STARDOM Dream Queendom
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, Japan
Attendance: 6,563
STARDOM’s biggest show and annual closer of the year celebrated a completely sold-out crowd with over six and a half thousand in attendance at Sumo Hall. The annual pay-per-view was streamed internationally via StageCrowd and domestically via MySTARDOM & SamuraiTV. The distribution on separate streaming platforms prevented the ability to switch between broadcast languages.
Japanese Commentary featured Haruo Murata (play-by-play), Makoto Oe (analysis), Teppei Arita (guest), Aina Aiba (guest) & Hanan. Arita was recognized in the 2025 Tokyo Sports Awards for his contributions to pro-wrestling through his wrestling commentary programming on YouTube. Aiba has worked with STARDOM previously as a guest ring announcer while still performing as a voice actress/singer for BanGDream’s Rosalia (a multimedia idol brand under Bushiroad) and pro-wrestler. English Commentary was provided by Walker Stewart.
Quick Results
- Ema Maishima & Kikyo Furusawa def. Matoi Hamabe & Anne Kanaya
- Starlight Kid & AZM def. Syuri & Tomoka Inaba
- Rina won the “Forgetting 2025” STARDOM Rumble.
- Maika, Megan Bayne, Xena & HANAKO vs. Suzu Suzuki, Bozilla, Rina Yamashita & Itsuki Aoki – Double Count Out
- Hazuki def. Fuwa-chan
- Sareee def. Natsupoi – Recommended
- Goddesses of STARDOM Championships: Natsuko Tora & Ruaka (c) def. Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurara
- Wonder of STARDOM Championship: Konami (c) def. Saya Iida – Recommended
- World of STARDOM Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) def. Saori Anou – Recommended
Opening Tag Match: Ema Maishima & Kikyo Furusawa defeated Matoi Hamabe & Anne Kanaya (10:46) – Maishima submits Kanaya with a Boston Crab
This was a great opening showcase for the wrestlers who debuted within the last year. 2025 has definitely been a rebuilding year for STARDOM, but they’re already laying the long-term stories for these four. While their gear hints at potential future affiliations, I am very curious to see which factions they choose to join in the future, especially with Hazuki and Koguma no longer being affiliated with STARS.
Starlight Kid & AZM defeated Syuri & Tomoka Inaba (12:42) – SLK pinned Inaba after a Moonsault.
After her loss of the Wonder of STARDOM Championship to Konami, Starlight Kid was sidelined with an undisclosed injury. This match served as her return match, and she was central to the bulk of the match. Trying to move forward after losing the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship to Kamitani, AZM teamed with SLK in her return.
Inaba had a rough second half of 202,5, starting with dropping the Queen of JTO to her younger sister Azuka and later losing to SLK’s in Wonder of STARDOM Championship challenge. Meanwhile, Syuri dropped the IWGP Women’s Championship to Sareee, went out for elbow surgery, starred in a theatre production, regained the IWGP Women’s Championship from Sareee, and now prepares for her Wrestle Kingdom 20 in Tokyo Dome double championship match with Kamitani for the STRONG and IWGP Women’s Championships.
Inaba and Syuri welcomed back SLK with some extra spicy penalty kicks to the back, and while AZM got some offense in, the match was largely about SLK. When there is this much focus in a match, it means there are plans coming up, and with Syuri’s big match on January fourth, the remaining spotlight was whittled down and divided by AZM and Inaba. Much like SLK, Inaba had far more ring time in this match, but that makes me think it was to help minimize any damage for Syuri. It was a fun match, but a lot of the big moves and submissions they are all known for were largely absent, which left me wanting more.
Early 2026 Schedule Announcements
At the end of the free-stream, STARDOM broadcast its preliminary schedule for 2026. Highlights from the video package included:
- 2026 New Year’s STARS series
- 15th Anniversary Celebration
- Annual STARDOM Awards (January)
- First “Big Match of 2026” – STARDOM Supreme Fight in Osaka on February 26th in the EDION Arena Primary Gymnasium
- The 2026 Cinderella Tournament opens on March 6th, and the Tournament Finals at the Yokohama Budokan on March 15th
- STARDOM American Dream 2026 in Las Vegas (April)
- All-Star Grand Queendom returns to Yokohama Arena on April 26th – Event title announced by Stewart on English Commentary.
