{"id":112303,"date":"2022-04-01T15:50:07","date_gmt":"2022-04-01T19:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=112303"},"modified":"2022-04-01T15:50:07","modified_gmt":"2022-04-01T19:50:07","slug":"cinderella-tournament-2022-day-1-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/04\/01\/cinderella-tournament-2022-day-1-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Preview: STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2022 Day 1 (4\/3\/22)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It would be an understatement to call April a \u201cbig month\u201d for the <strong>World Wonder Ring Stardom<\/strong>. The Bushiroad company\u2019s springtime tournament returns with its biggest entrant list to date, with 31 competitors vying to win the <strong><em>2022 Cinderella Tournament<\/em><\/strong>. This year, the tournament will be split into three days throughout April, a similar format to what was done last year due to COVID-19 difficulties. <strong>Saya Kamitani<\/strong> received a bye to the second round as both <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/06\/12\/saya-kamitani-wins-cinderella-tournament\/\" target=\"_self\">the reigning Cinderella tournament winner<\/a> and Wonder of Stardom Champion. Also, 15 first-round matches and one 2nd round bout will occur on April 3rd. Luckily, each match has a 10-minute time limit and can even be won via over-the-top-rope elimination. This means it could be full of upsets, fast-paced matches, and many other unpredictable events throughout the show. Without further ado, let\u2019s get into all the action set to take at the <strong><em>STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2022 Day 1<\/em><\/strong> event.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This Sunday, April 3 in Tachikawa it&#39;s Day 1 of the Cinderella Tournament! 16 matches, with 31 participants, the largest field ever! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/hTXMR7XHTw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/hTXMR7XHTw<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/we_are_stardom\/status\/1509519804595539970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 31, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM Cinderella Tournament 2022 Day 1 Preview<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unagi Sayaka vs. Hina<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In her first match back since last fall, <strong>Hina<\/strong> will face the ever-chaotic <strong>Unagi Sayaka<\/strong> in the first match of the night. Unagi, who is a dark horse pick to win the whole tournament, will likely walk away from this bout the winner, but she somehow finds herself playing the role of the assessor once again, with Hina\u2019s absence calling into question her in-ring conditioning and abilities compared to the other younger members of the roster. Can Hina find a way to gain any momentum against one of <strong>Cosmic Angels\u2019<\/strong> strongest members?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Waka Tsukiyama vs. Saki Kashima<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In match two of round one, we see a match that could have a myriad of outcomes, all resulting in the same victor. To this day, <strong>Waka Tsukiyama<\/strong> is yet to be on the winning side of a single match since her debut in Stardom last year. It is very likely that Tsukiyama continues to ride that losing streak as the <em>2022 Cinderella Tournament<\/em> begins. Alternatively, despite not being proficient in recent months, <strong>Saki Kashima<\/strong> has great versatility and can conceivably put her opponents away in a dozen different ways. What does Kashima have in store for New York\u2019s Finest on April 3rd?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Maika vs. Hanan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a battle of two judokas, <strong>Maika<\/strong> and <strong>Hanan<\/strong> will compete in the third match of the night on April 3rd. They\u2019ve competed in singles action once before and proved to be great opponents for one another on that occasion. With Hanan\u2019s remarkable improvements since <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2021\/12\/29\/stardom-dream-queendom-titles-change\/\" target=\"_self\">winning the Future of Stardom Championship<\/a> last December, she and Maika can really tear the house down here. The winner, currently projected to be Maika, will also compete in their 2nd round match later in the night. More on that later.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mina Shirakawa vs. MIRAI<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After an intense press conference confrontation, two former <strong>Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling<\/strong> stars will compete once again in the <em>2022 Cinderella Tournament<\/em>. This match has plenty of history to it despite it being the first time <strong>Mina Shirakawa<\/strong> and <strong>MIRAI<\/strong> meet one-on-one in their careers. MIRAI initially made her mark in Stardom by triumphantly pinning Shirakawa in trios action, so this match could be the latter&#8217;s chance for revenge. Plus, after Shirakawa&#8217;s outburst at the presser for this event, the question of can MIRAI handle her at her most deranged must also be asked as we head into the show.