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JUN.7.2022

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Hiroshi Tanahashi, Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid announce NJPW x STARDOM event

November 20 event made official for November 20 in Ariake Arena

June 6 saw NJPW and STARDOM’s parent company Bushiroad host a special press conference celebrating its 15th anniversary. As part of several celebratory events for the organization, November 20 will see NJPW and STARDOM combine for their first joint card, in the first joint event for the promotions. This combined card will take place in Tokyo’s Ariake Arena, the new 15,000 seat arena constructed for the Tokyo Olympics held last year. 

Announcing the event were Artist of STARDOM Champion Starlight Kid and SWA World Champion Mayu Iwatani of STARDOM, as well as Hiroshi Tanahashi representing NJPW. Commenting on the announcement, Bushiroad Chairman Takaaki Kidani said ‘In America, it’s fairly common to see women and men on the same card, but in Japan it’s fairly rare, and NJPW and STARDOM have never done it on this scale. This is really a history making event’.

Tanahashi would remark ‘STARDOM’s wrestlers have had matches at our Tokyo Dome cards before, but this is something different. This is a joint promoted card; it isn’t a case of them taking part, but actually sharing equal presence. We’ll each have matches, and perhaps even combine, have the men and women tagging. It’ll be something really different.’

STARDOM ‘Icon’ Iwatani would state ‘I’ve been a part of the Tokyo Dome matches, but this is something different and really special. A dream event. The question would be how it’s received and looked back on. Is this a festival? Or more important a chance for us to let the world know about women’s wrestling? With what we’re capable of, I want this not to just be a one day thing; I want to work at this being the start of STARDOM catching and passing NJPW.’

The brash Oedo Tai representative Starlight Kid commented ‘Bushiroad Group can make some dreams come true, huh? We’ve been in these Tokyo Dome matches before, but this is a joint card. I can’t wait for it, and I know all of you at home can’t either. You want some dream matches for this, right? I don’t know what this card will look like, but if you ask me, I want to be in a mixed tag match. I’m expecting big things, Kidani’.

There was also the announcement of STARDOM collaborating with the NJPW Strong Spirits mobile game this summer. Iwatani admitted she hadn’t played the game before, ‘but I’ll start now! And I’ll be ready to shoot the FMV sequences’. Tanahashi commented that STARDOM wrestlers would bring added balance and unique combinations to in game decks, with teams that would only be possible within the game, while SLK stated that ‘If STARDOM’s gonna be in it, I’ll get to playing’. 

A well received press conference all round was slightly marred in the eyes of Takaaki Kidani, who got some physical encouragement to keep Bushiroad, STARDOM and NJPW going strong in the form of a heavy slap that sent his spectacles flying. Still, Tanahashi was able to reign in the mayhem with a call of ‘Everyone at Bushiroad- Aishitemasu!’

After the conference, Tanahashi commented ‘I’m feeling a real sense of excitement around the wrestling world. I can’t speak for other companies, but within the Bushiroad group, that male/female divide coming down feels like the start of something great. This was a conference with a real eye to the future.

I think it’s a sign we’re able to read the room and changing times. This is a real case of the COVID pandemic, and all the struggles we went through, bringing everyone together. There’s a real sense of everyone going “OK let’s get to work making something even better than before”‘.   

 

 

 

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