World Wonder Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix August 17th 2024

Okay and welcome back to more of the Five Star Grand Prix as we are in my all-time favorite wrestling venue, KBS Hall in Kyoto, Japan. We got 500 here which is pretty decent. Let’s get to it!

Saya Kamitani [4] vs. Ranna Yagami [2] – Blue Block B Match

Background: Saya is evil now and trying to prove her evilness, and she’s facing scrappy kung-fu rookie Ranna here. Lets hope it gets hate filled and vile as Saya has not impressed in this run so far. Saya is tall and dressed in glittery black with tassels…of EVIL! Ranna is in yellow and black and is quite pale with short, bleached hair.

The Match: A credit to Saya who is trying to look cold and dismissive here. They work a headlock until Saya pulls the hair and the vet grinds out Yagami, Ranna does some counter stuff and and Saya slips out and just stomps on Ranna and chokes her on the ropes and then chinlocks her. Props to Saya for actually working like a heel here. More rope choking and a cover and more stomping and taunting. Ranna eventually firing back with some forearms before getting wiped out by a single Saya forearm. Run and gun and Ranna gets a dropkick and some tentative kicks to the chest before Yagami gets a kick in the corner, a kick to the back, and tries for a juji-gatame but Saya gets the ropebreak. Back up and Ranna with more forearms and an actually clever spot as Saya does a feint punch to set up a stomp to the foot but runs into a kick regardless. More of a strikeoff with them throwing big kicks and slaps and Saya actually has some cartoon bumping here that’s appropriate. They do a weird double-down where Saya goes for her rolling heel kick and Saya for a jump kick that collides…and then Ranna just gets up and kicks Saya down again. Ranna then gets more fancy karate and an unique if awkward armbar takedown. Saya eventually makes the ropes but Ranna still sets up a cross-armed…something but Saya breaks free, hits the spinning heel kick, the northern lights, and sets up the Star Crusher but Ranna gets a small package, another chest kick, and goes for a question mark kick but Saya gets a schoolgirl…and rolls it into a backdrop driver and then a Star Crusher follows for 3.

**½

Not bad! I’m pleasantly shocked by Saya working competently as a heel and doing the heel stuff she needs to. She is athletically more powerful than her opponents but she still cheats and tricks and is a cowardly jerk. Plus she is doing WAY less flipping and cutting down the babyface comebacks. Ranna is still just a warm body, but it’s a decently warm, warm body at least.

Xena [2] vs. Anna Jay [2] – Blue Block A Match

Background: Xena is the powerhouse of ExV and an Australian buttkicker. Anna Jay is from AEW and likes choking people out with the Queenslayer sleeper. They’re both white gaijin, though Xena is Australian and Anna is American. Xena is in red velvet with fur trim and Xena is in black snakeskin and is decently bigger than her opponent.

The Match: Xena flexes and then they work a wristlock with Xena using the ropes to backflip and then calling her “Ennuh” in a very Australian accent. More VERY deliberate forward rolls from Anna and some more counter stuff and clunky headlock setups. We get Anna grinding the headlock for a while with Xena even hitting backdrop driver out of and Anna still keeping it locked in, floatover sequence and then back to the Anna Jay headlock. We finally get some escalation when Anna gets a neckbreaker between the ropes. Xena comes back with a butterfly suplex and a corner dropkick before an extended spinning sidewalk slam. Xena’s fireman’s carry is countered with the Queenslayer but they do a sunset flip sequence that ends in a Xena dropkick to the mush. Another floatover sequence into a whip sequence (sigh) and we get Anna with a heel kick into the corner and then a hanging backstabber to Xena. We finally get something not out of a running sequence as Anna hits a reverse STO and then the Koji Clutch. Another reversal sequence as Anna hits the short-arm back kick, and then Xena hits a better version of it, and then a German suplex…and we get Anna floating behind for a backstabber again. Xena finally breaks things up with a hard downward chop and Anna at least sells it. Chopfest that Xena easily wins. And it gets to the point where I think Anna does not want to continue taking these chops, or props to her selling, I’ll give her that. Anna stops the chops with a Queenslayer but Xena hurls her over, they trade rollups for nearfalls until Anna gets a Gory Bomb for 2.6. Xena gets a lariat and then the Argentine rack gutbuster and that’s 3.

½*

This match stunk out loud. Just nothing fit the characters. Nothing established between them or before the match lead anywhere. Xena is a power wrestler, but she’s facing Anna, who is bigger, there was no dynamic there where Xena had to adapt, instead I guess we got Anna working the neck with a headlock and then a neckbreaker to set up her sleeper finish, but she couldn’t hit any offense that wasn’t out of a counter or a charge so it all looked really contrived. Xena, who I do normally like, also couldn’t get anything going that made sense either due to her own lack of talent or just the limitations of Anna. So we didn’t have a smaller worker try to set up her offense by chopping down Anna, we just got two people doing bad sequences to set up mostly sloppy moves that weren’t well sold. As to why I gave it a half star? Well Xena tried, that’s a quarter star, and the chop sequence actually popped the crowd a bit.

