Now that the last bits of confetti have fallen and the final bouts are over, we can look back at the all the great wrestling the STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix produced.
Like every year, the summer tournament gave us a wealth of standout matches. Slugfests. Grudge matches. Epics.
What were the best of all those? What bangers from stars like Rina, Saya Iida, and Momo Watanabe made the most impact? Let’s charge ahead and answer that with a ranking of the 10 best 2026 5STAR matches.
Honorable Mentions:
Utami Hayashishita vs. Saya Iida (7/26)
AZM vs. Rina (8/16)
Starlight Kid vs. Suzu Suzuki (8/23)
10. Momo Watanabe vs. Hanan (8/14)
Momo playing the bully and Hanan fighting back with great heart sang on screen.
Watanabe had a terrific tournament last year and while she didn’t reach that same level this year, she had a handful of performances that popped. This being one of them.
Watanabe vs. Hanan was a hard-fought match with some good brawling and plenty of emotion. The two wrestlers’ chemistry was strong, too. Extra points for the fun moments involving Momo’s bat.
From what I’ve seen online, I’m higher on this than most, though. It’s currently sitting at a 7.4 on Cagematch. If that’s where folks are rating this, then to me it’s underrated.
9. Rina Yamashita vs. Mei Seira (7/18)
The energy of this bout crackled from bell to bell. They leaped right into the fight and kept a fast pace throughout.
There’s an interesting clash of styles here, as well. Yamashita’s brawling and striking juxtaposed with Seira’s speedy, athletic offense. The mix was entertaining.
Rina catching Mei in the air. Mei bounding all over the place. The franticness of the last moments. That all combined to make a winner.
8. Aya Sakura vs. HANAKO (7/18)
Sakura and HANAKO always contrast each other so well. Underdog versus powerhouse. Skill versus strength.
This was an entertaining entry in their rivalry—intense, full of energy, theatrical. HANAKO grinding down Sakura as a frenzied Aya fights back. That brainbuster from the top from HANAKO was gorgeous, too.
May these two be eternal foes.
7. AZM vs. Saya Iida (8/18)
At times, this felt like Saya Iida’s tournament, her coming out party. The crowds pulled for her. Saya shined in her big matches.
This is a prime example of that.
You get great playoff atmosphere with this being the quarterfinals. There’s an urgency and aggression to the action that makes it compelling. It’s compact at just over 10 minutes with frantic energy jammed into it.
AZM came off as smart and strategic. Saya looked fantastic playing off her. A huge momentum boost for Iida and another showcase of how special AZM is.
6. Starlight Kid vs. Ami Sourei (8/18)
What a joyous bit of wrestling storytelling.
I’ll guess some folks will prefer Starlight Kid’s quarterfinal battle against Suzu Suzuki, but for me everything clicked so well with this one. The size difference is played up perfectly. Everything is hit with such great impact. It’s creative and well-paced.
There’s added drama too because they had just fought a few days prior (with Sourei winning) and they were in the thick of the playoffs with Sourei trying to dramatically change the course of her career.
5. Starlight Kid vs. Saya Kamitani (7/28)
These two don’t miss against each other. Supreme Fight in February. Last year’s 5STAR quarterfinals. King of Midsummer from 2022. They just seem to bring out each other’s best.
This match was equal parts smooth and vicious. The fight in the stands had me sucked in. The Tiger Driver from SLK was nasty. All topped off with a desperate, dramatic ending.
A beautiful match from two of the very best.
4. Mei Seira vs. Azuba Inaba (7/26)
Give Mei Seira the world! She’s just such a special wrestler and this was our latest reminder.
She and Inaba infused drama into this clash at every opportunity. It’s powered by emphatic strikes and a steady sense of danger. It feels like a knockout blow could come at any moment. The knee work added lots of tension. Seira and Inaba scrambling to get back into the ring before the ref counted them out was great.
It’s a go-go-go match that makes the most of its runtime.
3. Momo Watanabe vs. Saya Kamitani (8/3)
Building on the long simmering tension between them, Watanabe vs. Kamitani pitted two H.A.T.E. members against each other.
It’s a big brawl, complete with chain-choking and faction mates choosing sides.
Hard to been the intensity and the intimacy of a battle between two women as close as these two are. And it’s hard to beat Momo and Saya in terms of chemistry with each other.
I get the sense that most people didn’t appreciate it as deeply as I did. For me, though, it was one of the most stirring stories told at the 5STAR this year.
2. Konami vs. Rina (8/18)
If this is your no. 1, I get it. The drama is next level.
Fellow H.A.T.E. members go toe to toe. They fling each other around. Konami fires off nasty kicks. Rina shows off a massive heart. Beyond just looking to beat each other, it feels like they are trying to grind each other into dust on the mat.
In addition, there are nods to Hana Kimura and Rina’s close friendship with the late, beloved star that are sure to cause some eyes to well.
Konami’s best match of the year other than maybe her other big battle with Rina from back New Years Stars in January.
1. Rina vs. Starlight Kid (8/23)
The 5STAR finals are often, and should be, the best match of the tournament. It’s the culmination of the tournament’s stories. It’s a crowning moment for someone. It has big stakes and bright lights.
Rina and Starlight Kid helped continue that tradition.
This is the grandest bout of the whole thing. One that starts with Rina spitting in foe’s face early and ends with each wrestlers hailing bombs at each other. There’s lot of drama in the middle with all the focus on their opponent’s vulnerable spots. As soon as someone tweaks or hurts something, the other predator in the ring pounces.
You can feel the stakes as they fight and claw. You can feel Rina claim her spot as the future of STARDOM. A fitting, resounding end to the 5STAR and a launchpad for The Pink Devil.
RESURA 