Do you ever sit inside your home as a storm passes overhead, and soak in nature’s glory? Do you hear, see, and feel that rumbling thunder that quakes the earth, the lightning that flashes within a blinding instant, and the rain that pours like tears from a fallen deity, all from the grey, silvery cumulus cloud that brought forth the downpour of violent fury?
That’s what I get from Giulia’s matches. Stardom’s arguably biggest star delivers with it strikes so painful to the ears and unpleasant to the eyes while effortlessly displaying a glare that is simultaneously cold and hot. She is fire and ice in human embodiment.
Beneath the callous, unfeeling exterior beats a heart that cares. Her willingness to soak in as much pain as she brings out is proof of that, that she’s an artist amongst contemporaries.
This is a superstar wrestler that I’ve been dying to write about beyond just a match. I mean look at her. Just look at her. Giulia is the epitome of badassery encapsulated in one persona. She screams attitude, commands respect, and exudes competition among the elites. There’s no shortage of amazing women in wrestling today, but any list would be incomplete or incorrect if she is not in the top ten of the world’s best. The coolest part? Everyone’s got eyes on her.
Recently, there’s been talk of her visiting the WWE Performance Center, which may or may not be true according to sources. Whether or not that’s something many fans would want to see, the fact she’s so sought after and has the star power that she has at this point in her career speaks volumes.
Giulia’s been all over social media, from video clips to photos, to the point it’s hard to ignore. Often I see that immediately those who are unfamiliar can see something in her. She has the looks, sure, but the way she moves in the ring, her caliber is right up there with the rest of Stardom’s roster, with devoted fans hoping she never leaves and outside fans wanting to see more of her. Fast, agile, brutal, and flashy, all in one grey-haired package. Whether she swings her leg up for a Big Boot, soars in a Diving Crossbody, or contorts her opponents in her Stealth Viper, she brings the pain.
Beyond the ropes of the squared circle, she follows the beat of her drum, however. She’ll speak her mind and follow her heart regardless of what logic may dictate.
Why, for example, her most famous business move came from leaving Ice Ribbon in Autumn. 2019 shortly after losing the International Ribbon Tag Team Championship. Shortly after, she appeared in Stardom, where she would face Hazuki that December.
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Giulia was a majesty to behold from her first year in the company. A match that I would highly recommend from this period would be her Year End Climax time limit draw against the late, great Hana Kimura. In a perfect world, this rivalry between them would have continued in a way that would bring the promotion to a new level of, well, stardom. Sadly, we will never get that, save only a taste.
The silver-maned superstar quickly formed her faction, Donna del Mondo. Translated to ‘Women of the World”, this reflected her as a person and the mission she would share with her comrades. Born in London, raised and living in Japan, and sharing Italian heritage, Giulia was born to be international. Such weight is often bound to weigh someone down, however, as she did face discrimination due to her being of mixed race, thus driving her to a private school.
To become a “woman of the world”, means to discard what anyone thinks of you. The world is your oyster; any woman willing to partake in that delicacy may taste it and share in the experience. For Giulia, 2021 saw Syuri and Maika among the ranks, and they ate well.
With this sophomore year, Giulia would find more acclaim as she shared the ring with another woman who would be a bitter yet respected enemy: Tam Nakano. The pair saw many defections and betrayals, and continue to do so, but one singular moment in their story for me personally is the unforgettable, undeniable Hair vs Hair Match for Giulia’s World of Stardom Championship, the same belt once vacant that Nakano fought Giulia for. The Donna del Mondo wrestler lost outright and she proudly accepted defeat and the loss of what made her iconic. Despite the haircut, she rocked it.
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With Giulia, style follows her everywhere. One of her defining features then removed, saw her adopt a more militant presentation as she grew back her hair. She may have lost the title and her hair but certainly not her aura.
Members of Donna Del Mondo come and go, but the core stays the same – Giulia, Maika, Thekla, and Mai Sakurai, tenured for over a year or more. While I am still salty about Natsupoi’s defection to Cosmic Angels in July 2022, the dynamic of the group has not changed. These are still women seeking to gain the world and everything in it.
Having won the World of Stardom belt from former DDM member and current God’s Eye leader Syuri at Dream Queendom 2 on December 29, 2022, Giulia looked even more like a star. Her reign with this belt made for a fantastic visual any time she walked across the aisle to the ring, a star apparent. What an amazing 115-day run, ended by Tam Nakano at the 2023 All Star Grand Queendom.
Of course, Giulia found gold a couple more times, with a current Artist of Stardom Championship alongside Mai Sakurai and Thekla (also known as Baribari Bombers) at Flashing Champions and the NJPW Strong Women’s Championship at NJPW Independence Day from inaugural champion Willow Nightingale.
Giulia would go on to defend this title at the Impact Wrestling event Multiverse United 2, performing in the United States for the first time in her career. This is where I feel she would fit like a glove outside of Japan. As she stood tall over Momo Kohgo, Gisele Shaw, and Deonna Purrazzo with the Strong Women’s Championship held aloft, I felt that this, or even a promotion with a bigger crowd, would be a great next step if she took it.
Harkening back to the talk of whether or not Giulia appeared at the WWE Performance Center or not, I think there stands a lot of potential for her. Should any major North American promotion take notice of her and how valuable she is, she could be a huge player. I’m talking about the AEW Women’s Championship around her waist, against Mariah May, Jamie Hayter, Toni Storm, or Hikaru Shida. I’m talking about her holding one of the WWE main roster belts, either with her joshi seniors or in a league of her own. I’m talking TNA Knockouts gold, moving the needle with bouts against Trinity, Deonna Purrazzo, or Mickie James.
While I would love to see either of these things happen, she may stay firmly at home in Japan. Her aura in Stardom and NJPW is complemented by the way the camera captures her and the production value that goes into her entrances. For that reason, I’m hesitant about the idea of her going anywhere else for now, and I hope I’m wrong in that feeling.
Nothing is set in stone, however.. I’m not worried for her though, because she would excel in any opportunity anywhere. Giulia is an incredible talent that any promotion would be lucky to have on their roster. Rossy Ogawa just happens to hold the keys that drive her. And for what it’s worth, she fits amazingly into the scene of Stardom. She may have not liked the previous management of Bushiroad due to the lack of care for injuries as they pertained to wrestlers in recent times, but with a new president, the future is hopeful.
Whether or not you wish for her to show up under the creatives of either Tony Khan, Scott D’Amore, or Paul Levesque, I implore you to check her out while she’s still in her current element. The work she’s put in since 2019 is not to be missed. Be excited for her future, yes, but also be excited for her now.
I’m not going to say where I want her to go, but I do think she is inevitable. Whichever house she gains the keys to, she will wow and amaze anyone who has a lick of taste. If she needs to slow things down, she can. If she’s allowed to cause mayhem, she will. Like a storm, her path will leave a wreckage that will be imprinted in your memory for time to come.
As soon as you see a flash of that silver, you will know the rage and fury of the woman of the world.
