wrestling / TV Reports
Pantoja’s STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Night 14 Review
Image Credit: Stardom
Loading...STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2026 Night Fourteen
August 16th, 2026 | Act City Hamamatsu in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka | Attendance: 1,011
Life has continued to get in the way of these reviews, so I’ve fallen behind again.
Blue Star B Block: Hanan [7] vs. Saya Kamitani [8]
Interesting to start with this because it’s kind of a huge match. The Wonder of Stardom Champion against the top star of the company and the winner advances. Hanan surprised everyone by jumping Saya during her entrance. That sparked a brawl outside and through the crowd, which I wasn’t expecting. I know it’s a HATE staple but Saya tends to avoid those things. Once back in the ring, there was some good back and forth, though this never quite hit the level that I wanted given who was involved. It felt like they were holding something back. The finish saw Saya hit the Star Crusher, only for Hanan to turn the pin into one of her own to advance after 9:56. A good, yet underwhelming opener. I also don’t love the finish where you immediately counter a pin after a finisher. [***]
Red Stars A Block: Akira Kurogane [1] vs. Maika [9]
Nothing on the line here other than seeding. If Maika wins, she wraps up the top spot in her block, while Akira was looking for her first win. There’s not much to write about here. Akira brought fire and energy but never felt like she was a match for Maika. At no point did it seem like Akira had a shot and Maika beat her with the Michinoku Driver in 7:00. Fine and nothing more. [**½]
Blue Stars A Block: Julia Hart [8] vs. Suzu Suzuki [11]
Suzu is already in and a win for Julia would get her in if Ruaka loses later. Like the previous bout, there wasn’t much to this. It was kept short, had some awkward moments, and the outcome was never in doubt. A winning record for Julia is fine but she wasn’t about to make the playoffs. So, yeah, there’s not much to cover here. Suzu put her down with a German Suplex at the 5:06 mark. It was a match. [**]
Blue Stars A Block: HANAKO [8] vs. Ruaka [7]
With Julia at 8 points, HANAKO is in. Ruaka needs a win or a draw to get in over Julia. Ruaka is usually a safe bet for a double countout or something along those lines. However, they went a different route here and decided to have these two work a full 15:00 for a time limit draw. These aren’t exactly the women who can make that work. There was some basic brawling around the ringside area before some back and forth in the ring. However, neither of them has offense that’s interesting enough to make something great in a time limit draw. Both had close calls before time expired when HANAKO hit the JP Coaster. So yeah, Ruaka is in the playoffs. That’s certainly a choice. [**¼]
Red Stars B Block: Mei Seira [7] vs. Utami Hayashishita [5]
The show is off to a lackluster start but this should pick it up. Utami is shockingly out but a win for Mei would pull her even with Saya Iida and Rana Yamashita at the top and she has wins over both. They went right at it from the opening bell, with Utami using her power, while Mei combated it with speed and some solid dropkicks. Like, Utami literally just tossed Mei to the floor from the apron at one point. Things were back and forth throughout and I liked how they kept things intense even with Utami already eliminated. Utami turned her inside out with a lariat and Mei fought hard, but she fell to a German Suplex after 11:16. A very good, highly entertaining match. Mei is officially eliminated. [***½]
Blue Stars B Block: Ami Sohrei [8] vs. Starlight Kid [9]
An important outing for the overall standings. Starlight Kid has clinched, though Ami Sohrei needs to win to get in. I don’t know how the tiebreaker works for Saya Kamitani and Momo Watanabe since they went to a draw, so Ami winning to break the three-way tie seems likely. The differences in their styles were evident. Ami hit some big strikes and slams, while Starlight Kid focused on her usual brand of limb damage. That allowed them to tell a simple, yet effective story. SLK worked the Black Tiger Leg Killer and Ami had to use her strength to survive. They traded momentum, with neither woman gaining a clear upper hand. I liked how it was a struggle to get the final spot done as they jockeyed for position, before Ami hit Like Thunder to win in 11:36. Another very good match as the tournament winds down. Big win for Ami, who clinches a playoff spot. [***½]
Red Stars B Block: Konami [8] vs. Maki Itoh [8]
Whoever wins here joins Saya Iida and Rina Yamashita in the playoffs. They’ll also be the winner of the block. It’s a HATE match, so it kicks off with some brawling around the ringside area with some chair spots. Konami mostly held serve but never dominated the proceedings. There were some shenanigans as well, like Maki blocking the spray, only to spray herself in the face. That kind of triggered her to go mad, as she just laid into Konami with some wild shots. Both women picked up the near falls late and there was some surprisingly strong drama here. Alas, Konami trapped her in the sleeper and Maki passed out, advancing Konami after 13:24. A solid match, though not one of the tournament’s best. [***]
Red Stars A Block: AZM [9] vs. Rina [7]
Our last bit of drama is here. AZM is already in, as is Maika. If Rina wins, she leaps past Itsuki Aoki and Natsuko Tora and joins them in the playoffs. These two had some stellar matches in last year’s Grand Prix (****½ and ****¼). Again, this was a HATE match so we had to have brawling through the crowd. Once back in the ring though, this had an extra level of intensity as it is two of the better wrestlers on the roster. The action was crisp for the most part and the counters got better as this progressed. I do think this lacked drama though, because it felt pretty obvious that Rina was getting in over Tora or Aoki. AZM locked in an armbar down the stretch before Rina rallied and busted out a sweet Package Piledriver to advance after 14:07. A step down from their matches last year, but still quite good. [***¾]
Red Stars A Block Playoffs: Maika/Rina/AZM
Red Stars B Block Playoffs: Konami/Saya Iida/Rina Yamashita
Blue Stars A Block Playoffs: Suzu Suzuki/HANAKO/Ruaka
Blue Stars B Block Playoffs: Ami Sohrei/Starlight Kid/Hanan
| Red Stars A | Points | Red Stars B | Points | Blue Stars A | Points | Blue Stars B | Points |
| Maika | 11 (5-1-1) | Konami | 10 (5-2) | Suzu Suzuki | 13 (6-0-1) | Ami Sohrei | 10 (5-2) |
| Rina | 9 (4-2-1) | Saya Iida | 9 (4-2-1) | HANAKO | 9 (4-2-1) | Starlight Kid | 9 (4-2-1) |
| AZM | 9 (4-2-1) | Rina Yamashita | 9 (3-1-3) | Ruaka | 8 (3-2-2) | Hanan | 9 (4-2-1) |
| Natsuko Tora | 8 (3-2-2) | Maki Itoh | 8 (3-2-2) | Julia Hart | 8 (4-3) | Saya Kamitani | 8 (3-2-2) |
| Itsuki Aoki | 8 (4-3) | Utami Hayashishita | 7 (3-3-1) | Hina | 6 (3-4) | Momo Watanabe | 8 (3-2-2) |
| Tomoka Inaba | 6 (3-4) | Mei Seira | 7 (3-3-1) | Miyu Amasaki | 6 (3-4) | Koguma | 6 (3-4) |
| Sayaka Kurara | 4 (2-5) | Azusa Inaba | 4 (1-4-2) | Aya Sakura | 4 (2-5) | Yuna Mizumori | 6 (3-4) |
| Akira Kurogane | 1 (0-6-1) | Lady C | 2 (1-6) | Rian | 2 (1-6) | Kikyo Furusawa | 0 (0-7) |
