#210: Syuri vs. Giulia, STARDOM Dream Queendom (12/29/2022).
This is for Syuri’s World of Stardom Championship.
Coming into this event, she had a lot to worry about, though. Injuries were mounting with each title defense, and Syuri was hanging on for dear life. Alas, her grip atop STARDOM never loosened, and she was more than determined to end the year as the champion. Standing across from her was a woman she not only knew well, but a woman who had been on a three year journey to get to this point: Giulia.
From the moment she entered STARDOM in 2019, many earmarked Giulia as a future World of Stardom Champion. Previously a top star in Ice Ribbon, Giulia just has that it factor, that intangible that makes people see her as a star. She has a great look, and she’s a badass in the ring. Her road had some bumps along the way, especially in 2021. She famously dropped the Wonder of Stardom Championship to Tam Nakano, and then had to suffer having her head shaved as a result. She was a favorite to win the 5 Star Grand Prix, but she had to forfeit the remainder of her matches on September 9th due to a knee injury. Who would go on to win that tournament? Syuri.
2022 didn’t start any better for Giulia. She was confronted by an old friend, Suzu Suzuki, who arrived in the promotion hell bent on destroying her mentor who “abandoned” her in Ice Ribbon. On top of that, Giulia’s attempt at beating Syuri for the championship in March came with a loss. Then, Syuri decided to leave Donna del Mondo to form her own faction, God’s Eye.
In a way, it was Giulia who unleashed this beast onto the STARDOM roster, and as the year went on, Syuri was seemingly unstoppable. But, Giulia could sense that her time was coming. And she took every chance she got. On the final day of the 5 Star in October, Giulia went to war with Suzu in a 15 minute time limit draw rife with emotion. That earned her a place in the finals, where she would win the entire tournament, besting long time rival Tam Nakano in the process.
Now the stage was set, for STARDOM’s latest visit to the famous Sumo Hall. Syuri was looking to beat the odds, and the injuries, and complete one full year as World of Stardom Champion. Giulia, meanwhile, was looking to accomplish her goal from day one, and to finally meet the expectations so many had for her in 2019.
They lock up, and Giulia gets Syuri against the ropes first. Syuri pushes back and gets the side headlock in. Giulia breaks out and gets one of her own in. Syuri elbows her midsection and sends her into the corner. Giulia fights out and gets a sunset flip pin attempt off for 2. She misses a boot, and Syuri misses a kick. Stalemate to start things out.
Another lock up, and Syuri takes the back. Chin lock is escaped by Giulia, who looks to control the arm. Syuri lifts her up and flapjacks her to the mat. Double arm suplex gets a 2 count, and Syuri goes right into an armbar. Before she gets into too much trouble, Giulia gets to the bottom rope. Giulia connects with a hard forearm, and Syuri gives it right back to her. They each run the ropes, until Syuri gets a double leg takedown and locks in an Ankle Lock. Giulia gets to the ropes, and now both ladies are tied up in the ropes tarantula style. They slap the shit out of each other, until Syuri gets the upper hand. On the apron, Giulia slaps Syuri hard across the face, then lifts her up for a hammerlock suplex onto the apron!
Giulia drags Syuri up the ramp and looks for a back suplex, but Syuri fights out of it and kicks her to the ground. Syuri signals for the fans to move, as she knees Giulia in the ribs. She goes for a kick, but Giulia grabs her and connects with an Exploder suplex off the ramp, with both women falling onto the chairs at ringside! There’s no way that couldn’t have hurt like hell! Giulia brings Syuri back to ringside, and clears off the ringside tables. Both women are standing on top of one, as Giulia looks for a piledriver, but Syuri fights it off, slaps Giulia, then connects with a piledriver of her own, destroying the table underneath them!
Syuri rolls Giulia back in the ring, then goes to the top rope. She connects with a top rope leg drop to the back of the head for a 2 count, then immediately transitions to a Fujiwara armbar. Giulia gets to the ropes to break the hold, then goes for a German Suplex, but it’s countered by one from Syuri. Giulia is right back up to hit hers, and Syuri is also right back up with another one! She misses a kick and Giulia hits another! Both women collapse!
Sitting on the mat, both women hit each other with slaps to the face, and now they return to their feet. Giulia eggs Syuri on, and catches her in a leg lock submission. Syuri manages to trap Giulia in one of her own! Giulia gets the advantage, torquing on the leg harder. Syuri tries to fight it off with slaps to the face. She eventually crawls to the bottom rope to break the hold. Giulia kicks at Syuri’s head, and slaps her a few times. A couple of stomps right to the spine follow, then some to the head.
Giulia with a single leg dropkick to the head. She goes to the middle rope, and Syuri slowly walks over to slap the hell out of her. She goes to the top and hammerlocks the arm. She drops Giulia to the mat with a hammerlock suplex, then transitions back to the Fujiwara armbar! She twists around and locks in the Omoplata! Giulia somehow gets to the ropes. Syuri now with her own kicks to the head, followed by a hard roundhouse kick to the back.
