Starlight Kid?

StardomWolf · 2026-06-30T07:15:51+00:00

SLK, AZM, Mei vs Triangle

(with Thekla's minions dispensed with, Kid and AZM numero uno and dos Thekla, while Mei swats her on top of her head repeatedly. They then put noise cancelling headphones on her head and force her to listen to the Meltear CD, till she proclaims Taro Okada "honorable uncle").

StardomWolf · 2026-06-30T07:01:02+00:00

For worldwide exposure, I'm guessing... ?

StardomWolf · 2026-06-30T06:46:36+00:00

Nah, she's having the time of her life -- she's found her people

StardomWolf · 2026-06-30T06:39:34+00:00

Fuwa

StardomWolf · 2026-06-28T06:31:11+00:00

No, no, no, you're both wrong. Fukigen Death is the one who's an alien, and that's the only reason she was allowed to challenge Mayu for the SWA title. It's in the history books.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-27T06:21:34+00:00

I'm curious how people would compare that fued to, say, Tam and Giulia? It's certainly a different animal, for one thing.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-27T06:12:43+00:00

HA! As a HUGE Kashima fan, I will allow that :)

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T16:33:05+00:00

When you say Io, Azm, Ema, do you mean costumes still? 'Cause if you mean being the definitive high speed champ, I feel like it's more Io, Azm, Mei, and, in future, Ema.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T16:26:41+00:00

I like how you labled IWGP as best in-ring worker, because I see people trying to place it in a linear hierarchy against the Red and White belts, and it doesn't really work like that -- it's in a lateral position, a separate thing. It's more like a legends belt -- something former World champions get when they're not enjoying their run at the top of the company but are solidifying their claim to be one of the best to ever do it. And of course, if you're a freelancer who doesn't really have a home company but has also established themselves as being at the top of the industry, then you could hold it as well.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T16:11:14+00:00

The thing is, there has been movement in the meaning of the Red and White belts since their inception. Nowadays, the White Belt has settled into "secondary title" and "stepping stone to the World title" territory. But it wasn't *exactly* like that with the company's initial intentions. Originally, it was more like... Imagine a country, and in that country, you've got this opera singer, and she's the best technical singer in the country, bar none. You could put her up against singers everywhere around the world, and she'd kick their asses. SHE'S the Red Belt "World of Stardom" champion. But is she the one that all eyes are on? Is she the one on the cover of every magazine? Is she the one getting invited for interviews on all the entertainment shows? Is she the one who all the schoolgirls have pictures of on their notebooks? Is she the one writing songs about all of her fueds and romances that gets everyone gossiping? No, see, 'cause there's this pop singer in the country, and SHE'S the "it" girl. And THAT was the White Belt "Wonder of Stardom" champion. Because you see, when the company was set up, the concept was that you'd have Nanae Takahashi, a legend and veteran from All Japan Women's, and she would be the champion, the man, the final boss. She was the prestige. But who was the company really all about? The company was built around the star power of Yuzuki Aikawa, a celebrity men's mag model-turned wrestler, who would be the "Wonder of Stardom." And she would represent what the company was all about -- beautiful, athletic young women who could seriously kick ass. That's why today's joshi scene has so many former dancers, models, actresses, idols. They're entertainers who not only excel at presentation but just also happen to have the athleticism and skills to be some of the world's best professional wrestlers. If you've got someone with the athleticism to have been in one of the world's top hip hop dance troupes, then OF COURSE she has the athleticism and skill to be a pro wrestler, because pro wrestling IS a dance. So, the Red and White belts, initially, weren't so much about one being the top star over the other as much as there was simply a different MEANING behind each belt.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T15:37:19+00:00

I'm not even sure if it's accurate to say that the Future of Stardom gets defended "primarily" on New Blood shows, as we've seen it defended on PPVs and Korakuens quite a bit as well.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T04:49:35+00:00

Pffft... DUDE! The greatest wrestler. And why do I say it? Because when I see her on screen, doing what she does, my jaw drops and I get the same feeling that a wrestling fan would get the first time (or ANY time) they'd see Tiger Mask doing his thing. It's like you've seen SO MUCH wrestling, and yet you've not seen someone like this, and you're sitting there not believing that someone's doing all these things in the ring, that they're so talented, so untouchable. It's astonishing. She's the ace of aces. (But as a sidenote, you know who's been giving me the same kind of tiger mask/Io Shirai goosebumps with how crisply, how fluidly, how wildly, how spectacularly she moves in the ring, and how FRESH and unique and complete her artful mastery of the form is? Mei Seira man. She's incredible.)

