[2015-11-15-Stardom] Meiko Satomura vs Mayu Iwatani

[donsem43]

This match is actually fairly similar to the Hojo/Iwata match earlier in the card except that it "Champion vs. Rising Star" so it's a bit more advanced. Satomura dominates the early going by simply overpowering Iwatani with matwork and strikes. Mayu tries to stick and move to counter but it only takes one stiff shot from Meiko to regain control. Iwatani does eventually manage to get a nice run on offense but she ends up making the same mistake that Hojo did in July by trying to trade strikes with Satomura and that's just a fight that Mayu isn't going to win. Meiko puts an exclamation point by hitting a nasty DVD then putting Iwatani to sleep. ***3/4

[JAC]

The nice thing about this was that Iwatani did enough damage to get a rub out of the match-she didn't in any way look out of Satomura's league. But Satomura did ultimately win decisively, knocking out Shirai's Thunder Rock partner with multiple kicks to the head, a Death Valley Driver and a sleeperhold. Shirai confronts Satomura after the match. With Hojo and Iwatani having both come up short , Shirai is Stardom's last best chance to wrest the belt away from the invading Satomura. A good match in its own right, and a fine way to build to the year-end finale of Satomura v. Shirai.