JPN
The Artist of Stardom Championship match between Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, and Saori Anno against Yuna Mizumori, Sakura Aya, and Sayaka Kurei was a showdown between two Cosmic Angels stablemates. Mizumori's team won the tournament with four teams in the two consecutive Nagoya events on January 11th and 12th. Mizumori's team aims to overthrow the top-tier trio. It's been a while since their last title defense, but will Nakano's team show their superior class, or will Mizumori's team achieve a stunning upset? Will they strengthen their unity for the upcoming unit-versus-unit league tournament, or will they split up? This match could be a predictor of their future.
Natsupoi and Mizumori start the match. They lock up and grapple, then break and do some rope work. Mizumori withstands an arm whip and throws Natsupoi in the opposite direction. Natsupoi attempts a dropkick, but Mizumori quickly covers her and they exchange roll-ups. Sakura and Kurei interfere and the trio delivers a dropkick. Mizumori delivers a body press to Natsupoi. Kurei delivers a dropkick to Natsupoi. Nakano interferes with the second dropkick, and Anno joins in for a trio dropkick. Natsupoi delivers a dropkick to Kurei's back and a hair whip. Anno puts Kurei in a sickle hold, and Natsupoi delivers a dropkick from the side. Sakura tries to interfere, but Anno keeps her out of the way. Kurei counters with a dropkick to Anno. Mizumori delivers a flying shoulder tackle. Mizumori shoulder tackles Nakano and Natsupoi, and also sends Anno flying. She then delivers a series of lariats, and a guillotine drop to Anno. Mizumori and Anno deliver a series of elbows. Anno grabs Mizumori's hand and delivers a series of big boots. Mizumori collapses, but Anno still holds on to her hand. Mizumori gets up and delivers a series of lariats at close range. Anno endures, but Mizumori counters with a lariat. Sakura hits Anno with a corner knee kick, followed by a dropkick and a series of middle kicks, and Anno lands a fisherman suplex. Natsupoi drops a dropkick on Sakura. Sakura counters Natsupoi's diving body attack with a kick. Natsupoi attempts a savate kick, but Sakura counters with a middle kick. Natsupoi dodges Sakura's high kick but lands a spinning kick. Natsupoi charges in with a corner attack but dodges it. Anno and Natsupoi dropkick Sakura and Mizumori. Mizumori and Sakura have their backs taken, but they counter, with Mizumori hitting a lariat and Sakura a middle kick to separate them. Kurei drops a dropkick on Nakano, followed by a series of corner dropkicks, Nakano hits a back drop and a knee attack. Sakura gets behind Nakano and tries to stop her. Anno makes the cut. Kurei hits Nakano with a series of elbows. Kurei jumps on Nakano as she charges and puts her in a sleeper hold. Anno and Natsupoi make the cut and 10 minutes have passed. Sakura does a plancha to the outside. Kurei hits Nakano with a missile kick and a sleeper hold. Not letting her escape, she spins to the center. Nakano manages to escape. Kurei gathers her strength and hits Nakano with a Tokimeki Cutter. It looked like it would finish her off, but Nakano counters with a Violet Shooting. Nakano gets into position for a brainbuster. Mizumori hits a flying shoulder tackle, Sakura joins in with a Bing Knee Attack, and Kurei hits a Tokimeki Cutter. Nakano counters, and Sakura tells Natsupoi to "stay out there" and drops her, Mizumori grabs Nakano, and Sakura and Kurei team up. Nakano counters and makes them hit each other. However, Sakura and Kurei hit a dropkick. Mizumori gets into position for a brainbuster on Nakano, and Sakura and Kurara team up to finish her off. 15 minutes have passed. Kurei hits a Falcon Arrow. However, Nakano manages to counter it. Kurei aims precisely and hits with a Tokimeki Spear. Nakano dodges and lands a spin kick, buzzsaw kick, and violet shooting. It's cut off, but Nakano hits a German suplex. Kurei kicks out, and Nakano hands the ball to Anno. Anno hits Kurei with a Tantantol and a fisherman suplex. Natsupoi comes in and hits Kurei with a Fairial Gift, but it's cut off. Nakano goes for a violet screwdriver on Kurei. Kurei rolls her up and hits a Tokimeki Spear, but Nakano kicks out. Kurei immediately hits a jackknife. Nakano's team performs a German suplex together, and then hits a heel drop, and Nakano hits Kurei with a Violet Screwdriver with a long hang time to get the three count.
