Star Gazing is our series which will add to our already growing coverage of World Wonder Ring Stardom (Also known simply as Stardom) and the Joshi scene where we will get you up to speed with members of the Stardom roster. This edition will be focusing on Tam Nakano a rising star with a bright future.
Tam Nakano has been a part of the Stardom roster for a few years now, first as part of the most popular incarnation of Oedo Tai, and now as a member of STARS who improves every time we see her. With her recent big win over Kagetsu, it would seem Tam Nakano is set for big things in the near future so it’s as good a time as any to take a look at the career of the quirky, talented woman.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1184311340875288578
Background & Debut
Tam Nakano was a dancer before becoming a wrestler. She was a member of idol group Katamomi Joshi and was inolved in performances on Actwres girl’Z (AgZ) shows. It was here that she would train under Stardom alumni Yuna Manase. With her background in dancing and training in Kung Fu Nakano was a natural fit to become a wrestler, especially in the AgZ environment where they often train entertainers to be talented pro wrestlers. Just under a year after joining AgZ Nakano left the promotion to become a freelancer
Whilst she was in AgZ Nakano also branched out to other promotions, specifically Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (i.e the infamous FMW) including competing in a Lumberjack Deathmatch during Atsushi Onita‘s retirement tour. Despite her cute appearance and dancing background Tam has always had an affinity for violence and would later be involved in an exploding bat deathmatch in Stardom.
Stardom: Oedo Tai
Just one month later Nakano would appear in Stardom for the first time, making it known that she would compete in the 5STAR Grand Prix. Tam Nakano would become a member of Oedo Tai not long after the GP and in November signed with Stardom. During her time in Oedo Tai they became the most popular faction in Stardom with the interplay between characters and their darker, cooler look making them instant favorites. In January 2018 Nakano was forced to leave the stable after losing to Quen’s Quest in a faction vs faction gauntlet match. An emotional Nakano promised to restart following the defeat and was snatched away by Mayu Iwatani to join the Stardom Army (which would become STARS)
Tam Nakano's producer, P-chan, joins in the Oedo Tai dance #stardom pic.twitter.com/jocf1apoEu
— Shinmaru (@Shinmaru) May 17, 2018
Stardom: STARS
As a member of STARS we saw a new Tam Nakano emerge, gone was the dark look and heelish ways, in its stead was a bright, energetic fighter that became more goofy the more time she spent around Mayu Iwatani. Tam Nakano grew and added more and more moves to her arsenal as time went on, especially once Arisa Hoshiki came into the fold. Nakano has grown into a unique and entertaining performer whose character work is second to none, her in ring work is of a high quality too as evidenced by her match with Hoshiki.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_F5ac-GFzY
In December 2019 the leader of Oedo Tai Kagetsu announced her retirement from wrestling. One month later she faced Tam Nakano at Stardom’s 9th Anniversary Show, two years after Tam was forced out of Oedo Tai and promised to restart. Tam Nakano defeated Kagetsu, surpassing her former leader and finally being free of her past. With that win under her belt, we should see Tam Nakano break out soon and potentially win the Wonder Of Stardom championship from Hoshiki.
Striking battle with arisa one of best matches of year for me pic.twitter.com/LJpkjmtFTY
— Pete Davies (@crazypete315) October 12, 2019
Tam Nakano, with her trusted P-Chan by her side, has had ups and downs in her career. Her two-year journey of growth to surpass Kagetsu was one that saw her find, and embrace, herself and grow as a competitor. Now with the demons of her past slayed and having fully embraced herself, weapons and weirdness included, she can look to the top of the card as she aims to win the Wonder Of Stardom Championship.
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. And make sure to subscribe to Stardom World to see Tam Nakano and the rest of the talented women of Stardom