Opening the PPV, a static teaser POV video with a shut-in who mainlines energy drinks at a multiscreen, surveillance set-up. Appeared after the free broadcast ended. I’m not suggesting this is Tam Nakano during her retirement era, but it would be a fun way to bring her back to the 15th Anniversary with a vengeance and agenda, even if it’s not in-ring. I’m probably way off the mark, but I am definitely intrigued.
“Forgetting 2025” STARDOM Rumble: Rina pinned Miyu Amasaki (36:35) – Pink❤︎Devil/Pin Combo
Order of Entry
① Miyu Amasaki, ② Rian, ③ Akira Kurogane, ④ Azusa Inaba (JTO), ⑤ Lady C, ⑥ Yuna Mizumori, ⑦ Kiyoka Kotatsu, ⑧ Momo Kohgo, ⑨ Koguma, ⑩ Ranna Yagami, ⑪ Ami Sohrei, ⑫ Olympia, ⑬ Hina, ⑭ Mei Seira, ⑮ Fukigen Death, ⑯ Yuria Hime, ⑰ Bea Priestley, ⑱ Waka Tsukiyama, ⑲ Saki Kashima, ⑳ Rina, & ㉑ Yuzuki Aikawa
With over six thousand strong in attendance, the Kuma (Bear) chants were much louder. Miyu Amasaki danced along, and she would later try sacrificing Ranna Yagami to Koguma. Syuri channeled her inner Tom Lawlor to convince Yagami not to fall under the trance of the Kuma Dance. Syuri got booed for being a kill-joy, something I never thought possible. However, Koguma exacted revenge with the assistance of Kotatsu to put her fuzzy bear hat on Syuri and used it as a distraction to convince Yagami to complete the Bear Pose.
Order of Elimination
Note: OTTR = Over the Top Rope Elimination
① Rian (pinned by Kurogane in a Half-Hatch Suplex)
② Akira Kurogane (pinned by A. Inaba with Chocorin!)
③ Azusa Inaba (pinned by Koguma with 120% School Boy)
④ Koguma (pinned by Yagami with a Rollup Pin),
⑤ Ranna Yagami (pinned by Yuna Mizumori with a SuperGirl)
⑥ Kiyoka Kotatsu (OTTR by Olympia)
⑦ Momo Kohgo (OTTR by Sohrei & Lady)
⑧ Mei Seira & ⑨ Yuna Mizumori (Double Pin by Fukigen Death)
⑩ Fukigen Death (pinned by Priestley after a Falcon Arrow)
⑪ Waka Tsukiyama (OTTR by Olympia)
⑫ Ami Sohrei & ⑬ Olympia (Double OTTR by Lady C)
⑭ Lady C (pinned by Kashima with Kishi Kaisei)
⑮ Saki Kashima (pinned by Hina with a Gedo Clutch)
⑯ Bea Priestley (OTTR by Rina)
⑰ Yuria Hima (pinned by Yuzuki Aikawa with a Tiger Suplex)
⑱ Yuzuki Aikawa (OTTR by Rina, Hina & Miyu Amasaki)
⑲ Hina (pinned by Amasaki with Amanohashidate)
⑳ Miyu Amasaki (pinned by Rina after Pink❤︎Devil)
The most notable entrant was Yuzuki Aikawa for the first time in four years and ten months. Now a mother of two, YouTuber, and fitness influencer. Her last visit to STARDOM was at the 10th Anniversary show in March 2021. She will also participate in STARDOM’s 15th Anniversary show at Korakuen Hall on January 21, 2026, expressing a desire to tag with Yuria Hime, a former gravure idol like Aikawa.