Tam: "Hello everyone in the universe and everyone at Korakuen Hall! The ultimate trio, Artist of Stardom, has successfully defended our title! Ugly, you say? We were so strong that we were worried we might have looked ugly. Now you understand, right? It's not just our trio that's ultimate. Cosmic Angels are ultimate right now!"
Kurei: "Even if you say Cosmic Angels are ultimate right now, it's incredibly frustrating to lose! To become even more ultimate than the already ultimate Cosmic Angels, I feel I absolutely have to surpass them. Please, please, please wait until the day we win."
Tam: "We won't wait."
The champions give a thumbs-up. Mizumori and Sakura stand up in response, and finally Kurei joins them, and the Cosmic Angels pose together.
Nakano: "Ladies and gentlemen, may I have attention please! Welcome aboard, Cosmic Angels! Let me introduce today's crew: Kurei, Sakura, Yunamon, Saori-chan, Natsupoi. And Nakano Tam, the cutest in the universe! We are super delicious, we are the best, we are number one! We and you are delicious, mmmmmm!"
Nakano: "Artist of Stardom, V2! The best trio has defended their title! Thank you. I really realized it again. Cozuen is my pride and joy. She's really important to me. This belt reminds me again how strong and reassuring it is to have teammates by your side. Thank you. (To Natsupoi) Are you smiling?"
Natsupoi: "I'm not smiling, I'm happy. I really felt it today too. The person across from me is a teammate, and the person next to me is a teammate. I felt so reassured being in a space surrounded by teammates. I had so much fun. Even though it hurt, I think I was laughing a lot (laughs)."
Nakano: "Natchan, you're always smiling. (Mizumori's team) were incredibly strong. I was really surprised. All three of them were like completely different people compared to when we were doing the Tropical audition 10 months ago. My neck broke about three times."
Anno: "Aren't those three here?" They're not here, but I'll say it anyway. I want the three of them to be more aware of that. How much of a threat they are to the three of us. They're a big deal for both Kozuen and Stardom."
Nakano: "It's hope. They say things like we're low-ranking or inferior, but Tam doesn't think that way at all. Did you know? Apparently, people are calling us Tonisen and Kamisen."
Anno: "That's right.
: "So we're the V6 of the women's pro wrestling world."
Natsupoi: "Hehe." Anno: "
Yeah." Nakano:
"It's kind of cool, isn't it?
" Natsupoi: "Which one is Tonisen and which one is Kamisen?"
Nakano: "Kamisen? Tonisen is us. Coming Century is the younger girls."
Anno: "It doesn't matter if you divide us up. We're all six Kozuen."
Nakano & Natsupoi: "Yeah."
All three laugh: "(laughs)"
Natsupoi: "Wow, Sakura's kicks were heavy"
Nakano: "Let's definitely have Kozuen win the unit tournament (league)!"
Natsupoi: "I feel like our bond has grown even stronger today"
Nakano: "Absolutely. Tamune, I want Kozuen to take all the belts!"
Anno: "I do"
Natsupoi: "Bye-poi"
Nakano: "What's 'Bye-poi'?"
Kurei: "It's frustrating!"
Sakura: "It's frustrating!"
Kurei: "I knew those three were strong, but I feel like I was made to realize it again in the ring. But I absolutely have to surpass those three, so I'm going to grow even more this year."
Mizumori: "I want to go to the top. It's absolutely up to us, Sakura Ramon of Kozuen, to take the win and the belt from those three. Let's use this frustration as motivation and get stronger together again starting today."
Sakura: "It's really frustrating that Kozuen is synonymous with those three right now, and it's really, really frustrating that we couldn't get results even though we were given this chance. But we are three people with a long way to go. We will definitely challenge for the Artist title again, win, and surpass Tam-san, Poi-san, and Saori-san!"
Mizumori: "The old and new Kozuen, a changing of the guard. Be prepared and wait. Next time, we will definitely take the Artist title..."
All three: "Ruuuuuu!"