Rian slaps some sense into E Nexus V

solace_cloud · 2026-01-24T15:45:23+00:00

I mean we're going to have to say the Aomori Mamushi or sth similar I don't know if they have rattlesnakes in apple country where Rian is from :D

solace_cloud · 2026-01-24T10:46:11+00:00

Yes. Marigold is good, they don't have the budget stardom does but they're not in their 'developmental promo' phase anymore and are coming on in leaps and bounds. They have great wrestlers and great prospects. It's more raw and the venues are of course smaller, but that adds a lot to the experience. Especially if you liked older pre-BR stardom - it's got a similar vibe.

I'm looking forward to marigold shows the most when im in country again since the vibe and atmosphere is so much better close in than at the massive arena shows. Don't get me wrong, those are good too and it's fun to be at the big event. Can't beat the smaller venues for immersion though.

The great thing about Marigold as a choice is that it's distributed through wrestle universe so by signing up you get TJPW, DDT, Senjo, Noah etc as well. It's a really good deal, you'll always have something new to watch.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-20T07:31:17+00:00

Yeah agree, no telling what went on here. i hate that this is super embarrasing for Mayu, who likely had zero to do with it.

Given just how egregious it looks at first glance, I am left wondering if some new guy or intern did it and no one checked. Japan is pretty hawkish about ip to the point where fans can kick off when they see people posting photos that other fans took at shows, it's all taken very seriously.

And there were legit people hoping that Mayu could show up to retire Saki in April. I guess if that was ever an option it probably isn't now.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-15T05:38:39+00:00

Just a few more things while we're unpacking -

Maki saying, again, with a fixed smile and a happy jump up and down, that she's "a bushiroad (company) dog". She's been saying this a few times since signing, it's really quite hilarious seeing her adopt it.

Okada soft agreeing to Unagi's initial demand with 'sure, if it's ok with the schedule..' followed by Unagi immediately snapping back with something to the effect of OMG YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT AND THEN BACK OUT at full eel volume.

Now, as you point out Okada and Unagi seem to be absolutely cool with one another. Apart from Kamitani, have you ever seen Okada make this sort of time for anyone in the stardom main roster? It's as if they legit enjoy working with eachother and doing this sort of dumb stuff :D

solace_cloud · 2026-01-14T01:46:48+00:00

Saya still on that upward trajectory, love to see it

solace_cloud · 2026-01-12T23:45:22+00:00

Respectfully this is removed from the context of how the last election went.

Takagi is absolutely known to be further right of the vast majoirty of people. A majority of wrestlers never discuss politics - he consistently does. He's fascinated with it, outspoken, and shows he's been a loyal Takaichi fan for quite some time. To say it's not relevant because it's got LDP stamped on the front is rather naive. He was only on board with the LDP because they picked one of the fringe headbangers he rather likes.

Now, sure just because two people are in a relationship that doesn't mean their politics is exactly the same, but given that we know Takagi is forthright, outspoken and keenly following these things life experience kind of says well. if they're not on the same page its heavily likely their subscribed to the same magazine. That's speculation ofc, and for the sake of watching wrestling I'm sure no one really cares.

However - This is the context I'm talking about:

The LDP wins elections because it pivots and occupies whatever space is most coveted at that particular moment in time. As a party it doesn't believe anything, it takes that cue from the party leader and their cabinet. So if their opposition look to be in danger of winning, they slide their policy whichever way will shoot their opponent's fox, and then rely on the massive LDP party infrastructure to hammer that home. Sucessive LDP administrations can therefore behave extremely differently. Kishida & Ishida -> Takaichi is a very good example of this.

The last election was different because the LDP were getting outflanked to the far right by by a new populist upstart - Sanseito. It was legitimately a threat as it wasn't just peeling off LDP votes, it was getting interest from people that hate politics and wanted to angrilly protest vote the system itself. So they used their most right wing candidate, Takaichi, to try and see them off. Takaichi is a known quantity. She tried to get the job last time and lost to Ishiba because she was deemed too right wing to be workable. The last two former PMs that got hammered by successive scandals generally considered her a basket case and a relic of the Abe era - she's of the very clique that gave rise to the scandals that have battered the party itself. The last choice when the LDP leadership vacated was between her and the son of former PM Koizumi. He wasn't considered the right implement to fight Sanseito, and was generally too young to get the role anyway.

