wrestling
Pantoja’s STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2025 Playoffs Review
Image Credit: STARDOM
Loading...STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix Playoffs
August 20th, 2025 | Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan | Attendance: 1,589
We’ve reached the playoffs of this tournament. We will get through the first two rounds here, setting the stage for the final four.
5STAR Grand Prix First Round: Bozilla vs. Suzu Suzuki
Clear size advantage for Bozilla but Suzu isn’t somebody who is gonna back down. Bozilla was looking to dominate and even threw in some biting. She dared Suzu to hit her as hard as she could and though it didn’t have a huge effect on Bozilla, she was feeling it. As expected, the ring couldn’t contain this brawl, with the two fighting into the stands and through the crowd. Classic Korakuen stuff. Unlike a lot of mindless brawling we get for the sake of it in some matches, it worked here and was a highlight. Suzu found herself in real trouble and the desperation down the stretch was evident. When she hit the Tequila Shot, it felt like she was closing in on a win. That was indeed the case as she pulled out an impressive German Suplex to put down Bozilla in 11:40. A really good way to start things tonight with a hard hitting brawl. [***¾]
5STAR Grand Prix First Round: AZM vs. Hanan
Hanan made it to the semis last year, while AZM is someone who I have wanted to see get a big push for a while now. As you might expect, these two got off to a fast start. With the number of pin attempts, I really thought they might pull the STARDOM move of having a match end in a few minutes. Thankfully, that didn’t happen and these two were allowed to do their thing. AZM held serve in the ring before Hanan came back with a plancha to the outside. From there, this was basically an even match with both neither woman gaining a clear upper hand. They never allowed this match to get dull and kept up that ridiculous pace from bell to bell. AZM got too cocky after hitting a diving double stomp, lazily pinning Hanan which likely allowed her to kick out. The near fall where they struggled over Hanan trying her back suplex a few times into the Azumi Sushi was masterful. AZM hit a Destroyer and turned the kick out right into a vicious armbar. As Hanan fought to get free, AZM found a way to tighten her grip and Hanan had to submit after 10:18. Oh yeah, we’re cooking tonight. That was excellent wrestling from start to finish. [****¼]
5STAR Grand Prix First Round: Ami Sohrei vs. Momo Watanabe
We had a brawl and a high speed style match, so now it’s time more of a power battle. Ami came out by running Momo over with a shoulder block and lighting her up with chops. Momo answered with kicks to the leg, before the two started trading big blows. Momo surprised me by busting out a modified Figure Four that looked particularly brutal. It took Ami a while to make it to the ropes, so the damage was clearly done. Of course, Momo also had help from some HATE buddies at ringside. Ami played the resilient babyface trying to overcome the heels and got two on a Blue Thunder Bomb. Alas, Momo bested her with Peach Sunrise at the 11:41 mark. Another very good match here. They played to their strengths, the leg work was good and different, and I think the right person won. Also, Ami is someone who I never really got into but she had a very strong overall tournament performance and impressed almost every time out. [***½]
5STAR Grand Prix First Round: Bea Priestley vs. Rina
We’re three for three in good matches but here is where I had some concern. Rina has probably been the tournament MVP but Bea’s run has been underwhelming, though she basically guaranteed herself a shot at Saya Kamitani by beating her. Anyway, Bea got to play the bully here which made Rina the underdog babyface. That’s not a role I’ve seen her in but the HATE member has been gaining a lot of momentum, so the crowd is ready to get behind her. Again, Bea did well to talk trash and get the crowd to boo her, though some of it still feels a bit forced. Rina’s hope spots were big here, as was the combination of her bumping and Bea’s power based offense. Bea blocked the Gory Bomb and snapped of a DDT, stopping Rina’s finisher attempt. Rina survived whatever Bea threw at her and then used a smooth pinning combination to eliminate her in 11:29. Another strong match on this show. Bea did her part well here and this was one of her better showings while Rina continues to be a standout. [***¼]
I skipped over the tag match in the middle here as I’m still only focusing on the tournament.
