wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s STARDOM in Osaka Review 6.11.23
Image Credit: STARDOM
Loading...STARDOM in Osaka
June 11th, 2023 | EDION Arena in Osaka, Japan | Attendance: 648
I’ve got a bit to go before Sunshine is available on the streaming service so I’m doing my best to check out the less important shows leading into it. Osaka typically houses notable events so maybe this will bring something interesting.
Aya Sakura vs. HANAKO vs. Momo Kohgo
HANAKO’s height makes her stand out and has helped her be someone interesting to watch on these undercards. In terms of a result, this was a lot like when Young Lions compete against main roster guys in New Japan. Momo might not be a big winner against everyone else but you knew she wasn’t about to lose to HANAKO and Aya. HANAKO’s size came into play early with a cool test of strength spot that saw her overpower both opponents. That was the high point in an otherwise basic, short match. Momo beat Aya with a modified implant DDT in 4:08. Fine for what it was. [**]
Hazuki vs. Yuna Mizumori
Yuna’s allegiance with the Cosmic Angels has me a bit more invested in her, while Hazuki has quickly shot up to one of my favorites in the company. In a lot of ways, this was mostly just a showcase for Hazuki ahead of what could be another strong Grand Prix run. Yuna isn’t a slouch though, especially coming off of a solid performance against Nanae Takahashi. The slingshot into a half crab is a pretty cool looking move for Yuna and fits her personality. Meanwhile, Hazuki is so smooth with a lot of what she does from turning a kickout into a crossface to simple counters. This got a bit more intense than expected with some strong forearms being traded at one point. Yuna came close down the stretch but lost to a pretty sweet looking submission after 7:48. That was better than I thought it would be. [**¾]
Maika and Thekla vs. Mariah May and Xena
Odd to have Mariah teaming with Xena when she and Mina are on the verge of a title shot. Mariah has been a consistent highlight lately and Xena seems to be gaining confidence with each performance. On the other side you have the more aggressive Maika and Thekla, who I really like. I loved that this opened with Maika and Xena just running at each other and using their power. The Mariah/Thekla exchange was good outside of a strike battle that really didn’t have the intensity behind it that you’d want. The final few minutes were mostly focused on Xena and Maika again, with this being one of Xena’s better performances. Maika wrecked her with a lariat before winning with the Michinoku Driver in 9:29. That was some really good stuff. [***]
meltear vs. Mina Shirakawa and Waka Tsukiyama
My first time seeing Mina against Tam since Flashing Champions. There’s also the added story of Waka choosing Mina over Tam. Side note but it’s hilarious that Waka doesn’t do the Club Venus entrance dance. She just adorably claps to cheer her homegirl on. Early on, I was enjoying this but it lacked some of the fire I wanted in something with so much history. Thankfully, that picked up later when it was Mina going against Natsupoi, which made sense given their incredible match a while back. Then Mina and Tam started trading blows and you could feel the issues there. The teams went back and forth down the stretch but it was clear that meltear had the better chemistry. Tam put down Waka with a Tiger Suplex in 9:02. Any chance that I get to see meltear is a treat and the Mina/Waka duo was fun too. I love the difference in post-match interactions as Natsupoi and Waka were kind of playful while Mina and Tam stared each other down and Mina slapped the double champ before leaving. [***¼]
Ami Sourei, MIRAI and Syuri vs. Koguma, Mayu Iwatani and Saya Iida
This was kind of a standard multi-woman tag in this company. There wasn’t much in the way of animosity and, mostly thanks to Koguma being involved, a lot of this was lighthearted. There were still quality exchanges like Mayu against MIRAI and Syuri vs. Mayu but nothing really managed to stand out all that much. MIRAI got the most shine here as she is gearing up for a Wonder of STARDOM Title shot down the line. MIRAI had it won with an armbar on Koguma but it got broken up to set up a barrage of offense from everyone. She then got the win over Koguma with a fantastic looking leaping lariat in 12:31. That wasn’t anything special but it was still solid. [**¾]
Giulia and Mai Sakurai vs. Mei Seira and Suzu Suzuki
The combination of Seira and Suzuki has been one of my favorite things on recent shows. Plus, this gives us a rehash of the awesome Giulia/Suzuki match from earlier this year. They had some hard hitting stuff while Mei and Mai went for some high speed style stuff. There was also more chain wrestling than I typically see from Mai, which was welcome. As good as their interactions were, this was still at its best when we got Suzu and Giulia. Whether it was stiff strikes or smooth transitions, everything they did worked. This kept getting better as it progressed before an exciting closing stretch saw Suzuki use a pretty vicious submission to make Mai tap out at the 13:43 mark. The best thing on the show so far and I can’t wait to see Suzuki in the Grand Prix. [***½]
Elimination Match: AZM, Lady C, Miyu Amasaki, Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita vs. Momo Watanabe, Natsuko Tora, Ruaka, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid
A pretty notable elimination match pitting Queen’s Quest against Oedo Tai. Like the big elimination matches that take place in New Japan, this moved along at a nice pace and featured some rapid fire eliminations but they never seemed too rushed. We got stuff like AZM sending Ruaka packing with a pinning combination and Momo beating Lady C with a modified Tombstone of sorts. It was when the match got down to the likes of AZM, Kamitani, Momo, and Starlight Kid that you really felt the intensity pick up as those are all people who aren’t just eating losses consistently. There was also the continuing story of Queen’s Quest having some issues with things like miscommunication. Over the top eliminations got this down to SLK and Kashima against AZM and, surprisingly, Miyu Amasaki. That meant we were in for some high speed action that certainly delivered. The closing stretch saw Kashima and AZM reignite things and AZM look for revenge after losing her title. Both ladies had some close calls but it was Saki who came out on top again with a pinning combination after 15:22. That was really good with lots of action and they run it back in a cage at the Sunshine event. [***½]
