We are just days away from the STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2023, STARDOM’s annual single-elimination tournament, starting on March 26. The opening round will take place inside the Yokohama Budokan and will see 36 competitors take part, the most entrants in a singles tournament in STARDOM’s 12-year history.
March 26 will feature 16 tournament matches taking place under Cinderella Tournament Rules: 10-minute time limits, over-the-top-rope elimination allowed, and a draw of any kind results in a double-elimination. With the challengers for both the company’s top titles at Yokohama Arena already decided, the field is wide open for a dark horse pick to be the winner of this year’s Cinderella Tournament.
Without any further ado, let’s get into each of the 16 matches set to take place at the STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2023 Opening Round.
Read More: Stardom Announces Cinderella Tournament 2023 Participants
STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2023 Opening Round Preview
https://twitter.com/spannerhead29/status/1635540120614113280
Nanae Takahashi vs. Utami Hayashishita
A first-time matchup between two former World of Stardom Champions kicks off the first round of this year’s Cinderella Tournament when Nanae Takahashi battles Utami Hayashishita on March 26th. The two last met in the finals of the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2022, and while neither woman was a part of the decisive fall, Nanae and Yuu walked away with the victory.
This will mark Nanae Takahashi’s first appearance in a Cinderella Tournament, which became a recurring fixture in STARDOM after Nanae departed from the company in 2015. Conversely, while Utami has competed in multiple Cinderella Tournaments since her debut in 2018, she has yet to make it past the second round. Few matches in the tournament feel quite as evenly matched as this one, though a win for Utami would mark the first time she’s been on the winning side of a match against the STARDOM founder. Can Utami overcome one-half of the Goddesses of Stardom Champions, or will Nanae Takahashi use her passion to carry on to the second round?
Maika vs. Momo Watanabe
For the first time since 2021, Momo Watanabe and Maika will reignite their feud in this year’s Cinderella Tournament. Their feud dates back to 2020 when Maika first arrived in STARDOM and claimed her first major singles victory over the former White Belt Champion in that year’s 5STAR Grand Prix. The score between them has remained stagnant in recent years, with their match record against one another sitting at 1-1-1 heading into STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2023 Opening Round. While Maika could be considered a favorite to win this year’s tournament, one of the biggest obstacles in her way will be this first-round encounter against Oedo Tai’s Black Peach.
Giulia vs. Mai Sakurai
Two DDM stablemates will face off at the STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2023 Opening Round event when Mai Sakurai faces the current World of Stardom Champion Giulia. The student vs. teacher bout will be the first time since Sakurai joined DDM last year that she gets the chance to face Giulia in singles competition. However, it’s hard to imagine the improvements that Mai has made since her last singles outing against Giulia will be enough to overcome the World Champion. Outside of a possible over-the-top rope upset by Sakurai, we are likely looking at Giulia moving on to round 2 in this year’s Cinderella Tournament.
AZM vs. Hazuki
Two of the prospective candidates to challenge Mercedes Mone for the IWGP Women’s Championship at Sakura Genesis will first face off in singles action when Hazuki battles AZM on March 26th. A pairing that is very familiar to long-time STARDOM fans, the former QQ stablemates have been intertwined as a team and as adversaries since 2017, and are known for being two of the greatest High-Speed Champions of the modern era. Both women excel at winning matches quickly, meaning the tournament’s 10-minute time limit could be nothing more than a formality for this bout.
In the event that the match does not go to a draw in some way, not only would it give the winner a big boost of momentum going into Sakura Genesis, but it could also result in a pivotal match against the World of Stardom Champion Giulia in the second round of the tournament.
Mariah May vs. Rina
The youngest competitor in this year’s tournament, Rina will make her second Cinderella Tournament appearance when she faces British wrestling star and Club Venus member Mariah May. While Rina has been consistent in her trash talk toward May since this match was announced, it is clearly Mariah’s match to win and Rina’s match to lose. May is yet to lose a decisive fall since debuting for the company last January, and while Rina continues to build momentum on the road toward her eventual Future of Stardom Championship match, it’s likely May will continue to dominate when she enters her first-ever Cinderella Tournament.
Syuri vs. Tomoka Inaba
In her first STARDOM appearance since January, Tomoka Inaba will make her Cinderella Tournament debut against her God’s Eye leader, Syuri, on March 26th. As Syuri prepares for her inter-promotional match against Sendai Girls’ Chihiro Hashimoto, a test against her underling, who is a former Sendai Girls’ Junior Champion and has plenty of recent experience against Big Hash, is a great warm-up for Yokohama Arena.
