STARDOM
5STAR GRAND PRIX 2022 DAY 7
AUGUST 14, 2022
OKAYAMA CONVENTION CENTER
OKAYAMA, JAPAN

WATCH: STARDOM WORLD

The 5STAR Grand Prix drags on as we head to Okayama. The insane thing about this GP is that even shows like this have some killer matches, there’s no one show in this entire tournament without an eye-catching match and so far basically every show has delivered in some way. Can day 7 keep the good times rolling? Let’s find out.

RED STARS
UNAGI SAYAKA (2) DEF. SAKI KASHIMA (2)

This sure was a match. There’s little to nothing to actually grasp from this one. Kashima heeled it up, Unagi came back and did the babyface thing. It was fine. **1/2

BLUE STARS
GIULIA (2) DEF. HANAN (0)

Another GP show and another fine Hanan match. There’s nothing blowaway to the matches she’s having in this tournament but there’s something to be said for her consistency and the fact that every opponent gives her a lot more respect than they need to. ***

RED STARS
UTAMI HAYASHISHITA (8) DEF. MOMO KOHGO (0)

Utami has occasionally struggled when working with someone who is far lower on the card than her but she had no problems here. This was a great addition to the pushed act vs lower-card babyface archetype that Joshi wrestling does well. Kohgo’s agility earned her plenty of hope spots but inevitably a cool, calm Utami put her down with her power advantage. ***1/4

RED STARS
MAIKA (2) DEF. KOGUMA (4)

After getting some silliness out of the way, enjoyable silliness I might add, these two got down to business and had a fun match. Koguma’s schtick is enjoyable enough but when she flips the switch her matches kick into a higher gear. I didn’t expect Maika of all people to thrive opposite this but she did. ***1/4

RED STARS
AZM (8) DEF. HIMEKA (6)

AZM is on her game in this GP. She’s brought the absolute best out of every opponent and Himeka was no different. Talk about David vs Goliath, we have the best High-Speed wrestler in Stardom against the Jumbo Princess. They packed so much into the sub-9 minutes they were given and gave AZM a very creative win by countering the Running Powerbomb finish. ***3/4

BLUE STARS
HAZUKI (10) DEF. MIRAI (6)

Run this one back on a big stage Stardom. That is all. ***1/2

I must say that they’ve done an incredible job of making me believe that Hazuki could win the 5STAR Grand Prix. She’s likely going to lose the tag titles at Stardom x Stardom and she’d beaten a bunch of the top names in the tournament already. As things stand she’s clear of everyone in her block. She has a big match on the last day that is becoming more and more important with each passing win.

BLUE STARS
MOMO WATANABE (6) DEF. NATSUPOI (4)

What a match, Natsupoi continues to deliver some of the best matches in this GP and Momo proved to be a more than worthy dance partner. On Day 1 (or maybe 2) of the GP last year Momo and Natsupoi had an enjoyable match, but I believe that both have gotten even better over the past year (yes, heel Momo is better than QQ Momo), and this match goes a long way to proving me right. There was so much to like about this but that B-Driver counter towards the end takes the cake as the best spot of the match easy. I knew Momo would win coming into this after Natsupoi upset her last year but that didn’t take away from this one at all. ****

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Having those last 3 matches back to back is completely unfair. All three were good to great and the main event is one of the best matches of the tournament so far. There are at minimum five different wrestlers who I could point to as having exceptionally good tournaments and a chunk of them were in action in the last three matches on this show.

A GP date in Okayama is probably easy to miss when looking at some of the big shows coming up but don’t skip this one, and especially miss out on the top 3 matches.