Momo Watanabe

Watanabe in February 2022

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Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan

**Momo Watanabe** (渡辺桃, *Watanabe Momo*) (born March 22, 2000) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to the World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. Since making her debut on November 16, 2014, she became a three-time Artist of Stardom Champion, two-times Goddess of Stardom Champion and one-time Wonder of Stardom Champion.

## Professional wrestling career

### World Wonder Ring Stardom (2014–present)

On November 16, 2014, Watanabe made her professional wrestling debut at World Wonder Ring Stardom where she unsuccessfully challenged Takumi Iroha. On December 6, 2016, Watanabe received her first title match where she teamed with Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani to challenge for the vacant Artist of Stardom Championship, which was won by Hyper Destroyers (Evie, Hiroyo Matsumoto and Kellie Skater) in a three-way tag team match, which also involved Oedo Tai (Act Yasukawa, Kris Wolf and Kyoko Kimura). In early 2016, Jungle Kyona and Watanabe teamed together under the name "JKGReeeeN". On January 10, JKGReeeeN unsuccesfuly challenged Thunder Rock (Iwatani and Shirai) for the Goddesses of Stardom Championship, JKGReeeeN continued to wrestle through 2016 and even participated in the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League, finishing with one win and two losses failing to advance to the finals. On November 20, Watanabe would be join Shirai's and her new partner revealed as the former Reo Hazuki and renamed "HZK" who turned on Iwatani and Kyona during a tag team match. The Shirai led new stable was later dubbed "Queen's Quest". On January 7, 2017, Queen's Quest became the new Artist of Stardom Champions by defeating Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Kyoko Kimura and Viper) for the vacant title. On February 11, the titles would be vacates after Watanabe was sidelined with an injury. After 10 months of injury, Watanabe returned on November 4, where she defeated Kris Wolf.

On February 18, 2018, Watanabe challenged the leader of Queen's Quest Shirai for the Wonder of Stardom Championship but she would be unsuccessful. In April 2 Watanabe defeated Kyona, Konami and Bea Priestley in the finals to win the Cinderella Tournament. For winning the tournament, Watanabe challenged Shirai again for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. On May 23, Watanabe defeated Shirai to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship, becoming the youngest wrestler to hold the title at the age of 18 after reports that Shirai allegedly signed with WWE. On November 4, Watanabe, along with fellow Queen's Quest member Utami Hayashishita won the Goddess of Stardom Tag League after defeating Chardonnay and Priestley in the finals. On November 23, Hayashishita and Watanabe defeated J.A.N. (Jungle Kyona and Natsuko Tora) to win the Goddesses of Stardom Championship.

On April 5, 2019, Watanabe participated in Stardom's first event at the United States in New York City, where she successfully defended the Wonder of Stardom Championship against her tag team partner Hayashishita. On May 16, Watanabe lost the Wonder of Stardom Championship to Arisa Hoshiki, ending her reign at 358 days, and setting a record with most successful title defenses, at 13. On July 15, Watanabe and Hayashishita lost the Goddesses of Stardom Championship to Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona and Konami). On November 23, Watanabe, along with AZM and Hayashishita, won the Artist of Stardom Championship after they defeated Oedo Tai (Andras Miyagi, Kagetsu and Sumire Natsu).

On January 19, 2020, during the main event of *Stardom 9th Anniversary*, Watanabe challenged Mayu Iwatani for the World of Stardom Championship, but she was unsuccessful. On February 8, Watanabe, AZM and Hayashita lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika and Syuri). On November 8, Watanabe and AZM, won the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League when they defeated Giulia and Maika in the finals. After winning the Tag League, Watanabe and AZM challenged her fellow Queen's Quest stablemates Hayashishita and Saya Kamitani on November 14 for the Goddesses of Stardom Championship, but were unsuccessful. At Stardom Osaka Dream Cinderella 2020 on December 20, Watanabe unsuccessfully challenged Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom Championship.

At Stardom 10th Anniversary Show on January 17, 2021, Watanabe teamed up with Saya Kamitani to defeat Donna Del Mondo (Himeka and Syuri), Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley and Saki Kashima) and STARS (Mayu Iwatani and Ruaka) in a Four-way elimination tag team match. On January 30, 2021, she challenged Syuri for the SWA World Championship, but was unsuccessful. At Stardom All Star Dream Cinderella on March 3, 2021, she unsuccessfilly faced Nanae Takahashi. At Stardom Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 on April 4, Watanabe defeated Mina Shirakawa. At Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2021, Watanabe fell short to Starlight Kid in the first rounds from April 10. At Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 in Summer from July 4, she teamed up with AZM to defeat Starlight Kid and Ruaka. At the Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2021, Watanabe fought in the "Red Goddess" block which she won with a total of 12 points after competing against Mayu Iwatani, Koguma, Starlight Kid, Himeka, Natsupoi, Fukigen Death, Giulia, Mina Shirakawa and Saki Kashima. She then fell short to Syuri in the finals on September 25. At Stardom 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella on October 9, 2021, Watanabe teamed up with Saya Kamitani and AZM to unsuccessfully challenge MaiHimePoi (Maika, Himeka and Natsupoi) for the Artist of Stardom Championship. Watanabe had been the victim of Starlight Kid's mind games as the latter's strategy to gain more recruits into Oedo Tai since *Kawasaki Super Wars*, the first event of the Stardom Super Wars trilogy which took place on November 3, 2021, Watanabe unsuccessfully challenged Starlight Kid for the High Speed Championship. At *Tokyo Super Wars* on November 27, Watanabe teamed up with AZM to defeat Unagi Sayaka and Lady C.

