It’s difficult to reshape someone’s impression of you.

When Natsupoi returned to Stardom in October 2020, welcomed in as the latest member of the fast rising Donna Del Mondo faction, it was hard not to see Poi as the petulant little sister surrounded by her badass family. Her diminutive size stood in stark contrast to teammates like Maika and Himeka, her boisterous fairy persona contrasted the more intense and cool aura that oozed from the other members.

As a character she was unique amongst Donna Del Mondo. Natsupoi stood out, and while she never felt out of place, it did feel like that ‘place’ was a step below the others. From the outside they seemed like a family and got along famously. The Donna Del Mondo family might have had their first departures early into 2022, but Natsupoi was firmly entrenched in the group. Along with Maika and Himeka they were the Artist of Stardom Champions, complete with a set team entrance and attire. Donna Del Mondo were Natsupoi’s family. But was she the little sister or the family pet?

This question seemed to be at the heart of her internal struggle when she chose to superkick Giulia during an elimination tag team match against the Cosmic Angels. The betrayal led Tam Nakano – a heated rival at the time of both Giulia and Natsupoi – to a big victory.

It was a decision that shocked Donna Del Mondo to its core, even Tam and the rest of the Angels were in shock. This wasn’t some devious plan crafted from the shadows between them – it was an emotional decision from Poi and Poi alone, done out of a desire to break free from an image that was holding her back.

“I am not DDM’s mascot, or your pet! I’m going even higher. In order to do that, I’m prepared to stand across the ring from DDM, from Giulia-chan. I’ll revolutionize Stardom from within Cosmic Angels. That is my resolution.”

Natsupoi after turning her back on Donna Del Mondo. Translation by Dana

It was a decision born from the desire to become more than she was. To break free of the limitations that were seemingly imposed on her in Donna Del Mondo. She was their High Speed expert and petite instigator, but among the group her place was clearly below the heavy hitters. To become a major player in Stardom Natsupoi would have to step out of that impression and become a more dynamic performer. That was always going to be difficult in Donna Del Mondo.

One just has to look at Syuri, the then-World of Stardom Champion, who felt it necessary to spread her wings away from Donna Del Mondo. The faction was simply too strong for its own good. Even without Syuri the group was still incredibly stacked: Giulia was one of the stars of the company (and would go on to beat Syuri for the Red Belt), and both Maika and Himeka were perpetually knocking on the door of main event status. Even Thekla, a recent recruit, threatened to usurp Natsupoi’s claim as the resident High Speed expert while also being close with the faction leader, Giulia.

It wasn’t like Natsupoi hadn’t had her chances either. She had challenged for the Wonder of Stardom Championship twice, including earlier in the year. 2022 had been kind to her, but still she laboured underneath the weight of her own image. The cute sidekick, the mascot for the dominant Donna Del Mondo.

She craved more, and whether she was truly the faction mascot or not is irrelevant because it’s what she felt she was. Natsupoi wanted to become a serious competitor, and she saw what she desired of herself in her longtime enemy Tam Nakano.

Her history with Tam stretches back to when they were both in Actwres Girlz in 2016. Back then Tam was still brand new to the world of pro wrestling, and looked up to Natsupoi (then known as Natsumi Maki) as an aspiration figure – the model of the cute, strong kind of wrestler she wanted to become.

Years later, and the tables had turned. Natsupoi now looked to Tam as someone she needed to become. Yet her true feelings were masked by bitterness. In an interview with Weekly Pro Wrestling, she mentioned being furious with Tam Nakano for suddenly leaving the promotion. The feelings each held for the other would come to the surface when Natsupoi first challenged for the Wonder of Stardom Championship in 2021, then held by Tam.

After Tam defeated her in Yokohama, the first thing she said to Natsupoi was a simple question. “Do you hate me?”

“I really hate you. Because of Tam, I got caught up in a bad personality.”

Natsupoi’s focus on Tam Nakano would border on an obsession. She had to finally surpass ‘Tam-chan’, it was her goal in wrestling. No matter what path it seemingly led her down.

The image of Tam Nakano is what Natsupoi desires to be. Someone who has crafted a cute idol image for herself but hasn’t let it restrict her. Tam grew into one of the company’s top names pushing the same kind of ‘kawaii’ persona that Poi found herself restrained by in Donna Del Mondo. Tam wasn’t reduced to being a mascot for a faction, she was leading one.

That same bad personality that had taken over Natsupoi in April 2021 started to arise inside of her once more in mid-2022. Natsupoi was enjoying being an Artist Champion as a part of MaiHimePoi, but still her envious eyes drifted to Tam.

They were thrust into the picture together with the Artist belts and history on the line. Tam and her Angels challenged MaiHimePoi for the Artist Belts, as their record breaking reign was now under threat. For thirty minutes the two teams fought hard, but as the clock ticked down the two legal women, Tam and Poi, couldn’t put the other down. The bell rang, a draw was announced, and the record was equaled.

In the aftermath Natsupoi started to wonder if Tam had lost her touch since losing the White Belt. She openly questioned her former friend if she was just getting too old. If the thirty minute war their two teams had just gone through wasn’t enough, these comments reignited a rivalry that could only be settled in one on one combat.

With Natsupoi so desperately focused on beating Tam, it wasn’t too surprising to see her team lose their next title defense against Oedo Tai – with Poi’s shoulders pinned to the mat by a surprise Revival pin by Saki Kashima.

She was distraught at her mistake, but it didn’t deter her true focus. Natsupoi had to beat Tam, she had to prove herself against the one person she had been chasing. Poi would get two chances at achieving that. Once inside a steel cage, a first ever for Stardom, and then a straight up singles match.

The steel cage didn’t just trap the two rivals inside the ring with one another, it trapped their emotions inside as well. For the next twenty five minutes the two battered each other to a pulp, using the cage to rake each other’s faces in an attempt to rip away the cuteness of their opponent.

Natsupoi, to her credit, threw everything she could at Tam, but she constantly seemed outmatched by her stronger and harder hitting foe. Her goal was to surpass Tam, but for much of the match all she could aim to do was survive.

As Tam Nakano climbed the cage one last time, Natsupoi dragged her broken body towards her, using what little she had in a last desperate bid, clutching onto Tam’s leg knowing that if she let go – she’d be letting go of her dreams. All that effort, only to be dragged up and choked out. Natsupoi’s legs dangling as her body loosely hung from the top of the cage, until Tam dropped her near lifeless body to the ground and left the cage.

It’s in the aftermath of this war that the veil of hatred would first fall, and their deeper feelings for one another would start to show. Instead of celebrating, Tam immediately rushed back in the ring to check on Natsupoi. She even, perhaps accidentally, would sow seeds of dissent, proclaiming that “only Tam could understand someone clumsy with a bad personality like you.”

Anyone would be forgiven for not getting back in the ring with a heated rival just two days after such a draining battle. However Natsupoi had still not reached her goal. Even if hatred was starting to morph into a different sort of feeling, she couldn’t rest until she finally defeated Tam Nakano. Friend, foe, whatever. Only the result would matter.

Those two days later Natsupoi would finally reach that goal, throwing everything she had at Tam inside Korakuen Hall. A wave of relief washed over her as the bell rang. She had finally done it! She had finally beaten Tam Nakano. Once more the words in the aftermath were less heated than they had been. In the place of hatred, respect had grown. She admitted how amazing she thought Tam was. That early ActWres friendship had started to grow once more.

Then Natsupoi said something very particular, something that didn’t stand out at the time but carries a lot more weight in hindsight.

With their two match series tied at 1-1 and a Donna Del Mondo vs Cosmic Angels elimination match booked less than two weeks away essentially serving as the tiebreaker, Natsupoi proclaimed it would be settled there.

“This time, I take control.”

And take control Natsupoi did – just not in the way anyone would have expected. She did what we wanted to do. She chose to no longer fight Tam, but stand alongside her.

It’s interesting that Tam would note Natsupoi’s ‘bad personality’ after the cage match, because it clearly had been causing problems for some time. After Poi had made her decision to betray Donna Del Mondo, each member took a moment to address their former friend. An emotional Himeka put forth her feelings to one of her closest friends as a fire burned in her eyes.

 I have more memories of you as my partner than anyone else, you were so sweet all the time, I loved that straightforward Natsupoi, and respected you. I never, ever thought of you as a pet, or a mascot, that’s never what you were to me, I thought of you as my precious, cherished teammate. Lately you’ve been acting selfish and saying such egotistical things, and now it’s really gone this far, huh. I misjudged you. You really have changed, then. Betrayed by my precious partner… I’ll never forgive you for this.

Himeka to Natsupoi. Translation by Dana

That bad personality had unveiled itself through her arrogance. Natsupoi’s selfishness and single minded focus on Tam not only cost them their trios titles together, but it had pulled Poi away from the entire faction. One friend dumped in the pursuit of another.

In all of Donna Del Mondo, it was Himeka who was closer to Natsupoi than anyone. Like Tam, Natsupoi had first met Himeka back in Actwres Girlz, even coming to see her as a best friend. When Natsupoi made her return to Stardom as a part of DDM, she did so sitting atop Himeka’s shoulders. The two won the trios gold together and teamed in the Tag League. On the surface they seemed inseparable.

Only, it was at the end of that Tag League where their relationship first started to fracture. Before the tournament even started, Natsupoi made Himeka sign a contract, promising to never throw her away. It was a moment played for laughs (with Natsupoi leaning into a pun where throw away was pronounced ‘poishite’), but it would become very important as the Tag League continued.

Their tournament ended due to communication issues and friendly fire, which led to the two snipping at each other and even getting physical. When both were booked in a triple threat match to determine the next Wonder of Stardom contender, they couldn’t work together, opening the door for Saya Kamitani to snatch the victory (one she would use to win the title). Natsupoi seemed to question Himeka’s passion, while Himeka pointed to Poi’s self centred nature. The bad attitude.

