wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2025 Finals Review
Image Credit: STARDOM
Loading...STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix Finals
August 23rd, 2025 | Ota City Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 2,856
STARDOM finally uploaded the finals of the STAR Grand Prix, which I have been excited to review.
There was a small tag before this but I believe it was on the pre-show so I’m skipping it.
Bea Priestley and wing*gori vs. Natsuko Tora, Ruaka and Saya Kamitani
It’s odd to see Bea with wing*gori given she played a heel for the Grand Prix and they’re great faces. That said, this is here to further set up Bea/Saya, since Bea pinned her in the tournament. We also have wing*gori against the new tag champs, looking for some revenge. As a match, this was perfectly acceptable though I haven’t been into Bea’s work since returning to STARDOM and that didn’t change here. It’s not the most exciting title match to preview. Natsuko getting to bully Hanan did work though since Hanan is such a good underdog babyface. I really like the dynamic that Saya Iida brings in as the powerhouse and it’s why they’re one of the best tag teams going in any company. Priestley and Kamitani went at it late before things broke down. During that mess, Ruaka hit Saya Iida with her briefcase gimmick thing and Saya Kamitani put her down with the Star Crusher in 8:06. This was entertaining and did what it needed to. [***]
5STAR Grand Prix Semifinals: AZM vs. Rina
Two outstanding performers in this tournament. They delivered basically every single time out. They also had a spectacular match their first go around (****½). AZM came out with a dropkick before the bell, getting this off to a fast start that they never let up. Rina took control rather quickly though, throwing AZM into a sea of chairs and working her over once they were back in the ring. That said, nobody held serve for long as the pendulum kept swinging back and forth. When AZM snapped off a German and delivered a loud kick to the skull, this got taken to the next level. AZM has really found a great way to mix her High Speed stuff with new aspects, similar to what has made Starlight Kid such a standout in the past two years. When they got to the closing stretch, this was exhilarating. Rina getting a near fall on a Vertebreaker was awesome. I’ve always loved that move. They again teased Rina hitting Hana Kimura’s Tiger Lily but it was cut off twice. AZM then hit two versions of a Destroyer before winning with Azumi Sushi in 15:33. I preferred their first tournament match but this ruled. A ton of action, some great late drama, and it’s clear that AZM is ready for a big step forward, while Rina feels next in line to be a star. 2026 should be huge for both. [****¼]
5STAR Grand Prix Semifinals: Momo Watanabe vs. Saori Anou
This is much different on paper than the previous semifinal. Where that was fast paced, this featured two women who are more interested in trading blows and hitting hard. That’s exactly what they gave me here, wailing on each other, brawling both in and out of the ring, and throwing big bombs at one another. That included big moves on the apron, aka THE HARDEST PART OF THE RING. At one point, Momo did a modified Saito Suplex (it looked like that at least) off Bret’s rope and it came off as particularly brutal. Saori’s response was a top rope rana, which lays out the kind of match this was. I appreciated how Saori was ready for the HATE shenanigans. Too often are faces easily fooled by these heel stables. Having her use Momo’s baseball bat for an assisted German was one of the cooler spots in a while. Once Momo survived that, she reeled off a series of moves capped by Peach Sunrise to win in 14:02. Another great match that sets up our finals. Hard hitting and exactly the kind of fight I wanted. [****]
Aya Sakura, Natsupoi & Sayaka Kurara vs. HANAKO, Rian and Waka Tsukiyama
Not much rhyme or reason for this match other than to get people onto the card. There aren’t really any existing feuds that I know of here unless Aya and Sayaka are going to challenge for HANAKO and Waka’s titles. That said, I’m always down for more Poi. I don’t have much to say about the match itself because it was pretty standard stuff. They were working hard though and that’s appreciated. It does seem like the focal point was on HANAKO and Waka against Aya and Sayaka so that is likely on the horizon. In the end, Aya rolled up Waka at the 8:11 mark. Good stuff with solid energy. [***]
Mei Seira vs. Saki Kashima vs. Yuna Mizumori
Really surprised this isn’t a title match given who is involved with Mei. That said, Yuna is getting a one-on-one shot soon so maybe that’s way. Anyway, they gave us the High Speed action we crave from the division. Yuna and Mei were going at it at a rapid pace, giving us a great preview of what’s to come. Meanwhile, Saki was sure to inject this with her personality quirks. It has always helped her stand out from the pack. Like all High Speed matches these days, this was kept relatively short. Saki nearly stole it by pinning both at once. The finish was cool as Mei rolled Saki up and they battled for leverage only for Yuna to step on Mei and hop into a pin on Saki for the win in 4:51. That was short yet a lot of fun. [***]
