Stardom "Galaxy Stars 2015 #2"
A Review by Kevin Wilson

Date: June 20th, 2015 
Location:  Shin-Kiba 1st Ring in Tokyo, Japan
Announced Attendance: Unknown

This is a smaller event than the Stardom show from last week, but still has a title match and a few other interesting match-ups on the card. The biggest match is Io Shirai vs. Starfire for the High Speed Championship, as well as Candy Crush (as they are now known) teaming up with Melissa to take on Heisei Gun. Here is the full card:

- Azumi vs. Reo Hazuki
- Momo Watanabe vs. Thunder Rosa
- Hatsuhinode Kamen and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kris Wolf and Nikki Storm
- Chelsea, Kairi Hojo, and Melissa vs. Mayu Iwatani, Reo Hazuki, and Takumi Iroha
- High Speed Championship: Io Shirai vs. Starfire

Short event, let's get right to it.

Azumi vs. Reo Hazuki
This is a Kid's Fight, since Azumi is indeed a kid. So is Hazuki technically. Schoolboy by Azumi to start but it gets two, she tries a cradle but that doesn't work either. Kicks by Azumi and she hits a dropkick, but Hazuki doesn't go down. Stomps by Hazuki, she picks up Azumi and throws her down by her hair. Facewashes by Hazuki but Azumi avoids the kick and throws down Hazuki by her hair. Now it is Azumi that gives the facewashes and she delivers the running boot. Elbows by Azumi but Hazuki elbows her back and throws her down by her hair. Boot by Hazuki in the corner and she hits a scoop slam. Another one by Hazuki and she hits a third, cover, but it gets two. Hazuki goes up to the second turnbuckle but Azumi avoids the diving senton, dropkick by Azumi, she goes up top and she hits a diving crossbody for a two count. Azumi picks up Hazuki but Hazuki hits a face crusher followed by a body press for two. Azumi kicks her and hits a tilt-a-whirl cradle for two. Vertical suplex by Azumi but Hazuki avoids the kick and hits the full nelson slam for the three count. This is probably the best Kid's Fight I have seen, Azumi is coming along nicely and since Hazuki is young too she could give Azumi plenty of offense without looking silly. Short but effective, if Azumi sticks with it she will likely be pretty great by the time she is 17 or 18 years old.

Momo Watanabe vs. Thunder Rosa
They trade holds to start with neither getting a clear advantage, Rosa clubs on Watanabe but Watanabe delivers a dropkick. She hits a second and a third, cover, but it gets two. Watanabe picks up Rosa and clubs her against the ropes, but Rosa pulls down Watanabe by her hair. Rosa works over Watanabe's legs, putting her in the figure four leglock until Watanabe gets to the ropes. Kicks to the leg by Rosa but Watanabe dropkicks her in the corner and suplexes Rosa into the tree of woe. Dropkick by Watanabe while Rosa is hung up, cover, but it gets two. Watanabe picks up Rosa but Rosa elbows her off and applies an armbar. Watanabe wiggles to the ropes to force a break, Rosa picks her up and puts Watanabe on the top turnbuckle. She joins her but Watanabe pushes Rosa away and hits a diving crossbody. Watanabe picks up Rosa but Rosa blocks the suplex and hits a vertical suplex of her own. Short range lariats by Rosa but the cover gets two. Inverted Cloverleaf by Rosa but Watanabe crawls to the ropes to force a break. Rosa stomps on Watanabe, Irish whip but Watanabe sneaks in a schoolboy for two. Dropkick by Watanabe, she goes to the second turnbuckle and she hits a missile dropkick. Cover, but it gets a two count. Watanabe picks up Rosa and hits rolling vertical suplexes, Watanabe charges Rosa and hits a double knee in the corner. Cover by Watanabe, but Rosa gets a shoulder up. Watanabe picks up Rosa and they trade elbows, full nelson face crusher by Rosa but Watanabe gets a shoulder up. Rosa gets Watanabe on her back and hits the Widow's Peak, cover, but it gets another two. Rosa picks up Watanabe and hits a wrist-clutch suplex, another cover, but Watanabe gets a shoulder up. Kick by Rosa and she nails a hammerlock slam, finally getting the three count. Not sure how I feel about Rosa needing all her finishers just to beat Watanabe but Watanabe has hung tough with wrestlers before so its not too bad. The match started slow and unfocused, with Rosa going after various limbs and a few miscommunications, but the stretch run was choice. I am not normally a fan of clipping but this match probably could have used it. Ending was good and put over Watanabe as hard to beat, but as a whole match not the best.

