Antonio Honda vs. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 8/15/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・373 (8/15/2018)

Antonio Honda vs. Mei Suruga

Honda's gimmick of interrupting the action to cut a 2-min promo is something that I am not a fan of, but this was an enjoyable bout. Some fun comedy and nice counterwork. Mei using Honda's knuckle strike combination was the highlight. 

***

Maika Ozaki vs. Maya Yukihi (Ice Ribbon, 12/9/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #926 ~ Ryogoku KFC Ribbon 2018 (12/9/2018)

ICE×∞ Championship #1 Contendership Tournament - Finals: Maika Ozaki vs. Maya Yukihi

Great finale to the #1 contendership tournament. Maya and Ozaki are two of my favorites on the roster at the moment and both of them worked an exciting match and told a story of growth.

***1/2

HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yohei Komatsu (DDT, 11/17/2015)

DDT -  #OhkaEmpire Produce Muscle Mates 2015 (11/17/2015)

HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yohei Komatsu

This was a simple and straightforward tag, but the insanely hot Korakuen Hall crowd made everything feel special. Tanahashi's dickbag performance was really great, Ohka showed fire, and I loved the finale between HARASHIMA and YOH.

****1/4

Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2018 (12/7/2018)

2. Konami vs. Mary Apache

Fine technique on display in this clash of styles. Konami's triangle kick looks so crisp and Mary hits a heel kick to a loud, dull thud.

***

3. Saki Kashima vs. Hana Kimura

This had violent heel work and brawling from Hana. Unfortunately Saki's comebacks lacked fervor.

**1/2

5. STARS (Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu)

Arisa's first encounter with Oedo Tai. The turmoil between her and Tam adds a fun dimension to really great trios action.

***3/4

Hiiragi Kurumi vs. Maya Yukihi (Ice Ribbon, 11/24/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #922 ~ Yokohama Ribbon 2018 ~November~ (11/24/2018)

ICE×∞ Championship #1 Contendership Tournament - Semi-Finals: Hiiragi Kurumi vs. Maya Yukihi

High paced struggle with explosive offense and great bumps. Maya's performance here was quite good as I thought she sold the stakes of the match well, while Kurumi was a powerhouse machine.

***1/2

Mary Apache vs. Saki Kashima (Stardom, 12/2/2018)

Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2018 (12/2/2018)

High Speed Championship: Mary Apache (c) vs. Saki Kashima

This match is at its best when Mary is battering Saki with her heavy offense. She may be lacking in character, but her ringwork is super crisp. Saki performs lucha at a decent enough level with the crowd behind her and has a great near-fall.

***1/2

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tetsuya Endo (DDT, 12/8/2018)

DDT - D-Ou Grand Prix 2018 in Osaka (12/8/2018)

D-Ou Grand Prix 2019 Block B: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Tetsuya Endo

This is probably the best bout that I've seen from this match-up. Although this is a small venue, they delivered a main event fit for Korakuen Hall with big time moves and counters. Endo's assault on Takeshita's leg pays off nicely.

****1/4

Go Shiozaki vs. Akito (DDT, 12/1/2018)

DDT - D-Ou Grand Prix 2018 in Nanto (12/1/2018)

D-Ou Grand Prix 2019 Block A: Go Shiozaki vs. Akito

I had zero expectations for this match, but it hooked me with Akito going after an injured arm the way that only Akito can and Shiozaki doing a tremendous sell-job. The size differential plays a role in the finish in a great way.

****

Stardom - Best of Goddesses (11/23/2018)

2. Future of Stardom Championship: Starlight Kid (c) vs. Natsumi

Thought they kept up a good tempo throughout and kept the crowd into the action. Both wrestlers showcased a variety of moves and created good near-falls. 

***

4. Hana Kimura & Mary Apache vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu)

Hazuki and Mary are in a high speed feud so there's lucharesu action in this match. I liked the chair shot counters from Hana, and Mary cutting off Kagetsu's momentum with a big lariat from the apron was wicked.

***1/2

5. AMA (Arisa Hoshiki & Mayu Iwatani) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM & Konami)

Strong return match for Arisa after six years away (!). Having her work underneath is a smart layout for someone who has been away from the ring for so long. AZM & Konami were looking dominant as the gatekeepers of QQ and there's a couple of sequences and big moves that brought this to a high level.

***3/4

6. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: JAN (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora) (c) vs. Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita

It's been a while since we've had a Goddesses of Stardom match of this magnitude. This surges to an emotional struggle between Kyona and Utami and I dug the feuding between Momo and Tora.

***1/2

Tokyo Joshi Pro - 5th Anniversary ~ Five Year Old Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling ~ (12/1/2018)

6. Yuu vs. Nodoka Tenma

Yuu being a violent aggressor and Nodoka giving one of her compelling underneath performances. I feel like all this needed was one or two dramatic kickouts and it would've reached that high point. Very good, still.

***1/2

7. 2 out of 3 Falls: Miyu Yamashita & magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) vs. Maki Ito, Shoko Nakajima & Riho

Story-driven trios epic with character and superb technique, plus the novelty of seeing Miyu and Riho face off for the first time. Hell of a build towards 1/4.

****1/2

Konosuke Takeshita vs. Mike Bailey (DDT, 11/30/2018)

DDT - D-Ou Grand Prix 2018 in Shinjuku (11/30/2018)

D-Ou Grand Prix 2019 Block B - Iron Man Heavymetalweight Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Mike Bailey

For the second time this year Speedball opens the D-Ou with a marvelous match. This time against Takeshita Konosuke. Very cohesive bout with stiffness and hard bumps and pristine execution. Always fun when a wrestler unveils a new technique that catches their opponent off guard.

****1/2

Revision! (11/30/2018)

*****

In addition to a new site name, I've gone through my older reviews and edited many of them for quality purposes and brevity's sake. This is something I had planned on doing for some time now. Please understand.

*****

Arisa Nakajima vs. Command Bolshoi (PURE-J, 8/11/2018)

PURE-J - 1st Anniversary ~ Rainbow Mountain (8/11/2018)

Arisa Nakajima vs. Command Bolshoi

This had beautiful technique on display from the competitors. Arisa just muscling Bolshoi into those suplexes was my favorite thing.

***3/4

Chihiro Hashimoto vs. Meiko Satomura (Sendai Girls, 11/17/2018)

Sendai Girls - Joshi Puroresu Big Show 2018 In Osaka (11/17/2018)

Sendai Girls World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto (c) vs. Meiko Satomura

I don't think there was much here to distinguish this from their other bouts, other than it being held in Osaka, but these two are obviously incredible performers so they'll always produce good results together in the ring.

***3/4

Chihiro Hashimoto & DASH Chisako vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu) (Sendai Girls, 11/16/2018)

Sendai Girls (11/16/2018)

Chihiro Hashimoto & DASH Chisako vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu)

Oedo Tai representing Stardom in an interpromotional clash and the crowd responding to them as proper heels was a lot of fun. Chihiro had great moments where she showed off her explosive arsenal. Hazuki's athleticism is insane. Interested in the future implications of this match.

***1/2

Shoko Nakajima vs. Yuu (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 11/24/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - How Do You Like Narimasu? (11/24/2018)

Shoko Nakajima vs. Yuu

Both wrestlers have expanded their moveset since the last encounter so there's a freshness to the action. Great back and forth with plenty of matwork struggle, and a hot finishing run with finish attempts, counters and near-falls. Good stuff for Yuu's farewell tour.

