There have been many sad songs over the decades that are beloved and remembered fondly for telling a great story that connects with people’s emotions. Perhaps Joshi’s most emotional, yet adored ballad at the moment that has strongly connected with fans is the trials and tribulations of New York-born Waka Tsukiyama within STARDOM.
Since her STARDOM debut in September 2021 as one of Cosmic Angels’ two new rookies (alongside Mai Sakurai), Waka Tsukiyama has become one of the more popular performers on the STARDOM roster. She receives some of the biggest reactions both in and outside of the arena, has a large number of fans and supporters online, and is slowly becoming one the more consistent and emotionally captivating performers as she steadily improves her performances within the squared circle. Alas, there is just one fundamental yet loveable flaw with ‘Gassan’…
…she just cannot win!
Disregarding the Giulia gauntlet match, Waka’s record in competitive matches in Stardom has been spotless – a perfect 100% loss rate. Solo matches, tag matches, trios, four-ways, it doesn’t matter, she has lost the whole damn lot of them, and has always been the person who has taken the pin/submission in the multi-person tag matches. It has now become one of those guarantees in wrestling, like a Brock Lesnar versus Roman Reigns match in WWE, Jon Moxley bleeding in any match he takes part in, and an old-school wrestler having an awful opinion on their podcast – if Waka is competing in a match, she will lose it!
As time has passed, the quest for that initial victory is now becoming an epic quest for Waka Tsukiyama as she tries, and repeatedly fails to get her arm lifted in glory. The bubbly rookie that was originally introduced has now morphed into a more focused and emotional fighter as her skill set has improved and her experience increased. Gone is her trademark red hairbow and crescent moon pose before matches. The hair has come down but the fists have come up as Waka now poses like a determined street fighter before matches, often sprinting down to the ring Ultimate Warrior-style to get herself amped up for another attempt at victory. Unfortunately despite her ‘warrior spirit’, the contest inevitably ends in a bitter and increasingly heartbreaking defeat despite a flurry of agonizingly close near falls during the match. Even changes in her wrestling gear, and even applying (very, very questionable) face paint in her fight against Ram Kaichow at New Blood 3, have not altered her luck.
The continuous losses carry a heavy burden as Waka Tsukiyama has obviously become the weak link of Cosmic Angels, as she takes the fall in multi-person matches. Initially, every defeat was taken graciously by her teammates who regarded it as a rite of passage for all rookies to follow. However, as the losses have continued to stack up, even the strongest of patience have started to fray within the faction. Initially, there were murmurings of discontent amongst her Cosmic Angels allies but they were soon quelled by the strength of support that came from her leader, Tam Nakano. Alas, even that well has seemingly been drawn dry. Following another loss to Ram Kaichow, this time teaming with Rebel X Enemy teammate Maika Ozaki to defeat the Tam Nakano and Waka Tsukiyama tag team at NEW BLOOD 6, even Nakano’s patience was starting to wear thin saying that Waka need to find that “unseen force” to follow her own road become “stronger” to stop her losing rut.
This comment from her leader lit a fire within “Little Moon,” who spurred into action, and threw herself down the road to get “stronger”. Following Nanae Takahashi’s victory over Lady C in a “Passion Injection” match at New Blood 6, a tearful Waka came out asking for her own “passion match” against the legendary Joshi wrestler to help her to become stronger. Nanae was certainly impressed by the passion displayed but wanted to see it in action before making a decision. Therefore, Waka was added to the previously scheduled meltear (Tam Nakano and Natsupoi) versus 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi and Yuu) match a few days before the two teams were set to clash for the Goddess of Stardom Championship at Stardom Dream Queendom to make it a three-on-two in favor of the tag champs and Cosmic Angels. Despite the odds, it was the outside duo who claimed victory (in a precursor to what would happen at Stardom Dream Queendom) who naturally pinned Waka. Following the match, it was agreed Waka Tsukiyama would indeed get her match against Takahashi but it came at a huge cost to Gassan…
Tam’s loyalty to her apprentice had run its own course as she gave Waka Tsukiyama the ultimate ultimatum, either she won within three months or she would be forced to leave Cosmic Angels! As STARDOM is heavily influenced by factions, being thrown out of a faction is a very big move, and Tam took the gamble that the proverbial stick might be more effective than the carrot.
It has not helped Waka’s position within CA that the woman who she debuted with, Mai Sakurai, has progressed into a solid hand within the company. Following her defection to Donna del Mondo in 2022 and becoming the protege of Tam’s most hated rival, and current World of Stardom Champion, Giulia, she became one of the most improved wrestlers of 2022 and has had an impressive 5STAR campaign surprisingly earning nine points and had various solid performances with her mentor in tag matches, most noticeably in a hardcore tag match against Suzu Sukuzi and Risa Sera, as well as great performances in the New Blood series of PPVs. She even hit a Harlem Hangover on Waka in their most recent Triangle Derby match during the New Year! Where it was initially perceived that Waka and Mai could be rivals, the latter seemed to have progressed beyond the former’s level.
