Maika Secures Sixth Title Defence in Emotional JTO Anniversary Event
Maika praises rival Tomoka Inaba after hard-fought victory at Korakuen Hall
Maika, the World of Stardom Champion, secured her sixth title defence by defeating Tomoka Inaba at the fifth-anniversary event of her former promotion, JUST TAP OUT (JTO), held at Tokyo's Korakuen Hall on 15 July.
Maika, who debuted with JTO in May 2019 before moving to Stardom in July 2020, faced her former dormitory mate and rival, Inaba. The match commenced with a tactical ground battle, allowing Maika to gauge Inaba's progress. However, Inaba unleashed a series of powerful kicks after 15 minutes, momentarily stunning the champion.
Maika rebounded with a powerbomb and a lariat, and ultimately clinched victory in 19 minutes and 26 seconds with a wrist-clutch Michinoku Driver II, under the watchful eye of her mentor, TAKA Michinoku.
Post-match, Maika praised her opponent, saying, "This is the match of JTO’s top wrestler, my classmate and rival, Tomoka Inaba! I honestly thought I was going to be pinned for three. That’s how strong Tomoka Inaba is." She then comforted her tearful friend, acknowledging Inaba’s growth and promising a rematch in Stardom's upcoming singles league, the "5★STAR GP," starting on 10 August in Yokohama.
Inaba, reflecting on the match, expressed her determination, "It's been about four years since Maika left JTO, and I was frustrated. Everyone kept saying, 'Maika, Maika.' Even now, the head coach keeps saying, 'Maika, Maika.' So I wanted to win. I wanted to surpass her. I lost today, but I’ll definitely beat you next time."
The event concluded with all participants celebrating JTO’s head coach TAKA. Maika’s historic title defence in another promotion sets up her next defence against Natsuko Tora at Stardom’s Sapporo event on the 28th. Maika declared, "There are still many strong and exciting wrestlers in other promotions. I want to defend this belt by fighting against them." She bowed to her former promotion, stating, "This is my home. Today I came as an opponent, but this is my family home. I’ll definitely come back again."