SHOW REPORT: Stardom Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 – Night 4 (Saturday, 2nd November 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. Ranna Yagami will replace her in the 5Star Grand Prix.
• 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.
• Xena has suffered a ligament injury in her knee, and will be out of action for an undisclosed period of time.
• This show marks the return to in-ring action of Hanan, who has been out of action due to an undisclosed injury since 12th October.
• Attendance Notes: This is the first time Stardom have ever run Munakata YURIX Event Hall in the 20 times they have been in Fukuoka. Ordinarily, the company have run ACROS Fukuoka or the Fukuoka International Center in more recent times, or Nishitetsu Hall and Hakata Starlanes in the company’s earlier days. The 764 announced attendance is an 11% increase on the 691 that Stardom drew to ACROS Fukuoka in May 2024 – the last time they were in Fukuoka – which was main-evented by Fukuoka Double Crazy vs. Crazy Star for the Goddesses of Stardom Championships.

Current Block Standings (Before 2nd November 2024)

Quick Results

• Six-Way Match: Momo Kohgo def. Saya Kamitani, Hanan, Mina Shirakawa, Syuri & Rian w/ Nectar Peach (8:24)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: SaoriPoi (Saori Anou & Natsupoi) (6) def. Team Classroom (0) (Lady C & Hina) w/ Pottering (11:46)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddess Match: BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka) (2) def. 02 Line (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) (0) w/ Azumi Sushi Reversal (11:50)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: Star Fox (Mei Seira & Kohaku) (2) def. Sakuradamon (Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura) (0) w/ Paquete (11:50)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddess Match: Tokimeki Purin a la Mode (Tam Nakano & Sayaka Kurura) (2) def. Inaba & Yagami (Tomoka Inaba & Ranna Yagami) (0) w/ Violet Screwdriver (15:36)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: DEVIL/PRINCESS (Rina & Azusa Inaba) (2) def. Mad Tiger Girl (Suzu Suzuki & Starlight Kid) (0) w/ Roll-Up (13:10)
• Hazuki, Koguma & Maika Triumphal Return Match: Fukuoka Triple Crazy (Maika, Hazuki & Koguma) def. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saya Iida) & HANAKO w/ Michinoku Driver II (22:43)

Undercard

It’s your typical multi-woman fun to open up the show in Fukuoka, which veers from the comedic – when Mina attempts to tempt Syuri and Hanan into a dance, or when we get the inevitable five-woman Neckscissors chain – to the aggressive. The latter is reserved for Saya Kamitani and Syuri, who brawl from the ring all the way up the stairs and into the crowd as the match continues without them. Meanwhile in-ring, Momo Kohgo takes the initiative and deposits Hanan out of the ring, kicks Mina out of the way and hoists Rian into the Nectar Peach for the win. A nice little reward for some really good recent in-ring showings! (**3/4)

Just as they did in Korakuen Hall when looking to embarrass Aya Sakura, SaoriPoi once again target Hina following a spirited exchange between Lady C and Natsupoi. Both former-champions seem to revel in teaming against the Azure Fighter, laughing as they bend the rules behind the referee’s back. Of course, this comes with a comeuppance as Lady C then sends both Poi and Anou for a Giant Swing. In fact, following this, SaoriPoi take things considerably more seriously, and once Hina is tagged in once again, a far more even sprint to the finish begins. It even looks like Hina might be able to snatch the victory, but ultimately it’s Saori Anou that gets the decisive victory, tying Hina up in the Pottering, and ensuring the SaoriPoi continue their perfect start to the tournament. (***1/4)

