On July 9, 2022, Stardom will return to a big stage for the STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 event inside the Tachikawa Stage Garden. Not to be confused with the STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 in NAGOYA event later in the month, this show will occur in Tokyo and features four title matches, all of which are singles championships. With the top two titles being on the line against the highest-ranking active members of Oedo Tai, chaos could run rampant just weeks before the 5STAR Grand Prix 2022 will begin. Will we see a radical paradigm shift heading into the year’s biggest tournament, or will the reigning champions be able to maintain the status quo as the Summer heats up in Tokyo? Let’s get into what we’re dealing with heading into STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022.
STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 Full Card
This Saturday, it's Stardom MidSummer Champions!! pic.twitter.com/dI8QEL8CyN
— We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) July 4, 2022
- Lady C vs Hina vs. Yuko Sakurai
- Future of Stardom Championship Match: Hanan (c) vs. Waka Tsukiyama
- Utami Hayashishita and Miyu Amasaki (Queen’s Quest) vs. MIRAI and Ami Sourei (God’s Eye)
- Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Koguma, and Saya Iida (STARS) vs. Saki Kashima, Fukigen Death, Ruaka, and Rina (Oedo Tai)
- Elimination Match: Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka, SAKI, and Hikari Shimizu (Cosmic Angels) vs. Giulia, Maika, Himeka, Natsupoi, and Mai Sakurai (DDM)
- High Speed Championship Match: AZM (c) vs. Momo Kohgo
- Wonder of STARDOM Championship Match: Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Starlight Kid
- World of STARDOM Championship Match: Syuri (c) vs. Momo Watanabe
Waka Faces Insurmountable Odds Against the Winningest Future Champion in History
Following her 15-minute time-limit draw against JUST TAP OUT’s Tomoka Inaba, Hanan now holds the defense record of the Future of Stardom Championship with seven successful defenses. Waka currently sits at a staggering 0-81 record in STARDOM, with 25 of those losses coming in singles action. These two statistics make Waka Tsukiyama’s chances in her upcoming bout against Hanan near impossible, especially when taking into account the quality of wrestlers Hanan has had to overcome in her now 185+ day reign as champion. With the largest field of contenders in the Future Championship’s history, Hanan has held her rank in impressive fashion time and time again.
While, on paper, this championship match seems unnecessary, Hanan said following her match against Inaba that Waka’s love for pro wrestling makes her an eligible contender in the eyes of the champion. Can Waka shock the world and dethrone the dominant Future Champion, or will Hanan continue to pad out her record ahead of her first appearance in the 5STAR Grand Prix?
Momo Kohgo refuses to be Ignored
In yet another underdog story that feels too good to be true, Momo Kohgo will battle the High-Speed Ace AZM at STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 for the High-Speed Championship. AZM accepted this match against a total newcomer to the de facto “High-Speed Divison” due to her love and respect for Hazuki, Momo Kohgo’s trainer. Unlike Waka Tsukiyama, however, Momo Kohgo has been actively progressing in a multitude of areas. Komomo was unsuccessful in qualifying for the 5STAR, but her wins over Ruaka and Rina in recent weeks allowed her to unveil some tools that could make AZM sweat in their championship match. Notably, the addition of a strong flash pin in the form of La Magica De Peach could be Momo’s key to victory in a high-speed setting.
Furthermore, Momo Kohgo’s willingness to play into the unpredictability of High-Speed Championship Matches could be a gamechanger as well. At the press conference for this show, Momo Kohgo made it clear that she wouldn’t be praying for an upset victory against AZM but rather methodically searching for one wherever she can, studying AZM’s matches to find a weak spot to properly exploit. Does this style of preparation spell disaster for the reigning champion, or will the High-Speed Ace crush the Peach Star?
Will the Year of the Tiger Reach its Climax?
In the semi-main event of the show, Starlight Kid will battle Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. While Saya Kamitani walks into this match 2-0 against Starlight Kid in singles action, the real story of this match is all about Starlight Kid and her successes since joining Oedo Tai last year. During her tenure in STARS, Starlight Kid was unable to win a championship for nearly three years, unsuccessfully challenging for the Artists of Stardom Championships, Goddesses of Stardom Championships, the High-Speed Championship, and most notably, the Wonder of Stardom Championships. However, since embracing the darkness, Kid has claimed three of the four championships in her sights, making her one of the most decorated young wrestlers in the company and leaving her with only one championship to win to fully avenge her past shortcomings.
Unfortunately for Starlight Kid, Saya Kamitani is undefeated in singles matches this year and doesn’t seem to be stopping. A recent challenge from KAIRI for the White Belt also gets in the way of Starlight Kid’s plans, as Saya and KAIRI have been destined to face off ever since Saya Kamitani was the first to discover her identity earlier this year. While Starlight Kid’s past could fuel her fire and bring her a win, it feels all the more likely that Saya Kamitani hunts the Dark Tiger and claims her seventh successful defense of the Wonder of Stardom Championship.
A Supervillain Threatens Syuri’s Vermillion World
Just weeks before the 2022 5STAR Grand Prix begins, last year’s grand finalists will face off in the main event of STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 as Momo Watanabe challenges Syuri for the World of Stardom Championship. The two have met in singles action three times before, going to a 15-minute time limit draw before Syuri defeated Momo two times in a row, the most recent being in a MOTYC 5STAR Grand Prix Finals last September. Since then, Momo has turned to the dark side, frequently using a wrench and Oedo Tai’s interference to get the job done. This strategy hasn’t always been successful though. Watanabe’s most recent singles match against AZM ended in defeat for the Black Peach following a failed attempt at using her wrench as a weapon.
On the other hand, Syuri is someone who is known to metaphorically download her opponent’s strategy and overwhelm them until she is victorious. Despite this, Momo’s new strategies might become too much for Syuri to handle. Will Momo’s wrench be the new magic wand that Momo needed to destroy Vermillion World, or will Syuri prove that she can beat Momo Watanabe, no matter the circumstances, once and for all?
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. If you want to see more from Stardom, you can check out their subscription service Stardom World for all your wonderous Joshi needs.