8-Woman Tag Match: Maika, Megan Bayne, Xena & HANAKO vs. Suzu Suzuki, Bozilla, Rina Yamashita & Itsuki Aoki (16:27) – Double Count Out
2025 has been a year of injuries and surgeries for STARDOM, so seeing both Maika and Xena return to Empress Nexus Venus before the end of 2025 is just what the doctor ordered. I love it when factions can return to their full complement, even when there are guests mixed in. Mi Vida Loca has become an absolute reckoning in STARDOM, and I’m enjoying their heady mixture of hard-hitting technical work as well as their “why so serious” attitudes. I am looking forward to a complete reignition of Maika versus Suzuki in 2026 because there are grudges to be had and enjoyed.
Bozilla vs. Megasus – This is my new Clegane Bowl. Let them fight each other a lot more. They’ve both improved consistently in the last year, and I am curious to see their further growth in 2026. I was a little worried that Bozilla and Xena weren’t getting as much shine and spotlight as Bayne, especially when there was lots of chaos outside the ring (and out of camera shot). Ending on a double countout was refreshing as neither side needed to be protected, but the finish felt very organic with everyone brawling to the outside. When it came to the count-out victory or the satisfaction of the last parting shot, I’m glad Bayne went for the tope suicida in the end.
Fuwa-Chan’s Redebu Match: Hazuki defeated Fuwa-chan (11:33) – pinned after a Diving Senton
Fuwa-chan previously joined STARDOM in an exhibition tag match with Hazuki against Queen’s Quest (Saya Kamitani & Hina) and again in April 2023 at All-Star Grand Queendom, and at that time she tagged with Hazuki once more against QQ (Utami Hayashishita & Miyu Amasaki). Fuwa-chan is a widely popular Variety Show TV talent and YouTuber, who originally learned to wrestle with STARDOM as part of her TV programming. However, after a long absence, she returned to STARDOM with a renewed interest in wrestling and requested her trainer, Hazuki, to be her first singles opponent. Since her return to STARDOM, it’s been mentioned that Hazuki has become one of the lead trainers, and Fuwa-chan has become one of her many disciples.
The controversy referenced in the commentary happened in the summer of 2024. The other party has since forgiven Fuwa-chan’s transgression; however, the fallout of the situation resulted in a complete suspension of entertainment activities, loss of regular entertainment work, planned advertising deals getting pulled, issuance of a public apology, and laying low for over a year and a half. With a substantial social media following, including a YouTube channel with over one million subscribers, Fuwa-chan working with STARDOM could be an avenue back to the rather unforgiving Japanese entertainment industry.
Fuwa-chan has improved considerably since her previous matches in 2022 and 2023. While on hiatus from activities in Japan, she traveled abroad and took additional wrestling training in both the US and the UK. Her match with Hazuki was pretty solid for a “re-debut,” and she did far more advanced moves like an Octopus Stretch and Shining Wizard compared to her two previous matches. The audience was exceptionally supportive of her efforts, so pro-wrestling could be the way Fuwa-chan makes her full comeback. However, if she wants to distance herself from “her previous self”, she might want to either create a separate wrestling persona to differentiate herself from her previous character.
Special Singles Match: Sareee defeated Natsupoi (18:20) – pinned after a Wrist Clutch Uranage
There have been several match-ups outside of STARDOM that have truly brought out the best in Natsupoi – Sendai Girls’ Chichiro Hashimoto and Sareee. Natsupoi has had great chemistry in the past with Saori Anou, SLK, and AZM, but I haven’t seen this level of aggression from the High Speed Fairy– since she turned her back on Donna del Mondo in her cage match series with Tam Nakano. I have missed, truly missed, this version of Natsupoi.
“More than the Red Belt, the White Belt and the IWGP – beating you has more value to me than anything else.” – Natsupoi to Sareee
This match-up is one of the prime examples of “you hit your friends the hardest,” largely because they know each other and, more crucially, trust one another to push the boundaries safely. Sareee set out to share her Tokyo Sports 2025 Fighting Spirit Award and light a fire under Natsupoi throughout this match. While the undercurrent was Sareee wanting to help push Natsupoi toward a Red Belt run in 2026, I loved that Natsupoi is placing value on her rivalry over any of the company’s top women’s championships. I like it when a rivalry is so crucial and precious that it outweighs the need for incentives like a championship.
