Even as a teenager, Momo Watanabe stepped up for the biggest bouts, thriving in the heat of the spotlight.
She’s delivered as a hard-nosed challenger, as a long-reigning Wonder of STARDOM champ, as a daunting foe in the 5STAR Grand Prix field. We’ve seen her produce bangers both alongside and against Jungle Kyona. Watanabe’s clashes with Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani belong on STARDOM’s greatest hits.
But what are the absolute top matches of The Dark Peach’s career? That’s a tough question considering her excellent catalogue, but I’ve done my best to tackle it here.
A quick note: As great as they are, I’m not including Queen’s Quest vs. Oedo Tai in the steel cage from 2023 or the gauntlet tag team match from STARDOM 7th Anniversary show in 2018. Those feature more of an ensemble cast. I stuck with bouts where Momo is the star for this list.
That being said, let’s dive into the ranking.
10. Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani, STARDOM – 5Star Grand Prix (Sept. 22, 2019)
One of the better sub-10-minute matches in STARDOM history.
Momo and Mayu battled here on the final day of the 5Star. At this point, a shift in their rivalry was underway. After going undefeated in her four four singles bouts against Momo, Iwatani lost to the young star in 2018. Could Watanabe make it two in a row?
The action started fast. No preamble here. Mayu was going for a moonsault a minute or two in into the ring. Momo, meanwhile, was a blur of kicks.
This was an efficient, tight matchup. The foes dramatically struggled on the ring apron. Momo countered Mayu’s superkick in dramatic fashion.
Watanabe and Iwatani would outdo themselves two years later.
9. Momo Watanabe vs. Utami Hayashishita, STARDOM – Osaka Dream Cinderella (Dec. 20, 2020)
The polar opposite of Momo vs. Mayu from 2019. This World of STARDOM Championship
was a slow-burn epic, a robust story that begs to be rewatched to catch all the details.
Much of the match centers on Utami working over Momo’s leg and the damage that caused. Watanabe’s selling is excellent here, making us believe the anguish she’s going through. The weakened leg plays into the bout well, just slowing down the challenger enough to keep her from nabbing the red belt.
At points, Momo’s frustrations explode. She’s in disbelief at Utami’s resilience. She’s on a warpath. It’s engrossing to watch.
That B Driver on the outside with no mat is heck of a highlight, too.
This was one of many instances of Watanabe flourishing as the tough out, the challenger to push the champ to their limit. The pacing has it lose momentum at times for me, though. Other similar showdowns hit me harder.
8. Momo Watanabe vs. Io Shirai, STARDOM – Queen’s Fes (Feb. 18, 2018)
An 18-year-old Momo looked to unseat Io Shirai as Wonder of STARDOM champ at Korakuen Hall. And boy was it fun, seeing her get close to that lofty goal.
Watanabe is at her most aggressive here, embracing her bully side. She fires off one kick to the chest in particular that makes you feel phantom pain in your own sternum as you watch.
This main event clash was a good showcase of Momo’s nasty side, precision, and star power. It’s a glimpse into what she would soon become—an unstoppable champion.
Their chemistry, as good as it is here, doesn’t quite compare with that they would produce just three months after this, so no. 8 spot it is.
7. Momo Watanabe vs. DASH Chisako, Sendai Girls – SENJO Chronicle (July 15, 2024)
This is a match I appreciate the more time goes on, and rate a bit higher on each rewatch, the beauty of its chaos sinking further in.
Momo looks right at home in this slugfest. She and Chisako use the tables, ladders, and chairs really well. These elements help punctuate the story, adding bursts of violence at just the right time.
We get some powerful images here, from blood soaking the back of Momo’s head to Watanabe slamming the Sendai Girls star through a table.
The H.A.T.E. interference isn’t overdone. It’s sprinkled in, as it should be.
On this night in Korakuen, we saw how good Watanabe could be should she choose to walk the hardcore route more often, and what kind of big-time matches she could have with more exploration outside STARDOM’s borders.
6. Momo Watanabe & Jungle Kyona vs. Kagetsu & Mayu Iwatani, STARDOM – 9th Anniversary in Osaka (Jan. 26, 2020)
What a sendoff for Kagetsu.
There’s a pulsing energy throughout. The Osaka crowd is loud and impassioned.There’s an emotional weight to the bout knowing it’s Kagetsu’s last.
