Photo Credit: STARDOM
By: Noah Leatherland
The STARDOM 5★STAR GP was back in Korakuen Hall, with two lots of knockout rounds to decide the semi-finalists for this year’s tournament. The field was narrowed to the final four, Starlight Kid, Suzu Suzuki, Maika and Rina.
The first half of the event saw those who finished in second and third place in their blocks compete in playoff matches. Kicking things off, HANAKO took on Starlight Kid. Despite her sheer size and strength advantage, HANAKO could not overcome Kid. Kid caught HANAKO in her stretch muffler hold and forced a submission, ending HANAKO’s Grand Prix.
HANAKO vented her frustrations in her post-match comments:
I lost. I’d promised to beat Kid this time, then beat Ami Sōrei, and face Maika in the final, but to lose at a stage like this… I’m absolutely gutted. This was the first time in five years that I’d made it to the knockout stages. But it’s all for nothing if I don’t win the title. Next year, I’ll be even more focused on getting results—and I’ll be the one to win it. You’d all better watch out.
Next, Saya Iida was drawn against one of Kid’s stablemates, AZM. This time, the Neo Genesis representative found themselves on the losing side. The vertical drop brainbuster drove AZM into the mat and kept her down long enough for Iida to get the pin and advance into the next round.
AZM was reflective in her post-match comments fresh off her loss:
I was devastated after reaching the final last year, and I’ve been training all year with the mindset that making it to the final was the absolute minimum requirement this time around as well. Of course, it’s frustrating, and I’ve learnt the hard way that unless I win the 5★STAR, it’s all for nothing—unless I deliver results, it’s all for nothing. Although I lost in the first round this time and didn’t achieve the result I wanted, I feel much more at peace than I did last year. Even though I lost, I feel I’ve grown, even if just a little, compared to last year. I’m not giving up just yet, so please look forward to what I’ll achieve for the rest of this year.
Then, the Wonder of Stardom Champion, Hanan, was in action against H.A.T.E.’s Ruaka. In quite the upset, Ruaka emerged victorious, winning over the Korakuen Hall crowd in the process. Ruaka landed a German Suplex to finally put the champion away and move on to the next stage of the Grand Prix.
Despite the loss, Hanan kept her head high in the post-match comments:
It’s frustrating to see my 5★STAR run come to an end here, even though I’m the champion, but I gave it my all in this 5★STAR. So I have absolutely no regrets. I’ll have another chance to defend my belt against Ruaka, and I can see a bright future ahead of me once again. Please look forward to my journey as the white belt champion from here on.
The last of the playoff matches saw Rina face-off with Rina Yamashita. Rina managed to overcome her more seasoned opponent, outfoxing Yamashita and catching her in a jackknife pin to snatch the victory.
In her post-match comments, Yamashita wished Rina luck in her own way:
You beat me to get this far, so if you don’t win the title, I’ll really give you a hard time, you bastard! It’s not like I’m rooting for Rina or anything. I’ll definitely never root for her. But, but she’d better win the title. That’s the point. I won’t root for her, but she’d better win the title, the bastard!
With the playoffs complete, there was no rest for the weary as the show moved right along into the quarter-finals of the STARDOM 5★STAR GP. Starlight Kid was back in the ring, this time, against the winner of Blue Stars B, Ami Sohrei. Once again, Kid managed to come out on top, getting the win with the Star Suplex.
In the post-match comments, Sohrei shared her whirlwind of emotions:
Losing to someone I’ve beaten before is absolutely, utterly heartbreaking. I lost today, and although I’m gutted, not a single tear has come to my eyes—honestly. I heard so many people calling out ‘Ami, Ami’ today, and the fact that I couldn’t live up to those expectations is what really weighs on my mind. There are a lot of people retiring from STARDOM at the moment, and whilst I haven’t given it any thought myself, I don’t know when I’ll no longer be able to compete against everyone. So, I’m going to cherish every single match from here on out, and I’m going to win next year’s 5★STAR. Starlight Kid, you’ve absolutely got to rise to the top and win that title!
Meanwhile, Kid relished in her double-victory:
I’ve made it to the semi-finals! Beating HANAKO on my birthday, then beating Ami Sohrei—taking down two massive opponents to get this far feels absolutely brilliant. It’s just unbeatable. But seriously, HANAKO was just too much in the first round—I was completely drained. I pulled off the Black Tiger Leg Lock with every fibre of my being, but going on to face Ami Sohrei whilst still reeling from that damage was quite something. I was thinking ‘Oh my goodness’, but it was a victory born of sheer determination. What’s more, against Ami Sohrei—who beat me last time—my leg attacks weren’t working at all today. I changed my strategy, and in the end, my tactics paid off. I’m keen to see who else makes it through from here on. I really feel like I can keep this momentum going—no, it’s not just momentum. With this level of ability, I feel like I can do it. I’ve won my first title, and I’m already looking beyond that. I’ll definitely achieve my first true Grand Slam. First things first: winning the tournament. Everyone, I’ll definitely be headlining at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, so please come and watch. I look forward to seeing you there. I gave it my all and shouted my heart out. My throat’s a bit sore now.
