1. Blue Stars: MIRAI vs. Saya Iida
A hot opening match. Iida packs heavy chops and lariats despite having a petit body. The lariat battle that developed on the outside was spectacular. As usual MIRAI brought the novelty with a yurikamome x rolling cradle hybrid. ***1/2
2. Blue Stars: Natsupoi vs. Mina Shirakawa
Current and former tag partners of Tam Nakano, who share a history in TJPW. This was a struggle of mixed emotions, as is the custom of Kouzen. Natsupoi's newfound aggressive streak was in evidence, as was Shirakawa's recent leg-targeting strategy as she fought from underneath. ***1/4
3. Blue Stars: Hazuki vs. Momo Watanabe
Despite being old rivals, I felt only a faint sense of nostalgia, as they have become so different from those days. I was impressed by Hazuki's vitality and confidence in this match. Hazuki showed a clean and austere fight, while Momo fought dirty from the beginning. Both were able to show their ways of life in a nice compact and comprehensive match. ***3/4
5. Blue Stars: Mayu Iwatani vs. Starlight Kid
Even though both were eliminated, this was a special match for Starlight Kid and Mayu Iwatani. Kid's craftsmanship from beginning to end was championship-level. Mayu was pushed to the limit physically and emotionally, even showing a rare frustration. The heat building and dramatic twists and turns of a long-form epic distilled into 14-minutes. ****1/2
6. Blue Stars: Giulia vs. Suzu Suzuki
This was a breathless emotional rush. 15 minutes was hardly enough time, but Giulia and Suzu were able to create a match only they are capable of, drawing from their deep, complicated history. The content wasn't that ambitious but the raw emotion and measured hard hits elevated it to grand proportions. I was gripped from start to finish and almost forgot this was part of a tournament where the winner would advance to the finals. Now that the pressure of their first singles in over 3 years has been lifted, I'd like to see a rematch on a proper stage with more time. ****1/4
10. Red Stars: Tam Nakano vs. SAKI
Kouzen leader vs. COLOR's leader. This was a crucial match for Tam Nakano to advance to the finals. SAKI matched Tam's desperation and urgency and fought with a level of violence I haven't seen from her before. There were some nasty knees to the head and spiking suplexes. ***3/4
11. Red Stars: Maika vs. Himeka
Himeka might be the most underrated big match worker in Stardom today. This was Himeka and Maika's first singles match together but their innate chemistry as tag partners and friends carried over and they had an excellent powerhouse sprint, with plenty of hard hits and stubborn displays of fighting spirit. It went less than 10 minutes, but that was all of the time they needed. I had genuine Shibata-Goto vibes watching this. ****1/2
12. Red Stars: Syuri vs. Risa Sera
A rematch of their KO or SUB match from May, under traditional head-to-head rules. This was a stately heavyweight style match that started quietly and gradually picked up steam, with Syuri dominating on the ground and Sera using her endurance and power to prevail. It wasn't flashy but the wrestling was consistent and well-constructed, drawing on their previous encounter. Sera showed her strength to Syuri in traditional wrestling after admitting she fought in a cowardly manner in the previous match. ****
13. 5STAR Grand Prix 2022 Finals: Giulia vs. Tam Nakano
Giulia and Tam Nakano rekindled their epic feud for the first time since Nippon Budokan on the grand stage of the league finals. This was a blistering encounter with all of their signature techniques and dramatic flourishes. Some of the blows and head drops here were frightening... This was the type of match that could only happen between wrestlers with a deep trust. They were baring their souls and potentially shortening their wrestling lives. ****3/4
