AZM, also known as Azumi [あずみ] was born on 1st October 2002 in Japan. She is one of the most talented, electrifying and fast-paced wrestlers that Stardom has ever produced with an uncanny ability to hold the audience in the palm of her hands and is a huge favourite among western joshi fans. With a pending match against the current AEW Women’s Champion, Toni Storm, and a ten-year career at only 21 years of age, let’s take a look at the young star of Stardom and Queen’s Quest.
Before AZM
There was Azumi and Mini Iotica. She would make her wrestling debut at the tender age of just 11 for Stardom at their Season 14 Goddesses In Stars 2013 event which took place on 6th October 2013, just days after her 11th Birthday. She went to a time-limit draw against Passion No.2, also known as Natsuki Taiyo, who was an original roster member of the promotion. Which is a very impressive feat and shows that the company believed in her even at such a young age.
Fun Fact: Natsuki Taiyo was 29 years old when she faced off against the 11-year-old AZM.
Just over a year later she would, as Mini Iotica appear at Stardom’s Mask Fiesta 2014 event defeating Green Yuki, Kairian [Kairi Hojo/Kairi Sane] and White Yuki. She would perform under this name just at these events throughout the 2010s. By January 2016, at the age of just 13, she would make a huge impact in a 15-women battle royal at New Years Stars 2016, facing off against the likes of Kris Wolf, Haruka Kato and Evie. Alongside Kaori Yoneyama she would form her own stable, Azumi’s Army in the February of that same year, but that would only be the start of her story in Stardom.
AZM: To Be A Queen
A year later, in February 2017, after forming her own stable Azumi would come to the ring to request to join Io Shirai’s Queen’s Quest stable. This is when she adopted the AZM name and got straight to work after being accepted by Shiri into the stable. In April of that same year AZM alongside fellow Queen’s Quest members HZK and Shirai defeated the Oedo Tai team of Hana Kimura, La Rosa Negra and Kagetsu to become Artist of Stardom Champions at the promotions Grows Up Stars 2017 event.
This reign would be short-lived however, as at Golden Week Stars 2017 the Queen’s Quest team would lose their championships in a barn burner of a match to the trio of Hiromi Mimura, Kairi Hojo [Sane in WWE] and Konami. This ended their reign at just 21 days. AZM would regain that same championship around a month later only to have her reign yet again cut short after just 13 days. The culprits this time were Team Jungle, consisting of Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona and Kaori Yoneyama.
Fun Fact: Kaori Yoneyama was an original member of Azumi’s Army which was formed in 2016
AZM wouldn’t get her hands on gold again until November of 2019, she was still putting on fantastic matches but this was the year she truly started to break out as one of the ones to watch in Stardom. At Goddess Of Stars 2019, alongside Momo Watanabe and Utami Hayashishita, she would defeat the Oedo Tai team of Andras Miyagi, Kagetsu and Natsu Sumire, to become a three-time Artist of Stardom Champion. This reign was by far her longest ending after 77 days at the hands of the breathtakingly ruthless Giulia, Maika and Syuri of Donna Del Mondo.
High Speed Queen
On 26th July 2020 AZM would gain her first singles championship and establish herself as the true ACE of the High Speed division. In a three-way match, which included AEW star Riho and soon-to-be long-time rival Starlight Kid, AZM would capture the High Speed Championship in a phenomenally fast-paced match at the Cinderella Summer in Tokyo event.
During her 220-day reign as High Speed Champion, AZM would take part and win the 2020 Goddesses of Stardom Tag League alongside stable mate Momo Watanabe. MOMOAZ, as they were called, challenged AphrOditE for the titles on 14th November but were unable to dethrone the champions. This didn’t stop AZM from setting her eyes on more championship opportunities, challenging but failing to win the SWA World Championship from Donna Del Mondo’s Syuri at the Go To BUDOKAN! Valentine Special event on 13th February 2021. Natsupoi captured the High Speed Championship from AZM that March during the All Star Dream Cinderella event.
