Pantoja’s STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2023 Night 16 Review

STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2023 Night 16

September 17^th, 2023 | Saga City Cultural Gym in Saga, Japan | Attendance: 518

Yet again, the Dream Tag Festival review gets pushed back (I honestly might not have time to write it at all) because the tournament is on again. There are some intriguing matches on tap though it feels like a lesser card on paper.

Blue Stars: Hanan [2] vs. Momo Watanabe [6]

Momo started 3-0 but has dropped every match since. She needs to win here to remain alive I believe. As a contest, this was what you’d expect from these two. Hanan brings a lot of energy to her bouts like a Young Lion in New Japan even though I know she’s a fair bit more advanced. Momo was the heelish aggressor who got help from her Oedo Tai buddies outside, which included throwing Hanan into a sea of chairs. That worked because Hanan got to be the underdog and Momo was in control, which made the most sense for both. Hanan had some close calls late, especially on a few flash pins but it never felt like she truly threatened. This always seemed to be where Momo would turn things around. Though it lacked drama, there was a lot of good in here and both ladies continue to impress. Momo indeed got the win with Hitodenashi Driver in 10:59. Like I said, this was some quality wrestling to open the tournament action. [***¼]

Blue Stars: Mariah May [6] vs. MIRAI [6]

Two women looking to remain in contention and given their points totals, a loss could seriously hurt whoever falls. Also, a win for Mariah could open the door for a white belt shot. Every chance Mariah gets, she steps up to match whoever she faces. Here, she had to be able to trade blows with the hard hitting MIRAI and she was up for the challenge even if it meant eating some brutal shots. This was one of those cases where two people clicked more than most probably expected. There were some awkward moments like Mariah just standing there as MIRAI took forever to do a missile dropkick but the majority of what they tried worked. Mariah got a near fall late on a pinning combination that I legitimately bought into. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be as MIRAI put her down with Miramare Shock in 12:53. Another feather in the cap of Mariah May as Most Improved Wrestler of 2023 and one of MIRAI’s better tournament bouts. [***½]

Red Stars: Ami Sourei [4] vs. Suzu Suzuki [6]

I came into the tournament with only three people who I hadn’t really connected with. They were Tora, Hanan, and Sourei. Tora has been a strong monster heel and Hanan has been consistently entertaining. Ami Sourei has kind of just been there. Maybe a main event against someone great will be a boost for her. Ami came out guns blazing with rapid-fire chops. Suzu weathered that storm and responded with her own strikes. Though she tends to hit harder, it was her chest that was red as hell a few minutes into this. Outside of the strikes though, I again couldn’t really get into what Ami was bringing to the table. Suzu was her usual interesting self and she kind of carried this at times. Suzu won with Tequila Shot in 11:29 and I popped because I love that move and it should end more matches. [***¼]

7.0

The final score: review Good

The 411

It’s wild that a 7 rating is an off-night for this tournament. That’s how good it has been. You still get three good matches here so there’s nothing to complain about.