The action itself is unpolished at times, but that helps add to the raw feel of the match. It’s less of a perfect athletic showcase and more of a fiery, heartfelt battle.
It features Mayu and Kagetsu stinging the hell out of Momo’s face with a piece of yellow rubber and Watanabe hands out some of her best dropkicks to date.
A fun and memorable tag team affair topped only by Momo’s very best singles outings.
5. Momo Watanabe vs. Io Shirai, STARDOM – STARDOM Gold Star (May 23, 2018)
Watanabe’s career-changing, nearly year-long Wonder of STARDOM Championship reign began here, with a resounding win.
Shirai tried to snuff out each of Momo’s flurries. The champ played the bully beautifully, leaving Watanabe to be the challenger who would not quit, the compelling underdog.
There’s some exciting action on the apron. These two work extremely well together, fitting together like two puzzle pieces. It’s a bout full of suck-you-in near-falls.
Momo closes out the match alight with a great inner fire. She’s awash with surprise after she completes the journey. And damn is it fulfilling to see all those emotions at play, to see her emerge on the other side of this battle as champ.
4. Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani, STARDOM – 5Star Grand Prix (July 31, 2021)
Momo and Mayu are such great opponents for each other. Watanabe is famous for her hard-hitting offense; Iwatani is the best seller in the business. We get some of the best examples of that here with Momo’s kicks leaving Iwatani wailing on the mat.
It’s brutal at times, frenzied at others.
There are a lot of highlights packed into the 17-minute matchtime. There’s a great strike exchang. Momo sells one of Iwatani’s superkicks like she’s been hit with a cannonball. She also bodies Mayu with a kick on the apron.
Not surprisingly, this remains one of the 5STAR matches I most revisit.
3. Momo Watanabe vs. Jungle Kyona, STARDOM – Stardom World in Nagoya (March 3, 2019)
To be transparent, it’s hard for me to look at this one objectively. It will always have a special place in my heart as the match that got me hooked on STARDOM. I’d seen some Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo bouts before here and there, but after seeing Watanabe fend off Jungle Kyona and hold tight to the Wonder of STARDOM Championship, I began a head-first dive into STARDOM and joshi.
Looking back at it, I can see why it got me so excited about this corner of the wrestling world.
It’s an intense matchup, from the first lockup on. Jungle and Momo mesh super well together and tell an engaging story for the Nagoya crowd.
Kyona, battling in her hometown, looks extra focused. She zeroes in on Momo’s knees, leaving the champ writhing several times over. The two foes hit each other with kicks, powerbombs, flailing fists.
It’s a stirring showdown with a standout final stretch where Watanabe spoils Jungle’s dreams.
2. Momo Watanabe vs. Syuri, STARDOM – 5STAR Grand Prix Final (Sept. 25, 2021)
The best display of killer Momo. She and Syuri absolutely went after each other in an intense 5STAR final.
We witness a wild kick exchange and a slugfest at ringside. Everything throbs with a high-charged energy. Both women give off cold-hearted vibes.
Watanabe, as we see here, is so good at being the final obstacle. She elevates the would-be champ or tournament winner, pushing them. Syuri’s legendary run couldn’t have ended with a better culmination. Momo has to get plenty of credit for that.
Only one match tops this for me on The Dark Peach’s resume, and it’s her final singles clash with The Icon.
1. Momo Watanabe vs. Mayu Iwatani, NJPW – Historic X-Over II (Nov. 17, 2024)
A stellar IWGP Women’s Championship match that felt like the real main event.
Watanabe and Iwatani told a simple story with huge stakes. As always, they had great chemistry. Their dynamic, their emotions, their execution made this something special.
Momo vs. Mayu was delightfully vicious in spots. It featured well-placed interference from H.A.T.E. that amplified the action.
In the moment that sticks with me the most, Momo scores a near-fall and simply can’t believe that her best shot was not enough. She panics, begging the ref to give her the three-count, her heart tender and bared.
It’s a lasting image that exemplifies the drama of the bout.
If Momo wants to avenge this defeat, she’s going to have to do so somewhere beyond STARDOM’s walls now that The Icon has left the promotion. Should they meet again, there’s a good chance, I’ll need to redo this list to fit in that showdown.
No one brings out Momo’s best like Mayu, and now Watanabe has to find a new ultimate rival, and I’m excited to see that search play out.
Check out our other RESURA match rankings:
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