SHOW REPORT: Stardom Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 – Night 5 (Sunday, 3rd 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.
• 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.
• Attendance Notes: This show marks the first that Stardom have run in Kyushu and to be more specific Oita, with the reported attendance for the show being 341.

Current Block Standings (Before 3rd November 2024)

Quick Results

• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: Star Fox (Mei Seira & Kohaku) (4) def. Team Classroom (Lady C & Hina) (0) w/ Double Arm T (10:33)
• Three-Way Match: HANAKO def. Rian & Syuri w/ Shirasagi (6:22)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: SaoriPoi (Natsupoi & Saori Anou) (8) def. DEVIL/PRINCESS (Rina & Azusa Inaba) (2) w/ Fairy Magic (11:27)
• 4-Way Tag Team Match: Peach Rock (Mayu Iwatani & Momo Kohgo) def. BMI2000 (Natsuko Tora & Ruaka), EXV (Maika & Mina Shirakawa) & Sakuradamon (Yuna Mizumori & Aya Sakura) w/ German Suplex (7:43)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddess Match: Fukuoka Double Crazy (Hazuki & Koguma) (6) def. Inaba & Yagami (Tomoka Inaba & Ranna Yagami) (0) w/ Diving Senton (15:10)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: Mad Tiger Girl (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) (2) def. Tokimeki Purin a la Mode (Tam Nakano & Sayaka Kurura) (2) w/ Tensai (13:21)
• Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: Mad Tiger Girl (Starlight Kid & Suzu Suzuki) (2) def. Winggori (Hanan & Saya Iida) (0) w/ (14:36)

Undercard

Team Classroom are one of the last teams left with no points in the tournament – discounting Winggori and H.A.T.E Supreme who are yet to have a block match – and Lady C attacks the opening as though she is determined to right that wrong. However, the moment Hina is tagged in, Mei Seira in particular ramps up the intensity with a volley of Dropkicks in the corner. That being said, she does pay the price when she subsequently eats a whole host of chops at the hands of Lady C, before Kohoku and Lady embark on a great sequence that now makes me want to see them have a singles match and be given free reign. Mei and Kohaku’s chemistry is improving all the time, evident in the way they take the closing stretch by the scruff of the neck. Kohaku hits Lady C with the Double Arm T (her version of Miyu Amasaki’s Tensai) for the victory ensuring that Star Fox, after dropping their opening match to SaoriPoi, have now won their last two. The wait for Team Classroom’s first win of the tournament continues, and with teams around them continuing to win, it could be a long way back for them! (***1/4)

Now I must admit, when I saw the two women that Rian was taking on in this three-way, I feared for her safety, completely forgetting that she is actually in the same faction as HANAKO. Therefore, they actually team up to get the early advantage on Syuri. It doesn’t last of course because it’s a three-way and it never does, but it does mean that Rian gets in a little more offence than I initially thought she would. It’s actually the two members of EXV that are holding court at the end of the match, with Syuri stuck on the outside as every time she tries to enter the ring, one of Rian or HANAKO hits the ropes and unknowingly knocks her off again. This gives HANAKO the time to lock in the Shirasagi and haul Rian into the air, giving her EXV teammate no choice but to submit. (**1/2)

In truth, SaoriPoi have moved to 6 points in this tournament without reaching top gear, and this has been embodied by the way that have taken their time mockingly taking apart the likes of Aya Sakura and Hina. This match immediately devolves into something different as DEVIL/PRINCESS attack before the bell and then spend at least 80% of the remainder on top. In many ways, this is a completely different challenge for SaoriPoi, who have to fight from underneath and see so much of their endeavour be for nought due to DEVIL/PRINCESS’s own bending – and in some cases downright breaking – of the rules. This could be a result of potential complacency as well, with errant kicks going astray and DEVIL/PRINCESS able to seemingly pick them apart at will. Natsupoi misses the Fairial Gift after being locked in the Hydrangea twice, and it seems when Rina has Poi on her back ready for the Pink Devil, that we are now waiting for inevitable. However, as she often does, Poi is able to manoeuvre herself into the Fairy Magic to surprise victory. Hardly the most convincing victory, but the numbers don’t lie and SaoriPoi sit on top of the block – unbeaten – with 8 points. DEVIL/PRINCESS have proved that they can easily hang with the big guns, having already sealed their shock win over Mad Tiger Girl last night, and will be mightily disappointed not to emerge from this match with something! (***1/2)

A nice little palette cleanse before we go haring headlong into what look like three fantastic Goddess of Stardom Tag League block matches to round us out in Oita. With the amount of bodies in the ring and given the relatively short run time, the match is obviously incredibly frenetic, with everyone just getting enough time to get their stuff in. Aya Sakura bears the brunt of the offence, especially from BMI2000 and Peach Rock, with the latter managing to isolate her at the end and plant her with Stereo Superkicks before Mayu hoists her into a Bridging German Suplex for the win. If nothing else, this helps Peach Rock to build a little bit of momentum following back-to-back defeats, especially as they are facing one of the tournament favourites – and fellow STARS members – FWC tomorrow night! (***)