***3/4

Riho & Mei Suruga vs. Emi Sakura & Yuna Mizumori (Gatoh Move, 11/25/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・393 (11/25/2018)

Riho & Mei Suruga vs. Emi Sakura & Yuna Mizumori

Highly enjoyable workrate sprint, with a few twists and turns and great use of the Ichigaya wall. Popped for some of the wild spots here. That Propeller Clutch counter from Suruga was amazing, as was the wall-bounce splash from Yuna.

****1/4

Isami Kodaka vs. Masa Takanashi (DDT, 1/31/2016)

DDT - Sweet Dreams! 2016  (1/31/2016)

KO-D Openweight Championship: Isami Kodaka vs. Masa Takanashi

Hmm, I didn't think much of this on rewatch. Korakuen rallies strongly behind Masa and that feels good as someone who is a big fan of him, but, save for some neat offense and counters, the match was nothing special.

***

HARASHIMA vs. Soma Takao (DDT, 11/30/2014)

DDT - God Bless DDT 2014 (10/30/2014)

KO-D Openweight Championship: HARASHIMA vs. Soma Takao

One of my favorite DDT matches ever and easily the best match of Soma's career. Very much doubt Soma tops this - EVER. The shift in tempo, when Soma reaches a breaking point and explodes into a flurry that leaves HARASHIMA bleeding from the head, was so well-timed and dramatic.

*****

Miyu Yamashita & Nodoka Tenma vs. Maki Ito & Hyper Misao (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 11/17/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - 5th Anniversary Shinkiba Tour (11/17/2018)

Miyu Yamashita & Nodoka Tenma vs. Maki Ito & Hyper Misao

This was a great prelude to Miyu-Ito at Korakuen. Miyu demonstrates the power gap between her and Ito with a Satomura-esque beatdown. I also found Nodoka's performance to be quite enjoyable as well.

***1/2

Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita vs. Queen's Quest (Bea Priestley & Chardonnay) (Stardom, 11/4/2018)

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom 2018 (11/4/2018)

Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League 2018 - Finals: Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita vs. Queen's Quest (Bea Priestley & Chardonnay)

Wasn't sure what to expect with Bea & Chardonnay in the finals, but this turned out to be a great match. The action was exciting and moved quickly with little down time and it wraps up nicely.

***1/2

Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) & Miyuki Takase vs. BORDERLESS (Yoshiko & Rina Yamashita) & Makoto (SEAdLINNNG, 10/17/2018)

SEAdLINNNG - Shinkiba 7th Night (10/17/2018) 

Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) & Miyuki Takase vs. BORDERLESS (Yoshiko & Rina Yamashita) & Makoto

As amazing as you would hope for from this all-star ensemble. Endlessly exciting action with plenty of lariats to go around.

****

Yuna Mizumori vs. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 6/18/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・362 (6/18/2018)

Yuna Mizumori vs. Mei Suruga

Mizumori is a big powerhouse, so the much smaller Suruga uses the speed and technical advantage to put on the pressure. Yuna's comeback is brief, one dropkick and a splash is all it takes.

***3/4

magical sugar rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) & Hinano vs. Miyu Yamashita, Hikari & Miu (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 11/4/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - 5th Anniversary Shinkiba Tour (11/4/2018)

magical sugar rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) & Hinano vs. Miyu Yamashita, Hikari & Miu 

Hinano plays a major role despite being the least skilled worker, but she does well enough, save some awkward moments. The Miyu segments with Mizuki and Yuka are the highlights. Miyu and Mizuki must have a singles match some time.

***1/2

Risa Sera vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon, 10/28/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #916 ~Ryogoku KFC Ribbon~ (10/28/2018)

ICE×∞ Championship: Risa Sera vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto

Great clash of power and technique. I thought Sera looked great on offense with her power maneuvers and targeting the lower back. That running Burning Hammer from Sera had a nice impact. Tsukasa's counter work was nice. The Venus Shot while Sera was on the apron was a very cool moment.

***3/4

Stardom - True Fight 2018 (10/23/2018)

2. Hazuki vs. Mary Apache

Hazuki going blitzkrieg on her opponents is always fun to watch.

***1/2

3. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2018 Red Goddess: Oedo Tai (Session Moth Martina & Sumire Natsu) vs. JAN (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora)

Thought this developed quite strongly with JAN making their comeback with powerhouse moves. There's some great humor thrown in along the way.

***1/2

5. World of Stardom Championship - No DQ, No Countout & No Rope Escape Rules: Kagetsu (c) vs. Hana Kimura

This was a tense and visceral match. Loving Hana's metamorphosis since returning from Mexico. She's like a garish Bruiser Brody with some lucha libre spliced in. This was mega-violence that was so far removed from traditional World of Stardom matches.

****

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Mayu Iwatani

I didn't think there was much here in the way of depth, but Mayu can be pretty fun when she's in control and there are plenty of great counterattacks and sequences, and some gnarly kick exchanges. The finishing stretch captured Mayu's desperation to win a belt really well.

***3/4

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom 2018 (Day) (10/20/2018)

3. Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2018 Blue Goddess: Hana Kimura & Mary Apache vs. Hanan & Leo Onozaki

Hana's trip to Mexico awakened something that lied dormant inside of her. She's become a cold-blooded killer. Mesmerizing performance from her in this match, which was basically a torture session.

***1/2

6. Artist of Stardom Championship: STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Tam Nakano) (c) vs. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama & Natsuko Tora)

Stardom has been delivering some really great trios matches this year; this was another great one. High tempo action with cooperative attacks and big cutoffs. Tam and Natsuko have one of the best chapters of their feud yet.

***3/4

Sendai Girls - BIG SHOW in Sendai (10/14/2018)

3. DASH Chisako & Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Millie McKenzie & Rhia O’Reilly

Great tag team action and introduction to Millie & Rhia. Doubt I'll ever watch either of them again, unless they return to Japan, but they made an impression.

***1/2

6. Sendai Girls World Championship: Chihiro Hashimoto (c) vs. Cassandra Miyagi

The pacing was a little clunky and Cassandra was all over the place on offense, but maybe that unpredictability suits her character. The work becomes more focused towards the end and the finishing run with Chihiro making her strong return was good stuff. Both talents came off like stars in this big arena.

***3/4

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Nanae Takahashi (SEAdLINNNG, 10/3/2018)

SEAdLINNNG - d-Higher (10/3/2018)

SEAdLINNNG BEYOND THE SEA Championship - Tournament First Round: Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Nanae Takahashi

Hell of an escalation of violence, maybe a bit excessive on the near-falls but they kept up a high energy, the crowd was hot and I enjoyed it. Nanae using those Lethwei clinch-headbutts down the stretch was awesome.

****

Io Shirai vs. Dark Angel (Stardom, 10/11/2015)

Stardom - Appeal The Heart (10/11/2015)

Wonder of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai (c) vs. Dark Angel

One of my favorite Io-san title defenses. Dark Angel is one of the few opponents Io faced in Stardom who could match up to her in athleticism so these two complement each other well. DA does a painful workover on the back and has some cool moments where she matches Io's aerial offense with her own.

