The 12th Goddess of Stardom Tag League ran from October 23 to December 4, with stops on the way at a Goddess Festival (11/3), Gold Rush (11/19), Historic X-Over (11/20) and Showcase Vol. 3 (11/26). Sixteen teams entered two blocks of eight and wrestled each team in their block for point supremacy (2 for win, 1 for draw) and standings going into tonight are listed below:
Blue Goddess Block:
1. MaiHime (Maika & Himeka) [10]
2. 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi & Yuu) [9]
3. BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka) [8]
4. FWC (Hazuki & Koguma) [8] – 2021 Winners
5. The New Eras (Mirai & Ami Sohrei) [7]
6. 02 line (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) [2]
7. wing★gori (Hanan & Saya Iida) [2]
8. Kawild Venus (SAKI & Waka Tsukiyama) [2]
Red Goddess Block:
1. meltear (Tam Nakano & Natsupoi) [10]
2. Mafia Bella (Giulia & Thekla) [8]
3. AphrOditE (Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani) [8]
4. Karate Brave (Syuri & Tomoka Inaba) [7]
4. Black Desire (Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid) [7]
5. Peach☆Rock (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) [4]
5. We Love Tokyo Sports (Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death★) [4]
6. Mai Fair Lady (Mai Sakurai & Lady C) [0]
Nine block matches remained, and some would decide who advanced to the Finals — TONIGHT!! It all went down at the Makuhari Messe outside Tokyo.
1. Goddess of Stardom – Blue Goddess: AZM & Miyu Amasaki vs. SAKI & Waka Tsukiyama
All action for 6-and-a-half minutes, among the moves packed in here were a flying crossbody, Romero Special, Michinoku Driver, brainbuster, draping Flatliner, crap Tiger suplex, double footstomp. Miyu eventually scored her first win of the tourney, though she looked a little off toward the end there if I’m giving notes. **3/4
2. Goddess of Stardom – Blue Goddess: MIRAI & Ami Sohrei vs. Hanan & Saya Iida
Bruisers. Babyfaces. This was the situation before the bell but more impressive, it stayed that way the whole time. MIRAI was a dick then got a receipt from Hanan before Saya chopped the shit out of both bruisers. The good guys almost put Ami away before a MIRAI clothesline set things straight. ***1/2
3. Goddess of Stardom – Blue Goddess: Hazuki & Koguma vs. Maika & Himeka
This match delivered a Codebreaker and kicks, a Koguma crossbody and Hazuki tope, but more than anything? It brought the spirit. ***
4. Goddess of Stardom – Blue Goddess: Nanae Takahashi & Yuu vs. Natsuko Tora & Ruaka
I don’t know why this was the second longest match on the show (the longest being the Finals, also with Nanae and Yuu) but once they got in the ring there was some good wrestling here: Yuu and Tora hossed out, Nanae and Ruaka traded intensity, and after another misfired Oedo Tai run-in a couple frog splashes and the Refrigerator Bomb sent 7Upp to the Finals. ***1/4
5. Goddess of Stardom – Red Goddess: Syuri & Tomoka Inaba vs. Mai Sakurai & Lady C
Syuri and Inaba performed a dead serious karate routine for their entrance, then during the match got caught in a double Cobra Twist from Lady C — it was a stretch. Eventually they got it together, though a miscue from their opponents was still needed to win. This was probably the most I’ve ever seen Lady C do and it wasn’t bad. Good? Let me think about it. ***
6. Goddess of Stardom – Red Goddess: Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo vs. Saki Kashima & Fukigen Death★
This was the, uh, comic relief. Kashima did a variety of cradles and the clown avoided a 619 and generally clowned around. The cradle exchange between Iwatani and Kashima at the end was pretty good. **1/4
7. Goddess of Stardom – Red Goddess: Giulia & Thekla vs. Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid
On tap was brawling and hair-pulling, elbows and kicks, a double knee smash and double elbow drop and spear and the B-Driver and a moonsault and the Kuro Tora Tenbatsu – these are just some of pro wrestling’s things. There was plenty of action and DDM’s mafia get-up really is swell , but overall this didn’t feel good or interesting enough to be the thing that kept DDM from 10 points and the Finals. ***
8. Goddess of Stardom – Red Goddess: Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani vs. Tam Nakano & Natsupoi
Four of Stardom’s best in-ring talents (Saya and Tam are currently neck-and-neck for my Stardom wrestler of the year, if that means anything to you) came together and had a very good match, though not an outstanding one. It was 10 minutes and filled with high-quality action, but also it was 10 minutes and one team was wrestling 20 more right after. So, it was complicated.
Saya and Nat tore it up, then the Cosmic Angels isolated Saya until a spinning wheel kick brought in Utami to trade German suplexes with Tam. This began a heck of a finishing sequence (though not an outstanding one) as the Angels tried to either save each other or end the match, culminating when Utami dropped Tam on her head so she couldn’t make the save after Saya’s 450 splash on Nat. ***1/2
9. Goddess of Stardom – Final: Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani vs. Nanae Takahashi & Yuu
Utami & Saya won the Red Goddess block with 10 points plus tie-breaker wins over Nakano & Natsupoi and Giulia & Thekla. They were a little fatigued, so attacked with dropkicks immediately.
Nanae & Yuu won the Blue block with 11 points, and what Stardom’s old hero (Nanae) may lack in “athleticism” or “excitement” she made up for with all sorts of posturing opposite Stardom’s new heroes, as well as Yuu who provided both.
Utami and Saya hit plenty of big moves – an Air Raid Crash, springboard dropkick, springboard plancha, and double missile dropkick among them – but Saya missed the 450 and wheel kicked Utami by mistake. Yuu hit the cannonball but Saya reversed a powerbomb with a hurricanrana, so Yuu just hit another cannonball followed by a second-rope splash that seemed to exhaust Saya’s tank once and for all.
Yuu keeps impressing and Nanae is a certified legend, but the decision to have them go all the way gave the Finals a ceiling. It was another good match only lacking when judged against the other matches that’ve held the same spot, and it didn’t really make the case for all these tournaments either. Anyways, the Stardom Triangle Derby starts first thing in January. ***1/2
Happy Thoughts: What we had here were a bunch of tag matches. Nearly all of them were good, though only some of them stood out. Considering Stardom’s PPV track record it felt like a disappointment even if compared to other wrestling it was still pretty good. 3.0 / 5.0