It’s the 11th Anniversary of Koguma’s debut match in Stardom here tonight – a 2013 match where she would lose in 7 minutes to Natsuki Taiyo – and all she wants is for Ranna Yagami to do the Kuma Dance. Yagami is conflicted, but Syuri comes out and demands loudly that she not do it. After stopping the crowd, and a thoroughly excitable Taro Okada, from cheering the bear shenanigans, the match gets underway with a newly galvanised Yagami refusing the Kuma Dance emphatically. She pays for her transgressions with FWC ganging up on her until Inaba can finally tag in. We are teased with an Inaba and Hazuki exchange, which we all now will be fantastic, but it’s Yagami who then comes in for a huge stretch at the end to showcase just how phenomenally she has progressed recently, and it’s her run with Hazuki that excites me the most. Just as it looks like Ranna may be able to overpower The Wildheart, it becomes very obvious that the latter was simply biding her time for Yagami to wear herself out so that FWC could immediately pounce and showcase why there are one of the best tag teams in the world. Ranna never recovers, and Hazuki crashes onto her with an enormous Diving Senton to secure the victory, moving FWC to six points. As Koguma forces Ranna to do the Kuma pose, we get a staredown between Hazuki and Tomoka Inaba, seemingly enforcing that that is the exciting direction in which we are headed! (***3/4)

Main Event Matches

Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Red Goddess Match: 02 Line (AZM & Miyu Amasaki) (2) def. Tokimeki Purin a la Mode (Tam Nakano & Sayaka Kurura) (2) – We could be seeing another potential Future of Stardom Championship match-up here as Miyu Amasaki and Sayaka Kurura open proceedings. From the way Kurura has improved in confidence, in-ring and in general aura, I don’t think a single person would be upset if it were to main event a New Blood event in the near future. 02 Line are desperately short of points and wins, and know that another loss here could be curtains on their tournament. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that Amasaki, and in particular AZM, spend the opening throes of this match dominating Kurura. Things ramp up in intensity when Tam enters the fray and we see her matching up with AZM. Similarly to Tomoka Inaba yesterday, AZM is surely entitled to a Red Belt shot after beating her in the 5Star Grand Prix. We know what these two can produce together, but rather than AZM being the aggressor as was the case in their 5Star match, its a rejuvenated Tam that dictates the pace, hauling her team back into it before once again tagging in Sayaka Kurura. Her and Miyu explode into the closing stretch, with AZM and Tam being rather bit part players, relegated to breaking up pinfalls and stopping the other from making their way in. It’s a huge compliment to Miyu and Sayaka that I’m not yearning for more Tam and AZM in the match, as the pair careen through their repertoire. Miyu slowly begins to break Sayaka down, targeting the neck bit-by-bit with her DDT variations, getting close two counts with both the Hammerlock DDT and Amanohashiate. Kurura stays alive though, and demonstrates how careful Miyu needs to be after slamming into her with the Spear for a close count of her own. The cumulative damage that Miyu has been doing to Kurura’s neck though ultimately proves too much, and the Future of Stardom Champion is able to make her advantage count, planting the Excited Spear with the Tensai to give 02 Line their first points of the tournament. (***3/4)

Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2024 Blue Goddess Match: Mad Tiger Girl (Starlight Kid & Suzu Suzuki) (2) def. Winggori (Hanan & Saya Iida) (0) – Even though Hanan has only been out of action for less than a month, it doesn’t stop me missing Winggori and being in eager anticipation of their first match in the tournament. This absence also made me completely forget about the swords that the pair had started bringing to the ring at the tail-end of their New Blood Tag Team Championship reign; I am absolutely on board for it! Twice in this year’s 5Star Grand Prix we were blessed with Hanan vs. Suzu, and their heated rivalry has clearly not been healed with the passage of time. The pair snatch at each other’s hair, but it is Starlight Kid that takes the aggressive front foot against the Young Lioness. Having had history together as a part of STARS before Starlight Kid’s turn to the darkside, it’s fair to say that these two know each other quite well and this is of huge benefit to Kid. Not only is she able to anticipate a whole host of Hanan’s offence, but she is able to counter it into a particularly savage and sustained attack on her right leg. It’s only when Saya Iida inserts herself into the match in order to bulldoze her way through Kid, that Hanan is able to get any sort of reprieve. But even this is short-lived. By the time Suzu and Saya begin charging at each other like particularly agile rhinos, Hanan is hopping and refusing to weight bear due to the significant damage done by Kid. There’s no subtle taking apart of a limb when it comes to Saya and Suzu though, with the pair repeatedly slamming into each other with Lariats, strikes and power moves. It’s quite the sight, especially Suzu transitioning a Saya Lariat seamlessly into the Tequila Shot. Hanan makes the save for that particular pinfall, but Mad Tiger Girl have their tails up – figuratively speaking of course. With Hanan having being taken out on the outside by Kid, Suzu hurls Saya into the air for her Locomotion German Suplexes to secure the victory. Mad Tiger Girl get their first two points of the tournament, and look a far more cohesive unit than the last time out – maybe they learned something from DEVIL/PRINCESS! However, even in defeat, Winggori showed exactly why they are tipped for greatness, both as a team and singles competitors! Without a doubt one of the matches of the tournament so far! (****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

• 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)