| Empress Nexus Venus | |
|---|---|
 Current logo of the stable (2024–present) | |
| Stable | |
| Leader | |
| Members | |
| Names |
|
| Debut | December 29, 2022 |
| Years active | 2022–present |
Empress Nexus Venus (エンプレス・ネクサス・ヴィーナス,En puresu Nekusasu vu~īnasu) (often stylized asExV), formerly known asClub Venus (クラブ・ヴィーナス,Kurabu~Vīnasu), is a Japaneseprofessional wrestlingstable currently performing inWorld Wonder Ring Stardom. The stable is led byMaika, and featuresHanako,Xena,Waka Tsukiyama andRian.[1]
AtDream Queendom 2, the returningXia Brookside and the debutantMariah May accompaniedMina Shirakawa to the ring for her match. Shirakawa and herCosmic Angels stablemateUnagi Sayaka went on to defeatDonna Del Mondo (Mai Sakurai andThekla) in tag team competition. Following the match, Shirakawa slapped Sayaka and announced the formation of Club Venus, a trio featuring herself, Brookside and May.[2] Shirakawa later confirmed that Club Venus was a sub-unit of Cosmic Angels.[3] Club Venus announced themselves as the mystery team that would compete in theTriangle Derby I. They participated in the Red Triangle Block of the tournament and scored a total of eight points, which was not enough to reach the finals.[4]
AtNew Blood 7 on January 20, 2023, Brookside and May participated in the inauguralNew Blood Tag Team Championship tournament, in which they lost toKarma andStarlight Kid in the quarterfinals.[5] Brookside returned to England after wrestling in her final Stardom match on January 29, which meant she could no longer participate as a member of Club Venus.[6][7] May and Shirakawa participated in the2023 Cinderella Tournament. On the first night of the tournament on March 26,Xena was revealed as Club Venus' newest member before she defeatedHina in the first round.[8] Xena performed the best out of the Club Venus members by reaching the quarterfinals, where she lost toMirai. On April 6, May and Xena were scheduled to team up with a mystery partner to faceStars (Hanan,Koguma andSaya Iida). On the day of the event, the mystery partner was revealed to be Jessie, formerly known as Jessi Kamea inNXT and Jessie Elaban in the independent circuit. Jessie, May and Xena ended up winning the match.[9]
On the final night of the2023 Cinderella Tournament on April 15, 2023,Mina Shirakawa,Natsupoi,Saki andTam Nakano lost toDonna Del Mondo (Giulia,Himeka,Maika andThekla). Following the match, Shirakawa announced that Club Venus would part ways withCosmic Angels and become an independent unit.Waka Tsukiyama was forced to either stay with Cosmic Angels or join Club Venus, to which she chose the option of Club Venus.[10] AtAll Star Grand Queendom on April 23, Shirakawa won theWonder of Stardom Championship by defeatingSaya Kamitani, ending the latter's 480-day reign which was the second longest ever at date.[11] Shirakawa lost the title to Tam Nakano 34 days later in aWinner Takes All match where Nakano'sWorld of Stardom Championship was also on the line.[12] AtSunshine 2023 on June 25, May and Shirakawa, together known asRose Gold, won theGoddesses of Stardom Championship by defeatingThe New Eras.[13] AtStardom x Stardom: Osaka Summer Team on August 13, Rose Gold lost the Goddesses of Stardom Championship toREStart.[14] On September 30, May leftStardom to sign withAll Elite Wrestling, and thus left Club Venus. Shirakawa announced that the only foreign member still being part of the unit at the time was Xena.[15] AtStardom Nagoya Golden Fight 2023 on October 9, Mina Shirakawa fell short toSyuri in anUWF Rules match.[16] In the 2023 edition of theGoddesses of Stardom Tag League, Mina Shirakawa and Waka Tsukiyama participated in the competition under the name of "Moonlight Venus" and placed themselves in the block B where they scored a total of four points, failing to qualify into the finals.[17] AtStardom Halloween Dark Night, a non-canon event which took place on October 29, 2023, Shirakawa and Tsukiyama fell short to Vulgar Alliance (Zap andDump Matsumoto) in a"Zombie" Lumberjack match.[18] AtStardom Gold Rush 2023 on November 18, Mina Shirakawa competed in the traditionalBiliken battle royal won byBilliken Death and also involvingMiyu Amasaki,Megan Bayne,Maika,Yuna Mizumori andLady C.[19] AtStardom Nagoya Big Winter on December 3, 2023, Mina Shirakawa competed in a four-way match won by Miyu Amasaki and also involving Hanako andYuzuki.[20] AtStardom Dream Queendom 2023 on December 29, Mina Shirakawa teamed up with Syuri andMei Seira in a losing effort against7Upp (Nanae Takahashi andYuu) andAZM.[21]
