[2016-12-04-Stardom] HZK & Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe vs Jungle Kyona & Kairi Hojo & Mayu Iwatani

[Kadaveri]

This was a great main event to close what was otherwise a pretty mediocre show.

 

The storyline going in is mainly revolving around the rivalry between Mayu Iwatani and Io Shirai. Mayu is on a losing streak against her and Io recently dumped her as a tag-team partner and started her own faction Queens Quest who she's tagging with here. Match starts hot as Mayu dropkicks Io straight after she does her post-announcer pose and the match breaks down into a brawl on the outside with Mayu pretty decisively getting the worse of it getting thrown into the fans.

 

HZK (Io's new 18 year old sidekick) has probably her best performance to date in this match showing real meanness in her submission holds as QQ are bullying their rival team, there's a very good HZK/Kairi segment which has a AJPW babyface/heel feel to it stylistically (not saying it's that level quality wise).

 

After much cycling through various combinations we're finally back to Io and Mayu squaring off for the final third of the match as Kyona and Kairi are brawling on the outside with HZK/Watanabe and stopping them interfering. Io is so cocky in everything she does against Mayu. She throws a moonsault against Mayu which Mayu rolls out of the way only to find Io landing on her feet and giving her that look of "that aint gonna work against me dear". Io goes to german suplex Mayu to oblivion but gets stopped by Kyona holding onto Mayu from the outside but HZK takes her out and Mayu gets dropped. 1, 2, kickout! Io stands on Mayu's belly as she walks to the top rope but Mayu holds onto her ankle defiantly, only for Io to stomp the hell out of her with a look of derision. Io goes back to the top rope but gets caught by Kyona and Kairi who've dispatched with Io's partners, Kyona holds Io in the tree of woe for Kairi to hit a double foot stomp (for once this move doesn't look contrived!) and as Io hits the floor Mayu walks over her (standing on Io's belly!) to hit her own double foot stomp. 1, 2, kickout... very weak kickout by Io there, just about got the shoulder up. HZK/Watanabe are back in the ring to save their leader but Kairi/Kyona fight them off, Kairi gives Io a sick backhand strike in while she's at it before another Mayu dropkick just like how the match opens. Io tries to counter a roll up only for Mayu to counter-the-counter, 1, 2, 3!!

 

Io is outraged that she got beat and starts remonstrating with the ref before storming off. She probably isn't happy that things got near 3 against 1 on her in the finishing stretch even if her team started the non-legal interference. Mayu grabs the mic and screams "IO SHIRAI!!! I got the 3 count how about that!?

Exciting match with a great narrative throughout, just a few bits of sub-standard work here and there from the younger wrestlers drag it down a bit from being a really great match. ****