Stardom
True Fight 2018
October 23, 2018
Korakuen Hall
Tokyo, Japan

Stardom returns to Korakuen for True Fight 2018 featuring a double main event as the Ace faces the Icon and Kagetsu faces the new and improved Hana Kimura.

Blue Goddess: Ruaka & Kaori Yoneyama def. Hanan & Leo Onazaki

Some of Kaori’s antics drew heat from the Korakuen crowd as the J.A.N pair played the heels. Quick tags during the heat segment made sure everything moved along at a good pace and once Hanan got the hot tag we were barreling for the finishing stretch. Personally, I felt so happy to see Ruaka get the win when it comes to the current class of rookies I’ve definitely pitched my wagon to Ruaka so I really felt the joy she was showing. ***

Mary Apache def. Hazuki

The minor storyline that the Tag league partners of these two women are fighting over the red belt later in the show gave a bit of extra sizzle to an already good match. For awhile, I thought this was a Hazuki showcase as Apache wasn’t getting any momentum and Hazuki was flying around the ring and showing off her aerial abilities. Apache managed to turn it around in the end and score another fall on this tour as she has been booked strong so far. **3/4

Red Goddess: Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora (3) def. Martina & Natsu Sumire (4)

A lot of drink-related antics to keep this one ticking over until the finishing stretch where both teams threw everything at each other in search of the victory. Always entertaining is all I can ask for when it comes to a tag match and that’s what we got here ***

Queens Quest (Bea Priestley, Chardonnay, Konami & AZM) & Utami Hayashishita vs STARS (Tam Nakano, Starlight Kid, Natsumi, Shiki Shibusawa, & Saki Kashima)

I am a very simple person. Give me a multi-person tag, keep the action constant, keep everyone fresh and I will thoroughly enjoy myself. That’s exactly what we got here as all ten girls were involved in the match constantly rotating dance partner and mixing the tag spots with the singles showcases. At times a bit sloppy so i can’t go over 4 but i enjoyed this nonetheless. ***3/4

World Of Stardom Championship
There Must Be A Winner: Kagetsu © def. Hana Kimura

Right from the get-go, this was violent.

It quickly became clear why Stardom made the choice to run with Momo vs Mayu in the main event instead. This had all the chaos that we’ve come to expect whenever Kagetsu steps into a ring but it all fit the tone of the feud as both Kagetsu and Kimura had one mission, to destroy the other. From the pre-match interviews to the violent actions of both and even subtle things like Kagetsu dragging Kimura around like a dog this was all about showcasing the hatred these two have for one another. I like the finish with Kimura passing out but never giving up, she was willing to give everything in her quest to destroy Kagetsu to the point that she was never going to tap out. Should they ever go back to this match Kimura has an immediate claim as she never tapped out but she is currently well positioned in the tag league alongside Mary Apache so we may see them move to the tag division for a while. As for Kagetsu she has a challenger in waiting who may or may not walk into that match as Wonder Of Stardom Champion ***1/4

Wonder Of Stardom Championship
Momo Watanabe (c) def. Mayu Iwatani

Ace vs Icon, Momo vs Mayu. For Momo this was another chance for her to prove that her White Belt is the most important in the company. For Mayu, it is another step in her road to retribution as she looks to regain the Red Belt for the first time since her injury. With all this on the line, we saw these two bring a whole other level of intensity. While this was violent it was a different kind of violent to Kagetsu vs Hana, this was more “we respect each other but I NEED to win”. Momo winning is another step in her push to the top as she wins another Korakuen main event. Mayu loses nothing as she took Momo to the limit and it took dropping her on her head three times to finally put her away. Watanabe is heading for a battle of the kicks with the returning Arisa Hoshiki while Mayu still has her Red Belt shot to come. An excellent main event that continued the push for Momo and keeps the White Belt looking on par with the Red Belt. ****1/2