AtStardom New Year Stars 2024 on January 3, Mina Shirakawa teamed up with Maika and Cosmic Angels (Saori Anou andYuna Mizumori) in a losing effort against 7Upp (Nanae Takahashi and Yuu),Hazuki andSaki Kashima.[22] One night later atIttenyon Stardom Gate, Shirakawa teamed up with Mei Seira to defeatDonna Del Mondo (Mai Sakurai andThekla) in tag team competition.[23]
On the first night of the 2023 Stardom Awards held on January 20, 2024,Waka Tsukiyama returned from an injury and teamed up withMina Shirakawa in a losing effort againstMaika and Hanako. After the bout concluded, Xena returned toStardom and alongside Maika, Shirakawa, Tsukiyama and Hanako announced that they would be forming a new unit that would replace Club Venus.[24][25] AtNew Year Stars in Sendai on January 27, 2024, Mina Shirakawa, Maika, Hanako and Waka Tsukiyama defeatedLady C,Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani and AZM in aneight-woman tag team match. After picking up the victory, they announced the name of the new unit asEmpress Nexus Venus (abbreviated as E Nexus V or ExV).[26] AtStardom Supreme Fight 2024 on February 4, 2024, Shirakawa and Tsukiyama teamed up in a losing effort against Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano and Yuna Mizumori).[27] On March 30, Maika, Shirakawa and Xena won theArtist of Stardom Championship by defeatingAbarenbo GE.[28] Waka Tsukiyama, Xena and Hanako represented the unit in the 2024 edition of theCinderella Tournament with Xena scoring the best result by reaching the quarterfinals.[29] AtStardom All Star Grand Queendom 2024 on April 27, Xena, Waka Tsukiyama and Hanako fell short to Syuri,Konami and Ami Sohrei, Mina Shirakawa wrestled Natsuko Tora into a no-contest, and Maika successfully defended the World of Stardom Championship against Momo Watanabe in a two out of three falls match.[30] AtStardom American Dream 2025 on April 18, Shirakawa competed in her final Stardom match in atag team match alongside Raychell Rose in a losing effort againstSuzu Suzuki andHazuki.[31]
The unit's members made their debut in the American independent scene atStardom American Dream 2024 on April 4, where Mina Shirakawa reunited for one night only with original Club Venus tag team partners Mariah May and Xia Brookside in a losing effort against Stars (Mayu Iwatani andMomo Kohgo) and Tam Nakano. After the bout concluded, Toni Storm made a surprise return to Stardom to take May away of Shirakawa as the two of them shared a storyline relationship in AEW. Storm teased a possible future confrontation for the AEW Women's Championship against Shirakawa, mentioning that the "Forbidden Door" is always open.[32] On the same show, Maika successfully defended theWorld of Stardom Championship against former "Divine Kingdom" tag team partnerMegan Bayne.[33] AtSupercard of Honor, an event promoted byRing of Honor on April 5, 2024, Maika and Shirakawa teamed up with Mei Seira to defeat Tam Nakano and Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani and AZM).[34] AtNJPW Strong'sWindy City Riot event from April 12, 2024, Mina Shirakawa teamed up with Viva Van in a losing effort againstTrish Adora andAlex Windsor.[35] Mina Shirakawa made herAll Elite Wrestling debut on April 24, 2024, where she defeatedAnna Jay. Shirakawa briefly continued her short-lived feud with Toni Storm by fighting for Mariah May's friendship.[36]
| * | Founding member |
|---|---|
| I-II | Leader(s) |
| Member | Joined | |
|---|---|---|
| Xena | March 26, 2023 | |
| Waka Tsukiyama | April 15, 2023 | |
| Maika | II[a] | January 20, 2024 |
| Hanako | ||
| Rian | September 19, 2024 | |
| Member | Joined | Left | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mariah May | * | December 29, 2022 | September 30, 2023 |
| Xia Brookside | * | January 29, 2023 | |
| Jessie | April 6, 2023 | June 4, 2023[b] | |
| Mina Shirakawa | *I | December 29, 2022 | April 18, 2025 |
| Group | Members | Tenure | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hai High Mate | Maika Hanako | 2024–present | Tag team |
| Rice or Bread | Hanako Waka Tsukiyama | 2024–present | Tag team |
| Reckless Fantasy | Waka Tsukiyama Rian | 2024–present | Tag team |
| Group | Members | Tenure | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirakawa,May, andBrookside | Mina Shirakawa Mariah May Xia Brookside | 2022-2023 | Trio |
| Rose Gold | Mina Shirakawa Mariah May | 2023 | Tag team |
| Moonlight Venus | Mina Shirakawa Waka Tsukiyama | 2023-2025 | Tag team |
