GDT: New Japan/Stardom Thread - Life Post-Okada
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GKJ
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This is accurate. She can do basically anything. She has A+ personality, comedy, sadness (as long as you can read the subtitles), and definitely puts her game face on for big matches. She’s watched everyone come and ago the whole time.
New Japan wants her to have the IWGP belt for good reason, but they haven’t given her as much to do with it. It’s strange how they book it, they still haven’t done as many matches on New Japan shows, but on the Stardom shows, it’s not usually the show closer even if it’s the biggest match. The Sareee match was third from the top.
Jussi
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GKJ
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She was in the middle of when NXT 2.0 turned everyone into cartoon characters overnight.
GKJ
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Stardom starting to post some of the angles done from All-Star Grand Queendom. I think this is important on the joshi scene, big picture-wise.
Things of note I mentioned before, was Thekla joining Oedo Tai (wants to fight Mina Shirakawa), and later not only Starlight Kid getting kicked out, but being saved by Tam Nakano (who was in a tag match against Aja Kong of this show).
Mayu vs. Sareee was the next match and has surfaced in full
There are things that happened later in the week on the Golden Week tour, like Starlight Kid learning the Cosmic Angels dance (but not feeling like she is ready to join), doing a tag team with Natsupoi for a cross-multipromotion show and teaming with Tam and Mayu Iwatani in a trios match and then Mayu acting weird backstage, as there’s a complicated history. When Kid chose to stay in Oedo Tai, Mayu said she would be waiting for her, and it was believed that she would need to fight back to the light, but it seems like things are moving faster than that. Would’ve liked to have seen Thekla play a role in kicking her out and get her over.
I think it’s going to make people wonder about certain futures as Bushiroad really needs to figure out what some prices are to make important players stop thinking about jumping to Marigold. Seems like Thekla is on board as she had previously been attached to Giulia’s hip. This is a big reason why Kairi came back to WWE, she did not want to be stuck in the middle as she was freelancing.
Things of note I mentioned before, was Thekla joining Oedo Tai (wants to fight Mina Shirakawa), and later not only Starlight Kid getting kicked out, but being saved by Tam Nakano (who was in a tag match against Aja Kong of this show).
Mayu vs. Sareee was the next match and has surfaced in full
There are things that happened later in the week on the Golden Week tour, like Starlight Kid learning the Cosmic Angels dance (but not feeling like she is ready to join), doing a tag team with Natsupoi for a cross-multipromotion show and teaming with Tam and Mayu Iwatani in a trios match and then Mayu acting weird backstage, as there’s a complicated history. When Kid chose to stay in Oedo Tai, Mayu said she would be waiting for her, and it was believed that she would need to fight back to the light, but it seems like things are moving faster than that. Would’ve liked to have seen Thekla play a role in kicking her out and get her over.
I think it’s going to make people wonder about certain futures as Bushiroad really needs to figure out what some prices are to make important players stop thinking about jumping to Marigold. Seems like Thekla is on board as she had previously been attached to Giulia’s hip. This is a big reason why Kairi came back to WWE, she did not want to be stuck in the middle as she was freelancing.
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Big Poppa Puck
HF's Villain
Bucks showed up at Resurgence last night with Perry to attack Eddie Kingston (who also lost the Strong openweight title to Gabe Kidd).
GKJ
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Stardom has their Flashing Champions show coming up on Saturday, which as we know is actually important in that one of the matches will be shown live on AEW Collision, but given the name of the show, the world champion, IWGP champion, tag team champion nor trios champion are defending their championships.
We do have the Wonder of Stardom championship, High Speed championship, and TBS championship, which again, is bigger than any other match was ever going to be. More people will see Willow vs. Tam Nakano, live, than any other match in their history I would guess.
Seems Taro Okada wanted to wait until after the show to do that match, but Tony convinced him to do it now. I think that works out better because Stardom will get the attention ahead of the Marigold show on Monday/Sunday night. Okada made comments at the press conference about how Stardom and AEW wanted to make the wrestlers’ dreams come true, which I took as an implicit appeal to his own talent and a direct shot at Rossy Ogawa.
The joshi wrestling wars are here.
We do have the Wonder of Stardom championship, High Speed championship, and TBS championship, which again, is bigger than any other match was ever going to be. More people will see Willow vs. Tam Nakano, live, than any other match in their history I would guess.
Seems Taro Okada wanted to wait until after the show to do that match, but Tony convinced him to do it now. I think that works out better because Stardom will get the attention ahead of the Marigold show on Monday/Sunday night. Okada made comments at the press conference about how Stardom and AEW wanted to make the wrestlers’ dreams come true, which I took as an implicit appeal to his own talent and a direct shot at Rossy Ogawa.
