Written in the Stars: 5 Stardom Wrestlers That Could Thrive in WWE
The Dream Queendom could take over the US
WORLD WONDER RING STARDOM is the premiere Joshi (women) wrestling promotion in Japan, and one of the best wrestling promotions in the world, period. Almost from it’s conception STARDOM has boasted top level talent, showcasing some of the best matches ever seen in the history of the sport of professional wrestling.
From it’s hallowed halls came some of the best women’s wrestlers ever known, many of whom crossing the Pacific and making themselves known here in the states. Names like: Iyo Sky, Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler, Toni Storm, Riho, Piper Niven, Jamie Hayter, Blair Davenport, and many others cut their teeth in this illustrious promotion, some even becoming champions during their tenure.
With rumors circling of Giulia, one of the promotion’s top stars and current NJPW Strong Women’s Champion, coming to WWE in the Spring time, I thought it would be good to take a look at some other women in STARDOM that could potentially make a name for themselves here in the west.
Disclaimer: I’m not saying that these women SHOULD leave Stardom, just analyzing their potential if they were signed by WWE, but with the recent news of company founder Rossy Ogawa being let go and allegedly trying to start his own promotion again, anything is possible.
5. Thekla
With Giulia seemingly on the way to WWE later this year, what better way to start this list off than with her friend and former stablemate in DDM?
The Austrian-born wrestler made an immediate impact when she debuted for STARDOM in 2021 as one of two masked assailants who were attacking wrestlers on behalf of Giulia, the other being fellow STARDOM wrestler MIRAI.
Her striking looks, deceptive power, and unorthodox wrestling style helped Thekla capture gold in the promotion relatively quickly, holding the SWA World Championship as well as the Artist of Stardom title with fellow stablemates Mai Sakurai and Giulia.
Like Giulia, Thekla’s contract with Stardom is set to expire soon, and while she has expressed more interest in joining AEW because of their more creatively free environment, she would do well in WWE if she choses to pursue that route. She has a unique look and her English language proficiency gives her a leg up over the some of the other women on this list.
Plus, her in Imperium with fellow Austrian GUNTHER would be a very interesting development.
4. Mina Shirakawa
“Sexy Venus” has really come into her own over the past year. Starting out as a Gravure idol, the equivalent of a western “pin-up/Playboy” model, Shirakawa began her wrestling career in 2018 on the Japanese indie scene (mostly Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling) before joining STARDOM in 2020.
Initially used as the fall guy for her unit, Cosmic Angels, Mina slowly but surely started to improve her skills in the ring, culminating in a huge win over then Wonder of Stardom champion Saya Kamitani during the 2022 5-Star Grand Prix. Unfortunately, her momentum would be stalled when during her match for the White (Wonder of Stardom) Belt at 2022’s Hiroshima Goddess Festival, Shirakawa was seriously injured when a misjudged landing by Kamitani on her Golden Phoenix Splash resulted in Mina sustaining an injured jaw and broken teeth.
Mina would return that December, flanked by foreign newcomers Xia Brookside and Mariah May. Soon after she would abandon Cosmic Angels to form her own faction known as Club Venus. Though this unit would be short lived (mostly due to it being comprised of foreign talents with very short stints in the company) they would see great success as Mina would defeat Kamitani in a rematch to secure the White Belt at All Star Grand Queendom, as well win as the Goddess of Stardom Tag Titles with Mariah May later in the year.
Though she would soon lose the White Belt to her former leader in Cosmic Angels Tam Nakano in a winner take all match for both the Red and White belts, Shirakawa’s growth over the past year cannot be understated.
While her past as a gravure idol and overall gimmick as the “sexy girl” might tie her to WWE’s much maligned “divas” era, Shirakawa has long since been able to cross that barrier, becoming a strong competitor as well as alluring eye candy. Her drive to improve and willingness to reinvent herself would serve her well in the states.
Shirakawa has also expressed interest in working more matches in the US, and her proficiency in English (while slight) would help her get over quicker with the crowds. She also boasts an endorsement from WWE star Asuka.
Time will tell if she ever makes the jump stateside.
3. Starlight Kid
In my opinion, no one’s star has burned brighter in the 2020s than that of one Starlight Kid.
Starting her career at just 15 years old, SLK joined Stardom in 2015 where she was quickly slotted as a young, plucky, underdog babyface taken under the wing of the promotion’s top star, Mayu Iwatani. Despite being a crowd favorite and stalwart member of the heroic STARS unit, SLK was always seen as nothing more than “Mayu’s sidekick”. That would all change in the summer of 2021.
In the midst of the ongoing war between STARS and their longtime enemies, the villainous Oedo Tai, SLK’s career would be forever altered. On the last night of the 2021 Cinderella Tournament, Kid found herself on the losing end of an Elimination Tag Match between STARS and OT. The stipulation was the last member pinned would join the winning team’s faction. This would unfortunately be Kid’s fate as she was pinned by OT leader Natsuko Tora to end the match while Mayu was forced to watch from ringside.