It felt like the inseparable friends were well and truly separating. It wasn’t until December’s Osaka Super Wars event that they seemed to be able to settle their differences. During the ladder match with STARS, Himeka chose not to secure the victory herself, but to help Natsupoi climb the ladder, giving her the crowning achievement. Together, the two embraced on top of the ladder, victorious and together once more.

Despite their differences, they made up. Himeka lived up to the ‘contract’ Natsupoi made her sign months back. Only to find herself standing opposite Natsupoi less than a year later, not because of her actions, but because of Poi’s.

Natsupoi might have broken the hearts of her friends and painted a target on her back by betraying Donna Del Mondo, but from the moment she joined Cosmic Angels she instantly felt like a bigger deal. No longer overshadowed by the powerhouses, Natsupoi found herself as one of the main names in her new faction.

In an interview with Fightful, a rather diplomatic Giulia mentioned that she was “concerned for her [Natsupoi], because it may be difficult to maintain a strong presence in a unit full of members with similar appeal”. It’s true that among the idol centric Cosmic Angels Natsupoi no longer stands out quite in the same way, but she’s quickly made her presence felt, and her star is all the bigger for it.

She certainly wasn’t getting to perform songs at Bushiroad’s 15^th Anniversary Show before she joined up with Tam Nakano. For as heated as their rivalry was, they intimately learned what makes each other tick and it translated to instant success as both a tag team and as a performing duo.

The betrayal still hangs heavy on the hearts of the Donna Del Mondo members. Whenever the faction wrestles against Natsupoi they look to put a little extra into each strike, brutalising the person they once considered a sister. The Cosmic Angels had always been their primary rival thanks in large part to the history between its two leaders. Now they don’t just see their fiercest rival in Tam Nakano, but the friend that betrayed them.

Despite this, Natsupoi’s star is now shining brighter than ever alongside the Cosmic Angels. 2022 was a difficult year for her in many ways, but it was also the most successful and arguably important year of her wrestling career. She won multiple championships, was featured in more prominent spots, and generally felt like a bigger deal. The Natsupoi that had followed her herd towards Tam and the Cosmic Angels could now go higher than she ever had before.

Was she selfish in leaving Donna Del Mondo like some in the group suggest? Maybe, but sometimes you have to be a little bit selfish to get what you desire most. She couldn’t reach her full potential in Donna Del Mondo, so even if it hurt her friends she had to stand opposite them.

Natsupoi got a Goddess of Stardom Tag reign out of it. She released a song and performed it at the Seibu Dome in front of more people than she ever has as a wrestler. She defied the image that had held her back in Donna Del Mondo, breaking free and becoming a second in command for the Cosmic Angels.

Did it cost her the family she had? Yeah. But now she’s no longer a pet, she’s a star.

The image of Giulia draped in the royal red robe with the crown upon her head was a sight that felt inevitable. From the moment she strode into a Stardom ring in October 2019 it felt as though she was anointed as their next big thing. Championships and even tournament victories had come her way since then, but when she was presented with the robe and crown awarded to the winner of the 5 Star Grand Prix, it felt like the true vision of Giulia was starting to come into view.

“In this year’s 5 Star, it’s this Giulia that’s definitely gonna be the main character.”

Giulia at the 5 Star GP Press conference – translated by Dana

Giulia is nothing if not confident in herself. She’s always backed herself, even when others wouldn’t. It’s part of what has crafted her into such a force of nature. However, for all of her confidence and swagger, the past year has been a humbling one for the leader of Donna Del Mondo.

The image of her in the robe and crown was one many, including Giulia, believed we would see a year ago. She was fresh off a strong White belt reign and had reinvented her image after having her head shaved as a result of losing her title to Tam Nakano.

She was the hot favourite heading into the 2021 tournament, and it started off well when she defeated Starlight Kid in her opening match.

However the 5 Star Grand Prix exacts a heavy toll from its participants. For Giulia, the gruelling nature of the tournament eventually caught up with her. After she lost to a brutal powerbomb from Himeka, she would have to withdraw from the rest of the competition with a neck injury that would keep her out for essentially the rest of 2021.

Her moment was ripped away from her in what she described as the worst memory of her pro wrestling career. Giulia had to watch from the sidelines as her fellow Goddess of Stardom Tag Team Champion Syuri stood in the middle of the ring, holding the trophy aloft. The night Giulia returned to the ring, Syuri converted that tournament win into a successful challenge of the World of Stardom Championship, a title she still holds to this day.

That could have been Giulia’s spot. One member of Donna Del Mondo took her out of the tournament and another seemingly claimed her glory.

2022 would continue to humble her. Giulia unsuccessfully challenged Syuri for that championship in March, and that night Syuri would not only leave Ryogoku Hall, but Donna Del Mondo. From that moment the faction would be without a championship for the first time in the groups history. Something Giulia couldn’t fix despite challenging for both the tag and trios titles during this time.

New stablemate MIRAI, someone Giulia had brought in, would leave with Syuri. It was a painful loss but it didn’t hurt as much as when Natsupoi made the decision to leave with a superkick, defecting to join Tam Nakano of all people – Giulia’s most hated rival.

If Giulia was going to be the main character of the 2022 5 Star Grand Prix, her fortunes would need to dramatically change. People expected greatness and success from her, but living up to expectations is no easy feat.

The pressure was on, and even if she tried to maintain an image of supreme confidence, the weight of the world was clearly hanging off of her shoulders on the tournament’s opening weekend. Hazuki went out and beat Giulia at her own game in a wild, hard hitting affair. Then MIRAI outsmarted her at the worst possible time, catching her with a flash pin and pushing the favourite to 0-2 after the opening weekend.

Giulia might not have said the pressure was getting to her, but it looked that way from afar. She accepted the Hazuki loss with a reluctant smile – at least she lost in the kind of fierce match she adores – and it was payback from three years ago as their wrestling careers first crossed paths like ships in the night. The loss to MIRAI, however, hurt more. The frustration was clear as day, even if she held back after her opponent’s show of respect.

She had waited a year for this moment and it was already slipping through her fingers.

Small fortunes did shine on Giulia though. After such a horrid start, Giulia had a fortnight between tournament matches to shake off that poor start and get her head back in the game. Her next two matches were against Hanan and Saya Iida, the two who would finish at the bottom of the block. It allowed Giulia to clean the slate.

After evening her record, her next two matches were Starlight Kid and Natsupoi; both wrestlers who would bring out the arrogant and aggressive side of her that leads to the best version of Giulia. She had personal business with both of them. Starlight Kid was the young upstart who Giulia seemed to relish toying with, up to and including trying to rip her mask off in every match they have. Then there was Natsupoi, who had betrayed her for Tam Nakano. A message had to be sent and that’s precisely what Giulia did.

Suddenly Giulia was 4-2, and the poor start was just a memory. From there through the rest of the tournament she would only lose to Momo Watanabe. She quickly rose back to the top of the standings, and once Hazuki’s incredible start began to crumble under the weight of successive losses, Giulia was ready to pounce.

To gain an idea of how dangerous Giulia became during this stretch, you just have to look at how she won her matches. In all eight of her victories, she won using a different move:

• Octopus Hold vs Hanan
• Stealth Viper vs Saya Iida
• Gannosuke Clutch vs Starlight Kid
• Glorious Driver vs Natsupoi
• Saito Suplex vs Mina Shirakawa
• Bianca vs Ami Sourei
• Guillotine Choke vs Saya Kamitani
• Northern Lights Bomb vs Tam Nakano (not shown in the above GIF)

That’s a statement, drawing upon all of her five years of experience and growth. Moves she had once relied on to finish matches and new moves she had developed to take the next step. A mixture of technical submissions that sap the life out of her opponents and concussive slams that can end matches in an instant. Plus a couple of surprises, just to keep everyone on their toes.

By the final night Giulia was tied first in her block, and once Hazuki fell to Momo Watanabe her future was in her own hands. Her past and her present would await her on that final night: Suzu Suzuki and then Tam Nakano.

Suzu Suzuki first arrived in Stardom at the start of the year with one goal in mind: revenge. She and Giulia had both gotten their starts in wrestling years ago as a part of Ice Ribbon, but the young prodigy felt betrayed when Giulia left for Stardom.

“Everything I felt before means nothing now. I just have one thing to say to her, to that scum who betrayed me. You are a traitor. And I’m not leaving until you’re on your hands and knees begging for my forgiveness.”

Suzu Suzuki – 22.01.29 STARDOM Nagoya Supreme Fight backstage comments – translated by Dana

Once the bell rang emotions were at an all time high. Both sides shed tears and they steeled themselves for the war to come. Years of raw pain and passion fuelled the next fifteen minutes as they tore each other apart through any means necessary. As the bell rang, neither had succeeded in defeating the other, just expressing themselves.

A win would have seen Suzu advance, however the draw meant Giulia remained one point ahead. A fitting result as both knew the rivalry would never be settled in a single tournament match. For three years Suzu had wanted to show her former friend her true feelings, and even without the win she had managed to do so.

With a final total of seven wins, three losses and two draws, Giulia was through to the final. She had barely over an hour to rebound from one emotionally charged fight to be ready for another. Suzu had waited years for the moment, but Tam Nakano and Giulia had spent those same years actively demonstrating their hatred for one another.

It felt like destiny. The biggest rivals in Stardom. The match that headlined their biggest ever show. Both striving for glory and a pathway to the World of Stardom Championship. Both would give everything of themselves to win this match, but not just because of the grand stage – put these two in a back alley with nobody watching and the resulting carnage would be the same.

In the end, Giulia endured. A year of pent up frustration watching from the outside. A year of wondering “What if?”. A year of waiting that could have nearly fallen apart at the first hurdle when she lost her first two tournament matches.