****1/2

Aoi Kizuki, Mei Suruga & Riho vs. Emi Sakura, Hikaru Shida & Makoto (Aoi Kizuki Retirement Show, 10/7/2018)

Aoi Kizuki Retirement Show - ~Final Happy~ (10/7/2018)

Aoi Kizuki, Mei Suruga & Riho vs. Emi Sakura, Hikaru Shida & Makoto

This is the final match of Aoi Kizuki's career so this was an emotional match for me, as someone who enjoyed her work a lot. Joshi puroresu retirement matches can sometimes go too far into comedy (fair enough, it's not always about having a "good match"), and while this did have its humor, it was mostly a serious, competitive match to bookend Aoi~chan's career. Thoroughly enjoyable trios action with some exciting multi person sequences and an emotional finale between Aoi and her senpai Emi.

****

Mizuki Watase vs. Shigehiro Irie (DDT, 10/10/2018)

DDT - Live! Maji Manji 卍 #20 (10/10/2018)

Mizuki Watase vs. Shigehiro Irie

I'm always reminded of the Knife Edge Death Match when two wrestlers lock hands and take turns wailing on each other in close proximity until one falls down. What a way to open up this slugfest. These two were going at it. Watase's willingness to destroy himself in the pursuit of a great match was on full display.

****

Tokyo Joshi Pro - How Do You Like Kitazawa? (10/8/2018)

5. Hyper Misao & Miyu Yamashita vs. Priscilla Kelly & Shoko Nakajima

Great prelude to Miyu-Kelly with some high impact exchanges between them. 

***1/2

6. TOKYO Princess Tag Team Championship: magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) (c) vs. BAKURETSU Sisters (Nodoka Tenma & Yuki Aino)

This was a good main. Yuka & Mizuki are of course great at double team maneuvers and controlling the ring. Aino was working hard in her first title opportunity and shows promise; that full nelson sequence was nifty. 

***1/2

Emi Sakura vs. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 10/7/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour ・384 (10/7/2018)

Emi Sakura vs. Mei Suruga

Suruga's riding high after her big upset against Aoi~chan and Emi becomes increasingly frustrated with that overconfidence and wants to put the rookie in her place. Innovative offense and some of the best counterwork I've seen this year, and a great finishing sequence of counters and near-falls.

****1/2

Kagetsu vs. Momo Watanabe (Stardom, 9/30/2018)

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018: Grand Champion Carnival (Day) (9/30/2018)

World of Stardom Championship / Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kagetsu (c) vs. Momo Watanabe (c)

Well worked champion vs. champion clash, one of the better 50/50 bouts I've seen this year. Progression felt natural and it breezed through its 20+-min duration. A 50/50 affair that isn't heavily reliant on "big move -> kickout" is always a major plus for me! Could've used a stronger ending, but oh well.

****

Hikaru Shida vs. Aja Kong (OZ Academy, 9/17/2018)

OZ Academy - Flower Bloom in Yokohama (9/17/2018)

OZ Academy Openweight Championship: Hikaru Shida (c) vs. Aja Kong

What a war this match was, these two beat the hell out of each other. The limbwork between them was brutal and they did a splendid job of selling the damage of it. The visual of Aja brandishing the shinai as blood pours from her head was amazing. Great defense for Shida, this rivalry always delivers.

****3/4

KAI vs. Kenny Omega (AJPW, 10/23/2011)

AJPW - Pro-Wrestling Love In Ryogoku Vol. 13

AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Championship: KAI (c) vs. Kenny Omega

What an awesome bombfest. This was just a highly aesthetic exchange of big moves and big bumps. KAI was on top of his game, dramatically different than what you'd see from him nowadays. Loved the opening shtick with Kenny making a mockery of Mutoh before they switched gears.

****1/2

Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 9/24/2018)

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (9/24/2018)

5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Finals: Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita

This was a star-making performance for Utami in her first ever Korakuen main event. The dismissive veteran versus the cool super-rookie dynamic was played well. Mayu does a splendid job bumping (as usual) for Utami's power-based offense when the tide turns and her comebacks were well obtained. Excellent match to cap off a great tournament.

****1/2

Hazuki vs. Mayu Iwatani (Stardom, 9/16/2018)

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (9/16/2018)

5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Hazuki vs. Mayu Iwatani

Hazuki goes after Mayu like a relentless wolverine, and Mayu being the bump technician she is sold and bumped like a madman. Great flow in general, with nice counters and armwork (the way Mayu switched her wrist band from the healthy arm to the injured arm was a nice subtle touch). Mayu scores some savage head kicks, including a gnarly axe kick.

****1/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - How Do You Like Shinkiba? (9/22/2018)

4. Mizuki vs. Maki Ito

These two put together a strong match with great storytelling. Ito is at her best in these story-driven matches, this was easily her best singles bout.

***1/2

5. Hikari & Yuka Sakazaki vs. Yuki Aino & Nodoka Tenma

No clue why this was given the semi-main spot, but the work justified its placement. The MVP of the match was unironically Hikari, she's getting so much mileage out of that cobra twist.

***1/2

6. Azusa Takigawa vs. Miyu Yamashita

Enjoyed this a lot. I'm not a fan of Azusa's gimmick of interrupting the action to cut a promo, but it's over with the crowd so I'll tolerate it. They worked a big match pacing and the match had some nifty counters. Miyu reversing a crucifix hold into an Attitude Adjustment was very nice.

***3/4

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (9/9/2018)

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Natsuko Tora vs. Tam Nakano

Great slugfest, these two brought the fire and raw emotion. The opening was ugly, in a good way, they're tussling, covered in streamers, beating the hell out of each other. Tam has been having captivating singles performances lately, I wouldn't mind seeing her get a run with one of the belts.

***3/4

7. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Jungle Kyona vs. Utami Hayashishita

This was basically an upgraded version of Utami's debut match. Great layout, pacing and some excruciating submission struggles. Kyona's been having such a great run in this tournament.

****

8. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Hazuki vs. Momo Watanabe

Another great timeout draw on this show, it hardly felt like they were killing time, and the soldout Shinkiba crowd gave it good atmosphere. I liked the intense urgency from Hazuki, she was unrelenting with her rabid offense. Momotaro holds up her end of the bargain with punishing reprisals.

****

ASUKA vs. Hana Kimura (WRESTLE-1, 9/2/2018)

WRESTLE-1 - Wrestling LOVE in Yokohama 2018 (9/2/2018)

ASUKA vs. Hana Kimura

Outside of WAVE is where ASUKA is at her most interesting since she shows personality, her heel work and the way she played to the crowd at the start gave the match depth. Hana returns from an excursion in Mexico with a couple of new techniques, including a very wacky submission hold.

***3/4

Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) vs. Hiroe Nagahama & Miyuki Takase (WAVE, 6/30/2018)

WAVE - Osaka Rhapsody vol. 41 (6/30/2018)

Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) vs. Hiroe Nagahama & Miyuki Takase

Avid Rival can do no wrong, they're so good at creating exciting tag matches with just about anyone. Hiroe & Miyuki are developing better chemistry and growing as a team, showing off some new double teams maneuvers. 

***1/2

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (9/1/2018)

1. AZM vs. Sumire Natsu

***1/4

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Kagetsu vs. Utami Hayashishita

A 10-year veteran vs. an undefeated super rookie, the story writes itself. Utami's kill moves have been so well established that the crowd was sold on her possibly making the Red Belt champion submit. I liked how Utami got desperate with that illegal chokehold as she felt victory slipping from her grasp.