#### Oedo Tai (2021–present)

Watanabe and Starlight Kid feud degenerated into an eight-woman elimination tag team match in which both of them would be the captains of their respective teams. The loser captain would be forced to join the enemy unit and if Kid lost she would also have to unmask and reveal her real name. The match took place on December 18, at Osaka Super Wars, the event which represented the last part of the "Super Wars" trilogy. With the match coming down to the wire and Queen's Quest holding a 2 to 1 advantage over Starlight Kid a shocking moment occurred when Watanabe betrayed her faction and hit her long-time tag team partner AZM over the head with a chair, handing the win to Oedo Tai and anointing herself the “Black Peach” of the group and turning heel in the process. On March 26, at Stardom World Climax, Watanabe and Kid defeated Hazuki and Koguma to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship for her second time. On May 5, at Stardom Fukuoka Goddess Festival, they lost the titles to the former champions, Hazuki and Koguma. On May 28, Watanabe, Kid alongside thier stablemate Saki Kashima defeated Himeka, Maika and Natsupoi to win the Artist of Stardom Championship.

At Stardom Fight in the Top on June 26, 2022, she alongside Kashima and Kid successfilly defended the artist titles against God's Eye (Syuri, Ami Sourei and Mirai) and Donna Del Mondo (Giulia, Maika and Mai Sakurai). At *Mid Summer Champions in Tokyo*, the first event of the Stardom Mid Summer Champions which took place on July 9, 2022, Watanabe unsuccessfully challenged Syuri for the World of Stardom Championship. At *Mid Summer Champions in Osaka* on July 24, she alongside Kid and Kashima defended the artist titles again against Giulia, Maika and Himeka. At Stardom in Showcase vol.1 on July 23, 2022, Watanabe participated in a Four-way falls count anywhere match won by AZM and also involving Tan Nakano and Koguma. At the Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2022, Watanabe fought in the "Blue Stars" block, scoring a total of 12 points after competing against Giulia, Mirai, Mayu Iwatani, Suzu Suzuki, Hazuki, Saya Kamitani, Starlight Kid, Natsupoi, Ami Sourei, Mina Shirakawa, Saya Iida and Hanan. At Stardom x Stardom: Nagoya Midsummer Encounter on August 21, 2022, Watanabe, Kid and Kashima successfully defended the artist titles against Cosmic Angels (Mina Shirakawa, Unagi Sayaka and Saki). At Stardom in Showcase vol.2 on September 25, 2022, Watanabe teamed up with Ruaka in a losing effort against Giulia and Rina Yamashita as a result of a Hardcore Rules Tag Team match. On December 29, Watanabe, Kashima, and Kid lost the titles to Risa Sera, Suzu Suzuki and Kurumi Hiragi.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *B Driver* (Cradle back-to-belly piledriver) – adopted from Yoko Bito
	+ *Diving Somato* (Diving double knee strike)
	+ *Peach Thunder / Peach Bomb* (Pumphandle half nelson wheelbarrow driver)
	+ *Peach Sunrise* (Bridging three-quarter nelson suplex, sometimes while applying a wrist clutch)
* **Signature moves**
	+ Dragon suplex
	+ Dropkick
	+ *F-Crash* (Over the shoulder swinging side slam) - adopted from Fuka Kakimoto
	+ *Hitodenashi B-Driver* (Double leg cradle kneeling reverse piledriver)
	+ *Somato* (Running double knee strike)
	+ Uranage, sometimes from the top rope

## Championships and accomplishments

* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked No. 28 of the top 100 female singles wrestlers in the *PWI Women's 100* in 2020
	+ Ranked No. 20 of the top 50 tag teams in the *PWI Tag Team 50* in 2020 with AZM, Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita
* **World Wonder Ring Stardom**
	+ Wonder of Stardom Championship (1 time)
	+ Artist of Stardom Championship (3 times) – with HZK and Io Shirai (1), AZM and Utami Hayashishita (1) and Saki Kashima and Starlight Kid (1)
	+ Goddess of Stardom Championship (2 times) – with Utami Hayashishita (1) and Starlight Kid (1)
	+ Cinderella Tournament (2018)
	+ Goddess of Stardom Tag League (2018) – with Utami Hayashishita
	+ Goddess of Stardom Tag League (2020) – with AZM
	+ Best Tag Team Award (2018) with Utami Hayashishita
	+ MVP Award (2018)
	+ Best Unit Award (2021) with Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima, Rina, Ruaka, Konami, Starlight Kid and Fukigen Death