Stardom - Stardom New Year Stars 2022 in Korakuen Hall (1/8/2022)
AZM vs. Momo Watanabe
Solid match that didn't reach its full potential. Momo may still be figuring out her new character and AZM isn't consistent in showing her emotions which made her performance underneath not so compelling. There were some cool counters from both, with Momo using her power and control over the smaller opponent, and AZM her speed and technique. ***1/4
GakePro - Gake No Fuchi Joshi Pro Wrestling - Clockwork Gake No Fuchi 2022 ~ Gake No Fuchi vs. Prominence ~ (1/4/2022)
Hardcore: Chris Brookes vs. Suzu Suzuki
As someone who is not particularly a fan of death or hardcore matches, I was thoroughly entertained by this match. The manner in which they went spot to spot felt smooth unlike a lot of weapons matches I've seen in Japan, and there were some wicked bumps. Brookes seemed to not be holding anything back and that produced a great underdog story with Suzu rallying from underneath. ****
6. International Princess Championship: Hikari Noa (c) vs. Maki Itoh
This was a great match that showed the potential of the green belt. Itoh's expressiveness was great and she dictated the flow of the match. Hikari still needs to work on showing more personality, but her wrestling was good. There were some great exchanges that led to hot near-falls and the finish was well set up. ****
7. Princess of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Mizuki
I didn't think this match was as cohesive as their more recent singles matches, particularly due to some weird decisions and pacing issues in the middle, but the match steadily improved as it progressed, and the exchanges and drama at the end were amazing. Also, for what felt like the first time in a while, Miyu really nailed the Crash Rabbit Heat. ****
