kagetsu) make their way to the ring, and they are each handed flowers as an opening ceremony.
Match 7
Jungle Kyona & Momo Watanabe vs Mayu Iwatani (World Champ) & Kagetsu
(referee: Daichi Murayama)
Result: Jungle Kyona pins Kagetsu after the Jungle Buster
Time: 19:17
Match Thoughts
Great match! Iwatani had special gear made for tonight that matched Kagetsu’s, and it looked like they had a great time tagging together. Iwatani seemed to really enjoy some of Kagetsu and Oedo Tai’s shenanigans like the rubber-strip-to-the-face bit. Iwatani started the match and did a lot early, then the match transitioned into what amounted to a one on one with Jungle Kyona versus Kagestu. Kagetu and Kyona had a great fight with Watanabe and Iwatani coming in and out to help or otherwise accentuate the match.
Overall, I think this match did a few things. It was a great send-off for Kagetsu, but it was also a really good moment for Watanabe and Kyona. Especially Kyona. The fight was hard, and Kyona looked really good against Kagestu. This was a great match all around, and though I’m a little sad Kagestu is leaving, I think her retirement road was very well done.
Ring Area
After the match, Jungle Kyona speaks first. She thanks Kagetsu for choosing her and Watanabe for Kagestu’s final Stardom match, and Kyona and Watanabe bow to Kagetsu. Kyona says she won’t waste the momentum this match has given her. With that in mind, Kyona challenges Mayu Iwatani to a singles match. Iwatani says she can’t answer Kyona’s challenge right now, and besides, this isn’t the time for that sort of thing.
Iwatani turns to Kagestu and thanks her for all of her support. Kagetsu might have been Iwatani’s enemy during her time in Stardom, but tonight’s tag match was a lot of fun. Iwatani vows to continue to lead Stardom, and she hopes Kagetsu watches her.
Kagetsu says she wanted to win tonight, but this might be the first time she’s ever been happy to lose. She addresses Watanabe and Kyona, saying she chose them for her final match because she could always see their determination to be at the top of Stardom. Kagetsu hopes this match will help lead them into the future.
Next each unit in Stardom takes turns giving Kagetsu gifts. Tokyo Cyber Squad gives her flowers, Queen’s Quest and Stars give her special masks (plus Tam Nakano gives her P-chan), Donna del Mondo gives her flowers, and Oedo Tai gives her the Oedo Tai sign board that they have all signed. After the units have finished, Rossy Ogawa hands Kagetsu and undisclosed amount of money.
Kagetsu gets back on the mic and talks about her retirement show in Osaka on February 24. She announces that her final match will be against Meiko Satomura, and she asks AZM to come and be a part of the show. AZM quickly says, “hai!” Kagetsu then briefly talks about how she nearly quit wrestling a few years ago just before joining Stardom. She says Io Shirai convinced her to stay, and her time in Stardom has been great. Kagetsu also compliments Mayu Iwatani as the leader of Stardom, saying that her growth has helped Kagetsu decide that it’s the right time to retire.
Kagetsu then invites all of the units back into the ring where she leads them in everyone’s catch-phrase to end the show. Kagetsu gets all of the wrestlers in a circle for some private words and a bow. Everyone then tries to throw Kagetsu in the air, but they sort of drop her on the second toss. With that, Kagetsu leaves Stardom.
Show Impressions
This was a very good show. Of course Kagestu’s final Stardom match and retirement ceremony was the main focus and the best part of the show, but almost everything was good tonight. The only match I wasn’t crazy about was the Priestley/Skye versus Kamitani/Nakano match. I think Kamitani just had a rough night. Everything else was highly entertaining though.
It sucks Kagetsu is leaving, but at least they sent her off in a nice way. Her retirement road was really good. I’m looking forward to her retirement show as well.
Match of the Night
Jungle Kyona & Momo Watanabe vs Mayu Iwatani & Kagetsu
Of course this ha to be the match of the night. As retirement matches go (at least, her Stardom retirement match), this was very good. The match was entertaining on its own, plus it used Kagetsu and Iwatani t give a bunch of momentum to Watanabe and Kyona. Everyone wins.
Official Results (Japanese): https://wwr-stardom.com/news/2020%e5%b9%b41%e6%9c%8826%e6%97%a5%e3%80%80%e3%82%b9%e3%82%bf%e3%83%bc%e3%83%80%e3%83%a0%ef%bc%99%e5%91%a8%e5%b9%b4%e8%a8%98%e5%bf%b5%e6%97%a5-in-%e5%a4%a7%e9%98%aa/