IN LAST YEAR’S “Women’s 150,” Syuri boasted one of the most impressive jumps in recent memory—leaping to #7 from #78 in 2020—after making headlines with fellow Stardom wrestler Utami Hayashishita and their 5.5 star-rated World of Stardom championship match. That bout ended in a double knockout just past the 43-minute mark.
Syuri went on to win the 2021 5STAR Grand Prix, Stardom’s round robin tournament akin to NJPW’s G1 Climax, further solidifying her rank in last year’s top ten. Her quest for the World of Stardom championship finally reached its conclusion on December 29, when she defeated Hayashishita after a brutal 36 minutes.
2022 began with a loss of the Goddesses of Stardom tag team title and Syuri’s voluntary relinquishing of the SWA Undisputed championship. But the newly minted World champ would quickly rally back, announcing her departure from Donna Del Mondo, the establishment of her own faction (God’s Eye), and the release of her autobiography (Syuri.)
Now, she’s made history as the first active competitor in a joshi promotion to top this list—and the first Japanese woman to place #1 in our Women’s ranking since WWE’s Asuka in 2017. Years prior, as Syuri made the transition from MMA into pro wrestling, Asuka (then Kana) played an integral role in her career, both as an ally and an opponent.
Crucially, Syuri’s peak success coincides with a major period of growth. As reported in The Wrestling Observer by Dave Meltzer, who bestowed the rare 5.5-star rating upon Syuri and Hayashishita’s July 2021 battle, Stardom saw its attendance figures skyrocket by more than 200% between 2019 and 2022. The company went from being the #6 draw in Japan to #2—behind only its sibling promotion, New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Nearing the final full weekend of 5STAR Grand Prix competition, its