Akira Kurogane, Rina Yamashita and Suzu Suzuki vs. Dark Silueta and FWC
I’ve never seen Silueta before but I love FWC, especially Hazuki. That said, they haven’t been doing much lately, which is a shame since Hazuki is one of the best in the world. This was kind of a nothing match in that it felt more like filler to get Mi Vida Loca on the card than anything else. This was kind of a showcase for them and it felt like Yamashita was the one who made the best of it. She looked quite good out there. She won by hitting Koguma with a Razor’s Edge Bomb in 11:03. Like I said, not much to this though it was still pretty solid overall. [**¾]
Ami Sohrei and Tomoka Inaba vs. Miyu Amasaki and Starlight Kid
Now we’re talking. I liked Ami’s 5STAR more than her pre-injury work, Miyu is a solid hand, and the Inaba/SLK feud is a very exciting one. That’s what this match was here to preview as Inaba and Starlight Kid had a match coming up for the white belt. The battle between them to start this was electric and though I was already sold on their upcoming match, it added to my excitement. The energy dropped when it was Ami against Miyu, though that was to be expected. They still had some pretty good exchanges of Miyu’s speed against Ami’s power. The final few minutes were filled with good moments, including an impressive DDT near fall that Miyu got on Tomoka. Alas, Tomoka countered her finisher and trapped her in a kneebar to win in 11:11. Oh, that was really good. If this is any indication, Tomoka/SLK is gonna be special. [***½]
Future of Stardom Championship: Hina [c] vs. Ranna Yagami
Though both are young, there’s a fair bit of history here. That includes two prior meetings this year at All-Star Grand Queendom (**¾) and earlier in this tournament (**½). Ranna exploded out of the blocks, doing whatever it takes to try and win. She threw some big kicks and even had a submission applied in the opening two minutes. Their meetings clearly helped here as their chemistry was on point and the work felt smooth. Ranna was very aggressive here and she’s at her best when she’s doing that. Her focus was on getting the armbar to lead her to victory but Hina was resilient, surviving it multiple times. Ultimately, Ranna couldn’t overcome Hina again, falling to a Jackhammer and STF in 11:14. Their best match together. I could see them developing into longtime rivals. [***¼]
IWGP Women’s Championship: Sareee [c] vs. Konami
Konami famously beat Sareee on the opening night of the Grand Prix (****). Sareee was sure to point out that Konami had her dastardly spray can with her. This was, as most Sareee matches have been, intense from the opening bell. As noted, the atmosphere for her matches are just different, and that’s especially true against HATE members. The crowd usually boos Konami but they’re behind her against the arrogant invader. The fight spilled outside as most HATE matches do. It was interesting because the usual HATE antics weren’t booed but almost anything Sareee busted out got a negative reaction. Like their previous outing, his was hard hitting as Sareee never holds back. Konami seemed way more motivated here than she ever did against Syuri. The HATES girls got involved but it wasn’t too much and given the unique crowd reaction, actually made things more interesting. Sareee survived several rear naked chokes and then dropped Konami on her head with a suplex to retain in 18:15. Like Rina/AZM, I prefer their earlier tournament match but this was still really good stuff. Hard hitting with a great atmosphere. [***¾]
5STAR Grand Prix Finals: AZM vs. Momo Watanabe
I wouldn’t have predicted this Finals if you gave me 50 tries. I’m not mad about it though since AZM is a favorite of mine and Momo is someone who has been on the cusp of something big for years. The former Queen’s Quest stablemates were clashing with their biggest potential wins on the line. Momo was aggressive early, sending AZM into chairs and allowing some of her HATE buddies to beat on her. That put her firmly in the driver’s seat. I dug the spot where AZM rallied by trying for Three Amigos only to have it cut off only to then go back to it on the apron and onto the floor outside. From there, we got really good back and forth, with both women picking up near falls before a strike exchange from their knees. The Destroyer into the Azumi Sushi near fall was pretty great and Momo’s response was to nearly take AZM out with a rear naked choke. AZM rallied again and nearly had this won only for HATE girls to get involved again. In the end, Momo delivered one of her best Peach Sunrises yet to win the tournament in 21:11. A great way to end the tournament, though not a mark on the tournament’s best matches. Momo winning is fantastic because, while I love AZM, this makes things intriguing. She is now in line to challenge Saya Kamitani, her current stablemate and someone she also has QQ history with. [****]