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Kohgo<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In yet another Pro vs. Rookie type of match, <strong>Mayu Iwatani<\/strong> will face her newest subordinate, <strong>Momo Kohgo<\/strong>, in the fifth match of the night. Kohgo\u2019s special training has been repeatedly acknowledged by both her and her trainer, <strong>Hazuki<\/strong>, but even the best trainer in the world can hardly prepare you for a wrestler like Iwatani. While the result feels imminent, this will be yet another evaluation of how Momo Kohgo is progressing in the Stardom ring.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Utami Hayashishita vs. Tam Nakano<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In perhaps the most anticipated match of the night, <strong>Utami Hayashishita<\/strong> will face off against <strong>Tam Nakano<\/strong> in the first round. Notably, the build to this match has featured Hayashishita mimicking Nakano\u2019s cute aesthetic at the press conference and has seemingly refused to stop ever since. The former world champion has changed her social media name to Utami Nakano and even released a &#8220;Girlfriend Experience&#8221; teaser video akin to ones that Tam is known to make. Historically, the pairing faced off on the final night of the <strong><em>2021 5STAR Grand Prix<\/em><\/strong>, where Tam Nakano got the win, but under <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> rules, this match is truly anybody\u2019s game. Can we see Utami Nakano pick up the win and declare herself the Cutest Wrestler in the Cosmos?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Natsupoi vs. Starlight Kid<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A rematch of one of the most\u2026 Polarizing matches of the year, <strong>Natsupoi<\/strong> and <strong>Starlight Kid<\/strong> will be limited to only 10 minutes to accomplish something neither woman was capable of doing in 30. Kid remains a favorite in the tournament, but one of her toughest projected opponents is, in fact, Natsupoi, so this is a match to pay attention to in this year\u2019s tournament. Can either Natsupoi or Kid pick up the win, or will the High-Speed be too much for the High-Speed wrestlers to handle?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Round 2 Match: Saya Kamitani vs. Maika\/Hanan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the only 2nd round match of the night, Saya Kamitani will walk in fresh against either Maika or Hanan just an hour after their first-round matchup. While Maika is always a threat in these sorts of situations, it is hard to see anybody beating the White Belt Champion in their second match of the night. Can Maika overcome the odds, or will the Phoenix advance and be one step closer to her goal of being a back-to-back <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> winner?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lady C vs. Mai Sakurai<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a match that is surprisingly hard to predict, two of the lowest ranking competitors on the roster will fight as <strong>Lady C<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Mai Sakurai<\/strong> will both make their <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> debut in the ninth match of the night. While Lady C has more Stardom experience, they both made their wrestling debut in November 2020 and have been slotted at roughly the same spot on the card. Sakurai\u2019s recent alignment with <strong>DDM<\/strong> has made her more successful than Lady C as of late, but it\u2019s very possible that Lady C overwhelms Sakurai when they meet in singles action.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Saya Iida vs. Rina<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Next up is a clash of wrestlers who effectively came up together in <strong>Saya Iida<\/strong> and <strong>Rina<\/strong>. Since her return, Iida has established herself as one of the most unique members of the Stardom roster, both aesthetically and technically. While Rina has been a consistent fixture in Stardom cards in Iida\u2019s absence, the Super Gorilla will certainly be trying to maximize her minutes in the tournament she missed out on last year.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Koguma vs. Fukigen DEATH<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In a bout between two former High-Speed Champions and notorious bit-women, <strong>Fukigen DEATH<\/strong> faces <strong>Koguma<\/strong>, who returns to the <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> for the first time since its debut in 2015. In fact, Koguma&#8217;s only Cinderella run was a prolific one, as she made it all the way to the finals before losing to Mayu Iwatani. Could Koguma have herself another fantastic <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> run? Will Fukigen DEATH remind Koguma that DEATH is inevitable? Will we see the clown do the bear pose? So many questions left to be answered on April 3rd!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Himeka vs. Ruaka<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In what can best be described as a hoss-fight, <strong>Himeka<\/strong> will begin her <em>2022 Cinderella Tournament<\/em> against <strong>Oedo Tai\u2019s<\/strong> <strong>Ruaka<\/strong>. This may be a first-time singles match, but these two wrestlers have had plenty of experience against each other in tag team action and proved to have good chemistry with each other, as they wrestle very similar styles. Himeka is the projected winner here, but her victory won\u2019t come without plenty of struggle against Oedo Tai\u2019s Kappa Monster.