World Wonder Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix August 11th 2024

We’re back with another leg of the Five Star Grand Prix and we go from 1500 to uh…417. Yeowch. Anyway we’re in Shibuya so let’s have a good time. One thing I want to tell you is that I won’t really speak on the outfits of the talent unless they change it up, which uh, is likely or perhaps even probable!

Yuna Mizumori vs. Maika – Red Block A Match

Background: So this is the first Yuna appearance in the tournament as they have odd numbers of people in the blocks so not everybody can wrestle each show. Yuna is a beefy brawler type that is tropical themed cause she’s from Kumamoto, anyway she has multi-colored hair and a tan and she’s actually a part of the Cosmic Angels stable and is their powerhouse of sorts. Maika is a former red belt champion and she’s in the red tights and short hair and she really does look like she’s ripping off Utami.

The Match: Some shoulders to start and it’s a stalemate. Maika requests a slug fest and Yuna obliges before Maika flattens her with one strike and then chokes her on the ropes and talks trash to Yuna’s seconds at ringside. Yuna gets a flurry of offense again…but a Maika boot cuts that short. Maika back in but Yuna reverses a brainbuster and gets some sliding lariats and a leg drop. Yuna goes up but Maika slaps her on the top rope and they fight over a superplex…and Yuna gets an arm wrench over the top-rope and then more rope-assisted damage on Maika’s arm. Maika catches Yuna coming over the ropes with a suplex though and then gets 4 more brainbusters…for 2. They both trade lariats next with neither going down until Yuna goes at Maika’s injured arm and clobbering her in the ropes, knocking Maika outside. A somewhat awkward turnbuckle run plancha follows by Yuna who gets a headlock lariat for 2.6. Samoan Driver by the southerner follows but Maika kicks out at 2.8. Yuna looks to finish with an electric chair into something, but Maika slips out, and gets a spinning lariat and the Enka Otoshi for 2.8. Yuna slips out of a Michinoku Driver attempt and gets a series of close-count rollups but she runs into the Michinoku Driver…and then Maika hits a second one and that’s a win.

**½

Still a touch below good as Maika only sold the arm intermittently and Yuna has some execution problems, but a decent story of an arrogant uppercarder being a jerk to an undercard wrestler who then capitalized on an injury to the senior and that forces the more established one to work on the back foot. Not a bad story and not terribly done, but Maika’s big flaw is still her in-ring emoting and especially her selling.

Hazuki vs. Ruaka – Red Block A Match

Background: Ruaka is a hefty, mean, bruising brawler who likes to cheat, Hazuki is a slight, mean, technical high-flier who likes to kick people in the face.

The Match: Hot start as Ruaka knocks Hazuki off the apron as Wildheart is making her entrance and then Ruaka tosses HZK through ringside chairs, luckily there aren’t any fans in them. Back in and Ruaka gets Hazuki with a big shoulder and then some disrespectful kicks to the face as the HATE member taunts her foe. Ruaka eventually slips up and Hazuki gets a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and then a boot to knock her outside…but on a tope attempt she flies RIGHT into Ruaka’s luggage in a hilarious spot. Ugly slam by Ruaka follows and then a senton. Hazuki reverses a whip into a reverse springboard dropkick though and then gets a codebreaker to keep the flying offense up. Hazuki is favoring her leg but she still lands the facewash and the running low boot. Now Ruaka is knocked outside and Hazuki lands the tope. Missile dropkick sets up Hazuki’s senton and then we go to the crossface, until Ruaka reverses into a wrenching chinlock and Hazuki gets a ropebreak…and that sets up the running low crossbody into the ropes by Ruaka. Delayed fisherman’s suplex by Ruaka lets her go up…but Hazuki cuts her off and we get a superplex…but RUaka pops up and gets a lariat, and Hazuki goes for the crossface again before Ruaka almost rolls her up! Hazuki with a slam and her own diving senton…and then goes up for a second but she takes too much time hotdogging that RUaka rolls away and gets a sliding lariat for 2.7. Ruaka grabs her luggage and goes into the ring to clobber Hazuki while the seconds distract the ref, but Hazuki catches it and tosses it away, only to eat a lariat into the ropes by Ruaka, who sets up her chokebomb…but Hazuki gets a victory roll and steals it!

