Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year: #7 (Syuri vs. Giulia)

A multi-year feud between generational rivals Syuri and Giulia culminates in one of the year’s best matches.

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year Archives

• Introduction & Honorable Mentions
• Matches #100-76
• Matches #75-51
• Matches #50-26
• Matches #25-11
• Early-Access Top 10 Reveal
• #10: FTR vs. The Briscoes – July
• #9: CM Punk vs. MJF
• #8: Jun Kasai vs. El Desperado
• #7: Syuri vs. Giulia

#7
Syuri vs. Giulia
12/29
Stardom

Overall Points: 457
Total Votes: 61
% of Ballots: 29.19%
11 First Place Votes

“What a match. What a story. What a feud. This was genuinely one of the most well-told stories that finally reached it’s endpoint after years of injuries, departures, inter-promotional politics, tragedies, and finally… triumphs. This was my match of the year and a wrestling story I will undoubtedly never forget.” -Skeach101

“Giulia gets her crowning moment in a hard-hitting title challenge against World of Stardom Champion Syuri.” -Matthew Carlins

“A multi-year story of former stablemates, and a dream to be the top of the company. Syuri and Giulia laid everything out for this match. Reversals, callbacks, using other wrestlers moves. Incredible match, so much emotion, and yet another perfect post-match angle with Syuri and Giulia holding each other and crying. This is SPORTS this is ART” -Nikki Derella

“It was on 19th of January 2020 that Syuri’s theme was heard in Stardom for the first time ever. It was also one of the three times she has entered a Stardom ring without a championship belt around her waist until 3rd of January 2023. For three years, Syuri was the monster that has ruled Stardom with her bloodied iron fist. Unbeatable, unshakable, steady, a killer. It was on 29th of December 2022 that she was finally slayed, by Giulia, the one who has brought her into the company three years ago, which was basically a lifetime ago. They’ve had an emotional bomb filled match capping off their three years of story, of friendship, mentorship and rivalry. After both kicked out of the other one’s finisher, they went to melodramatic move stealing and move tributes of each other and wrestlers that have shaped their journey together. Hana Kimura’s finishing setup, Maika and Himeka’s finishers, Syuri and Giulia’s duo tag team finisher, they did it all. But in the end, it is Giulia hitting her new modification of Northern Lights Bomb and getting the victory. I was in the building live and I was holding my breath for last five minutes. I was able to watch one of my most favorite wrestlers of all time enter Ryogoku Kokugikan main event with world championship. It was something that I will be eternally grateful for. With Japan’s borders closed for so long, I’ve almost lost hope that I will be able to witness her carry that belt into a main event. Because this is it. This is it for Syuri, this is the peak of her career, there is probably not another world championship run in her future, at least not in Stardom. And what a match she had. What a journey she took me on and I wanted to cry and I do not think I was the only one. I was spent when I was walking out of the building. I was in awe of what they’ve did to each other, how much complete trust they had and how much they’ve hurt each other.
Thank you Giulia. And most importantly thank you Syuri.” -Velkej Bracha

“An absolutely special match that finally crowed Giulia at the top of Stardom after a magical 2022 to get there at the end of December. Syuri and Giulia put on a near 30 minute classic that was born out of countless tournament matches to conclude Giulia’s quest.” -Jeremy Finestone

“The climax to Giulia’s three year chase of the World of Stardom Championship saw her come up against the unstoppable Syuri. The former stablemates turned rivals picked up where they left off at Stardom World Climax and had an all-out war. The kind of war where both women sold the fatigue, sold the pain, so much so they started to mess up the execution of moves to further prove they were leaving it all in the ring.” -Alex Richards

“Made me feel more emotion than anything else ultimately. Will remember multiple spots and have already seen people taking spots from it. It felt like 2 friends beating the piss out of each other and the post match emotion between them which ended in a tearful exhausted hug on the mat after just hit and hit hard. I feel it will be an important historical match too.” -Arturo Galletti

“The culmination of two stories involving Donna del Mondo reaching the top of the mountain. Both had to win the 5 Star Grand Prix and defeat the unbeatable ace. These two went out and threw everything they could including their fellow faction members’ moves. Extremely satisfying and a level of match and investment we haven’t seen since the glory days of AJW.” -Jacob Woolley

“What puts this above the rest in women’s wrestling in 2022 is not just the hard hitting and big moves but the brilliant use of the time-limit. Working with 30 minutes, usually seen as too short for a companies main title match, it works perfectly here as Giulia is trying to get that win before she runs out of time.” -Peter Edge

