After a month and a half of action, the second-ever Dream Star Grand Prix came to a thrilling conclusion with Miku Aono adorning the flowery crown. She follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner Utami Hayashishita, the woman she will now likely meet in Ryogoku Hall on October 20 for the World Championship as is her right as the winner of the tournament. The long break in her schedule helped her re-calibrate after a rough opening night where she scored one point out of a potential four, as she would go on to give up only one more point available to her for the rest of her run.
It wasn’t just about the eventual winner, though. All 16 women put on a great showing, either putting their names forward as to why they should be considered the future of the company or reminding fans that they’re among the best in all of joshi.
It’s time to sort through the past six weeks of wrestling and narrow down all the great matches. From performances by tournament MVP candidates like Victoria Yuzuki to some surprise standouts from Chanyota, it wasn’t easy to cut down the list to just 10 – but it’s better to have too many than not enough.
Honorable Mentions:
Chika Goto vs. Chanyota – September 2 (Star League)
Mayu Iwatani vs. Seri Yamaoka – August 2 (Dream League)
10. MIRAI vs. Misa Matsui – September 6 (Star League)
In a six week-long tournament you sometimes need a match that injects a bit of fun, and these two managed to do that while still delivering the kind of action that made this first-time showdown so intriguing. With MIRAI’s tournament hanging in the balance, she took the risky path of trying to be Matsui’s equal in a battle of wits rather than try to overwhelm Psycho Speed with her overwhelming force.
It kept the match on an even keel as each wrestler trying to find the mental edge over the other, psyching their opponent out of moves or reading another’s bluff. The crowd bought into their antics as they cheered on the Soul of Marigold even if they couldn’t help but laugh at her misfortune at times. The match kept its fair share of high paced action that you’d want from the duo, but with a healthy serving of comedic spice that stood out in this year’s tournament.
9. Seri Yamaoka vs. Utami Hayashishita – August 16 (Dream League)
Bolstered by the appearance of her now-retired mentor Nanae Takahashi, rookie Seri Yamaoka looked to upset the wrestler whose path she is perhaps most looking to emulate. Utami Hayashishita has transformed from a former super rookie into a bona fide star and top champion, and while the two share similar base styles and trajectories, their timelines are quite different.
Seri’s amateur background is a good compliment to Utami’s bruising powerhouse style, and while the veteran definitely enjoyed throwing the rookie around for a lot of the match, Yamaoka got more than enough offence in to remind the champion what the future might look like in a year or two. Seri’s unique strength and explosive athleticism allows for some great individual moments, and this first-time matchup is a solid introduction for what will no doubt be a memorable future main event war down the road.
8. Utami Hayashishita vs. Victoria Yuzuki – August 2 (Dream League)
Victoria Yuzuki came into this year’s Dream Star with a point to prove, and this was evident from the very first match of the tournament against the Marigold World Champion Utami Hayashishita. The two have proven to be a great team and now they’ve shown themselves to be great opponents as well, hearkening back to Utami’s chemistry with another high-speed friend from her STARDOM days: AZM.
They played off of each other’s strengths well, with Yuzuki looking to keep Utami on the back foot with her speed while knowing that all it took was one big hit from the champion and she’d be back to square one. While it felt like they were keeping an extra level or two up their sleeve for an inevitable big-time match in the future, what was presented here was still stellar. Utami’s ability to keep up with Yuzuki’s frantic energy made for a fantastic contrast as both wrestlers set themselves up for great tournament runs.
7. Miku Aono vs. Mai Sakurai – September 14 (Star League)
History had shown that there’s a certain magic whenever Aono and Sakurai face off, and with the added stakes of a spot in the Dream Star Final waiting for one of them, it carried the kind of big fight feel that helps elevate the moment.
Knowing each other so well, neither competitor took too many risks early, choosing to feel each other out and execute their gameplan. Miku Aono went to her tried and trusted method of targeting the leg with her thunderous kicks, while Mai Sakurai waited for small lapses where she could hit a big move and wrest control of the pace. There’s a steady and purposeful build as the desperation of winning the block starts to show; Mai Sakurai slammed Aono’s head against the West sign on the Korakuen Hall wall only to then take an Avalanche Styles Clash that would have ended the match if not for a rope break.
It all grew to a satisfying final few minutes made all the more important knowing that the final result would determine everything.
6. Miku Aono vs. Chanyota – August 30 (Star League)
It had been nearly a month since opening night, yet Miku Aono hadn’t wrestled since then, and with only one point to her name she desperately needed to head into September with momentum. Standing in her way was the powerhouse Chanyota, the one person in the Star League who could truly nullify her deceptive strength. Yet, Aono only seems to be invigorated when against someone bigger and stronger than her, so she went blow for thunderous blow with Chanyota.
It was a bruising affair that see-sawed back and forth and rarely let its foot of the gas, exemplifying the best traits of both wrestlers in the process. Aono looked like a beast taking Chanyota’s fully charged lariats, while Chanyota looked far above her experience hanging with one of Marigold’s very best inside the hallowed Korakuen Hall. It’s the kind of match you might never get to see if not for the Dream Star, yet their chemistry demands that it needs to happen again.
