[6.0] "The match is massively hampered by Covid restrictions but I think the layout isn't ideal, either. There are a few spots using the cage and some of them look pretty good, but it feels like about 70% of the offensive moves in this are bridging suplexes which get traded over and over. Some of those are pretty good, too, but it feels like there's a lack of escalation on the way to the end. That's especially true with the worst part of the match coming near the end - the strike exchange on top of the cage - in which both women slowly and lightly hit each other with forearm strikes and slaps which have very little on them. The exchange shifts the match into "Fake fighting with melodrama" mode, where it feels like the general idea is that if you have enough big melodramatic emotion, it doesn't matter how fake the fight looks. That's the wrong balance in pro wrestling for me. Most of the rest is fine, but I think if you were to ask someone why they thought this match was more memorable than other cage matches, they'd have to point to the melodrama."
[8.0] "Although not perfectly executed, this match is unforgettable. The spots are brutal, the suplexes, screwdriver, kicks, and the choke from the top of the cage from Tam. And Natsupoi sells being in pain but refusing to die so so well. Then there's the cage. It feels like an actual weapon, and the stipulation surrounding it fit the match very well. Fantastic emotional storytelling in a fittingly brutal match. 4.25 Stars."
[9.0] "Big story and good and big match.The emotions overflowed and the offense and hatred with the cage were superb. I love everything about how these two womens work and I admire what they did here and it all this rivarly. This is how you tell a story in the ring and how you use an stipulation."
[8.0] "I loved the cage offense.I didn't expect you had to win a pinfall to climb the cage but I thought that made sense because it felt like they were wanting to earn a pinfall on their opponent then focus on climbing the cage with more intensity because only one person could attempt to escape at a time. The top rope german suplex was my favourite spot they just looked like they died right there. The way they used a cage was so unique compared to other ones ive seen, they just wanted to kill eachother. I loved their selling, Tam falling off the cage selling was my personal favourite sell of the match. The sequence after falling off the cage where they just put everything they had at eachother then Tam watching Natsupoi crawl to her and hitting that suplex piledriver. Watching Natsupoi try and get Tam down and getting put to sleep right after giving Tam the win was such a good ending. Another Highlight was the emotion throughout the match with them hating eachother and then after the match Tam just staring at a beat down Natsupoi and the promo after was just so good. Amazing match"
[10.0] "my match of the year for 2022 the violence the story told the psychology the the emotions the brutal conclusion of the match all of them just perfectly executed. tam made natsupoi a star here credits also to her shes one of the best. personally poi is a top 3 overall talent in stardom only edged out by utami and giulia. the only downside of the match was the sometimes no selling which is a common flaw stardom for me"
[8.0] "A big story and a big match. These are the emotions that overwhelmed the girls and how they hate each other, but deep down they love each other. Tam Nakano initially faced the cage so harshly that her cheeks were red and as if abrasions began to appear. Natsupoi approached the match as much as possible as a killer and she tried to break her opponent by throwing on her neck. In general, this is an ideal duel of suplexes on the neck, they filled the whole match and, as a result, such throws and decided the whole outcome, even falling from the cage did not stop the girls from destroying each other. Super final drama :()"
[10.0] "This match is the apex of Stardom's storytelling and a prime example of why Tam Nakano is the best in her field currently. A historic moment for the promotion for sure, and arguably the best match of 2022 - mens or womens, in any promotion. Nakano's violent onslaught against her former friend was a brutal reminder of her willingness to prove she is the best, while Poi put on a brave face that was ultimately all for naught. This is a must watch contest in my opinion and a reminder that Tam Nakano is more than just a cute face, but a storytelling master."
