Stars (professional wrestling)

First and current leader of the stable, Mayu Iwatani.

The stable has been considered the union of the well-meaning ladies of the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion since 2017 and became an official faction in the course of the Stardom Draft from April 15, 2018, with Mayu Iwatani as the basic leader, and Starlight Kid, Saki Kashima, Shiki Shibusawa, Natsumi and Tam Nakano as their five picks. Hanan also remained part of them without being mentioned.[4] They had their first match as an official stable on April 21, 2018 at Stardom Rebirth, where Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid teamed up to defeat Queen's Quest (AZM, Konami and Momo Watanabe) in a six-man tag team match.[5]

Arisa Hoshiki won the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2019 by defeating Konami in the finals on Apri 29. Saki Kashima and Tam Nakano fell short in the first rounds and Starlight Kid made it to the semi-finals.[6]

At the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2020, Iwatani, Kid and Tam Nakano competed in the event, with Iwatani and Kid falling short into the first round matches, and Nakano losing to Natsuko Tora in the semi-finals.[7]At Stardom Yokohama Cinderella 2020 on October 3, Tokyo Cyber Squad's Jungle Kyona and Konami fell short to Oedo Tai's Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima in a Loser unit must disband match. After the match, the broken Cyber Squad's Kyona, Death Yama-san, Rina and Ruaka were invited to join Stars which they all accepted. Konami joined Oedo Tai.[8]

On October 25, 2020, following Tam Nakano's pairing with a debuting Mina Shirakawa into the 2020 edition of the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, Mayu Iwatani officially announced Shirakawa as a full member of Stars. Nakano would name their tag team as "Cosmic Angels".[9] On November 14, 2020, Unagi Sayaka from Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling debuted in Stardom and joined the sub-unit of Cosmic Angels.[10] At Road to Osaka Dream Cinderella - Day 2 on December 16, 2020, Nakano, Shirakawa and Sayaka teamed up to defeat Oedo Tai's Bea Priestley, Natsuko Tora and Saki Kashima to win the Artist of Stardom Championship.[11] On December 20, 2020 at Osaka Dream Cinderella, Nakano announced that she, Shirakawa and Sayaka were splitting from Stars to act as a separate stable.[12]

At Stardom All Star Dream Cinderella on March 3, 2021, Starlight Kid, Saya Iida, and Gokigen Death competed in a 24-women Stardom All Star Rumble featuring various wrestlers from the past such as Chigusa Nagayo, Kyoko Inoue, Mima Shimoda, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Momoe Nakanishi and many others, and Mayu Iwatani defeated Yoshiko in a singles match.[13] At Stardom Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 on April 4, Mayu Iwatani, Saya Iida, Starlight Kid, Hanan and Gokigen Death fell short to Oedo Tai's Natsuko Tora, Ruaka, Konami, Saki Kashima and Rina in a Ten-woman elimination tag team match in which the last one eliminated was forced to join the enemy unit. Since Gokigen Death was eliminated last, she was forced to join Oedo Tai.[14] At the beginning of the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2021, Stars only counted four members. Iwatani, Hanan and Starlight Kid, with all of them being scheduled to take part into the tournament except Saya Iida who was out with injury. On the first night from April 10, Hanan fell short to Himeka, Starlight Kid defeated Momo Watanabe, and Mayu Iwatani defeated Fukigen Death, all matches having been disputed in the first-round matches.[15] On the second night from May 14, Hanan fell short to Natsupoi, Lady C and Tam Nakano in a four-way match, while Starlight Kid fell short to Saya Kamitani and Mayu Iwatani to Himeka in the second-round mactches. Koguma made her return and saved Stars from an Oedo Tai attack and subsequently joined the unit.[16] On the third night from June 12, Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid, Hanan, Koguma and Rin Kadokura, an associate from Pro Wrestling Wave teamed up to fall short to Oedo Tai's Natsuko Tora, Konami, Fukigen Death, Ruaka and Saki Kashima in another Ten-woman elimination tag team match, where this time Starlight Kid was the last to get eliminated and was forced to join Oedo Tai since.[17] At Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 in Summer on July 4, Hanan teamed up with Hina to compete in a Gauntlet tag team match won by Konami and Fukigen Death, and also involving the teams of Maika and Lady C and Saki Kashima and Rina. Next, Mayu Iwatani and Koguma unsuccessfully challenged Alto Livello Kabaliwan (Giulia and Syuri) for the Goddess of Stardom Championship.[18] Mayu Iwatani and Koguma were the only members of Stars to compete in the Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2021. They both wrestled in the "Red Stars" and scored a tying eleven points after going against Momo Watanabe, Starlight Kid, Himeka, Fukigen Death, Natsupoi, Giulia, Mina Shirakawa and Saki Kashima.[19] At Stardom 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella on October 9, 2021, Hazuki defeated Koguma in her return match and mayu Iwatani fell short to Tam Nakano in a Wonder of Stardom Championship match.[20] At the 2021 edition of the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, Hazuki and Koguma competed as the team of FWC, Mayu Iwatani alongside Rin Kadokura went under the name of Blue MaRine, and Hanan engaged in a makeshift team with Rina known as Water & Oil. BlueMarine competed in the "Blue Goddess Block" and the other two sub-units in the "Red Goddess Block". Hazuki and Koguma would eventually win the tournament by defeating previous winner MOMOAZ (Momo Watanabe and AZM).[21] During the event, on November 4, Hazuki joined the unit.[22] At Kawasaki Super Wars, the first event of the Stardom Super Wars trilogy of pay-per-views which took place on November 3, Hanan and Rina teamed up to fall short to Saki Kashima and Fukigen Death in an inter-event crossing match with the Goddess Tag League, Mayu Iwatani and Koguma fell short to Himeka and Natsupoi, and Hazuki unsuccessfully challenged Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom Championship.[23] At Tokyo Super Wars on November 27, Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki and Hanan defeated Saki Kashima, Fukigen Death and Rina, and Koguma unsuccessfully challenged Starlight Kid for the High Speed Championship.[24] At Osaka Super Wars, the last event from December 18, 2021, Mayu Iwatani, Hazuki and Koguma teamed up to compete in a ¥10 Million Unit Tournament. They defeated Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka) in the semi-finals but fell short to MaiHimePoi (Maika, Natsupoi and Himeka) in the finals which were also disputed for the Artist of Stardom Championship.[25] At Stardom Dream Queendom on December 29, 2021, Hanan defeated Ruaka to win the Future of Stardom Championship, Koguma unsuccessfully challenged AZM and Starlight Kid in a three-way match for the High Speed Championship and Mayu Iwatani teamed up with Takumi Iroha to defeat Hazuki and Momo Watanabe in a shuffled tag team match.[26]

