Ice Ribbon - #1123 ~ Nagoya Ribbon 2021 (5/30/2021)
ICExInfinity Championship: Tsukasa Fujimoto (c) vs. Tae Honma
This was Fujimoto's third defense in three weeks so I didn't expect her to go all out. And I think it's fine that she didn't. This was a good technical wrestling match, with positional battles on the mat, smooth transitions and timely counters. Honma gave the match a proper title match feel through her dramatic selling.
***1/2
Tokyo Joshi Pro - Stand Proud 2021 (6/26/2021)
Princess of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Sakisama
The layout of this match felt all wrong. Saki-sama is the super heel who rarely loses and yet she barely got any significant offense. She was the one surviving an onslaught of big moves and making the comeback from underneath at the end even though she's the clear heel. There was such an easy story to tell here and they screwed it up with a strange role reversal. If the idea was to shatter the illusion of Saki-sama, I suppose this match accomplished that, but it didn't make for a compelling story. The in-ring itself was also not strong. For a match between two strikers, this was lacking high-level strikes. The strikes looked soft and seemed to have little power behind them, save for a couple of exceptions at the end.
**1/2
4. Mirai Maiumi vs. Yuki Arai
Arai, making her singles debut, expressed her fighting spirit well through her facial expressions and body language, and showed a high level of technical skill with her big boot > axe kick combination. I also thought this was Mirai's best singles match to date, and the fact that she was given this kind of role shows how capable she is.
***3/4
6. International Princess Championship: Hikari Noa (c) vs. Marika Kobashi
This was better than I expected it to be. There were few highlights and the technique was nothing impressive, but the action was generally solid, and the layout and composition were good. However, the finish fell flat. This was another Hikari finish that felt too abrupt after the damage she had taken.
***1/4
7. Princess Tag Team Championship: NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Sakisama) (c) vs. 121000000 (Maki Ito & Miyu Yamashita)
This was a fun, action-packed tag team main event. The fast pace with little downtime made it very easy to watch and it didn't feel like a nearly 20 minute match. It's great to see the feud between Miyu and Saki-sama back in full swing.
***3/4
1. Cinderella Tournament - Semi-Finals: Maika vs. Unagi Sayaka
Even though Maika had wrapped up legs, her base seemed as strong as always. Unagi, who is rather unathletic, has a certain charm that reminds me of Kairi Sane, who was similarly weak but showed a lot of personality and fighting spirit. This match felt like it ended just as the action was starting to escalate.
***1/4
2. Cinderella Tournament - Semi-Finals: Himeka vs. Saya Kamitani
This was just as good as their match from the league tournament last year. Their styles mesh really well. Kamitani showed great vigor and urgency and a high level of execution. Himeka, who was returning from injury, hardly showed any rust and hit some hard hitting power moves. Both geniuses at facial expressions too.
***3/4
3. 3Way Shuffle Tag Match: Natsupoi & AZM vs. Tam Nakano & Giulia vs. Mina Shirakawa & Momo Watanabe
This was a really fun, fast-paced match with great action and comedy. Momo doing a gravure pose was interesting, and I liked the synchronized sequences between the mixed-up teams.
***1/2
4. Elimination - Loser Must Join Rival Unit: Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Konami, Fukigen DEATH, Ruaka & Saki Kashima) vs. STARS (Koguma, Hanan, Starlight Kid, Mayu Iwatani & Rin Kadokura)
This was another epic chapter of the Oedo Tai vs. STARS feud. Multi-man tag action worked at a blistering pace. Surprising falls and dramatic momentum shifts. Koguma's movement is still good despite her weight gain and she is a natural in the ring.
****
5. Cinderella Tournament - Finals: Maika vs. Saya Kamitani
Kamitani and Maika are in their first and second year respectively and yet have so much depth as performers. I can't think of another organization where you can see wrestlers of such youth and relative inexperience wrestling at a level like this, with a major prize at stake. Kamitani showed her killer instinct by targeting the injured leg of Maika, while Maika showed a lot of spirit and mental strength fighting through the pain.
****
6. World of Stardom Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. Syuri
This was an epic main event clash. A dense 40+ minutes of incredible wrestling, stamina and endurance. Syuri seemed to have a thousand holds at her disposal, not to mention many different ways to kick her opponent, keeping the action fresh throughout. They traded hard-hitting strikes and massive bumps. Some of the bumps were something out of NOAH during its heyday. This was another great defense for Utami, who has had an amazing title run so far.
****3/4
ChocoPro #121 (5/27/2021)
P's Party Yokohama Party ~ Yokohama Pro-Wrestling Festival 2021 (5/4/2021)
WUW World Women’s Championship: Thekla (c) vs. Madeline
This was an interesting hybrid of MMA and pro-wrestling, almost like something out of ARSION. Madeline actually reminded me of Michiko Omukai, with her boxing and submission holds. A fascinating and tense match between two eccentric personalities.
***1/2
Stardom - New Century 2021 in Sendai (4/29/2021)
Queen's Quest (AZM & Hina) vs. Oedo Tai (Ruaka & Rina)
A match with an average age of 15. This was a good opener, there was little downtime as they kept things active. Ruaka and Hina, who once felt like they were falling behind, have been looking really good of late.
