STARDOM’s end of year Dream Queendom show is upon us and the promotion have the opportunity to end the year strong with a good showing on the 29th of December. It has been a turbulent year plagued by injuries, absences, and problems mostly outside of the wrestlers’ control, but STARDOM is slowly getting out of their long slump and may be on the rise again. The roster may not be at full strength, but will be strong enough for Dream Queendom as the show in Ryogoku will be the biggest and most pivotal show STARDOM will have in a while.
With many of the promotion’s top belts on the line along with many tag team matches including the Goddess tittle match, STARDOM has the opportunity end the aging 2023 year strong and set the tone for the new year of 2024. Wali and I will have you covered with all the matches coming up for Dream Queendom from the four way tag match all the way to the huge World of STARDOM showdown. And without further ado, let’s get started!
World of STARDOM Championship Match: Suzu Suzuki vs Maika
In the main event, of STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 at Ryogoku Kokugikan we will determine a new champion for the vacated World of Stardom Championship it’s the winner of the 2023 5-STAR GP Suzu Suzuki going against Donna del Mondo’s Maika.
Suzu Suzuki was supposed to go against Tam Nakano for her World of Stardom Championship at GOLD RUSH 2023 on November 18, Suzu got the title match by winning this year’s 5-STAR GP. The match had to be canceled due to Tam Nakano sustaining a knee injury during her match against Natsuko Tora on October 9, 2023, it was going to be Tam fourth title defense.
On November 20 Stardom held a press conference to announce that the World of Stardom Championship will be vacated, during the press conference Suzu would say “Tam Nakano, are you watching? Finally, I got the belt back. I’ve been waiting for you. I was waiting to hear something from your mouth after you vacated the belt, but you didn’t comment. I am very, very disappointed”. At the press conference Hazuki would come out to challenge Suzu for December 2nd show for her contact for the World of Stardom Championship match Suzu would accept the challenge.
Stardom would also announce a one day tournament for the November 28 Korakuen Hall show to determine who would face the winner between Suzu Suzuki or Hazuki at STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 on December 29. At the Korakuen Hall show Maika would go on and win the one day tournament by defeating Momo Watanabe in the finals the other participants in the tournament were Ami Sourei and Mina Shirakawa.
On December 2nd Suzu would go on to defeat Hazuki to keep her title shot after the match Suzu would call out Maika, Suzu would then tell Maika this “now it will be the final battle between you and me on December 29 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, don’t be sobbing and whining when you lose to me like you did at the 5 STAR” Maika would respond with – “Suzu Suzuki, if you think it’s the same Maika as that time, you are mistaken” Maika would then tell Suzu one last thing to her, she would tell Suzu “you’ll be a sacrifice for the dawn of the heir of the Empress”.
During the December 5th Stardom Hiroshima show after DDM won the main event, Maika would see Suzu by ring side so Maika would leave the ring and tell Suzu this “Ryogoku Kokugikan, next time you’ll get your ass kicked like this” Maika and Suzu would start to brawl all the way to back. During the December 6th show after Suzu’s tag team match against Giulia she would tell Giulia this “Hey Giulia, Giulia, it’s been a long time since we had fun playing against each other. It was fun, but I was thinking about Maika! On December 29 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, after I fight Maika and win the red belt, I will fight you too, so wait for me, Giulia” Suzu is already looking past Maika going into their match on December 29 STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 in Ryogoku Kokugikan.
This will be Suzu’s second shot at the World of Stardom Championship her first was against Giulia on February 4, 2023, Suzu was unsuccessful at winning the World of Stardom Championship and this will be Maika’s fourth try at capturing the World of Stardom Championship. Maika’s first two loses were from Utami Hayashishita and her third was against Syuri.