Syuri and Tomoka Inaba are also very familiar with one another, as they formed a tag team called Karate Brave last year and were a force to be reckoned with during Goddess Tag League. For Inaba, this will be the first time she’s met Syuri in singles action and is undoubtedly her biggest test to date in STARDOM. While many will be rooting for the Inaba to get an upset victory over her leader, the odds are certainly stacked against the young karate practitioner.
Momo Kohgo vs. Saki Kashima
In a rematch from the red block of last year’s 5STAR Grand Prix, Saki Kashima will look to get redemption for the upset loss she suffered to Momo Kohgo. The proud STARS member has had a rough five months since finishing second-to-last in the 5STAR, being on the losing side of 5/6 of her singles matches since that October. As for Saki Kashima, she’s been consistently victorious in the build-up to her High-Speed Championship match against AZM next month. Kohgo, a notorious Saki Kashima fangirl, could be the woman responsible for sending one of her favorite wrestlers through to the second round–Whether she likes it or not.
Mayu Iwatani vs. Saya Kamitani
Next is a match that feels like it is destined to go to a draw as Saya Kamitani faces Mayu Iwatani. The only first-round match to feature two former Cinderella Tournament winners going head-to-head, this will be the fourth singles match between the two exhilarating performers, but their very first battle in the Cinderella Tournament.
Since her draw against Io Shirai in the semi-finals of the 2018 Cinderella Tournament, Mayu has struggled to make strong runs over the past number of years. Considering both she and Saya Kamitani have major championship matches already scheduled for Yokohama Arena, it seems increasingly likely that they both draw out of the tournament early.
Lady C vs. X // Hina vs. XX
Two matches in the STARDOM Cinderella Tournament Opening Round 2023 will feature unspecified participants, with the commonly held belief being that they will be foreign competitors making their way to Japan for the first time. When they get there, it will be Hina and Lady C tasked with overcoming the two mystery competitors, spelling disaster for two of Queens Quest’s undercard members. Both Hina and Lady C have struggled to build a singles resume in recent years, leaving the door wide open for the two mystery competitors to advance to round two of this year’s Cinderella Tournament.
Koguma vs. Thekla
Next up is a fierce “Kuma vs. Kumo” battle as Koguma takes on the “Toxic Spider” Thekla for the first time in singles action. Despite their lack of singles encounters, Thekla and Koguma have frequently been paired against one another, both due to their similar nicknames and their shared high-speed prowess. While some may consider Thekla the favorite, Koguma is one of the most prolific Cinderella Tournament competitors in STARDOM history, entering two tournaments (2015, 2022) and making it to the finals of both of them.
However, Thekla has been waiting for her chance to have a true breakout performance since an injury prevented her from participating in last year’s 5STAR Grand Prix. Can DDM’s assassin break Koguma’s Cinderella streak on March 26th?
Mina Shirakawa vs. Natsupoi
In yet another battle between two stablemates, Natsupoi and Mina Shirakawa will have a singles match for the fifth time since they joined STARDOM in 2020. The pair’s head-to-head record is currently tied up at two wins a piece and one time-limit draw in this year’s Naniwa Roulette Match. This means that the duo going to another draw is not out of the question, especially considering Mina Shirakawa’s upcoming challenge for Saya Kamitani’s Wonder of Stardom Championship likely being at the forefront of Mina’s mind at this time. If Natsupoi can defeat her stablemate in this bout, it will be her first win over the Club Venus leader since May 2021.
Miyu Amasaki vs. Saya Iida
A match between one of STARDOM’s gatekeepers and one of its newest stars is the next bout on the docket for STARDOM Cinderella Tournament Opening Round 2023. Saya Iida will face off against Miyu Amasaki for the first time in singles competition, presenting an interesting matchup for both women. Saya Iida currently stands as the favorite in this bout as she has far more experience and depth than Miyu currently does. Of her 16 all-time singles matches, Amasaki has only seen victory in three of them, none of which were against a wrestler on the level of Saya Iida. Will the former Future of Stardom Champion overwhelm QQ’s Supernova, or will Miyu Amasaki prevail over her more experienced adversary?
