STARDOM
5STAR GRAND PRIX DAY 12
AUGUST 27, 2023
FUKUI, JAPAN

WATCH: STARDOM WORLD

We have a fuller day of GP action for Day 12 with four different Grand Prix matches with big hitters like Saori Anou, Momo Watanabe, Mariah May, and Natsupoi just some of the names in action. After my last review was of a very middling show I am delighted to have some top quality stuff on tap so let’s not waste any time.

UNDERCARD RESULTS & THOUGHTS

  • Waka Tsukiyama def. HANAKO, & Miyu Amasaki
  • Megan Bayne & Mei Seira def. Lady C & Utami Hayashishita
  • MIRAI & Syuri def. Tam Nakano & Yuna Mizumori
  • Giulia, Maika & Thekla def. Mayu Iwatani, Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida

Bayne and Seira are a good odd couple team.

BLUE STARS
SAORI ANOU (6) DEF. HANAN(2)

Saori Anou was always going to be the perfect opponent for Hanan so this delivered one of Hanan’s better outings of the tournament. Anou has grown accustomed working in the heel role throughout her career be it in Actwres girl’Z or in OZ Academy where she’s been a long-time member of Ozaki’s faction of many names (Ozaki-Gun/Dangerous Army/Seiki-Gun etc.). That familiarity came in handy here as she was the perfect aggressor for Hanan’s babyface comeback to bounce off with both hitting some strong forearms and Anou throwing some nice boots to the face of the JK Fighter. This also didn’t overstay its welcome which I am always a fan of, they got in, told the story they wanted, wrestled well, and took it home. ***1/2

BLUE STARS
MARIAH MAY (6) DEF. MOMO WATANABE (6)

I absolutely loved the counter-wrestling in this one. It felt like two wrestlers who had watched the tape of their competitor and knew what to expect. My attention was fully focused on what signature move would be reversed next and they managed to pull that off for the finish where May caught Watanbe by surprise with the Once Upon a Time. ***1/2

RED STARS
AMI SOREI (4) DEF. STARLIGHT KID (4)

This started quickly and caught me off guard since I’m more used to seeing the stoic side of Sorei. The hot start definitely carried the action as it did tail off a bit but the surprising start and escalating drama over who would win kept me interested. I’m probably higher on this than most but I appreciate seeing something out of the box from Sorei who can be a bit samey in what she brings to the table. ***1/4

RED STARS
NATSUKO TORA (12) DEF. NATSUPOI (9)

This was a huge match atop the red star block as the top two competitors squared off in an early decider. Tora took a massive lead over the rest of the field and continues her strong push within the tournament. Tora’s win here completes a sweep over the Cosmic Angels that could set up a World of STARDOM Championship match even if she fails to win the tournament but she’s almost guaranteed a spot in the final now. My expectations for the final day are Hazuki upsetting Tora which will require Starlight Kid getting a result over Iwatani to send her faction leader through.

The match itself was pretty good. Tora as the heel was always going to pair well with Natsupoi’s natural babyface energy and they delivered a strong david vs. goliath match with Tora’s evil intentions paving the way for her victory once again. ***1/2

FINAL THOUGHTS

The consistency of this show was something else. I had to do a double take looking at my ratings because yes, every match fell into the same general region. I enjoyed all of the matches for different reasons, a testament to the versatility of the field this year. While not one of the headline-grabbing shows, this was another strong addition to this excellent tournament.

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