Next up, Saya Iida was back in action against Red Stars A winner, Maika. It was a physical contest between two powerhouses, which Maika ultimately came out on top of. The wrist-clutch Michinoku Driver proved to be the final blow that Maika needed to inflict, moving her into the final four.
In the post-match comments, Maika heaped praise onto Iida:
Iida, we’ve been going head-to-head ever since I joined STARDOM, haven’t we? The fact that we’ve been able to have such a fierce, intense match in this heated tournament is all down to you stepping up today. It was absolutely brilliant. You might find it a bit of a blow to hear me say this, but I really do love fighting you. Having beaten you, I suppose we’ll have to wait and see what happens next. I’ve only just returned after elbow surgery, so I haven’t managed to achieve great results yet. I want to win the 5★STAR tournament and go to Mexico. So, if I win, I want the title match to be at Ryogoku Kokugikan at the end of the year. That’s where I want to do it, so watch out. I’m going to get Ryogoku absolutely buzzing, so look forward to it!
But, Iida was not in the mood for any such kindness in her her own comments:
The semi-finals—my hopes were dashed. Damn it. I was eliminated in the second round of the tournament. That’s where I stand right now. But I wonder how many years it’s been since I last had a singles match against Maika. I think—as far as I can remember—it’s been since the Futures tournament. I’ve forgotten exactly how many years have passed since then, but after all this time, I finally got to face Maika again, and honestly, it was a ton of fun. But you know, losing makes it all meaningless. Now that I’ve faced Maika again after all these years, it means nothing unless I win—this is Saya Iida. My dream of reaching the 5★STAR finals has been shattered, and now that I’ve lost to Maika too, I’m being confronted with a pretty cruel reality. But there’s no way I’m going to let this get me down—this is Saya Iida. At next year’s 5★STAR, I’ll show you an even stronger “Iida Spirit”—along with these muscles!
Then, Ruaka was cheered back to the ring as she faced the World of Stardom Champion, and winner of Blue Stars A, Suzu Suzuki. Having already beaten one champion, Ruaka couldn’t quite manage the second. Suzuki put her away with her German Suplex hold to move onto the semi-finals.
In her post-match comments, Ruaka was exhausted from her double-header:
Ruaka Summer is over. The Red Champion was way too strong. Well, that makes sense. But somehow, I felt like I grew a lot this summer. Good job, me! Ruaka Summer was just too much. I can’t do this anymore. I’m a total wreck, so I’m taking a break.
Meanwhile, Suzuki wasn’t quite so thrilled with the reception Ruaka got:
The high-spirited champion has advanced to the quarterfinals! Well, it’s only to be expected. I was looking forward to seeing how Ruaka would dance to my tune, but—hey, wait a minute. Aren’t you guys chanting “Ruaka” a little too much? She’s technically a heel, after all. Normally, you’d be booing her. There weren’t any “Champion” chants, though… Well, if things keep going like this, our World of Stardom High-Spirited Champion is going to win it all, so I’m kind of hoping she’ll face off against someone even more badass.
Finally, Rina was up against her H.A.T.E. teammate and Red Stars B winner, Konami. In a highly emotional bout, Rina overcame her exhaustion to topple Konami, putting an end to the match with a Tiger Lily.
Despite feeling the pain of the loss, Konami showed her support for Rina:
Today’s match really brought back a lot of memories. It wasn’t good—not good at all—but since this was my last 5★STAR match of the year, I’m glad it was Rina who beat me. Even though it really wasn’t good at all. I wanted to make it to the finals of this 5★STAR, and I really wanted to win the tournament this year. But Rina is carrying my hopes on her shoulders—along with so many other emotions—and I truly want her to win this 5★STAR on her own merits. Next time, I want to be right there in her corner, cheering her on with all my heart. I can’t wait to witness Rina’s victory at Ryogoku.
Riding high on emotion, Rina made her goals clear in her post-match comments:
I did it! Top 4! That’s the top 4 for two years in a row! I made it this far last year, too. As I said in the ring, I was the runner-up at this year’s Cinderella, and at last year’s 5★STAR, I also stopped at the top 4. Last year, in particular, was called “H.A.T.E.’s year,” but I couldn’t really get in the mix for the title. I wanted to channel all that frustration from that year into this 5★STAR, and I think I did. I beat Konami and Rina Yamashita! Now that I’ve made it this far, the only thing left is the top prize. Next up: Maika. We had a 15-minute draw in Hokkaido—I didn’t win, but I never thought I’d lose either. I’m going to prove through you that everything I’ve done this past year wasn’t for nothing. I’ll become the youngest-ever champion at 19. I’m going to carve a new chapter in STARDOM’s history. You better be ready, all of you!
(Quotes translated via DeepL)
With these results, the semi-finals are decided. They will be:
The semi-finals are set to take place on August 23rd in the Ryogoku Kokugikan, with the grand final set to take place later that same night.
Here are the full results for STARDOM 5★STAR GP in Korakuen Hall, courtesy of purolove.com:
Date:
August 19, 2026
Category:
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