Competitors Announced For STARDOM Match At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16

As previously reported, this year’s NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 event will feature a match from STARDOM on night two, as NJPW has at previous events. New Japan has announced that after a special faction lottery, the competitors were announced for a tag match which will see Tam Nakano & Saya Kamitani vs. Starlight Kid & Mayu Iwatani. Wrestle Kingdom 16 happens on January 4, 5 and 8.

As previously announced, STARDOM will be a part of Wrestle Kingdom 16, with a special STARDOM match on night two January 5. At STARDOM’s event in Takadanobaba, Tokyo on December 12, the match was determined with a special faction lottery.

With a tag match official for the Tokyo Dome card, the five main factions of STARDOM would each see a representative take part in a straw drawing lottery. SWA Champion Syuri represented Donna Del Mondo, Mayu Iwatani acted on behalf of STARS, Wonder of STARDOM Champion Tam Nakano represented Cosmic Angels, while High Speed Champion Starlight Kid acted on behalf of Oedo Tai, and after consultation with Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani was allowed to represent Queen’s Quest.

Each representative would draw one of five straws. Two straws would be coloured red and blue at their tips to indicate the red and blue corners, while a colourless straw would indicate elimination from the event. Syuri drew first, and was eliminated from the match.

Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid each drew blue straws. SLK joined the villainous Oedo Tai from STARS as a result of losing an elimination tag back in June, but has come into great success since, and will present ‘Icon of STARDOM’ Mayu with a difficult reunion. On the opposite side of the ring, Mayu is not far removed from a war with another one time teammate Tam Nakano over the Wonder title in Osaka Jo Hall this autumn, and Nakano’s burning hatred for the Icon is sure to come to a head. Yet Tam’s partner Saya Kamitani just happens to be Nakano’s opponent at STARDOM’s December 29 Ryogoku event, and it’s hard to imagine good will prevailing in the intervening week before Wrestle Kingdom.