"Insane match. Mayus' dragon suplexs' were superb. Io went full boss mode with the triple german suplex spot. Loads of fun watching it and being surprised by the near falls when you thought the match was over. Great match in the Stardoms history books."
[10.0] "An absolutely outstanding match between Io Shirai and Mayu Iwatani. Io impresses me more each time I see her, and she's quickly become one of my faves. And then we have Mayu, who I'd never seen wrestle before, and she was just as impressive! These two are so innovative, busting out stuff I've never seen before. Mayu's dragon suplexes were VICIOUS, and Io did a triple german suplex the likes of which I've never seen before. Their chemistry was off the charts, and not a second of this match lost me, and though it was only 17 minutes long, it didn't feel too short since they packed so much in. Even though Mayu lost, she looked incredibly strong (kicking out of Io's moonsault at a 1 count! ). Incredible women's match, and the best of the year. The perfect sub-20 minute match."
[10.0] "PHENOMENAL! I watched their Galaxy Stars 2017 match first and i thought there is no way they could exceed that match but this one here was slightly better. Storytelling was really good here, Io betrayed Mayu and formed Queen's Quest, she thought Mayu isn't on her level but this match definitely proved how amazing both of them are. Shirai was just playing with Iwatani, doing whatever she wanted with her but after a few minutes of torture Mayu made her comeback. She hit Io with so many BRUTAL moves, stomps on her back almost bending it, kicking her head and that beautiful but insanely lethal dragon suplex. Io eventually got her aggressive moments too, 3 suplexes in a row, piledriver and 3 moonsaults. Shirai won after this combo and retained the red belt but my real question is how they managed to not get injured here? They were literally trying to kill each other, all those moves would paralyze a "normal" person but they were still fight like nothing happened, one word - IMPRESSIVE. This match got one little problem, Mayu wasn't selling her knee, Io really punished that knee in the first minutes of the match and i felt like she forgot her knee was hurting but it as i said it's small detail that is not very important. Overall, it was definitely their best match and i really hope we're gonna see them in the ring one more time (idc which company, just make it happen) *****"
[10.0] "Out of body experience watching this match for the first time. I felt the same way watching the Okada Omega series. Chills. Simply amazing. ****3/4"
[10.0] "Still their best match against each other, hopefully one day they'll meet in the ring again. But until then, this is their pinnacle and it's very tough to surpass everything they did here. Moves, action, storytelling was all sublime. IO overcoming a relentless Mayu who wouldn't give up."
[10.0] "Ruthless match, always loved Io but going back and watching these makes me appreciate her so much more. The triple german suplex and the moonsaults to finish were wrestling perfection. *****"
[10.0] "[*****] The single greatest womens match I have ever seen, at least from an in-ring perspective. I'm not familiar with wrestling storylines outside the WWE and am expanding my horizons to learn more about different promotions. This match was a great introduction to Joshi wrestling for me. So many fun spots, so many false finishes, a lot of brutal moment like Iwatami kicking Io's head through the ropes, the 15 suplexes that looked like both broke 3 vertebrae, and the overall chemistry they had was mesmerizing. Mayu's dropkicks like off the tope rope was awesome. That end sequence kept me on the edge of my seat, with Io first doing a TRIPLE CHAOS THEORY(? ! ? ! ? ! ? ) for Iwatami to kick out. Then Io's trademark Over the MoonSault, only for Iwatami to kick out at one. Io hit another one to seal the win. This match was so damn good."
[9.0] "This was a really terrific match, the only issue is the lack of match psychology that keeps it from being an absolute 10. Its really really great work and I think Shirai really shines in this match. But the story in the match isn't as wonderful as the story outside of it, and think that there's a few things that don't make sense, mostly when it comes to Iwatani's offense despite the focus of Io on Mayu's knee. Iwatami gets better obviously, but there's an element of story that is just missed out on here because of it that keeps it from being a 10."
