World Wonder Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix August 25th 2024

Okay, so after a week’s plus worth of moving and stress and dealing with ISPs, I am back and here we are, the end of the blocks before the ‘post-season’ starts for the tournament. A shame that they only moved 479 tickets for this one, but it’s Yamagata which isn’t exactly home turf for them. Anyway, let’s get to it.

Suzu Suzuki [5] vs. Ranna Yagami [4] – Blue Block B Match

Background: This is just a battle for pride as both of them are eliminated, but Suzu definitely doesn’t want to lose with less points than rookie and first time tournament member Ranna. Ranna is just gravy at this point as she’s done pretty well as a rookie. It’ll be Suzu’s craziness and creativity versus Ranna’s fundamentals and striking.

The Match: We get a hot start…but now how you expect as Ranna is the one that goes at Suzu with a dropkick and some strikes, but the vet takes her down quick and then chokes her on the ropes. Suzu follows with the run-up drive-by kick and then we get some rope-running until Ranna nails Suzu with a dropkick and unleashes more chest kicks until Suzuki catches one and drops her. Suzu unleashes more heavy forearms and Ranna desperately fires back with some of her own…before Ranna remembers she can kick so she does that to much more success. Ranna then tries to go for an armbar next Suzu breaks and gets to the corner where she reverses a whip attempt with more running body stuff and then a knee. Ranna with a flash rollup attempt and then a leg lariat as the rookie is holding her own here. Ranna’s high kick misses and Suzu goes for the German and they fight over that with some roll-throughs before Suzu nails it and then cuts off a Yagami hulk up with a buzzsaw kick and then her Tequila Shot finishes it.

**¼

This match was fine, just one of those early opening card Stardom matches where a vet wrestles a rookie and they show something and then the vet wins. That’s what this was and y’know, Ranna is a bit better than the average rookie, but there was still nothing special about her that told me why she deserved this run in the Five Star.

Syuri [7] vs. Miyu Amasaki [3] – Blue Bock A Match

Background: So Syuri can still win the block if she wins here and Saori loses her match. Beyond that, Syuri is a former champ and a stable boss and Miyu is the punching bag of her Neo Genesis stable, so another vet vs. rookie situation.

The Match: Miyu immediately jumpstarts with a legsweep and a low DDT before getting a dropkick to the back of Syuri’s head. Syuri gets a whip into some corner offense to shut that off and then transitions to a sleeper to force a quick break. Syuri stomps away and gets a snap suplex and then stomps some more. Syuri calls a spot in the corner and then Miyu reverses a whip into a tornado facebuster and gets her own sleeper….that Syuri easily counters out of and cranks in a crab. Miyu makes the ropes and then starts firing back with weak forearms…that turn into decent forearms that actually drop Syuri for a bit…and then Miyu keeps at it with a tornado DDT and then a hammerlock legsweep DDT and then a cradle DDT attempt but Syuri counters with a STO and hammers away the kicks and then cranks in a sasori-gatame. Miyu yet again makes the ropes and Syuri goes for a fireman’s carry gutbuster that Miyu bumps ugly on. Syuri sets up the Ryuen but Miyu slips out and goes for a reverse cradle that gets 2.9. Jumping DDT next to set up the cradle DDT, Miyu looks to finish with the jumping pedigree but Syuri slips out, gets a German and then a high kick to set up the Ryuen which gets 3.

**

Just basically an extended squash that let Miyu hit all of her very limited offense in. Syuri is quite good, but she’s not exactly the charisma monster that can elevate the below-averages like Amasaki. As to Miyu, let me do a bit of a breakdown of her, I just…don’t see it. She has the looks obviously, but there’s no reason to push her in something like this when she has zero in-ring identity and her offense has no real cohesiveness. I get it’s an experiment but it’s been a few years now and Miyu is still as awkward as ever.

AZM [8] vs. Saya Iida [2] – Red Block B Match

Background: AZM is the high-flying stud who can win the block and needs to win this match to accomplish that. Saya is mostly a comedy powerhouse character who is eliminated but can play spoiler here.