The rest of 2021 wasn’t paved in gold for AZM but she did have many new challenges ahead of her, including Oedo Tai, who had set their sights on destroying Queen’s Quest in any way they could think of.
After a disappointing first-round elimination at the hands of Rina at the 2021 Cinderella Tormenet, AZM would score eight points in the Blue Stars block of the 5 Star Grand Prix. She would follow this up, alongside Momo Watanabe and Saya Kamitani, with an unsuccessful challenge to MaiHimePoi’s Artist of Stardom Championships during the 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella event that October. Another unsuccessful challenge for the SWA World Championship, held by Syuri, would take place that November but a new challenge was on the horizon.
Oedo Tai challenged Queen’s Quest to an elimination tag team match, with the winner having to join the opposing team at Osaka Super Wars on 18th December. AZM teamed with Saya Kamitani, Utami Hayashishita and leader Momo Watanabe to battle Konami, Ruaka, Saki Kashima and Starlight Kid. In the final moments of the match, with just Starlight Kid and Watanabe battling it out, Momo attacked AZM, betraying Queen’s Quest and the soon-to-be de facto leader of the stable, with a steel chair. This resulted in a disqualification for Queen’s Quest and Momo embracing the darkness and Oedo Tai.
Fun Fact: Starlight Kid joined Oedo Tai with a very similar stipulation, this unleased a darker and more ruthless version of the character that we still see today.
Dream Queendom is a huge night for Stardom and December 29th 2021 was no different for AZM. Despite the huge night on the calendar, she was unsuccessful in challenging for Starlight Kid’s High Speed Championship. Her challenge took place in a three-way match that also included the very talented Koguma. With the events of Osaka Super Wars still fresh in her mind AZM teamed up with Utami Hayashishita in a grudge match against Momo Watanabe and Starlight Kid. Unfortunately, the pair lost to the Oedo Tai twosome.
AZM’s defeat at the hands of Watanabe and Kid would not spell disaster for the young star going into the Cinderella Jouerny event on 23rd February 2022. Tonight was the night, and in one of the best matches of both women’s careers to this point, AZM defeated Starlight Kid to gain the High Speed Championship for the second time in her career. This would mark the most successful period for the High Speed Championship and AZM.
2022 saw AZM make it to the second round of the Cinderella Tournament, being eliminated by Hazuki, while also losing the leadership of Queen’s Quest to Utami Hayashishita during a five-way match which also included Saya Kamitani, Lady C and Hina. This didn’t seem to phase her as she was on the run of her life as the High Speed Champion. In a first for Stardom, AZM, Hayashishita and Kamitami would participate in a six-woman tag team steel cage match in a losing effort to the STARS team of Mayu Iwatani, Koguma and Hazuki. She would win a four-way falls count anywhere match at Stardom in Showcase vol.1 following it up with a great run in the 2022 5 Star Grand Prix in the Red Stars block.
Heading into 2023 AZM is still the High Speed Champion and defending the title at every available opportunity, as well as making an appearance at Sakura Genisis for New Japan Pro-Wrestling, but more on that later. AZM, alongside her Queen’s Quest teammates Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita, took part in the Triangle Derby for the first quarter of the year. They competed in the A Block coming third overall. during this time AZM would also compete for the Artist of Stardom Championships, defend her High-Speed title and support her Queen’s Quest sisters at every opportunity.
The second quarter of 2023 continued in the same vain but with two very important differences. AZM would take part in two matches on the Stardom Last Jumbo Princess card, celebrating the retirement of Himeka. the first was the Himeka Gauntlet while the second was a huge 12-women match between Queen’s Quest and the villainous Oedo Tai. This would lead to the 27th of May and a huge moment for both teams.