The joshi wrestling wars are here.
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GKJ
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Looks like Mayu Iwatani is taking the IWGP women’s title to Ice Ribbon vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto and then possibly to SEAdLINNNG against Arisa Nakajima (they are a long time tag team called Best Friends), who is on a retirement tour. They did a tag match with Mayu’s latest protege, Hanan, and they beat the absolute god damn shit out of each other. Tam and Willow had to follow this.
Also interesting that Stardom has worked this out with these two promotions. Mayu said she has a lot of unfinished business in Stardom, so hopefully she that means she’s not bolting whenever she can.
Also interesting that Stardom has worked this out with these two promotions. Mayu said she has a lot of unfinished business in Stardom, so hopefully she that means she’s not bolting whenever she can.
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GKJ
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Shingo showed up at today’s Stardom show
Stardom is having a show called ‘the Conversion’ next month that takes place a few days before Stardom becomes fully owned by Bushiroad. I think some fans are worried that the two brands are going to merge under one banner, but I’m thinking/hoping it’s just setting up to do more combined shows like Historic X-Over. NJPW hasn’t been utilizing the fact they created an IWGP women’s belt that hadn’t been seen on a NJPW show in over a year.
Stardom is having a show called ‘the Conversion’ next month that takes place a few days before Stardom becomes fully owned by Bushiroad. I think some fans are worried that the two brands are going to merge under one banner, but I’m thinking/hoping it’s just setting up to do more combined shows like Historic X-Over. NJPW hasn’t been utilizing the fact they created an IWGP women’s belt that hadn’t been seen on a NJPW show in over a year.
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GKJ
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Ok, I’m ready to outlet some thoughts about Stardom. I don’t care who sees or doesn’t see this.
STARDOM THE CONVERSION on June 22 may become a very sad affair I am fearing. After Saya Kamitani tried to get Momo Watanabe to leave Oedo Tai to return to Queen’s Quest (to the dismay of AZM), and Oedo Tai subsequently lost a Artist of Stardom title match after Natsuko Tora accidentally misted Momo, blaming it on Momo’s head being f***ed with, Tora has challenged Kamitani to a ‘final battle’ and told her to name the stipulation, whether it be a loser leaves unit match or loser disbands unit.
The two units had a feud last year that ended in one of Stardom’s most well-regarded stories and matches, when QQ won a loser leaves unit cage match that ended with Saya refusing to turn on Utami after the behest of Momo, and left Saki Kashima as the collateral damage. The subtext being that Saya and Utami didn’t trust each other after Utami became the leader and QQ members kept losing matches.
Some of this could under context of wonder if someone(s) is leaving the company. Saya, AZM, Natsuko Tora, or Momo.
Queen’s Quest and Oedo Tai are very much a legacies within Stardom and I think a lot of Stardom fans would be very angry, on the preface of NJPW taking full control, if either one were to disappear. So I hope it’s a loser or leader leaves unit, because I don’t think there’s any way Oedo Tai is disbanded as they’re the only heel faction, but there’s some belief that the unit has gone a bit soft even though they kicked out Starlight Kid and added Thekla.
Oedo Tai is the oldest faction in Stardom, started in 2015 and headed up by Kyoko Kimura (Hana’s mother who later joined), later Kagetsu, then Tora, and has boasted a number of gaijin’s we know now: Thunder Rosa, Jamie Hayter, the now-Blair Davenport and Piper Niven. If the Stardom show I went to is any indication, they move a lot of merch. It would be stupid to disband them, but Stardom fans think there’s been a lot of stupid things going on after Rossy was fired.
QQ was created by Io Shirai after she turned on Mayu Iwatani in 2016, and was led by Momo when Io left, then Utami Hayashishita when Momo turned on QQ to join Oedo Tai (during a leader leaves unit match), Utami led the unit until she left, while Saya Kamitani (current high speed champion) has now declared herself the leader. All the time AZM has been wanting to lead the unit. In a match, Momo once kicked AZM in the face with a wrench hidden in her boot. But AZM has been vocal in her support now, while Kamitani has, in my view, booked to be completely incompetent as a leader, if she isn’t, then she’s been booked terribly. Her last tweet has her looking weak and scared that she’s going to screw anything up, but AZM sounds confident.
It doesn’t make sense to me that Oedo Tai would disband, they just added Thekla, and I think she’s getting pushed, and they are quite a large unit, so I hope it’s only a loser leaves unit match, but I’m fearing that it’s not. What I want is for AZM to turn on Saya, or Saya just get herself ousted because she’s an idiot. Both have talked about trying to add people, and there are people sitting out there with no unit. It would just be an awful shame to see QQ disappear, especially since another one would just pop up in its place, which they also just did with EXV starting after Giulia disbanded her unit. QQ only has 5, which is not a lot, but also, who else is leaving the company?