The Match: Hot start as they both charge, AZM goes for armdrags, Saya teases a press, they reset and do a headlock spot into an international and AZM wins with speed. Corner choke for AZM and some other offense as she’s playing a mild heel right now. AZM armbar and she jaws at the crowd while Saya writhes in pain before making the ropes. Saya sells the arm and tries to fire back with some forearms. Saya flexes and loads up her chops…and AZM trips her up and goes for another pin. AZM definitely playing up the ‘annoying little punk’ vibes of her character. Saya blocks a flying headscissors with a bodyslam and then sells the arm a bit before hitting the flying back elbow and she continues to shake out the arm. And now she unleashes the chops, AZM flinching in agony…but she manages to squirm away and get a pair of brainbusters and some kicks…before Saya gets a desperation lariat to shutdown the flurry and geta double-down. Saya counters a charge with a double-leg into the corner, but her diving shoulderblock is dodged and reversed into an armbar by AZM. Saya crawls to the ropes and AZM goes up for the double-stomp. AZM loads up the destroyer…and Saya blocks it, gets a lariat and then a spinebuster. They trade rollups, AZM goes for La Mistica…Saya blocks and gets Iidabashi for the 3.

***¼

Okay this…ruled? I’ve dug Saya for a while, but AZM coming into a match way too arrogant and being outscouted by a ‘joke’ who managed to beat the technical wizard with a fancy rollup is just incredible. Power over speed! Gorilla over…calling old ladies hags (AZM doesn’t quite have a signature animal). Loved this match and a really sharp finish.

Manami [5] vs. Maika [10] – Red Block A Match

Background: So obviously Maika is running away with this tournament and is already in, as even if she loses here she has a tiebreaker over Natsupoi being undefeated so far, but Manami is an interesting clash as the Sendai style is different from the house Stardom deal. Manami is…well she’s a high-flyer but she has size as well, she’s in blue and Maika is in her traditional red.

The Match: Respect handshake and then a lockup into a headlock by Manami…and she stuffs the international to keep grinding it out and then gets a camel clutch. Ropebreak and Manami jaws at the ref a bit before Maika locks in her own headlock. Manami reverses and manages to work Maika on the mat and stomp her down a bit before Maika blocks a kick and tries to get things going with the run and gun…but Manami disrupts that too with some dropkicks. Maika finally reverses a corner charge with a clothesline and then a shoulderblock but Manami squirms away from the crab into the ropes and we get an…unique submission with Manami continually blocking the crab by kinda humping the air in the ropes. Anyway, sliding lariat by Maika and then the straitjacket STO. Manami quickly recovers though with a manji-gatame…but Maika makes the ropes before eating a running boot. They slug it out a bit before Manami cuts that off with a jumping knee. Maika gets a weak clothesline though and it’s a double-down. Maika goes for a running lariat but Manami counters into a rolling reverse prawn hold for 2, then a meteora for 2 and she climbs up but Maika cuts her off and we get a superplex…into a brainbuster…and then another brainbuster. Maika follows with the enka otoshi…but Manami gets ANOTHER jumping knee to cut that off, and then a running knee to a kneeling Maika. Maika finally gets a lariat but Manami ain’t selling that and Maika gets the running discus lariat…for 2.6. Michinoku Driver finally finishes for Maika.

**

My goodness, Manami basically gave Maika nothing. I dunno, I guess that Manami is from another promotion and can’t look ‘weak’ but she took 85% of the match and then just kinda lost anyway. Unimpressive but not…bad. Just felt awkward. Anyway Maika wins the block undefeated.

Ruaka [1] vs. Yuna Mizumori [0] – Red Block A Match

Background: Both clearly eliminated from the block but they are fighting for pride. Ruaka for an actual win, Yuna for ANY sort of points. Now as wrestlers both are kinda similar, larger ladies who do a sort of brawling, power-wrestling style. Ruaka is a dirty cheater though and Yuna like pineapples.

