1. Red Stars: Unagi Sayaka vs. Mai Sakurai The finish was unsatisfactory, but this match left an impression on me. After her match against Suzu Suzuki, Maipyan seems best suited for brawling matches. She used her size and strong lower body…

5. Hikari Noa vs. Saki Akai This was probably the best Saki Akai singles match I've ever seen. I'm sure she's had matches that peaked higher in excitement, but from a sheer performance standpoint she was so good in this match. Using her lo…

4. Starlight Kid & Haruka Umesaki vs. MIRAI & Ami Sohrei I thought this would be good, but I didn't expect such an intense match. Umesaki was showing more emotion than usual in her interactions with Sohrei, who in return also fought with m…

2. Maika vs. Hina Hina has physically grown a lot and has added power-based moves to her arsenal since the last time she faced Maika, so this turned out to be a power fight. The two exchanged big throws; Maika also hit some crushing lariat…

4. Blue Stars: Ami Sohrei vs. Momo Watanabe Brapi combines old-fashioned heel fouls with her signature high-impact style in an interesting way. Ami was unusually positioned as an underdog fighting an uphill battle that pushed her to pull o…

6. Red Stars: AZM vs. Himeka A good sprint, making use of the difference in size, with dynamic sequences and counters. Himeka's timing and offensive speed were very precise, intercepting AZM in mid-air with a lariat. AZM was as crisp as ev…

Stardom - 5STAR Grand Prix 2022 (8/13/2022) Blue Stars: Saya Kamitani vs. Natsupoi Short but exciting match with lots of big moves and unique counters. It was basically their title match from Nagaoka in abbreviated form. Natsupoi's aggress…

WAVE - 15th Anniversary ~ Carnival WAVE (Evening Show) Wave Singles Championship: Suzu Suzuki (c) vs. Hikaru Shida This was a stark contrast to Shida's recent performances in Japan, where she has almost one-sidedly dominated her opponents.…

1. Blue Stars: Hanan vs. Ami Sohrei Although it was a short match, it was thrilling and packed with excitement. Right out of the gate Hanan nailed a jumping knee strike and they were off to the races with spirited back and forth trades. Th…

DDT - Judgement 2022 - DDT 25th Anniversary Show (3/20/2022) Saki Akai vs. Maya Yukihi This was much better than I was expecting it to be. Saki Akai is almost 10 years into her career and other than winning the rookie award in her debut ye…

JCW - Presents "After Hours 2" (8/13/2022) Billie Starkz vs. Maki Itoh This was my first exposure to indie-prodigy Billie Starkz, and I was impressed by her firmness and stability, which is not often seen in women's wrestlers on the US ind…

Tokyo Joshi Pro - Tokyo Princess Cup (8/13/2022) Tokyo Princess Cup 2022 Finals: Yuka Sakazaki vs. Miu Watanabe This was Yuka Sakazaki at her best, as an oppressive super heel using technique, gamesmanship and craftiness. HARASHIMA style w…

3. Arisu Endo vs. Mei SurugaThis was Mei Suruga's first singles match in Tokyo Joshi Pro, and only her second singles match in Korakuen Hall in her four-year career (believe it or not). Mei gave a stunning performance full of charm and ing…

Stardom - ★5 STAR GP 2022 (8/7/2022) Syuri & MIRAI vs. Hina & Miyu Amasaki Good match with various highlights. Syuri and Hina's ground exchanges, Amasaki's dexterity and fleet footedness, and MIRAI's professionalism and generalship. I real…

6. Blue Stars: Hazuki vs. Starlight Kid Great back and forth reminiscent of Hazuki and Kid's High Speed title matches from prior years, but with greater athleticism and technique as both performers have grown since then. It was exactly the…

5. ICExInfinity Championship #1 Contendership: Maika Ozaki vs. Asahi This was not an auspicious #1 contender match. They seemed to have little to no chemistry and neither looked particularly impressive. Asahi's lack of stamina and physical…

Sendai Girls (6/19/2022) Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase & DASH Chisako & Kaho Kobayashi This was unexpectedly amazing. Not that I didn’t expect a “good match” given the names, but for a match with no storyline involving a throwaway team (Chisa…

2. Blue Stars: Mina Shirakawa vs. Momo WatanabeWhen Mina and Momo first faced each other in 2021, I thought they were a good matchup and their chemistry has only grown sharper with each match. And now with the new variable of Momo as a hee…

Diana - 61st Birthday & 46th Anniversary of JAGUAR's Memorial & 46th Anniversary Korakuen Hall (7/25/2022) Haruka Umesaki vs. Miyuki Takase These two are tag team champions, so there was a sense of trust and security as they wrestled. Umes…

2. Red Stars: Saya Iida vs. Ami Sohrei Gritty performance from Iida as she aimed for the arm of the much larger wrestler. Iida's shifts from arm bar to key lock to arm breaker showed depth of her submission game. Even though Iida is aiming…

4. Tokyo Princess Cup 2022 Quarterfinals: Rika Tatsumi vs. Suzume While solid, it was hardly the most comprehensive match led by Rika Tatsumi. Rika had Suzume dead to rights with a Dragon Sleeper during the latter stages but inexplicably l…