Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2017 (12/3/2017)

1. Hiromi Mimura vs. Ruaka

Hiromi's shouto gimmick is the best. Early in the year, I wondered if she would ever find what she needs and here it is. Her growth is what joshi puroresu is all about. Solid stuff here. Ruaka's a solid worker, I was impressed with what I saw.

**1/2

2. Hanan vs. Konami

It's been a while since Konami has had a singles match. Hana has bandages on her lower back, I hope she's doing okay. Hanan hit her throws. Konami worked the leg, her offense looked crisp and painful. She wins with a vicious knee bar. Couple of awkward spots, but this was a decent little match.

**

3. Mari Apache vs. Shiki Shibusawa vs. Starlight Kid

**1/4

4. Oedo Tai (Hana Kimura, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu) vs. Team Jungle (Jungle Kyona & Natsuko Tora) & Yoko Bito

Oedo Tai are on such a great run right now, loved this.

***1/2

5. Elimination: Bea Priestley, Chardonnay, Kelly Klein & Scarlett vs. Queen's Quest (AZM, HZK, Io Shirai & Momo Watanabe)

This was an enjoyable main event. Momo was the last survivor on her team and got a good spotlight. The ending was super awkward, there seemed to be timing issues between Momo and Kelly. It's unfortunate because Kelly was supposed to be put over like a monster here heading into her match with Io, but the awkwardness made her look like a goof. Fun match overall, though.

**3/4

Stardom - Grow Up Stars 2017 (3/26/2017)

3. Mayu Iwatani vs. Tora Natsuko

Dickish Mayu is so much fun to watch squash rookies.

***1/2

4. Queen's Quest (Io Shirai, HZK & AZM) vs. Hiroyo Matsumoto, Jungle Kyona & Hiromi Mimura

The desire for an Io-Hiroyo singles intensifies.

***1/2

5. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Kairi Hojo (c) vs. Konami

This was such an amazing sequel to their match at WILD HERO 2. Konami picks apart Hojo's limbs with kicks and submission holds. Hojo was in shambles by the end, she sold everything wonderfully, and her comebacks were hard-fought. It's so nice to see that signing with WWE hasn't stopped her from taking crazy bumps like the neck-drop she takes on the German suplex.

****1/2

Stardom - The Highest 2017 (3/20/2017)

1. Ruaka & Arisu Nanase vs. Kaori Yoneyama & Tora Natsuko

Natsuko's use of the Goto Shiki was cool.

**

3. High Speed Championship: Kris Wolf (c) vs. Hiromi Mimura

This had its moments with counters and dramatic near-falls and the crowd was into it, believe it or not. Wolf is constantly showing growth while Hiromi unfortunately hasn't made much progress.

**1/4

4. Mayu Iwatani vs. Hana Kimura

Hana showcases her amazing ability to control the crowd. They are entranced. I enjoyed the character work here even though it was pretty standard match from an in-ring perspective. The crowd participation makes it feel special.

***1/2

5. SWA World Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Jungle Kyona

This was a surprisingly good match. Some strong building towards the finish.

***1/4

6. World of Stardom Championship: Io Shirai (c) vs. Kairi Hojo

Great main event that played off of their previous matches via callbacks and counters. One of my favorite moments in the match is when Io's answer to Hojo's rapid-fire chops in the corner is simply walking out of the corner, that familiarity showed their growth as performers.

****1/4