Hanan [3] vs. Thekla [2] – Blue Block B Match

Background: Hanan is a scrappy young babyface who is athletic and blonde and wears yellow and smiles all the time, she also has a bit of a lion-theme to her. Thekla is also blonde, but she’s Austrian, is older, likes smoking cigars, and is a mean, vicious and is spider-themed. So, athletic virtuous lion face versus acrobatic villainous spider heel.

The Match: Hot start as Hanan removes her entrance robe on her way to the ring and tags Thekla with two dropkicks, but she subsequently whiffs a crossbody off the apron and Thekla informs the crowd that they are less than average intelligent and asks if they are female dogs engaging in copulation and eventually the crowd gets the picture and skedaddles. Hanan eats some chairs off a whip (and the chairs looks quite sumptuous if you do ask me) and after more chair trauma we get a brainbuster on the outside and Thekla hops back inside to milk the count while Hanan desperately crawls back in. Stomps from the Austrian and Hanan is tossed outside again to taste more chairs. Another countout tease follows and when Hanan rolls back in again Thekla looks bemused. Weak and desperate strikes from Hanan follow before she’s knocked down with one blow by the vet. And another desperate springboard out of the corner eats another strike from the HATE member before she cranks in a chinlock that sometimes slips into the illegal jaw wrench. Ropebreak and Thekla remains amused as she stomps on Hanan some more…before eating a drop toehold into the ropes. Flying crotch attack from Hanan! Corkscrew back elbows! And more! And more! Hanan is keeping it up and while some of the offense is sloppy it at least has fire. Hanan’s diving crossbody gets 2.7 and she loads up a backdrop driver before Thekla goes for more strikes…and runs into a cradle from Hanan but Konami breaks it up for Thekla who gets a headscissors choke for a while until Hanan reaches the ropes. Thekla gets some big kicks to the face and goes up with a stomp to a standing Hanan for 2.6, Thekla goes for the Toxic Death Drop but Hanan spins out and goes for the backdrop driver…and Thekla flips out of that and gets another strong right hand (not a punch let me be clear!) to drop Hanan and follows with two low thrust kicks and a buzzsaw for…2. But Thekla isn’t bothered and tunes up the band and lands the spear…and pulls Hanan up! Oh boy, that seems needlessly arrogant, hope that won’t immediately bite her in the-and I’ve been informed that when Thekla went for another Toxic Death Drop Hanan counters into the backdrop driver, and then she follows up with the Blizzard Suplex for 3.

***½

Well this was loads of fun. I like that it started with Hanan being a jerk and immediately paying the price for it, and it ended with Thekla being a jerk and immediately paying the price, to her downfall. This was a lot of fun, two very athletic women with similar kits but they both do their style with enough individual flair and style it all worked for me. Very happy with this match and would love to see a rematch.

Koguma [2] vs. Starlight Kid [3] – Blue Block A Match

Background: Well Koguma is a goofy bear aficionado that is a trickster who is very emotional. She’s won a lot more matches than you think considering that. Starlight Kid is a high-flying, high-octane, super popular masked superstar for Stardom. I would definitely expect some silliness here.

The Match: We start with Koguma doing her bear dance and SLK doing I think a cat dance (cause Starlight Kid is technically part of the Tiger Mask history, well unofficially technically). And Koguma wants to leave but SLK convinces her to stay. Well then. Both go for quick pins and Koguma bails and they both negotiate a return to the match and when Koguma comes back SLK explodes with high-flying stuff and then works on Koguma’s knee. And uh, SLK works on them for a while. And I think I did my taxes in the time it took SLK to finish working Koguma’s knee. Koguma finally makes the one-legged comeback by uh…using her leg but at least selling after moves. They end up on the top rope and SLK wins and gets a diving crossbody afterwards and then transitions to the Black Tiger Leg Destroyer but Koguma breaks. Kid slides out of a run and gun and gets a dragon screw off the apron but goes up and we get another top rope sequence. Okay, sure, fine. Kid gets knocked outside, Koguma gets a plancha, and back in Koguma gets a missile dropkick. Standing grappling loads up a swinging sleeper by Koguma. Kid eventually reaches the ropes. Koguma climbs the ropes and goes for a splash. Reset and we get the brawl again and Kid gets the Black Tiger Leg Destroyer but Koguma slips out for a spell of rollup reversals but nobody is selling any limb damage. Kid finally locks the leg destroyer back in and Koguma taps.

*½

Koguma isn’t very good and Kid can’t do much to elevate bad talent. Poor match that didn’t play to anybody’s strength. As soon as Koguma strays from comedy, her skillset, there’s little that can be done.

Saki Kashima [2] vs. Risa Sera [2] – Blue Block B Match

Background: Saki was once good, then evil, but she’s now good cause she was too lazy and cowardly to be evil, and she’s facing a vicious death match monster. Saki is rail thin and dressed in red and black. Risa has an ice queen aesthetic with blue hair and glittery blue and silver robes. Saki is also a huge Fist of the North Star fan and is shilling something for them with a sign that she’s carried to every match.

