STARDOM Supreme Fight 2023
February 4, 2023
Edion Osaka Arena First Stadium
Osaka, Japan
Watch: PPV (Check STARDOM’s English Twitter for Link)
Cheering is back in STARDOM for the first time since 2020. While All Star Grand Queendom is the big show they’re building to, STARDOM Supreme Fight 2023 is going to be as special a show as any for STARDOM. It’s time to get excited!
Triangle Derby I
UNIQUE GLARE (Starlight Kid, Ruaka & Haruka Umesaki) vs. Classmates (Hazuki, Saya Iida & Koguma)
The Triangle Derby I comes to STARDOM Supreme Fight 2023 as UNIQUE GLARE goes head-to-head with the STARS’ Classmates trio. Hazuki, Saya Iida, and Koguma have struggled as have the other STARS trio in this tournament with the only win between the two teams coming against one another in the same match. Starlight Kid, Ruaka, and Haruka Umesaki are beginning to find their momentum but will need to win from here on out to have a shot at winnings their block.
If there were a time for Classmates to finally get another win, it’d be this match. Getting to be the first match on the card means the first with cheering in STARDOM in quite some time — that’s going to be special for all six competitors. Prediction: Classmates (Hazuki, Saya Iida & Koguma)
Syuri, Konami & Ami Sourei vs. Utami Hayashishita, AZM & Lady C
Konami is back! What more do you need to hear to get you excited about this one? The “Submission Sniper” will team with Syuri and Ami Sourei to take on the Queen’s Quest team of Utami Hayashishita, AZM, and Lady C. Wit how rare Konami wrestles these days, this usual undercard match automatically gets all the more exciting. In all of her tag team matches throughout 2022, she was able to go undefeated. There’s no question that fans would love to see Konami stick around for longer than one match every few months, but we will take what we can get. Prediction: Syuri, Konami & Ami Sourei
MIRAI vs. Chihiro Hashimoto
Yeah, this is a big reason why everyone should be excited about STARDOM in 2023. After losing the World of Stardom Championship to Giulia at Stardom Dream Queendom at the end of 2022, Syuri instantly laid down a challenge to Sendai Girls ace Chihiro Hashimoto to visit STARDOM at the first Korakuen Hall event of the year. Not only did “Big Hash” agree, but she wasn’t impressed when she showed up. MIRAI, who opposed Hashimoto at the Korakuen Hall Anniversary Joshi show last year, stepped up before Syuri could lay down any challenges to say that she wanted Chihiro Hashimoto one-on-one. Hashimoto not only accepted but laid down plenty of threats toward MIRAI as she looks to prove that the “Ash-Covered Cinderella” doesn’t have what it takes.
This will not only be a hoss fight but has all the makings to be the best match of the night if they get the time to do so. MIRAI is looking for her first big singles win in quite some time but with Hashimoto seemingly on the road to facing Syuri, it’ll be tough for MIRAI to pull off a win here with the Sendai Girls ace being so determined. Maybe the return of cheering to STARDOM can be what powers MIRAI past Hashimoto. Prediction: Chihiro Hashimoto
Naniwa Roulette Championship Opportunity
Participants: Mayu Iwatani, Mariah May, Waka Tsukiyama, Mina Shirakawa, Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Momo Kohgo, Momoka Hanazono, Yuna Mizumori, Mai Sakurai, Thekla, Natsuko Tora, Miyu Amasaki, Saki Kashima, X)
A Mayu Iwatani special, the Naniwa Roulette Championship Opportunity Match will give everyone an opportunity to earn a shot at any title of their choosing. The 15-person gauntlet will have five-minute time limits with pins, submissions, and over-the-top-rope rules all in play. Trying to predict who will walk out of this match the winner may feel impossible seeing the possibilities that could come from it, but the top contenders to win will be Mayu Iwatani, Mina Shirakawa, Tam Nakano, and Natsupoi with Mariah May and Thekla as our darkhorse choices to make a splash.