Giulia took that year and turned it into the drive she needed to survive two gruelling months of travel and competition. She took the best that Stardom could throw at her and emerged from that fire stronger than ever

“And, since I won, my goal is, like I’ve said before, only one thing, the red belt, only the red belt. I’m looking ahead to the Ryogoku Kokugikan show on December 29th, and I’m going to fine tune myself into perfect condition, and I’ll show you another new world, one in Giulia’s colours. Ladies and gentlemen I will definitely show you the best view so please look forward to it. Really, thank you very much. Let’s meet again. Arrivederci. Later.”

Giulia backstage after her 5 Star GP victory – translated by Dana

December 29^th 2021 Syuri converted her 5 Star Grand Prix victory into World of Stardom Championship glory, and promised to paint the world ‘Syu-Red’ in her image. A year ago Giulia watched from the sidelines and could only wonder if that should have been her.

It’s no coincidence Giulia chose to echo the same expressions of her former tag team partner. A New World, not in Syu-Red, but her own colours. The victory she believed was hers a year ago can be finally be hers 365 days later. ‘The main character’ can become the main champion.

Today, we are going to focus on two souls who once walked the road they believed was destined for them, but inevitably opted to chart their fate for themselves. Today, we are talking about two of Stardom’s biggest stars who faced off in a wicked hair vs hair match at the All-Star Dream Cinderella event in Budokan Hall on March 3, 2021: Giulia vs Tam Nakano.

What I Know So Far:
Tam Nakano joined the world of professional wrestling in 2016, following a stint as a singer in an idol group, soon finding herself in brutal deathmatches. The cute wrestler was quite the scrapper, in Atsushi Onita’s FMW she emerged from rivers of blood and the smoke of explosions every bit the woman she walked in.

Tam joined Stardom in the autumn of 2017 and was heavily scouted by Oedo Tai. This didn’t last too long, as she was kicked out following a loss. This didn’t blacken the star that was shining for the former deathmatch wrestler; Mayu Iwatani herself would come a’calling to recruit Nakano to her ranks in the Stardom Army, later known as STARS. And wouldn’t you know it, not even that was meant to be, for Tam would turn her allegiances to herself, Mina Shirakawa, and later Unagi Sayaka to officially form Cosmic Angels. In the three years she had spent so far in Stardom, she had not won a single title.

Enter Giulia.

Half-Italian, half-Japanese, Giulia was fresh on the scene as a wrestler. A former manager at an Italian restaurant, the English-born became a joshi wrestler for the promotion of Ice Ribbon from 2017 to 2019 before she made the very controversial decision to jump to Stardom. Why she did that is unknown to the public, but it did not stop her from becoming the star she was meant to be.

And what a star she became, quickly forming her own faction of Donna Del Mondo which filled their ranks with women who were outcasts and loners, banded together by the simple notion of taking what they believe should be theirs. No moral alignment, no good and evil, just living for self and for each other. Donna Del Mondo is family. 

Giulia and her cohorts would draw success like a bee draws out pollen, and like golden honey, a treasure would find its way around the hips of each member. Too many good things happening too fast and too soon for Giluia, in the eyes of many at the time. 

Setting the stage for the bout between two totally different personalities on different teams, Tam Nakano and Giulia had vitriol and hatred for each other, evidenced in almost every match of theirs in the build up to the March 3rd clash.

For months upon months, Nakano and Giulia would fight over the latter’s Wonder of Stardom Championship. The leader of Donna Del Mondo would walk away victorious every time, leaving the head of the Cosmic Angels in the dust.

This had to come to a final head – something had to give. A stipulation had to be made that strip the loser of something important to them, something that signifies identity and personality, and to some, beauty. While many of us would normally go to a barber and pay for a haircut, these two women would scrap for the right to not have their hair chopped off, not just to keep the belt, but to to make a statement.

The Match
Tension is palpable in the air, even right now, more than a year after this match. Both women swirl into each other like a whirlpool before they lock up, albeit shakily and frantically, before Nakano gets the first headlock on Giulia. Not too long after, both women strike each other with elbows to the face, such hatred and purpose in these strikes.

Suplexes and maneuvers follow, neither connecting, until Giulia finally lands one, giving just enough time to breathe and recollect. So much is on the line; she can’t loosen her grasp on greatness.

A table is then brought out by the DDM leader, and as she sets up a piledriver to send the Cosmic Angel down to hell, it shakes and buckles. If tables were sentient, I’m sure that table would’ve been crying and begging for its life. This table break incapacitates both women.

A slam by Giulia is reversed into a DDT by Nakano and Giulia finds herself ensnared by the vicious grasp of technical wrestling prowess exerted by Nakano, but it only provides a two-count.

Irate, Nakano pulls her opponent’s arm and boots her in the face several times, dead-set on leaving a stamp imprint symbolic of all the resentment she has toward Giulia, until she eventually regains her composure. Serving her ill, the wasted time is to the advantage of Giulia as she locks Nakano in for a slam in quite the reversal. Another slam, another two-count.

Now for my favorite part of the match. You know that part of the song where in the middle there’s this quietness and stillness, the music slowly building up? That’s what transpires here. Tam Nakano and Giulia slowly rise to their feet, slapping each other’s faces, there are already scars and bruises and welts – but no, a conversation beyond mere words must happen. This is communication by violence.

Normally, when you think of people in a slap-fight, you think of silliness or “cat fights” or whatever, but not here. These slaps are loud and powerful, so much so that Tam Nakano’s adorable face grows puffy with red cheeks and watery eyes. Whether she’s facing tears of pain, anger, or hatred, is known only to her.

Giulia also feels every bit of it but remains calm, striking with her own numb vitriol. She even locks her own hands behind her back, inviting these brutal swings to the face, greeting excruciating agony as though it were a dear friend. Awaiting her time to repay in full.

Giulia stumbles to her feet, calculating and cold. There is emotion and weight in these hits, almost like an MMA fight, and man did she swing for the fences. In between some of these strikes there is a brief glimpse of an unwavering Nakano, psychotic and grim, possibly even enjoying this.

Both women collide with a final slap that sends each other collapsing to their knees. Both rise up again, but Nakano is in the lead at this point. Spin-kick after spin-kick followed by a nasty Screwdriver folds Giulia like a bad hand at poker. Disappointment injects itself into Nakano like a syringe, as yet another two-count is made.

Frenzied, Nakano grabs the corpse of Giulia to her feet before driving her head-first onto the mat with a Bridging Hammerlock Tiger Suplex, or as she refers to it, Twilight Dream. 

One, two, three.

She’s still holding it – the bell has rung and the song has ended, but this moment hangs and hangs until the women are separated and lying broken on the mat. In a shot that looks so damn cinematic as Nakano’s music plays, both women lay across from one another as they’re tended to by team members and referees. 

Unable to speak Japanese, it’s still clear to see that Nakano has newfound respect for Giulia, even after the bad blood, and is refusing to cut the hair of her felled opponent. Ever the soldier, Giulia suggests someone else cut her hair and she sits there and lets it happen, ensuring the match stipulation is played out. Half of Giulia’s hair is shaved after a while and a pause hangs in the air before Tam Nakano thanks Giulia for the match and for honoring her word. The rest of Giulia’s hair is shaved backstage.

For a long story told short, Giulia changed up her hairstyle as it grew back and would change her look accordingly, meanwhile adding new names to her ranks including Thekla and Mai Sakurai, the latter of whom was a former member of the Cosmic Angels, once again reigniting the hatred betwixt the factions. 

My Thoughts
It had been made apparent to me for a long time that joshi wrestling can be some of the most magical, destructive type of wrestling you can find in the medium. They show that women’s wrestling is on equal grounds with men’s wrestling, and matches like this prove how far women will go to etch their name in stone. 

I’m accustomed to seeing hair vs hair matches portrayed as an attack on perceived vanity, whether it’s Edge vs Kurt Angle or Molly Holly vs Victoria, but this match solidified the fighting spirit and hatred that carried the match from bell to bell. 

This is the type of wrestling I would love to see in the big promotions out west, in the United States. I want to see women tear each other apart just like the men do to each other. I’ve seen this type of energy in the NXT of old, in those glimpses in AEW that hint at how these women are itching to make unforgettable art that lives on beyond their lifespan. Please, take and learn from what others are doing and make that which works, work harder. 

Because right now, you could bet your hair that this version of women’s wrestling is the measuring stick at which the rest are judged.

151 matches.

That was the amount of matches that makes up the career of Arisa Hoshiki. A career split up into two stints; the first as a fresh faced sixteen year old when Stardom first opened in 2011, and then from late 2018 for a year and a half. The second run, which consisted of 103 matches, is what most fans know of her. Despite only wrestling for such a short period of time, Arisa managed to establish herself as one of the most popular performers in a promotion that was rapidly rising, and has fans to this day wondering what could have been.

When Bushiroad bought Stardom in late 2019 Arisa was one of the key figureheads of this new period, positioned front and centre in all of the promotional material. She was in the middle of a dominant reign as the Wonder of Stardom Champion that would last 370 days and just won the Stardom awards for Most Outstanding Performer and Best Match (against Tam Nakano) at the year end celebration.

Unfortunately, the star that shines brightest burns twice as fast. Arisa’s time in wrestling was as impactful as it was short. On 20^th May 2020, after being absent from the two shows Stardom ran during the initial COVID pandemic lockdowns, Hoshiki announced her retirement from pro-wrestling, vacating the belt.

Her passion for pro wrestling kept her going, but a combination of head and neck injuries as well as deteriorating mental health led to the unavoidable reality. It had been something she had battled with for some time, hiding those struggles behind her beaming smile.

Arisa didn’t get to enjoy a proper send-off. Stardom wouldn’t start running shows again for another month so she couldn’t come to the ring and say goodbye to the fans, and then just days later her retirement was (understandably) overshadowed by the tragic passing of Hana Kimura.

In the grander history of Stardom, Arisa is ultimately just a footnote – a sparkle as the promotion began and then a bright flourish right as the company readied itself for a historic boom period. However, to say she’s just a footnote would be to undersell just how big an impact she made during that time. Arisa’s popularity and legacy over such a short run highlights just what a phenom she was – proof of not only how good she was but how good she could have been if given the time to grow into her full potential.