Hatsuhinode Kamen and Kaori Yoneyama vs. Kris Wolf and Nikki Storm
Kamen and Storm start off, Kamen is goofy and Storm doesn't seem amused. Drop toehold by Kamen but Storm avoids the elbow drop, Wolf comes into the ring and they double team Kamen in the corner. Storm tags in Wolf, snapmare by Wolf and she kicks Kamen in the back repeatedly. Kamen picks up Wolf and slams her into her corner before tagging in Yoneyama. Double Irish whip to Wolf and she eats a double shoulderblock followed by a double elbow drop. Wolf is put into the ropes and she is squished by both her opponents before Kamen hits kicks to the chest. Cover by Yoneyama but it gets two. Leglock by Yoneyama as she continues the beat down on Wolf, but Storm kicks Yoneyama from the apron and distracts her, giving Wolf time to recover. Kamen comes in too, double Irish whip to Wolf, she goes for a crossbody but she is caught. Wolf is thrown at Storm when she comes in the ring, Yoneyama picks up Wolf but Wolf hits a tilt-a-whirl headscissors followed by a dropkick. Wolf tags in Storm, Storm elbows Yoneyama and she hits a neckbreaker. Northern Lights Suplex by Storm, but it gets two. They trade quick pins with no luck, Storm picks up Yoneyama but Yoneyama gets away and knees Storm in the back of the head. Senton by Yoneyama, cover, but it gets two. Yoneyama tags in Kamen and they both kick Storm. Cover by Kamen but Wolf breaks it up. Yoneyama gets on Kamen's back as Kamen hits a body press on Storm, getting a two count. Kamen picks up Storm but Storm reverses the delayed vertical suplex. Wolf jumps in and kicks Kamen, neckbreaker by Storm and Wolf hits an assisted body press. Cover by Storm but Yoneyama breaks it up. Wolf takes care of her, Storm goes off the ropes but Kamen hits a superkick. Cover, but Wolf breaks it up. Kamen picks up Storm but Wolf comes back over, but Kamen hits a double vertical suplex on both of them. Kamen goes up top with Yoneyama's help but Storm rolls out of the way of the senton. Wolf knees Yoneyama in the corner and then kicks Kamen in the back of the head, Perfect Storm by Storm but Kamen gets a shoulder up. Cyclone Neckbreaker by Storm and she gets the three count! I really like Storm and Wolf, both their wrestling and their energy, but Kamen and Yoneyama just don't do a lot for me. Just not my thing. An above average match based on Wolf and Storm's effort but skippable overall.

Chelsea, Kairi Hojo, and Melissa vs. Mayu Iwatani, Reo Hazuki, and Takumi Iroha
Iwatani and company attack before the match starts, isolating Hojo in the ring. Triple dropkick to Hojo and they pose on her, until finally Chelsea and Melissa come in to help. Chelsea and Hojo both boot Hazuki before hitting a double elbow drop, Melissa comes in too and they hit elbow drops on Hazuki as well. Hojo stays in with Hazuki and throws her in the corner before tagging in Chelsea. Chelsea tries a few quick pins with no luck, Irish whip by Chelsea but Hazuki hits a jumping shoulderblock before throwing down Chelsea by her hair. Facewashes by Hazuki and she tags in Iwatani, dropkick by Iwatani in the corner and she hits a scoop slam. Snapmares by Iwatani and she tags in Iroha, and Iroha throws down Chelsea by her hair before dropkicking her. Scoop slam by Iroha and she hits a jumping body press for two. The assault on Chelsea continues for several minutes until she finally hits a STO on Iwatani and tags in Melissa. Melissa clubs at Iwatani, Hazuki comes in the ring but she clotheslines both of them. Melissa hits a Samoan Drop on Iroha and elbows both Iwatani and Hazuki in the corners. Suplex by Melissa to Iwatani and she hits a hard knee before clubbing Iwatani to the mat and hitting a heel drop. Curb Stomp by Melissa and she covers Iwatani for two. Melissa tags in Chelsea and she rolls up Iwatani for a two count. Iwatani kicks Chelsea in the stomach but Chelsea levels her with a heel kick. Elbows by Chelsea against the ropes but Iwatani hits the Sling Blade. Bridging suplex by Iwatani, but it gets a two count. She tags in Iroha, superkick by Iroha but Hojo breaks it up. Back kick by Iroha but Chelsea catches her with a full nelson slam and tags in Hojo. Hojo elbows everyone before chopping Iroha into the corner, Irish whip by Hojo but Iroha chops her. Hojo fires out of the corner with a spear, she goes up top and she hits the jumping elbow smash. Cover by Hojo but Iroha kicks out at two. Cross arm submission by Hojo but Iwatani comes in and breaks it up. Iroha returns the favor with her own cross armed submission, she releases the hold and hits s deadlift slam for two. Iroha picks up Hojo and hits a vertical suplex, she goes up top but Hojo avoids the diving body press.

