#59: Syuri vs. Chihiro Hashimoto, STARDOM All Star Grand Queendom (4/23/2023).
This is a Knockout or Submissions Only Match.
After dropping the World of Stardom Championship to Giulia the previous December at Dream Queendom, Syuri wasted no time in naming her next rival: Chihiro Hashimoto, the Ace of fellow Joshi promotion Sendai Girls. Whereas Syuri unquestionably has the edge in terms of technique and strikes, Hashimoto comes in stride with her natural ability and her brute strength.
Hashimoto defeated MIRAI and Himeka on the road to this match, which takes place at STARDOM's biggest show of all time at Yokohama Arena in front of 5,539 fans.
They take turns in controlling the others back. And we're at a stalemate early. They lock up, and Hashimoto gets Syuri against the ropes with force. We get a clean break. Syuri takes the side headlock, and Hashimoto escapes quickly into one of her own. Big shoulder tackle from Hashimoto. Syuri boots her out of the corner, and takes an armbar against the ropes. Hashimoto walks it off.
She strikes Syuri on the turnbuckle. They exchange back control again, until Hashimoto gets an abdominal stretch in. Huge gut wrench Suplex by Hashimoto. She follows with a clothesline in the corner. Syuri comes back with a forearm, and Hashimoto responds with some to the chest. Syuri with a knee to the gut, and she follows with a roundhouse kick that drops Hashimoto. Hashimoto explodes with a lariat that drops Syuri.
Short arm lariats, Okada style, follow. Hashimoto avoids a roundhouse kick and gets Syuri trapped in the Torture Rack submission. She follows with a German Suplex. Syuri comes back with a knee to the midsection, and a soccer kick to the face. Big stomps repeatedly to Hashimoto's skull. Syuri with a cross armbreaker next. Hashimoto is out, and she comes back in the lead with another lariat.
On the top rope, Syuri hammers away at Hashimoto's back, and then drops her to the mat with a Hammerlock Suplex. She maintains the Hammerlock and looks for a Kimura Lock! Syuri locks her leg around the hammerlocked arm and pulls back on the other at the same time! After some struggle, Hashimoto gets her foot on the bottom rope to break the hold. Syuri is quick to respond with a sliding knee to the face.
Hashimoto tries to cut Syuri off on the top rope, but Syuri responds with a headbutt. Hashimoto, not to be out done, chop blocks Syuri's leg so hard, she flies off the turnbuckle. Hashimoto with an ankle lock on the outside, but Syuri manages to escape. Syuri hits a DDT to the ringside mat, as she continues her onslaught of the Sendai Girls Ace. Leg drop from the top to the back of Hashimoto's head in the Ring, followed by hard kicks to the chest by Syuri.
Hashimoto catches a kick and destroys Syuri with a powerbomb! Big German Suplex follows, but Syuri uses her own momentum to counter with a kick to the face!! Both are back up, and bitch slap the other. Both are down! Forearm exchange between the two follows. Hashimoto unloads with bombs that bring Syuri to one knee. But Syuri returns them in kind to Hashimoto! Clubbing blows by Hashimoto. She tries for a powerbomb, and Syuri counters into a guillotine choke. Hashimoto escapes and hits a nice Suplex! Syuri is relentless, and she continues to kick away at Hashimoto.
Code Breaker sends her into the corner, and Syuri hits another headbutt. She places Hashimoto on the top rope, and hits Syuri World. Buzzsaw Kick to Hashimoto connects flush. The ref begins his count, and Hashimoto cannot beat it! Syuri wins an absolute war. On a card stuffed with as many great matches as this show has, this match snuck in as a bit of a sleeper hit.
It was a great contrast of styles, and as you may know, styles make matches. Both women were game to go a little stiff, and stiff they did! Syuri is one of the best women's wrestlers ever in my opinion, but let's give some flowers to Chihiro Hashimoto. She is a beast! A fantastic athlete that brings a sense of realism to the world of Joshi. I sure hope these two cross paths again.