The pair were evenly matched throughout the entire contest, and I found myself wanting both to win and neither to lose – but I also wanted a clean, decisive winner. While I love Natsupoi in victory, she is one of the many I enjoy seeing in the chase because the payoff at the end always pays dividends. While Poi closed the books on 2025 with a loss, she’ll be tearing open a new chapter in 2026, and I am hoping she’s already negotiating a rematch on Sareee’s calendar.
“I want us to show everyone our dream of fighting for a championship on the biggest stage possible, ” – Sareee to Natsupoi (backstage comment)
Goddesses of STARDOM Championships: Natsuko Tora & Ruaka (c) defeated Aya Sakura & Sayaka Kurar. (19:58) – Ruaka pinned Sakura after a German Suplex.
This was a revisit to the 2025 Goddess Tag League Finals, where Sakura and Kurara defeated Tora and Ruaka. On paper, this match seemed exceptionally imbalanced with the veteran team of BMI 2K against the New Blood Tag Champs in SaKurara. What the younger tag lacks in experience, they make up for in passion and enthusiasm. I loved that Tora and Ruaka arrived in matching gear from head to toe, giving the rising Cosmic Angels a proper big match feeling. Both teams did rather well, especially with the David/Goliath uphill battle. The match was fun and, for a H.A.T.E. match, was fought rather cleanly (by heel standards), leaving all of the work to Ruaka and Tora only.
The win makes for Tora & Ruaka’s 3rd successful defense, but it felt like they also undid all the progress with Sayaka and Kurara, both as New Blood Tag Champions and winning the Goddesses Tag Tournament. Team BMI2000 are two-time Goddesses champions, so they really didn’t need to be protected like this. Of the matches H.A.T.E. was slated for, this one could have been a loss that wouldn’t have affected them overall.
Wonder of STARDOM Championship: Konami (c) vs. Saya Iida (20:34) – submitted Iida with The Final Lancer
Notoriously, the Wonder of STARDOM Championship is affectionately known as “the belt of suffering,” one requiring an extensive chase and typically multiple attempts to attain. Ask Saya Kamitani, Tam Nakano, Starlight Kid, Momo WWatanabeor even Kairi Hojo, they’ve all been there. Even Konami’s journey to the white belt took six attempts. So I was tickled when Saya Iida was finally provided an opportunity to challenge for this singles championship. She was a member of Stardom’s “Golden Generation” – alongside Saya Kamitani, Utami Hayashishita, Himeka, and Maika, but of the five was often overlooked for championship opportunities. With Himeka now retired and Utami in MARIGOLD, Saya Iida is finally making strides as a singles competitor, but it came at the cost of her tag partner, Hanan, getting injured. However, her journey has been similar to Himeka’s in getting far in singles tournaments, but only seeing real success as a tag wrestler. Unlike Kamitani, Hayashishit, and Maika, Iida has never won a singles tournament nor a singles championship, while each of the three has won the World of STARDOM Championship in the last five years.
Iida gave a standout performance, and while she tends to be more stoic in her presentation, I loved seeing her get fired up. Her power wrestling versus Konami’s technical prowess was really palatable. Much like the tag match, aside from some around-the-ring squabbling, Konami fought the match as cleanly as a heel could, with no interference from H.A.T.E. She really helped Iida shine, and the audience really got behind her, especially when Konami started locking in submission attempts. I just hope that this means that there will be a rematch in the future and not a single opportunity. I don’t want to see her slide back down the card or be relegated to the tag team division once Hanan is healthy again. The competition for the White Belt is very stiff, but there have been plenty who not only got the opportunity but won the belt before her.
This was Konami’s first successful defense. Rina parlayed her win in the “Forgetting 2025” STARDOM Rumble into securing her spot at the front of the queue, calling dibs on the next opportunity to challenge. After having Kamitani/Watanabe in November for the World of STARDOM Championship, I am hoping they wait a little longer before having Konami/Rina for the Wonder Championship because everything is coming up H.A.T.E. and leaving little else for everyone else in the company.
