Among many championships Stardom has on the line, it’s a pair of red and white belts shaped like stars that drive the agenda. I explain this for two reasons: 1) I needed an introduction and 2) the pair holding them are headlining pro wrestling’s best PPVs. Shut up, Tony.
Instead of having one really long May pay-per-view followed by a press conference that answered questions on why it was so long, Stardom opted to host two PPVs in May: the first was in Fukuoka and the second in Tokyo where — on top of a big card featuring the return of KAIRI — Syuri and Saya Kamitani defended. their star-shaped red-and-white belts.
0. Saya Iida, Momo Kohgo & Lady C vs. Ami Sorei, Hina & Rina
Since the Stardom PPV dark match is usually a messy 5-Way Battle, the structure provided by a 6-woman tag felt practically groundbreaking. Young Ami Sourei seems like One To Watch, too. **
1. Future of Stardom Title: Hanan [c] vs. Ruaka
Ruaka wants her title back and she’ll do anything to have it: senton bomb on the apron! Kickout of a Fameasser! Kickout of Hanan’s really cool fallaway slam hold, which Captain Lou tells me is known as a blockbuster suplex hold! Soon, she stumbled into a cradle and lost. Real to-the-point kind of wrestling. **1/2
2. Unagi Sayaka, Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama vs. Suzu Suzuki, Akane Fujita & Mochi Natsumi
It was only 10 seconds after the bell that Suzu Suzuki just about smashed her elbow through poor Waka Tsukiyama’s head, and thus this battle of Cosmic Angels and Prominence settled right into its’ “beatdown part.” It was followed with some flashy wrestling and suplex setups before Suzuki went back to making Waka’s life hell: two kicks, right to the face. If she wasn’t already, Suzuki ended the match as One To Watch. ***
3. High Speed Title: AZM [c] vs. Thekla
Thekla, who as recently as the last PPV was blonde and holding the SWA World Championship, has a quirky early match routine based mostly on the ring ropes that was tailor-made to open up a High Speed Title match. They threw in some nasty kicks, AZM double stomped Thekla three times in a row, and the pace was such that when it ended after 7-and-a-half minutes with a cradle, it did come off as exciting nor a disappointment – just sort of right. ***1/4
4. SWA World Title: Mayu Iwatani [c] vs. Fukigen Death★
The clown began her campaign for a championship with the Folded Up Newspaper Attack. Mayu Iwatani carries herself with enough charm and credibility that she didn’t embarrass herself playing along with a full-on gimmick for a bit, though she did need to bust out a moonsault to win. *3/4
5. Tam Nakano & KAIRI vs. Utami Hayashishita & Miyu Amasaki
Like a project on the job, pro wrestling works best when there are well-defined roles and responsibilities. The vibe is better, message clearer, end result more rewarding.
KAIRI, making her third return to a Stardom ring in 2022, had an all-star reputation that preceded the bell and carried its way into a surly veteran presence throughout. These matches could be easy victory laps, but after spending the last couple years as a non-wrestling civilian KAIRI was laying in every strike and taking an Air Raid Crash off the top rope like a newbie trying to prove herself.
Utami Hayashishita, who made her Stardom debut around the same time Kairi won her first NXT Women’s Championship, spent the last couple years either pursuing or holding the World of Stardom Championship (that red belt). Now in the role of respected veteran and keeper of the house, the confrontation between she and KAIRI was primed for a big reaction and got it – as did KAIRI’s handshake refusal, as did KAIRI and Tam Nakano punishing the poor 2-month rookie Utami brought along as a tag partner.
