Stardom - Go to Budokan! STARDOM Valentine Special Day-1 (2/13/2021)

5. SWA World Championship: Syuri (c) vs. AZM

AZM was not only technically impressive in this match, but the intangible aspects of her performance were good as well. I don't think I've seen her display such a range of emotions previously. Syuri's sense of stability was amazing and it just seemed like her strikes had more power behind them than usual. They kept up quite a high pace and went back and forth with exciting offense; the whole match felt like a burst of action.

****1/4

6. Wonder of Stardom Championship: Giulia (c) vs. Starlight Kid

This was an excellent match that showcased Starlight Kid's growth and Giulia's ability to bring out a different dimension in her opponents. They were already doing such a great job of building tension and drama, but the mask tearing elevated the match to another level. You could feel the audience's discomfort at first, like they were witnessing an offensive act of desecration, but as SLK continued to fight, they reignited. It was like watching a climactic battle at the end of tokusatsu series when the hero's helmet gets broken. This was an emotional roller coaster of a main event.

****1/4

Stardom (2/6/2021)

1. Starlight Kid vs. Ruaka

Good opening match. This was the first time these two had faced in singles in over a year. Ruaka has been in good form lately and showing progress after a period of stagnation, and Starlight Kid’s work was also great and I liked that she mixed things up with a new finisher.

***1/4

2. Saya Iida vs. Lady C

Lady C made her debut against Iida and had a solid match underscored by her awesome chokeslam. This was essentially an upgraded version of that match, also including an awesome chokeslam that Iida did an impeccable sell job for. Even within the short time since the first match, both have noticeably improved since their first meeting.

***1/2

4. Queen's Quest (Utami Hayashishita & AZM) vs. Queen's Quest (Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani)

A spectacular prelude tag match to Utami/Kamitani. Queen's Quest has historically had some of the best intra-matches in Stardom and they seem to keep pushing the envelope. This was an all-action affair, with lots of great sequences and counters, and some smooth, dynamic segues.

****

5. Unagi Sayaka Trial Series - Match #1: Giulia vs. Unagi Sayaka

This was a visceral, story-driven match. The difference in power level here was significant, so Giulia was absorbing most of Unagi's attacks in the beginning and taking it easy, but gradually Unagi started landing significant moves. It lacked high spots and dynamic sequences, but it was good for what it was. Giulia did a great job putting Unagi over during and after the match, and I'm looking forward to the rest of Unagi's series.

***1/2

Suzu Suzuki vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto (Ice Ribbon, 1/23/2021)

 Ice Ribbon New Ice Ribbon #1095 ~ Winter Story (1/23/2021)

ICExInfinity Championship: Suzu Suzuki vs. Tsukasa Fujimoto

This match had a lot of spectacular moves with very little cohesion or range. There wasn't much in the way of storytelling at all, not much diversity in the action, just aimless moves upon moves. And the finishing sequence, where Suzu fixed her hair while carefully holding the rope and waiting for Fujimoto to kick her in the head, lacked the excitement and urgency of a title-changing finish.

***

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Positive Chain (2/11/2021)

3. magical sugar rabbits (Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki) vs. Suzume & Arisu Endo

This was really fun. The junior speedster team of Endo & Suzume was enjoyable, and the Sugar Rabbits were of course great as the veteran rookie-punishers. Felt like the match ran inexplicably longer than it needed to, but the work was generally good.

***1/2

4. Miyu Yamashita & Maki Itoh vs. NEO Biishiki-gun (Saki-sama & Mei Saint-Michel)

This had a slow start and meandered a bit in the middle, but towards the end it started to heat up, largely thanks to the teamwork and chemistry of Miyu & Itoh. I have to say, I’m not a fan of Mei Saint-Michel and how much she leans into the cutesy slapstick comedy. I thought she actively took away from the match most of the time she was involved.

***1/4

5. Tokyo International Princess Championship: Yuki Kamifuku (c) vs. Mirai Maiumi

This was high paced from the beginning. Kamiyu's opening heel work added a nice wrinkle to the match, making it interesting from the start, and Mirai had so much fire on offense. There were some surprisingly hard-hitting exchanges too. Brilliant performance from the champion, who livened up the match with her character work and brought the best out of her challenger.

***3/4

7. Tokyo Princess of Princess Championship: Rika Tatsumi (c) vs. Miu Watanabe

The Daydream intra-unit showdown. Miu delivered big time in her first ever singles title challenge with her youthful power moves and fighting spirit, and Tatsumi employed her usual leg-destroying strategy. The match was wonderfully paced and executed, and the finishing run was full of tension. Notable highlights include Tatsumi's reverse triangle counter and Miu's avalanche Canadian backbreaker.

****1/4

Mei Suruga vs. SAKI (ChocoPro, 2/6/2021)

ChocoPro - #87 (2/6/2021)

Mei Suruga vs. SAKI

This was another great match from this pairing. These two have unorthodox styles that just seem like a natural fit together. The transitions and counters were innovative, and the size and power disparity also played a role in an interesting way.

****

Stardom (1/30/2021)

5. Goddesses of Stardom Championship: Oedo Tai (Bea Priestley & Konami) (c) vs. Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Natsupoi)

A very well executed tag match, where everyone shined in their defined role. Natsupoi, who was constantly battered by the aggressive champion team, was the perfect face-in-peril, with great facial expressions and a sense of urgency when on offense. There was also the fresh pairing of Bea and Himeka, who had a hard-hitting exchange.

****

6. SWA World Championship: Momo Watanabe vs. Syuri

 A great main event that felt like it was missing an "X-factor" to take it to the next level. In my opinion, these two are "support types" who need a strong personality to play off of and elevate them, and there was no such thing here. The first parts were good, with hard kick exchanges and Syuri's ever-expanding moveset, but there was a lack of innovation towards the end and it fell into a predictable pattern.

***3/4

Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano (Stardom, 1/24/2021)

Stardom - New Year Stars 2021 (1/24/2021)

Mayu Iwatani vs. Tam Nakano

Previous matches between these two have been tournament matches, but this time they faced off in a grudge match. Mayu's surly and deliberate offensive style was like a heel, while Tam was exploding with urgency and desperation. They packed a lot of great content into 15 minutes.

****