Cero Reviews STARDOM 5★STAR Grand Prix 2021, 9.25

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Cero Reviews STARDOM 5★STAR Grand Prix 2021, 9.25

Post by cero2k » Sep 28th, '21, 00:36

STARDOM 5★STAR Grand Prix 2021, Final Day
September 25, 2021
Ota City General Gymnasium, Tokyo, Japan

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Red Block Match
Natsupoi [9] vs. Mina Shirakawa [4] - 6/10
A couple of weeks ago, this would had felt like the perfect build up to a High Speed title match, there was a lot of showcasing Shirakawa as a rival to Natsupoi and at her level. Hell, this could had even been part of the DDM vs Cosmic Angels trios tease from the 23rd. The one thing I'd say this match was missing was a couple of minutes, but it being the first match of the show (not counting pre-show), I don't blame them for the shortness, especially when you look at the packed card that is still to come.

The wrestling was good, they did take advantage of the stage to pull off some new stuff, or at least improve on their usual stuff. The finish was a bit of a reference to some of the matches we've seen during the tournament, with the action spilling to the floor, where before we saw both women cost each other the point, but this time around, Shirakawa was able to make it back to the ring and Poi wasn't. A decent payoff to all the double countouts we had.

Shirakawa ends the tournament with 6 points and Natsupoi with 9.

STARDOM Dream Queendom - December 29, Stardom Dream Queendom is at Ryogoku Sumo Hall!

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Red Block Match
Fukigen Death [8] vs. Saki Kashima [4] - Dud.
This wasn't a great match, or even a match at all, it went less than 2 minutes, but it was fun, it was two stablemates that know each other joking around and trying to get one up on each other. Death won the roll-up exchange.

Incredibly enough, Kashima ended with only 4 points while Death had 10.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Red Block Match
Koguma [9] vs. Himeka [10] - 6.5/10
As it has become a deal with Koguma, they did some cutesy stuff early on, but it was short and then they went straight for good wrestling. This is the Koguma I wanna see. The pair up was a weird combo between hosses slamming each other, and a high speed bout since Koguma is a high speed wrestler. The finish worked, but I wasn't crazy about it, I haven't crazy about Koguma's roll ups, but I do accept the set up here with her countering a running powerbomb into the roll up worked.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Red Block Match
Mayu Iwatani [9] vs. Starlight Kid [11] - 8/10
I'm really surprised this match had this spot, it's the big first match between Mayu and SLK after the turn, but the match was exactly what it needed to be, a match with some heat, but not hate, an Iwatani ready to teach SLK a lesson, and an SLK getting her first shot at proving something to herself and Mayu.

The match was mostly back and forth, but as it went on, Mayu definitely got more dominant, eventually winning with a second bridging Dragon Suplex. That's all that we needed at this point, there was no reason for SLK to win yet, she needs to grow more and become more herself before she finally defeats Mayu, which is the ultimate goal, for SLK to grow and be Iwatani's equal. She's not there yet.

With this win, we also see Mayu and SLK both end with 11 pts, which does build that idea of both of them growing to be equals. It also eliminates SLK from the tournament, she was the only credible contender to eliminate Momo, who already stands at 12.

Post-match - Mayu offered a handshake, SLK rejected it with a slap. Mayu still hugged SLK and threw her off. A bit of acknowledgement.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Block Match
AZM [6] vs. Ruaka [0] - 4/10
This was good and short, good mainly because it was all AZM running circles around Ruaka, overcoming Oedo Tai, and getting the win with La Mistica into Azumi Sushi. I got really scared that of all people, Ruaka would get her only win over AZM, but indeed, Ruaka ended the tournament without a single win, she was Natsuko Tora's replacement, so she wasn't even supposed to be on the tournament, but even as a replacement, you'd figure she'd get at least one win.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Block Match
Unagi Sayaka [7] vs. Saya Kamitani [11] - 7/10
Good match. Both women tend to be the underdog in their matches, so in this case, they just went back and forth for most of the match. Kamitani definitely had a bigger edge, but the numbers necessitated for Sayaka to play spoiler and keep Kamitani at 11 pts. The match did see Sayaka pull out more moves than Kamitani, she went of the Gory Special twice and ended up winning with Taigi de atta, which she doesn't always use.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Block Match
Konami [10] vs. Maika [7] - 6.5/10
This was short, it went less than 7 minutes, and about two of those went to Maika dealing with Oedo Tai outside the ring after Konami jumped her before the bell. Konami tried to take out Maika's arm, but Maika ended up getting her footing right, literally slammed Konami off her back, hit the Michinoku Driver II and got the win. Maika keeps Konami on 10 pts and makes sure she doesn't rise to the potential tie breakers coming.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Block Match
Syuri [11] vs. Takumi Iroha [11] - 9.5/10
This was just fantastic. For the second time for both women, they went 30 minutes for the time limit draw. These two have wrestled each other for almost a decade in about 8 different promotions, but this was the very first time they wrestled one-to-one, and they decided to go for 30 minutes.

Both Iroha and Syuri have really similar styles, Syuri more MMA and Iroha more pro wrestler, but they're similar enough that a match between them worked out by having them go back and forth with slams, strikes, and submissions. Syuri worked over Iroha's arm, while Iroha mostly kept going after Syuri's head.

