4. Blue Stars: Mina Shirakawa vs. Starlight Kid
Another grueling limb war involving Mina Shirakawa, who has firmly developed her fighting style in this tournament. Mina mixed up other forms of offense with her leg attacks to keep Kid guessing. Kid's expressiveness when she was locked in the figure-four was amazing. The selling from both really sold the violence of every harsh leg attack. ****
6. Blue Stars: Saya Kamitani vs. MIRAI
A well-paced sprint that hardly felt like its duration. Their chemistry has noticeably sharpened and the sense of rivalry felt more defined this time around. MIRAI pushed the pace with numerous lariat variations and had the visible fall as the time ran out. It's really great that Kamitani has so many generational rivals. ***3/4
7. Red Stars: Tam Nakano vs. Risa Sera
Tam-Sera is the dream matchup I never knew I wanted. Both are their own unique forms of crazy and created a special chemical reaction when they clashed. The giant swing has become a highlight of Sera's matches, and Tam hit several dangerous techniques, including an ace crusher from the apron and a steeply angled Tiger Driver. I'd love to see a follow up between these two in the future. ***3/4
8. Blue Stars: Momo Watanabe vs. Suzu Suzuki
This was one of my most anticipated matches of the tournament and it did not disappoint. Both young geniuses, once orthodox, who have transformed into rough brawlers who specialize in weapon use. They meshed exceptionally with sharp, impactful strikes and heavy suplexes. The character work woven into the action made the match all the more compelling, and the heel comeuppance story with Suzu giving Momo a taste of her own medicine was well executed. ****1/4
