Friday, December 20, 2019

Io Shirai vs. Koguma (Stardom, 2/22/2015)

Stardom - Queen's Shout (2/22/2015)

High Speed Championship: Io Shirai (c) vs. Koguma

This was sort of Stardom's version of Rainmaker shock, where the younger and less experienced underdog pulls off an upset. This match had mesmerizing displays of athleticism and technique. The physical ability of Io is remarkable. Her movements and offense were just on another level. There was downtime despite this being a "high speed" match, but those moments served to get the crowd rallying behind Koguma, which paid off big in the final stages.

****1/4

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yoshiko vs. Mei Hoshizuki & Mei Suruga (SEAdLINNNG, 10/6/2019)

SEAdLINNNG - SPARKLING-d! 2019

SEAdLINNNG Beyond the Sea Tag Team Championship: Hiroyo Matsumoto & Yoshiko (c) vs. Mei Hoshizuki & Mei Suruga

Mei Suruga & Mei Hoshizuki have been exclusive to the High Speed division, where the matches are largely comical, so I was intrigued when they challenged for the tag belts. This was a wonderful and creative approach to speed versus strength. A simple story that was delivered in an exciting and novel way.

****