Both Syuri and Iroha advance to 12 points only, they're tied at first place, BUT Hayashishita can still make it to 12 pts too if she wins the next match. What happens next, I don't know, Hayashishita has draws with both Syuri and Iroha, and Iroha and Syuri just tied, so we have a legit 3-way tie. Syuri and Hayashishita would end with 5-2-2 records, so that would eliminate Iroha, and we'd have to deal with a Syuri and Hayashishita tie breaker.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Blue Block Match
Tam Nakano [8] vs. Utami Hayashishita [10] - 9.25/10
Well, I wrote all that and Nakano ended up winning, playing ultimate spoiler for the Red champion.

This was another great freaking match, a really good combo working both women's strengths. Half of the match was a Hayashishita match, dominating Nakano and destroying her arm. It all started with a sick looking spot where Hayashishita pretty much military pressed Tam from the apron to the floor. Later on, Nakano made her comeback, and the match became more of her match. Eventually, match got the point where both women started trading a ton of Germans, but it was Tam that landed the most at the end, sealing the deal with Twilight Dream for the win.

Momo Watanabe & Syuri Interviews - Momo and Syuri got interviewed in the back separately, as they prepared for the finals. This was new, made it feel cool. It perfectly built the underdog story for Syuri, since she JUST got out of a 30 minute draw against Takumi Iroha of all people, whereas Momo wrestled in the pre-show opener against two rookies. Momo was originally supposed to face Giulia, who had to drop due to injury, so she had an easy night up until now.

5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Final Match
Syuri vs. Momo Watanabe - 10/10!
What a beautiful match, from the pre-match interviews, the demeanor of both women during their entrances, and the first minute of kicks to rev up the crowd. Both women worked each other's heads with every kick and strike and slam they could manage. Momo was a total killer for the first half of the match until Syuri recovered, survived the Peach Sunrise, came back with some slams and kicks, and finally pulled out an Emerald Flowsion for the win.

Post-match - All of DDM immediately jumped in the ring to check up and celebrate with Syuri. Then they gave Syuri the ring to cut her winner's promo. She thanked her stablemates, she decide to challenge for the Red title, but not at Osaka, she wants to do it at Dream Queendom at Sumo Hall.

At that point, Hayashishita was heading to the ring, but Iroha rushed in and took the mic, she asked that since Syuri is challenging at Sumo Hall, if Hayashishita would accept her challenge for Osaka-Jo Hall. Hayashishita accepted both challenges before Syuri told them to fuck off, this was her night.

Tam Nakano now ran to the ring, much to Syuri's annoyance. Nakano nominated Mayu Iwatani as her Osaka-Jo Hall challenger. Mayu accepted in the most Mayu way, getting the venue name wrong. Once again, Syuri told everyone to fuck off, she took the ring, and since everyone but her seems to have a match, she challenged Konami to a rematch, one of her losses in the tournament.

Post-Post-match - After about 20 minutes, we had the formal crowning of the winner and 5★STAR Awards to some of the standouts. The list was

Technical Skill Award – Starlight Kid
Fighting Spirit Award – Unagi Sayaka
Oustanding Performance Award – AZM (3rd time in a row)
Red Stars Best Match – Mayu Iwatani vs. Giulia (8/1; Yokohama Budoukan; Giulia def. Mayu)
Blue Stars Best Match – Syuri vs. Takumi Iroha (9/25; Ota Gymmnasium; 20-minute Time Limit Draw)
2021 5★STAR GP Finalist – Momo Watanabe (Red Stars Block Winner)
2021 5★STAR GP Winner – Syuri (Blue Stars Block Winner)

Fully crowned, Syuri had some final words, dedicating her mother, who passed away last year. She closed the show afterwards.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
What great freaking show! It literally had 3 MOTYC back-to-back-to-back at the end, following an already solid matches that had to serve the purpose of finalizing points. I've been saying it for most of the year, but STARDOM is without a doubt one of the top promotions this year, 1 or 2 depending on my day, and once again, they deliver a top quality show that competes with anything you've watched this year.

Red Block
Giulia - 3-0-6 -- 6
Natsupoi - 4-1-4 -- 9
Himeka - 5-0-4 -- 10
Mayu Iwatani - 5-1-3 -- 11
Koguma - 5-1-4 -- 11
Momo Watanabe - 6-0-3 -- 12
Fukigen Death - 5-0-4 -- 10
Starlight Kid - 5-2-3 -- 11
Saki Kashima - 2-0-4 -- 4
Mina Shirakawa - 3-0-6 -- 6

Blue Block
Utami Hayashishita - 4-2-3 -- 10
Saya Kamitani - 5-1-3 -- 11
AZM - 4-0-5 -- 8
Syuri - 5-2-2 -- 12
Maika - 4-1-4 -- 9
Tam Nakano - 5-0-4 -- 10
Unagi Sayaka - 4-1-4 -- 9
Ruaka - 0-0-9 -- 0
Konami - 5-0-4 -- 10
Takumi Iroha - 4-3-2 -- 12
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