STARDOM CINDERELLA SUMMER in TOKYO
Event Date: July 26, 2020 (11:45 JST)
matches published on Stardom World
City: Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan
Venue: Korakuen Hall
Attendance: 483
Series: CINDERELLA SUMMER
Commentary: none
Ring Announcer: Yoritaka Ando
Ring Area
Before the matches start (and not aired on Stardom World), it is announced that Ruaka and Hanan will return to action at the pair of Yokohama Budokan shows taking place on August 22 and 23. Also, Itsuki Hoshino will retire at those shows due to poor health.
Match 1
Hina vs Saki Kashima
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Saki Kashima wins via pinfall after My Emblem
Time: 4:15
Match Thoughts
This was a fine opener that went about like I expected it to. Kashima was a jerk and she didn’t take Hina very seriously which allowed Hina to get some offense. Then Kashima woke up, hit a few good moves, and won the match. Simple stuff, but I liked it. Hina has had it rough this year in the ring, but I think Kashima has been shining as part of Oedo Tai. I’m looking forward to Kashima getting more big matches.
Match 2
Natsu Sumire & Natsuko Tora vs Rina & DEATH Yama-san
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Natsuko Tora pins Rina after a frog splash
Time: 7:12
Match Thoughts
Good match. Oedo Tai (Tora & Sumire) seemed to handle this pretty easily. Yama-sana and Rina got some offense here and there, but it never lasted terribly long. If Oedo Tai had cared much about this match, then it probably would have been a lot shorter. As they are right now though, Oedo Tai seems to get fired up when they’re being pushed. Otherwise, they don’t seem to want to do much of anything. I like the attitude though. It’s a good way for jerks to act, and it adds another layer to their matches when they get done messing around and start really trying to hurt people.
Match 3
Maika (Artist & Future Champ) w/ Himeka, Syuri vs Momo Watanabe
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Momo Watanabe wins via pinfall after a diving somato (diving double knee strike)
Time: 10:39
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Maika and Momo match up really well. They started with a good amount of grappling on the mat, then they gradually worked their way into some slams and strikes. Momo is definitely in a higher position within Stardom than Maika, but with how strong Donna del Mondo is right now, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Maika beat her tonight. That added a lot of tension to the match even though I would have been happy with either woman winning. Regardless of the winner, this was simply a very good, well-fought match. I’d love to see them wrestle again.
Match 4
Himeka & Syuri (Artist Champ) vs Saya Iida & Mayu Iwatani (World Champ)
(referee: Barb Sasaki)
Result: Syuri pins Saya Iida after a buzzsaw kick
Time: 13:21
Match Thoughts
Good match. Syuri definitely looked like she wanted to go after Mayu Iwatani, but she didn’t do so at the expense of being a good partner to Himeka. Syuri and Himeka were strong as a team, and they were able to isolate Saya Iida multiple times throughout the match. Iida looked strong as well, but Himeka’s power and Syuri’s experience were too much for her. Iwatani looked good as well, but the Stars team just couldn’t seem to get everything working together at the same time. Overall though, Syuri stood out the most to me.
Ring Area
After the match, Syuri announces that she wants a shot at the World of Stardom Title. She says the main reason she’s in Stardom is to win the Red Belt, and whenever she gets a chance, she’s going to take it. Mayu Iwatani says she’s been waiting for a challenger. Iwatani offers Syuri a title match in Yokohama during one of their upcoming August shows. Iwatani and Syuri shake on it.
Match 5
High Speed Title Three Way Match
AZM vs Starlight Kid vs Riho (High Speed Champ)
(referee: Barb Sasaki; title match official: Rossy Ogawa)
Result: AZM pins Starlight Kid with Azumi Sushi and becomes the 19th High Speed Champion in her 1st reign
Time: 7:10
Match Thoughts
Great match. I think all three of these women are more than deserving of the title, and I really like all of the, so I didn’t really have a pick for the match. Starlight Kid and AZM have had a really good rivalry, and adding Riho (and her High Speed Title) to the mix made this a great match. It’s a shame that the High Speed tournament was cut short when the world shut down a few months ago, but at least we got this three way match for the title instead.
As you might expect, this was an extremely fast-paced match. Everyone started running as soon as the opening bell rang, and the match rarely slowed down. At first AZM (with her brand new ring gear) was a target for Kid and Riho. Riho technically isn’t a member of Stars, but she’d been friendly with them, so it made sense that Riho and Kid might work together. That didn’t last long of course, and Kid and Riho fought against each other more than they worked together. There were lots of fun exchanges with all three women involved, and early on it felt like the match couldn’t go on very long. The pace was was too high to keep up for too long, and it gave the feeling like a pinfall might come out of nowhere. The finish did feel a bit sudden, but it didn’t feel wrong. I think sudden pins work well in High Speed matches, and this match worked very well.