The Match: Yuna ambushes Ruaka during her entrance with a towel and they slug it out in the crowd. And of course Ruaka sends Yuna flying through the chairs and props to Mizumori for basically delivering a Ricky Steamboat level flying body press to those chairs, monster bump. Back inside and Ruaka drags Yuna out for some more abuse…and this bites her when Yuna manages to reverse a charge into the ringpost and then deliver a running shoulderblock ALL the way around the ring. Now back in for real and we get a diving shoulder from Yuna and then some stomps…but Ruaka cuts off a charge with a big fat shoulder and then a big fat senton and a big fat…wait just a regular crossface. Ropebreak by Yuna opens her up to a running crossbody into the ropes and then more big fat heel offense, including Ruaka getting a blatant fist! That dastardly cur! Yuna finally pounds away in the corner with clotheslines to get a reprieve and then they do some stalemate charges at each other until Ruaka finally knocks Yuna down…who then knocks Ruaka down after popping up! Yuna sliding lariat! Yuna gets a headlock spun into a lariat, jumping splash! Ruaka blocks the fireman’s carry the first time, but a second attempt succeeds and Yuna gets a death valley driver for 2.5. Yuna goes up to capitalize but Ruaka cuts her off and gets a standing suplex off the top rope (i.e. Ruaka is standing and just suplexes Yuna off, no superplex). Ruaka runs into a Yuna lariat though…and Ruaka responds with her own. They uh…might be running out of offense here. Ruaka must of heard me cause we got a treetrunk slam attempt, but Yuna blocks and gets a nice arm-catch crucifix for 2.8. Ruaka gets the delayed Fisherman’s Buster and picks Ruaka up at 2. Uh oh. And she doesn’t pay for her hubris as she gets the treetrunk slam for 3.

**½

One of the weaker Ruaka matches of the tournament as Yuna just…isn’t charismatic enough to really provide a fun contrast and the match turned a bit sludgy as both were using VERY similar offense. Which isn’t a problem but you gotta distinguish why one is different/better/distinct than the other. Ruaka continues to impress me and if this is her floor with one of the weaker workers in Stardom, man I’m excited for her future.

Saki Kashima [4] vs. Thekla [4] – Blue Block B Match

Background: The battle of my favorites that don’t win much! Thekla of course is an evil blonde trash-talking spider lady heel that looks like the gun moll in a glorious 80s action movie, and Saki Kashima is our lovable cowardly babyface with the unstoppable pinning combination. Both are character first so this could get silly.

The Match: Thekla ambushes Saki during her entrance and starts whipping her with a belt. The ref eventually breaks that up and gets the match started properly, Thekla still slaps Saki around some more and grabs the belt before taking Kashima outside and choking her with the belt. More brawling on the outside as Thekla reminds the audience to move before tossing Saki into the chairs. More jawing with officials and abuse as Saki is ragdolling around for Thekla. Finally back inside and Saki is total jelly…so Thekla stomps away and REVIVAL OUTTA NOWHERE for the three count. Hahaha.

***

Perfect, absolutely perfect. Thekla does her jerkwad heel schtick, takes 99% of the match and loses on Saki’s super rollup. This is exactly what it should have been.

Koguma [4] vs. Saori Anou [7] – Blue Block A Match

Background: So Koguma is a pretty silly wrestler who is a trickster type. Saori is stoic and emotionless. Saori is in if she wins and out if she loses.

The Match: We get the test of strength and Koguma wins…and puts Saori’s hands in the bear taunt position.This irritates Saori who Germans Koguma and then gets a snap suplex. Saori floats over into a straitjacket choke and Koguma makes the ropes, Saori is actually emoting here and she slaps the mat before going up before…kinda stopping so Koguma can cut her off and get a cutter off the top. Double-down and they get up, hit some running stuff and then trade Germans…and then Koguma ducks a kick and rolls through into her whacky pin combo for 3!!!

**¼

Well it was brief and nobody screwed anything up and we got some Koguma silliness. That said I would have separated this and the last match by a bit. Also with that Syuri has won the block but Saori is still in for the second spot.

Post-match Koguma does the bear taunt on Saori’s head again.

Starlight Kid [6] vs. Xena [4] – Blue Block A Match

Background; So kid can’t win the block due to Syuri having a tiebreaker over her, but there’s still the second seed on the line. SLK is of course a knee-savaging high-flyer and Xena is a power wrestler with a few springboard moves in her arsenal.