Again, it’s important to note that her entire Stardom career only lasted 151 matches and was broken up by a six year gap. Arisa Hoshiki was only active for roughly three years, which is the amount of time a wrestler is considered eligible for the Future of Stardom Championship, a title for youngsters and ‘rookies’. Yet she held the prestigious White Belt and was constantly main eventing shows for the majority of her second stint with the company.

She shouldn’t have been as good as she was, it defies common logic. Yet Arisa already seemed like a veteran with years of experience in how she carried herself inside the ring. Just five months into her return she won the Cinderella Tournament and set the trend of using the ‘wish’ from that tournament to challenge for the White Belt. After winning the title from Momo Watanabe she had her award winning match with Tam Nakano for her first defence.

It was a violent affair, highlighting the best of both the champion and the challenger’s style; Tam’s emotionally charged offence and Arisa’s precise and vicious striking. It also worked towards the grander story between the two, one of the more memorable in Stardom’s history.

Arisa’s return to Stardom was a welcome sight for Mayu Iwatani, who quickly welcomed her to the STARS faction, ignoring the protests of Tam Nakano who had already found herself pushed down the pecking order once before by a returning figure of Mayu’s past. She tolerated Saki Kashima when she came back, but Arisa was a step too far.

Over the course of Arisa’s entire second run, Tam was there. Stardom’s storytelling is at its best when the talent are allowed to do their own thing, and it was apparent throughout their story. The little moments where Tam would buff Arisa’s advances in pre match promos or trying to interrupt her during group poses all added together to grow their story, showing the gradual change in Tam’s antagonism from genuine hatred and jealously to begrudging respect and friendship. Even the coldest heart couldn’t help but warm around the presence of Hoshiki, who seemed immune to Tam’s antics and abuse.

There was an infectiously happy charisma surrounding Arisa that endeared her to the audience. Her bright and bubbly personality radiated as she strode to the ring or joined in with her teammates in promos. She was almost saccharine sweet in nature. The joy she got from wrestling was apparent, and it’s understandable that it kept her going as long as it did despite the growing ailments.

Once the bell rang, that passion turned into a highlight reel of spectacularly brutal striking. A flurry of flying knees, head kicks and acrobatic moves, all punctuated by the most visually awe inspiring striking finisher in wrestling: the Question Mark Kick (or Brazilian Kick, which she could hit with either foot). Arisa was genuinely one of the best strikers in wrestling. Everything looked like it hit, and everything looked like it hurt. It all seemed to fuel her joy.

Alongside her was a roster that was willing to give as good as it could receive, Arisa felt perfectly placed in Stardom circa 2019. She was able to trade strikes with heavy hitters like Konami, Hazuki, Jungle Kyona and Momo Watanabe, who not only matched Hoshiki’s ferocity but also her hunger. Through every bone rattling kick, that grin remained. She was a smiling assassin and a violent artist who was exciting in and out of the ring. It’s no wonder fans flocked to her and why Bushiroad had her front and centre in their marketing. She joined Mayu Iwatani, Hana Kimura and Giulia in the Tokyo Dome for the first Stardom appearance at Wrestle Kingdom. A symbol of Stardom’s bright future as they appeared on the grandest stage

What an alternative universe looks like with a healthier Hoshiki in 2020 and beyond can only be imagined. With the influx of new talent there would have been new matchups and opportunities. For example: Syuri joined right before she left and is someone who could have matched her in striking like perhaps no other. Her Wonder of Stardom reign had already left its mark as one of the best with an impressive ten defenses, anything more would have been icing on the cake before she likely passed it on to Tam and completed their story.

Of course there was also the money match we never got. Arisa Hoshiki and Mayu Iwatani faced off in their debut matches on Stardom’s first ever show and then fought one more time later in that year – and that was it. What the two of them could have accomplished nearly a decade later at their peaks could have been the stuff of legend. But, 2020 took a lot of things from us all.

Arisa’s career was cut short; 151 matches was only a taste of what could have been from such an entertaining and captivating performer. Yet at the same time we’ve been blessed with 151 exciting matches from a skilled artisan. Even when she transitioned to the more theatrical stage show style of ARG – which toned down the physical burden of wrestling considerably – you couldn’t hide the ferocity of her style and the innate aura of her personality. She was a born performer. Even when she wasn’t in the ring her creativity shone as a part of Unlimited Dream Navigator, singing under the name Udon Sato. When she walked out to the ring, she did so to music she created.

What Hoshiki accomplished in such a short time is nothing short of incredible. She came in like a hurricane and left a trail of destruction and wonder. Plenty of wrestlers have made an instant mark, but none carried themselves with quite the same vibrancy as Arisa Hoshiki. There are a bevvy of supremely talented strikers in wrestling, but none could match Hoshiki in skill and creativity.

There is only one Shining Star, and that was Arisa Hoshiki. And even one was seemingly too much for the wrestling world, forced to retire right as she was beginning to realise her potential. Her star might have burned out quickly, but while it shone, it illuminated the world.

For years Tam Nakano had toiled away in Stardom in search of a family, being forced out of her first home in Oedo Tai and then feeling cast aside by her friend and mentor Mayu Iwatani in STARS. As 2020 turned to 2021 Tam was no longer a follower, she was a leader. The Cosmic Angels set out from STARS under her leadership. Alongside Tam was Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka, two colourful characters who had recently joined Stardom.

As big as their personalities were, both were fairly inexperienced, having previously worked in TJPW’s undercard. To top it off it was just the three of them, and with such a small group the Cosmic Angels felt underpowered, especially compared to the heavy hitter groups like Queen’s Quest and Donna Del Mondo.

The latter of course was led by Tam’s new arch rival, Giulia. Throughout 2020 Giulia had been one step ahead of her with the Wonder of Stardom Title firmly around her waist. Tam needed that belt to fulfil a promise to her frenemy Arisa Hoshiki, who had held that title until she was forced to relinquish both the belt and her career.

Tam Nakano had two goals in 2021: to craft the Cosmic Angels into the family she yearned, building them into one of the top factions within Stardom in the process, and to finally overcome Giulia and win that championship.

To get that shot at Giulia, Tam would have to, in the words of the champion, ‘walk through hell’. Giulia had given her a chance to win the title before. To earn the rematch, Tam would have to put something precious on the line. Inside the Nippon Budokan for Stardom’s biggest show, she would have to shave her hair if she fell short again.

This was asking a lot. Tam leaned heavily into her Idol-esque appeal. Her image was of utmost important. To risk being shaved bald was taking a huge chance. In an interview with Mugiko Ozaki she spoke of this:

“I think a girl’s beauty is determined by things like how beautiful her hair is or how beautiful her skin is. Even if I think, “Oh, my face is a little puffy today,” if my hair is shiny and silky, I still feel 50% cuter.” 

Translated by Dana @ItsDanaNow

Her hair was crucial to not only her character but also her mental health. Still, it was worth it to get one more shot at that White Belt. Leaving her promise to Arisa unfulfilled was worse, as was letting Giulia of all people take that away from her.

As much as they might not want to admit it, their similarities seem to shine brightest next to each other. Both Giulia and Tam are strong, fiery personalities, and as wrestlers they thrive on their emotions and willpower – it is the foundation of which their wrestling is built upon. They see a bit of themselves in each other, but there’s only room for one at the top.

For Tam, Giulia was always one step ahead. It was hard to feel like equals when she was constantly chasing the champion. The comparisons only fueled her inferiority complex. Giulia won awards, she led a new group to superstardom, and she took the title Tam felt destined to have. If she was ever going to succeed, Tam had to finally defeat this demon of an opponent who had slid into Stardom and taken everything she ever wanted.

On March 3^rd, 2021, she fulfilled that promise to Arisa and herself. In an absolute war in front of over 3000 people, Tam pinned Giulia with the Twilight Dream, and finally held the White Belt aloft. Giulia lost not only the title but her hair as well, and after everything they had gone through – despite all the hatred they had for each other – Tam hesitated to claim that final prize. With all their similarities, she knew the cost Giulia was about to pay. It was only at her rival’s insistence that she began to claim that prize.

Tam Nakano joined a list of some of the most accomplished wrestlers in Stardom’s history. Not just anybody was worthy to hold the Wonder of Stardom Championship. It was a symbol of how hard she worked to get there. Tam wasn’t an athletic freak, nor had she been training since she was a kid. She entered the business a bit older than most, and had to work particularly hard to become a top tier wrestler.

Her obsession around the White Belt began to reveal itself. With the title now in her hands, she started to believe the title was cursed, feeding on the emotion of those who desired it. With Tam as its champion, Wonder of Stardom title matches became emotionally charged affairs. The belt of emotion and passion being defended by the wrestler who feeds off of that emotion more than anyone else.

Many sought to either break the curse on Tam or gave in to similar desires. They tried, but they were fighting Tam at her own game. It was a fool’s errand.

To free her of the curse, it’d need to be someone who didn’t just know Tam, but understood her. Saya Kamitani had tried to dethrone her early into the reign after winning the Cinderella Tournament, but she wasn’t ready. Saya tried to use her own emotion and like the others were put down.

In December though, she didn’t make the same mistake twice. Kamitani herself is a passionate wrestler, but instead of going head on with emotion, she forced the fight to be on her terms, moving it from a slow slugfest to a faster, high risk affair.

As Tam recovered from the Phoenix Splash that ultimately ended her reign, one might have expected her to be distraught. There was definitely sadness, but it was hard to miss how proud she was too.

Of all the people to finally beat her and free her of the White Belt’s curse, it was someone she had guided since before Saya even started wrestling. The Stardom Idols was a short lived side project that Saya Kamitani had been involved with as an Idol. It didn’t last long, but Saya stuck around, interested in becoming a pro wrestler. At the centre of that decision was Tam, who encouraged her to try it, sensing she was better cast as a pro wrestler than an idol.

