JPN
At "STARDOM NIGHTER in KORAKUEN 2026 June" held on Tuesday, June 30th (Korakuen Hall, Tokyo), the Future of Stardom Championship match saw champion Ranna Yagami defeat Matoi Hamabe, successfully defending her title for the sixth time
The champion's true strength shone through. His opponent was Hamabe, who had joined STARS, led by Hanan, and was riding a wave of momentum. Spurred on by the loud "Matoi" chants from the crowd, he didn't back down an inch in the early wrestling exchanges
He tried to follow up with a series of elbows, but the champion wouldn't allow it. He unleashed a barrage of attacks on the challenger's right arm, slowly but surely inflicting damage. "Bring it on!" he shouted, thrusting his chest out to receive the elbow, and then used his signature kicks to turn the beach into a human punching bag
After enduring the challenger's relentless attacks, which included attempts at an armbar submission, she landed two high kicks. Finally, at 10 minutes and 47 seconds, she captured her opponent with her signature move, the Tae ROCK, and forced him to tap out
The champion, holding the microphone, said, "I think Matoi has great momentum since joining the new STARS, and I really like how much she enjoys pro wrestling. Like me, Matoi has two cool past Future Champions (Hana and Iida Saya), so I hope she learns from them, gets stronger, and challenges us again."
Hamabe then promised, "I will definitely get stronger in STARS and challenge for the belt that Ranna holds."
In July, Yagami will depart for a US tour. She proudly declared, "I'm going to prove to the world that Stardom's future is at a high level, so please look forward to it!"