[BEST BOUT SELECTION] Hana Kimura's Best Matches

What are Hana Kimura's best matches?

These are my personal favorites.

I tried my best to provide a short context for each match before explaining what I enjoyed about them.

(Please note that some text may be borrowed or paraphrased from previous reviews)

Stardom - New Years Stars 2018 (1/3/2018)

2. Hiromi Mimura vs. Kaori Yoneyama

This was boring during Yoneyama's control segment, per usual with Yoneyama matches, but once they start getting into the shouto stuff it gets really good.

**1/4

5. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf & Sumire Natsu) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

This was enjoyable, a lot of fun. Nothing in joshi puroresu comes close to the intimacy of Stardom's 1stRING shows.

***

Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Hana Kimura & Kris Wolf) vs. Queen’s Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & Momo Watanabe) (Stardom , 12/13/2017)

Stardom - Momoiro Christmas (12/13/2017)

Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Hana Kimura & Kris Wolf) vs. Queen’s Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & Momo Watanabe)

This was an enjoyable match, they kept a good energy going and the crowd was engaged. Tam assists her teammates by spanking QQ with a giant fan. Hana and HZK once again had a great exchange, and Momo looked great.

***

Sendai Girls - Big Show In Osaka (12/2/2017)

3. Heidi Katrina & La Rosa Negra vs. Hana Kimura & Mio Momono

***

4. Aja Kong vs. Cassandra Miyagi

***1/4

5. Chihiro Hashimoto & Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Io Shirai & Meiko Satomura

***3/4

6. Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship: DASH Chisako & KAORU (c) vs. Strong Style Rush (Alex Lee & Mika Shirahime)

***1/2

Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2017 (12/3/2017)

1. Hiromi Mimura vs. Ruaka

Hiromi's shouto gimmick is the best. Early in the year, I wondered if she would ever find what she needs and here it is. Her growth is what joshi puroresu is all about. Solid stuff here. Ruaka's a solid worker, I was impressed with what I saw.

**1/2

2. Hanan vs. Konami

It's been a while since Konami has had a singles match. Hana has bandages on her lower back, I hope she's doing okay. Hanan hit her throws. Konami worked the leg, her offense looked crisp and painful. She wins with a vicious knee bar. Couple of awkward spots, but this was a decent little match.

**

3. Mari Apache vs. Shiki Shibusawa vs. Starlight Kid

**1/4

4. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu) vs. Team Jungle (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora) & Yoko Bito

Oedo Tai are on such a great run right now, loved this.

***1/2

5. Elimination: Bea Priestley, Chardonnay, Kelly Klein & Scarlett vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

This was an enjoyable main event. Momo was the last survivor on her team and got a good spotlight. The ending was super awkward, there seemed to be timing issues between Momo and Kelly. It's unfortunate because Kelly was supposed to be put over like a monster here heading into her match with Io, but the awkwardness made her look like a goof. Fun match overall, though.

**3/4

Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf & Natsu Sumire) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe) (Stardom, 11/25/2017)

Stardom - Best of the Goddesses (11/25/2017)

Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf & Sumire Natsu) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

The Oedo Tai in-fighting is super fun and has added an interesting dynamic to their matches. All of the pairings here were great and everyone did their thing -- there's a hard-hitting segment between Hana and HZK that I was especially into. Great main event for an otherwise weak show.

***1/4

Sendai Girls (11/17/2017)

1. Ami Sato vs. Manami

**1/4

3. Alex Lee, Ami Sato & Hikaru Shida vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto, La Rosa Negra & Mio Momono

***

4. Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime

When I read this only went 4-minutes, I was psyched. They were making all of their offense count, there's hard slaps and head-sweeping kicks and boots, and a shoot headbutt from Hana that sounded disgusting. Hana showed some barbarism in this, she tries to take Shirahime's face off with a Bakatare Sliding Kick, and ends the match with a rough-looking knee strike. 

