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.
- 3rd New Blood Tag Team Champions DEVIL/PRINCESS (Rina (1) & Azusa Inaba (1))have been champions for for 88 days – in their first reign. This will be the first title defence of their reign but, should they lose, they will set the record for the shortest reign, and the first champions to record 0 successful title defences.
- This is will be Rice or Bread’s second challenge for the New Blood Tag Team Championships after falling to previous champions Winggori in April 2024. This will be Waka’s 2nd challenge and HANAKO’s 3rd.
- This show will also see the Stardom debuts of Spike Nishimura and Sendai Girls’ YUNA, as well as the first Stardom show of 2024 for Honoka.
- Attendance Notes: An attendance of 236 was announced for the show, the first time Stardom has run the Belle Salle Shinjuku Grand Hall. It’s a marked decrease from the two 300+ crowds of the previous New Blood shows, with it being a near-28% fall from New Blood 15 (326 at Japan Pavillion Hall A). 236 is also the second smallest New Blood attendance in history, with only New Blood 13 (224 at Tokyo New Pier Hall in June) drawing less.
Quick Results
- Singles Match: Manami def. Rian w/ Jumping Knee Strike (9:06)
- Tag Team Match: God’s Eye (Lady C & Ranna Yagami) def. Cosmic Angels (Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurura) w/ Paradiddle (13:15)
- Tag Team Match: NEO-GENESIS (Starlight Kid & Miyu Amasaki) def. YUNA & Spike Nishimura w/ Black Tiger Leg Killer (11:49)
- Tag Team Match: God’s Eye (Hina & Tomoka Inaba) def. Honoka & Kohaku w/ Inaba Drop (10:36)
- New Blood Tag Team Championships Match: DEVIL/PRINCESS (Azusa Inaba & Rina) (c) def. Rice or Bread (HANAKO & Waka Tsukiyama) w/ Hydrangea (18:15)
The Undercard
This is the first time we’ve seen Manami in a Stardom ring since her loss to Maika in the 5Star Grand Prix and honestly, it’s really good to see her as she massively impressed in that tournament. With her having a date with Mika Iwata for the Sendai Girls World Championship tomorrow in Shin-Kiba, it was alway unlikely that she would slip up here against Rian. Again, the EXV youngster gives a good account of herself, with her reversing of a Northern Lights Suplex into her float-over pin attempt showcasing her continuous growth, but Manami is simply too strong, battering her repeatedly with Dropkicks and strikes. Eventually, Manami gets the win with a thumping Jumping Knee Strike after locking Rian in two separate yet excruciatingly deep Boston Crabs. (***)
I said following New Blood 15 that Lady C and Ranna Yagami may well be the next challengers for the New Blood Tag Team Championships. Unfortunately for them, Rice or Bread got there first, but a win here could certainly see them as real contenders for whoever hold the belts at the end of tonight’s main event. After witnessing the opening moments between Aya and Ranna, I can honestly say that it’s near the top of my list of Stardom singles matches I’d love to see. Between the strikes and Ranna’s flitting between that and the Armbar, it’s a great exchange! Despite being the person on the receiving end of the majority of the heat, Aya has improved exponentially, and her strikes are always a real threat, but it’s Sayaka Kurura who is the most impressive for the Cosmic Angels. Her excitement and passion in the forearm exchange with Ranna emphasised the Fighting Spirit she’s so good at, but it also plays into the finish. Having ploughed through Ranna with the Spear, Kurura almost becomes too over-excited and finds herself entangled in the Paradiddle, allowing Yagami to pick up the victory. Post-match, Ranna proclaims that her and Lady C want the New Blood Tag Team Championships, whilst Kurura and Sakura lament another tag team loss ahead of being in different teams in the upcoming tag league. (***1/2)
It’s a Stardom debut for both YUNA and Rhode Island’s Spike Nishimura, and initially it looks like it might be a short debut the way that Kid and Miyu attack YUNA’s leg in the early goings, with Amasaki breaking out her superb Knee Lock once again. However, the longer the match goes on, the more YUNA and Nishimura grow into it, the latter using her significant height advantage to good affect, whilst YUNA opts to fight fire with fire and attack Kid’s arm. Unfortunately for the Sendai Girls’ rookie, Kid specialises in destroying the leg, and she continues to wear her down in little bits before exploding into life in the closing stretch. After using every second of the five allowed when YUNA reaches the ropes after a Black Tiger Leg Killer, Kid hits back-to-back Ki-Cherman Suplexes, ensuring that the resultant kick out from YUNA caused even more pain to her legs. From there, it’s easy pickings for the Sky Tiger to lock in the Black Tiger Leg Killer once more and to wrap the legs around YUNA’s neck for the submission victory. (***1/4)