***3/4

7. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima) (c) vs. STARS (Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano)

This is one of the best Goddesses matches in recent history, some very exciting tag team action and a great emotional segment between Mayu and Tam as the action began to slow down. I would like to see more StarTam as they have promising chemistry and are both very cute.

***3/4

WAVE - Sapporo Wave NA.MA.RA ~Zen~ (6/3/2018)

3. ASUKA vs. Rina Yamashita

***

4. Avid Rival (Misaki Ohata & Ryo Mizunami) vs. NEW-TRA (Takumi Iroha & Rin Kadokura)

I liked this a lot, great pacing and rhythm and chemistry between the two teams. Ohata was particularly good here, loved her interactions with Rin-chan.

****

5. WAVE Tag Team Championship: KUSO ONNA NIGHT (Nagisa Nozaki & Yuki Miyazaki) (c) vs. BOSS to Mammy (Mio Momono & Yumi Ohka)

Momono is the mastermind of the BOSS to Mammy team, Ohka is more or less an instrument in Momono's game. KUSO ONNA have developed into one of my favorite tag teams in the scene, Miyazaki still has one of the sweetest moonsaults.

****

Ice Ribbon - 906 ~Hamuko Hoshi, Miyako Matsumoto & Tsukasa Fujimoto 10th Anniversary Show~ (8/26/2018)

6. Hikaru Shida vs. Risa Sera

This delivered about on the level that I expected it to, very solid match between teacher and student. There's little down time and a couple of nice, stiff attacks.

***3/4

9. ICE×∞ Championship: Tsukasa Fujimoto (c) vs. Maya Yukihi

Great main event, there's some heated slaps to the face and they threw hellish kicks to the head (Maya-obachan shared her facial bruises on twitter after the event - the kicks she took to the face towards the end were vicious).

***1/2

Takumi Iroha vs. Mayu Iwatani (Marvelous, 8/8/2018)

Marvelous (8/8/2018)

Takumi Iroha vs. Mayu Iwatani

Solid match for Marvelous' first Korakuen main event. The swanton from the stairwell was cool, and there's some exciting offense traded between the two, and the limb-targeting kept the action fresh towards the time limit draw.

***1/2

Misaki Ohata vs. Takumi Iroha (WAVE, 6/28/2018)

WAVE - Weekday Wave vol.116 ~Weekday MAX~ (6/28/2018)

Regina Di WAVE Championship: Misaki Ohata (c) vs. Takumi Iroha

This had all of the excitement you want from an interpromotional clash of aces with a top championship on the line. It's not often that you hear a WAVE crowd so receptive to what's taking place in front of them, and here there were women screaming after the three-count!

***3/4

SEAdLINNNG - Shinkiba 6th Night (8/16/2018)

3. Aoi Kizuki & Ryo Mizunami vs. Miyuki Takase & Nanae Takahashi

Came for Miyuki Takase, stayed for the strong work between Aoi and Nanae. Amazing match for Aoi~chan's retirement road.

****

4. Captain’s Fall: Yoshiko (c) & Akane Fujita, Rina Yamashita vs. Ayame Sasamura (c), Arisa Nakajima & Mio Momono

That Rina-Arisa segment ruled and I liked the juniors using speed and craftiness to take down the team of bruisers. The ending was really great.

****

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (Night) (8/26/2018)

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Mayu Iwatani vs. Natsu Sumire

This was an immensely fun match-up with some entertaining shenanigans. I also really enjoyed Mayu's workover at the beginning.

***1/2

7. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Kagetsu vs. Natsuko Tora

The 3-minute time limit (unofficial as Rossy didn't sign off on it) created some fun comedy at the start and the wrestling was mostly good, albeit never leaving second gear. I liked how Kagetsu's damaged neck came into play.

***

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (Noon) (8/26/2018)

2. Handicap: Hanan & JAN (Leo Onozaki & Ruaka) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu)

The opening of this was WILD with Hazuki getting outnumbered, taking big bumps for the juniors.

***

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Jungle Kyona vs. Tam Nakano

Kyona exploits the damage done to Tamu by Utami's Judo and Tamu does a really great job selling. These two are probably the most emotive on the roster so this was a passionate battle with a lot of screaming.

***3/4

7. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Jamie Hayter vs. Mayu Iwatani

The dynamic of this was strange because Mayu was working agressively and subtly heel even though she's facing an outsider. Dug her work on top, in any case. Solid stuff from these two.

***

Aoi Kizuki & Mei Suruga vs. SAKI & Yuna Mizumori (Gatoh Move, 8/8/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour ・371 (8/8/2018)

Aoi Kizuki & Mei Suruga vs. SAKI & Yuna Mizumori

Suruga continues to look impressive in her cute tag with Aoi~chan and the power-based team of SAKI & Yuna were a lot of fun. Strong structure with great momentum shifts; those last-second pin break ups added tension.

****

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (8/19/2018)

4. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Jungle Kyona vs. Kimber Lee

Strong underdog performance from Kyona, and Kimber Lee held her own.

***3/4

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Konami vs. Tam Nakano

Cohesive little clash based around limb damage and many kicks.

***1/2

8. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Mayu Iwatani vs. Saki Kashima

Mayu has certain idiosyncrasies in her performance that I enjoy watching, everything she does is uniquely Mayu Iwatani. 

***1/4

9. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Kagetsu vs. Rachael Ellering

This had a big match feel and strong storytelling centered around Kagetsu's damaged neck. Ellering was a nice powerhouse aggressor, though I wish her striking was stiffer.

***3/4

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 (8/18/2018)

4. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Tam Nakano vs. Utami Hayashishita

I loved Tam's selling of the back here after Utami's throws, it effectively put over the danger of Utami's Judo and made the loss to the rookie credible.

***3/4

5. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Hazuki vs. Saki Kashima

***1/4

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Jungle Kyona vs. Rachael Ellering

***1/2

8. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block A: Kelly Klein vs. Mayu Iwatani

Mayu tried to overwhelm the powerhouse, in nifty fashion, and while Klein didn't get much in offensively, she made it count when she did. The Speed vs. Power story was told well.

***3/4

9. 5STAR Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Kagetsu vs. Konami

***3/4

Miyu Yamashita vs. Yuu (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 8/25/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Brand New Wrestling 2 ~Now It's Time to Attack~ (8/25/2018)

TOKYO Princess of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Yuu

Yuu takes her vile chops to the next level when she starts chopping Miyu on the back and hitting double arm chops! This was a vicious back and forth where the hits got harder and the beatdowns more violent as the match progressed. Pure barbarism on display from the two best wrestlers in the promotion.

****3/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Go Ahead, Hot Guys of Nagoya (8/18/2018)

2. Maki Ito, Miu & Reika Saiki vs. magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) & Yuki Aino

I thought this was great, you're seeing the best of what all six performers can do, and to cap it off Reika goes King's Road on Aino and spikes her on the head (!!!). 

***3/4

5. Hikari vs. Saki-sama

I liked the brawling segment on the outside leading up to the PK on the apron. Sama does her usual great work on top and character work, and Hikari makes good use of her Cobra twist with a ground variation of the move.

***1/2

6. Azusa Takigawa & Miyu Yamashita vs. Nodoka-Oneesan & Yuu

The spot where Yuu used Azusa as a human weapon to batter Miyu was neat.

***1/2

Stardom - Stardom X Stardom 2018 (8/16/2018)

3. Jungle Kyona vs. Utami Hayashishita

Great performance from Utami in her debut, she has a great look and she oozes confidence, and looked like a killer when she started unleashing her Judo throws. Once again, Kyona was amazing at putting across her emotions.