***1/4

5. Aja Kong & Meiko Satomura vs. Ayako Hamada & Chihiro Hashimoto

Chihiro gets brought back to reality in this match, taking a beating from two legends she has defeated this year. Good struggle, good match.

***1/4

6. Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship: DASH Chisako & KAORU (c) vs. Cassandra Miyagi & Heidi Katrina

***

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017 (11/12/2017)

2. Shiki Shibusawa vs. Starlight Kid

What you'd expect from this match-up, but maybe a little bit better. Shiki was blasting the hell out of Starlight Kid with those dropkicks. There were a couple of awkward moments, but I thought this was a fine junior match.

**

4. New Chibis (Hiromi Mimura & Konami) & Team Jungle (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora) vs. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu, Kris Wolf & Sumire Natsu)

This was a fantastic debut for Sumire, she fits so well alongside the colorful characters in Oedo Tai. Hiromi is a perfect target for her, their heat-building was brilliant. Hana and Tamu are not getting along with the newest addition to the stable so there was also a relevos increibles element to this match that was amusing. Hot crowd, quality brawling and comedy.

***1/4

5. Four on Three Handicap Match: Bea Priestley, Kelly Klein & Yoko Bito vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

Man, this turned out to be really great. Mari had some travel issues so it was made a 3-on-4 handicap match. Bito's team was at a disadvantage, but they were putting up one hell of a fight. The Bito-Io segments were smashing; Io's answer to the B Driver was neat. Fantastic main event.

***1/2

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017 (11/05/2017)

2. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: AZM & Starlight Kid vs. Natsuko Tora & Shiki Shibusawa

AZM & Starlight Kid should team up more after this tournament; they make a good pair of tricksters.

**

5. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura & Kagetsu w/ Michiko Ohmukai) vs. Queen's Quest (HZK & Io Shirai)

Ohmukai is supporting Oedo Tai in this match and she made her presence felt. Kagetsu accidentally painted her face blue with her poison mist in a very cool spot. This had great brawling, and I like the sadism shown by Oedo Tai when they pull Io's legs open. HZK's always showing improvement, adding new things to her arsenal, like the springboard dropkick she hits here.  Good match.

***

6. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017 - Finals: Bea Priestley & Kelly Klein vs. Jungle Kyona & Yoko Bito

I thought this was a solid main event, even though I didn't particularly care for either team. They worked a fast pace and the action was generally good. Bea hits a sunset flip on Kyona from the second rope that was sold like DEATH, strong way to close the tournament.

**3/4

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017 (10/29/2017)

1. Hanan vs. Kris Wolf

*

2. Kaori Yoneyama vs. Ruaka

**

3. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: AZM & Starlight Kid vs. Hiromi Mimura & Konami

This was a match. The finish was all over the place.

**

4. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Jungle Kyona & Yoko Bito vs. Natsuko Tora & Shiki Shibusawa

Bito & Kyona have surprisingly chemistry for a team that was thrown together, their double team sequences are fun to watch. Best match of Shiki's career so far.

***

5. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Chardonnay & Scarlett vs. Queen's Quest (HZK & Io Shirai)

Not a bad match.

**

6. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Bea Priestley & Kelly Klein vs. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura & Kagetsu)

Solid. Klein still feels like a waste of size, but she got in a couple of good hits and power moves. Bea is probably the best gaijin I have seen as far as execution goes, she got a reaction with her movez. Crowd was really into Oedo Tai.

**3/4

Stardom - TRUE FIGHT 2017 (10/17/2017)

2. Elimination: Kelly Klein & Bea Priestley vs. Chardonnay & Scarlett Bordeaux vs. Hiromi Mimura & Konami vs. Jungle Kyona & Tora Natsuko

***

5. Queen's Quest vs. Oedo Tai Challenge Series: HZK vs. Kagetsu

HZK was going all out to put down the big bad wolf of Oedo Tai. This was great. HZK delivered one of the best singles performances I've ever seen from her. Hope she's able to maintain this momentum.

