4. Starlight Kid vs. Nanae Takahashi
Starlight Kid makes up the physical disparity by attacking Nanae Takahashi's stamina and mobility, while Takahashi endures and times counters. Kid has used the Momo Racci in the past, but this time she went the extra mile by seeking training from its originator (and Nanae's former tag partner), Momo Nakanishi. The struggle to perform the move, which Nanae had various counter-measures against, added a compelling wrinkle to the action. Nanae as the optional boss of Stardom has been consistently enjoyable to watch. This breezed through its near 15-minute duration. ****
7. Wonder of Championship: Tam Nakano (c) vs. MIRAI
Double champion Tam Nakano seeks to illustrate the difference between the red belt's "strength" and the white belt's "emotion." With the white belt up for grabs, Tam appropriately appeared in "white mode", engaging in an emotionally heavy match that brought out a rare wild side of the normally reserved MIRAI. It was a fast paced, high-impact affair with unexpected twists that kept things exciting. MIRAI delivered her finest individual performance to date, displaying a commendable range of emotions throughout the match. ****
Indian Strap Match: Natsupoi vs. Saori Anou
Natsupoi and Saori Anou, despite being physically distant for a long time, have maintained a profound connection that made an Indian strap match a fitting symbolic representation of their relationship. After many twists and turns over the years, they finally ended up in the same ring together on opposite sides. It was a compelling match that made effective use of the stip and was full of the kind of physicality that only wrestlers with a deep trust could inflict on each other. ****1/4
