#265: Mayu Iwatani & Sareee vs. Chihiro Hashimoto & VENY, Sareee-ism Chapter V (9/2/2024).
This is quite the all star match for modern Joshi wrestling.
On one side, you have Mayu Iwatani, the Icon of STARDOM, and a woman who is currently in the midst of one of the best runs of her career as the IWGP Women’s Champion, a title that has seemingly been forgotten about by Bushiroad, but nevertheless has produced some of the best Women’s matches in recent years. Her partner at this time is Sareee, at the time the Marigold World Champion, and another woman having one of the best runs of her career post WWE.
Standing opposite of them is Chihiro Hashimoto, the Ace of the Sendai Girls promotion who held that World Championship for 1100+ days, and she’s teaming with VENY, the same woman who ended her reign in 2022, but someone who is believed to be the first transgender pro wrestler to come from Japan. All four women are among the very best that Joshi has to offer right now, so this tag team match had a lot of hype coming into it.
The bell sounds, and we are starting things off with Sareee and Chihiro. Can you say hoss fight? Chihiro with a single leg takedown right away, and she tops Sareee. Chihiro goes for the leg, and gets caught in a brief Triangle Choke. Sareee is back to her feet quickly, and we get another lock up. Chihiro uses her size and strength to force her into the ropes, and Sareee responds with a slap to the face. Chihiro nearly gets a pin on her just by holding her to the mat.
Big shoulder tackle by the Sendai Girls ace. Sareee responds with a single leg dropkick. Nice side headlock takedown by Chihiro, and Sareee uses a head scissors to escape. We have a stalemate, and here comes Mayu and VENY with the tags. The crowd is hyped for this one. Mayu takes VENY down quickly, and VENY responds by cart wheeling out of a head scissors takeover. They exchange moves back and forth, before we have another stalemate.
VENY offers her hand out for respect, and then pokes Mayu in the eyes. She knocks Sareee off the apron, and now her and Chihiro double team Mayu. The STARDOM icon fires back by knocking both women down, and then tagging Sareee in. They hit a double boot to VENY’s face, followed by a drop toe hold/dropkick combination. Sareee kicks VENY to ringside, and Mayu hits a Tope, accidentally hitting Sareee.
VENY goes to the top rope, and hits a diving moonsault onto her opponents. Back in the ring, VENY with a snap mare and a kick to the back. She gets a quick nearfall, and tosses Sareee across the ring for her troubles. She sits on her in the corner, as Mayu returns to her feet. Powerslam by VENY, and Sareee bridges her way out of a pin. Here comes Chihiro with the tag, and VENY kicks Mayu off the apron.
Big exchange of strikes from Sareee and Chihiro, with the latter locking in the Inoki Style Abdominal Stretch. She transitions into a gut wrench suplex, and that gets her a 2 count. VENY tags back in, and connects with a snap mare/shotgun dropkick combination for a nearfall. Sareee fires back with a hard forearm to the chest, followed by a fisherman suplex for a 2 count. Mayu makes the tag in, and hits a nice dropkick to the mush.
Spin kick to the midsection, and Chihiro hits her spine as she comes into the ropes. We get some double team action on Mayu now, but she fights back with a springboard arm drag on both women at the same time! She follows that with a shotgun dropkick to both Chihiro and VENY. VENY with some knee strikes to the chest, and some kicks. Mayu with a kick to the chest, and VENY responds with a spinning heel kick to Mayu that actually stun locks her momentarily. Chihiro tags in, and splashes her in the turnbuckle. She follows up with a delayed vertical suplex, and Mayu is able to kick out. Chihiro misses a middle rope senton. Mayu with a running single leg dropkick connects flush, and now she looks for the Dragon Suplex. Chihiro fights out of it, but eats an elbow to the face.
Chihiro catches Mayu and wheel barrels her into a nasty German Suplex! Superkick by Mayu, and both women are down! Sareee tags in, and hits a missile dropkick to Chihiro. We get a hard forearm exchange in the middle of the ring. She misses a double stomp, and Chihiro catches her in the Ankle Lock submission. Mayu comes in to try and break it up, but Chihiro ain’t budging. VENY comes in and tosses her to the outside.
