Despite wrestling fans always debating whether AEW, Impact, WWE, or NXT have the best women's roster, the company that likely is the true holder of that title is none other than Japan's Stardom promotion, the biggest joshi promotion around. The company is filled to the brim with talented competitors who could likely thrive in any promotion around the world. While WWE makes a big deal about the women's revolution, Stardom's been thriving for over a decade.
For newer fans or those looking to branch out into new wrestling territories, let's take a look at Stardom's current roster and talk about the best they have to offer.
10 Thekla
One of the newest additions to the Stardom roster, Thekla made her debut for the company at the beginning of 2022, joining the Donna del Mondo faction. Filling the gaijin gap left by Toni Storm, Bea Priestley, and Jamie Hayter, Thekla has already made quite an impact.
Despite being a part of Stardom for such a short amount of time, Thekla has immediately made her presence felt within the company, recently picking up the SWA World Championship in her first attempt. Her early 2022 bout against Mina Shirakawa has been an early highlight across all of pro wrestling, and it seems like "The Toxic Spider" has everything it takes to break out in the upper echelon of Stardom.
9 AZM
One of the youngest women currently in Stardom, AZM is only 19 years old! She is a current member of the prolific Queen's Quest faction, created by Io Shirai and eventually led by Momo Watanabe.
Despite being 19, AZM has been wrestling for several years already, and has had multiple championship reigns in Stardom so far, holding the High Speed and Artist of Stardom Championship, with 3 reigns of the latter. With her young age and increasingly strong promise as a talent, AZM is a name to keep your eyes on for the coming years.
8 Starlight Kid
Being one of the younger women in Stardom, Starlight Kid, a member of the Oedo Tai faction, is only 20 years old. Despite her young age, SLK has already held both the Future of Stardom Championship and the High Speed Championship, of which she is the current reigning champion.
In terms of future top stars of the company, one would have to be remiss if they left Starlight Kid out of the conversation, as she is already one of the most exciting wrestlers in the company and is undeniably one of the hottest rising stars in all of women's wrestling.
7 Momo Watanabe
Another young star within the Stardom roster, Momo Watanabe is turning 22 years of age in March 2022. A former Artist of Stardom, Goddesses of Stardom, and Wonder of Stardom Champion, Momo has already had a fairly successful career within the premier joshi promotion.
Not only has Watanabe seen success with championships, but she also has been a featured member in both the Queen's Quest and Oedo Tai factions in the company. In 2020, Momo Watanabe scored the 28th spot in the PWI Women's 100 in 2020 as well.
6 Hazuki
Despite halting her career in 2019 and taking some time off, Hazuki, since returning to the company during 2021, has continued to prove that she deserves to be recognized as one of the most consistently good wrestlers as a part of the Stardom brand.
Early in 2022, Hazuki would team with Koguma to win the Goddesses of Stardom Championship, taking the tag titles off of Giulia & Syuri. While the tag team is fun, it should only be a matter of time before Hazuki finds herself back in a prominent position in the singles divisions.
5 Syuri
While Syuri is 33 years old, making her one of the older stars in Stardom, she is one of the most legit fighters in the company. Not only does she kick ass in the squared circle, but she has also taken part in both boxing and kickboxing, as well as MMA, even fighting in UFC from 2017 until 2020.
Now back in Stardom, Syuri has found her place in Giulia's Donna del Mondo faction, and has gone onto become the World of Stardom Champion, something Giulia herself has yet to do. With a strong return to the company after ending her time in UFC, 2022 looks like it is going to be a big year for Syuri.
4 Saya Kamitani
For non-Stardom fans, one could find a comparison to Saya in the form of AEW's Darby Allin or New Japan's Kota Ibushi, as she brings such an unabashed, fast-paced intensity to the ring that has allowed her to stand out in recent times as one of the best in the company.
Currently, she is holding it down as the leader of the Queen's Quest faction. Saya has been stealing show after show, as well as performing for New Japan, including a spot at Wrestle Kingdom 15. Saya can be seen defending the Wonder of Stardom Championship, aka The White Belt, against Stardom's best and brightest.
3 Mayu Iwatani
Being dubbed "The Icon of Stardom" is no easy title to bear, but Mayu Iwatani not only deserves that recognition, but wears it with pride. While she is only 28 years old, Iwatani was a part of Stardom's first class of trainees when the company made its debut, and has remained a staple through today.
With so many title reigns under her belt, Iwatani has managed to remain a figurehead of the joshi brand for over 10 years, and it does not appear that her time is coming to an end anytime soon.
2 Giulia
Getting her big break in Ice Ribbon, another joshi promotion, Giulia has become the definition of a megastar in Stardom. In recent times, she has shaved her head after a hair vs hair match, and has gone through numerous looks, all of which have conveyed her star qualities in different ways.
Aside from her killer look, Giulia has managed to set fans on fire when she gets in the ring, putting on some of the best performances across the Stardom roster, justifying the strong push that the company has given her. At only 27 years old, Giulia's future continues to look extremely bright, with the World of Stardom Championship likely looming in her future.
1 Utami Hayashishita
The staple of Queen's Quest, Utami Hayashishita is still only 23 years old, and has already held the Artist of Stardom, Future of Stardom, Goddesses of Stardom, SWA World, and World of Stardom Championships in only a matter of 4 years.
Utami has made an incredible impact in the world of women's wrestling in record time, not only both in her booking, but in her performances, as Utami scored the second place spot on PWI's top 150 Female Wrestlers of 2021. For those unfamiliar with Stardom, Utami is the one name you need to familiarize yourself with as soon as possible.