Shirakawa is as determined as ever to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship and while the rematch with Saya Kamitani has been teased, earning the shot may be necessary for her to get one. The leader of Club Venus has momentum that should carry her to success in this match. Prediction: Mina Shirakawa
Goddess of Stardom Championship
7Upp (Nanae Takahashi & Yuu) (c) vs. MaiHime (Maika & Himeka)
7Upp has been dominant. Whether it has been tag team action or trios action until this point, they have been nearly untouchable. One of the only teams to get the best of them thus far has been MaiHime, who were able to steal a win against 7Upp in the Goddesses Tag League at the end of 2022. After winning a number one contendership match at Stardom Dream Queendom, they left themselves with another shot at 7Upp, this time with gold on the line. MaiHime’s first reign with the Goddess of Stardom Championship was shortlived back in 2021, as the reign only lasted 49 days before losing the titles to Giulia and Syuri.
This is their shot to get back on track as a tag team but just as wrestlers overall. Nanae Takahashi and Yuu will present a tough challenge as they have to the remainder of the STARDOM roster, but it’s nice to think there’s a shot here for Himeka and Maika to hold championships once again. Their match in the Goddesses Tag League was the best of the whole tournament so expect this to be a potential show stealer Saturday night. Prediction: 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi & Yuu)
Wonder of Stardom Championship
Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Momo Watanabe
Records make you a legend. But records are meant to also be broken. On Saturday at STARDOM Supreme Fight 2023, one of the biggest matches in the history of the Wonder of Stardom Championship takes place as the champion, Saya Kamitani, looks to break the all-time defense record with V14 by defeating the initial record holder, Momo Watanabe.
The reign of “The Golden Phoenix” has been nothing short of special but defeating Watanabe would be the reign-defining victory that she hasn’t had just yet. Kamitani has been able to survive, show dominance, and beat the best of the best in the promotion. The last two victories against Haruka Umesaki and Ami Sourei highlighted how far ahead Kamitani is against much of the pack. Beating “The Black Peach” is essential to her record-breaking run and doing it for the record is perfection. It won’t be easy.
Watanabe is a new wrestler. She’s changed so much since the Wonder of Stardom Championship reign that put her name in the history books of STARDOM and Joshi. Not only does her allegiance to Oedo Tai cite her changes, but so does her overall delivery as a pro wrestler. She’s more vicious, she’s more violent, but in many ways, she has returned to that same killer mindset that she had back when she was holding the Wonder of Stardom Championship. She’s stated before that all she focuses on is the World of Stardom Championship moving forward, but defending her record from her former Queen’s Quest stablemate has certainly driven her to change that attitude.
A fantastic match is a guarantee between these two. What isn’t is who will win. Kamitani breaking the record feels likely but never count out Watanabe. Prediction: Saya Kamitani
World of Stardom Championship
Giulia (c) vs. Suzu Suzuki
The main event of STARDOM Supreme Fight 2023 is going to be a match everyone remembers for the rest of the year and onward. The anticipation and excitement surrounding Giulia’s run as World of Stardom Champion couldn’t be any higher. That said, having to wait a month for her first title defense has been awfully tough but it will be well worth it when she takes on her frienemy, Suzu Suzuki.
Not only is this match a big deal for Giulia but it is just as big for Suzuki. After all, this will be Suzuki’s first singles title challenge since taking part in STARDOM and it just so happens to be for the World of Stardom Championship. Not bad for a 20-year-old who is of course a former ICExInfinity Champion from her time in Ice Ribbon. The hatred that Suzuki had for most of 2022 has turned more into that love she once had for Giulia but now trying to further prove to the champion that not only can she compete with her but she can defeat her this time and end the reign before it really began.
On the final night of the 5STAR Grand Prix before Giulia went on to win the tournament in the main event of Tam Nakano, these two went to a 15-minute draw that featured violence and as many emotions as you can imagine. Now take that match and put it in the main event, world title setting to realize how incredibly exciting Saturday is for STARDOM and Joshi fans. And one final caveat to it all is that fans will be cheering for a World of Stardom Championship match for the first time since Jan. 19, 2020, at the 9th Anniversary show. Buckle up.
Giulia’s road to the World of Stardom Championship was one of the best-told stories in STARDOM history but the title reign? It has all the makings to be the very best. A successful defense against Suzu Suzuki should kick her reign into full gear.
It’s unlikely that Suzuki walks out of STARDOM as champion with this being Giulia’s first title defense but that shouldn’t take away from what should be a special second encounter between two of the best in the world. Prediction: Giulia
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