The Match: Saki starts the match by shilling with her sign…and then runs away backstage as Risa chases after her. We get a spot with Ranna Yagami does some shilling while you hear screams of terror in the background and eventually Risa headlocks Saki back to the match. Risa lets Saki shill a bit and even claps…and then Saki hits her in the head with the sign and goes for an inside cradle for a nearfall! Revival attempt next that is blocked by Sera who gets a spinning Samoan driver for 2. Sera goes for a crab, but Saki gets to the ropes…with the sign. The ref disallows it and we get a huge giant swing instead. Saki sells it big and powders to the outside and tries to run away again but she’s too dizzy so she falls over. We tease a countout and now it’s Ranna’s turn to drag Saki back to the match. RIsa now gets the crab and converts it to the rocking horse and then the double knee drop on the back and we get a more teases of Saki being out as she can only make it to her feet after a count of 8. Kashima tries to go high-risk by reversing a charge into a springboard diving huracanrana but they slip it up pretty bad and Saki just gets some kicks on Sera in the corner instead. They do a slug fest of sorts where Saki kicks and then immediately tenses up when RIsa raises her hand, but eventually Kashima gets a big forearm and they both drop. Double down for a bit until Sera gets her swinging air raid crash and then a vader bomb into a double knee drop for 2, Risa charges into the corner with double knees…2 count and could the Zombie Girl be reviving? Risa loads up Saki for a fireman’s carry but Saki blocks and goes for the Revival…and Risa rolls through into her own cradle and that’s 3.

**

Hrm, kinda stuck between two matches, I was enjoying the comedy nonsense, but the finish where Saki finally takes it seriously and begins firing back shots would have been fine as well, but they split the difference and it was just sorta…okay. Also they’re kind of teasing that Saki’s Revival can’t do it anymore and I wonder where that’s going. Risa also remains…a fine sounding board for other talent, Saki was selling big and reacting in terror, but I can’t say Sera has all that much presence herself.

Saori Anou [3] vs. Miyu Amasaki [2] – Blue Block A Match

Background: Saori is haughty and established, Miyu is young and looking to prove herself as more than just the pin-eater for Neo Genesis. I will say that putting this in the main-event makes me suspect that they’re going to have Miyu be more than total fodder here.

The Match: They have a brief verbal exchange and it cracks Saori up a bit as Miyu is leading the crowd in some chant. Anou starts with a charge but Miyu gets a lowdropkick, kneeling reverse STO, and then goes for a can opener neck crank and Saori makes the ropes. Anou gets a floatover and a northern lights suplex before setting up a straitjacket choke and now Amasaki makes the ropes. Saori tosses Miyu around and every sequence is setup out of a corner charge or rope-run. They eventually slug it out with big forearm shots that Miyu wins, and then Miyu gets another reverse STO…but runs into a fisherman’s suplex from Saori who follows by going up…and gets tossed off by Miyu who sets up another can opener and it’s in the middle of the ring! Saori eventually makes the ropes to break and Miyu gets a terrible diving…facebuster and then a jumping DDT, and then a tornado DDT! All for a 2 count though. Saori makes her comeback with an enzuigiri into a whacky looking half-deathlock armbar thing but can’t get the full extension until Miyu is basically in the ropes. Saori is looking frustrated here and goes up and this time lands the missile dropkick, Saori sets up a German suplex but Miyu slips out and gets a hammerlock DDT. Miyu loads up a cradle DDT (like the Ram-Paige move) but Saori slips out…and Miyu slaps her. Uh oh. Saori lands the German, and now Miyu fires up, second German attempt by Saori but Miyu gets a rollup for 2.999, Saori just boots her face off and gets a bridging German for 2.999999. And Saori gets the short-arm flipping neckbreaker to finish.

**½

One of the better performances I’ve seen from Saori as she lead a still green and unsure Miyu into something that wasn’t half-bad. Miyu has a lot of ways to go and her offense probably needs to be something more than desperate rollups and DDT variants, but they had some nice spots where she tested the vet and showed some fire. Saori even broke her stoic demeanor to put the kid over.

Well not a great show overall, but it was brief, that’s half the battle.

Standings!

Blue Block A:
Saori Anou 5
Starlight Kid 5
Syuri 4
Xena 4
Koguma 2
Anna Jay 2
Miyu Amasaki 2

Blue Block B:
Saya Kamitani 6
Hanan 5
Risa Sera 4
Suzu Suzuki 3
Ranna Yagami 2
Saki Kashima 2
Thekla 2

Red Block A:
Natsupoi 6
Manami 5
Maika 4
Konami 4
Hazuki 2
Ruaka 1
Yuna Mizumori 0

Red Block B:
Mayu Iwatani 6
AZM 6
Tomoka Inaba 6
Mei Seira 4
Saya Iida 2
Tam Nakano 0
Momo Watanabe 0