[BEST BOUT SELECTION] Hana Kimura's Best Matches

What are Hana Kimura'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)

Hana Kimura vs. Io Shirai (Stardom, 4.30.2017 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4

A big first-time matchup in the opener of the Cinderella tournament. Hana was by far the less experienced, but put up a convincing fight and showed good facial expressions. They made effective use of the OTR elimination rule with some dramatic teases.

Hana Kimura vs. Mika Shirahime (Sendai Girls, 4.6.2017 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4

The third singles match between these generational rivals, with the stakes at their highest due to a tag team title opportunity being on the line. They do a good job building from the previous match and take one another's devastating attacks head-on.

Hana Kimura, Kris Wolf, Sumire Natsu, Kagetsu,  & Tam Nakano) vs. AZM, Io Shirai, Viper, HZK & Momo Watanabe (Stardom 1.21.2018) Rating ★ 4.25

A Dragon Gate-style "last member eliminated must leave unit" stipulation match. The stakes were high and the tension was palpable in the venue. Hana's highlight here was a hard-hitting segment with Hazuki which ended in brutal fashion.

Hana Kimura vs. Mika Iwata (Sendai Girls, 4.19.2018 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4.25

The last and best match of this singles feud. The previous match had ended in a time-out draw so they fought with a sense of urgency and showed a real killer instinct this time. Hana was a vicious aggressor and Iwata's reception was strong.

Hana Kimura vs. Kagetsu (Stardom, 10.23.2018 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4

This was match was during Hana's "revenge" arc against Oedo Tai, where she had become an almost-indestructible force bent on destroying her former unit and its leader. This was a visceral and violent match that was far removed from traditional Red Belt matches. I really enjoyed Hana's uncanny character work doing during this period.

Hana Kimura & Bobbi Tyler vs. Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita (Stardom, 6.22.2019 Osaka World Pavilion) Rating ★ 4

An underrated gem, in my opinion. The Hana content in this match was strong, with her heated interactions with Momo and exchange of sleeper holds with Utami, and she and Bobbi made for a fun team. The match had a high workrate with only small bits of downtime to build up tension.

Hana Kimura VS. Bea Priestley (Stardom, 10.14.2019 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4.25

Hana's second bid for the red belt after having won the 5-Star Grand Prix. This felt like a brutal bout of one-upmanship. They were trading hard hits and disrespect. Their characters really meshed well and they created a spectacular bout in Korakuen Hall.

Hana Kimura vs. Giulia (Stardom, 12.24.2019 Korakuen Hall) Rating ★ 4.5

This was peak visual wrestling. Two beautiful wrestlers with incredible charisma going at it. It crammed a lot of content in its 15 minutes. There was ground fighting, wild brawling on the outside, and all sorts of dangerous techniques. A mesmerizing display of violence.