Other than one show in the middle of the tour, I haven’t been keeping up with the Stardom 5-Star Grand Prix. I’d use the “time” excuse but then somebody would just make fun of me for still keeping up with New Japan. Previously I didn’t watch Stardom at all, so maybe two shows is progress. We all make choices.
This was the last night of the occasionally delayed 5-Star Grand Prix 2021 tour, featuring 5 matches apiece (kind of) from each block of Red Stars and Blue Stars followed by the Finals. It was also the Stardom pay-per-view where I found out Stardom World uploads their pay-per-views up on a few-day delay.
0. 3 Way Battle: Hanan vs. Momo Watanabe vs. Rina
Some of us go 20 minutes with Takumi Iroha a match before the finals, some of us welcome people to the show with a 5-minute 3-Way Battle. *3/4
0. Stardom Challenge: Mai Sakurai vs. Waka Tsukiyama
The struggle is real for these two newcomers, or at least their agonizing screams throughout the match were. Tsukiyama is all deliberate in targeting the arm and Sakurai’s selling is either too much or the next evolution in limb work. They have an OK match before a finish so good I have to say it: Sakurai hits an elbow from the second rope, covers, kickout at 2. She covers again, kickout at 2. She covers again… 3-count. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. **3/4
1. 5★STAR GP – Red Stars: Mina Shirakawa vs. Natsupoi
I respect Shirakawa first because she is a professional wrestler and second because in the middle of a match she will put up bunny ears to mess with her opponent. This match was short but they packed it with action bell-to-bell from the intense staredown to Natsupoi’s nasty dropkick to the… well to the countout. ***1/4
2. 5★STAR GP – Red Stars: Fukigen Death★ vs. Saki Kashima
The highlight of this match was when Fukigen opened a newspaper for another round of hijinks, Kashima obliterated the paper and her with a kick. Unfortunately the match only lasted another 30 seconds. DUD
3. 5★STAR GP – Red Stars: Koguma vs. Himeka
The Koguma/Himeka silly staredown just didn’t have the intensity of the opener, I don’t know what to say. Koguma absolutely bodies Himeka a few times, otherwise this was a match about stomps. **1/2
4. 5★STAR GP – Red Stars: Mayu Iwatani vs. Starlight Kid
If there’s two things these guys promise it is good crisp work and a good shit-kicking. This was 6 minutes of that. Highlights outside of a bunch of rapid-fire near falls at the end included Starlight Kid’s gorgeous Asai moonsault and a great spot where Iwatani chopped Starlight Kid down like she was a tree. ***1/4
5. 5★STAR GP – Blue Stars: AZM vs. Ruaka
For a 4-minute match they did get in quite a bit of stuff here, though it wasn’t always very good stuff. Ruaka hits a fisherman’s suplex, AZM rocks a double foot stomp, and the Odeo Tai gals all run in towards the end. **
6. 5★STAR GP – Blue Stars: Unagi Sayaka vs. Saya Kamitani
There’s a pair of awesome planchas here but this match of flashy wrestlers struggled to find a rhythm and was weirdly filled with strikes. All the lulls caused me to notice that Sayaka just stands around and waits before all of Kamitani’s spots too, and I don’t want to notice that. Fun diversion, messy match. **3/4
7. 5★STAR GP – Blue Stars: Maika vs. Konami
Like many matches on 12-match shows in professional wrestling history, this was too short to go “anywhere” but provided some fun while it lasted. Konami especially was a menace, almost always ripping Maika up with kicks or trapping her in holds. **1/2
8. 5★STAR GP – Blue Stars: Syuri vs. Takumi Iroha
I first saw Takumi Iroha on the other GP show a month ago and thought I struck gold. Even in a short match where Maika couldn’t keep up, Iroha looked like an all-star as she ran through a moveset that was quite frankly badass. Here she and a tremendous opponent went 20 minutes in the semi-semi main event and it was such good wrestling.
Iroha is crisp and cool as ice, while Syuri looks possessed and prepared to make her not want to come back. At one point she literally kicks Iroha’s ass. They keep that energy all match really. Their first collar-and-elbow tie up ends up on the floor and one of the keys to Iroha’s comeback is a punch to the face. The crowd is all in when they double-down off high kicks and Syuri goes for the kill, but Iroha takes issue with it. Two awesome presences, urgent near falls, random sweet kick combos… this is it. ****
9. 5★STAR GP – Blue Stars: Tam Nakano vs. Utami Hayashishita
Nakano and Hayashishita are a pair of excellent wrestlers, but sandwiched between Syuri’s two epics it couldn’t help feeling a step behind. Hayashishita focused on Nakano’s neck early before she read the room and straight gorilla pressed her to the floor. This was followed by Nakano rolling Hayashishita into a superkick on the floor followed by a plancha, which I thought kind of hurt the rhythym. They crushed each other with German suplexes and hit a bunch of near falls for the close to this imperfect but rock star wrestling match. ***1/2
10. 5★STAR GP – Final: Syuri vs. Momo Watanabe
They began with kicks and didn’t stop. In the last of a 12-match show and 100-match tournament, Syuri and Momo delivered a tournament final that was both epic and established (or re-established) them as Stardom top guys. Momo’s attempt to return to form came by way of a lot of nasty kicks, which was a great match for the emergence of Syuri that came by way of basically everything she did.
Even as she got wrecked with dropkicks in the corner, Syuri kept this stoic energy that said she’ll be fucking Momo up momentarily anyways. Everything she hit looked and felt like something delivered by a high-level competitive athlete determined to win the tournament. Whatever tournament final atmosphere it lacked thanks to a pandemic was made up for with high-level work.
Each was just relentless all match, taking advantage of any opening with not just one elbow or slap or kick to the head but many — MANY. Their selling put everything over the top too, whether conveying falling apart on defense or remaining confident on offense. A kick to the head from either was never too far away and the close — three backfists to the face and a Dragon Fire Thunder Driver — felt just right even after all the insanity. ****1/4
Happy Thoughts: The overstuffed singles match show will have crap on the undercard just as a rule, but the Stardom roster is fun enough to carry the nothing matches — especially when there is a phenomenal one-two punch performance from Syuri waiting at the end. Plus there was a quality sprint every couple matches. Very good show, let’s go watch more Syuri matches. 3.75 / 5.0