Main Event Matches
God’s Eye (Hina & Tomoka Inaba) def. Honoka & Kohaku – Initially, it appears that Hina and Tomoka Inaba are hellbent on torturing Honoka, with Inaba in particular taking apparent pleasure in both trying to rip her arm out of its socket, and kicking her spine out through her chest. Parity is restored somewhat when Kohaku is finally tagged in, and her exchanges with Inaba light the touch paper for the rest of the match, as they have really good chemistry. The smoothness, for example, with which Kohaku is able to transition a Rolling Cravat/Neckscissors into running the ropes is a simplistic thing of beauty, while her power accents Inaba’s striking power very well. Following this though, it is all about Honoka who completely belies her one year of in-ring experience to deliver a blistering closing exchange with Inaba. From being a tremendous babyface in peril as Inaba continues her assault on her arms, to some incredible athleticism and ring positioning, Honoka feels like a complete natural. At just 19 years old, and just one year into her wrestling journey, it feels like she has all the pieces in place to be a really big star. Here however, a desperately close nearfall with an O’Connor Roll saps the last bit of resilience from the youngster, and when Hina interjects in the match to hit a Hip Toss, Inaba is able to hoist her into the Inaba Drop for the victory. It is worth reiterating that Stardom should be doing all they can to sign both the Inaba sisters, but after the performance here, Honoka is absolutely one to keep an eye on in the future. (***3/4)
New Blood Tag Team Championships Match: DEVIL/PRINCESS (Azusa Inaba & Rina) (c) def. Rice or Bread (HANAKO & Waka Tsukiyama) – Azusa Inaba has transitioned into her new role as a member of H.A.T.E with a frightening amount of ease. Her demeanour of brattish and arrogant teen fits perfectly with Rina, and the way she slouches uncaringly against the corner pads as Waka tells HANAKO that she wishes to go first, is the perfect encapsulation of why she is such a good fit. Though the challengers start strongly, it’s always only a matter of time before H.A.T.E find a way back into the match by hook or by crook, and that is the exact same here, with Inaba and Rina taking Rice or Bread for a nice round of chair bowling. Though Waka takes a lot of heat, you get the feeling throughout the match that HANAKO is the difference maker, not only because of her size and power, but also because the Shirasagi has put away a lot of different competitors in the past few weeks. When she does enter the fray, she tears through both Inaba and Rina, but far from quailing under the force of the far bigger competitor, DEVIL/PRINCESS ride the storm and begin slowly but surely chipping away at HANAKO with some well-thought-out tag team offence. Still, when HANAKO has Rina up in the Torture Rack and then hits the JP Coaster, it looks like the writing may be on the wall for the champions. Before she can get a proper purchase on the Shirasagi however, Inaba is in to break it up. This proves pivotal as Rina doesn’t let HANAKO get another sniff of the move again, and instead begins a relentless barrage of offence that includes her repeatedly locking in the Hydrangea. Eventually, with Waka preoccupied on the outside with Inaba, Rina locks in the Hydrangea for a final time and grabs a hold of HANAKO’s leg for extra torque, leaving The Wonder Tower no choice but to tap. It’s surprising that it’s HANAKO that submits to the move, but the result itself doesn’t seem like that much of a shock, and instead feels more like a statement win for DEVIL/PRINCESS, with Rina submitting a far-bigger, and far-more powerful, foe. Post-match, Ranna Yagami and Lady C come to the ring to reiterate what they said following their own match; that it is they that will be next in line for the New Blood Tag Team Championships! (***1/2)
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 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)
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