#206: Syuri vs. MIRAI, STARDOM Nagoya Supreme Fight (1/29/2022).
Hello, readers!
This month marks three years since I began following World Wonder Ring STARDOM, arguably the best all women’s promotion in wrestling. So, I thought I’d celebrate the occasion by spotlighting one of the best championship reigns in modern wrestling: the World of Stardom Championship run by Syuri from December of 2021 to December of 2022. She capped off a fantastic 2021 by winning the title from rival Utami Hayashishita at Dream Queendom, and held it until the following year’s Dream Queendom.
Her reign was one of the most acclaimed in all of wrestling, as Syuri wrestled her heart out in every single defense, right up until the night she lost the title, bandaged and all, to Giulia. So this week, I’m taking a look at my five favorite defenses from the leader of God’s Eye, and one of the very best women’s wrestlers I’ve ever seen, Miss Syuri Kondo. Her defenses defied everything surrounding it. In the midst of silent crowds during COVID, Syuri’s matches helped leap STARDOM to the forefront as arguably the best promotion in all of Japan around the time.
Up first is her first title defense from Nagoya Supreme Fight, against MIRAI. At the time of this event, MIRAI has just arrived in STARDOM alongside Thekla to join the Donna del Mondo faction, led by Giulia. Here, MIRAI had an opportunity take STARDOM’s top prize from her fellow stablemate in Syuri. This match also has a special place in my heart, as it was the main event of the first STARDOM show I ever watched.
The bell sounds, following a handshake from both competitors. Syuri throws a high kick that’s blocked by MIRAI’s arm. They lock up, and Syuri forces MIRAI into the turnbuckle. MIRAI uses her strength to get Syuri into the opposite corner. We get a clean break, and Syuri quickly gets a takedown. She takes top position, and looks for an arm bar. MIRAI takes control of the back, but Syuri gets back to her feet. MIRAI with a takedown, and Syuri quickly takes the back. We get another clean break.
They lock hands next, and Syuri connects with a drop toe hold. She takes the back again, but MIRAI has a side headlock in as a response. Syuri slips out and gets on top, and messes with the leg for a moment. Good grappling from both women so far. They go head to head, and Syuri takes the side headlock. Shoulder tackle by the champion, and MIRAI just takes it. She goes for one of her own, and Syuri kicks her in the gut. Snap mare by the champion, and a quick roll up from MIRAI.
The challenger hits a nice shoulder tackle that sends Syuri to the floor. Back in the ring, Syuri takes control of the arm, hyper extending it. MIRAI gets to the ropes to break it. Syuri blocks a corner attack, and drives her knee into the midsection. Another knee to the face, and that gets her a nearfall. Syuri with a sleeper hold next. MIRAI reaches her leg out, and gets to the ropes to break the hold. Suplex by Syuri, and MIRAI is able to kick out.
Syuri with a hard stiff kick to the back, and another, and another! She follows with one to the chest, and that gets her a nearfall. She lightly kicks at MIRAI, before stomping on her back. She runs at her, before getting caught with a powerslam by MIRAI. Nice shoulder tackle by the challenger, and another that nearly turns Syuri inside out. She covers, and the champion kicks out. MIRAI goes to the top rope, and hits a nice missile dropkick for a 2 count.
She catches a kick from Syuri, and turns it into a Calf Crusher. Syuri struggles for a moment, but she’s able to kick her way free. Syuri rebounds with a front face lock, before transitioning to an Implant DDT from the ropes. MIRAI rolls to the outside, and Syuri goes to kick her from the apron, but MIRAI catches it and pulls her to the floor, dropping her face first on the apron. MIRAI then lifts Syuri up and slams her back first on the floor.
MIRAI brings her back into the ring, and fires herself up as she goes to the middle rope. Corkscrew Vader senton, and that’s enough for a 2 count. Syuri blocks a back suplex with some hard kicks to the leg. She boots her right in the face, and MIRAI responds with a hard back elbow. Syuri with a knee to the midsection, but MIRAI comes back with a shoulder tackle. Syuri connects with a Code Breaker out of nowhere.
Syuri blocks a German Suplex attempt with elbows to the head, then she crushes MIRAI with several hard kicks to the chest and stomach. MIRAI blocks the final kick, and elbows Syuri right in the knee. Hard forearms follow to the chest, but Syuri will not go down. They both throw elbows now, until Syuri finally drops her with a boot to the face. MIRAI is back up with her onslaught of forearms to Syuri, eventually bringing her back first to the mat.
Syuri fires back with an arm bar attempt, but MIRAI is too close to the ropes. She lifts her up in the air, and drills her with a gut buster across the knees. The challenger is able to kick out. Syuri goes to the top rope, and MIRAI tries to cut her off. Syuri swings wildly to send her away, but she still won’t go down. She goes to the top with her, and hits a nice Northern Lights suplex! MIRAI brings Syuri back up and flapjacks her. She follows that with a furious lariat, but Syuri is somehow still able to kick out.
Hammerlock overhead suplex next from MIRAI, but Syuri still won’t stay down. MIRAI goes right into a Kimura Lock submission. Syuri drags her body to the ropes to break the hold. Syuri with a fantastic looking German Suplex, and both women are right back up. MIRAI blocks a kick, and sends Syuri face first to the mat. She then lifts her up for another suplex, and Syuri still kicks out! MIRAI places Syuri across her back, and stretches her out, before planting her next first to the mat.
Another lariat by the challenger, and she follows with an airplane spin Death Valley Driver! She covers, and Syuri again gets her shoulder up. Syuri blocks another lariat with a kick to the head, but can’t block the second one! MIRAI covers, and Syuri kicks out. Running knee by the champion, and MIRAI immediately reverses the pin into one of her own for a quick nearfall. MIRAI with some elbows to the head, and Syuri slips away and hits a V Trigger.
Roundhouse kick to the cranium by Syuri, and MIRAI kicks out. Syuri looks bewildered! Spinning back fist, and another, and another! Hard roundhouse kick to the head, and Syuri follows up with her recently debuted finisher, Syu-Sekai! She covers, and that’s enough for the win to retain. That was an awesome hoss fight, and a great first title defense for Syuri. She had a lot to deal with here, as MIRAI is one of the toughest women in Joshi, but she was able to get past her with her trademark technique.
I thought this was a fantastic showing for MIRAI as well. This was her first big match in STARDOM, coming so soon after her initial debut, and she was able to stand toe to toe with the top woman in the promotion, and her give her an ass kicking as well. They meshed well here, throwing bombs at one another, and trying to out class the other in the stamina department. MIRAI performed well here, but at this point, she still had a long way to go, and Syuri was THE top dog in Joshi to start 2022. Really solid match here, where both women came out of it looking better than they did coming in.