Stardom has been a part of New Japan Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Kingdom event over the past few years, but it appears that won't be the case in 2024.

The Japanese women's wrestling promotion has announced they'll be running their own show on January 4 from Tokyo Dome City Hall just hours before NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 18 from the Tokyo Dome stadium.

"January 4, 2024, at Tokyo Dome City Hall, Stardom will run a big show before Wrestle Kingdom. Bell time is noon, so you can go to Stardom and Wrestle Kingdom without missing a thing."

Stardom and NJPW will still have some synergy on January 4: the main event of Stardom's 1/4 event will be headlined by Mayu Iwatani defending the IWGP Women's Championship against an opponent TBD.

Stardom and NJPW are both owned by the same parent company, Bushiroad Inc.

The promotions have each benefitted from their (limited) working relationship, with the female athletes enjoying the exposure of the Wrestle Kingdom stage, and NJPW getting to feature some of the world's most talented female competitors on their biggest show of the year.

The news of Stardom announcing a standalone show on January 4, an apparent alternative to Stardom talent appearing at Wrestle Kingdom, is perceived by many a step backwards for fans who were enjoying the cross-promotion.

While announcing their event ahead of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, Stardom did share additional news about their plans for 2024.

They noted on Twitter that they had seen growth in the company, as Stardom has earned so far ¥1.5 billion (over $10 million). This is significant as they shared that in 2019, they had ¥200 million(over $1.3 million). It will also be the year Bushiroad Inc. took over Stardom on October 16, 2019.

Stardom shared on Twitter that they have plans to run more events, as they want to host shows all over Japan. This year, the company has had 141 shows, up from last year's 115 events.

The female-led wrestling promotion is trending upwards in business and popularity. While it's unfortunate they will not be a part of NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 18, hopefully, their success can continue in 2024.