Fightful Joshi Journal (10/26/22): Mayu Iwatani vs. KAIRI Set For IWGP Women’s Title Final At Historic X-Over

The latest Fightful Joshi Journal looks at this past weekend’s IWGP Women’s Championship tournament that found its final to crown a champion.

The latest edition of the Fightful Joshi Journal breaks down the IWGP Women’s Championship tournament and provides some thoughts on the final between Mayu Iwatani and KAIRI — which will happen at NJPW x STARDOM Historic X-Over.

Mayu Iwatani, KAIRI Set To Bring STARDOM History To IWGP Women’s Championship at Historic X-Over

The IWGP Women’s Championship has not only been the talk of the Joshi world but has been a big topic overall in pro wrestling as we draw closer and closer to Historic X-Over. The title will see women’s wrestling represented in NJPW for the first time ever as STARDOM will lead the way in crafting that title and the legacy surrounding it. This past weekend, STARDOM finally held the tournament matches to determine the final for the championship.

The STARDOM matches began Saturday at Korakuen Hall as Utami Hayashishita competed with Himeka meanwhile Mayu Iwatani and Momo Watanabe continued their long-time feud with another excellent main event. Hayashishita outlasted the powerhouse battle with Himeka as they were hitting each other with everything and then some in their match. The former World of Stardom Champion hit the BT Bomb to Himeka, planting her on the mat to win the match and advance to the semifinal. In the main event, Iwatani was able to withstand the Oedo Tai-aided attack of Watanabe to escape with the victory after hitting a stunning Reverse Poisonrana by launching herself from the top rope.

You can see the move below.

岩谷麻優が大江戸隊の凶器攻撃を返し、奥の手ダイビング・フブキラナで渡辺桃から勝利

IWGP女子王座準決勝進出#STARDOM pic.twitter.com/SxyYE9tRJy

— スターダムSTARDOM (@wwr_stardom) October 22, 2022

The scene was set for Sunday which also happened to be the kick-off to the Goddess of Stardom Tag League. Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita on one side and KAIRI making her grand return to take on Alpha Female, who defeated Ava White at Royal Quest to make it to the semifinals.

What followed in the matchup between KAIRI and Alpha Female was the fans getting an opportunity to see the underdog in KAIRI come out. Female’s power was a difference-maker for her in this match as it left KAIRI trying to shake her off and figure out how she can use her strikes and speed to outdo her. There were times watching this match that there was worry she wouldn’t be able to pull it out and the dream final with her heading to Historic X-Over would be gone. Alpha Female hit her signature Dominator to KAIRI and was just as shocked when she didn’t get the win with “The Pirate Princess” kicking out. From there, it became the KAIRI show with the former World and Wonder of Stardom Champion getting the win as she hit the Insane Elbow. One step was complete and KAIRI was on her way to Historic X-Over and the finals of the IWGP Women’s Championship tournament. To me, with the biggest match in STARDOM’s history at stake, there was only one right choice to win the main event battle and that was Mayu Iwatani.

The match between Iwatani and Utami Hayashishita was the most important match of Hayashishita’s year and she rose to the championship-level occasion. It’s no secret it has been a quiet year for the former World of Stardom Champion after establishing herself as one of the best in the world in 2021 but as we saw in the 5STAR Grand Prix, that ability is still there when needed. After watching this match, there was improvements on Hayashishita’s behalf that saw her wrestle her cleanest match to date. Sure, the matches with Syuri last year still should be ranked higher but there’s no denying that she is closer to a complete performer than she was in her reign as champion. The challenge was then there for Iwatani to respond with one of her best matches of the year as she channeled the underdog in her for the first time in what feels like years. Iwatani and Hayashishita traded back and forth all night but it was the closing sequence that solidified this as one of STARDOM’s best matches all year.

Iwatani would get Hayashishita up to the top rope and go into a former rival of hers playbook, Marvelous ace Takumi Iroha, by bringing out the Running Three that was taught to her by Joshi legend Chigusa Nagayo over two years ago. She’d smash Hayashishita down and hit two Moonsaults from the top rope to earn the victory and punch her ticket into the IWGP Women’s Championship Tournament Finals. And, of course, setting up one more singles match between one-third of her Threedom mates, KAIRI.

They’d go face-to-face after the match and as someone who is as much as a fan of both as I am, this was a goosebumps-type moment. That moment of them facing off with the IWGP Women’s Championship in their hands is what professional wrestling is all about. I felt it. I was emotional watching it. And I loved every single second. Iwatani and KAIRI have been through so much together and apart but somehow, someway they’re back together for what will be the biggest match in STARDOM’s history at Historic X-Over. Wrestling is really cool.

Here’s the card as of now for Historic X-Over on November 20:

• IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani vs. KAIRI
• Tom Lawlor & Syuri vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Giulia
• Tam Nakano, Natsupoi, Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Starlight Kid, El Desperado, Momo Watanabe & DOUKI
• Hiroshi Tanahashi & Utami Hayashishita vs. Maika & Hirooki Goto

Matches Worth Checking Out (10/26/22)

• STARDOM
  • Utami Hayashishita vs. Himeka
  • Mayu Iwatani vs. Momo Watanabe
  • Syuri & Tomoka Inaba vs. Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid
  • Tam Nakano & Natsupoi vs. Giulia & Thekla
  • Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita
• DEADLOCK Pro
  • Emi Sakura vs. Mei Suruga

Notable results from the week:

TJPW City Circuit Autumn (10/22/22)

• Yuki Aino def. Kaya Toribami
• Free WiFi (Hikari Noa & Nao Kakuta) def. Maki Itoh & Mahiro Kiryu
• Yuki Kamifuku def. Hyper Misao and Haruna Neko
• Rika Tatsumi def. Raku
• Shoko Nakajima & Moka Miyamoto def. Miu Watanabe & Pom Harajuku
• Magical Sugar Rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) def. Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume) 

Check out our latest Joshi interviews with Yuka Sakazaki and Shoko Nakajima.