The Match: SLK tries to go for a lockup and uh, it doesn’t go well, but she ducks a chop and gets some evasion spots and a tilt-a-whirl headscissors and hotdogs to the crowd a bit which lets Xena take her down with a shoulder and then stomp on her. Meanwhile the camera keeps cutting to Saori Anou at ringside just glowering. Xena with a snap suplex and a kip-up into a hesitation dropkick into the corner. SLK tries a reverse crossbody but gets snatched out of the air…so SLK goes for the legs and twists Xena’s knees and gets the standing moonsault to the leg. But SLK gets fancy and vaults over the ropes to set something up…which lets Xena get her springboard roundhouse but Starlight evades the follow-up pescado and gets a 619 to Xena’s knee and then a dragonscrew in the ropes. Kid tries for the Black Tiger Leg Destroyer but Xena makes the ropes and gets a superkick…which lets her stretch out her knee a bit, Xena tries to brawl but Kid keeps going to the knee to bring the Aussie down and then chops away. SLK runs the ropes to set up something but it just lets Xena snatch her for a 10-rotation sidewalk slam and Xena tries to stretch out her leg again. Xena goes for a power move but the knee can’t hold so Kid gets the jump kick…but tries for a tilt-a-whirl DDT and Xena blocks it, gives the finger wag, and reverses into a suplex. Hahaha. Now Xena unloads the chops, but she’s limping while running the ropes so Starlight catches her with the cross-legged fisherman’s suplex, twice! Kid goes up for the 180 splash and then back to the Leg Destroyer but they’re too close to the ropes. Back up and SLK flies into a backbreaker rack from Xena…who drops it into a double-knee backbreaker, the Aussie follows up with a sliding lariat and then tries another rack but Kid slips out, but she jumps again and Xena gets a high-waisted German suplex. Back to the rack but Kid slips out again and now she gets the tilt-a-whirl DDT. A moonsault to the damaged leg, a dragonscrew, and then the Leg Destroyer is locked in and Xena taps.

**¾

Really liked this match, but Xena’s inconsistent selling of the leg just couldn’t put her over for me. That said, fun dynamic and a good power/speed match is always entertaining. And with this win SLK locks up the second spot.

Post-match Saori is still eyeballing Starlight Kid who taunts her in return.

Hazuki [6] vs. Natsupoi [8] – Red Block A Match

Background: So this is for the second spot in the Red A match cause Maika has the 1 seed locked up. Both are in if they win and Poi wins in a tie. HZK is of course a hard-edged striker/high flyer and Poi is a tricky high-flyer with a crazy side to her.

The Match: Poi with a hot start, dropkicking Hazuki in the ropes, German suplexing her out of the ring, and then loading up a dive…but HZK recovers to Iconoclasm Natsupoi onto the apron and loads up her own dive…and we have a stalemate as Poi demands to be let back into the ring…which Hazuki obliges by opening the ropes…and then tries to ambush her with a brainbuster. They do some high speed stuff until Hazuki lands a DDT and then a senton. Hazuki gets the facewash against the ropes and the running low boot to set up the crossface. Poi eventually makes the ropes and they slug it out with Hazuki getting the yay’s and Poi getting the boo’s and Hazuki drops her and sets up some rope-running stuff but Poi evades a strike with a cartwheel and gets a dropkick and then a bodyscissors/double-arm stretch thing and then into an armbar/Muta Lock. Hazuki eventually makes the ropes and Poi stomps her a bit before going back to the arm, but the Wildheart makes space with a pump kick, but is too slow on the springboard and gets knocked outside where Poi finally completes her plancha she tried at the beginning of the match. Hazuki finally makes it back in on a count of nineteen and Poi shows her frustration but goes back at it with a slugfest, with Hazuki selling her arm all the while. They get to their feet and trade boots and then slaps before Hazuki gets the machinegun forearms to ground Poi, she fires up and loads up another boot but Poi grabs a German and then another and then a flipping neckbreaker…but they trade rollups out of that but Poi goes back to the arm with a submission. Rope break but Poi keeps going at the arm before going up…and Hazuki cuts her off again and gets a headbutt before a superplex. Hazuki then goes up for the diving senton…but Poi evades and gets the armbar. Hazuki breaks AGAIN but Poi is smelling blood. They fight over a rollup, Poi gets a kick and goes up for the flipping splash…Hazuki evades, gets a diving codebreaker and then a brainbuster as time expires for the draw.

