Last month, New Japan Pro Wrestling and World Wonder Ring Stardom announced a Historic “X-Over” (Cross-Over) show that would feature stars from both companies in Tokyo’s new Ariake Arena on November 20th. NJPW added that they would be crowned the inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion through a small tournament. This week, they detailed the competition and announced three mixed tag battles for the card.
Women’s Championship Competition qualifying is unknown, although NJPW announced key aspects of the tournament in a press release.
Before their August 27 show, Stardom’s competitors pulled straws to see which faction would be in the IWGP tournament. Winners were STARS, Donna del Mondo, Oedo Tai, and Queen’s Quest, leaving out Cosmic Angels and God’s Eye. The members of these factions with the highest 5-Star Grand Prix tournament scores (based on win-loss record, comparable to NJPW’s G1 Climax) may fight each other in the quarter and semi-final matches. These matches will take place on October 22nd and 23rd.
During London’s Royal Quest performance, two “Europe’s top” international stars will compete. The winner will then face a third international star in a semi-final match also on October 23rd.
The winners of both matches will meet at the highly-anticipated pay-per-view, the first crossover between the companies.
Despite being excluded from the IWGP Women’s Tournament, Cosmic Angels and God’s Eye members are hired for the concert. At X-Over, a trio of mixed-gender tag team matches will determine the momentum of talents in both companies. The matches scheduled are Hiroshi Tanahashi and Utami Hayashishita (Queen’s Quest) vs Hirooki Goto and Maika (Donna del Mondo), Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Natsupoi & Tam Nakano (Cosmic Angels) vs El Desperado, DOUKI, Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe (Oedo Tai), and Giulia (Donna del Mondo) and Zack Sabre Jr. vs Syuri (God’s Eye) and Tom Lawlor.
Needless to say, all of these matches have significance and every opponent has a history. Tanahashi and Hayashishita’s “aces” will confront Maika and Goto’s raw talent. Sabre Jr. seeks redemption against Lawlor following a disappointing G1 performance, while Giulia battles former friend and World of Stardom Champion Syuri. Undeniably passionate face duo Nakano and Natsupoi face more intense, nasty versions of the youthful Starlight Kid and Io Shirai’s “successor-gone-evil” Momo Watanabe, while also pitting Suzuki-gun members against one other.
The pay-per-view is meant to promote Joshi Puroresu and their talent in the sport. General sale for the show begins September 23, but on-demand streaming has yet to be announced.
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