***3/4

4. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Saki Kashima

This started off interesting with Momo kicking the hell out of Saki and Saki firing back by targeting the leg, but then it devolved into a rather formulaic back and forth. The lack of heat didn't help either. The pacing seemed off, too.

bad

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

There were great moments here, such as Kagetsu countering with a Kimura lock out of nowhere, but this goes beyond overkill with the dramatic finisher kickouts. There's a good atmosphere to this match and the crowd was into it, and they were laying into each other, but that final act brought it down.

***1/2

Stardom - Bright Summer Stardom (8/5/2018)

1. AZM vs. Hanan

AZM has been on a nice run of singles lately, this was another good one. This was rather intense with AZM heeling it up and Hanan showing edge in response.

***3/4

4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima, & Stephanie Vaquer) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu)

Vaquer hasn't done anything to impress me during her tour, but this was quite a splendid farewell match for her with a nice preview for the upcoming Kagetsu/Mayu match. Hazuki potatoed Vaquer with a nasty boot to the side of the head, yeesh.

***1/2

5. Artist of Stardom Championship: JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama & Natsuko Tora) (c) vs. STARS (Shiki Shibusawa, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano)

Stardom has been having an awesome year in trios and multi-man tags and I am happy to see the trios belt being given shine again. This was very good, it was filled with exciting sequences and double teams. Tora and Shiki were the focus and they both worked hard. 

***3/4

Stardom (7/29/2018)

4. AZM vs. Mayu Iwatani

Mayu was acting like a jerk and AZM was giving her more of a fight than she anticipated. They matched up well during the opening high-speed sequence despite the exp. gap. AZM targets the arm, culminating with an awesome La Mistica. Mayu hits savage kicks throughout.

***1/2

5. Kagetsu vs. Starlight Kid

Solid back and forth with some cool moments built for Starlight Kid. Kagetsu spiked herself into the mat for one of Kid's DDTs which looked brutal. Kind of wish Kagetsu had changed up her offense a little instead of doing the usual standard routine, still a fine main event regardless.

***1/4

El Barbaro Cavernario vs. King Phoenix (CMLL, 6/29/2018)

CMLL - Super Viernes (6/29/2018)

El Barbaro Cavernario vs. King Phoenix 

It's been a while since I've watched lucha libre, I read good things about this match and Fenix and Cavenario are two of my favorites so I decided to give it a spin. I think what I liked most about this match was how smoothly it was worked, the high spot transitions are seamless. Even with some of the intricate set-ups for Fenix's flashier offense, they hardly miss a beat.

****1/2

STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Konami & Momo Watanabe) (Stardom, 8/4/2018)

Stardom - Bright Summer Stardom (8/4/2018)

STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Konami & Momo Watanabe)

This was a really good high-action trios match, the pairings were enjoyable and there were cool multi-man sequences. One of the highlights was Starlight Kid's impressive bridging suplex that had a nice bridge.

***3/4

Miyu Yamashita & Hikari vs. Yuu & Yuna Manase (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 8/12/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro -  Go Ahead, Hot Guys in Itabashi! (8/12/2018)

Miyu Yamashita & Hikari vs. Yuu & Yuna Manase

The escalation of violence between Miyu and Yuu was great - they start off with careful mat grappling but as the match progresses they're out for each other's blood. Hikari performed well, earning some sweet moments with her cobra twist. Yuna wrestled in her wolf shirt and worked heelish during her workover session, which was far interesting than what she normally does.

***3/4

Stardom - Stardom X Stardom 2018 In Osaka (7/22/2018)

1. AZM vs. Leo Onozaki

Liked this a lot. They worked at a brisk pacing, there was nice heeling from AZM with those stomps and head kicks, and Leo gave a strong effort against the veteran in what was easily her best bout thus far.

***1/2

2. Elimination: STARS (Tam Nakano, Shiki Shibusawa, Starlight Kid & Hanan) vs. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama, Natsuko Tora & Ruaka)

Fun multi-man with a variety of neat and cute spots. Starlight Kid was put over strongly, taking out two members of JAN as the sole survivor of STARS.

***1/2

5. World of Stardom Championship: Kagetsu (c) vs. Viper

Viper's looking so great lately with her offense, much of what I enjoyed of this was her clobbering and squashing Kagetsu around the ring. The Cobra clutch that she transitions into a number of power moves was used to great effect here. Viper worked as a subtle heel, Kagetsu showed fire as the crowd rallied behind her while still retaining those cool heel elements.

****

Emi Sakura vs. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 6/24/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・363

Emi Sakura vs. Mei Suruga

Good showing for Mei, who showed off her athleticism and a variety of holds. Emi applied snug submissions that looked especially vicious on the much smaller opponent, and made a brutal counter in the closing moments where she squashed Suruga against the wall.

***3/4

Risa Sera & Yoshiko vs. Akane Fujita & Nanae Takahashi (ZERO1, 7/22/2018)

ZERO1 - Fire Festival 2018 (7/22/2018)

Blast Queen Championship: Risa Sera & Yoshiko (c) vs. Akane Fujita & Nanae Takahashi

This was fun, good action and use of weapons leading into the bat explosion spots. The finishing stretch could've been stronger, but overall I thought all four wrestlers created a fun match.

***3/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Fighting Beer Garden 2018 ~ Tokyo Joshi Pro Day ~ (8/4/2018)

5. Yeah! Metcha Tag Tournament 2018 Summer - Semi-Finals: Saitamuscles (Reika Saiki & Miu) vs. magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki)

They got straight to the action in this match. Reika and Mizuki always create magic when they're in the ring together, I liked their session here. Stereo backbreaker racks from Saitamuscles was a cool spot.

***3/4

7. NEO Biishiki-gun (Saki-sama & Martha) vs. NEO Biishiki-gun (Azusa Christie & Yukio Saint Laurent)

BEER GARDEN is a great setting for the climax of the Biishiki-gun civil war since the crowds are hot and receptive to everything, the atmosphere feels like a western indie show. Great character work from Martha and Yukio, and great storytelling between Azusa and Saki-sama. Highly enjoyable match

***3/4

8. Yeah! Metcha Tag Tournament 2018 Summer - Finals: magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) vs. Kaiji Sentai Kaijujer vs. Hero Sentai Pamiranger (Shoko Nakajima & Hyper Misao)

The diving spot was fun, and there were a couple of neat exchanges between Yuka and Shoko. magical sugar rabbits are two technical wrestlers with immensely grating voices, so it's no surprise they have natural chemistry. Exciting third act with a satisfying finishing sequence.

***1/4

SEAdLINNNG - Shin-Kiba 5th NIGHT (7/6/2018)

1. Akane Fujita & Ryo Mizunami vs. Makoto & Miyuki Takase

Ryo Mizunami and Miyuki Takase chop and lariat battles, featuring Akane Fujita & Makoto. This was one amazing opening match.

***3/4

4. Amazon & Arisa Nakajima vs. Nanae Takahashi & Tsukasa Fujimoto

This was very long, but they kept the action exciting with a variety of sequences and moves, and the story of Amazon & Arisa becoming increasing frustrated with each other added a fun dynamic.

