STARDOM
MidSummer Champions
July 9, 2022
Tachikawa Stage Garden
TOKYO, JAPAN
Watch: TBD
Lady C vs. Hina vs. Yuko Sakurai
Lady C and Hina were set for singles action before the injury of Thekla forced her to miss another weekend of shows, including MidSummer Champions. As a result, COLOR’S Yuko Sakurai will face Lady C and Hina in a triple threat match. It’s a tough situation as Sakurai’s involvement in the Donna del Mondo vs. Cosmic Angels/COLOR’S war would have been an exciting addition but seeing her face these two for the first time bolster the originally planned match. It’s a toss-up as to who will win. Prediction: Lady C
Future of Stardom Championship
Hanan (c) vs. Waka Tsukiyama
After a 15-minute draw against Tomoka Inaba, Hanan officially claimed the Future of Stardom Championship defense record, surpassing Utami Hayashishita’s reign with the belt. Now the confident champion is ready to defend the title anytime against anyone. That leads us to Waka Tsukiyuama, who has still not won a match in her Stardom career. The care and drive have been there but every passing day without a win makes her angrier. It’s coming eventually, but being tasked with trying to beat the most dominant champion in the history of the Future of Stardom Championship sounds like a tall task for Tsukiyama. “The Future” vs. “The Winless.” A surprise is possible but this should be another Hanan win. Prediction: Hanan
Utami Hayashishita & Miyu Amasaki vs. MIRAI & Ami Sourei
Utami Hayashishita will team with Miyu Amasaki for another PPV as they take on the number one contenders for the Goddess of Stardom Championship, God’s Eye’s MIRAI and Ami Sourei. The record of Hayashishita this year when it comes to PPVs is almost shocking, as she has one win total in what is a lowly record of 1-7-1. Unless Amasaki has become a veteran overnight, it’s unlikely Hayashishita will be adding to the win column in this one. MIRAI and Sourei need to keep up their momentum if they want to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship so expect them to keep “The Red Queen” out of the ring and make Amasaki their main target. Prediction: MIRAI & Ami Sourei
STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Koguma & Saya Iida) vs. Oedo Tai (Saki Kashima, Ruaka, Rina & Fukigen Death)
STARS will have their A-Team trio of Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, and Koguma teaming with their stablemate Saya Iida to take on Saki Kashima, Fukigen Death, Ruaka, and Rina of Oedo Tai. We’re not saying this match is as predictable as they come on this card but it’s difficult to expect this STARS team to fall with neither Momo Watanabe nor Starlight Kid in the picture for Oedo Tai. But you never can be too sure as the Revival of Kashima can beat anyone at any time. We’ll take our chances though. Prediction: STARS
Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa) & COLOR’S (SAKI & Hikari Shimizu) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika, Himeka, Natsupoi & Mai Sakurai) in an Elimination Match
Believe it or not, Tam Nakano and Natsupoi have decided that this match will be the one that decides their series against one another. After two brutal battles within a three-day span, Nakano and Natsupoi will lead their respective factions into war with the mindset of walking out the winners. This will be an elimination match so hopefully, these two can make it to the end and finish it once and for all against one another. The Cosmic Angels will have the COLOR’S duo of SAKI and Hikari Shimizu by their side to take on the full Donna del Mondo unit minus Thekla, who is still on the sideline with injury. SAKI and Shimizu have shown in one match teaming with the Angels that they are not only capable of holding up their end of the deal but could be the difference-makers the Angels have needed.
There’s more than just the story between Nakano and Natsupoi to follow in this matchup but it’ll likely be the main story and what decides it in the end. Prediction: Cosmic Angels & COLOR’S
High-Speed Championship
AZM (c) vs. Momo Kohgo
Can Momo Kohgo keep up? That’s the question at hand heading into the High-Speed Championship match between the challenger and the almost untouchable champion. AZM is as fast as they come when talking about any wrestler in the world and she’s been on another level in 2022. The High-Speed Championship has become a major player once again with her at the top. Kohgo is an interesting addition to a division that desperately needed some more challengers. This isn’t to say Kohgo has no shot, but she legitimately needs to try and keep up with AZM if she stands any chance of pulling off the upset. Kohgo has displayed some of the more creative minds out of all the Stardom signings over the last year but she has mostly remained a raw prospect to this point.
Learning from former High-Speed Champion Hazuki (who has plenty of knowledge on what it’s like to face AZM) could be an edge that no one is talking about. If Hazuki got into the head of Kohgo and gave her an understanding of how to walk out as champion, this could be much closer than anyone expects. The champion should retain but as I hinted, never say never. Prediction: AZM
Wonder of Stardom Championship
Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Starlight Kid
The first match of the double main event will see Saya Kamitani defend her Wonder of Stardom Championship for the sixth time and her opponent is none other than Starlight Kid. No one in Stardom or possibly the world has touched what Kamitani has done in the ring in 2022. Since winning the championship, she has shown why Stardom believed in her from the start. “The Golden Phoenix” already has one of the most spectacular reigns in Stardom history based on the names she has successfully defended against. Unagi Sayaka, Natsupoi, Utami Hayashishita, Tam Nakano, Maika, and MIRAI have all fallen as “The Phoenix” has managed to rise every single time. With all that said, Starlight Kid brings one of her most difficult challenges yet.
Kid has been the de facto leader of Oedo Tai since the injury of Natsuko Tora and has flourished in the role. She’s been the High-Speed Champion, Goddess of Stardom Champion, and now the Artist of Stardom Champion within a year. Why should anyone doubt that she can become the Wonder of Stardom Champion next? It’s her destiny to have this title around her waist but is this the right time for her to take the crown? As KAIRI sits back and waits for whoever walks out with the title, it’s hard to think a rematch between Kid and KAIRI is where we are going. Kamitani vs. KAIRI feels probable down the line which is why “The Golden Phoenix” will be leaving MidSummer Champions #AndSTILL. Prediction: Saya Kamitani
World of Stardom Championship
Syuri (c) vs. Momo Watanabe
I’ve already written about this match in great detail but no opponent has stepped up to Syuri to this point that has a better shot of dethroning her than “The Black Peach” herself, Momo Watanabe. The rematch of last year’s 5 STAR Grand Prix final is nearly guaranteed to be a special match between two of the world’s best but goes far deeper than just a great match. Watanabe dropped everything she had created as the leader of Queen’s Quest following her shortcoming in the 5 STAR final. Syuri was the one who went on to become the World of Stardom Champion at Stardom Dream Queendom while it was Watanabe who took on a darker, more vicious side to try and have the same success in time.
It’s crazy to think that Watanabe is only 22 years of age. And at 22 years of age, she has the most dominant Wonder of Stardom Championship reign to her name but the success since that reign ended have been few and far between. Sure, she is currently one-third of the Artist of Stardom Champions but Watanabe has been chasing the World of Stardom Championship for years now. She watched her stablemate Utami Hayashishita not only win the title before her but thrive with it around her waist. She then watched the woman who stopped her from getting another chance at the title win it from Hayashishita, adding to what has already been a frustrating period in her career. “The Black Peach” of Stardom is going to do anything and everything to win this title.
Whether that means a wrench will be brought into the equation is another story but if Watanabe were to connect with a wrench shot, that may finally be what makes Syuri fall. This is as big and exciting as any world title match has been in 2022. Syuri and Momo Watanabe will put on a show and the fans will be on the edge of their seat until that final bell rings. Prediction: Syuri
Powered by RedCircle