At 0-2 in the tournament so far, and staring down the barrel of a third straight defeat, it’s perhaps unsurprising that it’s 02 Line that attack before the bell, looking for any sort of impetus. Unfortunately for them, it backfires in very quick time, with the brawl suiting BMI2000 to a tee, before Ruaka and Tora then take it in turns to bully AZM. Miyu shows a lot of heart and lot of fire in the face of Tora, with her resilience giving her several pockets of really good offence, but in truth, 02 Line never really feel like winning this match until the very closing seconds. After AZM and Ruaka take turns kicking out of a Freezer Bomb and a Diving Double Foot stomp, it looks like the High-Speed Bomb Girl might finally build some momentum by rolling Ruaka into the Azumi Sushi after Tora accidentally clobbers Ruaka with the crate. But alas, no. Ruaka rolls through and keeps AZM’s shoulders to the mat for the victory, giving BMI2000 their first win of this year’s tournament. It does also leave 02 Line teetering dangerously close to early elimination at 0-3, in spite of being one of the early favourites to make it into one of the three qualification spots. (***1/4)

There is so much to love in this match-up, and that is beautifully exemplified by the friendly reminder Mei and Yuna give us during the opening of their fantastic High-Speed Championship match at Korakuen Hall. This match however, I want to focus on the work done by Kohaku and Aya Sakura, because this pairing is fantastic. From Kohaku’s early power exchanges with Yuna, to Aya transitioning seamlessly to wrestling one style of match against Mei, to another against Kohaku in what was a fantastic closing stretch. Even the finish itself is executed perfectly, with a blistering stretch capped off with an ingenious roll-up variation she calls Paquete. Sure, this defeat leaves Sakuradomon with 0 points and at the foot of the block, but the performances, crowd reaction to them, and the almost unparalleled fighting spirit might be worth so much more in the long run. Another excellent show for Yuna and Aya, who are fast becoming one my favourite teams to watch! (***3/4)

There’s a couple of interesting through-lines in this match, with Ranna Yagami and Sayaka Kurura having debuted on the same show back in 2023, and Tomoka Inaba and Tam Nakano having met in the 5Star Grand Prix this year, with Inaba picking up the victory. In spite of some really good work from Yagami and Kurura, especially with Yagami’s working of the arm, it’s Tam and Inaba that provide the most captivating highlights of this match, even more so given that Inaba is technically owed a Red Belt match courtesy of that 5Star Grand Prix victory. We do get a few callbacks to that match of course, most notably Inaba locking in the same Ankle Lock that got her the victory back in August. Nakano however is a completely different person than she was during that tournament, and that begins to show as she begins to capitalise on her momentum. Inaba does kick out of a Tiger Suplex but is then pulverised by a double-team Spear and Neckbreaker combination. Following this, Tam is able to hoist Inaba up into the Violet Screwdriver the win, and give TPALM their first win of the tournament. Yes, Inaba and Yagami may have lost, but the tantalising promise of a potential Red Belt match between the pair is more than enough for now! (***3/4)

Main Event Matches

Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: DEVIL/PRINCESS (Rina & Azusa Inaba) (2) def. Mad Tiger Girl (Suzu Suzuki & Starlight Kid) (0) – This will be Mad Tiger Girl’s first outing in the tournament, and it will be interesting to see the chemistry between the two considering that fact this team here has been put together in lieu of former-Goddesses of Stardom Champions Crazy Star! However, those questions – if there ever truly were any – are quashed almost immediately as the pair divide and conquer against DEVIL/PRINCESS, with the two enjoying early Stereo Drive-Bys and performing their signature Stereo Dropkicks. Suzu is undoubtedly the muscle, and pairs off well with Inaba – who it still baffles me is only a year into her career – muscling and kicking each other around the ring until Suzuki clatters into her with a Spear. That being said, the main crux of the match is the square off between former-Young OED teammates Starlight Kid and Rina. There’s no friendliness there, perhaps unsurprising when you consider Kid’s unceremonious exit from Oedo Tai in April, and the pair begin leathering each other with forearms, Kid even going so far as to remove both her gloves in order to get a better purchase on the strikes. She also delivers a solitary yet brutally-solid chop to Rina’s chest to grab the ascendancy, but despite the Ki-cherman, the Star Suplex, and an assisted Dolphin Buster from Suzu, there’s no keeping DEVIL/PRINCESS down. And that’s where tag team chemistry can often come into play. Suzu and Kid have tagged a handful of times together, whilst DEVIL/PRINCESS are the New Blood Tag Team Champions, and know each other’s games well, allowing them to be seemingly far more in sync. Inaba is able to come to the rescue on multiple occasions, with this evoking an unexpected yet brilliant closing sprint between Rina and Kid. It’s a shock therefore, that after a breathless back-and-forth of roll-up attempts that Rina is able to stack Kid up on her shoulders and grab a handful of tights to secure what is certainly a shock victory. Mad Tiger Girl have obviously got plenty of time to course correct, but it does show that simply having an abundance of talent in your team won’t always secure the win over tag team synergy! (****)

