5STAR Grand Prix 2022 Final Match: Tam Nakano vs. Giulia - Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 2022 - Day 20: Championship Battle - 01/10/2022
I tend to avoid Giulia matches because I don’t find her particularly interesting in the ring for several reasons but I said that I would watch the finals of the tournament since I missed the tournament entirely. The match began well with the Kawada/Misawa dangerous backdrop start before they went for the simultaneous strikes and Giula took control with an STF. The match rose up a level quickly with a german off the second rope but Giulia quickly brushes it off to cut Tam Nakano and hits a super double underhook instead. Nakano recovers quickly, keeping with the main theme of the match and hits a tiger driver. I liked their little kick exchange from the mat. At first I rolled my eyes but then Tam laid in the kicks a bit and Giulia had a neat submission counter to one of the kicks. They screw up a spot on the apron (thankfully because who wants to take that bump) but recover by going to the ramp. Tam Nakano then mirrored the Muto ramp run to hit a running knee. Giulia then did a DDT right after. Then in classic japanese wrestling logic, the ref remembers maths and they do a count out spot. The transition into the closing stretch was poor with the same old tired slap exchange and the match peaked with the no-selling and one count spots. I can like that form of wrestling when done right or with the correct people (who am I to criticise Kenta Kobashi?) but it feels hollow with these two. Tam finally stays down after a brainbuster, making Giulia the winner. I enjoyed this much better than Giulia’s match against Mayu Iwatani in January (the last time I’ve seen her) but this wasn’t nearly as interesting for me as Tam’s cage match against Natsupoi. It was, however, better than their hair/hair match. Not a brilliant match but I can’t fault it too much. Some more selling could’ve been better, more submission work on Tam’s selling after Giulia’s awesome submission hold could’ve sucked me into the match story better but it was a decent big match overall. Certainly not the worst example of a no-sell heavy main event. ***1/4
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