Some post-weekend Stardom news:
First, 2 title matches have been announced for upcoming events-first on 1/21 is Wonder Of Stardom Champion Konami vs. Rina for the title, as the Artist Of Stardom co-champions set their titles and H.A.T.E. alliance aside as Rina challenges for the white belt. Second is on 1/25 which will gave NEW High Speed Champion Yuna Mizumori vs. Yuki Mashiro for the title. Mizumori pulled off a seemingly unimaginable upset in beating Mei Seira for the High Speed Championship on 12/24 but more recently Mashiro pinned Mizumori in a 6-woman tag match leading to this.
Next, the sudden retirement-at Saturday’s event Saki Kashima unexpectedly announced her retirement. Her final match will be on 4/26 at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, traditionally the promotion’s biggest event of the year. Coming out of this is a Kashina-Syuri match on 2/7, presumably a NON-TITLE match as far as 2-belts Syuri is concerned.
After she was beaten in her Stardom debut match yesterday by her now-opponent, Maki Itoh vs. Aya Sakura has also been announced for 2/7. Sakura further rubbed it in by using Itob’s catchphrase (the cutest in the world…she’s not) against her, a rare time I actually am now rooting for Cosmic Angels. 2/7 also will see an E Nexus V vs. Mi Vida Loca faction match with potentially high stakes. (Suzu Suzuki was absent this weekend due to illness but is expected back for the Risa Sera retirement event which was today, Suzuki is Sera’s final opponent. She should be back in Stardom next weekend)
And finally, as it will not be a one-off but maybe a three-off return, Yuzuki Aikawa’s next return match is set-on 1/21 she will team with Natsupoi & Starlight Kid to face Sakura. Sayaka Kurara & Yuria Hime. This seems to be continuing the path towards Aikawa’s last match in this brief comeback, a match against Hime and perhaps a symbolic torch-passing by the original Stardom OG.
UPDATE: Tokyo Sports reports that, unbeknownst to us until just now, Natsupoi recently got married. Her husband? New Japan wrestler Shingo Takagi. They began dating in 2024 and registered their marriage last year. Takagi stated in the article he would like a child in the future but plans to keep wrestling for a while longer (he’s 43, Natsupoi is 30). So congrats and I guess a warning to those going after Stardom’s fairy…now she has a RAMPAGE DRAGON as backup.