STARDOM
SENDAI CINDERELLA
NOVEMBER 15, 2020
SENDAI SUN PLAZA
SENDAI, MIYAGI, JAPAN

Watch: Stardom-World

Stardom runs the Sendai Sun Plaza for the first time ever with the huge main event clash between Utami Hayashishita and Mayu Iwatani for the World Of Stardom Championship.  The entire card is stacked with five different titles on the line as Stardom looks to give Sendai a show to remember

FUTURE OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
MAIKA (C) DEF. SAYA IIDA

A pretty good opener to kick things off as Iida played the underdog against Maika.  Iida gave Maika a good fight but in the end, just couldn’t unseat the champion who has now beaten both of her top contenders.  After the match Iida indicated she wanted one more match so this feud will continue.  ***1/4

STARLIGHT KID DEF. HINA, RIHO, HANAN, & SAYA KAMITANI

This was about as solid as you’ll get from a multi-person match.  The big takeaway from this match was Starlight Kid using the top rope moonsault for the first time to get the win over Hina.  Slowly but surely we’ve seen Kid put things together and her breakout is coming soon. ***

COSMIC ANGELS (TAM NAKANO, MINA SHIRAKAWA & UNAGI SAYAKA) DEF. OEDO TAI (NATSUKO TORA, SAKI KASHIMA & RINA)

Despite all six performers working hard, this was just a match.  On the plus side, Oedo Tai didn’t get disqualified so that’s a bonus.  Shirakawa pinned Rina to slot herself behind Nakano in the pecking order of the Cosmic Angels. ***

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HIGH SPEED CHAMPIONSHIP
AZM (C) DEF. GOKIGEN DEATH

A really fun sprint that showcased the High-Speed division in all of its glory.  This was Death’s monthly reminder that underneath the makeup and schtick there is an excellent wrestler.  AZM was always going to win as she has challengers lined up but that didn’t hurt the match too much. ***1/2

MOMO WATANABE DEF. HIMEKA

Momo Watanabe got a strong win here over Himeka in a match designed to heat Watanabe up for what would unfold after the main event.  Much has been said and written about Watanabe’s booking but she has always been one win like this away from becoming a credible top contender.  The match itself really didn’t grab me because it was a random singles match with no real heat between the performers,  they both worked hard though and Himeka put Watanabe over pretty well so job well done for Stardom. ***

SWA UNDISPUTED WORLD WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
SYURI DEF. BEA PRIESTLEY (C)

To say this result was surprising is an understatement.  Not only was this Priestley’s first defense of the title but I didn’t expect any Japanese talent but as Syuri revealed afterward her mother was from the Philippines meaning she can defend it against Japanese talent.  I’m excited to see what Syuri can do with this title, it often falls into the background in Stardom but Syuri is one of their top wrestlers and if given an opportunity she could make the SWA feel meaningful.  The match itself was poor, Priestley heat segments are never good but once it got going the action was enjoyable.  **3/4

WONDER OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
GIULIA (C) DEF. KONAMI

This was a really good match that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would.  Konami was merciless while working over the arm of Giulia and she stayed on top until Giulia got desperate and had to pull out the nastiest headbutt I’ve seen (and heard) in some time.  The aggression Giulia showed despite working from underneath was a really great addition to the match, the fact Konami was beating her so handily pissed her off and forced her to take such drastic measures to win.  This really was both women at their best and they delivered one of Giulia’s better matches. ***3/4

WORLD OF STARDOM CHAMPIONSHIP
UTAMI HAYASHISHITA DEF. MAYU IWATANI (C)

Just over two years after her debut Utami Hayashishita is the world of stardom champion.  It’s sink or swim for the leader of Stardom’s new era as her first defense takes place at the Edion Osaka Arena, and Stardom is running Nippon Budokan in just 4 months.  Either Hayashishita will work out and lead the company comfortably or they could be hanging their young champion out to dry.  I have confidence that Utami can do the job, especially after this match.

I’m disappointed to see Mayu Iwatani drop the title as I feel she’s at the top of her game right now and her character was moving in some interesting directions but I can also understand why Stardom decided to give Hayashishita the win now and not later.

This was another great match from Mayu Iwatani who has had an incredible year despite all the roadblocks put in her and Stardom’s way.  Hayashishita wasn’t outclassed in any way and she proved that she can get the job done in big main events like this one.  ****1/2

FINAL THOUGHTS

This show lived up to its billing as a big show.  While it, unfortunately, didn’t draw more people than the November 14 Korakuen Hall show this was another chance for Stardom to showcase themselves and their production skills.  When it comes to running these bigger venues Stardom will bring their best, whether it draws or not, and one assumes the hope is that they can win over fans with such a professional-looking operation.  The biggest news is of course that Utami Hayashishita is the new world champion of the company but Stardom set up a number of really interesting directions that are sure to lead into Osaka Dream Cinderella at Edion.