ChocoPro - #71 (12/5/2020)
Mei Suruga & Baliyan Akki vs. Emi Sakura & Kaori Yoneyama
This was a tremendous match of dazzling offense and defense. It was mostly based on speedy movements, but there was an attention to detail, such as the targeting of Emi's bad back. Mei found ways to interject her charming personality as usual, and Akki's physical abilities allowed him to perform some remarkable moves.
****1/4
What are Miyu Yamashita'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)
1. Future of Stardom Championship: Maika (c) vs. Saya Iida
This was a hot match to start the show. NEVER Openweight style match filled with heart and fighting spirit. Iida’s physical performance has been good for a while, but she’s also become good at facial expressions too.
***1/2
3. Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Rina & Saki Kashima) vs. Cosmic Angels (Mina Shirakawa, Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka)
A solid trios match that showcased the younger and newer wrestlers. Unagi got her baptism in the form of a prolonged beating by Oedo Tai where she took heavy offense and bumps. Rina gave a convincing performance. It’s nice to see her active outside of the kid’s division.
***1/4
5. Momo Watanabe vs. Himeka
This was a good back and forth, both individual performances were good. There some cool sequences and Himeka's big knee strikes sounded brutal. There are people who are concerned about Momo's position in the promotion, but the fact that she is getting high-profile matches on big cards, whether she's winning or losing, means the promotion values her as someone who can reliably deliver in the ring.
***1/2
6. SWA World Championship: Bea Priestley (c) vs. Syuri
This was a rock-solid match. Neither was trying to innovate and stuck to their usual pattern, which led to a good match but one that didn’t deliver on the excitement created by their earlier outings. There was something missing to create that tangible escalation. I’d like to see a rematch in Kanto, where their interactions seemed to have more buzz.
***1/2
7. Wonder Of Stardom Championship: Giulia (c) vs. Konami
Giulia’s previous two defenses were flashy and dangerous. This one was more grounded, but it still had the same spirit. It was basically an expanded version of the match these two had in the white belt tournament, with Konami taking most of the match with unrelenting pressure. It definitely felt like a long match, but Giulia’s charisma and gravitas carried it through.
****
8. World Of Stardom Championship: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs. Utami Hayashishita
A great match that hardly felt like its near 30-minute duration. Utami showed a new level of viciousness with her attacks to the head and neck, but it was Mayu who really elevated the match with her bumping and her tenacity as she tried to withstand Utami's onslaught. The composition was so well done that a basic neckbreaker felt significant during the final stages.
****1/4
Tokyo Joshi Pro - Style of My Love (11/20/2020)
NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Saki-sama) vs. Sena Shiori & Suzume
Mei Suruga debuted as the new member of NEO Bii-gun. This was a fun return match for Bii-gun, who brings such an exciting dimension to the TJPW ring. It’s a shame they aren’t more of a fixture in the promotion. Mei was amazing. Her movements, her transitions, the small twists on her signature moves, the introduction of new moves. Her performance was very compelling. Suzume looked good as well, and Sena showed a little growth. The ending was lacking, but I’m looking forward to future developments.
***1/4
1. Saya Iida vs. Lady C
This was a great debut match for Lady C, who showed solid fundamentals and movement. Iida's facial performance was excellent, both offensively and defensively. The bump she took for Lady C's huge chokeslam and the way she sold it afterward really elevated the match. The tension continued from there until the finish.
***1/2
4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid & Gokigen Death) vs. STARS (Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka)
I followed the debuting Sayaka Unagi in her previous promotion. She has a good style, tall and crisp. Her visuals didn't feel out of place in the Stardom ring, especially among the flashy members of STARS. There was some good coordinated offense and drama (mainly between Mayu and Tam). The Tam-trio wasn’t as polished as the Mayu-trio, but they made up for their shortcomings with charisma and energy.
***1/2
5. Artist of Stardom Championship: Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika & Syuri) (c) vs. Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley, Natsuko Tora & Saki Kashima)
Great trios match. Both teams were able to show their strong points and there were great stylistic pairings. The feud between Syuri and Bea was at the fore as a prelude to their upcoming match in Sendai, with the two exchanging heavy offense.
****
6. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita) (c) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe)
This was a tremendous match. This was the best amongst the QQ vs. QQ matches over the years. It was an exciting battle of generational pride, seniors against juniors. They were all working fantastically, with the action growing more intense as it progressed. Utami and AZM were really going at it at the end.
3. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita) vs. STARS (Mina Shirakawa & Tam Nakano)
This was a bit of a slow starter, but once it got going it got really good. Tam hit a gorgeous German suplex, not so much because of the form but because of how Utami was thrown. Utami and Mina, who engaged in pre-match provocations, had a great segment against each other where they exchanged heated offense.
***1/2
4. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe) vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid)
Tremendous tag team wrestling from four competitors who share deep chemistry. They worked at a high pace, there was great teamwork and exciting and elaborate sequences. Everyone was on point with their technique and execution, but Kid was really working hard, her timing and rhythm were just too good.
****
5. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Syuri) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Maika)
This delivered the violence and fighting spirit a DDM intra-conflict promises on paper. Giulia and Himeka had an exchange that felt like a compact revisitation of their title match. Maika, whose upper back is bandaged up, also had an awesome performance, hitting some cool slams, including an impressive superplex on the big Himeka.
****
6. 10th Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League - Finals: Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Maika)
They carried the momentum of the previous two matches with an action-oriented match. The work rate was high and they were putting together cool moves and double teams. Not everything landed perfectly, but the tension was high throughout the match.
***1/2
