Short and Sweet Fury (Syuri's 1st IWGP Women's Championship Reign)

I'll be honest that it has been quite a slow day. Especially since I am limited to what I can do right now, so I decided to do this. These blogs don't have to be done everyday thing, but I have made it quite a habit of mine. 

Since I have been watching Kamen Rider episodes both at home or on a train, it has been a good feeling. Since I found the first two episodes of Kamen Rider on YouTube (excluding Kamen Rider Gotchard, Gavv & Zeztz), I download them to watch on the train. (I watch Sentai, but it's usually at home)

When I was watching the first episode of Kamen Rider Revice on the train today, I saw Minoru Suzuki on the screen, which surprised me. His character was a prisoner in a straight jacket. I am going to assume his character is a cannibal. 

Now that I am doing this, I'm now wondering which other wrestlers are in these shows. The only other ones I know is IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hirooki Goto plays a character in Kamen Rider Zero-One which I haven't got to yet. I know that Syuri has done an appearance in the tokusatsu show made for adults, GARO - Sentinal of the East, which is possibly the most accessible tokusatsu show I found and I will watch a lot of it on the way back home. (I might do a blog about it.)

Speaking of Syuri, today's blog will be focused on her 1st reign as IWGP Women's Champion. I would talk about her 2nd reign, but I want to wait until it's over to go through it. Syuri is the current holder of the IWGP Women's Title for 221 days. Her last one was 55 days, which makes my life surprisingly easy. So without further a due, let's roll with it.

Syuri's 1st IWGP Women's Championship Matches:

• Mayu Iwatani (c) vs Syuri (21:54)
• 27/04/2025
• World Wonder Ring Stardom
• IWGP Women's Championship Match
• Stardom All Star Grand Queendom 2025
• ZERO: ★★★★★

When I saw the announcement at the time, my face lit up like a Christmas Tree. Two of my all time favourite wrestlers fighting each other in front of a large crowd. This wasn't the first time these two faced off either as they fought the year prior before Wrestle Kingdom 18 in fantastic barn burner as well. 

The rematch I would say was better than the first. It brought a lot more intensity to proceedings since this was a packed show and they both showed out for 7,000+ in Yokohama Arena. 

I wouldn't be able to do this match real justice by describing here, but I did do this match breakdown as part of an article for SickosClub here. Syuri would be able to get the win following a Double Arm Syuri World or Double Arm Syu Sekai to capture her first IWGP Women's Title.

This would be Mayu Iwatani's last match in STARDOM and what a way for her to go out. Even if she wasn't going to Marigold, she already broke the record as the longest reigning IWGP Champion and it felt right for her to lose here. Syuri also got her revenge from a year prior so it all crosses the stream.

The next challenger immediately made her presence known before and after the match as it's Sareee. Sareee really made so many waves as a freelancer and inaugural Marigold World Champion. Now Syuri's first defense is set or was it...

• Syuri (c) vs Alex Windsor (21:43) - V1
• 06/06/2025
• Pro-Wrestling: EVE
• IWGP Women's Championship Match
• EVE #135: Hit Me Baby One More Time
• ZERO: ★★★★1/2

Actually Sareee would have to wait as Syuri's first defense would be across the pond in the United Kingdom against Alex Windsor. On STARDOM's May 11th Korakuen Hall show, Sareee would confront Syuri after her victory against Aya Sakura. 

Then Alex Windsor appeared on the screen to make her own challenge. The challenge was made official for EVE's 135th show on June 6th. This meant that Sareee had to take the backseat before she gets a chance. 

The match is available on YouTube, so you can view it for yourself. The fight was so good and it was nice to see Syuri to be treated like the great wrestler she is. Syuri would win following the Syuri World. This was the night that Alex Windsor would announce that she signed to AEW.

• Syuri (c) vs Sareee (32:49)
• 21/06/2025
• World Wonder Ring Stardom 
• IWGP Women's Championship Match
• Stardom The Conversion 2025
• ZERO: ★★★★★

The Conversion would be the last stop as Syuri would defend her IWGP Women's Championship against Sareee. Sareee finally got her shot after making her challenge almost two months ago. 

I mentioned in my Sareee blog that this fight was a real slow burner of a bout. It is really fantastic bout especially in the second half, but the first 15 minutes felt like it was on auto pilot before things really kicked off.

Sareee would get the better of Syuri by hitting the Uranage and eventually followed with the Wrist-Clutch Uranage to get the three. Sareee is your new IWGP Women's Champion and it marks the end of Syuri's 1st IWGP Women's Championship reign.

Post:

This was quite a fun dive into this specific title reign. I have mentioned already that Syuri is one of my all time favourite wrestlers. Now I am currently watching GARO - Sentinal of the East just to see her on screen. Even if it was 2 or 3 minutes.

The show itself has been a fun watch so far even though it's only 8 episodes. I might and big emphasis on "might" do a blog on it like I did with Kamen Rider W (Double). Anyway, I hope you all have a good day and I'll see you next time. SAYONARA! 

Kind Regards, 

ZERO (or Archer)