JPN
The IWGP Women's Championship match took place on July 18th (Saturday) at the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota (Ota City General Gymnasium) in Tokyo, where champion Syuri defeated Natsupoi to successfully defend her title for the fifth time
Positioning it as "the biggest challenge of this century," Natsupoi appeared in a new costume primarily in yellow with a dragon-themed head accessory, and the match turned into a fierce battle
Natsupoi made the first move. She immediately got behind her opponent and showed no mercy, executing a German suplex, a spear, an armbar, and another German suplex on the apron
This flipped a switch in Akari, who went into serious mode. She slammed Natsupoi, who was in the corner, into the apron with a deadly drive, then followed up with a cliff-edge DDT and a powerful kick to put Natsupoi on the defensive
The battle between the two continued to intensify. Kicks and joint locks clashed, and time passed with both fighters exhausted
With a fierce expression, Akari countered Fairial Gift with a pincushion, and what followed was spectacular. Catching Natsupoi in the corner, she delivered a superplex while keeping her arms locked. From there, she locked both arms and continued her onslaught
However, Natsupoi showed incredible tenacity. Gathering her last reserves of strength, she unleashed a barrage of open-hand slaps, followed by a spin kick, a German suplex, and two Fairial Gifts. She then used Fairy Magic, Made in Jappoi... she unleashed every move she had at her disposal
Nevertheless, the champion refused to allow a three-count. He broke the momentum with a counter high kick, then retaliated with a buzzsaw kick and a powerful headbutt. Finally, at 20 minutes and 52 seconds, Shu Sekai secured the victory
After the match, Natsupoi and I held hands while I was still sprawled out on the ground and shared a warm embrace
Grabbing the microphone, she called out to Natsupoi as she left the ring: "Natsupoi, I was so happy that we were able to have a match today for the IWGP title. We've both come so far, haven't we? Back in the day, we co-starred as sisters in plays and were in the same unit, and you used to call me 'Shuri-neechan' (older sister Shuri). There were times like that, and so many miracles have connected, and I'm so grateful that we can be together in the ring now. I love how strong-willed Natsupoi is and how she goes straight ahead on her own path. She can be a little absent-minded at times, but I hope you continue to go forward on the path you believe in."
She further expressed her gratitude, saying, "This is probably my first time headlining an IWGP match in Stardom! I used to act tough and think that it didn't matter if it was the main event or anything like that, as long as I had the best match I could, that would be enough, but I'm so happy to have been able to headline a match like this! Thank you!"
Meanwhile, Natsupoi reflected backstage, "I couldn't get the IWGP. When I faced Shuri, just like Shuri said, all those memories came flooding back, like when we were on stage together or the time we spent together in DDM. I was really disappointed, but I also had so much fun."
She then added, "But this time, I really put everything on the line for this IWGP belt... Right now I'm so frustrated, so frustrated, so frustrated, and a little shaken up. But, I had another theme for this match, which I called 'A summer to reclaim what I've lost'... I was able to remember that feeling again, that feeling of charging towards something like I used to, or even more than before, that feeling of giving my all to something that I absolutely want to win. I truly feel a sense of purpose as a professional wrestler," she said with a look of satisfaction on her face
Finally, she said, "I want to continue moving straight ahead on my own path," and left the press conference room after placing down her knee pads, which had the letter "P" on them, and saying "Bye!"