[9.0] "This is one of the best matches in the history of STARDOM! It is sensational and the definition of Mayu Iwatani's position as the company's underdog - until it was elevated to Ace years later - is contemplated with almost perfection. Two former friends fighting each other for the top of the company. Io Shirai betrayed Mayu Iwatani about a month before this match and created Queen's Quest, so this fight was not only worth the title but also represented something more for the two. Shirai spent part of the beginning of the fight wanting to show that she was correct in abandoning Mayu and that she was not at her level, a job that Io, in all her arrogance and arrogance, did very well, she was not taking the match seriously and having fun while throwing Mayu against the ground or getting irritated by Mayu leaving the position of a dive and then hitting a dropkick. And the sequence of seeing her lose her smile when she saw Mayu not give up, in a hurry to finish the match while the opponent could resist, Io Shirai was really angry. Although excellent, I must say that it is disappointing to see that after so much being hit on the leg by Io, Iwatani did not sell his leg well at all, in a terrible way and forgetting all the work that Shirai had previously. Mayu hits several blows, an offensive of dropkicks, superkicks and even a diving crossbody out of the ring (impressive the height and distance she arrives) with the leg that in theory should be hurt... it took me a little from what should be Iwatani's great return in attacking the champion. Those Iwatani stomps on Shirai's back are INSANE, Shirai's backs seem to bend to the point of giving the impression that they will break. It is with the girl frightened by the buller in the figure of Shirai releasing all her anger in INSANE blows like the Tiger Suplex outside the ring that we see how superior Io Shirai was in relation to fundamentals such as selling, Shirai seemed completely destroyed and unable to return to the ring until the 19th count, and even after a surprising return inside the ring, it was the canvas with pains in the neck. It's amazing that Io Shirai didn't come out with any injuries after that Tiger Suplex in the apron or after receiving the dropkick on the back while stuck on the ropes. If you should praise how beautiful, heavy and brutal Mayu Iwatani's blows are during combat, one of the Tiger Suplex she applies has a perfect bridge that is to question the existence of a column in that woman! The nearfalls are breathtaking and it is in these last minutes that Io Shirai decides to show who he really is, the three German Suplex in a row are beautiful, destructive and BRUTAL! This match is not only very physical but also very emotional, the reason for this are its nearfalls and the kickout AT ONE coming from Mayu after a Moonsault, damn it! Mayu Iwatani had really awakened all her fighting spirit and if placed once and for all in the top card of the company there, she raised her level and seemed very close to finishing her story, to raising the Red Belt... however, again Io Shirai proved to be superior by destroying the dreams of his former partner with two Moonsaults. This match borders on perfection and has an excellent storytelling, it is one of the matches that made STARDOM raise its level and would be perfect if it weren't for Mayu's selling. The conquest of the future Ace would only come a year later. [4.75*]"
[9.0] "The triple German suplex spot was top tier, the final 10 minutes were just amazing and overall match was great. Good pace, a great storytelling between a heel and a fighting babyface. The best I've seen from both girls"
[10.0] "Unbelievable match, feels like they were able to fit so much into 17 minutes. The match didnt feel too long or too short both women were able to showcase their talent, with Io coming out of the gate strong and controlling a lot of the match for the early goings, before Mayu shifts the tide into her favor and delivers two hard snap dragon suplexes, one to the outside matting and the last one onto the ring apron which was very hard to watch. This match had a lot of suplexes from both parties, with Io hitting a very nice sequence of suplexes and rolling through to carry on the chain. A lot of near falls onto Io with Mayu being so close to dethroning Io. She would finish the match with two moonsaults consecutively, her moonsaults are perfection. Overall I really loved this match and I am excited to delve more into stardom!"
