Asahi vs. Ibuki Hoshi (Ice Ribbon, 4/2/2022)

Ice Ribbon - Yokohama Ribbon 2022 Apr. (4/2/2022)

ICE×∞ Championship #1 Contendership: Asahi vs. Ibuki Hoshi

Asahi has great visuals but seems to lack physical strength. Her movements are lethargic and feeble. I think she has the same underdog qualities as Yuuki Mashiro or early Makoto, but in Asahi's case, it's not played for laughs. Ibuki, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. She puts a lot of energy into every movement and attack. This was quite an interesting match of contrasting styles, full of dynamism, charm and a youthful energy that reminded me of Ice Ribbon's early days. ****

Ice Ribbon - ICERIBBON MARCH 2022 (3/20/2022)

 6. Tsukasa Fujimoto & Hikaru Shida vs.  Hamuko Hoshi & Makoto

This was a great match regardless of whether or not you know the history of the Tsukasa Fujimoto & Hikaru Shida team. Fujimoto was working hardest of the four to make the match something special, and Hoshi & Makoto put up a formidable front against the strongest tag team in Ice Ribbon's history. ****

7. ICExInfinity Championship: Tsukushi (c) vs. SAKI

SAKI is known for her strong lower body which makes her an ideal partner for small opponents who use aerial techniques. There were a couple of moments here where she made use of that core strength to counter or make Tsukushi's offense look amazing. As a whole though, this felt all too similar to Tsukushi's previous defenses. She took a bunch of damage, shrugged it all off, and made a comeback that felt brief and unearned. Against a big and strong opponent like SAKI, I'd like to have seen Tsukushi dig deeper for the win. ***

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Still Incomplete '22 (4/9/2022)

2. Miyu Yamashita vs. Juria Nagano

There were a couple of interesting moments from Nagano in this but overall it felt like a match that was not formatted to allow the new rookie to shine. Or maybe what she showed is all that she is capable of at the moment. Nagano was quickly and easily defeated by Yamashita. The way they were promoting this match, I expected something more from it.

6. Yuki Arai & Saki Akai vs. Rika Tatsumi & Mahiro Kiryu

The selling point of this match was the super tag of rookie award winners and tall Kyoto natives Yuki Arai and Saki Akai, but Rika Tatsumi stole the show. Rika found interesting ways to use her leg targeting offense to counter Akai's long kicks and created a fun dynamic with her tag partner. She did a good job building a theme for the match. Surprisingly great tag match with an effective layout. ***3/4

7. Princess of Princess Tag Championship: Yuka Sakazaki & Mizuki (c) vs. Suzume & Arisu Endo

Youth vs. experience, with the lesser experienced Suzume & Endo fighting an uphill battle against veterans Sakazaki & Mizuki. Suzume & Endo both did an exceptional job of creating a sense of fighting with desperation and urgency. Endo was especially good at that. The match felt like it was on the cusp of being a truly great match, but I think the lack of suspense in the finishing sequence weakened the ending a little. ***1/2

8. Princess of Princess Championship: Shoko Nakajima (c) vs. Yuki Aino

I wasn’t actively anticipating this match, but I thought it had a chance of being great. I enjoyed the past singles matches between these two and them in the main event of Korakuen Hall together was a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately the match didn’t offer much. It seemed to lack a defined theme, mostly revolving around generic trading of moves with limited emotional expression. The match also had a similarly abrupt and weak finish as Shoko/Miyu. Maybe there is a reason Shoko isn't using the bridging Northern Lights suplex as her finisher anymore, but I'm still not convinced by the diving senton. **1/2

Stardom - CINDERELLA TOURNAMENT 2022 Opener (4/3/2022)

7. Cinderella Tournament 2022 - First Round: Utami Hayashishita vs. Tam Nakano

These two have an interesting feud, having only faced each other in singles exclusively in tournaments. In Utami's debut year, she bulldozed through Tam by referee stoppage. Last year, Tam was finally able to get revenge when the two were arguably at the height of their strength as the promotion's top champions. Now both of them are beltless fighting their way back up after having been defeated by Saya Kamitani. This was a sprint-style match with exchanges of big moves and some comical elements mixed in. It wasn't an ideal match, but it was good for what it was given the limitations imposed by the rules of the tournament. Hopefully they meet again in the near future. ***1/2

 14. Cinderella Tournament 2022 - First Round: Giulia vs. Thekla

A mostly mat based affair with striking kept to a minimum. Thekla recounted a story in Shupro about how she and Giulia had a fierce sparring session during their Ice Ribbon days where she ended up bloodied by a head butt. This match was much like that, with the two trading ground moves and gradually developing into more intense offense. There were few wasted movements, as almost every move was logically chained to another. ***1/4

WAVE - PHASE2 Reboot 3rd『NAMI☆1～Apr.～’22』(4/1/2022)

 4. WAVE Singles Championship: Nagisa Nozaki (c) vs. SAKI

Great back and forth with an overall sense of competitiveness and proper escalation during the finishing stretch. Neither wrestler has a strong personality, but they were hitting some nice, impactful moves. Nozaki's sleeper suplexes in particular looked great and SAKI deserves credit for how she took them. ***1/2

5. Suzu Suzuki vs. Kohaku

A good re-debut for Mikoto Shindo, now called Kohaku. I had high expectations since she was given the main event slot over the singles belt, but her performance was nothing impressive, just "solid enough". On the other hand, Suzu has become a different monster compared to her Ice Ribbon days (and even just earlier this year). Her physicality, expressiveness and visuals have improved dramatically. I'm looking forward to what she does next. ***1/2

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