"[10.0] this match show that tam is at the top of stardom she is someone everyone wants to be or beat a idol wrestler who is great in the ring her white belt run told a story Unagi wanted to show she can beat tam and take her belt because she got luck in 5 star and was shown she not on her level. she beat Mina after mina got mad that tam was only thinking about mayu and Arisa and not her and wanted to take the belt away to get her friend back . Saya wanted to beat tam because she trained her and never gave up on her . tam didnt understand that Natsupoi was watching tam and saw what she wanted to be a tough girl who can still look cute and she used tam as way to unlock her full potential and every time they in the ring she can see who she wanted to be this match was about tam and Natsupoi raging out on each other and tam now understanding that she is the mayu to natsupoi . she is not at the botton anymore she is not someone people will ever look pass but she is turning into mayu to natsupoi . this match is the best match i seen with a women in a cage they used that cage and love that you have to pin the person because you get out the cage . if you looking at this match by itself than you might not like it but if you followed tam and natsupoi this is the best match for natsupoi and this is another great match in tam catalog in stardom where she teaching someone in the ring and showing after it she cares about her opponent . tam is the best in stardom who will bring you to another level"
[10.0] "Forget just the great wrestling, the emotion that came through this match was incredible. Reminded me of the Cody/Dustin match in term of the emotion that came through. I wish they showed the crowd, I? m sure people in the crowd were weeping."
[5.0] "People seemed to have entered a high rating for this match simply because it occurred in a cage which really is pathetic reasoning (like those people who say a film is great because at one point someone gets their head blown off). What I find it to be is an example of the majority of bad elements of current Stardom, not a patch on their white belt match in 2021 and another unenjoyable singles match from a wrestler I actually do love. Tam Nakano still has all the requisite skills to have great singles matches, still does have them on occasion, and always delivers in tag matches. However, it mostly seems that the Tam Nakano that had essentially straight wrestling stormers in the past with Mayu Iwatani (24.01.21) and Natsupoi (4.4.21) has been replaced with someone who has come to the conclusion that what Stardom really needs is hammy theatrics and overwrought displays of emotion without any of the excellent storyline building that justifies it (for example, one of the things that re-ignited this feud was, staggeringly, an arguement on twitter about the backstage catering and it goes straight into a cage match, wtf? ). Also, there really is a noticeable amount of botches in this match that made Tam and Poi almost look shindy. When watching this match I couldn't help but feel "I would never show this to a newbie of joshi puroresu; it'd probs be slightly cringey". One of my favourite wrestlers, man or woman, is Akira Hokuto and one feels that Tam needs to be shown her matches to make her understand how well emotionality in wrestling can be done."
[10.0] "One of the things I like best in wrestling is when I can gauge the emotion and story from the match itself even if I don't know the backstory, and I felt that tremendously here. It was clear there was a depth of personal hurt between these two and they really took it out on each other in fantastic fashion. Excellent use of the cage, many tough looking spots, I'll definitely remember both women grating each other's face on the cage at the same time, willing the other to give up first. Nice tweak on the rules as well, I thought it worked quite well."
[7.0] "Though Miss Nakano did not grow up in Nagoya per-se, she is from this prefecture, though I don't feel the same bond Kyona had with this crowd. Japan's relationship with steel cages is not nearly as extensive as in-the-States, but as this is Stardom I knew they would add their own kink to the traditional 'steel cage' rules, aka 'Texas Death, ' but instead of the defeated wrestler having to stand by the count-to-ten, here she needs to prevent the other from departing the cage. The match itself was at-times vicious w/ some big bumps (Nakano taking a German from the top rope, ) but also not particularly competitive as Natsupoi lacked the size-physicality to believably compete with Tam in this type of encounter. A forceful emotional confrontation followed. I don't particularly feel who Natsupoi is outside an ambitious acrobatic young lady, but Tam's earned-maturity, intensity & status overcame that. 3 1/2"
[6.0] "I wanted to like this so badly. Natsupoi is probably my favorite overall, and I really don't have the issues with Tam that I see other commenters have. That being said, this was a bit tough to watch at times. The girls were stiff, and the suplexes looked great... in fact, most moves and sequences on the mat worked out nicely. You could also tell it was a blood feud. They had that fire in their eyes, and they weren't afraid to make it hurt. I like the rules too! I may be in the minority, but I love that you have to beat your opponent down enough that you can pin them AND have to escape. Just running away, or climbing away, from a blood match never made sense to me in other cage matches, so this seemed sensible. Unfortunately, there were some a few moments where the momentum just came to a screeching halt... especially the punch-off at the top of the cage. The lack of audience participation really hurts a match designed to slow down and let the crowd respond to each hit... but they can't, so it's silence for far too long. When they finally fell, there wasn't a satisfying bump and the fall felt unearned. This wasn't the only spot that hurt the pace though, it was on and off all match. It just... didn't really build. I liked the finish, seeing Tam choke Nat out while hanging (a week before Brody King did it to Darby Allin). It definitely felt brutal. They can do better."