This is to say nothing of Starlight Kid having not yet joined a new unit, and talking about removing her mask.
STARDOM THE CONVERSION on June 22 may become a very sad affair I am fearing. After Saya Kamitani tried to get Momo Watanabe to leave Oedo Tai to return to Queen’s Quest (to the dismay of AZM), and Oedo Tai subsequently lost a Artist of Stardom title match after Natsuko Tora accidentally misted Momo, blaming it on Momo’s head being f***ed with, Tora has challenged Kamitani to a ‘final battle’ and told her to name the stipulation, whether it be a loser leaves unit match or loser disbands unit.
The two units had a feud last year that ended in one of Stardom’s most well-regarded stories and matches, when QQ won a loser leaves unit cage match that ended with Saya refusing to turn on Utami after the behest of Momo, and left Saki Kashima as the collateral damage. The subtext being that Saya and Utami didn’t trust each other after Utami became the leader and QQ members kept losing matches.
Some of this could under context of wonder if someone(s) is leaving the company. Saya, AZM, Natsuko Tora, or Momo.
Queen’s Quest and Oedo Tai are very much a legacies within Stardom and I think a lot of Stardom fans would be very angry, on the preface of NJPW taking full control, if either one were to disappear. So I hope it’s a loser or leader leaves unit, because I don’t think there’s any way Oedo Tai is disbanded as they’re the only heel faction, but there’s some belief that the unit has gone a bit soft even though they kicked out Starlight Kid and added Thekla.
Oedo Tai is the oldest faction in Stardom, started in 2015 and headed up by Kyoko Kimura (Hana’s mother who later joined), later Kagetsu, then Tora, and has boasted a number of gaijin’s we know now: Thunder Rosa, Jamie Hayter, the now-Blair Davenport and Piper Niven. If the Stardom show I went to is any indication, they move a lot of merch. It would be stupid to disband them, but Stardom fans think there’s been a lot of stupid things going on after Rossy was fired.
QQ was created by Io Shirai after she turned on Mayu Iwatani in 2016, and was led by Momo when Io left, then Utami Hayashishita when Momo turned on QQ to join Oedo Tai (during a leader leaves unit match), Utami led the unit until she left, while Saya Kamitani (current high speed champion) has now declared herself the leader. All the time AZM has been wanting to lead the unit. In a match, Momo once kicked AZM in the face with a wrench hidden in her boot. But AZM has been vocal in her support now, while Kamitani has, in my view, booked to be completely incompetent as a leader, if she isn’t, then she’s been booked terribly. Her last tweet has her looking weak and scared that she’s going to screw anything up, but AZM sounds confident.
It doesn’t make sense to me that Oedo Tai would disband, they just added Thekla, and I think she’s getting pushed, and they are quite a large unit, so I hope it’s only a loser leaves unit match, but I’m fearing that it’s not. What I want is for AZM to turn on Saya, or Saya just get herself ousted because she’s an idiot. Both have talked about trying to add people, and there are people sitting out there with no unit. It would just be an awful shame to see QQ disappear, especially since another one would just pop up in its place, which they also just did with EXV starting after Giulia disbanded her unit. QQ only has 5, which is not a lot, but also, who else is leaving the company?
This is to say nothing of Starlight Kid having not yet joined a new unit, and talking about removing her mask.
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GKJ
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Mayu Iwatani defending the IWGP women’s championship at Ice Ribbon’s Korakuen Hall show on June 23 against Tsukasa Fujimoto, which was set up at the Stardom Flashing Champions show last month. Would expect a title match with Arisa Nakajima to follow that.
GKJ
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So the 5v5 match at STARDOM THE CONVERSION between Queen's Quest and Oedo Tai was going to be a loser leaves unit match, where the person taking the last fall if forced to leave the unit. It seemed nobody besides me was satisfied with this, but we do have a compromise here that I'm hoping increases the chances of seeing something I want to happen. The contract was altered before it was signed by Natsuko Tora, and afterwards revealed that she had it changed, without anyone's knowledge (including Taro Okada) so that the unit that loses has the 4 eliminated members of the unit forced to leave - but not the person who loses the match, giving us this interesting visual.