“Since its acquisition by Bushiroaad, Stardom has become one of the darlings in all of wrestling, and two of the central figures in the company’s rise have been Syuri and Giulia. The two competitors in this World of Stardom championship match share a common story that goes beyond their history as a tag team or members of the Donna del Mondo unit. These are two wrestlers that came to Stardom as total outsiders and have now both reached the top of a company that has been lauded for building its own home-grown stars. This shared history between champion and challenger is key to understanding what makes this match special, but I believe even those that are wholly unaware of that story can still appreciate what this match brings to the table in its physicality. After finally defeating Utami Hayashishita, Syuri spent 2022 as the apex of skill and intensity for Stardom. Facing down a gauntlet of challengers of varied skillsets and experience, Syuri was a marvel of consistency with outstanding performances in her title defenses. Since making the jump from Ice Ribbon, Giulia has displayed an unrelenting ambition to stand alone at the very top of Stardom, and it’s that ambition that places her opponents (and even herself at times) in danger. This approach makes an early appearance in this title match, as Giulia sacrifices her own safety to hurl Syuri overhead from the entrance ramp and into the chairs at ringside. The move is devastating for Syuri, but Giulia herself crashes unprotected to the floor. This chaotic, bordering on self-destructive, act sets a brutal tone, and it’s a mentality that both Giulia and Syuri will tap into again and again over the remainder of the bout. The blitz of big moves in the final minutes of the match are representative of key moments in Giulia and Syuri’s stories. It’s understandable if some viewers see this sequence as excessive, like something akin to the kickout spam that plagued late stage black-and-gold era NXT. But for those well versed in those stories, it was a wonderful conclusion that saw Giulia’s dreams finally realized.” -TDE

“Squeaking in right at the last moment, these two women masterfully blended impressive violence and technical prowess to show why they are among the best around. I don’t catch Stardom as much as I like, but I could grasp the story of Giulia’s journey and the specialness of this battle.” -Jacob Nelson

“This one lived up to the hype. Both the pre-match hype, and the hype among those who watched it live. I waited until it hit Stardom streaming service a few days later. Hard hitting. They did a lot. Great story behind this with Guilia finally being elevated to the top as he work has caught up to her other positives. Syuri had a great year. Show overall didn’t deliver as well as some had hoped, but the main event was spectacular.” -Eric Krol

“There wrere parts I didn’t liked. But everything felt big in this match. I really didn’t liked the way they kickout of a lot of finishers. If I am not wrong , there were 5-6 finisher kickouts during the match. Also they made big moves look weaker. What saved the match for me is , the atmosphere. When I watched it , it really felt special. Thats the thing about Japan. They always present this thing better than US for me. Wrestlers , matches and atmosphere. Every single one of those feel more important.” -Kaan Ünverdi

“One of the best women’s matches i’ve ever seen and certainly the best this year. They both had to pull out all the stops to outsmart each other and find new moves and ways to execute them to be able to get the win.” -Adam Darwin

“Quite frankly it’s one of my favourite matches of all time. There’s a lot of epics in wrestling these days but the true EPICS are on a different level and this was that. Grandiose, action packed and a ton of emotions. No drawn out heat segments, just near 30 minutes of bombs. I have had a problem with the STARDOM main event style throughout 2022 but this completely snapped me out of that mode.” -Ashutosh

“Syuri vs. Giulia was a masterpiece. The amount of effort, care & emotion put into it puts it above other “epics” this year, and up there with the legendary matches of the 90’s. Men or women. It was more than a title win in the main event of the biggest show of the year. It was more than a payoff to the Syuri & Giulia story which had over a year build. It was essentially Giulia putting her entire STARDOM career into this single match & it taking all of it to beat Syuri, the great champion who has been strong all year & had a lot of respect for a decade even before winning the Red Belt. I can’t remember a match that was able to pull off what these two did to this extent. This match was able to successfully put over Hana, Maika, Himeka, Giulia, Syuri, DDM and the entire company, and yet still ended up bringing things back to the emotions of Syuri & Giulia, in a 30 minute match that from the beginning dodged many tropes of the opening half being filler. These two were two good for that and it led to one of the best matches put on in a heart and soul. This was as close to a flawless match in any promotion. The magic of wrestling is real and these two showed it.” -Dylan Fox