Despite initially refusing to give in to the dark temptations of Oedo Tai, SLK slowly but surely found herself embracing her inner desire to escape Mayu’s shadow, and completely reinventing herself in the process. Gone were the bright colors of her gear and smiling face the fans adored. Now she draped herself in Oedo Tai’s foreboding black and purple, and sported a vindictive and evil scowl.
Since then she has been on a tear, winning championship after championship and solidifying herself as a top heel and the future of the company for years to come.
At the tender age of 22, SLK still has a lot to learn but is clearly still wise beyond her years. Her match quality has been increasing and her confidence on the mic grows with each passing day.
While I doubt she will leave STARDOM anytime soon, she has a tremendous upside should she decide to take that international journey. Especially since WWE (or really any American wrestling promotion) has yet to female masked wrestlers.
2. Utami Hayashishita
The current leader of Queen’s Quest and heir apparent to Iyo Sky (formerly Io Shirai).
At just 25, Utami has solidified herself as not just the greatest female wrestler of her generation, but one of the best of all time.
Utami first caught the wrestling bug when attending a WWE show in Japan featuring Japanese wrestling legend Tajiri. Starting her training at the Stardom Dojo in March of 2018, Utami’s first official match would take place in August of that year in a draw against the veteran Jungle Kyona.
Over time Utami would gain an impressive stretch of wins against hosts of noteworthy opponents, winning title after title along the way. Her stoic demeanor as well as her “cool beauty” aesthetic made her a hit amongst both male and female fans, while her hard-hitting, technical style of wrestling forced even the staunchest critics to stand and applaud.
Her accomplishments aren’t just limited to her home country, as she is a former Pro Wrestling EVE International Champion, as well as ranking on ESPN’s “30 Best Wrestler’s Under 30” list just last year.
With a litany of classic matches under her belt as well as having won pretty much every title and accolade in the promotion there is to win, there doesn’t seem to be much left for Utami to do in STARDOM, which likely factored into her American excursion last year.
Utami wrestled a few independent matches stateside in 2023, going undefeated in GCW, Jersey Championship Wrestling, and most notably the revived Ring Of Honor. She would also make some waves when pictures were shared of her training with current WWE Superstar Natalya during her stay in the US.
While the language barrier might be an obstacle at first should she decide to come to the US full-time, her charisma and in-ring ability more than make the difference.
1. Mayu Iwatani
The Ace of STARDOM, The Icon, and current IWGP Women’s Champion. Mayu Iwatani is a girl who was never supposed to make it in life, much less pro wrestling.
Growing up in the countryside of Yamaguchi Prefecture Mayu lived a realtively normal life until an incident involving police dramatically changed that trajectory forever.
Dropping out of high school and essentially becoming a hikkomori (the Japanese equivalent of a shut-in), Mayu was content to live out her days in squalor being trapped in a cage made of her own fears and insecurities, but the universe had other plans.
After seeing a Dragon Gate match on TV one night, Mayu started to become obsessed with the idea of becoming a wrestler. With nothing but 50 bucks in her pocket and a dream in her head, she left home and moved to Tokyo. She would meet Rossy Ogawa, the creator and now former owner of STARDOM, who would allow her to live with him for a time on the condition that she become a “big star” in the world of wrestling. That was much easier said than done.
To say Mayu’s beginnings were rough would be a grand understatement. She was clumsy, lazy, unsure of herself, and weak-willed. Not a day went by where she didn’t contemplate quitting, but her connection to the fans as well as her natural ability to sell kept her coming back.
Soon Mayu would be known as one of the “Three Daughters of Stardom” along with Kairi Sane (formerly Kairi Hojo) and Iyo Sky (then known as Io Shirai), she would even form a tag team with Iyo. Calling themselves “Thunder Rock”.
Mayu’s crazy style of wrestling started to catch on the more time she spent in the ring. While not being as fast, strong, or technical as some of her contemporaries, Mayu’s long limbs and to toss her body around with reckless abandon helped her stay in pace with the top talent, her seemingly impervious body giving her the nickname “The Zombie”.
When Kairi and Iyo both left STARDOM for WWE, Mayu was suddenly forced to carry the promotion all on her own and to the surprise of no one she excelled at it. Mayu has without question solidified herself as one of the greatest professional wrestlers in the entire world, with her story leading her to write a memoir and even inspiring a feature film currently in production.
Having won titles both at home and abroad, the only place left for Mayu to conquer is the US. She’s had a few stints here and there, being a former Ring of Honor Women’s Champion as well as winning nearly every title and accolade in STARDOM. It’s time for her to step onto a bigger stage, and while her current reign as IWGP Women’s Champion could certainly help that, that will only get her so far (especially now that Rossy has been ousted from the company).
At 31, Mayu has only just begun to reach her prime and with her star only continuing to rise it’s only a matter of time before WWE and other promotions come knocking once her contract is up.