Review: Stardom – 2018.02.04

Queen’s Quest (AZM, HZK & Momo Watanabe) vs. Miranda, Xia Brookside & Starlight Kid
This was the best Stardom opener in recent memory. Again AZM & Starlight Kid stole the show with their awesome fast-paced offence and great chemistry. They are fast-becoming one of the highlights of every Stardom show. Everyone in this match looked good though, and the match itself was very well-paced and fun to watch. AZM pinned Starlight Kid with a springboard crossbody for the win. 3.25/5

Oedo Tai (Kagetsu, Hana Kimura & Sumire Natsu) vs. Team Jungle (Jungle Kyona, Natsuko Tora & Kaori Yoneyama)
The work was fine in this match but it didn’t ever feel like it was anything more than a throwaway match. They spent a long time at the beginning of the match throwing food followed by some familiar Oedo Tai antics such as the water spitting from Sumire. Things picked up slightly in the second half of the match, Natsuko Tora’s performance probably being the highlight as she looked very powerful and smooth. Kagetsu pinned Natsuko Tora after a chokeslam for the win. 2.75/5

Tam Nakano, Mayu Iwatani & Mari Apache vs. Konami, Hiromi Mimura & Shiki Shibusawa
A solid match but nothing spectacular. The highlight was the few brief exchanges between Mayu and Konami who look like they could have great matches together. Everyone else worked well enough and Tam Nakano pinned Shiki Shibusawa after a spinning heel kick. 3/5

Viper vs. Kay Lee Ray
This was the first time these two women have faced each other in Stardom, though they have fought many times around the world. . It started with some great mat work and some awesome transitions before the big hitting moves came. KLR hit two suicide dives. Viper hit a cannonball into the chairs at ringside. Viper kicked out of a Gory Bomb and KLR followed her by kicking out of a huge Michinoku Driver II. Viper eventually got the pin after hitting an Avalanche Michinoku Driver II from the middle rope. A really great match and the chemistry between the two of them was very obvious to see. 4/5

Nicole Savoy vs. Io Shirai
This took a while to get going as Io sold her arm being hurt for the first half of the match. When it finally picked up there was a lot to like. Both women worked a very fast-paced and stiff style. Savoy hit a lot of her signature suplexes and Io hit much of her signature offence too. There was a slightly worrying moment when Io hit a Frankensteiner from the top rope and Nicole Savoy almost did not rotate enough and came very close to landing on her head. It was an enjoyable match but with the winner obvious there was not too much tension. Io Shirai pinned Nicole Savoy after a moonsault. 4/5