1. Blue Stars: Hanan vs. Suzu Suzuki
A nice compact sprint opener. Even though Hanan has no possibility of advancing to the tournament finals, she fought with a lot of urgency and emotion and showed her pride as pro-wrestler. Suzu's ability to adapt to the opponent, oscillate between subtlety and boldness and bring out fire from her opponent through agitation shined as usual. ***1/2
6. Blue Stars: MIRAI vs. Starlight Kid
MIRAI's expressiveness has increased to such an extent that I thought she was on an equal footing with Starlight Kid in terms of expressiveness in this match. MIRAI showed Shingo Takagi levels instantaneous power with that hopping lariat counter towards the end; and Kid pulled off a convincing victory over a powerhouse opponent. Blue Stars has been a treasure trove of spirited encounters between young wrestlers and this was another one. ***3/4
7. Blue Stars: Saya Kamitani vs. Mina Shirakawa
This was a culmination of Mina Shirakawa's efforts leading up to this point, with a big win over Saya Kamitani and likely a future title shot. Kamitani was brilliant as a subtle heel aggressively controlling the match through sheer technique and provoking Mina to fight harder. Even in a losing role, Kamitani radiated the divinity of a top champion. ***3/4
8. Blue Stars: Giulia vs. Momo Watanabe
This was one of my most anticipated matches of the tournament. I've always thought Giulia and Momo had natural chemistry through their interactions in tag team matches and it was great to see that chemistry crystallized in a singles match. The first half featured swordplay with corner pads and a wild outside brawl, while the second half was normal wrestling, the two exchanging sharp and heavy striking and throwing techniques. Giulia has developed a strong waist and her moves feel more powerful than ever. Even though Momo has no chance of making it to the finals, she fought with her full strength as a saboteur with nothing to lose. ****
10. Red Stars: Syuri vs. Tam Nakano
Fantastic main event, it was like watching the ideologies of the red and white belt colliding. Syuri who represents the strength of the red belt and Tam who represents the emotion of the white belt. As a kakutogi enthusiast, I couldn't get enough of the MMA-oriented back and forth. While their July match eschewed the traditional quiet opening, this gradually escalated from quiet standing and ground exchanges. The amount of tension packed inside of 14-minutes was amazing. ****1/2