5STAR Grand Prix Quarterfinals: Saori Anou vs. Suzu Suzuki
These two weren’t playing games, immediately coming out hot with Saori hitting a German in the first five seconds. She was like a woman possessed for the first few minutes. Suzu had to weather that storm and eventually got going enough to hit her apron piledriver. Again, I think that would work better if they filmed it from behind or something. The camera shot at the side shows that Saori doesn’t take any damage. Both women were pretty exhausted quickly due to the wild pace of the match. There was also a rana off the top by Saori that came off a bit weird like Suzu’s apron piledriver. Otherwise though, this was rocking. Saori worked an armbar until Suzu made it to the ropes. Suzu came close with Tequila Shot and looked to be on the verge of winning with a German but Saori slipped free and won with her now signature spinning backslide pin in 11:11. That was a blast. A few moments didn’t quite click to make it truly great but a hell of an outing with a ton of action and a really good finish. [***¾]
5STAR Grand Prix Quarterfinals: AZM vs. Saya Kamitani
I want AZM or Natsupoi to win the whole thing and a win over Saya Kamitani would be huge so I’m all in on AZM here. Saya, frustrated from a rare loss last time out, attacked AZM before the bell and was throwing her into rows of steel chairs soon after. Saya was on fire and, outside of attempting to win via countout, didn’t let up on AZM. A lengthy kneebar put AZM in even more trouble. AZM fired up soon after, reeling off some impressive moves, including catching a Saya knee and turning it to a modified German suplex. The spot where she caught Saya’s spinning heel kick into an armbar was a thing of beauty. The torque she ended up with on that armbar was enough that I thought it was the finish. The Star Crusher into Azumi Sushi into Saya rolling though the Azumi Sushi was masterful. Then the Star Crusher getting countered into a Destroyer that led to the Azumi Sushi made for one of the best near falls all year. The very loud “AZM” chants and Star Crusher kickout really cemented that this was a big moment for AZM. AZM slipped out of a second Star Crusher and did two rolls through of the Azumi Sushi to score a massive win in 12:27. Holy fuck that was awesome. That felt special. A win over the top champion and qualifying for the final four of this tournament. An incredible atmosphere and a fantastic story told. In the conversation for the best STARDOM match of 2025. [****¾]
5STAR Grand Prix Quarterfinals: Momo Watanabe vs. Sareee
We actually had this match during the tournament (***½). Momo wasn’t playing around, jumping Sareee during her entrance. They brawled through the crowd, with Momo in firm control. That didn’t last long as soon, Sareee was smashing Momo’s head into the wall to a loud chorus of boos. That was the trend for the rest of the match as they beat on each other with the crowd heavily against Sareee. They were absolutely battering one another and some of Sareee’s shots sounded brutal. From there, it was trading bigger offense in a back and forth affair. My biggest gripe with this match, and probably the issue most people had with it, was that they overdid the HATE interference. I was cool with it twice or so because you expect it and it didn’t ruin the match at the time. But after the long submission they tried to break up, that should’ve been it. Instead, they got involved several more times after. Sareee even got a really long visual pin while these shenanigans went on, which didn’t make Momo look great. In the end, all those antics led to a chair shot and Peach Sunrise to give Momo the win in 15:13. Really good but too much on the shenanigans. [***½]
5STAR Grand Prix Quarterfinals: Natsupoi vs. Rina
Another rematch from earlier in the tournament (****). Rina pissed off Poi by spitting at her early on, triggering Poi to throw her around the ring. Rina turned it around by slamming Natsupoi from the top onto the apron in a rough looking bump. Natsupoi’s arm was the target and it even got hit with a chair outside. Soon after, these two were just going at it, trading big strikes and moves at a frantic pace. The near falls had me biting, which isn’t always easy to do. Pretty much every exchange was great. When Rina hit the Gory Bomb, it felt earned and she hit it good but couldn’t cover in time. Seeing her attempt a Vertebreaker was wild. In the end, the submission that Rina trapped Natsupoi in looked like something out of ZSJ’s playbook. Natsupoi had no choice by to submit in 13:21. Just tremendous wrestling. A main event match that delivered and helped further solidify that Rina is ready for the big time despite just being 18 years old. [****½]
