Entry #211
Yoshiko (c) vs. Act Yasukawa
for the World of Stardom Championship
Stardom Queen's Shout - February 22, 2015
In Japan, this is known simply as the "Ghastly Match". No qualifiers, just that. I know exactly what happens in this match... but I came for the worst, and I'm going to get the worst, no matter how traumatising it is. Just got to get through a few more matches, and I can go back to reviewing things like the 2015 IC Title Elimination Chamber. I can go back to having fun again. So anyway, this is a defence of Stardom's top title in 2015. There's heat between the two. Something bad happens. I can't do this. But I have to.
This is probably a bad time to bring up Hokuto vs. Kandori, but I get a similar vibe. Act being the flamboyant star and Yoshiko being the serious fighter. There's a little pre-match angle where there's a contract signing, Act's crew attacks Yoshiko and tries to put her through a table. During the introductions, they're just staring each other down. Cold, unfeeling. Yoshiko even completely no-sells her Babyface Streamers.
The bell rings, and they refuse to take their gaze off each other. One disturbing minute of staredowns later, they start shooting. Like, right away, those shots are immediately to the face. Yoshiko brings Act down, seemingly trying to yank her hair out of her scalp and applying punches directly to her forehead. When the referee breaks it, Act already has a broken nose. The match is broken up so Act's corner team can check on her. Kyoko Kimura's on hand, giving her water. The blood's streaming down her face. Yoshiko has her fists streaked with red, completely remorseless. Ref just warns Yoshiko not to do that in future, as if this was a completely normal match.
Act does eventually get back up, but Yoshiko is right into it. Legit strikes raining down as she downs Act again, with a kick to the face for good measure. But she refuses to back down. Yoshiko topples a visibly groggy Act again and tries to go for a pinfall but Act makes a rope break at one. For the next few seconds, the match starts to resemble an actual wrestling match, with Irish whips and shoulderblocks. Except the shoulderblocks consist of Yoshiko just shoving Act away. There's even a hair toss. Yoshiko seems to be concentrating all her offence on Act's head, and stiffing, but at least it's actual moves? I don't know, I'm just trying anything I can to power through. Act Yasukawa, streaked in blood, barely able to stand, is still standing up to the woman who's legit tried to break her head open all match.
Yoshiko takes her to ground again, and the thudding closed fists to her head resume. Yoshiko goes for a neck crank too. Act's fucking choking on her own blood now. God. She goes to the outside, where she's attended to by her stablemates. Not actual doctors, you'll notice. Ref has to go out and check on her, too. And against the ref's advice, and the advice of everyone around her, Act just tries to go back in. Kyoko Kimura, on the outside, throws in a towel, and the ref decides to call this match as a no contest. Act is being escorted out of the ring, refusing to give up, screaming even as she can barely breathe, while in the ring, staff are trying to separate Kimura from Yoshiko as this shit is just beyond the pale.
Post-match, Yoshiko would be stripped of the title and fired. Nanae Takahashi, the delightful individual who was allegedly leading the "fuck Act Yasukawa" charge in the company, would leave too, only to start her own promotion, the silly-named SEAdLINNNG, where she could push Yoshiko as much as she wanted. Both women would eventually return to Stardom in 2020, with Yoshiko getting a one-off match while Takahashi
checks notes was a champion as recently as April 2023. And was even protected in dropping the belts. Meanwhile Act Yasukawa had to legit retire by the end of the year, and has only wrestled part-time on a much smaller stage since. Talk about consequences, huh?
There's a reason why this is the lowest rated Cagematch match of all time. I hope it's obvious. I don't know what looked more gruesome - Act's face or Peter B. Beautiful's skull in the last match. And the aftermath is an example of how ultimately, in this world, good things happen to bad people.