[9.0] "When two cooks get in the ring and serve up a gourmet dish is how I describe this match. Top notch heel work fro Io and Mayu's rare bits of offense here and there are great. / Incredible 9.25/10 / SOTM (Spot of the Match): Io counters Mayu's Top Rope Dragon Suplex into Three NASTY German suplexes"
[9.0] "My first Mayu Iwatani match. Absolutely fell in love with her here, she is an amazing underdog and I loved the spot where she tapped Io in the ropes and hit the dropkick. Io displayed impressive strength with the triple rolling German suplex and worked on the leg of Mayu throughout the match. Mayu hit a brutal dragon suplex on the floor to which Io got back in the ring at a nineteen count and later another dragon suplex on the apron. In the finishing stretch of the match, Io hit a moonsault on Mayu which Mayu kicked out of at one. Io then hit her with a further two moonsaults to secure the victory. (****3/4)"
[9.0] "This is a vitally important match, especially in Mayu Iwatani's career. Io shortly prior turned on her friend and tag partner and told her she was worthless. Mayu came here to beat Io, prove she wasn't worthless and was in fact strong. She showed a level of toughness she hadn't shown quite before, whether it be against Meiko Satomura or otherwise. Kicks out of an Io moonsault at one, but that just pissed Shirai off further. A remarkable match, but to me not a full 5 star. ****1/2"
[10.0] "It's not my personal favorite joshi match, probably not even in top 10, but it totally deserves the recognition it's getting. For many, this was the first or one of the first matches they watched in Stardom, and it really is perfect for that. High pacr, face/heel dynamics, impressive moves... Obviously, this is the main highlight of Shirai's reign."
[9.0] "Great match. Fluid in ring action, excellent pacing, the match never dragged and had a nice flow. The first half of the match was a clinic by Io Shirai, she had an answer to everything Mayu did-it was a clever game plan by Io who knew almost everything about Mayu; the leg work by Io was in particular very impressive and props to Mayu for the selling. The second half was back and forth action, the nearfalls and false finishes were great; In particular, I really liked the suplex sequences- It was superbly done. Outstanding performance by both women. ****1/2"
[7.0] "It was very good, though I don't find it quite as brilliant as some. On the surface and given the story, one would assume this to have a more classic underdog face vs. dominant heel dynamic and structure, but that wasn't really the case as Mayu and Io got similar amounts of offense and it was very back and forth. Io first targetted Mayu's leg and it looked really good but unfortunately, she went the Ibushi route of selling in the moment and forgetting later. It wasn't that bad though as it didn't play into much of the rest of the bout. Then they start taking turns hitting some awesome-looking offensive moves; the whole sequence of Io missing the 619 and getting caught on the ropes for dropkicks was fantastic. The middle and latter parts were dominated by dragon suplexes, and while they all looked impressive as hell, it did get repetitive. Io disrespecting Mayu while hitting two fantastic moonsaults was a great ending. On another note, I don't know on what kind of budget Stardom was at the end of 2016, but the production quality really hurt this as a viewing experience for me, the hard cam was greatly missed. (* * * 3/4)"
[10.0] "Eins der besten Stardom und auch generell Joshi Matches aller Zeiten. Io Shirai mir kürzlich neuer Attitude im Match, viel aggressiver als sonst. Io bearbeiten bestialisch Mayu*s Bein, sie sich immer zurückkämpft, es geht mit harten Moves hin und her wie den Dragon Suplex, tolle Story."
[9.0] "This was my first Stardom match that drew my attention to joshi puroresu, and oh, man, it was great. Io played an excellent heel role here, destroying Mayu at the beginning and not taking her serious as a contender for her title, but then Mayu stepped up and gave her what might have been a fight of her life. After surviving a series of nasty suplexes, Io left Mayu no chance as she paralyzed her with Tombstone and finished things off with two consecutive moonsaults. That was a star-making perfomance and an important chapter in their careers. Perhaps one of the best women's matches I have seen in the modern era. [* * * * ½]"
[9.0] "This was excellent. Io Shirai is newly turned heel and is uber arrogant towards the one she turned on. But Mayu sees that as an opportunity and unleashes a totally blitz of dangerous and forceful offence. Io mounts a comeback though and eventually goes through a barrage of suplexes. Mayu is a brilliant seller in the way she rag dolls herself on them too. She also has an uncanny ability to milk every nearfall for all its worth. Mayu has never been so close to the title but it was just out of her reach still. Brilliant match. ****1/2"
[10.0] "Top tier match, 5 star level in my book. Io Shirai has been one of the best wrestlers in the world for years now, and Iwatani really isn't all that far behind. Creative and impressive offense throughout, and a nice sense of both characters too even if you don't know the story."