***3/4

Hamuko Hoshi & Ibuki Hoshi vs. GEKOKUJyou (Kyuuri & Maika Ozaki) (Ice Ribbon, 7/16/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #898 ~Yokohama Ribbon 2018 ~Summer~ (7/16/2018)

Hamuko Hoshi & Ibuki Hoshi vs. GEKOKUJyou (Kyuuri & Maika Ozaki)

Another fantastic GEKOKUJyou tag with a shocker of an ending.

****

Arisa Nakajima & Misaki Ohata vs. ASUKA & Ayame Sasamura (SEAdLINNNG, 6/8/2018)

SEAdLINNNG - Shinkiba 4th Night! (6/8/2018)

Arisa Nakajima & Misaki Ohata vs. ASUKA & Ayame Sasamura

Solid stuff. Arisa continues her storyline of trying to find a replacement for Tsukasa and failing, and Sasamura showed off her ability.

***3/4

Stardom - Bright Summer ~ RISE vs. Stardom (7/16/2018)

3. Artist of Stardom Championship: JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama & Natsuko Tora) (c) vs. Britt Baker, Dust & Kylie Rae

Rock solid first defense for JAN. I like the idea of Kyona, Yoneyama & Tora being the ace team of the trios division. Thought their new costumes looked silly at first, but I like them now.

**3/4

4. SWA World Championship: Viper (c) vs. Tam Nakano

Loved this. Tam fights with urgency, striking before the bell rings. Her kick-heavy offense and the way she isn't afraid to throw a stiff really reminds me of Yuzupon. I liked the dramatic set-up for the Destiny Hammer from the apron. Destructive offense from Viper who looked like a tank in this match.

***1/2

5. El Hijo del Dr. Wagner Jr. & Oedo Tai (Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu) vs. Rey Wagner & STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima)

Super fun trios - Oedos brought annoying air corns to create that authentic lucha libre feel.

***1/4

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Hazuki

This was a really good match. Hazuki's offense looked amazing as always and she was really good as the aggressor, loved the Scott Norton rope hung DDT. Momo's selling of the headbutt and the diving somato were also match highlights. Hazuki feels more natural in Oedo Tai, but she still has some weak points to improve that hinder her matches from being truly great.

***3/4

Emi Sakura, Mei Suruga & Riho vs. NEO Biishiki-gun (Martha, Saki-sama & Yoshiko-sama) (DDT, 8/1/2018)

DDT - Beer Garden Fight 2018 ~ Shuten Doji & HARASHIMA DAY ~ (8/1/2018)

Emi Sakura, Mei Suruga & Riho vs. NEO Biishiki-gun (Martha, Sakisama & Yoshiko-sama)

Supremely fun match with a mixture of action and comedy. Martha was working hard, displaying great technique and bumping ability. Suruga is GM's newest rookie and she delivered an impressive performance. The reaction of the crowd whenever Yoshiko-sama landed a senton was gold.

****

Jungle Kyona vs. Yuna Mizumori (Gatoh Move, 7/28/2018)

Gatoh Move - Good Work Summer! Itabashi Tournament ~ Swimming this Summer ~ (7/28/2018)

Jungle Kyona vs. Yuna Mizumori

This was great, it was a battle of charismatic power fighters with lots of emotion and energy. Yuna showed a lot of heart, and I really liked the running spinebuster into the turnbuckle. Kyona has a strong presence for someone with only 2 years of experience, she really came across as a star in the Gatoh Move ring.

***1/2

Stardom - Bright Summer ~ RISE vs. Stardom (Night) (7/14/2018)

3. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima, Shiki Shibusawa & Starlight Kid) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Konami, Momo Watanabe & Viper)

This was another fun multi-man tag match, nice action, nice comedy, some fun pairings like Shiki and Konami. Kid and AZM have one of their best sequences yet, they're building really strong chemistry together.

***

4. Dream Come True Tournament - Finals: Britt Baker vs. Tam Nakano

This was... passable. There were minor timing issues, but no botches or blown spots, and the crowd was receptive. Tam had been unproven as someone who could hold a match together against a worker of lesser experience, but here she showed that she could do that. 

**

Riho vs. Yuna Mizumori (Gatoh Move, 3/13/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・345 (3/13/2018)

Riho vs. Yuna Mizumori

This was my first time watching Yuna, she's charismatic like you would expect from an idol wrestler. Riho gave the usual veteran-versus-rookie performance, winning with a Boston crab. Solid match.

***1/4

Isami Kodaka vs. Masahiro Takanashi (DDT, 7/8/2018)

DDT - Masahiro Takanashi 15th Anniversary Show ~ In The World There Is No Storehouse ~ (7/8/2018)

Isami Kodaka vs. Masahiro Takanashi

Solid, doesn't measure up to their 2016 outing, but still good. Sometimes I feel Masahiro tries too hard to be innovative with his unorthodox holds and their meticulous set ups. Sometimes a simple approach is best. But you have to appreciate how he gets the crowd to rally behind him.

***1/2

Stardom - Bright Summer ~ RISE vs. Stardom (Day) (7/14/2018)

3. STARS (Hanan, Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid) vs. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama, Leo Onozaki & Ruaka)

This is the first time Hanan has been in a match of this magnitude and I thought she looked good. This was a fun match with charming moments such as Kyona taking out the enemy corner with shouting.

***1/4

4. Dream Come True Tournament - First Round: Britt Baker vs. Natsuko Tora

Britt has an fascinating moveset, but she is poor at pacing and her strikes look like utter crap. The good points of this match were Tora's comeback sequence and the strong crowd support for her.

bad

5. Oedo Tai (Hazuki, Kagetsu & Natsu Sumire) vs. Queen's Quest (Konami, Momo Watanabe & Viper)

Great trios match with compelling previews of Kagetsu/Viper and Momo/Hazuki. Konami's heated flurry on Hazuki was my favorite moment of the match.

***3/4

Keisuke Ishii vs. Tetsuya Endo (DDT, 8/31/2014)

DDT - Memories of Summer Vacation 2014 (8/31/2014)

KO-D Openweight Title #1 Contendership Tournament - Finals: Keisuke Ishii vs. Tetsuya Endo

Fantastic clash with Tetsuya giving a strong effort against the veteran Ishii. They gradually build into an exciting finishing stretch that had the crowd invested, Endo's graceful high-flying and Ishii's rapid kicks and knee strikes.

****3/4

SAKI & Yuna Mizumori vs. Cho-un Shiryu & Masahiro Takanashi (Gatoh Move, 6/9/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・360 (6/9/2018)

SAKI & Yuna Mizumori vs. Cho-un Shiryu & Masahiro Takanashi

Second time seeing Yuna in action. She gave a stronger impression this time around as she showed off more of what she can do. As usual with GM, there were interesting and fun set-ups and sequences.

***1/2

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Saori Anou (OZ Academy, 7/8/2018)

OZ Academy - Love Each Other (7/8/2018)

OZ Academy Openweight Championship #1 Contendership Tournament - First Round: Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Saori Anou

Rematch of their 2016 Stardom bout. This was a sprint with a strong sense of urgency and a very cool counter to set up the finish.

***1/2

ALL OUT (Akito, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata) vs. Cassandra Miyagi, DASH Chisako & Meiko Satomura (DDT, 7/24/2018)

DDT - Live! Maji Manji 卍 #12 (7/24/2018)

KO-D Six Man Tag Team Championship: ALL OUT (Akito, Konosuke Takeshita & Shunma Katsumata) (c) vs. Cassandra Miyagi, DASH Chisako & Meiko Satomura

This was an exciting trios with interesting pairings. It was packed with action and everyone had their moment to shine, especially DASH Chisako who put in an impressive performance and did a huge dive off of the entrance gate. There's good heat between Takeshita and Satomura as well.

