Stardom
Flashing Champions
May 28, 2022
Ota Ward
Tokyo, Japan

Watch: N/A

Lady C, Hina, Ami Sourei, Saya Iida, Rina, Momo Kohgo in a Six-Woman Tag Team Match (Teams will be determined via lottery on the day of the show)

The leftovers may be the best way to reference this match as Flashing Champions has a whole lot of matches that nearly feature the entire roster (and Prominence). Six members did not have a match which leads to a scramble trios match likely set for the preshow. The twist, obviously, is the randomization of each team on the day of. There’s no reason to guess as to who will team with who, but Ami Sourei and Saya Iida are prepared to oppose one another if given the chance. It should give much of the future division a chance to shine no matter the teams. Prediction: Ami Sourei’s Team

Future of Stardom Championship
Hanan (c) vs. Ruaka

A rematch from Stardom Dream Queendom is set as Hanan defends her Future of Stardom Championship against former champion, Ruaka. It was at Stardom Dream Queendom that Hanan defeated Ruaka to win the championship for the first time in her career so it only feels right that Ruaka’s momentum (and a pinfall win over Hanan). These two tore the house down with one of the best Future of Stardom Championship matches in history so there’s no reason to doubt them doing it again. I’ve said this before but Hanan has already established herself as the best Future of Stardom Champion of all time. She could lose it back to Ruaka here but there are still so many challenges in her path like Aoi, Tomoka Inaba, and Ami Sourei that a loss here would feel far too early. Prediction: Hanan

Unagi Sayaka, Mina Shirakawa & Waka Tsukiyama vs. Suzu Suzuki, Akane Fujita & Mochi Natsumi

Suzu Suzuki is a woman on a mission. There hasn’t been a time where she has shown up in Stardom where she wanted anything more than violence. Her ultimate goal remains a singles match with Giulia with a goal of getting payback. Unfortunately for Suzuki, the opportunity to take down Giulia will have to wait a bit longer due to Giulia having an Artist of Stardom Championship match on this show. This led to Waka Tsukiyama laying down the challenge at NEW BLOOD 2 with Suzuki wanting a match no matter what at the show. Suzuki will lead Akane Fujita and Mochi Natsumi into a trios match against Tsukiyama, Unagi Sayaka, and Mina Shirakawa. There’s zero doubt of who walks out of this the winner but it will be fun to see Tsukiyama try and get her first victory. Prediction: Suzu Suzuki, Akane Fujita & Mochi Natsumi

High-Speed Championship
AZM (c) vs. Thekla

One of the most exciting High-Speed Championship matches of the year is on the way. Thekla has entered herself into the division after losing the SWA World Championship, laying down the challenge to the dominant champion that has been AZM in 2022. “The Toxic Spider” has showcased her high-speed abilities in matches since joining Stardom, but not to the extent of what a high-speed match entails. There’s no doubt she will be able to hang in the ring with AZM and is the most serious threat to take it from her so far in the reign. Knowing all this, it would be wrong to not acknowledge the High-Speed Champion and her greatness this year. She’s “leveled up” as an overall wrestler, putting it all together to really make herself and the High-Speed Championship as must-see as both the World and Wonder of Stardom Champions.

If you are looking for a match to steal the show that isn’t the semi-main or main event, this is the one to look forward to. Thekla is going to give AZM the biggest challenge of her reign and could be walking out as the “High-Speed Spider” when the night is over. Prediction: Thekla

SWA World Championship
Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Fukigen Death

Mayu Iwatani will make the first defense of her newly won SWA World Championship at Flashing Champions when she defends it against… Fukigen Death? Despite Iwatani knowing Death is Japanese, Saki Kashima managed to convince booker Rossy Ogawa to give Death the match after saying she was an extraterrestrial. For all the excitement of Iwatani traveling the world to defend the gold, it’s hard not to laugh at this being how we got to the first defense. The most welcome sign is that these two have always had fantastic chemistry, no matter what version of Kaori Yoneyama entered the ring. Iwatani should have no problem defending her title successfully but Death has the ability to roll anyone up for the win – Iwatani would know. Prediction: Mayu Iwatani

KAIRI & Tam Nakano vs. Utami Hayashishita & Miyu Amasaki

KAIRI and Miyu Amasaki make their returns to the Stardom ring here as they will oppose one another as part of Amasaki’s continued trial series. KAIRI will team with Tam Nakano to form the White Knights as they take on Amasaki and Queen’s Quest leader Utami Hayashishita. There’s a lot to like about this match, whether it is the chemistry we’ve seen Hayashishita and Nakano share over the last year or the most exciting part of KAIRI and Hayashishita facing off for the very first time. KAIRI has made it clear that she wants to make Amasaki learn through the ways she did, which, if you’re Amasaki, you almost have to be terrified.