Stardom would have one more press conference on December 12 for STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 Suzu and Maika would be at the press conference to sign the contract for their match after they signed the contract Maika would go on to say – “I don’t like it. I don’t want to admit it. Suzu can’t lead this stardom. I think it’s a belt that should not be entrusted to her. I will win from Suzu, I will lead this stardom, and next year, I will create the era of the empress”
Suzu would take the mic and tell Maika “There’s no way you can get it, because you’re so shaky. You’re looking at me with teary eyes. I don’t know what kind of empire you’re talking about, but there is no empire. The era of empresses, you know, it’s going to end without ever starting” after that comment from Suzu, Maika would attack Suzu and put her through a table.
As of December 24 Maika and Suzu are 1-1 in their prelude matches both have the momentum going into their title match on December 29 at STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 in Ryogoku Kokugikan. Will it be the winner of this year’s 5 STAR GP Suzu Suzuki or will it be the Empress Maika who walks out of Ryogoku Kokugikan as the new World of Stardom Champion in the main event to close out the year to lead Stardom into 2024 as the new Champion.
Wonder of STARDOM Championship: MIRAI (c) vs Saori Anou
In the semi-main event for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, it’s the champion MIRAI from God’s Eye defending her title against the challenger Saori Anou from COSMIC ANGELS. This will be MIRAI’s fourth title defense.
At Stardom Nagoya Big Winter PPV after MIRAI’s tag match, Saori Anou would come out to tell MIRAI “thank you for the 30 minutes we spent fighting for the Wonder of Stardom Championship the other night” Anou would ask MIRAI “Let’s continue the fight at Ryogoku” MIRAI would accept the challenge for a rematch at STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 in Ryogoku Kokugikan. This will be Anou’s second chance for the Wonder of Stardom Championship their first title bout went to a 30-minute time limit draw at GOLD RUSH 2023. Anou still holds a victory over MIRAI from this years 5-STAR Grand Prix.
During the press conference for STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 Saori Anou said to MIRAI that she “still feels regret and remorse from that day”. Anou also said “I want to remember how I felt when I stepped into the ring of Stardom this year, and I want to make this the culmination of 2023, and a day that will lead to next year” Saori Anou is looking forward to winning the Wonder of Stardom Championship to end her first year in Stardom. MIRAI said she is happy Anou challenged her she would go on to say – “I think there are pros and cons to defending against the same opponent consecutively” MIRAI is looking forward to defending her title and defeating Saori Anou to close out the year as champion.
As of December 24 MIRAI and Saori Anou are 1-1 and one draw in a tag team match on December 17 against Saori Anou in their prelude matches. Both do have the momentum going in to their match on STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 to end the year as champion. Saori Anou is looking to win her first singles title in Stardom to end the year off for her and MIRAI wants to defeat Anou and remain as champion going into the new year.
Goddess of STARDOM Championship: AphrOditE (Utami Hayashishita & Saya Kamitani) (c) vs XL (Natsuko Tora & Momo Watanabe)
A new chapter in STARDOM’s biggest rivalry will be written as Queen’s Quest meets Oedo Tai in another high stakes match as AphrOditE of QQ going against XL representing the purple and black of Oedo Tai.
It may be a repetitive aspect, but Utami, Saya Kamitani, Momo Watanabe, and Natsuko Tora all have history with each other as Momo was a member of QQ before leaving the faction in late 2021 to join Oedo Tai. In July 2021, Tora chllenged Utami for her red belt only to suffer a torn ACL during the match and has been her biggest rival ever since. The two factions will forever be linked from the Sunshine Steel Cage macth back in June where one of the best wrestling moments of 2023 took place, where Momo offered Tall Saya a bat to hit Utami with it only for Tall Saya to hit the match clinching run at the expense of Momo Watanabe’s head as Queen’s Quest shared a moment like they just won the World Series.
However, as these two factions love of one of Japan’s many sporting pastimes, the winner will be determined by pinfall or submission in a conventional tag team match where baseball bats or steel cages won’t be necessary. And as big as this rivalry between the two factions is, Utami has different plans and was brutally blunt in making her intentions clear.
