Mei Suruga & Mitsuru Konno vs. Emi Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi (Gatoh Move, 6/10/2019)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour #433 (6/10/2019)

Emi Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi vs. Mei Suruga & Mitsuru Konno

Excellent display of tag wrestling, with a number of creative and cool sequences. Sakura and Mei's synergy brought this to the next level.

****1/4

Mitsuru Konno & Choun Shiryu vs. Baliyan Akki & SAKI (Gatoh Move, 7/13/2019)

Gatoh Move -  Japan Tour #440 (7/13/2019)

Mitsuru Konno & Choun Shiryu vs. Baliyan Akki & SAKI

Slow start, but once they get going it gets good, with neat double teams and multi-person sequences.

***3/4

Riho, Sayaka Obihiro & Mitsuru Konno vs. Yuna Mizumori, Mei Suruga & Emi Sakura (Gatoh Move, 6/24/2019)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour #437 (6/24/2019)

Riho, Sayaka Obihiro & Mitsuru Konno vs. Yuna Mizumori, Mei Suruga & Emi Sakura

Great mixture of action and lighthearted comedy for Riho's Ichigaya finale.

****1/4

Stardom - Stardom World Big Summer in Osaka (7/20/2019)

4. SWA World Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. Zoe Lucas

The execution was far from perfect, but it had a sense of progression and heat. Zoe was working on top, showing off her flexibility in several sequences, and she brought out a fire from the champion.

***1/2

6. Artist of Stardom Championship: STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Tam Nakano) (c) vs. Oedo Tai (Andras Miyagi, Kagetsu & Natsu Sumire)

Usual fun, well-flowing trios, with the heat between Sumire and Saki taking center stage. Emotional finish as Sumire won the first title of her six-year career.

***1/2

Oedo Tai (Andras Miyagi, Hazuki, Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora & Natsu Sumire) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Bobbi Tyler, DEATH Yama-san, Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona & Konami) (Stardom, 6/2/2019)

Stardom - Shining Stars 2019 (6/2/2019)

Elimination: Oedo Tai (Andras Miyagi, Hazuki, Kagetsu, Natsuko Tora & Natsu Sumire) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Bobbi Tyler, DEATHYama-san, Hana Kimura, Jungle Kyona & Konami)

Once this gets through the roughness of the first two eliminations, it turns into a great match with several feuds interwoven into the action. Kagetsu and Hana have one of their best outings yet.

***3/4

Stardom - Stardom World Big Summer in Tokyo (7/24/2019)

2. Jamie Hayter vs. Saya Iida vs. Utami Hayashishita

This was fun and overdelivered. The dynamic of Utami and Jamie feuding and Iida trying to find her way in between them was compelling, and there were some cool multi-person sequences.

***1/2

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

This was similar to Arisa's defense against Tam in that it was about building into a climactic finish. The build is almost imperceptible until the crowd starts going nuts. The near-fall from that La Magistral might be the best of the year.

***3/4

6. World of Stardom Championship: Bea Priestley (c) vs. Momo Watanabe

The semi-main event was the people's main event, but I felt Bea and Momo performed at a higher level. This was a different type of performance than we've seen from Momo in a while, as she looked vulnerable and desperate. The physicality and seemingly natural flow of the action made for an exciting match.

****1/4

Bea Priestley vs. Konami (Stardom, 6/9/2019)

Stardom - Stardom World in Sapporo (Day) (6/9/2019)

World of Stardom Championship: Bea Priestley (c) vs. Konami

An intense struggle centered around a damaged limb and strike exchanges. Konami really upped her game in one of her most emotional performances yet.

****1/4

Natsumi Maki vs. Rika Tatsumi vs. Yuki Kamifuku vs. Yuna Manase (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 7/20/2019)

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Tokyo Joshi 2019 Summer ~ Sunshine Carnival ~ (7/20/2019)

International Princess Championship Japanese Representative Decision Elimination Match: Natsumi Maki vs. Rika Tatsumi vs. Yuki Kamifuku vs. Yuna Manase

Natsumi was the fixture, giving an impressive performance with some ferocious strikes, and had a great segment with Tatsumi. Even though Kamiyu played a spoiler who capitalized on the efforts of her opponents, she was crowd favorite.

***3/4

Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga vs. Emi Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi (Gatoh Move, 7/21/2019)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour #442 (7/21/2019)

Baliyan Akki & Mei Suruga vs. Emi Sakura & Masahiro Takanashi

Akki turns in an excellent performance for his Gatoh Move farewell. There is so much great content in this match, from Mei and Masahiro's chain wrestling to Akki and Sakura's intense strike exchange. So many creative double team sequences as well.

****1/2

Queen's Quest (Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami) (Stardom, 7/15/2019)

Stardom - Stardom World Big Summer in Nagoya (7/15/2019)

Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Queen's Quest (Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita) (c) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Jungle Kyona & Konami)

An excellent culmination of the Jungle Kyona-Queen's Quest saga, with a hot buildup to one of the most satisfying finishes of the year. All of the shifts of momentum and big spots were in place, and each of the wrestlers played their role exceedingly well. Kyona & Konami are a relatively new pairing, but they already have a strong dynamic.

****1/2