Mathew’s back in the Stardom groove now that the All Japan tournament is over. Who gets to wear the pretty dress this year?

Now that the Champion Carnival is done, I can now get back to Stardom as I have missed quite a bit with the Stardom Draft. Instead of covering that show since I’m a month late, I’ll post the results down below as JAN is officially gone from Stardom, leaving the group separated.

• STARS: Mayu Iwatani, Arisa Hoshiki, Saki Kashima, Tam Nakano, Hanan, Starlight Kid, Xia Brookside, Saya Iida
• Queen’s Quest: Momo Watanabe, Utami Hayashishita, AZM, Bea Priestley, Viper, Chardonnay, Leo Onozaki, Hina
• Oedo Tai: Kagetsu, Hazuki, Andra Miyagi. Jamie Hayter, Natsu Sumire, Natsuko Tora, Session Moth Martina
• Tokyo Cyber Squad: Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona, Rebel Kel, Konami, Mary Apache, Natsumi, Bobbi Tyler, Ruaka, Rina, Kaori Yoneyama

That’s our official stables and I thought Viper and Xia would leave due to NXT but I guess they can stay long as it doesn’t ruin their schedule.

Now then, onto this year’s Cinderella Tournament.

Last year, Momo Watanabe won the tournament and was able to challenge and defeat Io Shirai to be the top star of the company. This year will be an interesting one due to the people switching around and both Mayu and Utami out of it due to injuries. Same rules as last time, 10-minute time limit, can win by pinfall, submission, and throwing them over the top rope and winner gets a pretty dress along with any match they want. Let’s see who advances as we…dive right in.

Rating System:

• 0 Stars: Dave Meltzer
• 1 Star: Vince Russo
• 2 Stars: Tony Schiavone
• 3 Stars: Eric Bischoff
• 4 Stars: Bruce Prichard
• 5 Stars: Jim Cornette

Three Way Tag Team Match
STARS (Saya Iida & Hanan) vs. Queen’s Quest (Hina & Leo Onozaki) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Rina & Ruaka)

Review: Our opening contest before the tournament is a three-way tag team match with members from STARS, Queen’s Quest, and Tokyo Cyber Squad. This is just a match for those that didn’t make the cut for the tournament and is to get the crowd hyped with a little action so it’s not just the tournament. Which one of these teams will come out the victor?

I see Rina is wearing Hana’s old wrestling gear for this one, guess it’s good to point out which twin is who now since they’re in different units. As for the match itself…it was a match and it existed. It was all over the place and was hard to call anything or see anything that was memorable. The match was also two minutes, so not a whole lot to go on about as it was just a sloppy out of control mess. Saya was able to get the win for STARS with the Iidabashi on Hina. Just skip it and forget it happened.

Rating: Vince Russo

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Rebel Kel vs. AZM

Review: Our first match for the tournament is AZM taking on my least favorite person on the roster, Rebel Kel. Kel has a chance to shut her critics up as AZM is one of the best workers the company has and if you do terrible with her, then there’s no helping you. AZM is another one that has been moving up in the ranks and her winning this tournament will help solidify that. Will Kel be able to improve or does AZM run circles around her?

Before I begin, I’m very well aware of the fan that hijacked the show and I will be addressing him at the end of this piece. As for Rebel, there was a slight bit of improvement but not a whole lot as she’s still really green and you can see it. AZM really did try her best to make the match watchable and did a much better job at helping Rebel than Utami did when they fought. I will admit that Rebel did hit a pretty solid Falcon Arrow onto AZM. Rebel looked like she was going for a Chokeslam but AZM reversed it into a Frankensteiner and was able to get the pinfall to advance to the next round!

Rating: Tony Schiavone and a half

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Starlight Kid vs. Natsu Sumire

Review: Our next match in the tournament is Starlight Kid taking on Natsu Sumire. Ever since Starlight moved away from the Future of Stardom Championship, she’s been able to showcase more of what she can do and definitely is one of Stardom’s brightest futures if she keeps up what she’s doing. Sumire is a rather crafty one as we all know she’ll have a trick or two up her sleeve to get that dirty victory to advance. Will Starlight be able to overcome it or will Sumire be too much?

I love Sumire’s heelish ways in Stardom, it just gives her a personality and the crowd just loves her for it. Sumire would have Starlight to the ropes and taunted thinking she was going to spit water at her, but she would spit water at the fans instead. Starlight is such a great talent and I can see why Mayu picked her first since she is the future of the company. I knew most of these matches would be short due to the time limit but they were able to make it entertaining for the five minutes that they were able to work with. Starlight ran towards Sumire after hitting a Neckbreaker and Moonsault, only for Sumire to reverse it into a Small Package but Starlight reversed the cradle with another as Sumire kicked out. Starlight was able to trick her with another Small Package and would get the victory!