***3/4

Ice Ribbon - #891 ~ Osaka Ribbon 2018 II (6/16/2018)

2. Arisa Nakajima, Asahi & Tsukushi vs. Giulia, Rina Yamashita & Yoshiko

Fun fast-moving trios with great exchanges between Tsukushi and Yoshiko.

***3/4

5. Six Woman Tag Team Tournament - Finals: Akane Fujita, Hiiragi Kurumi & Mochi Miyagi vs. Maika Ozaki, Saori Anou & Tae Honma

This was an absolute doozy of a trios to close the six-man tournament, with one exciting sequence flowing into the next. Maika Ozaki shined bright.

****1/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Go Ahead, Hot Guys In Osaka! (7/21/2018)

4. Shoko Nakajima vs. Yuki Aino

Another fun match between these two. Yuki is obviously limited in the ring so that allowed Shoko to do all sorts of fun stuff as she was working on top for much of this. There's also a full nelson struggle that I liked.

***3/4

5. Miyu Yamashita & Ito Respect Army (Ito Maki & Mizuki) vs. NEO Bishiiki-gun (Sakisama, Azusa Christie & Martha)

This match was a lot of fun. Mizuki and Masa have a great sequence in the opening and the Bii-gun infighting was entertaining.

***

DDT - SUMMER VACATION 2018 (7/22/2018)

5. KO-D Tag Team Championship: DAMNATION (Tetsuya Endo & Mad Paulie) (c) vs. Mike Bailey & MAO

Thought Endo & Paulie were really on point together compared to the match where they won the belts. MAO & Bailey were great as well with their visually stunning high flying and double team maneuvers.

****

6. KO-D Openweight Championship: Shigehiro Irie (c) vs. HARASHIMA

Spectacular bout. The defending champion Irie is winless against HARASHIMA in singles so tensions were high during the wild finishing run. There were clever counters and spots throughout the match that makes this a standout in their series.

****1/4

Daisuke Sasaki vs. Shuji Ishikawa (DDT, 1/11/2018)

DDT - D-Ou Grand Prix 2018 In Yokohama (1/11/2018)

D-Ou Grand Prix 2018 Block B: Daisuke Sasaki vs. Shuji Ishikawa

I couldn't buy into Sasaki kicking out of a superplex at 1, but this was otherwise a great match and the story of two stablemates going at it was told well. Ishikawa hit some gnarly knee strikes and there's fun involving lots of folding chairs. 

****

SEAdLINNNG - Stay Tune (5/16/2018)

3. ULTRA777 U-21 Tag Team Tournament - Semi Finals: Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Sae Nomura & Saki Akai

This is the sort of high workrate match I expected from a SEAdLINNNG tag tournament. Arisa's selling of Saki's kicks was really good.

***1/2

5. ULTRA777 U-21 Tag Team Tournament - Finals: Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. BORDERLESS (Rina Yamashita & Yoshiko)

Enjoyable main event. It doesn't reach the high level that I expected, but they kept things fairly exciting. Watching Arisa and Yoshiko go at it was the highlight.

***1/2

Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima vs. Hyper Misao & Yuu (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 7/16/2018)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Go Ahead, Hot Guys In Osaka! (7/16/2018)

Miyu Yamashita & Shoko Nakajima vs. Hyper Misao & Yuu

Last two segments with Miyu-Yuu and Miyu-Misao were very good. Hyper Misao needs another big singles match this year.

***

Riho vs. Aoi Kizuki (Gatoh Move, 8/19/2017)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・307 (8/19/2017)

Super Asia Championship Tournament - Semi-Finals: Riho vs. Aoi Kizuki

What a match! This was a very well paced back and forth with exciting sequences and counters. Aoi~chan impressively pulls off her signature high-flying techniques within the confines of Chocolate Hiroba.

****

Stardom - Shining Stars 2018 (6/24/2018)

3. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama & Natsuko Tora) vs. STARS (Tam Nakano, Shiki Shibusawa & Starlight Kid)

This was another solid JAN/STARS trios. I liked the way Starlight Kid set up her signature moves and she had a nice segment with Kyona. Tamu has been doing interesting things in the ring lately, I'm always looking forward to what new elements she will introduce next.

***

4. Kagetsu vs. Konami

Great match with crisp technical holds and stiff strikes. Konami was put over strong, getting a visual submission over the Red Belt champion, and Kagetsu needed to cheat and take short cuts to gain an advantage.

***1/2

5. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima) (c) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Sumire Natsu)

Some of the sloppiness hinders this, but there were some brutal kicks and boots to the face, and the finishing sequence was strong. Hazuki is such an amazing heat builder with her intensity and those little cheap shots she takes.

***1/4

Momo Watanabe vs. Deonna Purrazzo (Stardom, 6/23/2018)

Stardom - Shining Stars 2018 (6/23/2018)

Wonder of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Deonna Purrazzo

I didn't find Deonna's previous work in Stardom impressive so I was caught off guard by how great she was here. She stuck to her game plan of targeting the arm and did a tremendous job working on top. Momo made strong counterattacks with violent stomps to the head and B Drivers.

***3/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - The 5th Tokyo Princess Cup Final Fight (7/8/2018)

1. Tokyo Princess Cup - Semi Finals: Yuu vs. Nodoka-oneesan

This was an enjoyable sprint with an exciting closing run. Nodoka's counters at the end were very well timed.

***

2. Tokyo Princess Cup - Semi Finals: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Rika Tatsumi

Pissed-off Rika! Rika was aggressive, thinking on her feet, making those split-second counters. That frustration also led to mistakes that Yuka was able to capitalize on. Good storytelling in this match. Rika hits a cool Twist of Fate between the ropes, and nailed that diving hip attack. 

***3/4

4. NEO Bishiiki-gun (Saki-sama, Azusa Christie & Martha) vs. Shoko Nakajima, Yuki Kamifuku & Hikari

Bii-Gun were a lot of fun in this match, especially Azusa. It's refreshing to see them being characters again instead. Hikari taking advantage of Bii-gun's in-fighting and almost getting the upset on Saki-sama was fun.

***

6. Tokyo Princess Cup - Finals: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Yuu

I liked the early mat work and there were cool cut-offs, but this fell flat overall. The second half lacked the tension that you expect from a high stakes tournament finale. There was no sense that it could go either way. Yuka came off looking uncharacteristically weak as Yuu destroyed her with hardly any struggle.

**1/2

Stardom - Goddesses of Destiny (6/17/2018)

2. Hanan vs. Sumire Natsu

Sumire built the heat and got the crowd invested with her shtick. Hanan has a nice flurry of offense and near-fall towards the end. This was another good singles showing from Hanan this month.

***1/4

5. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Kagetsu) vs. Thunder Rock (Io Shirai & Mayu Iwatani)

Korakuen was red hot for Io's send-off. Oedo Tai played their roles well, and it was great seeing Thunder Rock reform for possibly the last time.

****

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Momo Watanabe (c) vs. Jungle Kyona

Momo shows an edgier, meaner side and Kyona does a fantastic job of working underneath. Kyona's one of the most emotive wrestlers on the roster and her performance in this match was a fine example of that. Sheer struggle as Momo seemingly has her number at every turn. These two did an excellent job. Momo showed that she's ready to carry Stardom into the future.

