SHOW REPORT: Stardom in Osaka 2024 Oct (Friday, 11th October 2024)

Notes

• Ami Sohrei will be absent from all cards as she begins the process of recovering from ACL and meniscus tears in her knee.
• Kaori Yoneyama – more commonly known as Fukigen Death in Stardom – has also suffered an ACL tear and will be out of action for a year.
• Saki Kashima will be absent for the next set of Stardom shows as she begins the process of recovering from a ‘nagging’ injury, though she will still be present as a ringside second and at photo signings. There is currently no information regarding a return date.
• Attendance Note: 48th time Stardom have run the venue in their history, and the 8th time this year. Average attendance at the venue is 423, with this show being down by around 32% from the last time they ran the venue (the seventh night of the 5Star Grand Prix 2024 on the 20th August). 344 marks the 4th highest attendance of the year for Stardom in EDION Arena Osaka #2.
  

Quick Results

• Tag Team Match: EXV (HANAKO & Waka Tsukiyama) def. Peach Rock (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) w/ Shirsagi (11:11)
• Three-Way Match: Hanan def. Ruaka & Rian w/ Blockbuster Hold (7:44)
• 6-Woman Tag Team Match: H.A.T.E (Natsuko Tora, Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani) def. God’s Eye (Syuri, Lady C & Ranna Yagami) w/ Death Valley Bomb (12:57)
• 6-Woman Tag Team Match: EXV (Maika, Mina Shirakawa & Xena) def. STARS (Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida) w/ Glamorous Collection MINA (15:59)
• 10-Woman Tag Team Match: Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Saori Anou, Sayaka Kurura & Yuna Mizumori) def. NEO-GENESIS (Starlight Kid, AZM, Suzu Suzuki, Mei Seira & Miyu Amasaki) w/ TP Sunshine (18:38)

The Undercard

Another match where Momo looks good – especially in her exchanges with HANAKO – but one where her endeavour ends with her being overpowered. (***1/4)

Infinitely more fun than it had any right to be. Rian and Hanan’s exchanges were good, especially towards the end of the match, whilst Ruaka’s heat on Rian built good support for the rookie. Rian’s improvement continues to be more and more evident. (***)

Despite the predictability of the opening that sees H.A.T.E jump the bell and then go chair bowling, this does grow into another entertaining multi-woman match, not least because of the performance of Ranna Yagami. The Beat Striker’s underdog fighting spirit underpinned a lot of this match, and this was capped off by a well-executed blind interference spot leading to the finish. (***1/4)

Main Event Matches

This match serves to highlight exactly why STARS in any iteration are the most entertaining faction in Stardom. From the comedy of Koguma – accented in this match by her falling from the top rope and getting herself caught in a bizarre position whilst the rest of her team fell about laughing – to the aggression and fire of Hazuki and Saya – who seemingly opts to try and break a world record for most chops landed on poor Mina – the group gel like no other. Hazuki and Maliki briefly revisit their excellent 5Star match ahead of them teaming in Fukuoka alongside Koguma in November, before Mina and Saya take home a thoroughly entertaining match. (***1/2)

If there is somehow anyone left that doubts how Yuna will fair in the High-Speed division, her opening exchange with Mei Seira should allay any of those fears, with the pair then proving it not to be a fluke by repeating it during an explosive closing sequence. This is by far the best match on the card, it’s given the most time and does a tremendous job of highlighting the different fledgling feuds, whilst also reminding you how frightening quick and smooth everyone is. Sayaka Kurura fits in extremely well with the Cosmic Angels team and, similarly to Rian earlier on the card, is improving at a fantastic rate of knots; her firing up at AZM a particular highlight. Natsupoi and Kid gave us a brief moment of brilliance amid a teased feud for the White Belt while Saori Anou reminded everyone how velvet-smooth and technically fantastic her movements are in her exchange with AZM. Amasaki has a brand-new air of confidence having dethroned Rina for the Future Belt, but this match is all about Yuna and Mei, whose two blistering sequences to book-end this match are absolutely breath-taking at times, and accent an incredibly entertaining encounter. (****)

You can check out the Stardom roster win/loss records for 2024 right here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/103h_Y27csTgcS-CcBwswaj-D7hVazTC_Wn0SPn0BZBM/edit

You can check out a comprehensive run down of the Stardom Championship Histories here; https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-Dk6T0ukSXm6R8eOTQU96i4rsfoy34wnz0-rKP5mwmQ/edit

Upcoming Shows

• Saturday 12th October – Stardom in Komatsu 2024 Oct, Ishikawa Suehiro Gymnasium, Komatsu City (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Monday 14th October – Stardom in Toyama 2024 Oct, Bolfert Toyama, Toyama (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 19th October – New Blood 16, BelleSalle Shinjuku Grand, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Sunday 20th October – Stardom in Fuji 2024 Oct, Fujisan Messe, Shizuoka (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 27th October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 ~Opening Round~ in Shinjuku, Shinjuku Sumitomo Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Sunday 28th October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 in Korakuen, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Thursday 31st October – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 in Takamatsu, Takamatsu Symbol Tower, Kagawa (VIDEO ON DEMAND)