10 Things You Need To Know About WWE's New Signing Kairi Hojo
5. A Backstage Intermediary
As well as being one of the promotion’s most reliably excellent wrestlers, Kairi Hojo is one of Stardom’s most trusted employees behind the scenes. She has settled into the business effortlessly, and her name has never been the source of controversy throughout her run. Moreover, she was chosen to mediate a particularly difficult situation in February 2015, when Stardom looked to her for assistance following the infamous Yoshiko vs. Act Yasukawa match.
Forever known as the “Ghastly Match,” the contest saw Yoshiko, Stardom’s champion at the time, take extreme liberties with Yasukawa in the ring. She destroyed her challenger for real, breaking her jaw, orbital bone, and nose, forcing Yasukawa into a premature retirement. Stardom eventually fired Yoshiko in the aftermath - a decision that left the company without a top champion, causing much discontent between management and veteran talent.
Hojo was entrusted with keeping the peace during this time, and Stardom’s backstage situation eventually calmed down. Yasukawa eventually returned to the ring for a retirement match in which her and partner Kyoko Kimura defeated Hojo and Karuka Kato, but her injuries prevented her from making a full-on comeback. Yoshiko, meanwhile, remains blacklisted from Stardom, but continues wrestling for smaller promotions around Japan.