Stardom - CINDERELLA TOURNAMENT 2022 (4/29/2022)

4. Gauntlet: Fukigen Death, Rina & Saki Kashima vs. Giulia, Maika & Thekla vs. Lady C, Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita vs. Mayu Iwatani, Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida vs. Mina Shirakawa, Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka vs. Momo Watanabe, Ruaka & Starlight Kid

Easy and enjoyable match full of explosive moves and fresh and meaningful encounters. Everyone was able to showcase their uniqueness and contribute to the action, even if for a brief moment. The exchange between forever rivals Giulia and Tam was amazing, to no surprise. ****

5. High Speed Championship: AZM (c) vs. Mei Suruga

A dream match that exceeded its lofty expectations. Mei performing in a proper big match setting is something I've been waiting to see, and she was excellent here. She's less about striking and slamming, and more about pinning techniques and misdirects. AZM wasn't too far behind, with a big tope and well-timed counter kicks. There were high level transitions and counterwork from both and the division's signature pin-scrambles. ****1/4

6. Cinderella Tournament 2022 - Finals: MIRAI vs. Koguma

I didn't find much about this match all that exciting. It seemed to be lacking in narrative hook and emotion for a tournament finals, but there were a few good moments. Koguma does little things I always enjoy and her bump-reception is always good. MIRAI's finishing combination looked convincing, with an emphatic Miramare Shock. ***1/4

7. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) vs. Himeka

A heavy hitting main event clash befitting the image of the red belt. Himeka, who for the first time performed a plancha and jumping knee from the top rope, pushed herself to the limit and showed her high potential. Syuri always seemed to be one step ahead with her deep repertoire, countering Himeka's size and power with lucha libre holds and submissions at key moments. Himeka's old-school heavyweight style and Syuri's martial arts strikes and submissions made for a compelling hybrid mix. ****1/4

SEAdLINNNG - Golden Moment (4/29/2022)

3. Riko Kaiju vs. Riko Kawahata

A decent match that went on for too long. I don't think either of them have the moves to be wrestling a match this long against each other, it felt like they were running out of material before it was over. Riko Kawahata (22) has good visuals and seems promising. She should be more popular. I would like to see her show more personality and enthusiasm and assert herself more. ***

4. Arisa Nakajima vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto

They worked hard and kept things active for the most part. However, the finish was abrupt and unconvincing, and there was a lack of innovation. There was not much that was visually interesting or spectacular, and both wrestlers just followed their usual patterns. If you want the best of these two, watch their matches from 2014, when they were still fresh and inspired performers. ***1/2

Stardom - CINDERELLA TOURNAMENT 2022 (4/17/2022)

4. Cinderella Tournament 2022 - Round 2: Saya Iida vs. Mai Sakurai

This was better than expected. It was a sprint style match where each was able to show their strengths. It was like the charm of either wrestler was condensed into 5 minutes. Iida's reception was amazing. She bounced around all over the place, really doing justice to Sakurai's heavy big boots. Sakurai has grown considerably since moving to DDM, both in skill and size; she has a big body and some impactful moves that take advantage of it. Iida's final counterattack was full of her signature intensity. ***1/2

6. Cinderella Tournament 2022 - Round 2: Giulia vs. Koguma

This was another great match between these two. I never thought they would be such great opponents, but they just match up together so well both in personality and technique. Giulia showed her range as a performer in a match that combined comical elements with high tension. ***1/2

10.  Cinderella Tournament 2022 - Quarter Finals: Saki Kashima vs. MIRAI

Pleasantly surprised by this match. The chemistry between the two was great and they had an exciting match. Kashima has added new wrinkles to her game that have made her a more polished performer, and her near-death counters were as dramatic as ever. MIRAI carried a lot of momentum and felt like the main character in a shonen manga. ***1/2

Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe vs. Giulia & Thekla (Stardom, 4/10/2022)

Stardom - Osaka (4/10/2022)

Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Giulia & Thekla

DDM were a pair of black-clad mature women heels in this match, who didn't hesitate to respond in kind to the youthful Oedo-tai's cheating and use of weapons. That dynamic worked really well. The match started with some comical elements and gradually turned into a heated back and forth. The natural change in tone was very impressive. It was also great to see a wide variety of styles and techniques. Kid and Giulia had a rugged back and forth that ended with a headbutt collision, while Momo and Thekla exchanged kicks and big techniques at the end. ****

Thekla vs. Saki Kashima (Stardom, 2/13/2022)

Stardom - Kyoto (2/13/2022)

SWA Championship: Thekla vs. Saki Kashima

Solid back and forth with a good amount of struggle and timely near-falls towards the end. Surprisingly physical too. Kashima has added kicks to her moveset and she used them to good effect here. ***1/4

Utami Hayashishita, Lady C, AZM, Ruaka & Miyu Amasaki vs. Momo Watanabe, Saki Kashima, Rina & Starlight Kid (Stardom, 3/12/2022)

Stardom - Takadanobaba (3/12/2022)

Tug of War: Utami Hayashishita, Lady C, AZM, Ruaka & Miyu Amasaki vs. Momo Watanabe, Saki Kashima, Rina & Starlight Kid

5v5 gauntlet style match. The pairings ranged from good to average, best of them being the opener between Utami and Momo, Lady C and Saki, and the final match between Miyu and Kid. Utami and Momo worked a slow struggle, with Momo working body parts while Utami made a gradual comeback. Lady C gave an impressive effort against Kashima, showing plenty of fire and making good use of her size advantage. The final match between Miyu and Kid, Miyu's second consecutive main event from her debut the previous day, was a spirited back and forth that showed the newcomer’s early potential. ***1/2

Prominence - Prominence Hataage ~ The Beginning of The Red Flame (4/24/2022)

4. Fluorescent Lighttubes Death Match: Risa Sera vs. Takashi Sasaki

This was an interesting match (I wasn't bored watching it). However, the story was not convincing. When an intergender match goes on this long, it feels like the male wrestler is just playing with their food. It's almost condescending in a way. Takashi was hardly going 100% and didn't seem to be in any real danger. Sera was no Atsushi Onita in terms of rallying power; her comebacks didn't have much of an impact. ***1/4

5. Fans Bring the Weapons Tag Team Death Match: Suzu Suzuki & Jun Kasai vs. Akane Fujita & Violento Jack

There aren't many women's deathmatch wrestlers in Japan so most of their matches have them facing off against male wrestlers. Suzu and Fujita were fortunately mostly given the spotlight with Kasai and Jack playing supporting roles. This was all-action, a skillful mix of orthodox and death match wrestling. Suzu is charismatic and always expresses her emotions well; she was fantastic here. Without Suzu's presence, I don't think Prominence would have much value. Akane, who deserves credit for the nasty punishment she took throughout, had a particularly scary head bump towards the end and her absence from the closing ceremony makes me worry about her condition. ***1/2

Natsupoi, Maika & Himeka vs. Starlight, Rina & Ruaka (Stardom, 2/21/2022)

Stardom (2/21/2022)

Artist of Stardom Championship: Natsupoi, Maika & Himeka vs. Starlight, Rina & Ruaka

This was fun and easy to watch main event. Everyone's positioning and timing were on point and each performer played their role well in the match. Young OED are a really cute and enjoyable team to watch and I'm glad they were given a chance to shine in a main event title match at Korakuen Hall. ****