Maika vs. Syuri

[6.0] "While I wasn't expecting big venue class performances to take place in Takamatsu, this was, simply put, a dull match. Little of note happened other than the trading of headbutts towards the end. Great to see Maika pick up a big win though. ***"

[6.0] "I don't understand who decided that Maika is a banger machine in Stardom. because she usually has the biggest timing of the show, but she is definitely not. They had chemistry with Utami, but this match is much more generic. No scheme, no tactics from both sides. They just slowly exchanged attacks, but somehow Maika still destroyed Syuri. Well, not that I mind. Liked the dominant ending."

[4.0] "It looked like the most depressing match in history, and attempts to show tension and fight in random moments, along with the most uncharismatic attacks, looked ridiculous. Maika just took and won. Perhaps it would look brutal and cool if such a method had not already been shown earlier. Unfortunately, there are zero emotions from watching (**)."

[5.0] "For me it was a boring match with some really nice moments, but the length makes these things not so significant. I can understand why this match can be enjoyable for someone, I understood what Maika and Syuri did and for what, but I wasn't impressed or interested."

[9.0] "Another great match between Syuri and Maika even if it wasn't as good as their one last year. A simply told story with a lot of grappling at the beginning and over time it got more and more violent"

[7.0] "Started off with a little mat wrestling, unlike that other reviewer said, it wasn't "a lot of grappling at the beginning", it was like 20 seconds, 40 if you count the two headlock takeovers, Syuri kept going for the armbar but either couldn't get it in, or Maika was ready for the ropebreak, some basic start of the match action, Syuri dogded Maika's sliding lariat and Maika dogded Syuri's buzzsaw kick, it was good, then we get to the middle of the match, they did their moves, they looked good, but that's all there is, it was formulaic souless, looked good, but not great, wasn't very intense, but it had a decent level, felt like a skippable match for this section, until the sleeper spot, I heard recently that it takes 6 seconds for someone to pass out, and I know wrestling's fake, but every time I see a sleeper it bothers me for this, but it was still good, the instensity picked up, got some nice powerful moves, the headbutt spot was a bit too much for me, Syuri, after like 10 minutes, goes for the armbar again, transitions into a triangle ends up getting powerbombed and after two Michinoku Driver's Maika takes the victory. Good match with a mediocre middle, could've used more time, but 15min time limit, for reasons..."

[8.0] "Unlike Saki Kashima, Maika is definitely worthy of beating someone the caliber of Syuri, the current World of Stardom Champion. This match was great and further brought to light the kind of untapped potential that Maika really has. She definitely has a Singles title in her future. She might even be the one to dethrone Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Title now that I think about it. Rating for this match: ****"

[7.0] "There was a lot of really solid grappling in this one, but there wasn't much of a story beyond some arm work on Maika that wasn't sold that much. It definitely felt that these two could have an awesome battle of attrition if given 25 minutes, but the finish here was far too abrupt for the slow build they did in the 14 minutes allotted. Honestly, I am not a fan of the return to the fifteen minute time limit, as it has been difficult for methodical workers like Syuri, Utami, or Maika to shine. I would love to see the 20 minute limit return next year, possibly with four brackets instead of two in order to limit injury risk. ***1/4"

[8.0] "Probably the best match of the whole show. Maika is having a wonderful tournament, and now has turned the Michinoku Driver into a move she can hit anywhere. There is a clear love still between Maika and Syuri since they were the first two brought into DDM, and I love to see that. ****"

[9.0] "I thought this was even better than Utami vs Maika. This was awesome. Nice grappling, Syuri's kicks, Maika's power and a great finish with the upset. The spinning Michinoku Driver looked phenomenal. Around Top 5 matches in the tournament so far for me. ****1/4"

[8.0] "This was excellent and one of Maika's best singles match to date. It's certainly her biggest win, as she now owns a won over the current champion and could be in line for a title shot in the coming months. The match itself was intense with a good stalemate to start, followed by smooth and fast grappling sequences, and some big moves and tons of heart showcased by Maika along the way. There were a few short lulls, but they were followed up really strongly and were acceptable as a result. Whenever it looked like Syuri was about to take over, Maika kept finding a way to pull off a counter and even the playing field. That remained a theme throughout the match until the end. The only reason I'm not giving this a nine is because of the sequence of the headbutts, which I'll always hate, and this match really didn't need them. Other than that, I thought this was awesome, especially since we got a finish instead of the draw that was being teased in the final minutes, and with an excellent closing sequence to boot. The aftermath was sweet too, and I can't wait for their red belt match in the near future. Just no headbutts in that one please. ****"