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hazuki vs. Miyu Amasaki<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">For the third time in her incredibly short time as a wrestler, <strong>Miyu Amasaki<\/strong> will be put to the test against <strong>Hazuki<\/strong> in her <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> debut. The young <strong>Queen\u2019s Quest<\/strong> member has been touted to have heaps of potential, and there are few wrestlers more equipped to deal with that potential more than Hazuki. The former Assualt Commander is a shoo-in to be a major threat in this tournament, and her road starts here against the most inexperienced member of the Stardom roster.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Giulia vs. Thekla<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In what was pegged to be the semi-main event before a sporadic card change was made, DDM members will collide as <strong>Giulia<\/strong> meets <strong>Thekla<\/strong> in the 14th match on the card. The tag-team duo has not only never had a singles matchup against one another, but their history in tag team matches against one another is also incredibly slim. While Giulia clearly has the advantage going into the match, this feels like it could end in a <em>Cinderella Tournament<\/em> upset in one way or another. The Toxic Spider is known for her incredible body control, and that could very well aid her in getting an over-the-top-rope victory on April 3rd.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">AZM vs. Momo Watanabe<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the penultimate clash of the night, former tag team partners <strong>AZM<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Momo Watanabe<\/strong> have a rematch from early this year. While that match ended in controversy with Watanabe picking up the win by kicking AZM in the face with a wrench in her boot, AZM has gained plenty of confidence and even reclaimed her High-Speed Championship since losing that bout. Can Momo Watanabe ride her wave of momentum through the first round, or will AZM\u2019s speed be her downfall in the <em>2022 Cinderella Tournament<\/em>?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Syuri vs. Ami Sourei<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In the main event of the evening, <strong>Syuri<\/strong> will face her recently recruited bodyguard, <strong>Ami Sourei<\/strong>, in an impromptu first-round matchup. Despite her status as Red Belt Champion granting her a bye to the second round originally, Sourei asked and was granted this match by Syuri herself, and it was made into a first-round match. This will be Sourei&#8217;s in-ring debut in Stardom, but her placement as Syuri\u2019s de facto second-in-command could be a sign of high hopes for the 25-year-old competitor.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Who Will Win?<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While I usually refrain from personal predictions, seeing as this tournament is the biggest in the company\u2019s history, It feels necessary to give a little long-term insight into potential winners of the entire thing. Up until recently, Himeka and Starlight Kid were perceived as the two frontrunners for the tournament, but with Jumbo\u2019s second-round clash seemingly being against Syuri, she has an incredibly difficult road to victory. Similarly, Starlight Kid has perhaps the most difficult path to the finals of any of the top contenders, but Oedo Tai&#8217;s shenanigans can very well disrupt that. Unagi &amp; Hazuki, while having less momentum going into the tourney, are very possible winners if they can put things together and find themselves in winnable matches down the line. As for Dark Horses, AZM and Koguma can win matches on any given day, so we could see a real Cinderella story from the High-Speed Division. If nothing else, Stardom&#8217;s <em>Cinderella Tournament 2022<\/em> is absolutely unpredictable and will be fun to follow throughout April.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><em>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for 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\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stardom-world.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stardom World<\/a>\u00a0for all your wonderous Joshi needs.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It would be an understatement to call April a \u201cbig month\u201d for the World Wonder Ring Stardom. The Bushiroad company\u2019s springtime tournament returns with its biggest entrant list to date, with 31 competitors vying to win the 2022 Cinderella Tournament. This year, the tournament will be split into three days throughout April, a similar format [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3176,"featured_media":112316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13,5302,6976,2192,317,323],"tags":[2675,6009,1450,5180,5923,4085,6016,3242,7270,3918],"class_list":["post-112303","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-joshi","category-joshi-international","category-wrestling","category-women","category-world-wonder-ring-stardom","tag-cinderella-tournament","tag-maika","tag-mayu-iwatani","tag-saki-kashima","tag-saya-kamitani","tag-starlight-kid","tag-syuri","tag-tam-nakano","tag-unagi-sayaka","tag-utami-hayashishita"],"modified_by":"Robbie Sutter","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112303","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3176"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112303"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112303\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112303"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112303"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112303"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}