#22: Hana Kimura vs. Kairi Hojo, STARDOM Grows Up Stars (4/22/2017).
This is for Kairi's Wonder of Stardom Championship, and this show as a whole is a Kairi Homecoming event.
The hometown crowd is hot already for Kairi. Hana fakes a handshake, and Kairi strikes first with a forearm. Hana returns it, and now we have a strike exchange in the middle. They each take turns controlling the arm as things slow down. Kairi tries for an armbar. Hana with a standing shotgun dropkick that looks awesome.
Kairi sends Hana to the outside, then hits a crossbody on her and the rest of Oedo Tai, who are at ringside. They fight into the crowd, and Hana ties a ribbon around Kairi's neck and chokes her with it. They get to the back row, and Hana sends Kairi face first into a door. Hana brings her back to the first row and throws her into one of the seats, and then proceeds to choke her more.
Hana and Oedo Tai drive their boots into Kairi's face. They snap a streamer off of her face, which I don't think I've ever seen before. Hana gets the Muta Lock submission on Kairi, and she dances for the crowd. Hana clubs Kairi with a forearm, but the champion responds with a nice spear to the challenger. Kairi hits some double handed chops, then unleashes some Kobashi style machine gun chops. Kairi comes off the top rope with a flying forearm that gets a 2 count.
Hana gets the Octopus Hold in next, and that transitions into a forearm exchange in the middle of the ring. Hana slaps the shit out of Kairi twice, and Kairi blocks a suplex and clubs her in the jaw. Oedo Tai rushes the ring and suplexes Kairi from the top rope. Hana follows with a suplex of her own for a 2 count.
A shotgun dropkick from the top gets Hana another nearfall. Hana kicks Kairi to the mat with a pump kick that always looks nice. Spinning back fist from Kairi, followed by a sliding forearm, and the pin is broken up when Oedo Tai pull the referee out of the ring. They each take turns squashing Kairi in the corner. She avoids four boots to the face at once, and they get taken out by the other unit at ringside. I honestly have no clue who the other unit is.
Kairi hangs her upside down and does a double stomp to the face. Kairi makes the cover, and Hana just barely kicks out. Alabama Slam from Kairi, followed by the Insane Elbow drop, and that gets her the win to retain the title. That was what you would call an overbooked mess, but it was fun nonetheless. I think Hana showed great character traits throughout this, and she proved to be an enjoyable heel.