“Giulia’s three year long story comes to an end as she finds herself facing images of her past in Stardom outsider Suzu Suzuki, her present fractured unit leader Tam Nakano, and finally her future in World of Stardom champion Syuri. Her story to the top is one that I likened to Kenny Omega’s rise from Bullet Club member to winner of the 2016 G1, where both match climaxes end in the two using the finishers of people from their past before using the finisher of the one that was closest to them (For Omega, it was Ibushi’s Phoenix Splash and for Giulia, it was Hana Kimura’s Tiger Lily combination). For so long people wondered if the trigger was finally going to be pulled on Giulia. I thought it was taking too long, but now, it only makes sense that it ended at Dream Queendom. A match that truly shows what Stardom in its current form is capable of, the match that cemented Giulia as the fourth person to master both technique and passion by holding the Red Belt and the White Belt, making her the first non-member of the company’s three daughters to do so. It was almost thirty minutes long but it felt like fifteen. It might possibly be one of Stardom’s best matches up there, perfecting both the in-ring, stakes and emotion that Syuri and Giulia go through in order to achieve their goal on the biggest event of the year.” -James Carlin

“Giulia’s destined coronation took place after a match that showed technical prowess but also multiple layers of story-driven moments. She also joins the three daughters of STARDOM in holding both red and white belts. Great job.” -Xavster

“A symphony of a wrestling match with all the violence and storytelling, high stakes and spectacle you could ask for. The culmination of Giulia’s long march to the top of STARDOM was perfection. In order to take down her former stablemate, who had surpassed her on the company’s hierarchy, Giulia had to give everything of herself. She borrowed moves from her DDM. She had to wield a new finisher for the first time. She had to push herself further and harder than she had to think was possible. Syuri played her part as the unconquerable warrior to a tee while Giulia had her magnus opus.” -Ryan Dilbert

“After reviewing this in detail for VOW, I wasn’t sure how many words I had to say for this match other than how special it was to me as a viewer. What makes Syuri vs. Giulia my match of the year is that it’s the first match I’ve watched in my life that I knew it was my Match of the Year before it was over. Giulia paid respect to the late Hana Kimura with the Dropkick from the top rope and the Tiger Lily in the middle of the ring. This may not have been your match of the year if you’re not a long-time STARDOM viewer or as locked into the product as I am but this was the culmination of everything for me as a fan. The journey of Giulia was felt all year long, for three years really, and the way she and Syuri told a story was perfect. Syuri was the World of Stardom Champion who would not be stopped. Who would not be denied. Who would kick out of everything until there was nothing left to give. When Giulia debuted the Glorious Northern Lights Bomb, you knew there was nothing left for Syuri. And it felt right after the incredible journey she had been on. The perfect finish to the perfect match. An emotional journey for Giulia was complete. One of STARDOM’s all-time best and my unquestioned match of the year. Right there with what Utami Hayashishita and Syuri did in 2021.” -Scott Edwards

“This fucking rocked. These two women absolutely killed each other. This is the best Giulia has ever looked to me. The comfortability of each others moves and the spitefulness of both women. Even knowing the results, I absolute bit on some of those near falls. Best women’s match of the year for me. Just heads and shoulders anything being done in the west.” -Christopher Duarte

“What an awesome match. I fell off watching Stardom a little bit this year but this match (and basically everything I saw from them this year) more than delivered. The spot onto the chairs is one of the craziest moves of the year.” -Mongo Underscore Ebooks

“Syuri’s stamina and endurance and Giulia’s madness and tenacity on a collision course. The hard hits and dangerous techniques were accompanied by emotive storytelling that drew from their 3-year history as comrades turned rivals. It was all about pushing beyond your limits and exceeding yourself. Hardboiled violence and emotion were in perfect harmony for nearly 30 minutes. This was the perfect culmination of Stardom’s 2022.” -aguakun

“I waited on putting out this list until this match had ended and that was a wise decision as it is my match of the year. A very long-term storyline that paid off in a highly emotional moment on a grand stage, this is pro-wrestling! I loved that this was a different kind of epic. At no point did they try to pad the time with pointless limp work that went nowhere. Nope, these two went to war from the opening bell to the end. So many huge moments and spots including an Exploder suplex from the ramp to the audience! They had the finishing sequence was perfect. They were struggling for everything. One could say it had “botches” or they were “sloppy”, but it really felt like they were destroyed. Great match, on the same level as the Dream Queendom match between Utami and Syuri last December.” -Steven Graham

“A brilliant match capping off a brilliant year for Giulia.” -Daniel

“Years in the making, emotionally charged for STARDOM fans, full of throwbacks and homages, these two women left everything they had for the richest prize in joshi. Brutalizing each other inside and outside the ring into exhaustion, Giulia’s crowning moment is an achievement, the culmination of a long road.” -Warren Hayes