[4.0] "I thought it was odd that the ref was in the ring and acting like it was a regular match. Shouldn't the ref just let them fight it out till the end in this cage match? I didn't think they used the cage very well for the most part, and it seemed the cage was more in the way than something they'd use to their benefit of telling a story. The rules that were added were confusing and made no sense... Nakano pinned Natsupoi, but it wasn't over, because you'd have to pin your opponent before being allowed to attempt to escape the cage. A bit later, Natspoi pinned Tam and was allowed to escape, but Tam would stop her. At some point they were sitting on top of the cage and they were hitting each other very melodramatically. This came across more like a bad piece of theater performance than a wrestling match. It was a slow match that lacked urgency for the most part. The finish also was really lacking and kinda came out without any good build towards it."
[9.0] "It would have been nice for the rules to be properly explained in English beforehand. I hate WWE cagematch rules but these made a lot more sense. The early pins were kind of silly when it usually takes so much to pin Tam in particular but otherwise this was an amazing match. Tam and Poi have amazing chemistry and they destroyed each other while making full use of the cage structure itself."
[6.0] "This wasn't really the one for me. This felt like a classic Tam "we make intense faces at each other in lieu of psychology" match, with added convoluted rules that even though I knew what they were going in I still wasn't able to track well. At what point does the 3-count allowing you to escape stop allowing you to escape? What if they fell out during their top of cage spots? None of this was cared about in the match, we could literally feel the wrestlers play the pre planned spots out with no regard for their implications. The spots themselves were marvellous, high-stakes high-risk wrestling that was the only real takeaway here aside from the great post-match promo."
[9.0] "This was great. Just violence between two people who have a history with one another, bubbling up to the surface. There were some gnarly spots in this match. ****1/4"
[2.0] "This one was a misfire. It starts with the bizarre rule forcing a pinfall before attempting to escape the cage, which led to way more three-counts than you should ever see in a singles match. It continued with the atmosphere, which was eerily quiet almost the entire time. There were a few spots where a hushed silence enhanced the story but for most of its runtime the empty warehouse feel just deflated the intensity. Finally I just didn't like the work here, particularly the inconsistent selling and the awkward cage climbing. Nothing in this match felt like an actual fight - everything from how badly the wrestlers were hurt to their emotions to how determined they were to actually escape felt decided not by natural psychology but the demands of the preplanned layout. Just weird and lacking, and not engaging at all."
[7.0] "Okay, so, I am a big fan of both Tam and Natsupoi. That being said, this match was a bit disappointing. For one, I wasn't a fan of the rules. Having to pin and then climb the cage was ridiculous, it should just be one or the other. Second, the pacing of the match was very slow and never really got into 2nd gear. There were positives, though. The match was hard hitting, leaving both Tam and Poi looking hurt by the end of it. And I enjoyed most of the cage based offense."
[10.0] "I won't make everyone think Tam's form of telling her stories is the best but for me it is. The emotion she's able to portray from her facial expressions to how agressive she is, to what moves she does at a certain time is just phenomenal. Natsupoi is also one of the best female wrestlers in the world that in a less stacked roster would probably be top 2 or 3 but since Stardom has such a deep, insanely talented roster people sometimes don't even remember her. She should be White Belt champion at some point, this match is just further proof. The pace was slower, the hits were hard, the spots were incredibly well built and felt earned. They perfectlly showcased every emotion in the book, from hatred to regret to sadness, everything. This is one of Stardom's best matches this year. ****1/2"
[1.0] "In this match, pretty much all of Tam Nakano's bad tendencies amplified to 12 - there was a 20+ minute pre-match VTR (a time-killer to set up the cage, I understand, but nonetheless) and the build-up still felt weak and desperate (it felt like they wanted to have a featured match more than invest the audience in their story), everything had to be overly-dramatic in a hilariously bad (and totally fake) way, rule-set somehow made everything they did in the ring mean less while in-ring action itself was weak and boring, so of course, for some reason, this match had to keep fucking going. It goes without saying that finish fell flat and Nakano's win meant nothing. Both wrestlers came out of this match looking much worse than they were coming in."
[9.0] "All I really want to say about this match is 2 things: (1) Tam Nakano is one of the best storytellers in pro wrestling. (2) Cosmic Angels vs. Donna Del Mondo is one of the best wrestling feuds of the last 5 years."