***1/2

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Yoko Bito (c) vs. Takumi Iroha

It was refreshing to see Iroha work a 'high drama' style match, and it felt like a return to form for her. The action was great for the most part; they managed to keep things fresh for the 30-minute draw. I didn't think the B Driver near-falls were as effective as they could have been, Bito doesn't put that certain 'finality' into the move. Iroha on the other hand was doing a fine job of that. A good match, but there were a couple of things that prevented it from being great.

***1/2

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017 (10/14/2017)

5. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Oedo Tai (Kagetsu & Hana Kimura) vs. Chibis (Konami & Hiromi Mimura)

Chibis got a lot of shine, and they did some double team stuff. Hiromi's charge-up dropkick is a fun spot. Hana's selling during the closer was good and her submission finisher always looks vicious.

**3/4

6. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2017: Queen's Quest (Io Shirai & HZK) vs. Yoko Bito & Jungle Kyona

Solid main event. Proper cohesion, double maneuvers, etc. It goes without saying that Io is a genius of the ring, she worked hard to make this feel special. The heated interactions between HZK and Jungle were also very good.

***1/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP 2017 x Champions (10/1/2017)

3. Mari Apache & Hiromi Mimura vs. Yoko Bito & Konami

***

4. Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora vs. NEW-TRA (Takumi Iroha & Rin Kadokura)

It's nice to see Iroha back in Stardom. I actually thought this was one of her better performances even though the match itself was nothing special.

**3/4

5. Queen's Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & AZM) vs. Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Hana Kimura & Tam Nakano)

**3/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (9/18/2017)

4. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Kris Wolf

Hana used a variety of meats to distract Kris, and things got heated between them. Fun little match, loved the aggression Hana-chan showed.

**3/4

5. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Jungle Kyona vs. Tam Nakano

The crowd was lively for this one. Tam is green, but she makes up for that with her charisma. Kyona's leg gives out when she lifts Tam for her powerbomb finisher and the move falls apart. She doesn't know how to lift. She needs to work on lifting!

***

7. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: HZK vs. Io Shirai

Good! The best of HZK's tournament (for what that is worth). She went toe-to-toe with Io in counters and kicked out of the moonsault.

***

8. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Viper vs. Yoko Bito

Viper ambushes Bito, and they're just going back and forth with big moves. Viper's offense could have looked better... I wasn't really into this until Bito's comeback.

**1/4

9. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kagetsu vs. Mayu Iwatani

Kagetsu tries to murder Mayu by pushing the entrance gate on top of her. Mayu's neck ends up sandwiched between the structure and a guardrail, it looked horrific. This was good, these two obviously have amazing chemistry and they put on a fresh installment to their feud.

***3/4

10. 5★STAR GP - Finals: Toni Storm vs. Yoko Bito

bad

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (9/16/2017)

1. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Jungle Kyona vs. Konami

This started off strong with Konami hacking away at Kyona with kicks, and they kept an exciting pace, but it becomes pretty conventional as it unfolds. Still solid.

***

2. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Mandy Leon vs. Tam Nakano

*

3. Toni Storm, Kay Lee Ray & Xia Brookside vs. Mari Apache, Tora Natsuko & Shiki Shibusawa

**

4. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kagetsu vs. Kris Wolf

**

5. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Viper

I enjoyed how Hana approached this, trying to knock the bigger wrestler off of her feet with big boots and dropkicks, and she manages to brainbuster Viper. Sugoi stuff.

**1/2

6. Queen's Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & AZM) vs. Mayu Iwatani, Yoko Bito & Hiromi Mimura

**1/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (9/10/2017)

4. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kris Wolf vs. Yoko Bito

***

5. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Mayu Iwatani vs. Xia Brookside

**1/2

6. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Io Shirai vs. Tam Nakano

Tam looked strong with her dragon sleeper and near-fall. Love the somato Io has been using lately. Good match, the crowd reaction was strong.

***1/2

7. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: HZK vs. Jungle Kyona

This was easily HZK's best match of the tournament so far. Loved the callbacks.

