World Wonder Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix August 24th 2024

Well we’re back to Stardom as I try to complete my contractual obligations here, and it appears that the fans are just as cold on the show as I am because only 300 of them showed up.

Hanan [5] vs. Ranna Yagami [2] – Blue Block B Match

Background: The battle of the blonde, yellow-clad rookies! Hanan is much more established and wrestles an athletic, almost southern rasslin’ style with bulldogs and some judo stuff, while Ranna utilizes her martial arts background to throw kicks and such. Both are babyfaces but haven’t won nothing yet.

The Match: They lockup and do some standing switches and my goodness Hanan is like…WAY bigger than Ranna. Hanan takes over with a headlock, dropkick, and then a flying crotch attack on the ropes (look I’ve tried to find a better name but I can’t) and then a crab. We work that for a while and Ranna makes the ropes before Hanan stomps her down as she’s playing quasi-heel here with some chops in the ropes. And Ranna does some Sting stuff and no-sells them before Hanan slams her down and does some repeated covers. And we cut to Rina (Hanan’s sister who is a heel) on the outside loving this. Yagami finally gets some forearms to mount a mini-comeback but Hanan cuts her head off. But Ranna powers up and gets some running corner kicks into a cross armbar that has Hanan getting a rope break. More big kicks as Hanan flails around for them before countering with some judo stuff. But a springboard reverse crossbody is countered with a kick, and we get more kicks, and more kicks, and more kicks but Hanan reverses an armbar into a rollup before charging into another armbar and another ropebreak. Ranna tries to keep it up but runs into a leg lariat from Hanan…but Yagami throws more kicks before missing a high roundhouse and eats the blizzard suplex and a famouser from Hanan. Backdrop driver attempt is blocked and Ranna goes back to the armbar and then transitions into a cradle pin for 3!

**½

Just a match. Solid work, but the storytelling wasn’t quite there, just two folks doing moves competently and then one won. Didn’t mind the brief moments of a heelish Hanan however.

Post-match I think Ranna challenges for the Future of Stardom Championship, which Hanan holds.

Koguma [4] vs. Anna Jay [4] – Blue Block A Match

Background: Koguma is a tag specialist trickster type and Anna is…well I’m not really sure what her character is in Stardom but she sometimes wrestles like a large bully heel.

The Match: Comedy-ish start as Koguma does her kuma dance and Anna seems amenable to it before shockingly trying to blindside Koguma and that faltering and her being mocked with the kuma taunt and put in a camel clutch. Anna does some clubbering after a ropebreak and a corner choke and it’s just so…not good. Snap suplex and some awkward brawling but Koguma comes out of the corner with a crossbody and gets a few covers. Koguma goes for a sleeper but Anna fights it off and we get more Anna domination with the corner heel kick and strikes and suplexes. Anna goes for the Queenslayer but Koguma gets the ropes and gets some desperate forearms and then the kuma taunt and a cutter to get a bit of a relief. Missile dropkick but Anna gets the short-arm heel kick and then they trade roll-ups. THis match is a mess. Anna finally gets the Queenslayer again and Koguma can’t escape and that’s that.

*

Well I guess neither botched anything, but this was a dull, slow, heatless match that played to neither of their strengths. Koguma is a good silly goose who does goofy stuff and Anna has only worked as a large bully heel and they just did a technical babyface vs. babyface match and it just stunk.

Starlight Kid [5] vs. Miyu Amasaki [2] – Blue Block A Match

Background: So this is stable vs. stable as SLK is the possible leader of Neo Genesis (it ain’t quite clear) and Miyu is their dedicated pin-eater. Kid gives up a lot of size to Miyu but has loads more experience so we’ll see how this operates here.

