Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Star Gazing: “Shining Star” Arisa Hoshiki

Star Gazing is our new series which will add to our already growing coverage of World Wonder Ring Stardom (colloquially known simply as Stardom) and the Joshi scene where we will get you up to speed with members of the Stardom roster.  Our forth is going to focus on the current Wonder Of Stardom Champion the “Shining Star” Arisa Hoshiki

Arisa Hoshiki was a member of Stardom’s original roster and debuted back in 2011.  Despite that, she is one of the least experienced wrestlers on Stardom’s roster with under one hundred matches under her belt, more on this later.  Despite this Hoshiki is one of the most lethal strikers in the company and currently receiving a big push

Outside Of Wrestling

Arisa Hoshiki

Arisa Hoshiki left wrestling in 2012 and during that time competed in some Shoot Boxing.  Shoot boxing is a mix of shoot wrestling and kickboxing meaning it’s athletes have to be adept technically on the mat as well as at striking, both elements that Arisa brings into her wrestling.  Hoshiki had two professional fights at S-Cup events with a 1-1 record.  Hoshiki’s main focus was on becoming an idol in the music scene with her band Unlimited Dream Navigator, she even sings her own entrance theme.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK-N85zhjoI

Early Run and AMA

Arisa Hoshiki

As part of Stardom’s original roster Hoshiki was one of many very green rookies but showed potential thanks to her insane kicks.  She formed a team early on with Mayu Iwatani, together they were called AMA (eventually), Hoshiki would be runner up in the Rookie Of The Year tournament losing to Yoshiko in the final after beating Yoko Bito in the semis.  She was on the losing end of a Wonder Of Stardom title match against Stardom’s first ace Yuzuki Aikawa in the main event of Stardom Year End Stars 2011 but otherwise didn’t do much of note before her departure.  In May 2012 just 16 months after her debut Hoshiki wrestled what many believed was her final match in a time limit draw with Yuhi.

Part Time Return

Photo: Stardom

At Stardom’s September Korakuen Hall show in 2018 Arisa Hoshiki announced her intentions to return to Stardom.  In November she had her comeback match against AZM and Konami in an AMA reunion with Mayu Iwatani.  In her comeback, she didn’t exactly blow people away as she was noticeably rusty and cautious but grew into the match.  Hoshiki settled in as a member of STARS usually teaming with Iwatani or Saki Kashima to help her out as she grew accustomed to wrestling again.  In her 5-6 months as a part-timer, Hoshiki was allowed to stay under the radar only having one singles match and one title match in this time as Stardom allowed her to settle back into being a wrestler.

Full-Time Return And Wonder Of Stardom Championship

Photo: Stardom

In late April 2019, it was revealed that Hoshiki would become a full-time member of the Stardom roster.  This was just in time for Stardom’s Cinderella tournament and coincided with Mayu Iwatani’s injury which left a spot open for Hoshiki to be moved up the card.  She would win the Cinderella Tournament having great matches and getting wins over Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima, and Konami on her way to victory.  Now performing at a high-level Hoshiki made the most of this spotlight and added new moves to her arsenal while putting on great performances, she was now a fan favorite and was showing all the qualities that made her a potential star all the way back in 2011.

Hoshiki cashed in the wish she gained from winning the Cinderella Tournament to challenge Momo Watanabe at Stardom Gold May 2019.  When Hoshiki came back she made sure to call out Watanabe for her kicks which Hoshiki considered inferior to her own.  This long-awaited kick battle would see Hoshiki attempt to dethrone Stardom’s dominant new ace and end her historic title reign.  In one of the best matches of the year Hoshiki defeated Watanabe after an absolute war to establish herself as a main event level player in Stardom.  Hoshiki’s first defense headlined Stardom Shining Destiny against fellow STARS member Tam Nakano.  The match with Nakano somehow managed to be BETTER than the title win and is in contention for 2019’s Match Of The Year.

At 23 years old Arisa Hoshiki is back at her best with her lethal kicks, looks and personality making her the perfect performer for Stardom to push.  She has finally fulfilled the potential many saw in her all the way back in 2011-12 and is ready to take on the world as Wonder Of Stardom Champion.

Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.

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