***½

Well, that was one heck of a draw. Very well done, some moments of bloat and mostly “just their match” but Hazuki managing to hang tight and almost beat Poi was quality stuff. Also of course with the draw Poi advances.

Mayu Iwatani [8] vs. Tomoka Inaba [8] – Red Block B Match

Background: Okay so the block status is tricky here. Mayu has 8 and Inaba have 8, so whomever wins gets the 1 seed, but a draw is whatever but they’d both be in. AZM has a tiebreaker over Mayu so if Inaba wins AZM is second. But Mei also could have 8 points by the end of the night and oh god I dunno. Anyway they’re both babyfaces with Mayu being the vet with more lucha inspired stuff and Inaba is the serious straight forward karate rookie.

The Match: Inaba immediately throws Muay Thai knees and then works over Mayu in the corner, we get some snapmares into a running kick and then a headscissors. Mayu makes the ropes and Inaba tries the Michinoku Driver but Iwatani slips out and gets a few kicks…but hotdogs and gets hit with a pop-up knee, spin kick, and a crossface. Mayu makes the ropes and Inaba tries for the Driver again but gets foiled so she just kicks Mayu a few times…before Iwatani gets a nasty German. Mayu gets her own head kick but Inaba recovers and finally lands the Driver for…2. Running kick again and Mayu evades and gets the Japanese reverse cradle for like a six count as Inaba can’t escape even after the bell.

**½

I liked the notes of aggression Inaba showed but this was close to the Savage formula. Iwatani is a pretty good Macho at least! So Iwatani has the one-seed and second place is a confusing mess right now with 2 people at 8 and one person with the possibility of getting 8 and all of them having tied with each other.

Tam Nakano [0] vs. Mei Seira [6] – Red Block B Match

Background: So Tam is out of the tournament but is just fighting for a win, and Mei I think technically can be in the tournament if she wins cause she has a draw with AZM. No idea what the deciders are though.

The Match: THey fight over a whip and do some evasion spots into the indie standoff staredown. Tam decides to stomp on Mei’s foot and do some running offense into some kicks. Hanging choke next by Tam. Mei tries to speed it up and goes for a dropkick which Tam evades and gets her own, but Mei gets a reverse dropkick off the ropes to send Nakano outside and then she rope-runs for a plancha and Tam cuts her off and they fight on the turnbuckles. Mei eventually gets a leg snap over the top-rope and Tam collapses to the outside selling her leg, and Mei keeps the knee abuse going. Back inside and Mei gets a deathlock thing going on. Tam makes the ropes but her knee is tied up in the ropes, they get dropkicked, and then Mei does like 10 dropkicks in a row to a rope-hung Tam. Mei goes for a German next but Tam fights it off and they slug it out with Tam shaking out her knee at least between strikes. Mei kicks the leg out of Tam’s leg…but Mei goes for one dropkick too many and Tam evades it and gets a backdrop suplex…but is limping too heavy to get the Violet Shoot and eats a German from Mei, and then Tam gets a German and they fight over a rollup until Mei gets a wheelbarrow suplex for 2.8. Both trade big kicks until Mei gets the headshot dropkick but can’t cover so we have a double down. Back up and Mei goes for the leg with a dropkick out of a charge and then tries for an ankle lock but Tam slips free. Another fight over a rollup follows as they trade fancy stuff, but Mei just kicks the knee again, and wraps up Tam in a deathlock/surfboard deal, and that transitions into a choke/deathlock and Tam passes out.

*¾

It was game of Mei to try to wrestle Tam’s match, but Mei isn’t supposed to do that match, Mei is supposed to fly around and do a million things a minute and her doing this slow grindy stuff was just…not fun to watch. I’m not a Tam fan, obviously, but it’s clear she has a formula that CAN work with some people but they have to be the right person, and she cannot leave the formula given her limitations. Also I guess we get to figure out what tiebreakers there are between Mei and AZM here.

So post-match AZM, Mei, and Inaba are all in the ring trying to figure out who is the second seed. And I don’t speak Japanese so I dunno what happened next.

