Stardom - STARDOM WORLD CLIMAX 2022 ～The Top～(3/27/2022)

 1. Future of Stardom Championship: Hanan (c) vs. Mai Sakurai

Good opening match with a solid amount of drama for its length. I actually enjoyed this quite a bit more than the Future match from the previous night. Diverse range of moves and each competitor showed a real drive to win. Mai was making timely counters right down to the finish and it felt like it could have gone either way. ***1/4

3. Utami Hayashishita vs. MIRAI

Utami's neck is still wounded from her title match the previous night so MIRAI zones in on the injury. MIRAI pulling out a Yurikamome shows how deep her grappling arsenal is. Utami's neck didn't allow her to bridge her German suplex so she had to dig in her drawer for another finish. Great back and forth struggle between two power fighters with judo backgrounds. ***1/2

4. Momo Watanabe vs. Hazuki

Putting these two together for this event was pure fan service. Momo still moves with the same vitality despite her ever-increasing weight, and her kicks feel like they have something more behind them. Hazuki was able to answer back with some vigor, but I almost feel she was sucked into Momo's pacing and didn't stand out as much. It was mostly a Momo show. Still, this packed a lot of high impact action. Momo, using all of her big moves short of the Peach Thunder, felt as if she was showing Hazuki how much she had grown since their last singles encounter. The Bea Trigger with an exposed knee was a nice tribute to her former ally. ***3/4

6. KAIRI vs. Starlight Kid

This was a methodical detail oriented type of deal instead of the spurt-style match Stardom fans may be accustomed to these days. All about maximizing the pause between the moves. KAIRI endured Kid's assault and gave everything back. ****

7. Giulia, Maika Himeka & Thekla vs. Suzu Suzuki, Risa Sera, Akane Fujita & Mochi Miyagi

It had been over 2 years since Giulia and Suzu last wrestled against each other in the ring and their chemistry was instant. They are natural opponents and their interactions created excitement for the future. It wasn't the proper full-scale battle between DDM and Prominence I would have liked to have seen, but it was an effective prelude match. ***3/4

8. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Tam Nakano

These two have such a catchy chemistry, everything flows seamlessly even when the technique isn't perfect. Exhilarating game of one upmanship with a couple of dangerous techniques thrown in. Namely an avalanche frankensteiner to the floor (!) and a balcony dive. Both willing to risk self-destruction to call themselves the Wonder of Stardom champion. ****1/2

9. World of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) vs. Mayu Iwatani

This had its moments, but something about it felt off. I wasn't able to get a sense of what they were trying to convey. There was obviously the limb damage which came into play during key moments, with Mayu being unable to make the necessary follow through, and the finish. But a lot of it felt aimless, like they were throwing moves without meaning behind it. It lacked the focus and polish of recent red belt main events. ***1/4

Stardom - STARDOM WORLD CLIMAX 2022 ～The Best～(3/26/2022)

 2. MIRAI vs. Saya Iida

Any concern about where Saya Iida would fit in the ever-changing landscape of Stardom was alleviated in this rugged, hard style encounter. She carves such a unique presence on the card and has already established herself shortly after returning. This was unusually high tension for a match this early in the card. Despite their stature, they were colliding into each other with echoing force. ***3/4

4. Maika & Thekla vs. Risa Sera & Suzu Suzuki

A solid showcase match from Prominence's top team. After their performance at Korakuen Hall there were concerns about whether or not Prominence had the stamina and conditioning to work Stardom's pace and if they were even training, so I'm sure they were performing with a sense of crisis and working hard to leave a stronger impression on the audience. I thought they gave a great performance, with Suzu's gifted physical prowess on full display. ***1/2

5. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Hazuki & Koguma (c) vs. Starlight Kid & Momo Watanabe

An action-ey tag match between young Stardom originals of past and present, with smooth momentum changes and some great rope running sequences. Koguma's bump technique continues to be a highlight of her matches. Hopefully Starlight Kid's addition to the Goddess Division will give it a much-needed boost. ***3/4

6. KAIRI & Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano & Unagi Sayaka

KAIRI's return from her long voyage, a thrilling spectacle of a match with not only strong tag wrestling but also individual performances. KAIRI had the aura of a world-class superstar from her entrance and seemed sharper than ever. Her jovial energy with Mayu and treating Tam as an equal but Unagi as an unworthy junior who needed to be brutally baptized made for such an entertaining performance. I had flashbacks to Kairi-Iwata with some of the hard hits delivered to Unagi from KAIRI. Unagi and her "small fish with nothing to lose" approach didn't feel out of place amongst an all-star selection. ****1/4

7. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Utami Hayashishita

Kamitani has quickly become a dignified champion and reliable big match performer. Utami was good offensively, but I would have liked to have seen more emotion from her given the circumstances. Still, this was a well worked match with a consistent theme of targeting each other's weak points and the raw high-risk technique that makes Kamitani's matches so fun to watch. ****

8. World of Stardom Championship: Syuri (c) vs. Giulia

The previous match between these two was about deepening their bond and elevating each other. Almost two years later, they've become two imposing figures too big to be contained in the same unit, asserting their wills so as to not lose their presence to the other. This match had more complex emotions involved than the usual red belt match, perhaps thanks to Giulia, who is most synonymous with the emotion driven white belt, bringing her unique color to the division. A parade of violence from start to finish, worked at a crazy pace with no let up. Giulia found all manner of angles and methods to attack, wrestling with a blood pumping rhythm in her most compelling performance yet. Syuri tried to not be outdone but also weather the excessive offensive. Plenty of heavy audible strikes and head drops to go around. ****1/2