***

8. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Kagetsu

This was a strong performance for Kagetsu, she gets the crowd into the match with her shenanigans. 1stRING was eating this up. The in-ring was solid and the story was very compelling.

***3/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (8/27/2017)

2. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Xia Brookside

Good match. The pacing was there, the counters were neat and well-timed. It was interesting to see Hana try to out-grapple Xia as that isn't her usual style of wrestling, I'm liking the brutality of her octopus hold.

***

3. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Konami vs. Toni Storm

**1/4

4. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: HZK vs. Kay Lee Ray

**1/2

5. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hiromi Mimura vs. Yoko Bito

**

6. Jungle Kyona, Mary Apache & Mayu Iwatani vs. Mandy Leon & Queen's Quest (AZM & Io Shirai)

***1/2

7. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kagetsu vs. Viper

***1/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (8/26/2017)

1. Konami & AZM vs. Shiki☆d (Starlight Kid & Shiki Shibusawa)

**1/2

2. Mandy Leon & Kay Lee Ray vs. Mari Apache & Tora Natsuko

*1/4

3. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: HZK vs. Toni Storm

**

4. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kris Wolf vs. Viper

**3/4

5. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Hiromi Mimura

I enjoyed Hana's control segment in this. The heel work was amazing, and she was very aggressive throughout, really laying in those strikes. Hiromi's the perfect target for bullying.

***

6. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kagetsu vs. Xia Brookside

The middle part of this could have been better, but I thought it otherwise flowed well and they were throwing awesome strikes. Best match of Xia's career.

**3/4

7. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Io Shirai vs. Jungle Kyona

Io's injured neck is the MVP of this tournament! I'm liking the matches being built around it so far. Kyona brought her wild energy as the aggressor. Io was bumping hard, and there were nifty spots, like the tombstone counters and Io's springboard dropkick sequence. 

***3/4

8. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Mayu Iwatani vs. Yoko Bito

***1/2

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (8/20/2017)

1. Queen's Quest (Viper and AZM) vs. Mari Apache & Tora Natsuko vs. Xia Brookside & Ruaka vs. Shiki☆d (Starlight Kid & Shiki Shibusawa)

**1/2

2. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hiromi Mimura vs. Kris Wolf

**3/4

3. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Kay Lee Ray vs. Tam Nakano

**

4. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: HZK vs. Konami

I've been waiting for this match all year, and when it's finally booked it's only 4 minutes! I got some enjoyment out of this. I always enjoy HZK, and Konami too, but I wish they had worked quicker.

**

5. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Jungle Kyona vs. Mandy Leon

**1/4

6. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Mayu Iwatani

Mayu has been wearing a more revealing attire lately, so this became something of a sexy battle, and Hana nailed it with her character work. The boob-targeting is classic Stardom.

***

7. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Kagetsu vs. Yoko Bito

This is easily the best Beatrice has looked since returning from injury. She messes Kagetsu up with those deadly kicks. They worked a fast paced. Very good sprint.

***1/2

8. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Io Shirai vs. Toni Storm

Toni is the unbeatable superwoman, and Io is in a vulnerable state due to her neck injury. They play up the danger of the Strong Zero piledriver that caused the injury and it led to intense moments. Io does this counter to the piledriver that was stunning.

***1/4

Stardom - 5★STAR GP2017 (8/19/2017)

7. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Hana Kimura vs. Yoko Bito

This was hurt by timing issues/awkwardness, but there are still things to be enjoyed here, like Hana's octopus hold, and the impact of Bito's kicks. The closing segment where Hana destroys Bito with relentless boots was awesome.

**3/4

8. 5★STAR GP Blue Stars Block: Io Shirai vs. Mandy Leon

***

9. 5★STAR GP Red Stars Block: Mayu Iwatani vs. Viper

Viper's offense works well with Mayu's ragdoll selling; her body attacks and slams looked destructive, especially that finish (!).

***