***

Man, is…Ruaka good now? Her psychology is improving as a monster heel, her offense is fun, she’s athletic enough to move with pop and bump well, and of course Hazuki is a very reliable hand, and my usual issues with Hazuki matches (too mechanical and flat a performer) wer offset by her emoting and selling well and sympathetically. Veteran technician survives a flurry from a wild rookie and uses her technique and savvy to win the day. Wrestling is good!

Konami vs. Manami – Red Block A Match

Background: Konami is another HATE member and has a strong shoot-style background (as of yet the only wrestler trained by Asuka), she’s also swagged out in her new heel look with the furs and buckles and leather. Manami is from Sendai and I’m still getting a read on her but she’s an…eclectic goof who dresses in blue and has an orange fan and makes lots of of noise and seems quite extra. She’s also a bit of a high-flyer.

The Match: Manami fires off a dropkick to start but Konami dodges the followup and then rips Manami off the ropes when she poses and stomps her down. The Sendai wrestler evades a kick and goes to some roll-ups as she’s keeping the pace loose until Konami goes the eyes and completes her kick combo. Manami fires back but gets tripped up running the ropes and Konami takes her outside and bounces her off various things and whips her into various other things. How rude. Konami horsecollars Manami with a chair and then chokes her with it and eventually tosses Manami back in to choke her in the ropes and then works the arm. Lots of stomping in the corner follows but Manami comes alive by reversing a whip and getting some flying maneuvers, but the Sendai wrestler stops to shriek and Konami gets a straitjacket, and then gets a step-over choke in the straitjacket. Manami gets the rope and then cuts off a followup from Konami with a dropkick and shrieks some more. She is loud. Northern Lights Suplex by Manami but Konami gets a flying armbar and then some small-joint manipulation. Fisherman’s suplex and a kick as this has basically been 80% Konami. Manami gets a few flying moves but goes up and gets caught with another armbar, Konami tosses her off afterwards and gets a flying knee and another armbar. Manami gets a jumping knee after a break though and this time when she goes up she pulls the splash off…but Konami rolls away and gets a few kicks to the head for a nearfall. Konami loads up the Triangle Lancer…but Manami reverses that into a sunset flip for 3.

**

Just a lot of slow heeling until we finally get a banana peel win, not my cup of tea and not a great showcase of either talent. Totally fine work, just nothing very inspiring about it.

Momo Watanabe vs. Tomoka Inaba – Red Block B Match

Background: Not a lot of specific history between these two, but a bit of a dark future here as like Tomoka, Momo was once a prodigy martial arts super rookie type who trained hard and showed discipline and then after success wasn’t coming as quickly as hoped she sold her soul and became a cheating jerk. Both of them do a lot of stiff strikes and have a strong technical base, and both of them look super cool, Momo with her dark leather outfit with buckles and straps and Inaba in her silver and black getup with a veil over her face.

