NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Saki-sama) vs. Sena Shiori & Suzume (Tokyo Joshi Pro, 11/20/2020)

 Tokyo Joshi Pro - Style of My Love (11/20/2020)

NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Saki-sama) vs. Sena Shiori & Suzume

Mei Suruga debuted as the new member of NEO Bii-gun. This was a fun return match for Bii-gun, who brings such an exciting dimension to the TJPW ring. It’s a shame they aren’t more of a fixture in the promotion. Mei was amazing. Her movements, her transitions, the small twists on her signature moves, the introduction of new moves. Her performance was very compelling. Suzume looked good as well, and Sena showed a little growth. The ending was lacking, but I’m looking forward to future developments.

***1/4

Stardom - New Landscape (11/14/2020)

1. Saya Iida vs. Lady C

This was a great debut match for Lady C, who showed solid fundamentals and movement. Iida's facial performance was excellent, both offensively and defensively. The bump she took for Lady C's huge chokeslam and the way she sold it afterward really elevated the match. The tension continued from there until the finish.

***1/2

4. STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Starlight Kid & Gokigen Death) vs. STARS (Tam Nakano, Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka)

I followed the debuting Sayaka Unagi in her previous promotion. She has a good style, tall and crisp. Her visuals didn't feel out of place in the Stardom ring, especially among the flashy members of STARS. There was some good coordinated offense and drama (mainly between Mayu and Tam). The Tam-trio wasn’t as polished as the Mayu-trio, but they made up for their shortcomings with charisma and energy.

***1/2

5. Artist of Stardom Championship: Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika & Syuri) (c) vs. Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley, Natsuko Tora & Saki Kashima)

Great trios match. Both teams were able to show their strong points and there were great stylistic pairings. The feud between Syuri and Bea was at the fore as a prelude to their upcoming match in Sendai, with the two exchanging heavy offense.

****

6. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita) (c) vs. Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe)

This was a tremendous match. This was the best amongst the QQ vs. QQ matches over the years. It was an exciting battle of generational pride, seniors against juniors. They were all working fantastically, with the action growing more intense as it progressed. Utami and AZM were really going at it at the end.

****1/4

Stardom - Goddesses of Stardom Tag League 2020 (11/8/2020)

3. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Queen's Quest (Saya Kamitani & Utami Hayashishita) vs. STARS (Mina Shirakawa & Tam Nakano)

This was a bit of a slow starter, but once it got going it got really good. Tam hit a gorgeous German suplex, not so much because of the form but because of how Utami was thrown. Utami and Mina, who engaged in pre-match provocations, had a great segment against each other where they exchanged heated offense.

***1/2

4. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe) vs. STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Starlight Kid)

Tremendous tag team wrestling from four competitors who share deep chemistry. They worked at a high pace, there was great teamwork and exciting and elaborate sequences. Everyone was on point with their technique and execution, but Kid was really working hard, her timing and rhythm were just too good.

****

5. 10th Goddesses of Stardom Tag League: Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Syuri) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Maika)

This delivered the violence and fighting spirit a DDM intra-conflict promises on paper. Giulia and Himeka had an exchange that felt like a compact revisitation of their title match. Maika, whose upper back is bandaged up, also had an awesome performance, hitting some cool slams, including an impressive superplex on the big Himeka.

****

6. 10th Goddesses Of Stardom Tag League - Finals: Queen's Quest (AZM & Momo Watanabe) vs. Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Maika)

They carried the momentum of the previous two matches with an action-oriented match. The work rate was high and they were putting together cool moves and double teams. Not everything landed perfectly, but the tension was high throughout the match.

***1/2

[BEST BOUT SELECTION] Mei Suruga's Best Matches

What are Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move)'s best matches?

These are my personal favorites.

I tried my best to provide a short context for each match before explaining what I enjoyed about them.

(Please note that some text may be borrowed or paraphrased from previous reviews)