4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Koguma) vs. Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Natsupoi)
Amazing high-octane tag action in the lower card. All four competitors were firing on all cylinders over the course of the match, and there were some creative sequences. ***3/4
5. High Speed Championship: Starlight Kid (c) vs. Momo Watanabe
This was one of the most interesting matches on the card. I think they put on a really unique and entertaining performance. In addition to crisp high speed action, there was heated brawling, mask ripping, and a Showa-style finish. Certainly one of the most unique entries in the history of the High Speed championship. ***3/4
6. SWA World Championship & 5STAR Grand Prix Challenge Certificate: Syuri (c) vs. AZM
I'm still partial to the February match out of their trilogy this year, but this was another good match, the two have great chemistry and complement each other's attacks well. Impressive effort by AZM, who hit some hard kicks and performed a triangle plancha for the first time. ***1/2
7. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Tam Nakano (c) vs. Unagi Sayaka
Unagi built her gameplan around her dangerous new technique and the unpredictable situations she could hit it from. Nakano’s selling and comeback story were convincing as always. This was an emotional and well-structured match that was surprisingly brutal, with violent kicks to the head, dull headbutts, and a tribute to Misawa-Kawada that suited the physicality of the action. ****1/4
8. World of Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. Hazuki
I am happy Hazuki is back, but I never thought of her as a top-tier worker in big matches, and her weaknesses were apparent in this match. She's a workrate monster, but she doesn't express herself well and her moveset is lacking. I didn't find her performance very engaging. There were times when it seemed like they were just throwing moves at each other without any real excitement or drama. There were some jaw dropping moments, such as the apron Air Raid Crash and Utami's explosive missile dropkick, and a couple of well-timed counters and near-falls, but this was Utami's weakest defense so far. ***1/2