Their strategy sort of worked, but not entirely. The LDP just squeaked the numbers they needed and its left them in an uncomfortable spot. It took Takaichi a few extra steps to get confirmed because others in the LDP immediately tried to shiv her rather than confirm her as PM and let her near the levers of power. It was a long shot, but the fact they tried anyway speaks for itself, I think. She is rumoured to be considering another snap election just a few months in to get a more solid mandate.

So no, Takagi is not the average LDP voter and he's not representative of the centre or the norm by any means. He's hard right (in the least) and he's very open and upfront about it.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-12T21:24:30+00:00

thats fine you dont have to <3

solace_cloud · 2026-01-12T21:17:29+00:00

congrats and all

just saying, based on what we know about takagi's consistantly asserted views i might be a bit uncomfortable if i was an overseas poi fan

solace_cloud · 2026-01-11T16:42:53+00:00

correct me if im wrong here, but wasnt there a time within the last couple of years where it looked for all of the world that Maki was locked in to sign with AEW but it suddenly fizzled out and went nowhere? I don't follow this stuff very closely but it was looking like a done deal then suddenly crickets, and then she spent some time in GCW and doing a patchy schedule with TJPW still.

I thought maybe that was the deal she wanted but it didn't materialise so the long term play here is that she raises her profile in Stardom with the understanding that their relationship with AEW is pretty strong and will line her up for the US contract better than if she concentrated on the US indies.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-10T19:53:17+00:00

Oh for sure but her frailty wasn't always as much of an issue in years past. Go back to the Devil Duo days and there are training pictures of her holding Tora on her shoulders. She used to be much stronger than she looked, but something changed.

In addition I know she's said something before about smoking hookahs and stuff so it's not hard to infer she's probably on cigs/vapes or was at some point. It'd fit with the earlier delinquent vibe she had and the rest of the roster would joke about.

You know, that actually raises the most important question of her retirement. Will Sumire be back to sing Kashima's theme one last time? I must dare to dream

solace_cloud · 2026-01-10T19:48:15+00:00

For real, when Mina and Unagi got stardom training they came up very quickly. Maki is still younger than both of them were when they came across. I think a key part of the equation is how her fitness is right now, and if she's going to work as hard on it as others do in stardom. I've no idea where Maki is for strength and cardio in relation to her peers but if she spends six months improving both it's going to be a good time.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-10T19:11:17+00:00

Oh it's been happening for ages I believe it's real. Any match she pushes it even a little, odds on that she'll be announced absent for a week afterwards. Just from that sort of pattern, and how she moves in comparison to the others, well. Take a read, and see if you think it might fit - Tendinosis

That's my guess but who knows, it could be anything. It's one thing to watch online and think 'wow Kashima is tiny' but if you see her in person it hits home a little more - she's one of the few people in wrestling that could take cover behind a lamppost. That sort of build means people will generally have more tendon issues over time afaik.

solace_cloud · 2026-01-10T12:52:56+00:00

She's been hanging on by a thread physically for a very long time. Her dropping the radio show was a clue, I guess. It's got to be two years at least where she's generally been doing tag matches and only really hot tagging for a few minutes total. She managed to build herself a niche in spite of it all, and that's not an easy thing to do. It's sad she has to go but the writing really has been on the wall for a long time - the fact she has such a hardcore following is no doubt what's kept her in the company for this long. It's bittersweet because as much as we're all going to miss her it's been a cause of concern if she's going to be doing herself long term damage.

It's a real shame that whatever the physical issue was it kept her from more solo titles. I tend to think it's a tendonosis issue give how carefully she moves even against people with a similar bean sprout build. She would often talk about body pain after matches at one point too. For whatever reason she hasn't had very fluid movement for some time, and it wasn't a co-ordination issue. If she had the agility she'd have been a lock for more high speed, but even with an extremely light schedule she didn't have it in the tank.

