Stardom hosted Tokyo Cinderella Journey at Yoyogi National Stadium Gymnasium #2 on the Fourth of March, featuring three title defenses plus the semi-finals and finals of the first Stardom Triangle Derby, a round-robin trios tournament that asked the question: what if Stardom did another tournament?
0. Future of Stardom Title #1 Contender’s 3-Way Battle: Miyu Amasaki vs. Hina vs. Rina
This had more to it than your average pre-show 3-Way Battle, but it still was. **3/4
0. Utami Hayashishita & Lady C vs. Ram Kaichow & Maika Ozaki
Utami’s presence meant this had more to it than maybe any pre-show Stardom match I’ve ever seen, actually. Lady C stunting on Ram for being short and Ozaki beating Utami in a clothesline battle were good fun too. ***
1. Mina Shirakawa, Mariah May & Waka Tsukiyama vs. Maika, Mai Sakurai & Thekla
Mina’s holds were tight, her bumps were expressive, and her figure-four leglock could steal one’s soul from their leg. Waka went for it too: tried to choke out Maika, traded elbows with Mai, and got commentary to name-drop “fighting spirit” when she was taking some kicks. Mina and Waka ran this very good match. ***1/4
2. Mayu Iwatani, Koguma, Hanan, Saya Iida & Momo Kohgo vs. Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe, Saki Kashima, Ruaka & Fukigen Death★
This 10-woman tag had more people than action, if that’s measurable. The STARS’ babyface double-teams – dropkicks, back elbows, 619s and facebusters to name four – were pleasant enough, made less so when Fukigen rolled up Kohgo to win. **3/4
3. Triangle Derby I – Semi Final: Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei vs. Tam Nakano, Natsupoi & SAKI
This was filled with all sorts of great stuff, limited only by the runtime and probably one of the teams having another match later. Based on a couple minutes of kicks and suplexes, I’m pretty sure Syuri and Nat have a future classic in them too. ***1/2
4. Triangle Derby I – Semi Final: Nanae Takahashi, Yuu & Yuna Mizumori vs. Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki & Kurumi Hiragi
The last match could’ve been hard to follow but they packed this with action too, plus more punching and a triple barrel roll to the floor. Risa’s Prominence crew was popular with the crowd and spent a little time on Mizumori with a beatdown that peaked on a sweet double kneedrop / backdrop suplex combo, then Mizumori managed a couple cradle 2-counts before Prominence advanced. ***1/2
5. Special Singles Match: Himeka vs. Chihiro Hashimoto
Sendai Girls’ Hashimoto once again wiped the floor with a Stardom regular while having a great match that had the crowd chanting for the Stardom regular. Only when she paused to gloat during an elbow exchange did Himeka manage any offense and she didn’t get much after that. Hash caught (caught!) a jumping knee strike then won with a Big Lariat and Big Powerbomb. Syuri stepped up afterwards, so there’s another cool upcoming match. ***1/2
6. Wonder of Stardom Title: Saya Kamitani [c] vs. Hazuki
Even the best champion’s matches can feel formulaic 15 defenses in, so it was cool when this challenge had so many twists on the formula. Hazuki wrestled like a pest who just wouldn’t let Saya do her thing — the springboards and splashes were still there, but she really had to work for them (or do more of them). The crowd rallied behind Hazuki as she worked through her own signatures and I may’ve even bought a near fall or two. Saya’s standard finish eventually came, though she did need three Star Crushers instead of one. ****1/4
7. High Speed Title: AZM [c] vs. Starlight Kid
AZM beat Starlight Kid for the High Speed Title a year ago and this rematch didn’t feel so transcendent but it was still pretty great. They tried everything from a plancha to an Asai moonsault to a stretch muffler to a double foot stomp to a double foot stomp on the arm to the old reliable rollup… to a Spanish Fly countered with a la magistral cradle to a tilt-a-whirl Fujiwara armbar to a Canadian Destroyer to, finally, a submission hold where AZM trapped Kid’s arm and pulled it back for a full minute until she tapped. Some of AZM’s defenses have felt like her initiating a newcomer into the High Speed style and eventually wearing them out; this felt like two experts at the style going hold-for-hold and move-for-move until someone got caught. ****
8. World of Stardom Title: Giulia [c] vs. Maya Yukihi
Giulia’s second defense was against Ice Ribbon’s Maya Yukihi, and it was split pretty evenly between the ring and the floor. That created a fun atmosphere if not one that felt like a World of Stardom Title main event (I guess technically it wasn’t). They traded holds and elbows inside the ring and outside of it each took something scary through a table (piledriver to Maya, Tiger Driver to Giulia), the latter of which led to a double countout. ***1/2
9. Triangle Derby I – Final: Syuri, MIRAI & Ami Sohrei vs. Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki & Kurumi Hiragi
Prominence brought a chair! To a WRESTLING MATCH! Risa powerbombed Syuri and Syuri German suplexed Risa! Suzu took a beating then MIRAI got dropped on her head and crushed with Risa’s double kneedrop! Suzu German supexed MIRAI but MIRAI got up and hit a lariat but Suzu got up and hit a poison rana! This delivered just enough, though not much much more than either semi-final. ***1/2
Happy Thoughts: Himeka/Hashimoto, Kamitani/Hazuki and AZM/Kid back-to-back-to-back made this a win, though they would’ve probably made for a better close than the actual two main events. 3.75 / 5.0
