Tokyo Joshi Pro - Tokyo Joshi Pro '19 (1/4/2019)

6. Meiko Satomura vs. Reika Saiki

This match had great heat and energy from the crowd. It follows the usual Satomura vs. rookie formula and Reika delivered a strong performance on her end.

***3/4

7. TOKYO Princess Tag Team Championship: magical sugar rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) (c) vs. Riho & Shoko Nakajima

I'm no execution mark, but when the focus is on action for the bulk of the match it should be exciting and this struggled to impress or engage me for the most part. It never felt like they had a good rhythm going until the third act. The ending with Shoko and Yuka was strong stuff, though.

***

8. TOKYO Princess of Princess Championship: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Maki Ito

This was a revelatory match for Ito Maki, she showed that she could stand toe-to-toe with the ace and work the main event style of TJPW. Though I wish they told a more interesting story than one defined by parity.

***1/2

Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2018 (12/15/2018)

2. AZM vs. Hana Kimura vs. Mary Apache

Hana and Mary are quickly becoming one of my favorite duos in the promotion. The torture session on AZM was good, and AZM using her short stature and speed to her advantage was a lot of fun.

***1/2

5. Artist of Stardom Championship: STARS (Mayu Iwatani, Saki Kashima & Tam Nakano) (c) vs. Queen's Quest (Konami, Momo Watanabe & Utami Hayashishita)

Another well-paced, well-laid out trios from Stardom. Great heat building for the upcoming Goddesses with Saki scoring another upset on Momo.

***1/2

Antonio Honda vs. Mei Suruga (Gatoh Move, 8/15/2018)

Gatoh Move - Japan Tour・373 (8/15/2018)

Antonio Honda vs. Mei Suruga

Honda's gimmick of interrupting the action to cut a 2-min promo is something that I am not a fan of, but this was an enjoyable bout. Some fun comedy and nice counterwork. Mei using Honda's knuckle strike combination was the highlight. 

***

Maika Ozaki vs. Maya Yukihi (Ice Ribbon, 12/9/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #926 ~ Ryogoku KFC Ribbon 2018 (12/9/2018)

ICE×∞ Championship #1 Contendership Tournament - Finals: Maika Ozaki vs. Maya Yukihi

Great finale to the #1 contendership tournament. Maya and Ozaki are two of my favorites on the roster at the moment and both of them worked an exciting match and told a story of growth.

***1/2

HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yohei Komatsu (DDT, 11/17/2015)

DDT -  #OhkaEmpire Produce Muscle Mates 2015 (11/17/2015)

HARASHIMA & Ken Ohka vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi & Yohei Komatsu

This was a simple and straightforward tag, but the insanely hot Korakuen Hall crowd made everything feel special. Tanahashi's dickbag performance was really great, Ohka showed fire, and I loved the finale between HARASHIMA and YOH.

****1/4

Stardom - Goddesses of Stars 2018 (12/7/2018)

2. Konami vs. Mary Apache

Fine technique on display in this clash of styles. Konami's triangle kick looks so crisp and Mary hits a heel kick to a loud, dull thud.

***

3. Saki Kashima vs. Hana Kimura

This had violent heel work and brawling from Hana. Unfortunately Saki's comebacks lacked fervor.

**1/2

5. STARS (Arisa Hoshiki, Mayu Iwatani & Tam Nakano) vs. Oedo Tai (Hazuki, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu)

Arisa's first encounter with Oedo Tai. The turmoil between her and Tam adds a fun dimension to really great trios action.

***3/4

Hiiragi Kurumi vs. Maya Yukihi (Ice Ribbon, 11/24/2018)

Ice Ribbon - #922 ~ Yokohama Ribbon 2018 ~November~ (11/24/2018)

ICE×∞ Championship #1 Contendership Tournament - Semi-Finals: Hiiragi Kurumi vs. Maya Yukihi

High paced struggle with explosive offense and great bumps. Maya's performance here was quite good as I thought she sold the stakes of the match well, while Kurumi was a powerhouse machine.

***1/2