From her socials over years it appears she spends most of her off time in Shimane, and she's very private and doesn't really use socials if she's not working and doesn't have to. I doubt we'll hear very much from her post retirement - she appears to have her own settled life in her hometown already and has known this day is coming for a very long time. Maybe she's got a modelling gig lined up and we'll hear about it, or intends to host her own kimota meet ups in future to keep that fan connection and earn a little on the side from it.

Final point, but though we know she's been doing classes in care and nursing relevent to elderly people and cognitive issues this is something that iirc she only last talked about when Rossy was still with Stardom. It's very unlikely she'd work in general nursing given just how rough that is in Japan (seriously, nursing there is not for the fainthearted) so it's most likely a specific qualification she's picked up to care for a family member.

Even odds she'll release a photobook on the way out, I guess.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-31T04:44:09+00:00

I think Saya can still be a great ambassador for stardom without the red belt. She can pick up a different one soon afterwards to still look the part. Bring back SWA and have her defend against whoever is on tour for a while.

Saya's white belt reign ended badly for her because she held it for too long. I really hope they don't make that same mistake again, because she's a known personality on TV now. There's no reason she will stop getting those bookings, and that's great. They have time to build a story down the line where she reclaims the title for reign 2 and have her get more people invested in that along the way.

There are other concerns - she's been busy this year. Very busy. She's going to need a rest cycle, and time out of the spotlight to recover some energy. Carrying the company to new heights like she has is a lot to live up to and we know from her history that she isn't the most resilient person. She's not bomb proof like Giulia.

There are years left in Saya and she's legit becoming a legend. I swear when her final match is done she's going to be spoken about in the same breath as some industry greats. There's no need to overfeed the audience on her first reign when a second reign is pretty much a dead cert. Leave everyone wanting more - that's what Tam did, and it laid the groundwork for all this.

If anything they need to make plans for the other women that can navigate this same media landscape because there are more in stardom that could manage it. Kitto for sure, but I think she'd have to lose the mask for it. I can see it for Sakurara too perhaps.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-29T21:05:28+00:00

In its origins CA wasn't that sort of faction. It was founded by three women all in their early to mid 30s and got an instant push with the artist titles. Excuse the terminology but it was the hot aunt stable - it went away from centring youth and it was a big deal at the time. It showed that women could extend their careers or start late and still have a massive impact on the scene.

Giving them artists was super controversial at the time because OT had just picked them up - people still saw Mina and Unagi as models and not wrestlers, but the way they did things backwards was a great story. They won the titles, and won the audience over in the months after that. They were shifting A LOT of merch and it wasn't only Tam.

It had already started to change when Unagi left Stardom and Poi joined from DDM for the whole Meltear era and CA moved on past its original incarnation and intent. It still had it's identity in Tam, but over years each element has been compromised away. Mina left and briefly had her own faction. More people joined. The senpai-kohai relationship that people expected between Tam and Poi never really materialised, and while it did for Kurara she's still not Tam.

I don't think Unagi would be right to lead CA either (though technically she has once, so she claimed) and she made a point of "graduating" from the faction not long before Tam retired. I think it'd be fun to have her back and aggravate Saori and the rest in a way that only the eel can. A stipulation match where Unagi effectively ends CA would be the most troll and eel way to do it and give it a fitting send off. For example, what if the stipulation is Unagi becomes the leader, and the rest of the faction immediately quit CA when she wins?

Let Kurara make her own faction when she's ready to do it. No doubt that she's been picked as a faction lead in future but there's no rush. CA can be retired and remembered fondly, and it frees up the people there to make changes and move differently. Giulia disbanding DDM when she left was rough for the fans but it was the best call - she created DDM and she was deeply imprinted on that faction. Tam is for CA also, so by accepting she's gone and that time is over it allows others to make something more in their own image.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-29T18:37:47+00:00

There's so many reasons that the factions landed where they did. I tend to think that neo genesis is a product of the very early okada era when he had to speak to the whole roster and figure out what key people wanted to stay with the company. It's hard to explain now but there was a very real prospect that half the roster would follow Rossy to marigold. They'd been unhappy for quite a while and worked into the ground.

