{"id":114430,"date":"2022-07-05T12:00:55","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T16:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=114430"},"modified":"2022-07-05T06:39:56","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T10:39:56","slug":"stardom-midsummer-champions-2022","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/07\/05\/stardom-midsummer-champions-2022\/","title":{"rendered":"STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On July 9, 2022, Stardom will return to a big stage for the <\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">event inside the Tachikawa Stage Garden. Not to be confused with the\u00a0<\/span><strong><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 in NAGOYA\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/06\/29\/2022-5star-grand-prix-blocks\/\" target=\"_self\">5STAR Grand Prix 2022<\/a> will begin. Will we see a radical paradigm shift heading into the year\u2019s biggest tournament, or will the reigning champions be able to maintain the status quo as the Summer heats up in Tokyo? Let\u2019s get into what we\u2019re dealing with heading into <\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 Full Card<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This Saturday, it&#39;s Stardom MidSummer Champions!! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dI8QEL8CyN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/dI8QEL8CyN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; We Are Stardom (@we_are_stardom) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/we_are_stardom\/status\/1543980266573930498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 4, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Lady C vs Hina vs. Yuko Sakurai<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Future of Stardom Championship Match:\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Hanan (c) vs. Waka Tsukiyama<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Utami Hayashishita and Miyu Amasaki (Queen\u2019s Quest) vs. MIRAI and Ami Sourei (God\u2019s Eye)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki, Koguma, and Saya Iida (STARS) vs. Saki Kashima, Fukigen Death, Ruaka, and Rina (Oedo Tai)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Elimination Match:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka, SAKI, and Hikari Shimizu (Cosmic Angels) vs. Giulia, Maika, Himeka, Natsupoi, and Mai Sakurai (DDM)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">High Speed Championship Match:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0AZM (c) vs. Momo Kohgo<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Wonder of STARDOM Championship Match:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Starlight Kid<\/span><\/li>\n<li><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">World of STARDOM Championship Match:<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0Syuri (c) vs. Momo Watanabe<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Waka Faces Insurmountable Odds Against the Winningest Future Champion in History<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Following her 15-minute time-limit draw against JUST TAP OUT\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s history, Hanan has held her rank in impressive fashion time and time again.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">While, on paper, this championship match seems unnecessary, Hanan said following her match against Inaba that Waka\u2019s 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?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Momo Kohgo refuses to be Ignored<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a id=\"yL7CrhGTTgRZjrOkTEWNOQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1372978322\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'yL7CrhGTTgRZjrOkTEWNOQ',sig:'-wJfjpbEbU1v5HRQot2MW-zc7FZ6yLdjzKa49ET0Izg=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1372978322',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">In yet another underdog story that feels too good to be true, Momo Kohgo will battle the High-Speed Ace AZM at\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022\u00a0<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">for the High-Speed Championship. AZM accepted this match against a total newcomer to the de facto &#8220;High-Speed Divison\u201d due to her love and respect for Hazuki, Momo Kohgo\u2019s 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\u2019s key to victory in a high-speed setting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Furthermore, Momo Kohgo\u2019s 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\u2019t be\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">praying<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0for an upset victory against AZM but rather methodically searching for one wherever she can, studying AZM&#8217;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?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Will the Year of the Tiger Reach its Climax?<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">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 <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2022\/06\/30\/starlight-kid-light-in-darkness\/\" target=\"_self\">Starlight Kid<\/a> 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Unfortunately for Starlight Kid, Saya Kamitani is undefeated in singles matches this year and doesn\u2019t seem to be stopping. A recent challenge from KAIRI for the White Belt also gets in the way of Starlight Kid\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">A Supervillain Threatens Syuri\u2019s Vermillion World<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a id=\"V7nFyxDqRolOjMto2TTyxA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1343076565\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'V7nFyxDqRolOjMto2TTyxA',sig:'4t9vk3WOuCCldKDTTWRStw9D9GuuJJvF75hiZTR7H54=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1343076565',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Just weeks before the 2022 5STAR Grand Prix begins, last year\u2019s grand finalists will face off in the main event of\u00a0<\/span><em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022<\/span><\/em><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\"> 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&#8217;s interference to get the job done. This strategy hasn\u2019t always been successful though. Watanabe&#8217;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.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">On the other hand, Syuri is someone who is known to metaphorically download her opponent\u2019s strategy and overwhelm them until she is victorious. Despite this, Momo&#8217;s new strategies might become too much for Syuri to handle. Will Momo\u2019s 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?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><b><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/b><\/a><i>\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<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.stardom-world.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b><i>Stardom World<\/i><\/b><\/a><i>\u00a0for all your wonderous Joshi needs.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On July 9, 2022, Stardom will return to a big stage for the STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022\u00a0event inside the Tachikawa Stage Garden. Not to be confused with the\u00a0STARDOM MidSummer Champions 2022 in NAGOYA\u00a0event later in the month, this show will occur in Tokyo and features four title matches, all of which are singles championships. With [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3176,"featured_media":114435,"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":[13,6975,6976,5302,317,323],"tags":[4734,7269,2676,5923,7268,4085,6016],"class_list":["post-114430","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international","category-international-wrestling","category-joshi-international","category-joshi","category-women","category-world-wonder-ring-stardom","tag-azm","tag-joshi-preview","tag-momo-watanabe","tag-saya-kamitani","tag-stardom-preview","tag-starlight-kid","tag-syuri"],"modified_by":"Alex Richards, LWOF Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114430","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=114430"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114430\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114435"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114430"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114430"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114430"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}