The good vibes kept flowing all match as they threw in some great wrestling exchanges from some great wrestlers (and one trying to be one). Towards the end the persistence of Miyu had KAIRI reeling, though when Utami tried to rally her protégé to actually get the win she kind of stopped and was like: really? All the way through the final nasty backfist and insane elbow, a match that stayed on message (and was very rewarding for it, too). ****
6. Goddesses of Stardom Title: Hazuki & Koguma [c] vs. Giulia & Mai Sakurai
Anything this match may have lacked in defined roles or even “structure” it made up for by having a bunch of cool stuff: double elbow drop, double missile dropkick, top rope cutter, and a big-ass release German suplex from Koguma. Giulia casually dropped a couple neat suplexes during the heat and responded to a headbutt with a wild punch to the face, too. ***1/2
7. Artist of Stardom Title: Maika, Himeka & Natsupoi [c] vs. Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid & Saki Kashima
Two exchanges in this Trios Title match stood out to me for how well-constructed they were, how efficiently they used the match’s six participants in the midst of visible chaos. The first happened early: Natsupoi hit a plancha and tried to setup a triple-team attack with her girls, but was pulled to the floor the bad guys as her teammates settled for a double team only to be pulled to the floor themselves which finally setup the heels ganging up on Natsupoi.
The second came as they headed towards the close: Kashima grabbed Maika for a hold but Maika escaped, then hit the ropes only to get hit with a well-timed kendo stick shot and fall into the hold anyways for a count that would’ve been 3 if it wasn’t for a last-second save. This stuff is just beautiful sometimes, man.
The last five minutes are incredible too, with Natsupoi nearly getting the win via cradle about nine times and a franticness that eventually felt like Game 7 playoff basketball. After wrestling like it was impossible for them to do so, the good guys eventually lost their straps. Wonderful, glorious and well-designed wrestling. ****1/4
8. Wonder of Stardom Title: Saya Kamitani [c] vs. MIRAI
Other than the ability to keep up and pro wrestle in Stardom, MIRAI hadn’t really impressed me yet. She wasn’t without chances either: a challenge for the red belt in January and the Cinderella Tournament finals in April were each big spots, good matches, and overall a little disappointing.
So I’m not sure who deserves more credit that, as MIRAI just kept bringing it and Kamitani just kept refusing to accept the concept of loss, they delivered a match that was both the best MIRAI match I’ve seen and felt like another evolution of the great Saya Kamitani match, too.
After Kamitani swept the first few minutes, MIRAI was able to out-pace her running the ropes and dodged her springboard plancha by jumping on the apron — though after a struggle (and awkward wheelbarrow suplex on the apron), Kamitani made sure she hit a very good version of it. She’s maintained the flashiness but gotten surlier during her reign, really dishing out the offense to MIRAI here and trying extra hard to submit her with a simple crab hold. She was as persistent in going for the Phoenix Splash as a finish, though every time she climbed up top MIRAI seemed to pop up and follow her like a freaking zombie. By the time MIRAI actually succeeded in suplexing Kamitani down, though, she was too exhausted to really follow-up.
They threw strikes for a pretty unbelievable amount of time after that, then when Kamitani finally succeeded in at least launching the Phoenix splash MIRAI shocked the world by moving. She moved right into her keylock too, which Kamitani just endured. A few more tremendous near falls followed, including a last-minute sunset flip by MIRAI that was just phenomenal, before someone, one of them, finally could not go on. ****1/2
9. World of Stardom Title: Syuri [c] vs. Risa Sera
How do you follow up the match that has everything? Well — it’s pretty hard! And neither Syuri or Risa Sera seemed especially inspired to take on the challenge. Formerly of the Ice Ribbon promotion, Sera arrives with the presence of an outsider jerk and offensive slate that really ran the gauntlet: crab hold, pendulum swing, kendo stick, buckle bomb. Syuri sold it all admirably enough, though by the time they were furiously trading strikes it didn’t hit even half as much as the last match’s same spot.
Interference and a well-placed kendo stick shot to Syuri’s forehead followed, then an Air Raid Crash to the floor which by that point felt just egregious. Syuri finally snapped and broke the kendo stick into splinters before lawn darting Sera into the corner and ending her in about 15 minutes, a 90-second sequence that really could’ve saved everyone a lot of time. Overstuffed match, badass finish. ***
Happy Thoughts: Excellent show top-to-bottom that just kept getting better, with the one stinker at least having a purpose as a come-down between the excellence. If the red and white belts swapped spots, this is the Show of the Year. It’ll still rank high either way. 4.5 / 5.0
