Cinderella Journey 2022 in Nagaoka: WrestleFile Historical Verdict

The opener is more important than its 8:06 total time suggests because the two-fall structure assigns Hanan's next two challengers. Rina pins Waka Tsukiyama first to secure the March 26 World Climax title match, then Mai Sakurai pins Waka to take the March 27 slot. The format gives both winners a concrete reward while deepening Tsukiyama's underdog position after Sakurai's recent move to Donna del Mondo. Instead of functioning as disposable opening-card action, the match establishes two future championship dates and gives the younger division a clear month-long direction.

Hanan's 5:20 defense against Momo Kohgo is brief but useful. Kohgo is nearing the eligibility limit for the Future title, which gives the challenge urgency even without a long build. Hanan wins cleanly with the backdrop hold and records a second successful defense before facing the two challengers established in the opener. The short runtime caps the match's ceiling, but the structure is coherent and keeps Hanan's reign moving toward bigger March assignments.

The 7:34 tag continues Queen's Quest versus Oedo Tai without trying to settle the feud. Momo Watanabe remains the central antagonist opposite her former faction, while Ruaka and Lady C get meaningful minutes beside more established partners. Ruaka pins Lady C after the Freezer Bomb, giving Oedo Tai the result and preserving a future Utami-Watanabe singles confrontation. The match is more valuable for faction continuity than standalone replay quality, but it performs that job efficiently.

The 10:04 tag gains interest from the history among all four wrestlers rather than from title stakes. Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano briefly reunite despite their faction split, while Saki Kashima and Fukigen Death represent different chapters of Mayu's past inside Oedo Tai. Iwatani pins Kashima with the moonsault press, giving the altered card a satisfying result and allowing the temporary Iwatani-Nakano partnership to work without creating a new long-term team. The bout is light compared with the championships that follow but carries enough relational context to stand out.

The all-DDM six-woman tag is one of the show's strongest booking pieces because it previews Syuri versus Giulia without weakening either side. Syuri teams with Maika and Himeka, while Giulia is flanked by newer additions MIRAI and Thekla. The match reaches the full twenty-minute limit and becomes more confrontational as the clock expires, emphasizing the tension between champion and challenger while leaving the faction officially intact. The draw is useful restraint: it gives the Ryogoku title match heat without handing away a singles result or forcing a contrived pin on a secondary participant.

The 12:28 Goddesses defense gives Hazuki and Koguma a second successful title defense against a Cosmic Angels team with established chemistry. Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka can match the champions' energy without forcing the bout into the same power-based structure used against Maika and Himeka at Nagoya. Koguma pins Shirakawa after a diving body press, keeping Fukuoka Double Crazy strong ahead of the next Oedo Tai challenge. The match is concise, clear and useful to the tag-title lineage.

The 17:03 High Speed title match is the historical centerpiece of Nagaoka. AZM and Starlight Kid already have years of shared history, and Kid's Oedo Tai transformation had changed the dynamic between them throughout 2021. Here, AZM finally ends Kid's six-defense reign by forcing a submission with Numero Uno. Giving the match more than seventeen minutes lets the rivalry breathe beyond a pure sprint while still preserving the division's pace and counter-heavy identity. The title change feels earned and returns the belt to a wrestler synonymous with Stardom's High Speed style.

Saya Kamitani's 21:55 defense against Natsupoi gives the event a main event worthy of the Wonder title. Natsupoi brings the movement and timing developed through Stardom's High Speed division, forcing Kamitani to work at a different rhythm from her previous defense against Unagi Sayaka. Kamitani survives and wins with the Phoenix Splash, recording her second successful defense and further distancing the reign from the single breakthrough at Dream Queendom. The match also reinforces Natsupoi as a credible upper-card challenger even without the title change.

The official February 23 post-match microphone exchange set up a larger consequence beyond this defense. Kamitani named Utami Hayashishita and Tam Nakano as two desired challengers for Ryogoku on March 26 and March 27, inviting both women into the ring. Each accepted the opportunity, with Hayashishita noting how long she had wanted the white belt and Nakano describing her wish to win it back. These were requests for the two upcoming Wonder-title contests, not extra matches completed at Nagaoka or additional title changes on February 23.