Stardom Needs To Believe In Momo Watanabe Once Again

There may be no company in all of professional wrestling that has had more difficult hits to their roster than Stardom this year. The retirement of Kagetsu, the stunning forced retirement of Arisa Hoshiki, and the terribly sad death of Hana Kimura left them without three of their biggest stars moving forward. Two of those wrestlers happened to be in the massive Stardom showcase tag team match at NJPW‘s Wrestle Kingdom, only furthering the difficulty of Stardom losing those three. It was clear that both Hoshiki and Kimura were set to be the faces of the company alongside Giulia and Mayu Iwatani, so the losses of both set them back. And for the most part, they have bounced back. But they still seem to be missing a bit of their star power. That’s why it should be time for them to believe in Momo Watanabe once again.

Watanabe had a historic run with the Wonder of Stardom Championship, holding it for 358 days until dropping it to Arisa Hoskiki in May of 2019. Since then, it has felt as though Stardom’s been afraid to put their full faith in her. Here’s why they should double down and put faith back into the leader of Queen’s Quest.

Proven Commodity

Anytime you defeat Io Shirai in a Stardom ring, you know that means you’re special. And that’s what Momo Watanabe did to win the white belt in 2018. In a grueling match between the mentor and apprentice, Watanabe defeated Shirai in a stunning event. As said prior, she would then hold the title for 358 days in an effort unlike any other. As the champion, she would defeat the likes of Hazuki, Jungle Kyona, Tam Nakano, and Queen’s Quest group member Utami Hayashishita to truly solidify her run as champion. And while her singles success is grand, her tag team prestige is there as well. As a two time Artists of Stardom Champion and one time Goddesses of Stardom Champion, gold truly runs in her blood.

Now, it’s been over a year since holding singles gold, and come February, it will be a year without holding any gold at all. That needs to change soon because Watanabe is one of their true top players. Her accolades and ability in the past speak for themselves. Proven.

One Of Their Best Overall Talents

When it comes down to it, Momo Watanabe is simply one of the best Stardom has to offer. Her in-ring ability is top-notch as she brings an incredible mix of strikes, speed, and power to each and every match. See her recent match with Utami from the 5STAR Grand Prix and her efforts in the special tag match against Marvelous where her and Takumi Iroha traded shots like nobody’s business. Of course, her catalog dates back even further for anyone to witness how good she has been for so long. She carries a presence as well that makes her a real star. And believe it or not, she’s still only 20 years of age. She has been one of the best Stardom has had for years now and she’s only entering her prime.

Her most recent big match saw her lose to Bea Priestley, failing to capture the vacant SWA Undisputed World Women’s Championship. Now let’s understand something. Someone as talented as Momo Watanabe should not be having to take losses to Priestley. That’s where we draw the line. And yes, she just accomplished another major tournament win when she won the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League with AZM, but that isn’t enough. She will face her other QQ team members in Utami and Saya Kamitani, two women the team has already beaten, for the titles. But win or lose, that isn’t the spot Momo Watanabe should be in. Right now, it’s Utami’s time to shine, and rightfully so. But Watanabe deserves a major run soon after being in the middle of nothing for the better part of the past year. She’s one of their absolute best.

Deserving Of The Spotlight Once Again

Momo Watanabe captured the spotlight once and ran with it for almost a year as the white belt champion. She’s only better than she was then and that much more deserving of gaining the spotlight. Not only does she deserve it, but Stardom needs to see it. Her work in the ring is impeccable. Her presence is unmatched. Yes, there are only so many championships to go around, but being given more of a spotlight is all she needs right now. It’s all Stardom needs. It’s been a trying year for one of the most popular Joshi companies in the world today. That goes without question. And they have rebounded as well as anyone could be asked to considering their losses. But to make that full bounceback to prominence, they must lean on and believe in Momo Watanabe once again. Otherwise, they are wasting one of the premier talents.

This is the way.

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