The first Stardom Idols event was December 2018. Three years later, Tam saw someone she mentored reach the top. She knew her White Belt was in good hands – they were cut from the same cloth after all. She knew how much this moment would mean to Saya, for Tam herself constantly wrestled with the idea of finally surpassing her mentor. Tam was still chasing Mayu Iwatani, but she was close. In 2021 they had fought twice, both to a draw. She hadn’t defeated Mayu, but she hadn’t lost either.

Her reign as champion might have ended, but her star had risen so much in that time. She was now indisputably one of the biggest names on the Stardom roster, and looked at as equal alongside the Mayus and Giulias. For someone who for the longest time was just trying to find a place to call home, by the end of her championship reign she seemed genuinely fulfilled. She still desired the White Belt, trying to win it back from Saya during the World Climax shows at the end of March 2022, but even without the belt she was still a key part of Stardom.

A big part of that had been finding that family she had sought for so long. Leaving Mayu and STARS was hard, but it allowed her to build something special with the Cosmic Angels. A group after her own image, given oppourtunities that may not have been easily found otherwise. The concept of the Angels followed Tam herself, a group of Idol-esque wrestlers who had real life experience as wild and out there as their leader.

For the Cosmic Angels to succeed, they’d need to lean on Tam in their early months. Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka were not seasoned warriors, nor were they prodigies. They might have won the Artist of Stardom Championship from Oedo Tai early into their tenure, but the newcomers were punching well above their weight on the card. When separated from Tam it often led to harsh lessons – particularly for Unagi after she entered a series of seven singles matches against the top talent in the promotion.

Tam’s strength and leadership shined as they grew. The Cosmic Angels enjoyed success throughout the year, and maybe more poignantly, Unagi and Mina both thrived under her guidance. Unagi Sayaka might have endured an unusual amount of punishment in her trial series, but she came out the other side strong and focused, winning the Rumble at the All Star Dream Cinderella and making a semi-final appearance in the Cinderella Tournament. Mina meanwhile also showed noticable growth in the ring as well, though she didn’t truly shine until a little later during the 5 Star GP.

Unfortunately that success would start to get to both of their heads. Tam Nakano had helped unlock their potential, but now they wanted to test themselves against their leader. No longer would they neatly fall in line. Now Tam would experience some of what she put Mayu Iwatani through in STARS.

First it was Unagi, who managed a shock upset over her leader in the 5 Star GP. What made this victory of particular note however was not just that Unagi had scored a win over a top champion in Tam, but prior to the match she offhandedly made a remark about the match being for ‘the leadership of the Cosmic Angels’. It was never made official, but she returned to that remark on social media after the victory to remind everyone that maybe she should now be the head of their little family.

It’s not the only time Unagi would take it upon herself to act as the leader of the Angels. She would spend much of the latter half of 2021 and into 2022 determining who was worthy of joining the faction. The final answer to all of these potential recruits was a firm no, whether they would later join regardless (Mai Sakurai and Waka Tsukiyama) or be pushed away by her arrogance like Momo Kohgo and a returning KAIRI. The latter of course being one of the biggest names in Stardom’s history, but that’s Unagi for you.

Unagi’s blind arrogance in rejecting KAIRI earned her a slap across the skull from the true leader of Cosmic Angels (and a beat down against the Pirate Princess in Ryogoku) but it showed that even a strong leader like Tam doesn’t always have full control over her team. Unagi was constantly stepping out of line, and several times it cost the Cosmic Angels.

Tam would eventually remind Unagi who was number one when she defended her Wonder of Stardom Title against the eel after the 5 Star GP. The leadership challenge was ultimately shelved even before the match, but the flourish of hunger from an underling was Tam Nakano’s first real test as a leader.

Soon after it was Mina Shirakawa’s turn to challenge the leader. Seeing her tag partner try for the White Belt awakened something inside of her, and soon Mina was overcome by the cursed allure of the title. She became consumed by winning it, and gave into her darker side in an attempt to find the strength to overcome the Cosmic Angels leader.

She too would learn just how strong Tam is, and that nobody feeds off emotion in a match quite like her. Tam had been moulded by that mindset, and knew how to harness it. In contrast Mina was wild and out of control, and it was clear she was out of her depth trying to match Nakano in emotional warfare.

Amidst all this chaos Tam had looked to strengthen the Cosmic Angels. Their Artists reign had shown their power, breaking both the days held and defense records for a championship that was notoriously hard to keep for any length of time. However as strong as the trio had become, the Angels were vulnerable as a small unit. Mina had missed time to start the year with a broken nose, and it highlighted how easy it was for the team to become outgunned by larger groups.

Tam welcomed Mai Sakurai and Waka Tsukiyama to the team, and they were in the same mould as Mina and Unagi when they had joined a year ago. Neither might have been powerful right out of the gate, but under Tam’s guidance maybe they could become strong. That was the vision.

These decisions and her leadership would come under question by the one person who could hurt her most. Giulia had mostly kept away from Tam after their March war, but she saw a chance to instigate once more. She scoffed at the additions, both of who struggled to make an impact early on. In an attempt to one up Tam, Giulia brought in two new recruits of her own, MIRAI and Thekla, who both immediately established themselves as far stronger than either of Mai or Waka.

That hurt, but Giulia’s next move was even crueler. The Donna Del Mondo leader set her eyes on Sakurai, and begin to tempt her with greener pastures. Mai herself had been enamoured with Giulia since facing her in a singles match in September 2021, though she didn’t dare reveal it at the time.

After a prolonged courtship, Mai eventually chose to defect to Giulia and Donna Del Mondo. It was a knife buried deep into Tam’s back. She had witnessed betrayals when she stood alongside Mayu Iwatani, and she herself had walked a similar line before eventually leaving Mayu. However Tam has never experienced it firsthand. To make matters worse, it had to be Giulia at the forefront of the betrayal.

The departure crushed not only Tam but the entire group. They had a strong sense of camaraderie. They were the family Tam had wanted so badly, but now that family cried as one left the nest, walking away with their rivals.

Mai’s reasoning was simple. She had recently left her agency to dedicate herself to wrestling full time. For all of the Cosmic Angels success, they were built around the Idol concept and spent time on things like dance routines. If Mai was going to focus on wrestling, she needed a group with a similar vision.

The hypocrisy present was that within the various Donna Del Mondo pairings, many had dance routines of their own! It was a fact not lost on Tam Nakano, who stated as much after Mai’s explanation. It felt like an excuse more than a truly valid reason, but it didn’t matter. She had made her decision. She didn’t want anything to do with the family Tam was building.

To make matter worse, it all came during the first real drought for the group. Cosmic Angels had been without a title for a couple of months since Tam lost the White Belt in December, and they were struggling to string together wins, both individually and as a group. Waka Tsukiyama was trying but still winless, unable to make the in ring strides that Tam had perhaps envisioned. Tam Nakano had led them to success, but now she would have to lift them out of drought. A member down, she began to recruit, lining up a new member to join them in mid May – a necessary move to keep pace with the ever growing faction wars within Stardom.

The lessons of the past year ultimately brought Tam right back to The Icon: Mayu Iwatani. Fate nearly brought them together in January for the Wrestle Kingdom tag match, but the random draw placed Mayu with another old friend in Starlight Kid, and Tam with the person who freed her from the curse of the White Belt: Saya Kamitani.

As big as it would have been to team with Mayu in the Tokyo Dome, Tam wasn’t quite ready to stand alongside her mentor. She had experienced the hardships of leading a group, but the final key was Mai’s betrayal. Once she knew that heartbreak, she was able to appreciate the struggles Mayu went through as a leader.

Tam had grown since leaving STARS. She had experienced the highs of being a top champion and seeing a group she created grow into one of the most popular in all of Japan, but she also now knew what it was like to try and keep that faction going as dissent and betrayal came knocking. Now in February 2022, four years since Tam first joined Mayu after being forced to leave Oedo Tai, they were able to stand in the ring together as equals. Two top stars and faction leaders with shared experience. Tam’s heart still yearned to finally surpass The Icon, but she finally understood everything Iwatani had gone through.

Was Mayu the perfect leader? No. She had made her fair share of mistakes that contributed to Tam (and others) ultimately breaking away. However, now Tam too had made those mistakes and could empathise with her. Like a child who grows up and becomes a parent, that new responsibility helps them gain a new appreciation for the efforts of their parents. Only by going through her own turmoil could she understand the other side.

In the ring, it was as if Tam and Mayu had never stopped teaming, such was their chemistry. They seemed genuinely happy to be together again, if only for a night. One day she would still need to defeat Mayu Iwatani and surpass her, but she could leave Nagaoka happy. The burden of their shattered past no longer felt so heavy on her shoulders.

Throughout 2021 and into the early months of 2022 Tam Nakano achieved those key goals she had set for herself. She had forged a family with the Cosmic Angels, one that ultimately endured heartbreak and remained strong together. And she kept her promise to Arisa Hoshiki, winning the Wonder of Stardom Championship and standing tall over someone who she had been chasing all year.

In many ways, she had done all she needed to. But for Tam that’s not the end of her story:

“Ever since I joined Stardom fans have been telling me, “Tam-chan, I want you to win the white belt for sure,” and I was finally able to make those dreams come true. Once you make one dream come true though, you can make another dream come true. We can make dreams come true together forever. So in a way, I hope I stay unfinished forever,”

Interview with Muigko Ozaki, translated by Dana

She won her title and she found her family. Yet Tam Nakano will always be looking for that next goal to fuel and inspire her. She is yet to defeat Mayu, and there will always be something to chase. Tam knows the moment she stops dreaming is the moment she stops completely.

Onto the next dream.

With one year and four month’s worth of pro wrestling experience, Saya Kamitani walked into the Tokyo Dome alongside her Queen’s Quest sisters to represent Stardom at Wrestle Kingdom 15, winning the match with a spectacular Phoenix Splash. It wasn’t her first time performing inside the Dome, but it was her first time as a wrestler. It marked the beginning of a banner year for the young performer, her 2021 punctuated by a series of spotlight moments. Stardom put faith in their Golden Phoenix, and each time Saya Kamitani rose to the occasion, culminating in an emotional battle against her mentor Tam Nakano inside the hallowed Ryogoku Hall.

