Stardom All-Star Dream Cinderella PPV 2021.03.03

Nippon Budokan

I have no idea why they booked such a big show in a big venue where you can’t fill it with people.

 High Speed Championship: AZM (c) vs Natsupoi

Of course, they do the superfast paced matrix intro for the match.  First diving double stomp looked pretty weak, but the second one looked ok.  AZM pretty much was dominating and did a flying nothing so Natsupoi could get a dropkick in.  Natsupoi bridges are gorgeous.  Lots of pinning attempts in the home stretch, Natsupoi hits three bridging/rolling German and gets the straight jacket suplex for the pin!  New champ!  Match was a pretty good spotfest, most of the moves hit pretty well.  AZM being only 18 is crazy.

 Goddess of Stardom Championship: Maika & Himeka (c) vs Natsuko Tora & Saki Kashima

Cool spot where Himeka gets both Oedo Tai members in the Torture Rack. This match felt like filler, they just didn’t get a good rhythm going.

Nice to see that the WWE let Io Shirai cut a promo for Stardom.  Tanahashi!  Kairi Hojo!

Main Card:

All-Star Rumble

I do prefer the Rumble format over Battle Royales, it’s just strange they don’t give more time in-between entrances but granted this isn’t the main event.  Because of this the ring fills up really fast.  Lots of comedy spots.  Lady C is the first to get eliminated by Kyoko Inoue.  Inoue gets another Lariat for another elimination but is ganged up afterwards and gets pinned.  Mima Shimoda! Chigusa Nagayo and Kikutaro are the last to enter.  Kikutaro doing his schtick, being a creepy old man, really could have done with this.  Unagi Sayaka ultimately wins over the Cosmic Angels girl in the final three.

Momo Watanabe vs Nanae Takahashi (SEAdLINNNG)

Lots of strikes to start off, Nanae gets the early advantage after a german suplex and more strikes.  These girls were working their asses off!  Very good, though short match, barely 10 minutes long.

SWA Undisputed Title: Syuri (c) vs Konami

Matwork opens with Konami getting the extension of the armbar, and the control of the opening moments.  Konami brought some cool armwork, but we go to suplexes almost right away.  Pretty short match, I would’ve preferred if they got more time for what kind of match they were going for.  Konami taps out to a cool submission.  Pretty decent match.

Mayu Iwatani vs Yoshiko (SEAdLINNNG)

Akira Hokuto on commentary!  Yoshiko gives Mayu the bird before the match.  Clear roles to begin with, Mayu – the babyface technical wrestler, Yoshiko the power rudo.  Mayu’s tope was so fast, looked like she could’ve hurt herself.  Mayu sells the backbreaker like death.  The women definitely worked very hard, and the finishing stretch was very good.  Match of the card so far, almost great.

World of Stardom Title: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs Saya Kamitani

Clearly defined roles again, Utami the more powerful wrestler, Saya the flashy type.  Saya’s flashiness gets her controlled by Utami, and Utami starts hitting power move after power move.  Saya comes back with a dropkick and a huracanrana and hits a tope con hilo.  Saya pretty much had control afterwards and gets a springboard huracanranda for a 2.9.  Saya hits a Stardriver, but was slow to cover letting Utami get a kickout.  Phoenix splash misses, and Utami goes back on offense hitting a Torture Rack bomb for a two.  Black Tiger Bomb gets reversed into a huracanrana for a HUGE 2.9.  Two lariats and a Black Tiger Bomb later and Utami gets the dub.  Utami definitely made Saya look like a million bucks even though Saya probably shouldn’t be in a title match.  Very good match.  Bea Priestly calls out Utami afterwards.

Hair vs Hair Wonder of Stardom Title: Giulia (c) vs Tam Nakano

Here we go…grudge match for a long feud and a lucha de apuesta to up the ante!  Things get going pretty quickly, and Giulia hits a piledriver on the table!  Tam is definitely selling Giulia’s beatings and even after reversing a Glorious Driver to a reverse DDT, Tam still can’t get up.  Eventually she gains her strength, hits a plancha and a Tiger Suplex.  Tam can’t hit a second Tiger, but hits Giulia’s Glorious Driver instead.  Tam kicks the shit out of Giulia, but Giulia hits a backdrop driver.  Glorious Driver by Giulia for two.  Both women slap the shit out of each other, with Nakano selling being loopy and then slaps Giulia while Giulia has her hands tied behind her back.  Giulia returns the favor, the last one sounding real hard.  Nakano with two spin kicks then a Tam Screwdriver!!!!  Twilight Dream for the win and Nakano’s first white belt!!!!  Damn what a match!  Tam and Giulia deliver promos afterwards and Giulia sits in the chair to get her hair cut.  Nakano doesn’t want to cut Giulia’s hair, so Giulia gets one of the guys nearby to do it, but he doesn’t finish.  The two talk afterwards and Giulia shows Nakano respect.

Great show, I would say this is a borderline 5-star show, but I have to give it a 4 since the rumble match was awful and the longest match of the show.  Everything else is completely watchable, with every match except the tag being ranging from good to great, and a MOTY contender main event makes this a HIGH RECOMMENDATION. 4.5/5 show.