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STARDOM 5 Star Grand Prix: Night Two Review

2 years ago

STARDOM 5 Star Grand Prix: Night Two Review

STARDOM 5 Star Grand Prix: Night Two Review

By Trent Breward

It’s possible Utami Hayashishita was looking past Himeka last night, because awaiting her 24 hours later was the one person she had yet to beat.

If that was the case, it was worth it because The Red Queen has finally slayed her dragon. With seconds to spare in the 6th singles meeting between Utami Hayashishita and Syuri, she finally managed to hit the BT Bomb in the middle of the ring and break the curse.

Like their previous encounters it was a brutal affair, but where Utami seemed to succeed this time around was the steady stream of devastating blows. Syuri never got too far ahead on points without Utami landing a high impact move that brought the champion back down to earth. When the finishing stretch was upon them Syuri was a little more vulnerable, allowing Utami to be more methodical with her finisher and ensure Syuri couldn’t reach for a rope break.

Now the pressure’s off Utami. Whether she wins the tournament or not she has the next best thing: A win over the champion. Now Utami’s almost guaranteed a chance to reclaim her World of Stardom Championship.

It was not a good night for the top champions. After failing to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship last month, Starlight Kid got a measure of revenge on Saya Kamitani when she caught her with the Momoracci flash pin. She lamented how she knew she could beat Kamitani in the aftermath of their title match, and now she’s proven it to everybody else. That was one key win Starlight Kid was hunting for – now the other awaits her on the final night. A win over her old mentor Mayu Iwatani is the thing she craves more than anything.

Utami might have scored her one big win, but nobody has had a more impressive weekend than the reigning Cinderella Tournament winner MIRAI, with wins over Mayu Iwatani and Giulia in back to back nights. If she had gone 0-2 most people would have understood, but now she’s gotten past two of the biggest threats in the Blue Stars block and stands atop everyone with four points. The only other person to finish the weekend with two wins is Risa Sera over in the Red Stars block. She dispatched SAKI in their third match in two months with a convincing display. A lot of talk was surrounding fellow Prominence member Suzu Suzuki, but Sera has quickly reminded everyone why she’s the leader of the deathmatch troupe.

Mina Shirakawa managed the shock of the weekend when she caught Momo Watanabe with the Glamorous Collection Mina flash pin. Momo could have ended it, but her infatuation with dealing a literal killer blow with the wrench stuffed in the boot backfired. Amidst the chaos of the referee intervening Shirakawa managed to catch her in an inescapable predicament. Once more Mina looked her best here enduring against her heavy hitter, and the kickboxing training we saw from her on Twitter seems to be paying off.

Full Match Results

  • Maika & Mai Sakurai def. AZM & Miyu Amasaki., Ruaka & Rina., and Lady C & Hina, in a Gauntlet Tag Team Match
  • Red Stars Block: Koguma (2) def. Momo Kohgo (0)
  • Blue Stars Block: Mina Shirakawa (2) def. Momo Watanabe (0)
  • Red Stars Block: Risa Sera (4) def. SAKI (2)
  • KAIRI & Natsupoi def. Saya Iida & Mayu Iwatani
  • Red Stars Block: Tam Nakano (2) def. Himeka (2)
  • Blue Stars Block: MIRAI (4) def. Giulia (0)
  • Blue Stars Block: Starlight Kid (2) def. Saya Kamitani (0)
  • Red Stars Block: Utami Hayashishita (2) def. Syuri (2)

Rapid Fire Takeaways

  • Natsupoi has never seemed happier than she did teaming with KAIRI. She once again donned her partner’s old gear (the last time being in her Wonder of Stardom title match with Tam Nakano last year) and was bestowed with a matching pirate hat.
  • It’s been said before but it bares repeating – if KAIRI learned anything in WWE it’s how to carry herself like the most important person in the room. Nobody feels like more of a star in the company than her right now.
  • They might have come up short at the final hurdle, but AZM and Miyu Amasaki looked really impressive in the pre-show gauntlet tag match. With Momo Watanabe no longer in Queen’s Quest, AZM might have found her new Tag League partner. It’s also important to note that Amasaki managed to score a pin on the Future of Stardom Champion Hanan. It was only a matter of time until she would challenge, and that might be the necessary catalyst.
  • Giulia might have been the favourite going in to the tournament, but now she’ll be fighting from behind after she fell to 0-2. She kept up appearances, but she was less jovial in defeat than she was against Hazuki. Perhaps the reality of her situation became clear, or maybe there was some lingering resentment towards MIRAI, who she brought into the company only to see her leave Donna Del Mondo with Syuri months later.

5 Star Grand Prix Standings:

RED STARS BLOCK
4 – Risa Sera
2 – Syuri
2 – Himeka
2 – SAKI
2 – Mai Sakurai
2 – Koguma
2 – Tam Nakano
2 – Utami Hayashishita
0 – Maika
0 – AZM
0 – Unagi Sayaka
0 – Momo Kohgo
0 – Saki Kashima

BLUE STARS BLOCK
4 – MIRAI
2 – Hazuki
2 – Ami Sourei
2 – Mina Shirakawa
2 – Starlight Kid
0 – Giulia
0 – Mayu Iwatani
0 – Saya Iida
0 – Suzu Suzuki
0 – Momo Watanabe
0 – Hanan
0 – Natsupoi
0 – Saya Kamitani

Date:

July 31, 2022

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