The Match: We start with some respect and then SLK immediately takes down Miyu and works the leg before Miyu transitions to a facelock and uses her size to keep on Kid for a while as she’s relatively dominating on the mat. Starlight opens it up with some rope-running and goes at the knee again and now Kid is in control with the regular stuff (leg snaps, standing moonsault to the leg, South Asian Deathlock). Miyu makes the ropes and shakes the leg out but SLK gets the low dropkick and is just dismantling the rookie before running into a boot and a spinning facebuster out of the corner. Miyu keeps on the head more with a low reverse STO and then a can opener hold. SLK gets the break and Miyu tries to capitalize with a jumping DDT (with no limping) but SLK gets the low dropkick again and they fight in the ropes…and SLK uses that to get a kneebreaker and a dragon screw in the ropes…but Miyu finally gets the jumping DDT…but SLK gets the cross-legged fisherman’s buster and we have a double down. Slugfest follows with them trading dominance until Miyu gets a float-under DDT. Miyu goes up, SLK meets her at the top…but Miyu reverses something into a super DDT but Amasaki can’t make the cover and ends up kicking Kid out of the ring. Tornado DDT off the post as Kid is getting clobbered here. Back inside and Miyu with ANOTHER tornado DDT (lady, learn a new move) gets 2.7. Miyu loads up her jumping Pedigree but Kid blocks, gets a dragonscrew, and then a running boot to the back of the head. Kid goes for the Black Tiger Leg Destroyer but Miyu slips out as Kid’s neck can’t hold up, hey some selling here. Kid then gets a standing cloverleaf instead (no pressure on the neck) and Miyu just kinda lies in it until she eventually makes the ropes. SLK gets the 180 splash and then goes up for the moonsault to finish but Miyu rolls out of the way and gets a whacky leg-lace rollup for 2.8. SLK with the leg lariat though but she can’t land the Tiger suplex as Miyu gets the hammerlock/legsweep DDT, a cradle DDT, and then the jumping pedigree as time expires.

*½

There was glimpses of something here as the younger rookie had seemingly scouted SLK and was dominating, but another time limit draw and another way too long match for somebody who just doesn’t have the juice to go that long ain’t it for me.

Risa Sera [6] vs. Thekla [2] – Blue Block B Match

Background: So Thekla is one of the tag-champs and a semi-pushed (okay don’t look at her win-rate this tournament) member of HATE. Risa Sera is a brawling tweener outsider who will probably play face against uber-heel Thekla.

The Match: And we start early with the cheating as Thekla attacks Risa while Sera is removing her robe and we get a diving stomp while the ref breaks them up and lets Risa pull her robe off. Thekla goes outside to keep up the beating and of course we Thekla going for the whip into the chairs…but Risa is a hardcore master and reverses the whip and then we get a chair duel and almost a shot with Rina’s crutch but the ref stops it. Back inside and Risa gets a giant swing that looks fantastic cause Thekla is so small. Thekla gives an one-fingered salute back and eats another giant swing. Thekla fights out of a fireman’s carry and shrugs off some forearms before landing a running boot in the ropes and then another boot on the apron. “We’re going up baby!” and indeed Thekla goes to the top turnbuckle, but she rolls through whatever her attempt at a dive is and lands a spear instead into a crossface. Thekla gets a bit too disrespectful though and Risa gets the spinning air raid crash into the overhand Boston Crab that she tries to transition into a spinebuster…but Thekla gets a kick out of that and then goes to the eyes and Risa wipes out the ref in confusion and blindness. Thekla then takes the belt off, tries to choke Risa, and then whips her with it. A chairshot goes to finish but Risa grabs it from her and just whallops the Toxic Spider…and the ref revives in order to see it and we have a DQ win for Thekla as Risa goes crazy and just chairs everybody.

**¾

That was really fun. A bit short but Thekla finding a way to win by exploiting Risa’s bloodthirsty nature, and giving us some visual/moral comeuppance by having HATE all be clobbered with a chair was good.

Syuri [4] vs. Xena [4] – Blue Block A Match

Background: So this should be mostly babyface vs. babyface. Syuri is a very versatile former world champion who is a heavy striker with a good submission game, Xena is a more classic power wrestler though obviously she has some quick type moves too. No real beef here in particular.

The Match: Syuri tries for a lockup but Xena goes at Syuri’s taped-up arm to take control, having some success on the mat with power and a basic armbar. Syuri gets the break in the ropes and goes to speed it up but runs into some rollups by Xena and then gets her own. Syuri keeps it quick though with a jumping boot and then a kitchen sink knee. Xena ducks an enzuigiri though and gets a double-arm suplex and then a hesitation dropkick, but Syuri slips out of a slam and gets a flying headscissors and then a cazadora bulldog and then goes at Xena’s arm with a Fujiwara Armbar into a juji-gatame but Xena makes the ropes. Syuri follows with a sliding knee and goes out to the apron as Xena is draped on the ropes, and then we get the gorgeous scoop powerslam from Xena as she’s trapped in the ropes, magnifique. The Australian follows with a pescado but when Xena tries to come back in, Syuri yanks her off the apron and hits a gorgeous tornado DDT before rolling them both inside, Syuri off the top with a leg drop bulldog and they slug it out with Xena turning Syuri’s chest into hamburger with chops and Syuri turning Xena’s chest into hamburger with kicks. Syuri ducks a running lariat and gets a massive German, but Xena respond by blocking a kick and getting a…Shellshock? Wow. Now Xena gets the running lariat for 2.6, then a full-nelson lifting suplex. Xena goes for a suplex that Syuri tries to counter with a guillotine, but Xena powers out…only to get DDT’d. Syuri locks in a rear naked choke next, Xena makes the ropes but Syuri gets the elevated DDT for 2.8 and she’s smelling blood. Buzzsaw kick by Syuri is ducked, and Xena tries a savate kick…only for Syuri to get a pair of jumping knees. Buzzsaw kick and the Ryuen gets the pin for Syuri.