[READ: Mai Sakurai: The Lady Doth Interest]
With allies abandoning her, the threat of banishment from her faction ringing in her ears, and her quest for a victory as far away as ever, an emotional Waka produced one of the best babyface promos you will find this year in the press conference for NEW BLOOD 7. As tears flowed down her face, Gassan proclaimed how she was depressed over the New Year and had watched wrestling matches whilst crying – the frustration of her current predicament despite her undying passion and determination for puro was clear for everyone to see. You just can’t help but support the ultimate underdog!
Perhaps Tam might be correct in her assumption as the deadline for expulsion from Kouzen has further invigorated Waka as the time starts ticking for her Cosmic Angels tenure. In addition to her match with Nanae, Waka made the ultimate challenge on her road to strength. At a press conference event in early January, the new Red Belt champion Giulia suggested she wanted to take part in a 10-person gauntlet match (with each opponent having 3 minutes to beat the champion) to demonstrate her championship credentials. Naturally, it would be Waka who first stood up to challenge the new champion, claiming that she had to “take the initiative” to change her own life for the better (in reference to Nanae saying to Waka, “If you wrestle me, your life will change”). At first, Giulia found the challenge amusing, but seeing the determination and passion in Waka Tsukiyama’s tear-filled eyes, actually gave her the respect that Waka’s supposed leader had failed to provide. Perhaps the champion saw something in Waka she had initially seen in Mai Sakurai before her DDM switch, or even in herself when as a rookie in Ice Ribbon? Either way, she agreed to the challenge and Waka would become one of the competitors of the Giulia Gauntlet challenge.
So where does that leave Waka Tsukiyama currently?
Her inability to even pick up a time-limit draw (and they are certainly not a rare occurrence in Stardom), let alone a win, and with additional successful members being brought into the CA fold, the focus on her defeats has finally become untenable for the faction, and now her tenure in Cosmic Angels is finite. Alas, for all the increasing pressure from her increasing number of teammates, the pressure she applies on herself is becoming far more telling, often becoming despondent and emotional post-match as that star is forever just out of reach for the Little Moon. But there might be a small shining beacon on the horizon with Waka managing to achieve a draw against Giulia in the World of Stardom Champion’s gauntlet match, even if the match was only three minutes long – she never lost for the first time in her STARDOM career!
It is Waka’s unfulfilled quest for victory which has made her become the ultimate underdog and babyface within STARDOM. As we have seen in many previous storylines around the world, wrestling fans love an underdog story, and there is currently no greater storyline in STARDOM than Waka’s first win. Her gutsy yet unsuccessful matches have seen many fans increasingly crave that inaugural win as much as she does. Unquestionably, the internet may explode when the event finally arrives one day!
The law of averages indicates that a victory has to be forthcoming eventually – the combination of consecutive defeats must come to an end eventually. However, what form of Gassan will we see when that day finally and gloriously arrives? The rejuvenated Mina Shirakawa, could potentially hold the key to that development with Mina taking Waka under her wing, perhaps seeing the problems that Waka is facing in parallel with that of Mina’s when she first joined STARDOM (not to mention the frustration of being under Nakano’s shadow). “Little Moon” has also become the “official interpreter” for Club Venus, Mina’s sub-faction, meaning her integration into Mina’s spin-off faction is becoming greater. Can “The Venus of Stardom” help Waka become stronger or will she too become frustrated with the continuous losses? It’s hard to establish yourself as a stand-alone faction if you have an obvious ‘weak link’, perhaps?
Maybe Waka will bite the bullet and become a member of another faction, ending Tam’s threat of expulsion, where another top star (maybe even an outsider coming into STARDOM) will make it their priority to take the New Yorker under their wing, make her feel supported and appreciated, and it becomes the deciding factor that improves her fortunes? Nanae Takahashi seems a very likely candidate considering Waka will face her again at the end of March during the last days of her three-month deadline, where a deciding factor will have to happen, either for the good or bad of Waka Tsukiyama. Or will Waka take the ultimate step to clinch that victory by embracing her previous devil persona and bending the rules to get that win – a win is a win regardless of whether you decide to cheat or not, is it not? With the previous overtures from Oedo Tai’s Saki Kashima still fresh in her memory, will the quest for glory finally see the “Dark Side of the Moon” emerge as a member of Oedo Tai? She did wear the purple and black colors of Oedo Tai in her interaction with Giulia – perhaps it is foretelling?
Whatever happens in the near future, Waka Tsukiyama’s story has been and continues to be an incredibly intriguing and enthralling one. Certainly, despite the sad verses of this song so far, a glorious and emotional crescendo is soon set to be sung from the rooftops when Waka finally has her time to shine in the moonlight… and it’ll be one hell of a tune when it happens!
For more on STARDOM, check out the latest episode of the Five Star Network’s Stardom Quest podcast.
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