Less than seven days after the Cinderella Tournament climaxed live on PPV and we saw none other than MIRAI wearing the dress, STARDOM is set to deliver another live card on May 5th in Fukuoka. Fukuoka Goddess Festival, the biggest show to take place during this year’s Golden Week Fight Tour, will see multiple hometown heroes compete on this loaded card. With Fukuoka being a less common destination for the Stardom crew, we will likely see wrestlers like Maika, Hazuki, and Koguma fight with everything they’ve got when they get the chance to battle on the Northern Coast of Japan’s Southern Island. With Three Championships on the line, let’s get into what you need to know heading into Fukuoka Goddess Festival 2022.
Stardom Fukuoka Goddess Festival 2022 Full Card
- Waka Tsukiyama vs. Hina
- Hanan, Saya Iida and Momo Kohgo vs. Saki Kashima, Rina and Ruaka
- Utami Hayashishita, AZM and Lady C vs Tam Nakano, Unagi Sayaka and Mina Shirakawa
- Elimination Match: Syuri, MIRAI, Ami Sourei and Konami vs Giulia, Himeka, Natsupoi and Mai Sakurai
- SWA Championship Match: Thekla (c) vs Mayu Iwatani
- Goddesses of STARDOM Championship Match: Starlight Kid and Momo Watanabe(c) vs. FWC (Hazuki & Koguma)
- Wonder of STARDOM Championship Match: Saya Kamitani(c) vs. Maika
Will God’s Eye Finally Suffer a Defeat Against DDM?
In a match many are looking forward to, Konami will make her return to PPV as she teams with God’s Eye to face Donna Del Mondo in an elimination match. Since Syuri’s exit from DDM and the creation of the God’s Eye faction, the group has been unstoppable, with each member going defeatless throughout April. With the addition of Konami to the group, God’s Eye has been even more dominant, but they have yet to meet their fiercest rivals in a match of this kind where each member of the team must be defeated. Does DDM have what it takes to topple the new juggernauts of Stardom, or will God’s Eye claim victory yet again in this high-profile 4vs4 matchup?
Thekla Stands in the Way of Mayu’s Ambitious Future
The Toxic Spider of DDM will face her biggest challenge to date at the Fukuoka Goddess Festival, as she will defend the SWA Championship against Mayu Iwatani. Since her arrival at the start of 2022, Thekla has made her presence known as one of the best foreign talents to step foot in a Stardom ring in recent years. This made her perfect for the SWA Championship, which she swiftly claimed in January and has worn with pride ever since. Mayu Iwatani, however, is looking to win the only championship in Stardom she is yet to win and is still eligible for at this time. In hopes of becoming a Grand Slam Champion in Stardom, Mayu turned her attention to Thekla after Stardom World Climax and was swiftly granted the shot in Fukuoka.
In addition to her ambitions to be a Grand Slam Champion, Mayu also has the dream of returning the SWA Belt to its former role as a traveling championship and vows to defend the belt around the world once she wins it. With ample rumors about Stardom using the NJPW/AEW Deal to expand into North America, Mayu’s challenge comes at a convenient time in the greater world of pro wrestling. Thekla is determined to retain the belt that she says has become a part of her identity, but Mayu Iwatani might just be too much for The Pride of Austria to handle.
Fukuoka Double Crazy Get Their Rematch with Homefield Advantage
For the Semi-Main Event of the show, Koguma and Hazuki will get to compete together in their hometown of Fukuoka for the first time in seven years. Across the ring from them, however, are Momo Watanabe & Starlight Kid, the duo who dethroned FWC at Stardom World Climax with the help of a steel chair. After both Hazuki and Koguma had tremendous Cinderella Tournament runs throughout April, they now look to right the wrongs that took place in Tokyo, this time with the help of a hometown crowd. Hazuki and Koguma must dodge Oedo Tai’s shenanigans if they have any chance of succeeding, but with Thekla & Giulia’s unsuccessful outing against the tag team champions seemingly doing just that, it’s hard to see how FWC can overcome the evil duo.
Maika Seeks To Lead the Golden Generation Forward in Her Hometown
Finally, the Main Event will see yet another homecoming as Fukuoka’s own Maika challenges fellow Golden Generation member Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. Despite her numerous battles with Utami Hayashishita over both the Future and Red Belt over the years, this will be the first time we see Maika challenge for the White Belt, and it is only fitting that it is against one of her biggest career rivals to date in Saya Kamitani. From matches between MaiHime and AphroditE over the tag team championships to their multiple singles tournament battles against one another, Saya and Maika seemed destined to battle for the White Belt from the moment Saya won the title last December. And, seeing as Saya is the only member of Stardom’s Golden Generation currently holding a singles championship, it is safe to assume that Maika won’t only be wrestling with the motivation of a hometown hero, but the motivation to be known as the superior member of the Golden Generation, as well.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. If you want to see more from Stardom, you can check out their subscription service Stardom World for all your wonderous Joshi needs.