Hazuki, Koguma & Maika Triumphal Return Match: Fukuoka Triple Crazy (Maika, Hazuki & Kohuma) def. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saya Iida) & HANAKO – This match has ‘house show’ written all over it, and I mean this in the best possible way. There’s such a positive buzz around the venue and this permeates into the wrestlers who genuinely seem to be having the absolute time of their lives. And that’s probably the word I would use to describe this match-up in general – fun! Fukuoka Triple Crazy are clearly elated to be back in their hometown, and they get a suitably raucous reception from the 700+ strong crowd. Such is the energy in the room and smiles plastered over Hazuki, Koguma and Maika’s faces, that it rubs off on both Mayu and Saya Iida, who seem determined to play their part in what is a fantastically enjoyable match. From Mayu and Koguma’s completely over-the-top Kuma exchange that ends with Iwatani getting wholesale booed, to the subsequent chase that devolves into a walking chase down the stairs as Mayu apparently realise her own penchant for clumsiness. That aside, Koguma is without doubt the MVP of this match, rocketing between the comedy with Mayu, to getting obliterated with chops by Saya Iida, to then trying to perform some of her own at the vocal behest of the Fukuoka crowd. Maika attempts a kip-up which she unfortunately fails spectacularly at, but that only seems to fuel her in those final exchanges between her and Mayu and her and HANAKO. Incidentally, HANAKO appears to be the only person in this match who didn’t get the memo about this being a relaxed style of match, as she looks to go hell for leather at every opportunity, seeing this more as a chance to mix it up with the biggest stars in Stardom. Her brief exchanges with Hazuki and her excellent closing stint with Maika to finish out the match give her the opportunity to do just that, and she doesn’t feel in any way the outlier. The fun has to come to an end though, and it’s Maika that delivers the final blow, planting HANAKO with the Michinoku Driver II before we embark on some wholesome post-match frivolity! I’m often asked what matches I would show someone trying to get into Stardom for the first time and, though the obvious recommendations of Io matches and Syuri vs. Utami are also a phenomenal starting point, this sort of fun multi-woman match is exactly the gateway you need to being enjoying Stardom! (****1/4)

Block Standings

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

• Sunday 3rd November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 5, Ozu Arena, Oita (LIVE)
• Monday 4th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 6, UMK Sports Studio, Miyazaki (LIVE)
• Saturday 9th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 7, New Pier Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Sunday 10th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 8, TKP Garden City, Chiba (LIVE)
• Monday 11th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 9, Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (LIVE)
• Saturday 16th November – New Blood West 2, Azalea Taisho Hall, Osaka (LIVE/YouTube)
• Sunday 17th November – NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over II, EDION Arena Osaka, Osaka (PPV)
• Wednesday 20th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 10, Aomori Budokan, Tohaku (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Thursday 21st November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 11, Akita Furusato Village Dome Theatre, Tohaku (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 23rd November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 12, Aztec Museum Sendai Industrial Exhibition Hall, Miyagi (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Sunday 24th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 13, Big Palette Fukushima, Koriyama City (VIDEO ON DEMAND)
• Saturday 30th November – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 14, Ishibashi Sports Center, Tochigi (LIVE)
• Sunday 1st December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 15, DUO CEREZO, Niigata (TBA)
• Saturday 7th December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 16, Act City Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu (TBA)
• Sunday 8th December – Goddesses of Stardom Tag League – Night 17, Act City Hamamatsu, Hamamatsu (TBA)