The Match: Momo ducks out of a lock-up attempt but goes into the second one and they immediately go into the ropes and Inaba gives a clean break. Inaba grabs the wrist next and Momo goes to the ropes again so Tomoka just boots her and Watanabe slips out of the ring to powder. What’s Memphis in Japanese? Inaba is fed up and follows Momo outside…and obviously that goes badly for her as Momo bounces her head off the apron and then tosses her into some chairs. Back inside and Momo immediately starts doing the disrespectful facewashes and some choking on the rope…but gets a crisp scoop slam to drop the younger wrestler. Momo talks trash and Inaba fies back while selling the back before being dropped with a big Momo kick, but Watanabe runs the ropes and that lets Inaba boot her down and then get a flurry of strikes in the corner and drags out Momo for an ankle lock. Watanabe makes the ropes but eats another knee strike while laid across it. Muay Thai knees and some snapmare kicks by Inaba, but she goes for a slam and Momo reverses into some snap suplexes and then running double-knees to set up a crossface chickenwing. Inaba reverses to an ankle lock but Momo quickly breaks and both trade big kicks and do some standing reversal stuff before Momo gets her Peach Sunrise suplex and Inaba gets a Michinou Driver (JTO, her ‘home’ promotion is founded by Taka and he trained her) and we get a double-down. More trading of big kicks and Inaba gets the advantage for a 2 count. But Momo catches a buzzsaw kick attempt, gets her own, and then follows up with a punt and the crossface chickenwing but Momo can’t get the Tequila Sunrise and they do another kick duel and Inaba wins again, but can only get the pinfall. Momo comes back with a B-Driver and Inaba gets a sunset flip and then a buzzsaw kick but she still can’t put Momo away, but a Michinoku Driver and her delayed buzzsaw kick give Tomoka the dub.

***¼

I think they were hitting the same notes a bit at the end, but Inaba being the better striker but Momo having the grappling advantage is rock-solid psychology and the selling was all on point. Trim a bit of the fat or add some more complexities and I can go higher. I do think Inaba is still a bit generic within the God’s Eye framework but she at least had moments of hotheaded babyface behavior that flesh her out. Momo remains excellent as always.

AZM vs. Mei Seira – Red Block B Match

Background: Neo Genesis EXPLODES! So we have a battle between two of the popular juniors in Neo Genesis, bratty arm-breaking AZM and super-fast, kinda weird (but in a cute way of course) Mei Seira. So we do get a chance to see who is the babyface and who is the heel in this matchup, and all that other character stuff. Also, Mei is the High Speed Champion right now, a belt AZM has held MANY times.

The Match: Mei goes for the handshake of respect and AZM turns it down, they go fast to start (shocking) but AZM grabs an early armbar until Mei worms out. More fast stuff and quick covers and all that until a stalemate happens. At this point AZM goes for a handshake…and Mei stomps the foot, that brat! AZM responds with a forearm and a low kick and stomps on Mei in the ropes. More kicks from AZM have Mei writhing in pain and we even get the arrogant cover from the vet and some more heel stuff with her slapping around Mei. Corner dropkick and an armbar lets AZM just crank on the pain. Mei finally slips free and gets some shots in defiance but AZM is just bullying her. Mei finally gets something with a drop toehold into a jumping crossbody and then some more run and gun stuff as Mei is just rebounding off the ropes before EVERY move. AZM foils a suplex though and slugs it out with the smaller Mei, and AZM uses her own speed as she goes inside-out and trips up Mei on the apron, lands a kick to her face and then gets a stomp off the apron to the ringside mats. Back in and AZM tries a diving stomp, but Mei rolls away and AZM walks into a codebreaker…but before Mei can take advantage AZM gets a high kick…and before AZM can take advantage Mei rebounds off the middle rope into a blockbuster and we get a double-down. AZM rolls outside and loads up a springboard dropkick but Mei (faster than AZM) hops up and gets a dropkick to counter AZM to knock her outside. They fight over a whip spot on the outside and Mei instead just kicks AZM. They struggle on the outside and trade armdrags and keep each other from getting back in the ring as they tease a double countout before rolling back in and both ‘doging’ each others kicks. AZM with a brainbuster but they end up slugging it out. Mei gets the thrust kick though and a 2.7 count off of it. Mei sets up some hammerlock powerbomb deal but AZM reverses out and they trade victory rolls. Mei gets another thrust kick and then loads up some convoluted finish but AZM slips out and lands LA MISTICA! LA MISTICA! LA MISTICA! Into Azumi Sushi but it only gets 2.8. They do some more slippery stuff before AZM gets a few high kicks and then loads up the diving stomp again, and it gets 2.8. Destroyer attempt by AZM is foiled and Mei gets a la magistral and then a jackknife attempt and they roll around until AZM cranks in the armbar again. But Mei slips out and they do an extended sunset flip reversal spot. Back to standing and AZM gets her cross-legged release German suplex, Mei gets her headshot dropkick, AZM misses a high kick, Mei gets her own release German, Mei goes for her crucifix thing and then AZM hits a Destroyer as time expires and we get a draw.

