Stardom (1/30/2021)

5. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley & Konami) (c) vs. Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Natsupoi)

A very well executed tag match, where everyone shined in their defined role. Natsupoi, who was constantly battered by the aggressive champion team, was the perfect face-in-peril, with great facial expressions and a sense of urgency when on offense. There was also the fresh pairing of Bea and Himeka, who had a hard-hitting exchange.

****

6. SWA World Championship: Momo Watanabe vs. Syuri

 A great main event that felt like it was missing an "X-factor" to take it to the next level. In my opinion, these two are "support types" who need a strong personality to play off of and elevate them, and there was no such thing here. The first parts were good, with hard kick exchanges and Syuri's ever-expanding moveset, but there was a lack of innovation towards the end and it fell into a predictable pattern.

***3/4

Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom, 1/24/2021)

Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/24/2021)

Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano

Previous matches between these two have been tournament matches, but this time they faced off in a grudge match. Mayu's surly and deliberate offensive style was like a heel, while Tam was exploding with urgency and desperation. They packed a lot of great content into 15 minutes.

****

Stardom - 10th Anniversary Show (1/17/2021)

1. Future of Stardom Championship: Saya Iida (c) vs. Unagi Sayaka

A good opening match, with coherent wrestling and no wasted movements. The strike exchanges were good, and Unagi’s struggle was compelling to watch. I never thought I’d see her having matches like this when she first debuted in Tokyo Joshi Pro.

***1/4

3. High Speed Championship: AZM (c) vs. Kaori Yoneyama

I don’t keep up with what Yoneyama is doing outside of Stardom these days, but this was one of the best singles efforts I’ve seen from her in years. This was just a brilliant display of speed and technique. I’m happy that AZM’s request to face Yoneyama was fulfilled. 

***3/4

4. Starlight Kid vs. Tam Nakano

A great match that showed how much the Starlight Kid has grown as an overall performer. The ebb and flow of the match allowed them to build tension and maximize the big moments.

***1/2

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship - No DQ: Giulia (c) vs. Natsuko Tora

At times, the execution was spotty, but they certainly made up for it through sheer spectacle. For better or worse, I don't think I've ever heard a more visceral crowd reaction to a single match in the "no chanting era".

***1/2

7. World of Stardom Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. Maika

The longest and best match of the Utami-Maika series so far. I’ve felt these two had trouble showing their emotions, but they were on point in this match and elevated each other. Like the previous matches, it wasn't excessively flashy, but the sharpness of the transitions and moves made it feel like a very advanced match, and there was tremendous power behind their big strikes and suplexes.

****1/4

Haruka Umesaki vs. Matsui Misa (Diana, 1/3/2021)

Diana (1/3/2021)

Haruka Umesaki vs. Matsui Misa

A good match between two growing wrestlers. They stuck to the basics, but the heat building was good and they also showed some unique attacks, such as Misa's armbar on the ropes and Umesaki's modified figure-eight. They created a tense closing sequence at the end, trading finisher attempts.

***1/4

Mei Suruga vs. Hagane Shinno (ChocoPro, 1/11/2021)

Gatoh Move -  ChocoPro #80 (1/11/2021)

Mei Suruga vs. Hagane Shinno

The content of the match was generally good, but I felt it was overlong and excessive. A shorter duration would have been preferred for the story they were telling. I'm usually tolerant of intergender matches, but I thought it was absurd for Hagane to wrestle with Mei for almost thirty minutes.

***1/2

Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Yoshiko & Sareee (SEAdLINNNG, 1/11/2021)

SEAdLINNNG - 2021 Opening Match (1/11/2021)

Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Yoshiko & Sareee

This was the usual fast-paced SEAd tag team main event, with a lot of double team moves and multi-person sequences. In terms of content, I didn't think it differentiated itself from previous matches between these two teams, but it was an easy match to watch because it was action-packed and relatively short. 

***3/4

Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Syuri) vs. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka) (Stardom, 1/11/2021)

Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/11/2021)

Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Syuri) vs. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka)

This match was moved into the main event slot because Mayu Iwatani missed the show. Giulia and Tam were displaying their incredible chemistry, Syuri pulled out a few new techniques and Unagi worked hard to keep up with her more experienced opponents. It went 17 minutes and they gave the fans in Sendai something special.

***3/4