[5.0] "frankly as much as like these two wrestlers this did very little for me. the blame can only be placed on Rossy for booking such a heatless cage match, but I felt the combination of rules for this stip and the lack of buildup or story preceding the match did it no favors. good ending/aftermatch though im not sure the moment was earned.."
[9.0] "Although Nakano and Natsupoi started out slowly, the consistently built the story of the match. They did a great job early on utilizing the cage, and the pace began to build as they went into more traditional wrestling. I actually thought the finish would have been better had Tam just escaped after the Screwdriver, as the guillotine on Natsupoi came off as a bit of an anti-climatic final move. Still, this was a brilliant match overall. ****1/2"
[10.0] "If you enjoy methodical storytelling matches, then this is the prefect match for you. If you watch for wrestling for fast-paced action, you're going to despise this. I enjoy story matches so this hit for me fully. While the "pin before you escape" rule was odd, it didn't take enough away to give it any less than a 10. Both competitors played the role perfectly and added to the story with brutal strikes and use of the cage. The chokeout spot at the end was the perfect end to the dramatic match. Tam is divisive, you love or hate her matches with little in between but even if you don't like her style, nobody can say she is bad at that style. Matter of personal taste and that taste is my kind of taste."
[10.0] "This had such an unsettling and breathless atmosphere yet was so addictive. Two cute idol wrestlers with various moe elements dared to show their ugly side. Grotesque flesh-shaving assaults using the wired mesh of the cage, and heavy slaps and kicks and crushing suplexes. The VSD being performed in deafening silence was chilling and the hanging finish will surely be etched in the history of Reiwa. Natsupoi came to Stardom seeking this type of emotion driven grudge match and it was great to see her in such a fulfilling role with Tam, with whom she has a dark and complex relationship. ****1/2"
[10.0] "Awesome match. They made a bit of everything, as the match started like a nice brawl, throwing eachothers in the cage. They had some falls grinding against the cage who looked pretty sick. A nice high speed type exchange in the middle and then started to throw each other on the head. The spot where there both sitting on th edge of the cage and slapping each other looked cool and dramatic. Tam Nakano throwing Natsupoi on her head with a Viloet Screwdriver bump my rating to a 10."
[8.0] "Synonymous with compelling. This was a slow-paced match, where the story matters way more than the actual in-ring action. Despite being slow, this is also completely brutal, adding a lot to the story they were telling all along. Also, Tam Nakano absolutely obliteraing Natsupoi at the very end was simply perfect. ****1/4"
[8.0] "A great match that could? ve been even better with both major and minor changes to the match. The use of the pinfalls was a total lack of logic to how wrestling is worked in most of the matches within the company, similar to the Iron Man flaw where falls come way more easily then they do in any other setting. And the finish, the screwdriver was perfect but they had to get one spot in. *sigh* Nevertheless, every other aspect of the match was excellent and went beyond my expectations. This was way more violent than I expected as well. The use of the cage walls was great, fitting the rough and heavy style that they went for, but every other aspect of their performance was perfectly befitting of a grudge match, which I assumed this was. Great match. ****"
[6.0] "Between the convoluted rule set, the overindulgent storyline, and the lack of sensical match psychology, this match had so many things that made it difficult to watch. I won't deny the talent of the people in the match, and the parts that were done well were done very well. That's why I personally couldn't justify giving this a score lower than 6."
[9.0] "Great match. Wrestlers gived everything they had. Some awesome spot underlined the intensity of the fight. The only negative point was of course the rules of the matchthat do not makes a lot of sens and disturbed the rythm. 4, 5*"
[8.0] "On one hand, this match had a confusing ruleset, was all over the place and had some glaring botches. On the other hand, they really did treat this like a blood feud match, there were some tense and crazy moments and the ending was violent like a match of this nature should be. I didn't love this like many others, but the storytelling was pretty good and the ending was fitting. An 8 might be low to some, but it is fitting considering how much of a roller coaster this was."
[8.0] "A good match with a few protractions that make it a bit hard to watch. I liked the rules of the match even though it seemed that Natsupoi reashed her second pin too easy. In general, the girls acted well in terms of the logic of what is happening. And the destruction from Tam at the end was epic."
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