Now on https://t.co/q8dHnF58vW from the 1st Round of the Cinderella Tournament, it's Natsu Sumire vs Starlight Kid! pic.twitter.com/ItyrxMhDtk

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) April 30, 2019

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Hazuki vs. Bea Priestley

Review: Our next match is Queen’s Quest’s, Bea Priestley as she takes Oedo Tai member and current High Speed Champion, Hazuki. Hazuki has been one of the MVP’s in Stardom while now being considered the top female but she makes up for it with her personality and in-ring quality. Bea was in the finals last year and then she lost, so she wants to use this as redemption to try and win it this time around. Hazuki would love to have her hands on Momo and her title again as this tournament seems to be the only opportunity she’ll have to get it. Will Bea advance to redeem herself or does Hazuki advance?

Wow, these two going at it right away with some fast-paced sequences, it almost looked like it was for the High Speed Championship or something. I loved that beginning encounter and more of that would be nice. Hazuki is probably my number two favorite in the company with the vast improvements over the past year and Bea went from being one of the worst gaijin’s last year to being someone that has impressed me a lot since her return to Stardom, wish I saw this side of her last year. Hazuki went for a kick as Bea moved out of the way to knee her in the face and hit a Back Suplex before she hits the Curb Stomp, but Hazuki had her hand on the ropes before the three count. Bea picked Hazuki up on her shoulders to go for a Storm Cradle Driver it looks like but Hazuki would roll forward to have Bea flip over to the ropes to get eliminated as Hazuki advances! Solid match and would love to see them fight each other again.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a half

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Saki Kashima vs. Arisa Hoshiki

Review: Our next match is between two members of the STARS unit, Arisa Hoshiki, and Saki Kashima. Arisa has been pretty much in the middle ever since she returned to Stardom and is looking to try and get a big victory soon to show she’s still one of the best they have. Saki is another who wants to try and break that glass ceiling ever since she came back last year and is now ready to do what she must to win. Out of the two, who will have the better edge?

The two Dropkicked each other right away soon as the bell rang and the two went back and forth for a brief period here. Saki was playing it smart in this match since she knows that Arisa’s strength is with her legs, so she made sure to hit them as much as she could to damage them so her kicks would be less impactful. Plenty of strengths here between these two women and seeing Arisa go one on one finally since her return showed how talented she is in that ring. Saki was able to catch Arisa’s leg for a Dragon Screw to do more damage to her but Arisa eventually got up to deliver a knee to the face for Saki to kick out. Arisa quickly picked her up on her shoulders to slam her down and would hit a Rounding Splash, not as great as Starlight’s but still average enough as she was able to pin Saki to advance.

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Hana Kimura vs. Andras Miyagi

Review: We’re halfway done with the tournament as our next match-up is against Andras Miyagi and Hana Kimura. Andras struck out to take one of Momo’s titles last month and this could be her chance to try and get revenge by winning the tournament to ask for a rematch. Hana also has something to prove since she’s a new leader of a faction and would also need to look strong. Which one of them needs the win more?

Hana changed up her gear, dyed her hair pink to get rid of those dreadlocks, and would have a bit of a change in personality to go with her new faction and I gotta say that I enjoy it quite a lot. Hana would start headbanging in the middle of the ring and Andras doesn’t know what to do as she would follow the headbanging trend as it does look hypnotizing, but Hana used that distraction to deliver a powerful kick to her chest. The two were able to fight pretty well as they had fairly decent chemistry in the ring and Hana did show that she’s trying a little bit, which is good since she should show that fire if she’s going to be with Stardom for good. Andras is still finding her place in Stardom but has made quite the changes in herself since she arrived and I have no doubt she’ll fit in fine. We had a scare with Andras being eliminated when she was tossed over the ropes but Hana charged at her to only take a Stunner, making Andras save herself a bit longer. Hana was on the ropes as Andras pushed Hana off to make her hit the apron but Hana had Andras over when she failed to charge at her, leaving the two to fight on the apron. Andras failed to hit the Piledriver and kicked Hana back, but Andras would eat a Dropkick when she charged at Hana to get herself eliminated and Hana advances!

Now on https://t.co/q8dHnF58vW from the 1st Round of the Cinderella Tournament, it's Hana Kimura vs Andras Miyagi! pic.twitter.com/2mvJtcMAWh

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) April 30, 2019

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Kagetsu vs. Tam Nakano

Review: Our next match is STARS, Tam Nakano as she takes on the leader of Oedo Tai and current World of Stardom Champion, Kagetsu. For those of you that are familiar with Stardom, these two do have a history together as Tam used to be a former Oedo Tai member before she got kicked out and was adopted by STARS to become her own individual. Tam would defeat Kagetsu during the Five Star Grand Prix last September, so she knows she has what it takes to defeat her but Kagetsu is going to make sure she’s more prepared this time around. It’s sure to be a fight but only one of them is going to come out the winner and advance to the next round.

Before the match began, the two would shake hands as a sign of respect for each other. A rather slow-paced match at the beginning of the match as it was more technical, which there’s nothing wrong with since they did a great job with that. I will say that Kagetsu might be Tam’s best opponent in Stardom, they just have unique chemistry in the ring and just mesh perfectly with their styles in the ring. Tam isn’t a great wrestler but she really does try her best when she works and there are times that she’ll strike gold in the ring, this is one of those times that she does.