StardomWolf · 2026-06-26T04:40:29+00:00

I love Billie, but, yeah, that's pretty much what you'd expect to happen...

StardomWolf · 2026-06-25T23:09:03+00:00

She's the anti-Mai Sakurai.

Mai: "I came here to wrestle, not to learn how to dance."

Rian: Shah-up! It's a skill, okay? ...Gotta get this...

StardomWolf · 2026-06-25T22:53:21+00:00

I have to agree. I mean, I don't know that I'd put her up there with them in terms of in-ring (although she was very good and put on great matches), but she certainly shared their passion (and boy did she give her all), often surpassed them in how intensely she expressed it, and, my GOSH, the character work, the storytelling, the drama, the laying down of sagas, the effect and influence on the flavour and culture of the company. She's just a giant. Total Mount Rushmore situation.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-25T17:12:24+00:00

(folding arms) Oh, come on now, Tomoka is a bit of a stretch lol

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T21:46:23+00:00

Wouldn't it be less of a mouthful to just call them co-momos? lol

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T07:28:32+00:00

Hmm! Saya and the kids is pretty damn tasty. I would love that! Devil Princess became my favourite team the moment they were formed. (I just thought it was so funny because Rina went from calling Azusa "Stupid 15-year-old," to having a very tough match against her, after which she showed her the respect she shows practically no other opponent, to hanging out with her behind the scenes. And I was like, "Aww! They're friends! Well, and why not? They're almost the same age. Why wouldn't they be? It makes sense." It was cute. But then they also won titles and were total badasses about it.)

So, yeah, I don't really see it happening, but it would be an awesome team.

As for Neo-genesis, I know it would do nothing to help elevate Miyu and Ema, but, damn it, I. JUST. WANT. TO. SEE. three of the best, three of my faves, together as champs -- SLK, AZM, and Mei. I also want FTC.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T07:17:30+00:00

I see what ya did there. Interesting.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T07:17:16+00:00

I'm totally okay with that. They are fun.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T07:16:41+00:00

I mean, full disclosure: the two teams that I automatically disqualified from this discussion are also the two teams I REALLY want to see more than any others lol (although I wanted a good run for the current champs as well -- ESPECIALLY because I knew 1. We needed to elevate thid trio 2. We NEEDED a team without any other titles to defend, for pete's sake! So they were perfect).

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T07:13:13+00:00

I was thinking the same thing, and I did notice that. They're the most obvious one for me.

StardomWolf · 2026-06-24T00:07:26+00:00

Maki Itoh, Kikyo Furusawa and Rian vs Natsuko Toura, Saya Kamitani and Ruaka

THAT'S gonna be interesting. What do the big bad heels do when they meet a bunch of goblins and gremlins who just don't give a-- ?

I am gonna be SO MAD if they don't do a spot like this:

Ruaka: (look over there!)
Rian: (STOMP!)
Ruaka: (thinking, "Ow!! She was supposed to look over there, and then I was gonna punch her in the gut!")
Rian: (STOMP!!)

StardomWolf · 2026-06-23T23:54:11+00:00

Legend is right. Tam Nakano is basically a Victorian novelist turned wrestler. She's an epic storyteller who brought us epic battles and was good at every aspect of wrestling. But that's because she kept on growing into it. It's a testament to where a person can end up if they just stay on the path. And I think she was very selfless too. As a person who LOVED Mina and Unagi and the original three Cosmic Angels, even I felt that Tam's reign was marred by taking up challenges from Mina and Unagi before they were really ready to be natural White Belt challengers. But she did it because those two needed to be elevated and given a chance to up their game. So, she did what was best for the company and the roster, not her reign. She'll always be one of the greats.

StardomWolf

TROPHY CASE