“Kamitani, we were both Idols, so you understand when I say this, right? Only one person can be the centre.” This was the warning Tam passed down to her challenger ahead of that December 29th Wonder of Stardom Championship match. The comments weren’t just a callback to Saya’s pre-wrestling life, but spoke to a desire that had eaten her up inside for years as she struggled to see her hard work pay off.

Like her biggest rival Tam Nakano, Saya Kamitani’s journey to being a key part of the biggest women’s promotion in the world has been a fascinating one. She started off in dance and gymnastics, going so far as to place second in a World Championship in Las Vegas. Transitioning into idol work, Saya spent time working with Baito AKB – an offshoot of the legendary AKB48 troupe. It was short-lived, however, only spending five months with the group before ‘graduating’.

In an interview with ShuPro (Weekly Wrestling) she spoke of how it was made clear to her that there was only so far she could go as an idol. Despite being a natural dancer, her taller and more muscular frame often pushed her to the 3^rd or 4^th row while the “thinner, cuter girls” got front and centre. No matter how hard she worked, it didn’t seem to get her anywhere. As she failed to find more work in the idol industry, she began to despise herself, with her body being at the forefront of it all.

She knew idol work wasn’t right for her and she wasn’t right for it. It was through this avenue though that she would discover pro wrestling. Saya signed up to join Stardom Angels, a short-lived idol experiment headed up by Tam Nakano, and was introduced to a crazy world she knew nothing about.

The same height and muscular frame that had hindered her work as an idol would earn her praise as a professional wrestler. She could use the very thing that had previously hurt her.

Stardom Idols didn’t last, but her and fellow idol trainee Itsuki Hoshino stayed on board to train as full time wrestlers. From her debut against Momo Watanabe it was clear Stardom had something special in Saya Kamitani, and they knew it. Debuting within months of Hoshino and another rookie Saya Iida, it felt like the taller Saya was immediately placed at the top of the line. She demanded the audience’s attention, dancing her way to the ring when most rookies simply walk, and pulling off running shooting star presses when the others never went flashier than a dropkick.

Stardom has never been afraid to draw upon the idol industry in its business model and presentation. As a result, Saya felt like a gift. Her youthful image, her colourful costume, her bubbly but bashful personality was a mix that would get over with the crowd quickly, and while her hyper athletic moves were often erratic and ineffective early on, it certainly was eye-catching. Under the tutelage of Tam Nakano, Kamitani was well-situated to rise through the ranks quickly as their own wrestling idol.

Then, just four months into her career, Saya Kamitani took a hard left turn. After an unsuccessful challenge for Utami Hayashishita’s Future of Stardom Championship in February, she was presented with the chance to choose which faction she would join. It seemed obvious that Saya would be with STARS. They were the natural good girls with a cleancut image, and it was there that Tam was second in command. Of all the groups, STARS seemed best suited to her style.

Instead, she joined Queen’s Quest. Originally formed by Io Shirai in 2016 and then under the leadership of Momo Watanabe, the group didn’t concern themselves with the flashiness of STARS. They were a focused, serious unit that prided themselves on being the very best wrestlers in Stardom, pushing each other to be the better out of fear of being left behind.

They were a group of prodigies. Joining at 23 years old, Saya was somehow the oldest member of the group. Utami Hayashishita was 21, Momo Watanabe 19, and AZM was only 17 (yet she was also the most experienced). Choosing Queen’s Quest as her new home felt like a statement: she wasn’t going to settle for just being an idol-like wrestler, she wanted to push herself to be more.

“I’ve been trying to follow in Utami-san’s footsteps since I was a trainee,” Saya told Utami in between tears. It makes sense, any rookie would dream of an early career like the Super Rookie Hayashishita, and Saya’s early success had people pegging her as the next runaway star like Utami. That desire drove her to endure the hardships of training and make it to the ring, and she’d use that desire to keep pushing her further. Once the new member was approved by group senpai AZM, she was welcomed into Queen’s Quest.

Her fellow former Stardom Idol Itsuki Hoshino chose to join STARS, wishing to surpass Saya rather than just stand next to her. Tam Nakano had secured one of her two, but there was a lingering bitterness as she watched Saya embrace her new team. She had helped Saya get here after all.

Saya would have to wait to start wrestling with Queen’s Quest. She joined the group on February 16th, which ended up being the last show before COVID threw the schedule out the window for months. However it did give her time to prepare an image change. When June rolled around Saya had ditched the frilly lime green and pink attire she started in, debuting a more amazonian look to match her new tag partner Utami Hayashishita, together forming AphroditE. Her high energy dance routine was soon dropped for a more measured, albeit still performative, entrance.

This was still the same excitable Kamitani at heart. She remained more boisterous and emotional than the rest of the more stoic Queen’s Quest stable. The high risk offence that had defined her rookie year only continued to grow, helping her stand out against the entire roster. As she gained more experience, her flashy moveset started to land more consistently. Once she mastered the formerly erratic Running Shooting Star Press, she began to experiment more and more. She added a majestic springboard crossbody to her arsenal, as well as the Phoenix Splash, and the Star Crusher – a kind of Fisherman’s Driver.

2020 felt like a big year of growth for Saya Kamitani, and it was. She solidified herself as one of the five to be crowned Stardom’s Golden Generation, and had her boss speaking of a future where she would be main eventing for the top title. In hindsight however it was merely a precursor. She won only three of her fifteen singles matches, and although she enjoyed tag team gold with Utami Hayashishita, there was no doubt as to who was the stronger of the two.

It would be the following year where the true reach of Stardom’s Phoenix would be realised.

The first big moment was winning the showcase match at Wrestle Kingdom with the Phoenix Splash. The only other time she had stood inside the Tokyo Dome was to perform as a backup dancer for EXILE while she was still in high school. This time, even though she shared the ring with the World of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita, she was no backup performer. She stood tall getting the pinfall.

She would find herself in another big match with Utami just a couple of months later, but this time it was on opposite sides of the ring. At the All-Star Dream Cinderella inside the Nippon Budokan, a little over a year since Saya had fallen short of beating her for the Future of Stardom Championship, she was challenging Utami for the World of Stardom Championship.

It was an oppourtunity that felt early to many fans. Saya was improving, but was she ready for a match of that magnitude? On a show that was billed as one of the biggest in Stardom’s history, Saya wasn’t even 18 months into her career and getting a shot at the top title.

Saya had dreamed of being the centre back in her Idol days but never got it. She wasn’t going to waste the chance now. This was the match that announced to the world that Saya Kamitani wasn’t to be underestimated. She didn’t get the win (though she came tantalisingly close with a recently perfected hurricarana pin she would use to great effect throughout 2021) but in defeat she had silenced the doubters.

The next step was to win a big one on her own. Heading into the single elimination Cinderella Tournament, Saya Kamitani was one of the favourites. It is a tournament that is often used to announce the next big star of the company, with former winners including Giulia, Arisa Hoshiki, and Momo Watanabe all using it as a platform to win championship gold.

At the end of the tournament awaiting the winner was a dress and a wish. Anything you want. When Saya powered her way through the competition to be crowned Cinderella in June, there was no question what she wanted for her wish. She had challenged for the Red Belt and failed, but it wasn’t the title that would truly suit her. That was the Wonder of Stardom Championship.

That was Tam Nakano’s Championship.

The two titles hold two very distinctive flavours. The Red Belt is one of technique, but the White Belt is a title of passion. It’s an idea that Tam has pushed to great length during her reign because of how important she believes passion is to wrestling. It’s a notion that Kamitani also shares. She’s an emotional wrestler. “Women’s professional wrestling has a lot of emotions compared to the boys, and I think it’s important.” she told Number Magazine. What she needed to do was learn to harness that.

She wished to surpass her master in July, but she fell short. After defeating Tam in the 5 Star Grand Prix however, Saya set herself up for another title shot, which she would get in December.

Kamitani had a different mindset going in to the rematch. In July she was trying to overtake her mentor and was fighting from underneath. Now, she believed she had already overtaken Tam. She had reason to believe that too. Despite losing the July title match, she held the 3-2 record over the champion. She had grown beyond her, and as a result the title was an inevitability. “The White Belt looks better on me.”

She had grown and she had overcome her demons. Tam had told her that she didn’t understand her own weakness, but at the press conference ahead of their rematch Saya spoke of how she had “faced every part of her that she hated”. It wasn’t just learning to understand her emotions, but it went back to all those years prior when Kamitani had learned to hate her body for ruining her idol dreams

The change in mindset in just five short months meant heading into Ryogoku Hall Saya Kamitani was a very different challenger to the one Tam Nakano had defeated before. It was a growth the champion even acknowledged. It’s what Tam had always wanted to see – despite Saya choosing to carve her own path away from her she still held a special place in her heart for the youngster she had brought up through Stardom Idols. That was never clearer than when she stood at ringside, her smile beaming from ear to ear, as she watched Kamitani’s coronation as the Cinderella Tournament winner.

Inside Ryogoku Hall Saya Kamitani wrestled the best match of her career. All of Tam Nakano’s title defences follow a certain pattern, but Saya forced the match to be wrestled more to her style. The emotion heavy slugfests were there, but more often than not Kamitani pushed the match to a faster pace, utilising the space both in and outside the ring to her advantage.

Still, she needed a bit of luck on her side, because Tam wasn’t giving up her title easily. Tam caught Saya in her finishing combination of the Violet Screwdriver and the Twilight Dream Suplex, only to throw her opponent too close to the ropes and allowing a rope break. Expelling the last of her energy in that attempt to finish things, she was unable to withstand a final onslaught. Saya Kamitani finished the match and the year the same way she started it: soaring through the air with a Phoenix Splash to win the biggest match of her career.