Hazuki facing Momo Watanabe at Stardom World Climax 2022 on March 27.

At Stardom in Osaka event from January 23, 2022, Momo Kohgo requested Stars members to let her join the unit which the latters accepted.[27] At Stardom Nagoya Supreme Fight on January 29, 2022, Momo Kohgo defeated Fukigen Death, Ruaka, Saki Kashima and Rina in an elimination five-way match, Hanan defeated Lady C to retain the Future of Stardom Championship, Hazuki and Koguma defeated Maika and Himeka to retain the Goddess of Stardom Championship and Mayu Iwatani went into a 30 minute time-limit draw against Giulia in a match to establish the number one contender for the World of Stardom Championship]. Stardom's president Rossy Ogawa however sanctioned this as giving both Giulia and Iwatani the contendership for the title at Stardom World Climax 2022.[28] At Stardom Cinderella Journey on February 23, 2022, Hanan defended the Future of Stardom title successfully against fellow stablemate Momo Kohgo, Mayu Iwatani teamed up with Tam Nakano to defeat Fukigen Death and Saki Kashima, and Hazuki and Koguma successfully defended the Goddess of Stardom Championship against Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka.[29] At Stardom New Blood 1 on March 11, 2022, Momo Kohgo defeated Gatoh Move Pro Wrestling's Sayaka, and Hanan and a returning Saya Iida defeated Professional Wrestling Just Tap Out's Tomoka Inaba and Aoi.[30] On the first night of the Stardom World Climax 2022 from march 25, Hanan defended the Future of Stardom title against Rina, Hazuki and Koguma dropped the Goddess titles to Black Desire (Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid), and Mayu Iwatani and a returning Kairi defeated Tam Nakano and Unagi Sayaka.[31] On the second night from March 27, Hanan defended the Future title again against Mai Sakurai, Saya Iida and Momo Kohgo took part in a 18-women Cinderella Rumble match won by Mei Suruga and also featuring various wrestlers who competed at Stardom New Blood 1 such as Haruka Umesaki, Nanami, Maria, Ai Houzan, and Yuna Mizumori, and in the main event, Mayu Iwatani unsuccessfully challenged Syuri for the World of Stardom Championship.[32] On the first night of the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2022 from April 3, in the first round matches, Hazuki defeated Miyu Amasaki, Koguma defeated Fukigen Death, Saya Iida defeated Rina, Mayu Iwatani defeated Momo Kogho, and Hanan fell short to Maika.[33] Hazuki and Koguma battled in the semi-finals of the tournament from April 29, 2022, with Koguma picking a win over her FWC tag partner and qualifying into the finals where she fell short to Mirai.[34]