Natsuko Tora vs. Tam Nakano

[2.0] "Pre-match VTR showed Tora/Nakano 'feud' from 2017-2018, but funnily enough they didn't include portions from their matches in early summer or a match for trios titles in September that year - they did have a small little thing going at the time, but it worked because it was about two plucky underdogs trying their hardest to not being left behind because everyone around them was growing and improving at a much faster rate than they were. In 2023, as a Red Belt title match, revisiting that bleep on the radar even in the context of that particular era of the promotion is just laughable - Tora was never a threat and Nakano is just a weak champion. The match was generic, boring and long for the sake of long even before Nakano's injury, neither wrestler's performance was on the level that one would expect from a World of STARDOM title match."

[8.0] "A fine if not particularly remarkable world title match. What sticks in my mind the most was the finish. Having hit a great looking Screwdriver earlier in the match Tam intended to use this move for the finish as well. Something that proved to be too ambitious on the much larger Natsuko Tora. After failing to get Tora up they really should have switched to a different finisher as the resulting move did not look as intended, was potentially dangerous and presumably resulted in Tam's injury as well? Hindsight I know."

[8.0] "This match underscored the significance of seconds in joshi pro-wrestling. There was such a dangerous and strange ambiance with no one out there to provide support and encouragement. The wrestling itself was equally imbued with a sense of danger. As the match reached its climax, it ventured into genuinely harrowing moments such as an avalanche Death Valley Bomb from Natsuko Tora that landed at a scary angle, and a VSD from Tam Nakano looked rough for both wrestlers. It was a physically and emotionally demanding main event, with a classic good and evil dynamic that could be understood based on appearances alone. ****"

[4.0] "Tam probably got rocked after the horrible neck bump at the beginning of the match and she never came back. The Natsuko's domination part was slow and boring, the whole section outside was meaningless and Tam didn't have any juice to make a strong comeback and at least deliver a decent finish. Infortunate circumstances but not a good match by any means."

[7.0] "A very good match between these two that never rose to the level I was hoping for, despite both ladies taking some absolutely gnarly bumps throughout. I think both are capable of a lot more than this but things just didn't end up clicking to really elevate the match"

[5.0] "I am definitely a fan of Tam Road, but I'm as equally not a fan of Natsuko Tora. Of all the faction leaders and big p;layers, she feels like the least significant as a character and the least interesting in the ring. This turned out way too slow for my liking and is in the lower end of Tam defenses."

[4.0] "Their 5SGP tournament match was unenjoyable, and I just was glad for Natsuko, but this match didn't let me enjoy anything and was even worse. The result was predictable and right, okay, but the rest of the match matters more. It was disappointing almost right from the start and until the very end. Tora knows how to be an interesting heel, Nakano knows how to be a beliavable and charming underdog even being a champion, but in this match nothing worked. Furthermore, Tam didn't look very smart during the ramp spot with a chair. They did some big moments, they could be impressive for someone, but not for me, because everyrhing was disappointing and had a lack of chemidtry."

[3.0] "Well, for me it was a disappointing event, and the main match fully corresponds to this. It's kind of soft, boring and empty. Both women know how to play interesting storytelling, but in fact their interaction was something that didn't reflect the subtleties of their characters in any way, if not for the use of the chair by the OT leader, I wouldn't even understand who the negative character is here. The final of the match didn't help either, as these were ordinary big moves, and the last minute affected the impressions only in a negative way, because Natsuko was literally pressed with the back of her head into the canvas, because the move had to be executed, even if Nakano can't control the fall of her opponent. As for me, the match, of course, is not a complete disaster (although the worst on a bad show), but there is nothing in it for at least some positive rating (*3/4)."

[7.0] "Wasnt really rocking with this one, match was way too slow for my taste and it only got really accelerating near the en, the final Violet Driver was fucking sick though, basically some of the best out of Natsuko Tora youre gonna get, one of the milder Red Belt matches."

[8.0] "A very good bout between Tam and Natsuko. They told a good story with Tam having to overcome Natsuko's overwhelming force and underhanded tactics. Some of the bumps (in particular the finish) looked rough, but in an overall great way. This was a good milestone on Tam's overall World title reign."

[8.0] "I'm glad I'm not the only one who really liked this. Honestly I unapologetically loved this, at least until the final minutes. I usually dislike when matches go outside the ring, but it worked here, especially since it was so early on. It worked for Tora, gave a Tam match a new edge and the lack of seconds made it click nicely. Tam took some insane bumps and it made Tora feel like a thread. It felt fresh and different for Stardom, which sounds crazy, but it did. Due to the different nature of it, the first 15 minutes flew by. I never thought I would say that about a Tora match, but it was the case this time. This will not make MOTY lists or anything, nor does it need to. But it worked for what it was intended to do, made Tora feel like the big deal she has become, and I loved it for what it was. the ending was unfortunate, but still, until that ending stretch, this was an 8/10 match for me."

[8.0] "This was really good stuff. Tora is fantastic when it comes to dominating her opponents and it is just so fun to watch her do it. There were moments where I truly thought Tora could do it but Tam is just resilient as ever. The screwdriver that Tam hits at the end is just absolutely brutal."