Stardom’s 10th Year Anniversary celebration concluded with a night at Osaka Castle Hall for Osaka Dream Cinderella 2021 ~ Osaka Meccha Stardom. Hazuki is unretired, Mayu Iwatani’s challenging Tam Nakano, and Marvelous’ Takumi Iroha wants the the World of Stardom Title.
0. Saki Kashima & Rina vs. Lady C & Waka Tsukiyama
Lady C rocks a giant swing and challenges for the Future of Stardom Title after the next match, while Kashima wins with a double-facebuster and immediately nominates herself to challenge Syuri later in the show. Pre-show wrestling matters now. *3/4
1. Future of Stardom Title: Unagi Sayaka [c] vs. Ruaka
Here is a pair of wrestlers who at least offer defined characters if not perfectly executed or conveyed pro wrestling. They delivered a spirited affair to open the show and the interference at the end was actually quite efficient. ***
2. Mina Shirakawa & Mai Sakurai vs. Rin Kadokura & Maria
Good solid second match on the card, with Shirakawa bringing the taunting and Romero Specialing and usually ensuring this was a high-energy affair. Kadokura and Maria are from the Marvelous That’s Women Pro Wrestling (!) promotion, and Kadokura hit some double stomps while Maria brought a few sweet twisty submissions. **3/4
3. High Speed Title: Starlight Kid [c] vs. Fukigen Death ★
If these two can be captured by it, I guess the dark side can get all of us. The kid and the clown had a pretty great 5-minute heel vs. heel match, probably because there wasn’t much heel work. Starlight Kid’s fluidity improves every time I see her, more impressive because she’s always moving so quickly. Fukigen Death shows skills in some rapid-fire exchanges too, especially during the first sequence that after all the jokes just blew my mind. ***
4. Artist of Stardom Title: Maika, Himeka & Natsupoi [c] vs. Momo Watanabe, Saya Kamitani & AZM
This kept a good pace for all of its’ 16 minutes, plus Himeka does a double torture rack. Kamitani continues to confound me, a trios spotfest seemingly the ideal spot for her and yet she just kind of blended in here until the end where she does a huge plancha and bumps like a freak off a lariat. ***
5. Reunion of Destiny – Hazuki Return Match: Hazuki vs. Koguma
Hazuki returns to Stardom after a nearly 2-year absence in a match with Koguma, who herself returned after a 6-year absence earlier this year, and maybe it was the beat of Hazuki’s theme but this rocked. It was the best I’ve seen Koguma look in the limited footage I have as well as a compelling performance from Hazuki, who was moving so well you wouldn’t think she had any time off. Lots of sudden bursts of whoa over 10+ fun minutes. ***1/4
6. SWA World Title & Challenge Rights Match: Syuri [c] vs. Saki Kashima
After the run Syuri had at the 5-Star Grand Prix Finals, this 12-minute match that got setup after the opener almost felt like a night off. What it lacked in epic though it made up for in just being serious down-to-earth wrestling: Syuri controls Kashima for a while like she’s some young lion, barely flinching after she manages a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and just getting back on her. Eventually, Kashima throws hands. They are effective. Then Syuri taps her out. Real wrestling. ***1/4
7. Wonder of Stardom Title: Tam Nakano [c] vs. Mayu Iwatani
For a match that runs a half-hour long without a definitive finish, this is spectacular. They pace themselves for the time but are also trying to choke each other out a few minutes in, so they are basically working the whole half-hour selling fatigue and these artists make it work. There’s a logic in the build even if the content is mostly just attempts at knocking each other out, and eventually those attempts get vicious with headbutts and full-force apron DDT’s and referees pushed away for admonishing. As the clock winds down they bring the drama, while Nakano’s face keeps saying, “really? really?”
Because she’s a professional Iwatani (who is blonde now!) throws in a gorgeous moonsault, but the trick to this match is she misses it and Nakano immediately slaps her in the face. Most main events of a certain runtime have to work towards a momentum in order to get over with the live audience, but on occasion the wrestlers are badass enough to just kick each other’s ass for an entire half-hour and make it rule. ****1/2
8. World of Stardom Title: Utami Hayashishita [c] vs. Takumi Iroha
Hayashishita may be on a collision course with Syuri, but Iroha is too good for this to be a simple B-level defense: everything from her bumps to kick combos to suplex bridges is major league. The Champ spends the bulk of her time wearing down Iroha’s leg, and as they start heading home begins to drop her from high places leading some excellent near falls. Iroha for her part gets a big one off a delightful sit-out powerbomb.
This was the type of main event that did have to work for a momentum, more traditional than the previous match and thus something that couldn’t help but feel a step behind even if it was still pretty great on its own. ****
Happy Thoughts: All hail consistency. Tam Nakano/Mayu Iwatani is one of the best matches of the year, while everything from the opening matches to midcard to main events seemed to provide just the right amount of wrestling excellence needed for the occasion. 4.0 / 5.0
