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

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Tokyo Joshi Pro '21 (1/4/2021)

1. Suzume vs. Arisu Endo

Arisu looked better than I expected in her debut match. She doesn’t seem very athletic judging from the quality of her strikes and dropkick, but she didn’t struggle to keep up with Suzume’s pace and I think she has potential. Suzume looked like a professional in the way she carried the match.

6.  Maki Itoh vs. Miyu Yamashita

I was feeling a bit of deja vu during this match because some sequences were almost spot-for-spot repeats from their Nagoya match, except this time it was taking place in Korakuen Hall. There was surprising physicality and violence. The headbutt from Miyu was gruesome and signified that this was a more serious fight than we’ve seen in the past between these two. I think this was one of their best singles matches yet.

***1/4

8. Tokyo Princess of Princess Championship: Yuka Sakazaki (c) vs. Rika Tatsumi

A great match with an easy to understand story. Tatsumi was sometimes sloppy in receiving moves, sometimes timing her bumps too late or too early, but overall her performance was excellent. She showed a lot of emotion and urgency, which added to the drama of the finishing sequence. Yuka was of course great too, with her generalship on the ground always being one of my favorite things to watch in her matches.

****

BEST OF THE SUPER JOSHI 2020 - Top 25 Best Bouts

 These are my top 25 favorite joshi puroresu bouts of 2020.

(Please note that text may be borrowed or paraphrased from previous reviews)