Chelsea hits a heel drop on Iroha, Hojo covers Iroha with a jackknife but it is broken up. Hojo goes up to the second turnbuckle but Iroha rolls out of the way of the diving elbow drop, Iroha covers Hojo but it gets two. Iroha elbows Hojo but Hojo elbows her back and they trade blows, spinning chop by Hojo and she covers Iroha for a two count. Iroha tags in Hazuki while Hojo tags in Melissa, dropkick by Hazuki and she hits two more. Irish whip by Hazuki from the corner and she hits a running elbow, she goes to the second turnbuckle and she hits the diving senton, but Melissa kicks out of the cover. Iroha comes in and tries to throw Hazuki at Melissa, but Melissa rolls out of the way. Hojo and Chelsea come in to help and they all hit superkicks on their opponents. Hojo, Chelsea, and Melissa all go up to different turnbuckles and and all connect with diving strikes. Melissa picks up Hazuki but Hazuki wiggles away, she goes off the ropes but Melissa nails a big boot for a two count. Inverted cloverleaf by Melissa, but Iroha and Iwatani both break it up. They throw Melissa into the corner and catapult Iwatani at her with a dropkick, sunset flip by Hazuki but Chelsea breaks it up. Iwatani dropkicks Chelsea but Hojo chops her, Iroha comes in and she blocks Hojo's spear before dumping her out of the ring. Iroha goes for the baseball slide but Hojo avoids it, leaving Melissa and Hazuki alone in the ring. Lariat by Melissa, she picks up Hazuki and she delivers the Kudo Driver for the three count! A few things I liked: Chelsea is noticeably getting better, which is to be expected from training at the Stardom Dojo but still an encouraging sign. I also liked the teamwork which is always prevalent in Stardom tag matches. The problem was more that this was a house show match, meaning they didn't really do anything too memorable. No dives, no top rope elbow drop from Hojo, no attempted dragon suplex by Iwatani, etc. So the action was really fluid throughout, it just was lacking something to make the match special. Still solid though. Mildly Recommended

(c) Io Shirai vs. Starfire
This match is for the High Speed Championship. Shirai and Starfire end up on the mat to start and trade positions without either locking in anything for long, armbar by Starfire as they get back up but Shirai reverses it. Springboard headscissors by Starfire and she hits a hurricanrana, Shirai goes off the ropes and goes for a standing headscissors but Starfire pushes her off. Irish whip by Starfire from the corner but Shirai flips her out to the apron. Starfire goes up top and hits a diving armdrag, sending Shirai out of the ring. Starfire goes out to the apron and hits a springboard plancha out to the floor. Shirai is attacked out on the floor by(I am assuming, it isn't really lit), but after a moment they return to the ring and Starfire applies a stretch hold. Starfire kicks Shirai in the back and goes back to the stretch hold before applying a Dragon Sleeper. Starfire picks up Shirai, Irish whip, and she hits a lariat. Snapmare by Starfire and she kicks Shirai in the back some more, she goes off the ropes and dropkicks Shirai in the back. Irish whip by Starfire to the corner but Shirai slides out to the apron and kicks Starfire back. Shirai goes up top but Starfire puts her feet up as Shirai dives off. Irish whip by Starfire but Shirai hits a backflip dropkick,, sending Starfire out of the ring. Asai Moonsault by Shirai out to the floor, she slide Starfire back in and hits a swandive missile dropkick followed by a Tiger Feint Kick. Swandive sunset flip by Shirai, but Starfire kicks out. Shirai applies an armtrap crossface but Starfire wiggles to the ropes to force the break.

Shirai goes up top but Starfire is up and joins her. Starfire grabs Shirai and suplexes her back down to the mat, she picks up Shirai and she hits a wheelbarrow suplex hold for a two count. Starfire goes for the Package Piledriver but Shirai blocks it, clubbing blows by Starfire but Shirai snaps off a hurricanrana for a two count. Starfire stretches Shirai over her knees, she picks up Shirai and she nails the Package Piledriver, but Shirai rolls out of the ring so she can't be covered. Starfire goes out after her as her minions put Shirai onto the apron, Starfire drags Shirai back into the ring and hits a double underhook facebuster onto her knees for a two count. Starfire clubs Shirai, she picks her up and she nails Splash Mountain for another two. Starfire goes for another Package Piledriver but Shirai reverses it into an over-the-shoulder sitout piledriver. Both wrestlers are slow to get up and they trade elbows on their knees, they keep elbowing each other after they get up until Shirai hits a palm strike. Buzzsaw Kick by Shirai, she picks up Starfire and she hits a tombstone piledriver. Shirai goes up top and she nails the moonsault, and Shirai picks up the three count! Shirai is still your champion. This was solid but never really went beyond that, it just started a bit slow and the bulk of it was Starfire on offense. I thought Starfire went down a bit easy, Watanabe was harder to beat earlier in the card, Shirai really just hit a couple moves after taking all of Starfire's best offense up to that point. Could have used just a few more minutes at the end to establish that Shirai was controlling the match, I thought it made Starfire look a bit weak which I know wasn't the intention. For a house show-style event not a bad way to end the show but it wouldn't have worked on a bigger card. Mildly Recommended

Final Thoughts:

I love Stardom, but as far as Stardom events go this one is towards the bottom. Part of that was by design, it was in a smaller venue and only had five matches, so it wasn't intended to be a big memorable event. The wrestlers weren't coasting but it just felt like a small show throughout. The co-main was fun but they were holding back, for such a great group of wrestlers by the end nothing really stuck out. The main event, while enjoyable was oddly structured and just as I was getting into it the match ended. I'd have to say this how is only for hardcore Stardom fanatics (such as myself), between the event only having one hard camera and the matches just not being memorable it is not an event I could recommend for the average fan.

Grade: D+

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event reviewed on 6/27/15