Now things are starting to pick up as Kagetsu attempts the Michinoku Driver but Tam was able to fight it off in an attempt to apply the Sleeper Hold until Kagetsu reversed it into a Kneebar and she gets it in tight but Tam was able to grab the ropes in time. Kagetsu quickly picked her up to hit the Michinoku Driver this time around and would go to the top rope to go for the Oedo Coaster but Tam quickly got up to hit the Superplex but wait, Kagetsu quickly gets up to hit a Running Knee Strike as the two are down. The two start going back and forth with their punches and Kagetsu hits another Michinoku Driver and attempts the Oedo Coaster but Tam moved out just in time. Tam would hit her Tiger Suplex and Kagetsu was able to kick out somehow! There’s not much time left as Tam applies the Dragon Sleeper right away but she was unable to make the Prime Minister tap as the bell rang, ending in a draw, meaning Arisa advances to the semi-finals at the result. What a match, I can watch them fight at any time.

Rating: Bruce Prichard

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Jungle Kyona vs. Natsuko Tora

Review: Our next match is a singles match between two former JAN members, Natsuko Tora, and Jungle Kyona. Kyona was the last one to be defeated during the draft, meaning that JAN would have to disband as Kyona would be drafted to the Tokyo Cyber Squad while Natsuko Tora would be drafted to Oedo Tai. Natsuko is a very unique pick for Oedo Tai and it looked like she was happy that she wanted to be there with them too, so be interesting to see a new side of Natsuko when she faces her former partner. Jungle also has something to prove since she can now unleash her violent side here. Which one of them will win?

Natsuko would change her look for her new home and it’s an improvement compared to the cyberpunk look she tried out. Much like their previous encounters, solid back and forth match with Natsuko showing more of her aggressive side in the ring, which is a good thing because she needs that. Jungle didn’t show many changes yet after being in a new group but I’m sure a time will come when we’ll start seeing changes. Jungle would attempt a Muscle Buster but it looked like a botch or she escaped out of it to hit a Spear as Jungle watches her. Jungle would hit her Splash off the top rope but Natsuko would put her knees up in time and hits her with another Spear. Natsuko would climb up to hit a Diving Leg Drop this time and gets the victory.

Rating: Eric Bischoff and a quarter

Cinderella Tournament 2019 First Round Match
Momo Watanabe vs. Konami

Review: Our final match of the first round is Tokyo Cyber Squad’s, Konami as she fights the leader of Queen’s Quest and current Wonder of Stardom/Goddesses of Stardom Champion, Momo Watanabe. Konami was apart of Queen’s Quest until she got drafted to Hana’s unit and ever since then, Konami has shown a lot of resentment towards her former crew by flipping them off and saying f#!k you to Momo and Queen’s Quest. It seems like Konami felt like she was being held back when she was apart of them and now she has a chance to show them what they’re missing by taking out the ace. Momo won it last year and she’s looking to try and win it again this time. Will the ace prevail or will she get a new rival?

Look at Konami here with a bit of attitude in her, guess her being out of Queen’s Quest was a saving grace for her since it looked like she really was held back. This match was mostly a kicking contest of sorts since the two were just back and forth with different variations of kicks along with Konami trying to work on Momo’s arms. Konami applies an Armbar but as Momo was struggling, Konami turned it around to the Fujiwara Armbar until Momo’s foot was on the rope, making her break the hold. Konami would go to the top rope but Momo pushed her off to make her fall onto the apron and she would charge at her until Konami moved the ropes down, making Momo fall out of the ring to eliminate her as Konami advances! Went from winning last year to being eliminated at the first round.

Now on https://t.co/q8dHnFmJUw from the 1st Round of the Cinderella Tournament, it's Momo Watanabe vs Konami! pic.twitter.com/g5JV3BtJHp

— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) May 1, 2019

Rating: Eric Bischoff

Overall: Aside from a couple of matches and one big annoyance, this was a very successful first round with some solid matches and I’m excited to see how the rest of the tournament unfolds as this first round was better than last years.

Favorite Match: Kagetsu vs. Tam Nakano

Least Favorite Match: STARS (Saya Iida & Hanan) vs. Queen’s Quest (Hina & Leo Onozaki) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Rina & Ruaka)

Score: 7.5/10

Author’s Notes: Now I can address this since the first round is over. There was a fan who would start doing chants throughout the entire match and there’s one thing I would like to say to him and that is this, SHUT THE HELL UP. My god, how disrespectful can you be? You think he watched enough shows in Japan to see how the audience does things but no, he had to chant the whole night. If it was the UK or the US, then fine since that’s that type of environment but not in Japan where it’s a different setting. He was at a bunch of shows that whole week and even Nanae Takahashi would yell at him to show up. You wanna know the worst part? He thinks he’s justified about it just because he paid and that’s not the case here because you still gotta appreciate their culture, it doesn’t give you the right to be a disrespectful little shit. Apparently, people loved it but clearly not since Stardom themselves had to tweet about his behavior! Next time, don’t even go to Japan shows if you think it’s okay to act like this. I’m surprised people didn’t punch or throw you out because I would’ve. I know talking about it gives him attention like he probably wants but this is just a message for any fans in general that wanna go to shows in Japan for the first time, don’t be like this prick. Thank you!