***¼

Whoa! Not shockingly good but this was good, we had psychology, a contrast in styles, just hard-hitting stuff. It was a babyface vs. babyface match that was heated and both came out looking good.

Suzu Suzuki [5] vs. Saya Kamitani [6] – Blue Block B Match

Background: Suzu is the reigning Five Star winner and is trying to find out where her role in the company is post-Marigold and in a stable of mostly high-flying ‘cute’ wrestlers, but she’s still a tremendous talent with serious intensity and a very bright future as the Crimson Mad Girl. Saya of course has turned heel and is being cast as this evil and dangerous Black Phoenix. I wouldn’t say it’s been working for me but maybe a talent like Suzu can make it work for her and unlock that real scary edge she hasn’t quite managed to pull off.

The Match: Saya dodges out of a few lockups until Suzu just stomps her down but Saya keeps on the evasive and baits Suzu into an eye rake (I think, it did look like she was just covering Suzu’s mouth which is uh…I dunno about that). Saya springboards in with a forearm but Suzu chokes her against the ropes and then stomps her in the corner. Suzu keeps up the abuse with simple stuff and then does the big run-up into the drive-by kick. More kicks by Suzu but Saya gets a desperate dropkick and then a springboard plancha. Slingshot splash back in the ring and then a Northern Light’s suplex attempt is just slugged out of, as Suzu is keeping it real basic. Hockey fight and Saya loses but she goes low with a stomp to the foot and then a spinning heel kick…before running into Suzu’s thrust kick and we reset. Suzu goes up and gets cut-off with a Saya super-rana…but she charges right into a Suzuki German…and then fires back with a rolling wheel kick. Now Saya goes up and lands a missile dropkick and goes for the Starcrusher, but Suzu reverses into a DDT. Suzu gets some low roundhouses to a kneeling Saya but Kamitani kicks out at one and goes for a standing frankensteiner…but Suzu rolls through and gets the Tequila Shot for 2.8. Suzu gets the rolling Germans but Saya still kicks out. Suzu sets something up but Saya bounces around it and gets a poison rana for an instant kickout at 1!!! The sound you heard was my eyes rolling. Saya gets a flailing big kick and then a Starcrusher and we have a double-down. They do a staredown and charge and Saya lands the big boot and a spinning Starcrusher gets the pin.

***

Y’know what I’ll give this 3, maybe it’s a bit too generous, but Saya actually played a heel the whole way through and used her athleticism to be a coward while Suzu played the noble, straightforward brawler, it got a bit too kick-outy at the end perhaps but Saya finding ways to use her acrobatics to cheat and not just be a babyface wrestler who happens to be a heel is a massive improvement. This is slightly graded on a curve.

Oh and with that Saya has won Blue Block B. So woohoo there I guess.

I dunno, I think this show had a few positive things on it, but I can’t say I’m not looking forward to the end of this tournament, which I should hopefully complete before 2025.

Blue Block A:
Saori Anou 7
Syuri 6
Starlight Kid 6
Anna Jay 6 (but eliminated)
Xena 4
Koguma 4
Miyu 3

Blue Block B:
Saya Kamitani 8
Risa Sera 6 (but eliminated)
Suzu Suzuki 5
Hanan 5
Ranna Yagami 4
Saki Kashima 4
Thekla 4

Red Block A:
Natsupoi 8 (with TWO matches left)
Maika 8
Konami 6 (eliminated)
Manami 5
Hazuki 2
Ruaka 1
Yuna MIzumori 0

Red Block B:
Mayu 8
Tomoka Inaba 8
AZM 6
Mei Seira 4
Momo Watanabe 2
Saya Iida 2
Tam Nakano 0