Stardom - 10th Anniversary Show (1/17/2021)

1. Future of Stardom Championship: Saya Iida (c) vs. Unagi Sayaka

A good opening match, with coherent wrestling and no wasted movements. The strike exchanges were good, and Unagi’s struggle was compelling to watch. I never thought I’d see her having matches like this when she first debuted in Tokyo Joshi Pro.

***1/4

3. High Speed Championship: AZM (c) vs. Kaori Yoneyama

I don’t keep up with what Yoneyama is doing outside of Stardom these days, but this was one of the best singles efforts I’ve seen from her in years. This was just a brilliant display of speed and technique. I’m happy that AZM’s request to face Yoneyama was fulfilled. 

***3/4

4. Starlight Kid vs. Tam Nakano

A great match that showed how much the Starlight Kid has grown as an overall performer. The ebb and flow of the match allowed them to build tension and maximize the big moments.

***1/2

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship - No DQ: Giulia (c) vs. Natsuko Tora

At times, the execution was spotty, but they certainly made up for it through sheer spectacle. For better or worse, I don't think I've ever heard a more visceral crowd reaction to a single match in the "no chanting era".

***1/2

7. World of Stardom Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. Maika

The longest and best match of the Utami-Maika series so far. I’ve felt these two had trouble showing their emotions, but they were on point in this match and elevated each other. Like the previous matches, it wasn't excessively flashy, but the sharpness of the transitions and moves made it feel like a very advanced match, and there was tremendous power behind their big strikes and suplexes.

****1/4

Haruka Umesaki vs. Matsui Misa (Diana, 1/3/2021)

Diana (1/3/2021)

Haruka Umesaki vs. Matsui Misa

A good match between two growing wrestlers. They stuck to the basics, but the heat building was good and they also showed some unique attacks, such as Misa's armbar on the ropes and Umesaki's modified figure-eight. They created a tense closing sequence at the end, trading finisher attempts.

***1/4

Mei Suruga vs. Hagane Shinno (ChocoPro, 1/11/2021)

Gatoh Move -  ChocoPro #80 (1/11/2021)

Mei Suruga vs. Hagane Shinno

The content of the match was generally good, but I felt it was overlong and excessive. A shorter duration would have been preferred for the story they were telling. I'm usually tolerant of intergender matches, but I thought it was absurd for Hagane to wrestle with Mei for almost thirty minutes.

***1/2

Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Yoshiko & Sareee (SEAdLINNNG, 1/11/2021)

SEAdLINNNG - 2021 Opening Match (1/11/2021)

Best Friends (Arisa Nakajima & Tsukasa Fujimoto) vs. Yoshiko & Sareee

This was the usual fast-paced SEAd tag team main event, with a lot of double team moves and multi-person sequences. In terms of content, I didn't think it differentiated itself from previous matches between these two teams, but it was an easy match to watch because it was action-packed and relatively short. 

***3/4

Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Syuri) vs. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka) (Stardom, 1/11/2021)

Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/11/2021)

Donna del Mondo (Giulia & Syuri) vs. Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka)

This match was moved into the main event slot because Mayu Iwatani missed the show. Giulia and Tam were displaying their incredible chemistry, Syuri pulled out a few new techniques and Unagi worked hard to keep up with her more experienced opponents. It went 17 minutes and they gave the fans in Sendai something special.

***3/4

Queen's Quest (Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani) vs. Cosmic Angels (Unagi Sayaka & Tam Nakano) (Stardom, 1/4/2021)

 Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/4/2021)

Queen's Quest (Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani) vs. Cosmic Angels (Unagi Sayaka & Tam Nakano)

This was an enjoyable tag, Momo and Tam are pros and looked great together, but the pairing of Kamitani and Unagi was fresh and exciting. They have similar physiques and it was interesting to see them trading spirited offense throughout the match.

***1/2

Momo Watanabe vs. Syuri (Stardom, 1/3/2021)

Stardom -  New Year Stars 2021 (1/3/2021)

Momo Watanabe vs. Syuri

The time limit draw was to be expected, but they worked a good match. Slow buildup from ground work to strikes to big exchanges. They were really laying into each other with hard kicks. Even though it was a draw, the pace and flow of the action was such that it felt like a finish could have happened.

***1/4

Utami Hayashishita vs. Sayaka Unagi (Stardom, 1/2/2021)

Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/2/2021)

Utami Hayashishita vs. Sayaka Unagi

This was Unagi’s first singles match in Stardom and it was a big opportunity against red belt champion Utami. Unagi was given the spotlight and delivered a great performance, showing fighting spirit and a couple of new moves. The work was consistent, with the targeting of Unagi’s back coming into play and Utami capitalizing on the damage done.

***1/2