**¼

Beyond my general malaise towards draws, I wasn’t really feeling all of this. I will say that AZM got over a lot of my issues with her (her in-ring persona is just too manufactured and seems like she’s thinking about her next moves as opposed to doing them) but she actually ramped up some heelishness here and her playing the bully heel she faced in a lot of her matches was nice, with Mei taking her old role as the scrappy small high-speed wrestler. But it was just too long and I don’t think these wrestlers have quite enough material for this long a match with that sort of finish. Mei also didn’t offer much more than her athleticism. A fine match with a quarter star for AZM’s early heeling and expressing the passage of time and maturation by being a jerk all of a sudden.

Mayu Iwatani vs. Saya Iida – Red Block B Match

Background: ANOTHER stable vs stable matchup as Stars leader Mayu Iwatani faces stars power wrestler Saya Iida…who happens to be four foot nine. Saya, or Gori-Chan is a very tan, very jacked, very short wrestler who dresses in green and is wearing what I think is a Godzilla robe. Mayu is in her regular rainbow apparel.

The Match: Handshake of respect is given and they do a pretty monster lockup with them both fighting until Saya gets Mayu to the ropes and we get a clean break. Mayu gets a kick and a headlock but runs into a Saya shoulder and gets slammed by the pint-sized powerhouse. Mayu gets a corner evasion though and a dropkick slows down Saya and a dropkick against the ropes stuns her. Mayu with the double stomp off the second-rope and some more stomping in the corner. Mayu’s German attempt is countered with a Saya jawbreaker though and we get Iida chopping the heck out of Iwatani in the corner. Iwatani slips out of a brainbuster though and both have a measured and deliberate chop-off that probably should have happened near the end of the match and not pretty close to the beginning. After a long (and I do mean long) chop battle that Saya wins, Mayu has to get talked back into the match by the ref in a decently funny spot, but it takes too long so Saya just chops her down again. They do some run and gun stuff but Mayu breaks out the superkick to stun the powerhouse…who gets a lariat anyway. Another lariat into the corner sets up a Diamond Dust (though Mayu bumps like it’s a headlock driver instead of a stunner) and Saya gets 2.6 off of it. Dragon sleeper follows by Saya and Mayu is fading until she finally makes her way to the ropes. Muscle Buster attempt by Saya is countered by Mayu who stumbles her way to the top rope afterwards and gets a frog splash for 2.4. Mayu goes for the Dragon suplex but Saya is just too strong and makes the ropes and then lariats Mayu’s head off. Vertical drop brainbuster by Saya follows, but that just gets 2.7. Saya is fired up and calls for something…and climbs up and dives right into a Mayu superkick, Mayu follows with a Tombstone and a moonsault and that’s 3.

**¾

I never quite got enough into the heat segment, but Saya had some nice looking sequences and whatever else you can say about her, she fully embodies the tiny powerhouse deal. Good selling from Mayu and typically excellent bumps gave this match some body as well. I guess I would have preferred to see a bit more contrast between them as characters, but even power vs. veteran speed is a nice enough story all the time. Solid stuff.

Post-match Mayu talks some more and Saya talks too and it’s very emotional.

Well, these sorta house show deals are only ever going to lead to so good matches, but nothing was truly dreadful either. Perfectly acceptable wrestling is fine for me.