5. Chanyota vs. Mai Sakurai – August 2 (Star League)
It wasn’t every match, but when Chanyota delivered during this Dream Star, it made for appointment viewing. This started from day one when she squared off with the United National Champion Mai Sakurai. The most dominant champion in Marigold was instantly put on the back foot and forced to try and withstand an onslaught of wild strikes and power moves that quickly left her looking as though she had been in a war.
Sakurai’s experience as champion served her well, being able to slow things down at points and rebuild some of her own momentum, however she rarely looked in full control of the bull that kept charging at her. Chanyota gave Mai her biggest challenge since becoming champion and you could see their growth since their singles match earlier this year.
4. MIRAI vs. Mai Sakurai – August 30 (Star League)
While many Dream Star matches can feel like a precursor to a bigger rematch in the future, this felt like a defining moment in the stories of both wrestlers. For the inaugural Twin Star Tag Champions, this Korakuen Hall battle carried a lot of weight, and that was evident in the emotional aftermath. Mai Sakurai needed to finally prove to herself that she could beat her tag partner, while MIRAI couldn’t afford a misstep in her quest to finally find singles success in Marigold.
The gravity of this match was felt from the start. From the careful lockup to the careful build-up of action. Every move started to hit a little harder and come with more desperation as everything built to a crescendo as the clock ticked down and the prospect of a draw loomed – a result that neither competitor could live with. The Avalanche Glorious Driver was the eye-popping move of the match, but the beauty of this fight was how well it ebbed and flowed towards its final moments and a satisfying if heart-breaking conclusion.
3. Victoria Yuzuki vs. Rea Seto – September 2 (Dream League)
Time and time again, Young Marigold prove that the future is bright. After Rea Seto joined Darkness Revolution by directly attacking Yuzuki there was a palpable excitement about this match-up, but there was little expectation it would turn out as brilliantly as this. Seto and Yuzuki went out in front of a blistering hot Shinjuku FACE audience and kept them enraptured from bell to bell, whether it was from tense submission spots, brawling in the crowd or displaying their athleticism.
It was hard to ignore how popular Rea Seto was despite being the heel in this setting. Yuzuki wasn’t being booed by any stretch, but even when she sinks to her stablemate’s antics there’s an undeniable lovable underdog aspect to Seto that the loyal crowd is willing to get behind. As the match was building towards its conclusion, the hype of the crowd really elevated this already great match as they leaned into every moment. Not even an errant puddle of water from Seto’s bottle could slow them down – and indeed they handled this slip brilliantly, demonstrating the kind of maturity that’s preparing them for future main event spots in the company.
2. Mayu Iwatani vs. Victoria Yuzuki – September 14 (Dream League)
It was back in May when Mayu Iwatani took the Superfly Title from Victoria Yuzuki, and now the student and the master found themselves standing opposite each other in the ring with the stakes sky high – a spot in the final of the Dream Star potentially awaited them. In many ways their title match felt like the building blocks for what they’d do here in Korakuen Hall, because they expanded upon it in every way.
From the moment the bell rang, these two went to work, putting forth a clinic with little regard for the fact that one of them might have to go out and wrestle again soon after. They set a frenetic pace straight off the bat, and the unique mirror match style that comes with Yuzuki borrowing much of Mayu’s style and move set gave this showdown a flavor rarely seen in wrestling. The Icon’s dominance over her student finally looked to falter a bit under Yuzuki’s continued growth as she stood toe to toe and even had her in control at times with the crossface submission, but making The Icon look beatable is only half the battle.
1. Mayu Iwatani vs. Utami Hayashishita – August 30 (Dream League)
Expectations were sky high coming into this match, both from their history of incredible matches and the sheer level of talent shared between the two champions. Sometimes that can be a recipe for disappointment.
Not this time.
This was 15 of the best minutes of wrestling you could have asked for in the Dream Star or wrestling in general. This wasn’t just about two points in a tournament; this was a match between two proud competitors; the Royal Red Queen who had cemented herself as the top champion and ace of the promotion and the Icon of Joshi Puroresu who would own those spots if she didn’t have to wait a year to be there.
Utami had done her homework ahead of this match, countering many of Mayu’s signature moves – none more impressive than the eye-catching Diving Poison Rana she had used in the past to beat Hayashishita. Utami reversed that by catching her in midair and giving the Icon a taste of her own medicine with a Two Stage Dragon Suplex.
Of course, it wasn’t just The Red Queen dominating. Mayu was laying it in when she wasn’t being rag dolled around the Golden Fields. Flurries of fierce kicks that seemed to pack an extra sting and all the swagger of a veteran at the top of her game. This was two of the best in the world who had been waiting for the stars to align and meet in this specific ring, and their smiles in the aftermath (or even in the middle of the match as they stood up to trade strikes) showed how much it meant.
The result was fitting but practically lost in the reality of a match that was an absolute joy to watch. They had proven their chemistry together years ago, but this was on a whole new level and will serve as the standard bearer for future Dream Star matches to try and reach.
RESURA 