ChocoPro - #49 (9/20/2020)
Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori
This was a heavyweight vs. junior style match with both wrestlers working perfectly according to their weight. It was a great match, full of drama and full of the charm and innovation that only Ichigaya can provide.
****1/4
WAVE - Sunday WAVE Vol. 39 (9/6/2020)
Regina di WAVE Championship: Nagisa Nozaki (c) vs. Sakura Hirota
A very solid title defense for Nozaki. Hirota's kancho was still used, but it was treated more as a serious move than a comedy spot. Hirota's wrestling isn't the sharpest, but she has those crafty veteran instincts and good timing. Nozaki's attacks looked convincing, especially her boots, but her overall performance was lacking depth.
***1/2
ChocoPro - #50 (9/27/2020)
Emi Sakura & Riho vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori
With the theme of "ChocoPro vs. AEW", Riho appeared in Ichigaya for the first time in a long time. This was a 30-minute marathon of diverse and creative offense and defense, and the tension of the finale was tremendous. Emi was amazing in the role of the heel, and some of her attacks were truly brutal. Even though there were no fans, it had the kinetic atmosphere of a match with a live crowd.
****1/2
OZ Academy - Plum Hanasaku ~ OZ No Kuni Buntai Final (8/28/2020)
OZ Academy Openweight Championship: Mayumi Ozaki (c) vs. Saori Anou
The match certainly had spectacular visuals, but I don't think it was a fulfilling match in terms of showing Anou's abilities at a high level. She spent most of her time bumping around for Ozaki's usual antics, and the little bits of offense she did get felt lukewarm. There was never a moment in the match where I was convinced she could win. This felt more like a prolonged one-sided beatdown than a competitive title match at the promotion's biggest show of the year.
***
5. FantastICE Championship - No Rope Lumberjack: Risa Sera (c) vs. Syuri
The Fantast belt is sort of like DDT's EXTREME belt or New Japan's KOPW 2020, where the matches are held with special stipulations. There were some creative and fun moments making use of the gimmick and the assortment of weapons in the ring, but the action never really peaked and the ending came out of nowhere.
***1/4
6. ICExInfinity Championship: Suzu Suzuki (c) vs. Tsukushi
This is the type of joshi pro-wrestling match that I don’t enjoy, when they’re aimlessly doing moves and moves without a story or any sort of defined structure. The moves looked great, but they lacked meaning and had little to no sense of logical escalation.
**1/2
5. MiraClians (Yuka Sakazaki & Shoko Nakajima) vs. Itoh Respect-gun (Mizuki & Maki Itoh)
Reforming Yuka and Mizuki's former tag teams for a title match prelude was great matchmaking. Yuka, Mizuki and Shoko performed as expected, but Itoh stepped up as well. The match was much like last year's 10. 19 KFC tag match, with four wrestlers of equal rank just going at each other for 20 minutes.
****1/4
6. Natsumi Maki vs. Hikari Noa
Fantastic farewell match for Natsumi, a high speed match with brilliant technique displayed by both wrestlers. The references to their previous matches and tag team were well done. It really felt like Hikari had leveled up as a wrestler and became Natsumi's equal.
****
7. Princess Tag Team Championship: Daydream (Miu Watanabe & Rika Tatsumi) vs. BeeStar (Mirai Maiumi & Suzume)
Although I still don't find the pairing compelling, Miu & Rika's in-ring chemistry deepens with each defense. This match had great teamwork and spectacular sequences. Suzume & Mirai were given a big opportunity to showcase their growing abilities and delivered fantastic performances.
****
1. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block A: Syuri vs. Maika
A good, lively opener with fast-paced action and neat counters; Syuri's experience really shows and she always delivers a consistent performance.
***1/4
2. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block B: Starlight Kid vs. Saya Kamitani
This was a fun match. The kip-up sequence was nicely executed. They're not fast high-flyers by any means, but they're full of energy and have great technique, precision and balance. Kamitani's new "impact" finisher looks great.
***1/4
4. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block B: Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano
The best of the three singles these two have had against each other. They packed a lot of emotion and drama into a short timeframe. The locomotion German suplexes from Tam, each with a beautiful bridge, was impressive, as was the finishing combination.
****
5. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block B: Konami vs. Himeka
I don't understand what some people are talking about with this "Himeka lacks mobility" stuff. Her running moves always have momentum and power behind them. This had some sloppiness, but overall, it was good.
***1/4
6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block A: AZM vs. Maika
Aside from the bland ending, this was a really great match. The submission exchanges on the ground were interesting. AZM has been very sharp lately in terms of execution, and Maika was a good base for her aerial attacks.
***1/2
9. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Block A: Syuri vs. Utami Hayashishita
This definitely felt like a long match. It simply lacked the dynamism to keep the action fresh and exciting throughout its duration, but they generally did an excellent job of building tension with back and forth near-falls.
***1/2
10. 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Finals: Himeka vs. Utami Hayashishita
Utami performing at this level right after a 20-minute match is a testament to her impressive stamina and endurance. Great heavyweight offense from both wrestlers and the lariat exchanges were excellent. The finishing sequence was amazing and showed how tremendous Utami's power is.
***3/4