Which sounds very convoluted, probably risky, but I think it's going to get to a place I want to see it go, which is AZM (who keeps putting over that she trusts Saya Kamitani as the leader, her goal is for Momo Watanabe to rejoin) getting to run Queen's Quest. She'd just have to find people to be in it with her (like Starlight Kid) because there are only 5 people in the unit. The idea is that the losers can't reform the faction under a new name. Some people think it's going to be Momo Watanabe screwing over Natsuko, and I guess blowing up her own unit, as there's been cracks in that facade, and others think Natsuko has gotten stale, but it doesn't really make sense for the other people in it to me now that this is the match, so I hope that doesn't happen. Let it simmer. The stunt itself made Okada look very weak as the president, which you can see, and other fans already believe. He stated he wanted a final resolution without disbanding (i.e. Oedo Tai and QQ sell merch).
Of course, this is something they could've done when Giulia left and could've had a story behind her unit getting blown up upon her leaving, and give some more weight to Thekla joining Oedo Tai, and EXV coming to be created.
Which sounds very convoluted, probably risky, but I think it's going to get to a place I want to see it go, which is AZM (who keeps putting over that she trusts Saya Kamitani as the leader, her goal is for Momo Watanabe to rejoin) getting to run Queen's Quest. She'd just have to find people to be in it with her (like Starlight Kid) because there are only 5 people in the unit. The idea is that the losers can't reform the faction under a new name. Some people think it's going to be Momo Watanabe screwing over Natsuko, and I guess blowing up her own unit, as there's been cracks in that facade, and others think Natsuko has gotten stale, but it doesn't really make sense for the other people in it to me now that this is the match, so I hope that doesn't happen. Let it simmer. The stunt itself made Okada look very weak as the president, which you can see, and other fans already believe. He stated he wanted a final resolution without disbanding (i.e. Oedo Tai and QQ sell merch).
Of course, this is something they could've done when Giulia left and could've had a story behind her unit getting blown up upon her leaving, and give some more weight to Thekla joining Oedo Tai, and EXV coming to be created.
GKJ
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Clint Eastwood
Eff the Habs
18/20 revealed. They're doing a small tournament for the final spots which I'm hoping my man Taichi wins in his! I need Taichi/Takeshita
Grackle Party
Full of guts!!
GKJ
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Stardom aired the first 3 matches of STARDOM THE CONVERSION on YouTube, which is good because they gave us good shit. Fukigen Death wins a quick opener over Rian, who is a rookie, but a great tag title match in the show proper, and Starlight Kid vs. Mei Seira, which played into later dealings as after the match, they and Suzu Suzuki were whispering to each other.
Seems like this show had the best booking of the year in a big show
This was the ‘final showdown’ between Queen’s Quest and Oedo Tai, 5v5 elimination match, the stipulation being that the loser had to have the other members quit the group, effectively disbanding the unit. Oedo Tai wins after Momo Watanabe double swerved, feigning a turn on Natsuko Tora just to hit Saya Kamitani with a chair, just as she did to Utami Hayashishita, and allowing Natsuko to get the win for OT.
AZM, Hina, Lady C, and Miyu Amasaki are forced to quit QQ, leaving Saya Kamatani to leave the ring on her own with the QQ flag, and either decide to continue on her own, or do something else. She’s currently the high speed champion, but people think she’s looking at a big run in the 5-Star Grand Prix.
This leaves the other units to be able to recruit a lot of new members, Syuri and God’s Eye came out to attempt, but the big move here was Starlight Kid, Mei Seira, and Suzu Suzuki (the latter two are a tag team) to reveal that they are forming yet another new unit, and invited AZM and Miyu to join. SLK and AZM are ‘forever rivals’ and recently had a match on the All Together show. She wants people of the ‘same generation.’ However, they are not ready to decide.
The injustice here is that I think AZM should’ve been left as the loser and be able to rebuild QQ, as she goes back to when Io Shirai was in the group, but alas, Saya has been booked to look like a dipshit anyways. There are new possibilities here though. SLK starting her own unit actually makes more sense after sampling all the other factions. It was always time for her to be on her own, as she’s supposed to be the future top star of the company.
Saori Anno defended the Wonder of Stardom title in a cross promotional match with a former rival and current Sendai Girls champion Mika Iwata - and Iwata wins! Shocked a lot of people. She is taking the white belt back to her home promotion, and wants Saori to come there and get. The lack of response angered Natsupoi, who Saori has refused to defend the white belt because she doesn’t think she is ready, but promised she would. Now, she has no belt, and this all made Natsupoi angry and sad.
Maika and Xena were in the main event, together in EXV, just the program got heated and Xena slapped Maika’s chest like a million times.
Natsuko tried to recruit Xena to OT to no avail and then claimed a title match, presumably with Maika (she is defending the bent in JTO next) at their next big show in Sapporo in July.
