This is for the Wonder of Stardom Title, a belt that Saya Kamitani has held for well over a year. Her last defence, against Hazuki, was one of my favourite matches of 2023 thus far which silly as it may sound, is no mean feat, even in April. Either way, they work a traditional title match opening, wrestling for position before Shirakawa uses her first advantage to target the knee. She is immediately relentless in this regard, violently slamming it against the mat.
Kamitani is selling with absolute desperation before long and it doesn’t feel even slightly forced, as Shirawaka is unwavering in her attack, even kicking out the leg as Kamitani throws forearms. Already, Kamitani can’t even be whipped towards the ropes without collapsing. She does find a timely retort however, halting Shirakawa’s momentum via sudden dropkick. Kamitani needs to make this advantage count and does, following up with a gorgeous dive to the floor.
Shirakawa isn’t overwhelmed as Kamitani attempts to increase the pace, simply returning to her prior target whenever necessary. Kamitani’s strikes are finding a home though, buying her some time even if she’s unable to follow up as she’d like. The damage is already done unfortunately and Shirakawa isn’t finished yet either, applying the figure four leglock before using her advantage to batter Kamitani with more explosive offence also.
There is almost no downtime in Shirakawa’s time controlling this match, it’s a hectic watch. That description fits Kamitani’s eventual comeback too, throwing absolutely everything at Shirakawa in what feels like her last chance to remain champion. Kamitani is wrestling with a great deal of emotion at this juncture, battling through injury with sheer agony on her face. This window isn’t going to be open forever though, and so Kamitani heads up top, landing Phoenix Splash for only 2.
This is an extraordinary false finish. I am watching this match on delay and sadly, have failed to avoid spoilers and yet still, this kickout had me fooled for a moment. It really feels as though Shirakawa’s perfect performance is about to be all for nought before she just barely beats the count. Regardless, it’s now the challenger who seems desperate, holding onto Kamitani’s leg for dear life as she dreads the champion’s next move.
That buys her the time she needs, somehow climbing to her feet and throwing everything and more to halt Kamitani’s momentum. It’s so last-ditch and raw, just a complete outburst after such a poised performance. It pays off too, as Shirakawa then brings Kamitani off the top with a DDT that leaves both women floored. Here though, there’s no dramatic standoff as they return to their feet, with Shirakawa simply picking up where she left off, clubbing the champion again.
Kamitani somehow survives yet another onslaught, barely beating the count on some quick pin attempts only to be put back in the figure four as Shirakawa returns to the leg. This is a serious false finish but Kamitani somehow makes the bottom rope, kicking out again as Shirakawa follows up via driver thingy. A sequel gets the job done though, with Shirakawa holding the leg for good measure as she finally concludes Kamitani’s title reign.
This was remarkable pro wrestling. Shirakawa’s performance is incredibly focused throughout, hardly wasting a second in control while Kamitani’s selling almost steals the show. She’s fighting uphill within seconds and its present in her every move. Even when the momentum shifts, it feels like Shirakawa’s match to lose, excluding that breath-taking Phoenix Splash near fall, of course. Considering the outcome, it’s fitting that this felt like Shirakawa wrestling the perfect match, with Kamitani’s resistance only speaking to her greatness.
The drama here was immense, just a truly beautiful title match.
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