Through all of Saya Kamitani’s career there’s one thing that she has repeated several times. As an idol, it didn’t matter how hard she worked – she would never be able to get ahead of those who were a bit smaller and a bit cuter. Effort didn’t hold her back, it was outside of her control. When she decided to become a wrestler, Tam Nakano told her it’d be different here. How much work you put in will determine how far you get. For Saya Kamitani, she put in a lot of effort, working hard to learn moves like the Phoenix Splash that would stand out. She had found an industry that rewarded the time she put in.

In her post match interview, with the Wonder of Stardom Championship she had worked so hard for in hand, she repeated this sentiment.

“When I was an idol, I gave so, so much effort all the time and got nothing for it, the more I tried, the more scared I became. But if you put in that effort with pro wrestling, it will pay you back.”

Kamitani might have become a pro wrestler, but elements of her idol upbringing still ring true. Tam Nakano told her that only one of them can be the centre. On that night, Saya Kamitani stood in the centre of the ring, with everyone’s eyes on her. She had finally achieved her dream.

On July 4^th, inside the Yokohama Budokan, Stardom will crown its newest Future of Stardom Champion. With the championship vacated after Saya Iida suffered an ACL injury a couple of months back, a tournament narrowed down the list of contenders to two, each representing the Cosmic Angels faction.

Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka. There has been an influx of talent for Stardom in the past year and a half, and while stars like Giulia and Syuri might draw a lot of the attention, there have been success stories across the board. The two contenders for the Future of Stardom title are proof of that, having quickly established themselves among a stacked roster and risen to the opportunities presented to them.

There are many similarities shared by the Cosmic Angel finalists. Both joined Stardom towards the end of 2020 and quickly aligned with Tam Nakano. Both were originally working for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling before jumping over to Stardom alongside fellow TJPW wrestler Natsumi Maki (who would join Donna Del Mondo and go by Natsupoi, since there’s apparently an unwritten rule you can only have one name in that group). Both are over the age of thirty, and neither were heralded as massive acquisitions for the company at first, being better known for their looks rather than their in ring ability.

In fact through the early stages of Mina’s arrival in Stardom, the focus wasn’t so much on her but on her breasts. In backstage interviews both Tam and Mayu Iwatani would gawk and even touch them, and the official tag team name for Mina and Tam referenced her cup size.

This wasn’t new ground for Mina; not just in wrestling but life. Her and Unagi have both spent time working as gravure models, where their looks and body are purely the focus. This profession is something of a double-edged sword as they entered the professional wrestling industry. Women’s wrestling and sex appeal has often been strange bedfellows both in Japan and the West, and having a gravure background can definitely draw eyes on you early on, especially given predominantly male audiences at most Joshi shows (though that is slowly showing signs of change).

The problem lies in that while wrestlers can do gravure, models who come into wrestling generally aren’t expected to be strong wrestlers, instead coming in to gain some exposure and new fans while they mess around in the lower card. For those who want to truly succeed in wrestling, the background can lead to a stigma that you just aren’t as passionate or dedicated as others, or that they are only pushed because of their looks rather than their skill. Performers have to work even harder than normal to prove themselves.

This assumption doesn’t just come from the fans, but from fellow wrestlers as well. Mina Shirakawa has experienced that judgement firsthand, which she discussed in in a recent interview with Mugiko Ozaki from Sportiva:

“[…] With my background in gravure I know wrestlers in other companies have been like “Oh, she’s the model who thinks she’s a wrestler”, or think I’m some bimbo or that I can’t wrestle. If I want to change that perception, I feel like I need to have matches that are twice as intense or emotional as someone else. I’m hoping that people can understand me through my matches.”

English Translation provided by Dana aka @ItsDanaNow

One of the reasons she chose to work for Stardom was because it would be a chance for her to prove herself as a serious gravure idol wrestler, with an emphasis on the wrestler aspect. She can do both, and do them well. As she has become settled into the company, the focus has moved away from her breasts and onto her as a performer. She’ll still pose for the crowd, but she is a wrestler with a ‘sexy’ presentation, rather than a gravure model playfighting.

If there was any doubt as to the dedication of Mina and Unagi, you just have to look at how far both have come since their arrival in Stardom. With the average skill level in Stardom being quite high, both were expected to either sink or swim as they were given early spotlight moments, winning the Artists of Stardom titles alongside Tam Nakano and being inserted in a high profile story with Mayu Iwatani and the STARS faction. To many fans, it was a position well above their skill.

In under a year working for Stardom, both have dramatically improved inside the ring, becoming more confident and skilled with each oppourtunity that comes along. In many ways Tam Nakano was the perfect person to guide them through their early months in Stardom. Tam too debuted at a slightly older age, and relied on her character work to carry her through the early stages while she was still improving in the ring. Now she stands as one of Stardom’s most valuable assets, serving as the strongest character on the roster with the kind of workrate required at the top of the card.

Unagi has enjoyed the most success, ironically benefiting from Mina having to miss time due to a broken nose. With her tag partner out of action, Unagi requested the chance to prove herself in a seven match trial series (turned eight) where she would face off against the company’s best talent in singles competition. She wouldn’t win any of these matches – not a huge surprise considering the mismatches she was facing – but it forced her to quickly adapt and learn.

She was often overpowered, and even embarrassed by the likes of Mayu Iwatani and Giulia as they tried to draw more from Unagi. She took a beating, but through those hard times a stronger performer grew. The results now speak for themselves. The following month Unagi won the All-Star Rumble inside the Nippon Budokan, overcoming industry legends and other notable Stardom wrestlers on the biggest stage in Stardom’s history, with her win coming as she eliminated one of the biggest gravure-turned-wrestler success stories Yuzuki Aikawa – a fitting symbol for what is possible. Then she managed to eliminate both Natsuko Tora and Syuri in the Cinderella Tournament, earning a spot in the semi-finals that took place inside the Ota Ward Gymnasium.

The experience of working through gruelling singles matches against strong opposition not only increased her skill, but it helped her blossom into a compelling and fiery underdog, whose unique charm beams out whenever she appears while her flashy moves hint at the heights she can reach. Mina’s character has found success in the back and forth theatrics playing off of her opponents actions, or filling in short comedic moments when the occasion calls for it. Originally Tam had to heavily carry early Cosmic Angels tag matches, but now the load can be more comfortably shared as the trio has grown both individually and as a unit.

With both Unagi and Mina past the age of thirty, it might seem a little weird that they’re the two finalists of the Future of Stardom Title tournament. Most of the roster are under thirty, from the fourteen-year-old twins to Stardom’s longest serving member Mayu Iwatani. Even the company’s top champion Utami Hayashishita is only twenty-two. There’s no reason why they can’t have long careers, but it is a disadvantage, especially when some of the youngsters are essentially veteran performers already.

The Future rules stipulate that you must be under the age of twenty or have less than three years wrestling experience (the rule was originally two, but the extra year was added upon Saya Iida’s request so she could continue her reign). Both fit under the latter category, with Mina debuting in August 2018 and Unagi in January of the following year. More importantly, it shows that Stardom see them as important pieces of the puzzle moving forward, and weren’t just brought in to sell photobooks.

It’s a championship that has an odd history. Three of the four previous champions are part of the heralded Golden Generation of Stardom, including current World of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita. The other champion was Starlight Kid, whose future has always been bright as she’s grown up in the company. All who have won it have gone on to bigger and better things, and have reason to claim themselves as ‘the future’ beyond just having a title around their waist.

However its prestige has suffered because despite the lineage of its champions, it is still the title with the lowest value. Due to the title stipulations, there is a limited pool of challengers in the tournament, and half of them are still in school. Many of the other eligible contenders are simply considered ‘above’ the title. AZM, Starlight Kid, Saya Kamitani, Maika, and even Utami (who has her third anniversary in August) were all absent from the tournament despite meeting the criteria. That alone tells you the perceived level of the belt, and there have been issues with previous champions being far too skilled for their average challenger in the division.

Seeing the path the finalists had in making the finals kind of shows the divide between those in the tournament and those who didn’t enter. Mina defeated sixteen-year-old Ruaka and fourteen-year-old Hina, while Unagi advanced against the winless rookie Lady C and sixteen-year-old Hanan. All of them show promise, but the two Cosmic Angels were clear favourites when they entered and they delivered. Now it’s a matter of finding out who gets to prove themselves away from Tam’s shadow.

The value in either winning the title is that they can essentially bridge the gap. As Artists of Stardom champions they regularly compete against high level talent and hold their own, so if an AZM or Starlight Kid were to challenge it’s not unrealistic for Mina or Unagi to get away with a win. However they’re still at a point in their careers where being champion isn’t holding the belt hostage from some of those represented in the tournament like Hanan. It opens up a wealth of possibilities with the belt that aren’t really possible otherwise.

It’s hard to gauge what their ceiling will be in Stardom. This may be the one singles title either can confidently win. Even with the improvement they have shown already, singles championships aren’t easily won in Stardom, and the roster is as stacked as it’s ever been. Winning this championship guarantees some spotlight moments through title defences, and will bring some momentum as the 5 Star Grand Prix Tournament kicks off at the end of July.

There’s also the fact that with their careers following parallel paths, there has to be a natural competitiveness between them. After years wrestling with and against each other in multiple promotions, now they can find out who is the better wrestler as they face off for the Future of Stardom Title. Mina and Unagi are so focused on July 4^th that it has started to affect their tag matches. The usually sound Cosmic Angels teamwork has been lost in search of asserting individual strength, and it’s led to both tension and losses.

Their time as the Artists champions have obviously meant a lot to both of them, it’s clear on their faces every time they retain. It legitimised both the small Cosmic Angels group, but also their place in the company. Neither had much success before arriving in Stardom, so to be able to stand tall side by side as champions proved they belonged. Seeing the first cracks appear in the group with the Future Title hanging over their heads will serve as the first test of Tam Nakano’s leadership, who can ill afford the distraction with her own title on the line at the Budokan against Saya Kamitani.