Match 6
Goddess of Stardom Title Match
Konami & Jungle Kyona vs Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita
(referee: Daichi Murayama; title match official: Rossy Ogawa)
Result: Utami Hayashishita pins Konami with a bridging German suplex, Hayashishita and Kamitani become the 18th Goddess of Stardom Champs
Time: 14:28
Match Thoughts
Very good match. Konami and Kyona looked strong as usual, but it also felt like their hearts weren’t necessarily completely in this match. Kamitani was fired up like she always is, and even though she struggled against Tokyo Cyber Squad, she was a good partner for Hayashishita. Kamitani was able to occupy Kyona late in the match which allowed Hayashishita to take on Konami essentially one on one. That match-up could have gone either way, but again, it felt like Queen’s Quest was just more prepared for this fight. They’ve been waiting for the title shot they were promised months ago, and they took full advantage of this opportunity even if it wasn’t what they expected initially.
Bea Priestley and Jamie Hayter were the former tag champs, but since neither of them can get into Japan right now, the titles were vacated and this match was made to crown new champs. I can’t help but feel like Oedo Tai should have probably been involved in whatever title decisions were made since Priestley and Hayter are still members of Oedo Tai, but maybe they made the decision for this match at the last minute. Regardless of however the decision was made, this was still a good match.
Ring Area
After the match, the new Goddess of Stardom champs celebrate their win. After posing for a few photos, Maika and Himeka from Donna del Mondo enter the ring. Maika says it’s too bad she and Himeka will have to take the titles from the new champs right away. Maika and Himeka have just recently officially signed their Stardom contracts, so they’re not outsiders anymore and can claim whatever they want within Stardom. Right now, they want the tag titles.
Match 7
Wonder of Stardom Title Tournament Final Match
Tam Nakano vs Giulia
(referee: Daichi Murayama; title match official: Rossy Ogawa)
Result: Giulia wins via referee stoppage (when Nakano passes out to a modified Brutalizer) and becomes the 14th Wonder of Stardom Champion
Time: 28:27
Match Thoughts
Great Match. Giulia and Tam Nakano’s feud has been building and building for a good long while, and even though I don’t really think they’re finished with each other yet, this was a great step forward for both of them. The match felt important going in. Sure, it’s important because a title is on the line, but the emotions behind the match made it that much better. Nakano is good friends with Arisa Hoshiki who was the previous Wonder of Stardom Champ. Hoshiki had to retire due to injuries, and due to Stardom’s abrupt hiatus changing her plans, she had to just vacate the title over the break. Nakano made a vow to carry the title for Hoshiki, and that’s been her mission ever since Stardom began putting on shows again last month. Meanwhile, Giulia and Nakano have been having a feud that’s spilled out of the ring and into social media, photo shoots, and wherever else they come into contact with each other. The stage was set for a huge match, and I think they both delivered on that.
They started this match slowly. Very slowly. When the bell rang, neither woman moved out of their corner, and they just stared at each other for a while. After what felt like a long time, they tentatively came together and started a methodical process of working each other over in their own ways. The match was fought very evenly throughout, and neither woman really kept an advantage for too long before the other would turn things around. At one point they beat each other enough that they were both down on the mat, and neither of them could answer the referee’s ten count. Thankfully, referee Murayama chose to not stop the match, so Giulia and Nakano continued on. The buildup to the finish was great, and the finish itself was tense no matter who you might be pulling for. It was a definitive finish even if it does leave things open for a possible rematch. I thought it was very well done, as was the whole match.
Ring Area
After the match, Giulia says that she finally understands Nakano and her dream, but Nakano not having the Wonder title is interesting. Nakano says she will chase Giulia to the end of the universe to take the title away from her. Giulia will be waiting, anytime.
Nakano leaves the ring. Giulia says the title was difficult to get, but she will take on anyone to keep it. Syuri, Maika, and Himeka join Giulia in the ring. Giulia says Donna del Mondo are collecting belts, and they’re going to be getting more very soon. Donna del Mondo will carry Stardom into the future.
Show Impressions
This was a great show. The 5-Star Grand Prix is coming up soon, so it felt like they wanted to get all of (well, most of) their titles situated before the tournament. That meant three title matches tonight, and they were all quite good. Everything else on the show was very entertaining as well, so yeah, this was great. Despite the World of Stardom Title not being defended tonight, this still felt like the biggest and best overall show Stardom has had since they returned from hiatus.
Match of the Night
Tam Nakano vs Giulia
A great title match that makes a strong case for the Wonder Title being about on the same level as the World Title.
Official Results (Japanese): https://wwr-stardom.com/news/20200726-3/