Hagane Shinnou & Mitsuru Konno vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori (Gatoh Move, 12/14/2019)

Gatoh Move - Gtmv #22 (12/14/2019)

Hagane Shinnou & Mitsuru Konno vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori

This was a densely packed 12-minutes with a lot of exciting sequences, counters and some close near-falls. Yuna and Hagane exchanged hard hitting blows similar to their match from the previous month, while Mei and Konno prepared for their upcoming singles match in heated sessions.

****1/4

Stardom - Year-End Climax 2019 (12/24/2019)

2. Artist of Stardom Championship: Queen's Quest (AZM, Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita) (c) vs. STARS (Saki Kashima, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano)

The usual fun Stardom style trios match, fast paced action with well paced shifts in momentum and tandem sequences. AZM and Starlight’s eternal rivalry always produces good results, and the finishing stretch between Momo and Kashima was hot.

***3/4

4. Giulia vs. Hana Kimura

A brutal match in the best possible way. This totally delivered on the hype. They worked a frenetic pacing, going at each other with blistering offense. Ground struggles, wild outside brawling, boots and stomps, headbutts, violent submissions, brutal head drops. This was a mesmerizing display of violence.

****1/2

5. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Arisa Hoshiki (c) vs. Konami

An excellent match, with simple and effective storytelling. This was a big improvement over their previous Korakuen match during the Cinderella tournament, both have made notable improvements in certain areas of their performance and the match composition overall was stronger. Konami was beaming confidence even during the closing segments as she continued to work the neck, looking for the Final Lancer. Arisa was bouncing back from adversity with compelling charisma and energy behind her counterattacks.

****1/4

6. World of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Kagetsu

The final chapter of the Mayu-Kagetsu feud, my personal favorite match between them. Even though this is the longest match of the rivalry at 22-minutes, they cut back on some of the excess that brought down the previous matches and wrestled a well paced epic with some very dramatic counters.

****

Stardom - Goddess of Stars 2019 (12/15/2019)

2. Hina & Rina vs. Itsuki Hoshino & Saya Kamitani

These rookie matches generally never rise above the level of “functionally solid”, but this one was surprisingly great. A back and forth with heated near-falls. Rina & Hina's double teams, and Kamitani’s dropkicks and running shooting star were highlights.

***1/4

4. Andras Miyagi vs. Giulia

A solid match, both performers were good and showed off their personalities and exchanged some heavy offense. Miyagi looks like she’s having fun in the ring again and had a stronger presence compared to the latter end of her run in Oedo Tai.

Stardom - Goddess of Stars 2019 (12/14/2019)

6. Hazuki vs. Kagetsu

The ground and grappling exchanges were technical and intense, and the offense from both looked good. But somewhere in the middle it lost its pacing, and the brief comeback sequence from Kagetsu made for a flat finish.

7. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami) vs. Riho & Starlight Kid

This was more methodical and deliberately paced than the Shinkiba match, with a focus on Starlight Kid, who showed lots of fighting spirit in a strong performance. Riho was finding her mark with those jumping knee strikes, and the champions were dominant with their ring control and constant pressure.

***3/4

Io Shirai vs. Koguma (Stardom, 2/22/2015)

Stardom - Queen's Shout (2/22/2015)

High Speed Championship: Io Shirai (c) vs. Koguma

This was sort of Stardom's version of Rainmaker shock, where the younger and less experienced underdog pulls off an upset. This match had mesmerizing displays of athleticism and technique. The physical ability of Io is remarkable. Her movements and offense were just on another level. There was downtime despite this being a "high speed" match, but those moments served to get the crowd rallying behind Koguma, which paid off big in the final stages.

****1/4

Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yoshiko vs. Mei Hoshizuki & Mei Suruga (SEAdLINNNG, 10/6/2019)

SEAdLINNNG - SPARKLING-d! 2019

SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship: Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yoshiko (c) vs. Mei Hoshizuki & Mei Suruga

Mei Suruga & Mei Hoshizuki have been exclusive to the High Speed division, where the matches are largely comical, so I was intrigued when they challenged for the tag belts. This was a wonderful and creative approach to speed versus strength. A simple story that was delivered in an exciting and novel way.

****

Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami) vs. STARS (Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano) (Stardom, 11/24/2019)

Stardom Goddesses of Stars 2019 (11/24/2019)

Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami) (c) vs. STARS (Arisa Hoshiki & Tam Nakano)

DREAM SHiNE (Arisa & Tam) is a dysfunctional tag team that unexpectedly found success in the tag league. The tag team champions, Kyona & Konami, have been in a slump and seemingly on the verge of dissolution. This was fast-paced and action-packed, with dynamic sequences and storytelling. The drama rapidly increases towards the end as a result of very well-timed pin breakups.

****