Whoever walks out of Yokohama as the Future of Stardom Champion will have bragging rights, but both Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka should be proud of their growth since joining Stardom. They could have easily rested on their looks and gravure work to build up a fanbase, but instead they dedicated themselves to becoming the very best professional wrestlers they can possibly be. They’re fighting against preconceived notions, both surrounding their background and their age, but wrestling has a way to rewarding those who reach for the stars. And the Cosmic Angels feel at home when doing so.

One thing you will notice about Stardom (though it is by no means exclusive to them) is that most wrestlers tend to cycle in and out of story relevancy. If you aren’t a focal point in the three or four active feuds that are being built up, you are just kind of there. Considering most stories develop around challenging for a title, if you aren’t a champion or an immediate challenger, you’re probably just supporting someone who is.

Tam Nakano has proven to be the exception to this rule. Since joining Stardom, she’s constantly managed to find herself in a story of some sort, and has managed to do so without a particularly impressive championship record. In her three and a half years with the company, Tam has held the Artists of Stardom Championship three times and won the Tag League once. Yet despite a relatively small amount of time surrounding championships, Tam has always found something to latch on to and keep herself relevant. Throughout those three years there has been a strong narrative undercurrent that has made Tam Nakano by far the most engaging character in Stardom. If you take a step back, and follow the years worth of development, the Tale of Tam is a truly compelling one.

From the moment she stepped foot in Stardom, Tam Nakano drew the interest of the resident lovable heels: Oedo Tai. With no friends or prior connections in the company, Tam could have been lonely in Stardom, but Oedo Tai quickly made her feel wanted, including her in their shenanigans even before Tam joined. The tipping point for her was being ringside for the match between stablemates Kagetsu and Hana Kimura. They fought hard but they clearly cared for each other. Oedo Tai may be rule breakers and scoundrels, but more importantly, they’re family. Tam asked if she could join, they rushed to hug her and together they took part in their first dance together.

Tam’s run with Oedo Tai from an in ring perspective is forgettable. She was injured for most of it; working from the sidelines as a manager. It didn’t matter though, because as a group they clicked, and to this day fans still look back fondly on this iteration of Oedo Tai. Of the group, Hana often showed the most affection towards her, and the two quickly hit it off. She felt loved and cared for. They were her family.

Family don’t always get along though. Dissension started to grow when leader Kagetsu brought Natsu Sumire in without consulting the others first. Tam Nakano wouldn’t realise this at the time, but this is an action she would witness throughout her career. Tam and Hana grew closer in their disdain for Natsu, but they settled their differences and remained strong. It was just in time for the family to be torn apart, and it would be all because of one bad decision by Kagetsu. During her battles with Queen’s Quest leader Io Shirai, she proposed an elimination gauntlet match where the last person to be eliminated would be forced to leave their group.

Tam drew that last spot in a random draw, and despite her best efforts she would eventually fall to Momo Watanabe. Oedo Tai had lost and Tam was out, cast into the Stardom wilderness once again with nobody to care for her. Or at least that’s what she thought. Both Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani extended an offer towards her to join their groups. She was clearly still reeling from the loss and couldn’t commit so Mayu made the choice on her behalf, essentially kidnapping the crestfallen Tam as she dragged her backstage.

It was shocking at first, but seeing how desperate Mayu was to team up with Tam played on her desire to be loved. In promos Mayu would talk about wanting to protect her and look after her. Which was important, because even though the split with Oedo Tai had been on good terms, now Tam was outside the group and she was an enemy. An increasingly unhinged Hana Kimura had developed a taste for assaulting Tam, and the feud with her former family became so volatile that things had to be settled with an exploding bat match, where she called back on her deathmatch past to get her big statement win.

The problem is that for as close as Tam felt to Mayu, she didn’t always receive that same affection back. For starters, it wasn’t Mayu who fought alongside her in the exploding bat match, it was Io Shirai. Then when Saki Kashima returned to the company, Mayu had a new favourite, and together they won tag team gold. This would be the one lull in Tam’s career story-wise, though she would win the trios title with the duo. But even the absence of a story helped to develop her character. She might have wanted more, but as long as Mayu was happy Tam was happy. She was content to stand back a bit for her friend. It wasn’t until the return of another former Stardom wrestler, Arisa Hoshiki, that Tam began to really feel like she was being replaced.

Arisa Hoshiki was a part of the first generation of Stardom trainees alongside Mayu Iwatani. They debuted against each other and would eventually team together. There was a special bond between them. When Arisa announced her return, she did so wanting to join back up with her old friend in STARS. Tam made her displeasure very clear, with a definitive no when she was asked if Arisa was welcome in the group.

It didn’t matter to Mayu though. She brought Arisa into the team and quickly expected everybody to just get along. This started a long running love-hate relationship between Tam and Arisa, and due to the nature of Stardom’s shows, they were often paired together in multi-woman tag matches. Tam would take every opportunity to publicly express her disdain for Arisa, be it by ignoring high fives, shaking her off the ropes, or even using her as a weapon and bodyslaming her onto their opponents.

Tam would eventually challenge Arisa for her Wonder of Stardom title, coming up short, but in the process winning the award for the company’s match of the year. After that fight, her hatred for Arisa slowly began to morph more into reluctant respect. As Dream Shine they won the Tag League and although they failed to win the tag titles, their bond continued to grow. Tam promised Arisa she would be the one to take the Wonder of Stardom title from her, and Arisa welcomed that rematch.

Things were not meant to be though. Before they could clash again Arisa’s poor health forced her into an early retirement. Tam Nakano made it her duty to win the title just as she had promised when Arisa was still champion, but she could never claim it from the new champion Giulia. Although it had been a complicated relationship, they had become like sisters, and again Tam was left feeling lonely.

Arisa’s retirement came not long after Saki Kashima had betrayed Mayu, choosing to side with Tam’s old group Oedo Tai. Tam was there fighting Saki for her friend, and it was hard to ignore the fact that the two people Mayu had replaced her with were now gone. Yet still Tam was left behind, this time so Mayu could rekindle her MK Sisters tag team with Starlight Kid. STARS wasn’t quite the loving family to Tam that Oedo Tai had been. Though maybe it could be.

Tam started to look outside of Stardom, and welcomed Mina Shirakawa into the group. However she didn’t discuss this with the rest of the faction. It wouldn’t be until a friendly tag match against Mayu and Kid where Mina would be officially accepted, proving herself to the leader of STARS. Tam wasn’t done playing recruiter though, and brought in Unagi Sayaka not long after. After experiencing first hand what surprise additions to a faction can do with Natsu Sumire and Arisa Hoshiki, Tam had repeated the mistakes of history with Mina and Unagi.

It would be one step too far in Mayu’s eyes, and an emotionally charged civil war would break out in the STARS faction that eventually lead to the trio (known as Cosmic Angels) splitting away. Tam Nakano now had a new family; one she had handpicked herself. Despite their differences, she never understated how important Mayu was for her. She wouldn’t be the wrestler she is now without her guidance and leadership.

What Mayu couldn’t give her though was the love and care first promised to Tam. She had already felt pushed aside with Saki and Arisa’s arrivals, yet she never left Mayu’s side. When the chance arose for Tam to bring her friends in, suddenly it wasn’t acceptable. And the STARS family firmly backed their leader. Starlight Kid in particular became rather hostile towards Tam, showing a fire we had yet to see from her. Even if Tam wanted to, she was no longer welcome with her old family.

If you follow Tam’s career from her debut in Stardom to now, you’ll notice a couple of things. Firstly, the massive strides she’s made in the ring. She went from passable to one of the better wrestlers on an already strong roster. Perhaps more importantly though, you’ll notice her strength of character. Her actions and words line up with the path she’s walked, and each moment has logically progressed to the next. It feels more like a novel than a wrestling production.

It doesn’t hurt that Tam is the best character actress on the roster, and arguably has been for years. Watching her slumped over in the ring, crying at the realisation that she can no longer be with her Oedo Tai family is heartbreaking. When she’s in the ring with Giulia it’s easy to believe that she genuinely despises her. This recent drama with Mayu has been yet another example of her ability to sell more than just a wrestling move.

At the centre of Tam Nakano’s entire journey has been about finding a place to call home. She had it in Oedo Tai. That was a loving family to her, and they encouraged her natural creativity. When she introduced a panda puppet named P-Chan as their producer, they ran with it. And then one bad decision took that family away. Ever since, she has been trying to replace Kagetsu and Oedo Tai with Mayu Iwatani and STARS, and now with a group she could lead.

Tam looked up to Mayu and idolised her. However while she was able to grow as both a wrestler and a person under the Stardom Icon, Mayu didn’t truly fulfil what she needed. She always felt like something of a third wheel as new friends were brought in, and in Tam’s desperation to be best friends with her, she was blinded to the budding friendship with Arisa. By the time she realised what she had, Arisa too was ripped away from her.

The character of Tam Nakano is better defined than any other wrestler on the roster: she’s a caring friend who expects a lot from those she is close to; bratty and childish when challenged, but while Tam started off as a bit meek and unsure of herself, she’s become a strong and confident fighter willing to stand up to anyone. She wants to be a champion, but even her obsession with the Wonder of Stardom championship is built more on Arisa Hoshiki than it is her own career ambitions. Deep down, Tam Nakano just wants a family who loves and respects her for who she is.

It doesn’t matter if she’s in the main event or part of a directionless midcard tag match, Tam Nakano is always working hard to make sure that her character is growing and building upon itself. Her story isn’t over. She is set for a one-on-one match with her former best friend and mentor, Mayu Iwatani on the 24^th, and she still needs to fulfil her promise to Arisa Hoshiki and claim the Wonder of Stardom Championship. That’s the beauty of wrestling: a performer’s story is always growing. Tam Nakano’s just happens to be one of the more compelling out there.

Part 2 of ‘A Tale of Tam’ can be found here