Fabulous performance by the Up Up Girls to open up the show. It was more flashed out than their usual intro.
Haruna Neko, Kaya Toribami & Mahiro Kiryu vs. Pom Harajuku, Raku & Ram Kaicho
This was a fun way to kick off the show. All six are solid wrestlers with their own little quirks and gimmicks that can be presented in short bursts. **
Hyper Misao vs. Rika Tatsumi vs. Nodoka Tenma
I think this spot is far too low for someone like Rika Tatsumi who spent half of the year as PoP champion, regardless of on-going storylines which I admittedly haven't been following. From what I can find, this was the only spot available as Tatsumi was ill, or something, for most of the build. Nodoka Tenma and Hyper Misao are fun acts to work with, however, so this was an enjoyable experience. Tatsumi and Misao played off their history together, linking it in with some comedy spots. Tatsumi hit Misao after Nodoka moved from an attempted double team move on purpose after initially stopping herself, similar to one of Florida Express’ signature gags, and then later she turned on Misao again, hitting a hip attack after posing together. Nodoka took the brunt of most of the offence but she was the eventual winner of the match which stunned me a little. **1/2
VENYU (ASUKA & Yuki Kamifuku) vs. Marika Kobashi & Nao Kakuta
Audio aside, I kinda loved the entrance of Kamiyu and ASUKA. I love how their gimmicks are about how comfortable they are flaunting their sexuality. The match didn't amount to much except for establishing VENYU as a dominant duo. The match was booked accordingly, like Kobashi and Kakuta were inferior with the two constantly being on the back foot against the aggressive style of ASUKA and Kamiyu. Nao Kakuta got some shine in the match when paired against Kamiyu and ASUKA stood out a lot with her character work and charisma. This was a solid match that got what it needed to get across. **3/4
Riho & Shoko Nakajima vs. Arisu Endo & Suzume
Riho is back in TJPW. It’s been awhile since Riho has done anything notable, in fact. Not since May when she wrestled for the NWA World Women's Title against Serena Deeb. Similar to the match prior, this was two wrestlers higher on the totem pole against two lesser wrestlers, only Endo and Suzume seem to be proper prospects with the idea behind the match being Riho wanting to see how much they've improved since she was a mainstay in the promotion. There was a lot of poise in Endo and Suzume’s offence, and while they didn't look like they were going to win, they looked competent enough with Riho and Shoko leading the way. **1/4
Aja Kong & Moka Miyamoto vs. Miu Watanabe & Yuki Arai
In 2021, there is only so much mileage you can get out of Aja Kong but this does a splendid job of milking what they could, getting the most out of her star power while using it for the benefit of Arai and Miu. I don't think I'll be able to get the visual of Yuki Arai locking up with Aja Kong out of my mind nor Miu trying to hit a giant swing on Kong. That was the peak of the match for me. The struggle and selling of the moment was huge and felt significant. Miu even getting Kong slightly off the mat showed a lot. Miyamoto was the least important of the match but she had her spots against Arai, who she defeated earlier in the year. The closing stretch was shockingly good. There was genuine drama in the near falls a lot of the time. Most of which had Arai kick surviving Kong’s signature offence or Miu stopping the count. It was an effective way to end the match before the inevitable moment. ***1/4
International Princess Title Match: Hikari Noa (c) vs. Yuki Aino
The definition of solid. Both wrestlers have their own set of skills and combine them together to make a compelling, but not great match. It's a match of flash vs basics with not much fluff in between. ***
Princess Tag Team Title Match: Magical Sugar Rabbits (Mizuki & Yuka Sakazaki) vs. NEO Biishiki-gun (Mei Saint-Michel & Sakisama) (c)
This is one of those matches that improved as it went along. There was some classic NBG comedy that was both awkward and sloppily done. It hardly felt out of place but it was poorly executed. The match took its time to regain its footing and kick on but it did thanks to the great skill of all involved. The tag team wrestling was excellent. The match had plenty of great double team sequences, from both Biishiki Gun and MSR, with contrasting character works. Mei was a little shit the whole match, using her smaller size to cause trouble for Yuka and Mizuki. The dynamics of her and Sakisama were excellently on display and it allowed for a compelling match on top of the action itself. Miracle Sugar Rabbits were great in their own right with their tremendous chemistry as a team while using their individual talents to enhance the match in the vital moments. Some of their spots were creative like the broom spot, giving Mei her due receipts, and the double cross bodys to both the inside and outside of the ring. The finish with Mizuki picking up the win was a little sudden but with an action packed match, maybe a more intense closing stretch would've been a bit much. All in all, I really enjoyed the match despite its rough start. The performances were distinctive and compelling. Mei Sint-Michel as a gimmick is right up my alley. It makes perfect use of Mei's creativity and ability to think of cool moves and ideas. ***3/4
Princess Of Princess Title Match: Miyu Yamashita (c) vs. Maki Itoh
Oh my! What a magnificent ending this match had. Sometimes describing something in wrestling as “emotional” can be a little tacky but this was all visceral in how much emotion it projected. Once Miyu hit Itoh with the spinning heel kick, Itoh started yelling in anguish while on the ground and Miyu, almost, started to cry, feeling the moment and feeling that victory was close. The whole match was a great piece of work. Miyu was phenomenal in holding this match together with Maki Itoh, who I generally don’t care for, holding her weight. She leveled up to the occasion - her biggest match to date and one of the few chances she’ll get to shed the loser tag she has - adding some good babyface fire to the match. Although I hated the moment in the match where Itoh caught Miyu in a single-leg crab only to let it go instantly to do a top rope move. That's just poor wrestling. Most of the match was driven around Miyu’s striking combos and Itoh's counters which led to smooth and crisp sequences with not much down time. From bell-to-bell, they worked towards getting the win. Then it ended in the appropriate manner with Miyu, who’s been the company’s ace since the start, ending the night giving the speech holding the title. ****
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