In the pre-match press conference, Utami stated that she is no longer interested in Oedo Tai and wants nothing to do with Oedo Tai after planning to defend the Goddess belts. An avid viewer of STARDOM would understand Utami’s sentiment towards having to go against a faction sworn to take her and her friends out time and time again. Utami and Queen’s Quest are the superheroes in this tale trying to move on from the villainous Oedo Tai after defeating them. All there is left is one more battle.
AphrOditE will have their first defense of the Goddess belts in their current reign after defeating Divine Kingdom earlier this December after both Utami and Saya returned from their injuries. AphrOditE have gone against Momo Watanabe for the belts back in 2021 as Momo herself is a former two time holder of the titles in both factions as her QQ reign in 2018-2019 was with Utami as her partner. Coincidentally, Utami and Momo won the belts in November of 2018 from Jungle Kyona and Natsuko Tora in their only defense as champs.
It is amazing to see how much the company grew in five years and the quality of this match will compliment that. AprhOditE is a team with two of STARDOM’s most talented wrestlers as Saya Kamitani who is known for her high flying brilliance is a great all around wrestler and Utami is a well rounded powerhouse that can take on anybody as both wrestlers have terrific speed. But AphrOditE’s biggest attribute is their teamwork and chemistry; it is what helped Queen’s Quest survive the steel cage match dispite issues within the faction.
But XL will be a much worthy foe for AphrOditE in their first defense as Momo Watanabe and Natsuko Tora work well as a team, Oedo Tai ringside antics aside. Tora may not have the speed to outrun both Utami & Tall Saya, but she is a hard-hitting powerhouse herself who is not afraid to pounce on her opponents from the top rope as Watanabe is a great all around wrestler in any match she is involved in and would do almost anything to win.
The match will be very heated since there is no love loss between Oedo Tai and Queen’s Quest, but XL and AphrOditE are sure to put out a show in Ryogoku.
Can Natsuko Tora continue to be a thorn against Utami, Saya, and Queen’s Quest with XL putting an abrupt end to AphrOditE’s reign?
Or will Utami make good on her intentions in finishing off XL and Oedo Tai for good and help herself and Saya retain with AphrOditE entering the new year as Goddess champs?
New Japan Strong Women’s Championship: Giulia (c) vs Megan Bayne
Former Wonder and World of Stardom champion Giulia of Donna del Mondo is set to defend her Strong Women’s Championship against Megan Bayne.
This match already has some intrigue due to both wrestlers currently being or have been targeted by the two biggest North American promotions. But the wheel of speculation and rumor mills can wait because a wrestling match needs to be contested.
Since losing the white belt back April, Giulia has been on an absolute tear in throughout 2023 with a record of fourteen victories, three loses, and a draw in her last eighteen singles matches since All-Star Dream Queendom. Since defeating Willow Nightingale in May at Korakuen, Giulia has successfully defended the Strong Women’s belt against Yuu, Risa Sera, Ami Sourei, Hyan, and AZM to avenge one of her three losses back in the 5★Star GP as well as fending off Deonna Purrazzo, Gisele Shaw, and Momo Kohgo in a four way at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia back in August.
Yet Megan Bayne will be a very tough test for Giulia if she wants to enter the new year with a singles tittle. The Megasus has had a good overall track record despite Devine Kingdom failing to capture the Goddess belts as she only got pinned three times in just over fifty matches since July when she joined STARDOM. Bayne may have found tag team success as she and Maika won the Goddess League, but she does want some singles hardware to bolster her resume in Japan.
Megan Bayne stands at five feet and eleven inches tall, and while that may be know as the liar’s height, her presence hass nothing but truth in the world of STARDOM as she far exceeds the height of both an average joshi and western female wrestler. Bayne also has amazing strength to complement her height and while she doesn’t have the jaguar-like pace that many in STARDOM have, she does have the horsepower to compete against anyone in the promotion. The Megasus has the velocity and ferocity that would put fear into many of her opponents.