“This was everything you’d want in a main event title match at your biggest show of the year. Beneath the surface of an outstanding match, they told the story of their relationship over the past 3 years and the story of the DDM faction (which has been a huge part of Stardom’s explosive growth during that time frame). Sometimes it’s tough to end a reign or pull the trigger on your next big star at the perfect time, but it felt like Stardom threaded the needle and accomplished both right here.” -Niagara Driver

“Last year Syuri and Giulia had a tag run that ranked next to the lines of The Young Bucks, Usos, and any other tandum in wrestling, to the point they finished 4th in the PWI Tag Team list. I thought it was unheard of, having a Joshi team rank with mainstream teams. Little did I know that once Alto Livello Kabliwan would disband, this would be the start of a fantastic arc that took almost the whole year. March 21st, Syuri ended the partnership, starting her own in God’s Eye. Five days later, she would defeat Giulia at STARDOM World Climax in a fantastic match. Giulia was now on the back end of the angle, ans Syuri continues to be the star. Giulia who had a injury the year before after they lost the tag titles would have to quit the Grand Prix, when many thought she would win, in which Syuri would instead, and go on to beat Utami Hayashishita at the 2021 Dream Queendom event. Fast forward a year later, and we are at the same event, with the feud not finished. Giulia was poised to be the ace, but setbacks changed everything, but this year she took the Grand Prix, besting her former friend and prodigy from Ice Ribbon in Suzu Suzuki on the night of the finals, but also defeated her long standing rival Tam Nakano in the finals to win the tournament. She had a date with the best women’s wrestler alive. The dance floor is December 29th at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, or Sumo Hall. The two heard the bell and went at each other like they had nothing left to prove. The two tested one another to begin the contest, before the action began getting physical with strikes back and forth, before they made their way to the floor. The two battled down the ramp, beating the hell out of each other until Syuri poised Giulia in the middle of the ramp. She threw two vicious knees to the body, before throwing a head kick that was caught, in which Giulia hit a T-Bone into the audience chairs. These were not folding chairs, they were stationary plastic stiff landing stations. They finally made their way back to the ring, before unloading every sort of strike, driver, bomb, you name it. Finally, after Giulua hit everything she had hit everything in her arsinal, the announcer yelling they were at the 29 minute mark on a 30 minute time limit, she grabs Syuri, traps both arms behind her back, and hits a vicious Northern Lights Driver to a defenseless Syuri, getting the 3 count with under thirty seconds left. The emotion hit, the satisfaction of her journey since joining the company, and the fact the three year story finally paid off in one of the best Joshi matches I’ve ever seen, left me so happy I watched that live. STARDOM does one thing better than any other company if your a fan of the style, and that is bring emotion out of you. This was a classic. A masterpiece. I have the event poster framed on my wall by my front door, as I just smile as I walk by and remember what they gave us on December 29th, 2022.” -Ryan Cooke

“Women of The World. This should be the tagline of this match. The end of the Donna Del Mondo story that has gone on in STARDOM since 2020. Giulia finally gets the crowning moment of her former ally in Syuri on the biggest stage of STARDOM’S 2022. The awesome Syuri title reign ended with a masterclass of a wrestling match. The tributes Giulia (Hana Kimura’s Tiger Lily combo, Maika and Himeka’s finishers) made at the ending stretch of this match are probably one of my most emotional in-ring moments seen this year. An awesome end to an amazing year for Japanese wrestling.” -Sondre Bjørn

“Two former teammates turned enemies really turned out for women’s wrestling in what was easily one of the most emotional matches of the year. Finally, these two settled the score. Finally, it’s Giulia’s year.” -Kristen Ashly

“In 2022 Syuri was the best final boss in wrestling. Everything about her presentation from her intricately woven gear to the snap on her devastating kicks made her look like a completely dominant monster that reigned at the top of STARDOM. It was always going to take a mighty effort to dethrone her, someone not only skilled enough but someone capable of putting in the performance of their career. In Giulia she had that challenger, a wrestler realising her giant potential and able to summon the emotional energy to push herself to the limit. For me in big main event matches like this one, so much comes down to the emotion the wrestlers manage to conjure in the final stretch. It is easy enough for them to hit their big moves but far more difficult for them to make them mean something. These two left the air thick with desperation early on as they threw everything at one another. By the end both were overcome by the achievement, bursting into a flood of tears in the post-match and capping off my favourite women’s match of the year.” -Sam Brown

Voices of Wrestling 2022 Match of the Year
(Full List)