Thursday, April 12, 2018

Stardom - Dream Slam in Tokyo (3/28/2018)

1. Hanan & Leo Onozaki vs. Nao Yamaguchi & Ruaka

Good showcase for the rookies, crowd was into it. Leo and Nao looked good in their Korakuen debuts.

**

2. Tag Team Gauntlet: Bea Priestley & Xia Brookside vs. The Apache Sisters (Mary Apache & Faby Apache) vs. Kaori Yoneyama & Keneisha Moon vs. Queen's Quest (AZM & HZK) vs. Team Jungle (Hiroyo Matsumoto & Natsuko Tora)

This was boatloads of fun, the action was fast and hard-hitting. Bea & Xia were a cute team, and the Apache Sisters rule.

***1/4

3. Future of Stardom Championship - Finals (decision): Shiki Shibusawa vs. Starlight Kid

This may not have been the best match in terms of execution, but it was quite a rush of energy and the Korakuen was hot for it. I thought the counters and sudden momentum shifts were exciting.

***

4. Io Shirai vs. Natsumi

Cool to see the Paradise Lock make its way to Stardom via Natsumi. Love the move. This was a solid debut for Natsumi Apache, Io is well-suited for the role of rookie punisher. Good stuff.

***

5. Chibis (Hiromi Mimura & Konami) vs. JKGReeeeN (Jungle Kyona & Momo Watanabe)

Great match for Hiromi's Final Shout! The feuding between Hiromi and Kyona was the highlight. Konami's hot tag was great as well.

***3/4

6. SWA World Championship / ICW Women's Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Viper (c)

This is probably the best gaijin vs. gaijin match I've ever seen in Stardom. It was physical, the pacing and move progression felt natural, even the outside portion didn't feel tacked on. I thought Toni's superhuman no-selling was consistent with how she has been presented in Stardom. She lost anyway, so it didn't really matter in the end. Extra 1/4 for Toni hitting an ultra-stiff hip attack.

****

7. Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Tam Nakano vs. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu)

Big streamers all-star main event. Saki's thin physique really added to her FIP segment, because when she took damage it looked like she might break. Great return match for Saki Kashima, everyone came across well.

***3/4

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