World of STARDOM Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Saori Anou (22:40) – pinned Anou with a Rotating Star Crusher
With the retirement of Tam Nakano, Saori Anou, alongside Natsupoi, stood very prominently at the center of Cosmic Angels. While freelancing and working with other companies, Anou has become a mainstay in STARDOM, which helped bridge the starpower thresholds as folks rotated in and out or departed altogether. From start to finish, this was a great match with a slow burn that suddenly ignited. Even with Tam no longer in STARDOM, her indelible marks on both Kamitani and Anou were present,t that it felt like she was still there.
There was a lot of technical and speed work in this match because while they were evenly matched in the power and skills departments, the goal of this match felt like they needed to see who could outlast and outsmart the other. While this match did get a little more creative with Kamitani dragging Anou by her neck in a chain much like Tam before her, the only person dangling at the end was Kamitani over a ring post as Anou exacted her revenge. While there was desperation in Kamitani’s use of the Star Crusher multiple times, I kept waiting for her desperation to go into overdrive, pushing her toward even just a tease of the Phoenix Splash (or some variation). I know the finisher is in the semi-retirement home, but I do miss it.
Kamitani closes one full calendar year as World of STARDOM Champion with eight successful defenses. Starlight Kid presented herself as the next challenger, citing that she hasn’t forgotten her Wonder of STARDOM Championship challenge from three years ago at Midsummer Champions. With Kamitani winning the 2025 Tokyo Sports MVP and having a second championship already tied up in Wrestle Kingdom booking, it made her retaining the World of STARDOM Championship feel almost like a foregone conclusion because they painted themselves into a corner with two championships on one person just before the Dome.
What’s Next: Wrestle Kingdom 20 (1/4/2026), Saya Kamitani will defend the NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship, and Syuri will defend the IWGP Women’s Championship. Curious to see if NJPW finally merges the titles, and who will feature as the IWGP Women’s Champion in the new year. Syuri’s first reign was cut short, but the Phenex Queen is on fire. All I ask is that they be given not simply adequate time, but time to properly showcase what STARDOM and Women’s Wrestling are about – especially if they end up lining up the next challenger at WK20.
Overall Thoughts
2025 was certainly a rebuilding year, with key departures like Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano, an evolving injured list including Hanan and Momo Watanabe with an unknown return time table, and included surgeries for Syuri and Maika. However, STARDOM’s final show of the year showcased as many talents as possible, including some guests like Yuzuki Aikawa and Sareee, the addition of Bozil, la and extended tours for Bea Priestley, Megan Bane, and a returning Xena.
The sweep of H.A.T.E. victories in all the championship matches sort of deflated some of the feel-good energy this year-end show tends to have. It left too much carryover for 2026, so the year doesn’t have the closure that previous years usually have. More than Anou or the tag championships – Saya Iida felt more than ready to finally have a singles championship run, and it would have felt like there was some hope for the new year… not more of the same. I would have liked at least one feel-good, shocking title change. There were opportunities to make big, refreshing moves, but Cosmic Angels racked up only losses in their championship opportunities between Anou & Sayaka/Kurara, winding up empty-handed, Natsupoi losing to Sareee, and Rian being the first one eliminated in the Rumble.
Although New Year’s STARS features a double header on Wrestle Kingdom Eve, their first big show of the new year is slotted around NJPW’s The New Beginning in February, which feels almost too long for a fresh start in 2026. With next year being the company’s 15th Anniversary, I am hoping they’re going to get really creative in the booking, including taking chances on those long-overdue like Hazuki, Iida, and Watanabe, and those poised to be the future of the company like HANAKO, Rina & Hina, and Yagami.
If you want a sample of what STARDOM has to offer, this show features just about everyone active on the roster, with some guests. Compared to previous years’ Dream Queendom, it’s one of the less eventful ones, but having Walker Stewart on English Commentary to guide new viewers through everything is an exceptional asset.