She follows with a stiff one to the chest. She goes for another, and Giulia catches it and counters with an Exploder suplex. Syuri is right back up and kicks her in the head. Syuri lifts her up for a gutbuster and that gets a 2 count. Syuri goes for Syuri World, but Giulia counters into a roll up for a close 2 count. Giulia sends Syuri head first into the turnbuckle pad, then connects with a high back suplex. She goes for a suplex, but Syuri counters into another Syuri World attempt, and Giulia counters that into a DDT. Falcon Arrow connects, but Syuri rolls through for a nearfall. Giulia does the same!
A running single leg dropkick hits flush, but Syuri hits a bridging German Suplex for 2. She goes for a kick to the head, and Giulia avoids it and gets a roll up for another 2. Hammerlock Piledriver drops Syuri on her head, and she barely kicks out. She hits the Northern Lights Bomb next, and that also gets a close nearfall! She brings Syuri to her knees and looks to kick her head off, but Syuri avoids it and hits a backstabber out of nowhere. She follows with a running knee to the face against the ropes. She goes to the top rope, and Giulia meets her there. She headbutts her back to the mat, and Giulia runs at Syuri with a dropkick.
On the apron, Syuri kicks Giulia’s chest against the ropes, and she falls to the mat. Syuri goes back to the top, and Giulia slaps her, and follows with a headbutt. Huge double arm suplex drops Syuri to the mat all the way down! Syuri is back up and lifts Giulia up for a Samoan Driver, and Giulia kicks out at 1! Giulia hits Syuri with Emerald Flowsion, and she kicks out at 2! Both women rush each other with boots to the face! Syuri with a V Trigger! A huge roundhouse kick to the head follows, but Giulia kicks out again! Another Emerald Flowsion from Syuri, and another kick out! Syuri connects with Syuri World, and Giulia kicks out again! She has survived Syuri’s ultimate finisher!
She rushes into Giulia, who counters into another roll up for a 2 count. Syuri sends her into the corner, and places her on top. She attempts Syuri World from all the way up there, but Giulia counters into a sunset flip powerbomb that gets a nearfall! Running pump handle powerslam connects, and Giulia fails to hit a powerbomb, as Syuri has gone dead weight. Huge kick to the head, followed by a running powerbomb for a close 2 count. Syuri grabs onto Giulia’s leg, and she responds with a knee to the face. Giulia goes to the top and hits a shotgun dropkick!
Giulia busts out a sit out Tiger Driver 91 of all things! Syuri somehow survives that as well! Giulia picks her up, and Syuri counters with a lawn dart into the corner! Straitjacket German Suplex into a pin for Syuri, and Giulia kicks out! She goes for Syuri World again, and Giulia counters into a pumphandle back suplex. Both women are back up, and they slap each other, with Giulia hitting the hardest. Giulia with a Snow Plow, followed by her new finisher, the Glorious Northern Lights Bomb! She makes the cover, and that’s enough to finally stop Syuri! Giulia is the new World of Stardom Champion.
Post match, all members of Donna del Mondo and God’s Eye – once under the same roof – check on their leaders. Syuri, with tears in her eyes, reaches out to Giulia, who grabs her hand in respect. They acknowledge each other in an emotional embrace, and as Syuri places the championship around Giulia’s waist, the new champion explodes into tears. Syuri raises her hand, and they hug one final time, as both collapse to the ground.
That’s still one of the most emotional matches I’ve watched as a fan. For me, it was the payoff to my first year of watching STARDOM, and even without the knowledge of their time together in Donna del Mondo, I was nearly moved to tears. Like Misawa and Kobashi in the past, this was a match built on respect, and built around Syuri’s story of moving away to find success on her own, while Giulia was looking to find her own way, and cap off her journey that started years earlier.
Like true allies, they beat the shit out of each other in a fast paced, thrilling, and hard hitting encounter. Once things went to the ramp, the intensity level completely skyrocketed. Whoever came up with the idea of the Exploder Suplex off the ramp onto several rows of chairs should be locked up. Oh wait, it was probably these psychos. It worked, though, and added to the story of how both women were willing to do anything to find victory, no matter the cost to their opponent, or themselves.
The sense of urgency was impeccable throughout, with Giulia desperate to finally hold the crown jewel of STARDOM, while Syuri looked for any opening to keep her title before her body finally gave out on her. Kudos to Giulia for busting out the Tiger Driver 91! That’s how you know someone means business. Syuri fought with the same amount of might that she had throughout 2022, but in the end, she had given all she had, and Giulia had just a little bit more.
Giulia having to bust out a brand new finisher shows just how much work had to be put in to keep Syuri down once and for all. The tease to the time limit draw – this match was only 30 minutes – was well done, but Giulia proved that she was better than Syuri and Utami before her, and put the match away with 9 seconds to go. This win was monumental for Giulia, who is truly someone that women’s wrestling can be proud of for decades to come. No shame in losing for Syuri, too. She had one of the greatest modern day title reigns of all time, and that’s something she can always hang her hat on.