Hanan [5] vs. Saya Kamitani [8] – Blue Block B Match

Background: So Hanan is still alive with a win here, and Saya has the 1 seed tied up regardless of outcome. Hanan is the athletic, plucky babyface who smiles all the time and Saya is the former person who was that and is now a supposedly vile heel.

The Match: Hot start as Hanan immediately starts dropkicking Saya (maybe overusing that spot) but Saya bails out and then bails in as she’s playing the cool, confident heel. Saya eventually makes contact when she catches a diving Hanan with a knee and then tosses her through some chairs. And then Saya gets her own chair and sits on it in the ring while teasing a Hanan countout. Hanan runs in and gets destroyed and tossed around and Saya’s posing is all very over the top. Saya poses some more as she kicks Hanan and stomps her around. Hanan fires back a bit with forearms but Saya goes to the eyes and then gets a chinlock and makes crazy faces. Hanan makes the ropes, gets a drop toehold and then a flying crotch attack against the ropes, and when Saya bails she takes out her and her HATE stablemates with a crossbody off the apron. Back inside and we get a slugfest with Saya winning but Hanan slips out of a suplex and gets a hiptoss. Hanan ducks a kick, gets a pop-up punch (closed fist strikes are illegal ref c’mon now) and then a blizzard suplex, but Saya flies back with the spinning wheel kick and it’s a double-down. Hanan with a backdrop driver attempt that Saya flips out of and then a few running strikes sets up a springboard crossbody. Saya then with the Northern Light’s suplex and she signals to kill or end the world or whatever and loads up the Starcrusher but Hanan slips out and gets the leg lariat and then the famouser for 2.5. There is something endearing about her using 2000s midcarder offense in Japan. Another blizzard suplex and Hanan is now signaling for the end as she goes for the backdrop driver again but Saya flips out and then gets a frankensteiner that Hanan rolls through on and then gets a cradle for 2.6…but Saya gets a series of big boots and then the tornado kick for 2.8. Saya goes for the Starcrusher again but Hanan gets two backdrop drivers and that gets 3.

**¼

Enough of a sprint and a Hanan-style match I enjoyed it, but man Saya just has no clue how to play a heel without coming across as a total geek. I dunno, I see the glimpses of the match that should have been, and that’s a quarter star for me, but as it was just okay. It was fine. So we’ve ended up with a tie with Suzu and Hanan.

So I’m going to do the standings and then my finals thoughts.

Blue Block A:
Syuri 8 – 1 Seed
Starlight Kid 8 – 2 Seed
Saori Anou 7
Anna Jay 6
Koguma 6
Xena 4
Miyu Amasaki 3

Blue Block B:
Saya Kamitani 8 – 1 Seed
Hanan 7 (gotta determine tiebreakers between her and Suzu)
Suzu Suzuki 7 (gotta determine tiebreakers between her and Hanan)
Risa Sera 6
Saki Kashima 6
Thekla 4
Ranna Yagami 4

Red Block A:
Maika 12 – 1 Seed
Natsupoi 9 – 2 Seed
Hazuki 7
Konami 6
Manami 5
Ruaka 3
Yuna Mizumori 0

Red Block B:
Mayu Iwatani 10 – 1 Seed
AZM 8 (gotta determine tiebreakers between her, Mei, and Inaba)
Mei Seira 8 (gotta determine tiebreakers between her, AZM, and Inaba)
Tomoka Inaba 8 (gotta determine tiebreakers between her, AZM, and Mei)
Momo Watanabe 4
Saya Iida 4
Tam Nakano 0

So obviously a ton has changed since starting this and this ending and now in Stardom and all that noise, and I’m probably not going to do a tournament that overall leaves me cold, but this was…fine, no real blowaway matches or great stories but the in-ring is usually not the issue with Stardom, it’s the characters and finding ones I care about and them being pushed and right now the company isn’t providing them. I’m probably going to do a final playoff breakdown of this, NOAH, and maybe some Marigold stuff before just sticking with All Japan for the immediate future. But hey I finally moved and that feels great.

Anyway, hope this all reaches you well and you enjoyed this way too long journey.