More elbows by Chihiro in the corner to Sareee. The Marigold Ace counters a move into the Octopus Stretch! Chihiro tries to power out, but she falls to the mat. VENY tries to break the submission up, but here’s Mayu to send her to ringside. Sareee is up and hits a nice German Suplex! Chihiro is right back up to hit a lariat though! VENY makes the tag, and comes off the top rope with a shotgun dropkick! She rolls through, and knocks Mayu off the apron.
Another one connects, and she makes the cover. Sareee kicks out. VENY lightly kicks at her head, and Sareee isn’t having any of that! They grab each other’s hair, but here’s Chihiro to help out. Double drop toe hold, and they each slam her knees into the mat. VENY with the Lionsault, and Mayu comes in to break up the pin with a dropkick. She’s sent right back to the floor. VENY goes to the top rope, and Mayu cuts her off long enough for Sareee to hit a German Suplex. But, VENY comes back with one of her own!
Big slap by VENY, and one by Sareee. They slap each other at the same time! Chihiro with a clothesline to Sareee in the ropes, and now Mayu and Sareee hit dueling dropkicks to their opponents! They go to the top rope, and hit a frog splash/double stomp combo! Saree covers VENY, and she kicks out. VENY catches Sareee with an arm bar attempt. Mayu comes in and accidentally kicks Sareee, which gets a laugh out of the crowd. She eventually breaks up the hold, but Chihiro sends her to the outside.
Superkick by VENY, and Sareee kicks out. VENY is on the top rope, and she misses the moonsault! Mayu with a superkick, and as she holds Chihiro off, Sareee hits a bridging Back Suplex for a close 2! Running shotgun dropkick to the mush, and VENY kicks out again! Sareee comes off the top rope with the Double Stomp, but Chihiro breaks up the pin! She and Sareee exchange blows. Crucifix Bomb by Mayu connects to Chihiro, and she follows with an attack on VENY.
Everyone is down, and the crowd is loving the action! VENY and Sareee exchange elbow strikes on their knees. They get back to their feet, and the strikes become stiffer! VENY with the Sit Out Powerbomb, Batista style, and Sareee kicks out! She immediately hits the top rope moonsault, but Mayu breaks up the pin attempt! Sareee with a head scissors into a roll up for 2. Exploder Suplex out of nowhere by Sareee, as Mayu holds Chihiro off on the apron, but only for a moment, as she comes in and tackles Sareee.
Mayu and Chihiro fight on the top rope. Chihiro blocks a Frankensteiner into a powerbomb! VENY with a Frankensteiner to Mayu, causing her to land on Sareee! Michinoku Driver by VENY, and Sareee once again will not stay down! They exchange control for a moment, until Chihiro accidentally tackles VENY! German Suplex by Mayu to Chihiro, and an Exploder to VENY! Sareee only gets a nearfall! Headbutt connects, and another Exploder! Mayu hits a top rope moonsault, and Sareee hits one more Exploder! That’s enough to get her the win. What an unbelievable fucking match! This was just nonstop action from bell to bell, and all four women here got to look equally strong and powerful! This had a unique aura surrounding it, as it featured top stars from three different Joshi promotions, including STARDOM, Marigold, and Sendai Girls, as well as the popular freelancer in VENY.
As the match went on, the momentum brought by all involved only got hotter, and it made for a super exciting stretch. This reminded me of the golden age of Joshi tag team wrestling, where it was just non-stop offense from both sides, and you never really could tell who was going to win. My top moment of the match has to go to when Chihiro reversed the Frankensteiner into a top rope powerbomb. That was nuts.
This match is also helped by the crowd. Despite being in a small venue, they cheered this match like it was the main event of Wrestle Kingdom. That energy resonated with all four women, and in return, they gave the paying audience an experience they’d never forget. A fantastic match, and one of the better tag team matches I’ve seen in recent memory. If you’re like me, and you like watching talented female wrestlers go all out, I’d highly recommend this one.