The latest WWE and AEW News and Results
Subscribers can now read this week’s new Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Dave Meltzer delves into the recent maneuvers and cryptic messaging coming out of the Mexican wrestling scene as AAA and CMLL navigate their new reality.
Dave also looks back at the incredible scene at All Star Grand Queendom 2025 between Saya Kamitani and Tam Nakano in a loser must retire match.
All that, the news of the week in WWE, AEW and other promotions, and tons more in this week’s issue lie ahead.
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez, Mike Sempervive and Tom Lawlor return to talk tons of topics including Tom teaming with HAKU this weekend, Tam Nakano’s retirement, Stardom, upcoming line-ups, Hogan and Bischoff, why you MUST HAVE RECAPS FFS, and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
On a new Pacific Rim, Fumi Saito and I talk about his friend, the late Osamu Nishimura, who started in NJPW’s all-star class of 1991, wrestled all over the world in more places than you realize, and had a unique deal with NJPW.
Fumi went to Nishimura’s wake and talks about all the legendary wrestlers who respected and were influenced by Nishimura.
With “Queen of the Ring” in theaters, Fumi and I also talk about Mildred Burke’s influence in Japan and how she helped to create the WWWA World Championship.
Plus, we chat Hirooki Goto, Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani.
Click Here to Listen (sub needed)
On Saturday, AEW star Willow Nightingale was in Japan for a successful defense of her TBS Championship.
Nightingale defeated Tam Nakano at Stardom Flashing Champions 2024. It was Nightingale’s first time wrestling for Stardom in Japan, though she did compete at Stardom’s show in the United States during WrestleMania week last month. Nightingale had previously wrestled in Japan for NJPW and Tokyo Joshi Pro.
Video of Nightingale’s entrance from Saturday’s event can be watched below.
Following the match, Nightingale spoke backstage and praised Nakano. She teased that things may not be over between them.
“Tam, I can see exactly why you have a very decorated past. I can see why people love you and absolutely adore you. And a piece of me did feel a little bit bad smashing you in your very cute face and dropping you on your very cute head,” Nightingale said.
“But this right here — this is the AEW TBS Championship, and I came here to show you what the AEW TBS Champion is all about. So you really brought a fight for me. Like, my goodness. I am sweating. I am pulsing. Oh my goodness. But I’m still a winner. So Tam, maybe this isn’t the end of the line for us. Who knows, really, in this crazy wrestling business. But today, Willow Nightingale was the better woman.”
Nightingale won the TBS Championship from Julia Hart at AEW Dynasty last month.
Next up for Nightingale is a title defense against Mercedes Mone at Double or Nothing in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 26. The match is Mone’s AEW in-ring debut and her first time wrestling since suffering an ankle injury during a match against Nightingale for NJPW in May 2023.
Willow Nightingale will defend the TBS title in Japan.
It was announced during AEW Collision that Nightingale will defend the title against Tam Nakano at Stardom’s Flashing Champions event on May 18 in Yokohama. Stardom confirmed the title match on their X account.
Last appearing in Japan back at NJPW Strong Independence Day last July, Nightingale lost the Strong Women’s Championship at that event to Giulia.
Nightingale won the championship back at AEW Dynasty last month, defeating Julia Hart. Since then, she has continued to defend the title. On last week’s AEW Rampage, she defeated former friend Skye Blue in a Manitoba Massacre match, a falls count anywhere match that ended when Nightingale gave Blue a doctor bomb through a barbed wire table.
A match between Nightingale and Mercedes Mone is currently scheduled for AEW Double or Nothing in Las Vegas on May 26. The two will meet in a contract signing that will take place on this coming Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Stardom’s ongoing injury woes have led to the World of Stardom and Goddesses of Stardom titles being vacated.
The news was revealed at Monday’s press conference to promote the December 2 Nagoya Big Winter event.
“Stardom Executive Producer Rossy Ogawa announces that due to the injuries of Tam Nakano and Natsupoi, they are not expected to be back for quite some time, so the World of Stardom title and the Goddesses of Stardom tag team titles have been returned,” the promotion wrote on social media.
Stardom Executive Producer Rossy Ogawa announces that due to the injuries of Tam Nakano and Natsupoi, they are not expected to be back for quite some time, so the World of Stardom title and the Goddesses of Stardom tag team titles have been returned.