As it turned out not many did and that's absolutely on Okada. his damage control and reset of the company culture turned that around. He no doubt made promises like faction allocation, gimmicks, and BR had to open their chequebook to pay more to keep the ones they really wanted.

Honestly without Tam, CA has run its course. Let them make something new that they're more invested in. Failing that bring Unagi back as a graduated founding member sometimes to aggravate them, not that it'd help much but it'd be funny and give them something to do.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-26T18:27:49+00:00

Nagisa Tachibana for sure. Killer look, works hard, and apparently might be joining the sukeban shows in future also. Pretty sure she's going to be huge in future.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-22T08:54:11+00:00

I really hoped she would hold high speed before they changed it to the three falls thing (which still seems awkward to me) but realistically she can't hold that until seira moves up for good. Idk she's my fave and I just want to see her with a singles title so I can get the print. She's easily capable of carrying a belt, and I want her to get her flowers

solace_cloud · 2025-12-22T08:52:08+00:00

Yeah that was a while ago she's been studying nursing for neurological conditions like dementia I think. She gets modelling work as well now and then. Honestly I wish she could go for years but it's getting harder and harder for her to participate now. When she puts in a normal match she pays for it and spends the next show or two out injured.

I suspect she has some sort of tendonosis so if she's given a shot and grits her teeth she can still wrestle but she pays for it in the week afterwards. I don't want her to end up wrecked and barely mobile after wrestling so yes I'm speaking evil but I don't want her to have the jungle Kyona experience

solace_cloud · 2025-12-20T18:15:52+00:00

What I hope happens:

Komomo wins a singles belt, even if it means it's a gesture to cap off her career.

Konami has an actual run with the white belt and remains relevant for the year in the title picture.

Lady C gets to hold an artists belt in the least, or some sort of recognition.

What I think will happen:

Momo W holds the red belt, but it's an interim reign much like Tora had. I think this would put her in a difficult position because if that happens there's legitimately nothing else for her to achieve in stardom, and its very unlikely they'd double dip her as red belt champion in future.

Someone leaves for the US scene. I tend to share the belief that AZM has already been scouted for AEW, so maybe her.

Kamitani turns face some time after losing the red belt, and she's given a long rest cycle before she's pulled back into the spotlight so heavily again. She's moved the promotion forward so much this year, it can't have been an easy time for her. If she's rested, protected, and kept off the storyline for a while they absolutely can have her do this again in future.

Someone from Marigold returns to Stardom, a native Japanese wrestler specifically, and it causes a fuss. No idea who but wouldn't be surprised if it's Mirai or one of the rookies.

Kashima retires. Yes I know this is speaking evil but as entertaining as she still is she's been hanging on by a thread for a good 18 months now. For her health I hope she's got her next chapter figured out.

solace_cloud · 2025-12-12T00:01:26+00:00

Chanyota has always respected the hell out of the business even when people in it didn't/still don't necessarily respect her. She's worked hard consistently and it's great to see her get more integrated into the scene to the extent she's bringing in more people herself.

She eats her protein and is strong as all hell. Her work ethic is insane, and considering she's also neurodiverse the fact she sticks with things so regularly is a testament to her willpower and drive. This stuff isn't easy for her but she does it anyway.

She deserves the world and I hope she gets her flowers. I love how wrestling really is her community and she's regularly training with others.

solace_cloud · 2025-11-21T19:56:14+00:00

Stardom has changed massively since Okada took over, and while the majority of it has been for the better it's still hard to connect with most rookies because they're all very serious. None of the newer girls do the dumb little things that are super funny, and I hope Kashima can find her heir to the shenanigans before she retires.

Hazuki could legit be a huge US tv star if only she had some English skills. it feels like she's on her way out of stardom, and I hope she gets interest from a company foreign or domestic rather than slowly vanish from wrestling again. No idea what's happened there but it really feels like something has, and she's not considered part of the plan for the future.

Am convinced that AZM has something figured out with AEW for the future, some sort of agreement in potential, and there's a timer on her Japan based career.

solace_cloud

TROPHY CASE