However, Giulia will not be easily intimidated facing off against Megan Bayne as she fears nobody no matter how tall or physically imposing her opponent are. Giulia is a scrappy fighter, yet she’s a methodical wrestler who specializes in physicality and would stop at nothing in not only getting a victory, but giving a fight to remember her by.
In the pre-match presser, Giulia states that she is “stronger than Megan thinks and wants to turn her corpse into a stuffed animal and display it beautifully” in her room like a trophy. Whereas the Megasus has the size, fierceness, and horsepower, she’s going against someone who has earned her stripes and clawed her way to the top by all means but also lives for a prize fight and loves to rattle the cages of anyone she’s going against.
And while many may not love, love, love Giulia, it is clear that all of her opponents loathed, loathed, loathed having to try and beat her in a physical match as it looks like her defense against Megan Bayne will likely be that way despite the size disadvantage.
Can Megan Bayne dethrone Giulia and cement herself as the top gaijin while finishing 2023 in the highest of notes?
Or will Giulia’s methodical and physical approach be enough to retain against The Megasus as Giulia caps off a roller coaster of a year with another defense?
STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Hanan, and Saya Iida) vs Oedo Tai (Starlight Kid, Ruaka, Rina, and Fukigen Death)
This 8 person tag team match, has the Icon of Stardom Mayu Iwatani return match after sustaining a hand injury. Mayu is teaming up with STARS stable mates Wild Heart Hazuki and The Young Lioness Hanan and Macho Gori Saya Iida going against Oedo Tai’s team of The Sky Tiger Starlight Kid and evil monster Ruaka and Pink Devil Rina and evil clown Fukigen Death.
Mayu Iwatani will be making her in-ring return at STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 from an injury she sustained during her match against Stephanie Vaquer. During STARDOM DREAM QUEENDOM 2023 press conference Mayu would say “This time, I have the members of STARS, and I have a lot of support from them, so I would like to fight through the last match of the year with a smile, finish the last match of the year with a smile” Mayu does have to defend her IWGP Women’s title on January 4 2024, so Mayu is looking to not reinjury her dislocated pinky finger before the new year.
Starlight Kid told Mayu that she has been waiting for her since as Starlight Kid has also recently returned from injury. SLK did not get the chance to have her final 5 STAR GP match against Mayu because of SLK’s absence due to injury. SLK is looking to “celebrate Mayu Iwatani’s return match by crushing her in a big way” SLK is looking to beat STARS and pin Mayu upon her return match, if SLK pins Mayu during this tag team match this would be a big win for her which would set up a match against Mayu for her IWGP Women’s title down the line.
AZM & 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi & Yuu) vs Syuri, Mina Shirkawa, and Mei Seira
In this six person tag team match, High Speed champion Mei Seira will team up with Syuri of God’s Eye and Mina Shirakwa of the dwindling Club Venus against AZM of Queen’s Quest teaming up with Team 7Upp, the tag team of the passionate Nanae Takahashi and the ever powerful Yuu.
There is a good amount of variety for this match Mei and AZM are going to display their high-end, high speed talent, Yuu is an excellent combination of speed and power who wrestles all across Japan and abroad, Mina and Syuri are shoot style based wrestlers, and Nanae being a very solid all around wrestler as she has been wrestling since 1996 at the age of seventeen. While Nanae is the most experience with under tweny-seven and a half years in the industry, there is also a good amount of experience as each wrestler has at least five years or more in the squared circle.
It also a match of current and former champions as Syuri, AZM, Mina, and Nanae have won singles and tag team championships in STARDOM as Yuu won the Goddess belts with Nanae in last year’s Dream Queendom. Mei Seira is the current owner of the High Speed belt and has held on to the title since October.
The six person tag match may also be a precursor to what is to come in 2024 as there might be a UWF rules match between Nanae and Syuri in January as well as perhaps a singles match between AZM and Mei Seira for the High Speed crown latter down the road.