Amasaki has shown her potential time and time again even with so few matches but this will be the biggest test of her career by far. Figuring out who walks out of this one isn’t really the question at hand but the fact that KAIRI has her next Stardom match on the way is something for all wrestling fans to look forward to. Prediction: KAIRI & Tam Nakano

Artist of Stardom Championship
Maika, Himeka & Natsupoi (c) vs. Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe & Saki Kashima

The Artist of Stardom Championship will be defended as MaiHime Poi looks to bring the title defense record of the Cosmic Angels with a win over the Oedo Tai team of Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe, and Saki Kashima. On paper, the champions feel to be at an advantage when it comes to the number of times they’ve teamed together and where they are in terms of dominance as a trio. But there’s something about Oedo Tai right now that gives them such a chance at winning and walking out as the new Artist of Stardom Champions. Saki Kashima will be the x-factor in this match. If not only she’s at the top of her game but ready to do whatever it takes to walk out as champions, she should match the young de facto leaders of the group in wanting to bring chaos to Stardom and the trios’ scene.

Starlight Kid has defeated Natsupoi with championship gold on the line before and if the match comes down to them, perhaps history will repeat itself. If Oedo Tai is going to win, however, a Revival by Kashima feels like the way to go for this one. History is on the line and the Artist of Stardom Champions are going to do all in their power to make the history. Their dominance may just not be enough for the challengers willing to do anything to win. Prediction: Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe & Saki Kashima

Goddess of Stardom Championship
Hazuki & Koguma (c) vs. Giulia & Mai Sakurai

After winning back the Goddess of Stardom Championship at Fukuoka Goddess Festival, FWC will turn around to defend the titles for the first time in their second reign with the gold. This first defense came about when Mai Sakurai managed to pin Koguma in a tag team match between STARS and Donna del Mondo, capturing the biggest win of her career and leaving Koguma looking for answers. Immediately after doing so, Sakurai told Giulia she wanted to team with her to pursue the tag team titles. Despite a rather shocked Giulia, she accepted and FWC agreed to the title match here.

It would be a real hot potato for the Goddess of Stardom Championship if Hazuki and Koguma dropped them in their first defense, making it seem as though they will walk out of this defense with their titles intact. Giulia is a former champion and was the one to get pinned when FWC won them the first time, so it feels Hazuki and Koguma have the advantage there as well. This is the biggest match in the career of Mai Sakurai so here’s to hoping she is able to live up to such a spot on the card. Prediction: Hazuki & Koguma

Wonder of Stardom Championship
Saya Kamitani (c) vs. MIRAI

Cinderella Tournament Winner 2021 vs. Cinderella Tournament Winner 2022. The wish of MIRAI will be answered as she challenges Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship in the semi-main event of Stardom Flashing Champions. If you were to go over the wrestlers with the most momentum in Stardom so far in 2022, these two would be at the top of the list. Kamitani has been nothing but the best since winning the Wonder of Stardom Championship at Stardom Dream Queendom. She’s taken every challenger head-on, adding offense to her arsenal to keep her opponents guessing in their quest to try and dethrone her. The interesting part of this match is that MIRAI has done incredibly at doing the exact same.

Since stepping into Stardom on the first show of the year, MIRAI has displayed greatness time and time again. Her first-ever PPV saw her challenge for the World of Stardom Championship against Syuri. She came up short but it was how she proved to the world what she was made of so early on. After joining God’s Eye at the conclusion of the Cinderella Tournament opening round, MIRAI has jumped into another stratosphere in terms of her talents. She managed to roll through the tournament and capture the crown, dress, and wish of the Cinderella Tournament winner, beating Koguma in the finals to do so. It’s the all-time start to her Stardom career that makes this the most unpredictable Wonder of Stardom Championship match this year.

You may have a better shot at predicting this match by simply doing a coin flip. It has all the makings to be one of Stardom’s best matches in 2022 and should have all the drama you want in a title match like this one. Prediction: Saya Kamitani

World of Stardom Championship
Syuri (c) vs. Risa Sera in a KO or Submission Match with No Count-Outs

The main event of the evening will see Syuri defend her World of Stardom Championship against Prominence’s Risa Sera, a match that is sure to bring the violence. Sera did all she could to make this match as dangerous as possible, ultimately getting it to be with no pinfalls and no count-outs with the only way to win being knockout or submission. It’s a match fitting of both women’s styles as Syuri has made the wrestling world accustomed to her superior submission game and unmatchable striking that can leave anyone knocked out if hit the right way. Sera’s deathmatch style won’t fully be embraced here but as we saw at NEW BLOOD 2, Sera will take it to the extreme by throwing herself in harm’s way to do so.

The last time these two faced one another in singles action was on Sep. 20, 2020, when Sera defended her FantastICE Championship successfully in a no ropes lumberjack match. Syuri has evolved as a wrestler since that time, adding to her game in every way to become one of the best wrestlers in the entire world. It’s nearly a year since she went to a 43-minute draw with Utami Hayashishita, watching her flip the switch from a great wrestler to a completely new level. The World of Stardom Championship is all that matters to Syuri and Sera will have to bring all the tricks up her sleeves to take her down.

The Prominence leader is going to give it her all but until further notice, this is still Syuri’s world and we are all just living in it. Prediction: Syuri

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