STARDOM's Saki Kashima Forced To Leave Oedo Tai In Faction Warfare Fallout

Queen's Quest and Oedo Tai have been adversaries for over five years now, with their feud being one of the most storied and unforgettable in STARDOM history. While they've had 150+ matches against one another in the past, their most recent battle will go down as one of their most legendary, with the two factions facing off in a 6vs6 hardcore cagematch with faction membership on the line at STARDOM Sunshine 2023. Despite QQ's recent struggles as a team, they overcame the odds and defeated Oedo Tai, banishing Saki Kashima from the group immediately following the match.

As per the rules of the match, victory came when all participants of one team escaped the cage, with the last wrestler remaining on the losing team being forced to leave their group. Questions of whether Utami Hayashishita was worthy of her title as QQ's leader were finally answered, with her aiding her teammates in escaping the cage and putting herself in danger of being forcibly ousted from the group. Utami ultimately made amends with her dejected stablemates, who helped her withstand Oedo Tai's attempted interference and escape the cage in the match's climatic final moments.

After the match, Oedo Tai attacked the now-excommunicated Kashima, calling the reigning High-Speed Champion weak and unfit to be part of the group. While QQ member AZM offered to be Kashima's new partner, the former Oedo Tai stalwart left the ring left alone, declaring herself unaffiliated rather than joining a new faction.

Outside of Oedo Tai leader Natsuko Tora, Saki Kashima was the longest-tenured member of STARDOM's top heel group, betraying STARS to join the faction in early 2020. The future remains uncertain for Saki, who, despite holding a singles title with the company, opted out of participating in this year's 5STAR Grand Prix.