MIRAI vs. Hanan
Yet another interesting matchup comes in the form of MIRAI vs. Hanan. After winning the Cinderella Tournament last year, MIRAI has remained dominant despite her inability to win championship gold in STARDOM. Alternatively, Hanan has long been considered someone with immense potential, and with her pledge to focus solely on wrestling following her recent high school graduation, an upset victory over the unbeatable MIRAI could possibly be in the books.
In the event that MIRAI doesn’t fall to Hanan on March 26th, the Ash-Covered Cinderella is likely to be a major problem for everybody on her side of the bracket. Can we potentially see MIRAI be the first wrestler since Mayu Iwatani (2015, 2016) to win two Cinderella Tournaments back-to-back?
Natsuko Tora vs. Ruaka
After a star-making performance alongside Natsuko Tora against 7Upp last week, Ruaka will look to defeat her tag team partner and win a Cinderella Tournament match for the very first time. Since Ruaka betrayed STARS and joined Oedo Tai in 2021, The Kappa Monster has grown into the rebellious heel she is today under the tutelage of Natsuko Tora. The Bowser to Ruaka’s Bowser Jr., Natsuko Tora is currently 3-0 in singles matches against her protege, though their most recent singles encounter was ahead of Ruaka’s turn in early 2021.
While the momentum might be on Ruaka’s side, it is impossible to ignore Natsuko in this year’s tournament. A semi-finalist in 2019 and a finalist in 2020, Natsuko has a habit of reminding people how big of a threat she is in the Cinderella Tournament. In her first singles tourney since her injury, it’s more than likely that Natsuko will be on her game when she steps in the ring with her tag team partner on March 26th.
Himeka vs. Tam Nakano
As Himeka’s retirement draws closer, her final Cinderella Tournament will see her face the #1 Contender for the World of Stardom Championship in Tam Nakano. The two ex-Idols will face off for the third time, with their previous two singles bouts coming in the 2020 and 2022 5STAR Grand Prix.
Interestingly enough, the greater story here stands with their respective factions rather than one another. Himeka’s loyalty to Giulia and DDM mixed with Tam Nakano’s poaching of Natsupoi to Cosmic Angels creates an unspoken rivalry between the two stars. While it’s hard to imagine Himeka would get any sort of decisive victory over the Red Belt Challenger mere weeks before her retirement, the dynamic of this rubber match between the two will be interesting to see play out at STARDOM Cinderella Tournament Opening Round 2023.
Yuna Mizumori vs. Ami Sourei
Next is Yuna Mizumori of 7Upp facing off against God’s Eye’s Ami Sourei in what is sure to be a hoss showdown on Sunday. Following her departure from Gatoh Move last year, Yunamon has become a recurring member of STARDOM’s touring crew, making her inclusion in this tournament an unsurprising one. However, due to her outsider presentation, it’s difficult to gauge where she stacks up in comparison to someone like Ami Sourei, who currently holds the Future of Stardom Championship and has no signs of slowing down. A win here from Yunamon could not only advance her to the second round of her first-ever Cinderella Tournament, but it would also cement her status as a singles threat to the STARDOM roster in a big way.
Starlight Kid vs. Haruka Umesaki
Finally, the 16th match to talk about is yet another match pitting two partners against each other as Haruka Umesaki faces Starlight Kid in the Cinderella Tournament. The two competitors first met in singles action in Umesaki’s home promotion of Diana where they wrestled to a 15-minute draw in December 2020. Since then, Kid has competed alongside Umesaki whenever she participates in STARDOM events, most recently making up ⅔ of Unique Glare alongside Ruaka during this year’s Triangle Derby.
Haruka is relatively unproven as a singles competitor in STARDOM, challenging Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship in her first and only singles match in the company late last year. While Kid is the heavy favorite in her first-round match, Umesaki could have more tricks up her sleeve than her tag team partner expects her to.
Who Will Win?
The biggest question on anyone’s mind is who of these 36 competitors will walk away from the tournament, and much like last year, it’s quite up in the air at the moment. For me, the favorite is currently Maika, who could use a major boost following the retirement of her tag team partner. Beyond that, Starlight Kid and Natsupoi are the other two notable possibilities, as they are frequently considered favorites for major wins such as this but simply have not done it yet. Any of those three women would be incredibly suitable challengers for either the Red or White Belt after STARDOM All-Star Grand Queendom 2023 concludes. As for a dark horse pick, Mariah May feels like the type of foreign wrestler that STARDOM has been waiting for, and though it would be premature, the London native could very well be STARDOM’s plan for this year’s Cinderella Tournament.
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.