****

Stardom - Shining Stars 2018 (6/10/2018)

3. JAN (Jungle Kyona, Leo Onozaki & Natsuko Tora) vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano)

Good trios. Interesting ideas on display, but the execution wasn't always the best. Aggressive Tamu was great, and the stereo standing moonsaults from Mayu and SLK was such an awesome spot.

***

4. Oedo Tai (Hazuki, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Konami & Momo Watanabe)

This was a fun and action-packed trios. It was nice to see the in-ring banter between Sumire and AZM translated.

***1/2

5. Gauntlet: Io Shirai vs. AZM, Deonna Purrazzo, Hanan, Hazuki, Jungle Kyona, Kagetsu, Kaori Yoneyama, Konami, Leo Onozaki, Mayu Iwatani, Momo Watanabe, Natsuko Tora, Sumire Natsu, Saki Kashima, Shiki Shibusawa, Starlight Kid, Takumi Iroha, Tam Nakano, Toni Storm & Zoe Lucas

Io's final Shinkiba performance; there were a lot of fun moments. Highlights include the SLK, Konami, Yoneyama, and Sumire segments.

***1/4

OZ Academy - Rude in June (6/3/2018)

4. OZ Academy Tag Team Champship: Sekigun (Maya Yukihi & Mayumi Ozaki) (c) vs. MK5 (Kakeru Sekiguchi & Sonoko Kato)

Highly entertaining Sekigun torture session. MK5 put in a good performance fighting underneath; the bloodshed added to their peril. I wasn't sure about Sekiguchi at first, but she's improving rapidly.

***1/2

5. OZ Academy Openweight Champship: Yoshiko (c) vs. Hikaru Shida

Great match. Shida is getting creative with those knee strikes lately, the lariat counters and the Kamigoye were awesome. There was stiffness and nice sequences, but the finishing run was lacking. Still, Shida winning the Openweight is one of my favorite moments of the year.

***3/4

Mitsuru Konno vs. Suruga Mei (Gatoh Move, 5/28/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・358 (5/28/2018)

Mitsuru Konno vs. Suruga Mei

I liked the opening sequence where they went for a test of strength, but Mei is too short to grab Konno's hand, so she jumps off of the wall to grab the hand. Suruga gets the spotlight and her work was good. Dug the Full Nelson transition into a Cattle Mutilation. Konno is fairly new herself, but she did a swell job of holding things together against the rookie.

***3/4

Kairi Hojo & Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe (Stardom, 4/23/2016)

Stardom - Grows Up Stars 2016: Kairi Hojo Homecoming (4/23/2016)

Kairi Hojo & Mayu Iwatani vs. Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe

Kairi is the hometown girl so she got a lot of shine here. I liked Io's work over on her and their segment had some awesome physicality.

****

Stardom - Shining Stars 2018 (6/9/2018)

2. Hanan vs. Natsuko Tora

Great showing from Hanan in this match. I was surprised at how strong she looked here, locking in an arm bar and nailing a chain of judo slams, before Tora made her comeback. Tora's selling of the arm was a nice touch

***1/2

4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima, Starlight Kid & Tam Nakano) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Io Shirai, Konami & Momo Watanabe)

Great 8-man scramble. Konami accidentally hits Starlight Kid with a kick to the face, causing the latter to bleed from the nose and be unable to finish the match. I thought it worked well into the pacing and gave the match an organic heat.

***3/4

5. World of Stardom Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Kagetsu

Totally fine with Toni Storm defending the belt twice (in Japan) against high profile opponents. It isn't much different from Satomura's reign with the belt. This was an awesome match, both worked hard and pushed each other to the limit in what I feel is the best match of their respective careers. Intense, snug action throughout. Super Toni's second wind and Kagetsu channeling senpai with the Death Valley Bomb were such great moments.

****3/4

Tokyo Joshi Pro - The 5th Tokyo Princess Cup (6/17/2018)

5. Tokyo Princess Cup - Round 2: Miyu Yamashita vs. Nodoka-oneesan

Great climax with Nodoka coming back from the brink of death. Oneesan's on another level when it comes to creating drama and drawing the crowd in with her selling. Her ragdoll-bumping really did Miyu's hellish kicks justice.

****

7. Tokyo Princess Cup - Round 2: Rika Tatsumi vs. Shoko Nakajima

This was a pleasant surprise since I didn't have any interest going in. They were working hard and there were some amazing spots, such as Rika's running dropkick on the apron to Shoko's leg.

***1/2

Stardom - Queen's FES in Sapporo (6/3/2018)

2. Future of Stardom Championship: Starlight Kid (c) vs. AZM

Solid showcase of what these two can do together. Spotty execution, but they paced and built everything well into the time limit draw. I liked the heated moments where they traded slaps and AZM's little stomps to the head.

***

3. JAN (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki & Sumire Natsu)

Sumire's cheating and hijinks and Hazuki's surliness works well together. This made me psyched for their GoS title challenge. Also, nice to see Nao hit an axe bomber in her hometown!

***1/2

5. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura & Kagetsu) (c) vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saki Kashima)

Good competitive tag match with exciting momentum shifts and near-falls. Hana had a strong performance here, hit some nice head-sweeping boots and sold the defeat really well after getting misted and Dragon Suplexed.

***3/4

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Io Shirai vs. Meiko Satomura (Fortune Dream 5, 6/14/2018)

Kenta Kobashi Produce - Fortune Dream 5 (6/14/2018)

Hiroyo Matsumoto vs. Io Shirai vs. Meiko Satomura

Io's dynamic flippy style works so well in a 3WAY setting. This had cool spots and sequences and everything flowed together well. This was a lot of fun.

***3/4

Stardom - Shining Stars 2018 (5/27/2018)

2. Candy Floss vs. Konami

I really liked the counters and how smoothly everything flowed in this match. Konami's against an opponent who wrestles a similar submission-based style so that was nice to see. Well-paced technical clash.

***1/2

3. Oedo Tai (Martina & Sumire Natsu) vs. STARS (Tam Nakano & Zoe Lucas)

Fun mixture of shenanigans + action. Both teams gelled well together. Tamu has been doing some interesting stuff lately, she's improved her execution as well.

***

4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Starlight Kid) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

It's been fun watching Saki get her groove back, every show she's introducing something new to her arsenal. Highlights were Mayu's selling of Momo's diving somato and SLK trying to break AZM with a Boston crab.

***1/2

5. Artist of Stardom - Finals (decision): J.A.N. (Jungle Kyona, Kaori Yoneyama & Natsuko Tora) vs. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Hazuki & Kagetsu)

The closing segment here with Hazuki and Kyona was awesome - that headbutt and that slap from Hazuki! Great trios to end the tournament, there were some cool double teams and tandem sequences. 

***3/4

Azure Revolution (Maya Yukihi & Risa Sera) vs. Maika Ozaki & Saori Anou (Ice Ribbon, 5/13/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #884 ~KFC Ryogoku Ribbon~ (5/13/2018)

International Ribbon Tag Team Championship: Azure Revolution (Maya Yukihi & Risa Sera) (c) vs. Maika Ozaki & Saori Anou

Classic International Ribbon match where its all action, visually stunning sequences and double teams. Probably went longer than it needed to be. Dug Sera fighting dirty with closed-fist punches to Maika.

***3/4