Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2020: 5STAR Special In Korakuen (9/28/2020)

2. Bea Priestley vs. Saya Kamitani

It's nice to see Bea back in singles action. Technically and physically, she looks better than she did before her hiatus. Kamitani, whose singles matches have been very good lately, put up another strong effort. It was a gradually paced match that built into a tense finale, with Kamitani showing grit. 

***1/2

3. STARS (Saya Iida & Starlight Kid) vs. Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Maika)

This was a good buffer match for Himeka & Maika heading into their tag title challenge. They actually worked a well laid out match and built to hot near-falls. Himeka & Maika’s combinations looked great, and Iida & Kid were great in the role of junior underdogs. 

***1/4

4. Captain's Fall: Oedo Tai (Natsuko Tora, Natsu Sumire & Saki Kashima) vs. Tokyo Cyber Squad (Death Yama-san, Jungle Kyona & Konami)

Despite the "TCS must disband if they lose" billing, this was only another chapter in the prelude to the final showdown in Yokohama. Poor ending aside, this was a great trios match, well arranged with some exciting momentum shifts.

***1/2

5. Mei Hoshizuki & NEW-TRA (Rin Kadokura & Takumi Iroha) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita)

Stardom crossover matches don't happen very often, so they always feel special when they do. This was a great match with loads of content. It was longer than the usual trios match, but they kept the excitement going by skillfully weaving in subplots and building anticipation for the key encounters. 

****1/4

6. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Syuri)

An eventful 30 minutes. Both feuds were given ample breathing room to have great segments. Giulia and Tam engaged in some rough fighting and high-impact offense, while Mayu and Syuri exchanged kicks and suplexes. This was a great double prelude to Yokohama, that also featured the fresh pairings of Giulia vs. Mayu and Tam vs. Syuri. 

****

Jungle Kyona vs. Himeka (Stardom, 9/22/2020)

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2020 Special (9/22/2020)

Jungle Kyona vs. Himeka

A super match between the powerhouses of their respective GP blocks in the tournament. This match was defined by parity, with the two exchanging heavy offense and neither gaining an edge over the other. Kyona always conveys struggle well, and the power she displayed when she held Himeka in the air for the Jungle Buster was amazing.

***3/4

Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori (ChocoPro, 9/20/2020)

ChocoPro - #49 (9/20/2020)

Mei Suruga vs. Yuna Mizumori

This was a heavyweight vs. junior style match with both wrestlers working perfectly according to their weight. It was a great match, full of drama and full of the charm and innovation that only Ichigaya can provide. 

****1/4

Nagisa Nozaki vs. Sakura Hirota (WAVE, 9/6/2020)

WAVE - Sunday WAVE Vol. 39 (9/6/2020)

Regina di WAVE Championship: Nagisa Nozaki (c) vs. Sakura Hirota

A very solid title defense for Nozaki. Hirota's kancho was still used, but it was treated more as a serious move than a comedy spot. Hirota's wrestling isn't the sharpest, but she has those crafty veteran instincts and good timing. Nozaki's attacks looked convincing, especially her boots, but her overall performance was lacking depth.

***1/2

Emi Sakura & Riho vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori (ChocoPro, 9/27/2020)

 ChocoPro - #50 (9/27/2020)

Emi Sakura & Riho vs. Mei Suruga & Yuna Mizumori

With the theme of "ChocoPro vs. AEW", Riho appeared in Ichigaya for the first time in a long time. This was a 30-minute marathon of diverse and creative offense and defense, and the tension of the finale was tremendous. Emi was amazing in the role of the heel, and some of her attacks were truly brutal. Even though there were no fans, it had the kinetic atmosphere of a match with a live crowd.

****1/2

Mayumi Ozaki vs. Saori Anou (OZ Academy, 8/28/2020)

OZ Academy - Plum Hanasaku ~ OZ No Kuni Buntai Final (8/28/2020)

OZ Academy Openweight Championship: Mayumi Ozaki (c) vs. Saori Anou

The match certainly had spectacular visuals, but I don't think it was a fulfilling match in terms of showing Anou's abilities at a high level. She spent most of her time bumping around for Ozaki's usual antics, and the little bits of offense she did get felt lukewarm. There was never a moment in the match where I was convinced she could win. This felt more like a prolonged one-sided beatdown than a competitive title match at the promotion's biggest show of the year.

***

Ice Ribbon - #1071 ~ Ribbon No Kishi (9/20/2020)

 5. FantastICE Championship - No Rope Lumberjack: Risa Sera (c) vs. Syuri

The Fantast belt is sort of like DDT's EXTREME belt or New Japan's KOPW 2020, where the matches are held with special stipulations. There were some creative and fun moments making use of the gimmick and the assortment of weapons in the ring, but the action never really peaked and the ending came out of nowhere.

***1/4

6. ICExInfinity Championship: Suzu Suzuki (c) vs. Tsukushi

This is the type of joshi pro-wrestling match that I don’t enjoy, when they’re aimlessly doing moves and moves without a story or any sort of defined structure. The moves looked great, but they lacked meaning and had little to no sense of logical escalation.

**1/2