Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 (8/7/2021)

4. 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Stars: Tam Nakano vs. Ruaka

Enjoyed this quite a bit, sudden finish aside. It had a simple structure that was executed well for the most part. Ruaka continues to show growth. Her arm work wasn't boring, with the variety of ways she found to attack the limb, including using her large body. Tam gave the match stability and her selling put Ruaka's monster power over.

***1/4

5. 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Red Stars: Saki Kashima vs. Giulia

I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I did. This was awesome, both of them seemed to connect together so naturally and had a compelling character dynamic. Some rather hard hits were thrown as well, which is always a plus. Giulia showed her range as a performer, with spectacular moves I hadn't seen from her before, such as a Baldo Bomb. Kashima's dirty fighting was met with energetic counterattacks from Giulia, and the tension built nicely. Finest Kashima singles performance I can think of.

***3/4

6. 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Stars: Utami Hayashishita vs. Unagi Sayaka

Solid match. Rudimentary back and forth, with Utami having a slight advantage. The closing stretch is where it really started to pick up, with Unagi getting a close near fall and surviving big offense.

***

7. 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Stars: Syuri vs. AZM

This wasn't quite as good as the SWA match earlier in the year, which was a fast-paced, lively affair. This match had a more deliberate pace and some parts were middling. Still, there was much to be enjoyed. AZM's double foot stomps were piercing, and she hit a surprising Canadian destroyer in the lead up to a convincing win.

***1/2