— STARDOM Global (@we_are_stardom) November 20, 2023
World of Stardom champion Tam Nakano has been dealing with a knee injury since October. She had been scheduled to defend the red belt against 5 Star Grand Prix 2023 winner Suzu Suzuki on November 18 at Gold Rush.
With the title now officially vacant, a new champion will be crowned on December 29 at Dream Queendom.
Suzuki will wrestle Hazuki on December 2 with the winner moving on to challenge for the vacant title at Dream Queendom. The other challenger will be determined via a four-person one-night tournament on November 28. Mina Shirakawa vs. Momo Watanabe and Maika vs. Sohrei will be the two semifinal matches with the winners facing each other later in the show.
As for the Goddesses of Stardom tag titles, Natsupoi hasn’t wrestled since early October causing her and Saori Anou to vacate the titles on Monday. Tag League winners Maika and Megan Bayne will face a team to be announced later at Nagoya Big Winter on December 2 for the vacant belts.
Other injuries in the promotion currently include Waka Tsukiyama, who is dealing with a herniated disc in her back, and Mayu Iwatani, who has a dislocated finger. AZM, Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani, and Starlight Kid have all dealt with injuries recently as well.
Our own Dave Meltzer reported in Friday’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Bushiroad is investigating possible causes of the rash of injuries.
“Bushiroad is doing an investigation trying to figure out what needs to be done with findings being presented to Bushiroad at the end of the month,” Meltzer wrote.
Also at today’s press conference, Stardom announced matches for Nagoya Big Winter on December 2.
Nagoya Big Winter announced lineup:
Stardom also announced on Monday that Taro Okada has taken over the reins as president of the company from the retiring Katsuhiko Harada.
The Big Audio Nightmare is back to talk about everything happening in the world of Japanese professional wrestling.
This week’s topics include:
Listen below or wherever you get your favorite podcasts by searching ‘Big Audio Nightmare.’
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The Pacific Rim Pro Wrestling Podcast is back with a review of this past weekend’s Stardom All Star Grand Queendom which was an excellent show from top to bottom.
Fumi Saito was at the Yokohama Arena in person to witness Stardom’s biggest show in company history. He and I run down the matches, the outcomes and some of the factors that lead to those outcomes.
Was Rossy Ogawa happy with the show? What might the future hold for Stardom and Mercedes Mone? You might be surprised at what Fumi has to say.
Get lots of insight into the biggest women’s wrestling show of the year that you won’t get anywhere else.
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Tam Nakano is the new Wonder of Stardom Champion.
Nakano won Stardom’s top championship tonight in the main event of the company’s tenth anniversary event, All Star Dream Cinderella, held this monring at Budokan Hall. Nakano defeated Giulia following a suplex hold, ending Giulia’s reign of 220 days. Giulia originally won the title at Cinderella Summer in Tokyo back on July 26.
Per the stipulations, Giulia had to shave her head as a result of the loss. Nakano originally was set to shave Giulia’s hair, but hesitated and instead handed it to another person who shaved off part of Giulia’s hair. The rest of her hair was later shaved backstage.
A second title change happened earlier in the show, when Natsupoi defeated AZM for the High Speed Championship.
Other top matches on tonight’s show had Utami Hayashishita defeat Saya Kamitani to retain the World of Stardom title, Mayu Iwatani defeating Yoshiko, Syuri defeating Konami to retain the SWA World Championship, and Donnal Del Mundo (Maika and Himeka) defeating Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima) to retain the Goddess of Stardom Championship.
Stardom has announced two matches for the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 15.
During tonight’s Stardom Year End Climax 2020, the promotion announced onsocial media that not one, but two dark matches will be held on the second night of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 15 on January 5. The two matches will be Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano vs. Giulia and Syuri in a tag match, and Saya Kamtani, Azumi, and Utami Hayashishita vs. Maika, Natsupoi, and Himeka in a six-woman tag team match.
Stardom held their first dark match at the Tokyo Dome during last year’s Wrestle Kingdom 14 on the January 4 card. In that match, Mayu Iwatani and Arisa Hoshiki defeated Hana Kimura and Giulia.
For 2021, Stardom will hold their 10th anniversary show on March 3 at Budokan Hall, a much bigger venue for their anniversary show. It will also serve at Mayu Iwatani’s 10th anniversary.