The outcome of this match won’t necessarily decide the course of STARDOM for 2024, but this will likely be a fun match for all watching as the show makes its way up the card.
Pre-Show:
Four-way tag team match: Queen’s Quest (Hina & Lady C) vs BariBari Bombers (Mai Sakurai & Thekla) vs COSMIC ANGELS (SAKI & Yuna Mizumori) vs God’s Eye (Ami Sohrei & Saki Kashima)
There is a four-way tag team match to start the night as God’s Eye, COSMIC ANGELS, Queen’s Quest, and two-thirds of the BariBari Bombers from DDM face off.
God’s Eye will be represented by Ami Sohrei and Saki Kashima, two former Goddess of STARDOM champions, as they face off against Mai Sakurai and Thekla of DDM as two-thirds of the BariBari Bombers who are the current owners of the Artist belts and have been on a tear since April. The other two participants are Hina and Lady C of Queen’s Quest along with SAKI and Yuna Mizumori representing COSMIC ANGELS.
For the duo representing the short handed Kozuen faction, SAKI is a multi-time tag team champion in other promotions and she does have a solid partner in Yunamon who had herself clawed her way to becoming a member of CA. Sohrei & Kashima are an odd couple representing God’s Eye, but they might be the most balanced since Sohrei is a power-player and Kashima is a nifty high speed magician who is coming back from injury. Both teams definitely have a shot in winning this match
The Queen’s Quest team of Hina & Lady C are a wild card here since they too have experience teaming together. However Hina is a very solid prospect for her age and Lady C will definitely have a height advantage and punish her opponents with her big boot.
There is just one thing that stands in the way between these three teams and victory and that is that Mai Sakurai & Thekla can rarely be stopped. Sakurai & Thekla may have the advantage coming into the match since they’ve been on a tear collectively as a unit. Mai Sakurai as The Ladyship may be snobby as she has improved greatly just this year, but she does have the protection services of Thekla to rely on as she herself is an intimidating and cerebral all around wrestler for her size.
This will be a fun yet maybe a really quick match to start the night. The outcome of this match can go in any of the four ways, but one thing is for certain and that is that there will be shenanigans!
Miyu Amasaki, Azusa Inaba, & YUZUKI vs HANAKO, Ranna Yagami, & Sayaka Kurara
Lastly, there is a six person tag team match between the team of Miyu Amasaki, Azusa Inaba, and YUZUKI versus the team of HANAKO, Ranna Yagami, and Sayaka Kurara.
Aside from Miyu Amasaki, about everyone is a rookie within STARDOM or in their first year within the company. I’m sure those who are avidly watching the product or Joshi wrestling in general know who they call Kevin is by now as she has showed a ton of upside in her two years in the promotion. Amasaki will not be alone as recently debuted YUZUKI, not to be confused with former Wonder of STARDOM champ Yuzuki Aikawa, and Azusa Inaba, the younger sister of Tomoka, are going to wrestle alongside. Azusa Inaba, who wrestles at JTO, has appeared in various New Blood shows throughout the years while YUZUKI in her short time wrestling has gained the nickname of ‘Moon Arrow’ and has impressed many with her showings thus far.
On the other side, HANAKO will be leading her team of rookies, Ranna Yagami and Sayaka Kurara. HANAKO has shown a ton of upside with her size and talent as she’s been getting many reps with and against STARDOM’s best. Sayaka Kurara is gonna make her debut on Christmas Day in Japan against Saya Kamitani who Kurara looks up to. That same day, Ranba Yagami will also make her debut as she goes against Syuri who Yagami admires. In within their first week, both Yagami and Kurara will be facing off against two of STARDOM’s best as well as showcasing their abilities at Ryogoku.
This match will be a good outlook to the future of STARDOM as one or some of the six might win a belt in the promotion in the near future in 2024. But for now, these youngsters are going to give it their best and give the audience a lasting impression to close out 2023.
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