During her historic 458-day reign AZM would have 12 championship defences against Koguma, Natsupoi, Mei Suruga, Thekla, Momo Kohgo, Rina, Fukigen Death, Hazuki, Momoka Hanazono, Hikari Shimizu, and her ultimate high speed nemesis, Starlight Kid. But it was not her who would dethrone the ACE of the division but a different member of Oedo Tai, Saki Kashima. AZM lost her High Speed Championship on 27th May 2023 at Flashing Champions in a three-way that also included Fukigen Death. With both her reigns she is second in combined days as High Speed Champion, at 678, and with 16 title defences.
The World At Her Feet
The rest of 2023 saw AZM raise her profile even further with a phenomenal rivalry against Oedo Tai that stretched throughout the summer of that year. This included a Loser Must Leave Unit Steel Cage 12-woman match that saw Queen’s Quest gain the victory over their rivals. AZM also appeared in a High-Speed Rumble, which she did not win but showcased some of the best young talent that Stardom has to offer. Her Blue Stars appearance in that year’s 5 Star GP only wielded her eight points but she followed that up with a great performance at Natsu Sumire 10th Anniversary Produce Decade Of Queens.
October and the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League arrived, teaming with new Queen’s Quest member Miyu Amasaki as 02line, gaining six points in the Blue Goddess Block. AZM would then make an appearance, competing in three tag team matches at GP MAX/Stardom Bushiroad Expo Asia 2023 In Singapur. capping off a fantastic year for AZM was her match against Giulia for the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship. She yet again couldn’t quite get that belt around her waist but it seems like only a matter of time before she achieves that goal too.
Outside of Stardom AZM has made an impact everywhere she has appeared and has become one of the most sought-after young stars on the Joshi scene. She has appeared at events promoted by Marvelous That’s Women Pro Wrestling, a cross-over event known as Estrella Executive Committee/Stardom/Tokyo Gurentai and Kagetsu Retirement Show ~ Many Face.
AZM has worked for New Japan Pro-Wrestling on several occasions, the first being an exhibition match on the second night of Wrestle Kingdom 15, teaming up with Saya Kamitani and Utami Hayashishita as Queen’s Quest to defeat Donna Del Mondo‘s Himeka, Maika, and Natsupoi in a six-person tag team match. On November 20, 2022, AZM participated in the first NJPW and Stardom collaboration event, Historic X-Over, where she alongside Queen’s Quest members Kamitani and Lady C, who defeated Himeka, Mai Sakurai and Thekla of Donna Del Mondo. On April 8, 2023, at Sakura Genesis, AZM challenged unsuccessfully the IWGP Women’s Champion Mercedes Moné, who had openly praised the young star, for the title in a three-way match that also involved Hazuki.
2024 has already seen AZM breakout internationally in a big way while also making it to the Semi-Finals of the Cinderella Tournament 2024. On the 5th of April AZM made her Ring of Honor debut at Supercard of Honor teaming with Saya Kamitani and Tam Nakano in a losing effort against the team of Maika, Mina Shirakawa and Mei Seira. She followed this up two days later with a win over Dani Mo and Kyoko Inoue at SPARK Trainblaze. On the 12th of April AZM challenged yet again for the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship against Stephanie Vaquer at New Japan Windy City Riot, she was unsuccessful in this attempt.
Her AEW debut will see her face off against Toni Storm for the AEW Women’s World Championship on Collision.
Championship Reigns
Artist of Stardom Champion | Queen’s Quest w. Io Shirai & HZK [15th April – 6th May 2017]
Artist of Stardom Champion | Queen’s Quest w. Io Shirai & HZK [4th June – 17th June 2017]
Artist of Stardom Champion | Queen’s Quest w. Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita [23rd November 2019 – 8th February 2020]
High Speed Champion [26th July 2020 – 3rd March 2021]
Goddesses of Stardom Tag League Winner | w. Momo Watanabe [2020]
High Speed Champion [23rd February 2022 – 27th May 2023]