Seems like this show had the best booking of the year in a big show
This was the ‘final showdown’ between Queen’s Quest and Oedo Tai, 5v5 elimination match, the stipulation being that the loser had to have the other members quit the group, effectively disbanding the unit. Oedo Tai wins after Momo Watanabe double swerved, feigning a turn on Natsuko Tora just to hit Saya Kamitani with a chair, just as she did to Utami Hayashishita, and allowing Natsuko to get the win for OT.
AZM, Hina, Lady C, and Miyu Amasaki are forced to quit QQ, leaving Saya Kamatani to leave the ring on her own with the QQ flag, and either decide to continue on her own, or do something else. She’s currently the high speed champion, but people think she’s looking at a big run in the 5-Star Grand Prix.
This leaves the other units to be able to recruit a lot of new members, Syuri and God’s Eye came out to attempt, but the big move here was Starlight Kid, Mei Seira, and Suzu Suzuki (the latter two are a tag team) to reveal that they are forming yet another new unit, and invited AZM and Miyu to join. SLK and AZM are ‘forever rivals’ and recently had a match on the All Together show. She wants people of the ‘same generation.’ However, they are not ready to decide.
The injustice here is that I think AZM should’ve been left as the loser and be able to rebuild QQ, as she goes back to when Io Shirai was in the group, but alas, Saya has been booked to look like a dipshit anyways. There are new possibilities here though. SLK starting her own unit actually makes more sense after sampling all the other factions. It was always time for her to be on her own, as she’s supposed to be the future top star of the company.
Saori Anno defended the Wonder of Stardom title in a cross promotional match with a former rival and current Sendai Girls champion Mika Iwata - and Iwata wins! Shocked a lot of people. She is taking the white belt back to her home promotion, and wants Saori to come there and get. The lack of response angered Natsupoi, who Saori has refused to defend the white belt because she doesn’t think she is ready, but promised she would. Now, she has no belt, and this all made Natsupoi angry and sad.
Maika and Xena were in the main event, together in EXV, just the program got heated and Xena slapped Maika’s chest like a million times.
Natsuko tried to recruit Xena to OT to no avail and then claimed a title match, presumably with Maika (she is defending the bent in JTO next) at their next big show in Sapporo in July.
GKJ
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Stardom feelings, they did a Korakuen at Night Show
Konami has turned on Syuri after they just won the Goddess (tag) titles, to rejoin Oedo Tai. Thekla and Momo Watanabe are the champions. This seems to really piss people off in a not good way because people were excited to see her come back and finally get a good singles run after her career stalled because of injuries. Should be noted, Konami was never kicked out of Oedo Tai, she just exited and when she started attempting comebacks, came back with Syuri’s God’s Eye. This turn was teased, but I think people find it boring and unless something happens, are finding Oedo Tai boring. They usually never have belts though. Konami has challenged Syuri to a singles at this weekend’s World Rendezvous (Saturday or Sunday, shows both nights). Syuri took spray paint to the face.
This prompted Lady C and Hina, who were forced to quit Queen’s Quest, to join God’s Eye.
I think this will work out though because Konami didn’t seem that compelling and Syuri had not much going on after she was helping promote Maui’s movie. The unit has had people moving in and out (Ami Sohrei injured, Mirai going to Marigold). Great news for Saki Kashima, also ex-Oedo Tai (forced to quit), is also now their #2, never got revenge after she was jumped and saved by Syuri, in one of my favorite Stardom moments.
Konami has turned on Syuri after they just won the Goddess (tag) titles, to rejoin Oedo Tai. Thekla and Momo Watanabe are the champions. This seems to really piss people off in a not good way because people were excited to see her come back and finally get a good singles run after her career stalled because of injuries. Should be noted, Konami was never kicked out of Oedo Tai, she just exited and when she started attempting comebacks, came back with Syuri’s God’s Eye. This turn was teased, but I think people find it boring and unless something happens, are finding Oedo Tai boring. They usually never have belts though. Konami has challenged Syuri to a singles at this weekend’s World Rendezvous (Saturday or Sunday, shows both nights). Syuri took spray paint to the face.
This prompted Lady C and Hina, who were forced to quit Queen’s Quest, to join God’s Eye.
I think this will work out though because Konami didn’t seem that compelling and Syuri had not much going on after she was helping promote Maui’s movie. The unit has had people moving in and out (Ami Sohrei injured, Mirai going to Marigold). Great news for Saki Kashima, also ex-Oedo Tai (forced to quit), is also now their #2, never got revenge after she was jumped and saved by Syuri, in one of my favorite Stardom moments.
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