wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Night 4 Review
Image Credit: STARDOM
Loading...STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Night Four
July 25th, 2026 | Ishikawa Industrial Hall in Kanagawa, Ishikawa | Attendance: 581
It’s all Red Stars action for night four. Again, this will likely be a shorter review as I have several shows to get through across the two tournaments.
Red Stars A Block: Akira Kurogane [0] vs. Rina [0]
I like the curly hair look for Rina. I think it fits her more than the straight hair. For the most part, this was a pretty standard opener. What made it stand out was Akira’s selling. Rina targeted the arm and Akira sold it like this was the most painful thing she’d ever experienced. It went a long way to ensuring that the arm-based offense came off well. Akira got going with a few spots like a Russian leg sweep and some flash pins but Rina made her submit to a bow and arrow type hold in 9:21. A good way to start the show.
Red Stars B Block: Lady C [0] vs. Rina Yamashita [3]
Rina Yamashita has been a fun addition to the tournament. I think one of the biggest things that Lady C needs to work on going forward is her strike game. Yamashita makes sure every shot feels like it hurts, yet Lady C’s came off as pretty weak. It took something away from the strike exchange section of this. Her other offense is solid enough, though Yamashita’s still looked significantly better. The idea seemed to be for Lady C to step up and match Yamashita and though she tried her best, she fell to Jig and Tonic in 7:03. This was solid, though you could tell that it needed something more to get over the hump. [**¾]
Red Stars A Block: Itsuki Aoki [2] vs. Natsuko Tora [0]
These are two brawlers who aren’t above breaking the rules. That played into this as it was both a brawl and a comedic match at different points. None of it was exactly for me. It’s kind of like how Fukigen Death is over with the crowd but I’m not really into her act. Natsuko missed the Swanton and Itsuko pulled her into a pinning combination in 6:42. Nothing about this really stood out, yet it also wasn’t awful. [**]
Red Stars A Block: Maika [2] vs. Sayaka Kurara [4]
Now we’re talking. Two former World of Stardom Champions and this is big for Sayaka as a win over Maika helps solidify the idea that her time at the top wasn’t a fluke. Sayaka came in with a game plan, working the arm. It was good stuff, though Maika is a powerhouse and a top star, so she was able to weather that storm. Basically, Sayaka had control and did some ZSJ style submission transitions, yet Maika could just take her down with one or two big offensive moves. Then, from out of nowhere, Maika caught Sayaka in an armbar of her own to win in 6:01. Oh, that’s the first match of the night that felt like it needed more time. It was gearing up for something really good and ended abruptly. [***]
Red Stars B Block: Azusa Inaba [0] vs. Utami Hayashishita [1]
Huge match for Azusa as she has a chance to step up against a top star. Surprisingly, Azusa had the first upper hand but it wasn’t long before Utami was wearing her down with an elevated Boston Crab. That said, there was something different in Azusa here. She was firing up and laying kicks in on Utami while also trading German Suplexes with her. Azusa was also a little shit throughout, disrespecting her veteran opponent. Utami turned things around and looked on the verge of winning, only for Azusa to pull her into an unexpected pinning combination to secure a huge upset in 9:13. The best singles match to date for young Azusa and easily her biggest win. A very good but not great match and a step up in quality for the evening. [***½]
Red Stars A Block: AZM [0] vs. Tomoka Inaba [4]
This marks the third straight Grand Prix where they face off. The first was good (***) and the second was much better (***¾). I’m excited because both have gotten even better over the past year or so. Tomoka exploded out of the blocks with a pump kick during introductions. I loved the spot where AZM sat down and dared Tomoka to kick her, which she did, and when Tomoka sat down for AZM to return the favor, AZM rolled her up instead. That’s such a small thing but it’s smart and really worked here. They worked this like a High Speed Title match, keeping up a ridiculous pace. Neither girl gained a clear advantage as this kept going back and forth. Their exchange of counters late was great and the close calls on flash pins were tight. The Azumi Sushi kept Tomoka down at the 9:05 mark. One of the best sprints you’ll see all year. [****]
Red Stars B Block: Konami [0] vs. Mei Seira [2]
They both attempted some big shots at the start but once we moved past that, the match had a simple story. Konami found trouble with Mei’s speed, which she combated with a combination of underhanded tactics and a focus on the arm. Simple, yet effective. It helped that they were both game to put on a show. They were moving with a purpose and nearly stole the entire evening. Konami found herself in trouble and just went back to the arm, forcing Mei to play the underdog, which she’s getting better at. Alas, as much as Mei fought, there was eventually one armbar that she couldn’t get out of, submitting at 11:22. A very good semi-main event here. Tons of action and Mei continues to be awesome while I’d like to see more of this from Konami. [***¾]
Red Stars B Block: Maki Itoh [2] vs. Saya Iida [4]
Both women have yet to lose in the tournament. On paper, this felt like an odd main event, yet the execution was better than expected. Their styles don’t exactly mash. Saya is a powerhouse, while Maki uses a combination of personality and some technical work. However, Maki showed off more of a brawling style, willing to try and match Saya in terms of big offense. She made sure to throw in some submissions and such where possible. That said, Saya’s offense was still too much for Maki at points. That was the case near the end, as Saya ran her over with a lariat for two and then got the three on a Brainbuster in 12:57. A very good main event here. [***½]
| Red Stars A | Points | Red Stars B | Points | Blue Stars A | Points | Blue Stars B | Points |
| Maika | 4 (2-0) | Saya Iida | 6 (3-0) | Ruaka | 4 (2-0) | Hanan | 4 (2-0) |
| Itsuki Aoki | 4 (2-0) | Rina Yamashita | 5 (2-1-1) | Suzu Suzuki | 2 (1-0) | Momo Watanabe | 4 (2-0) |
| Sayaka Kurara | 4 (2-2) | Konami | 2 (1-0) | Hina | 2 (1-1) | Koguma | 4 (2-1) |
| Tomoka Inaba | 4 (2-2) | Maki Itoh | 2 (1-1) | Aya Sakura | 2 (1-10) | Saya Kamitani | 0 (0-0) |
| AZM | 2 (1-1) | Mei Seira | 2 (1-2) | HANAKO | 2 (1-1) | Starlight Kid | 0 (0-0) |
| Rina | 2 (1-1) | Azusa Inaba | 2 (1-2) | Julia Hart | 0 (0-0) | Ami Sohrei | 0 (0-1) |
| Natsuko Tora | 0 (0-2) | Utami Hayashishita | 1 (0-1-1) | Rian | 0 (0-1) | Yuna Mizumori | 0 (0-1) |
| Akira Kurogane | 0 (0-2) | Lady C | 0 (0-2) | Miyu Amasaki | 0 (0-2) | Kikyo Furusawa | 0 (0-3) |