[9.0] "My first Stardom match and i was not disappointed. It also raises the question as to why WON didn't give ratings to more of these Stardom classics. The story going in was simple but effective. Io betrayed her friend Mayu, so this gives both women key roles to play. Io was a fantastic heel like she always is, and Mayu played her underdog babyface role perfectly. She's just so adorable and likable. The first half is heavily dominated by Io and she works great on top, but i didn't understand the leg work. Mayu sold well in real time but her long term selling totally brushed it off. It's nothing major so i don't discredit anything else within this match, because everything else is awesome. The finishing stretch was great and Mayu's final hope spots like the kickout at 1 were perfectly timed. ****1/2"
[4.0] "This was by no means a bad match, and it featured some pretty big bumps and wild moves from both Shirai and Iwatani, but it did absolutely nothing for me, at all. The referee wasn't particularly good, either, being slow on the mark when it came to making some counts and badly botching a near-fall as well."
[8.0] "8. 25/10 : Damn what a match these two just had ! This is the first ever japanese women's match I ever watch and DAMN are they all like Kota Ibushi's sisters cause none of them have NECKS or care for them at all. Geez, really scary dangerous stuff that made my eyes pop. Major props to both women for an eye-boggling experience."
[9.0] "This wasn't that long of a match with half of it being dedicated to suplexes and moonsaults and the other half of the match being dedicated to destroying Mayu's leg, which didn't really matter towards the end of the match. The suplexes were nasty as hell with Io's German versus Mayu's Dragon, one Dragon Suplex being on the outside and the apron with about 2-3 more inside with basically the same with the Germans with a nice roll through sequence with them. In the end Io won with two moonsaults and one detail I liked is that she would purposely finish something up so that she could step on and over Mayu to go for the moonsault afterwards. The kickouts were great although there may have been one too many suplexes. Regardless, really good match. (****1/2)"
[9.0] "Loads of fun! My main gripe is with the legwork done by Io not being sold by Mayu, because a significant portion of the early part of the match is dedicated to that. And then she just no-sells it the rest of the way. Lame. That being said, the rest of the action is awesome! Lots of highlights, including a dragon suplex on the apron, one on the floor, a kickout at 1 (! ) after a lovely moonsault towards the end, and then the entire finishing sequence, which is something to behold. ****1/2."
[10.0] "Oh, good lord. What a match ! One of the best women match I have ever seen. Io proves that she is one of the best in the world male or female. This match had almost everything : intensity, insanity, high impact moves, great nearfalls, hot crowd. Io may do some of the best bridging suplexes I have ever seen. Her skill was just out of the world, so awesome. Mayu was also good in this match. She played good face role and the kick out at 1 was well-timing. Nothing against mayu, but Io was a total star in this match."
[10.0] "The match opens with Io offering Mayu a handshake, which Mayu considers insincere after Io's refusing a handshake in their tag match previous to this. So Mayu smacks her face and attempts a suplex but Io powers out. Mayu then attempts a hurricanrana only for Io to land in a handstand position and flip onto her feet. Sets the scene for the match excellently. The psychology of the match is Io is way above Mayu's level. Mayu's a quiet and shy character but there's this bottled up rage inside her building from every time these past months Io has patronised, demeaned and just straight out humiliated her. Mayu attacks with more ferocity than ever but Io still has an answer to most of her new found violent edge. Io gets increasingly angry too as the match goes on, that this mere mortal dare challenge her like this. Io's anger is self-righteous and disdainful whereas Mayu's is a justified reaction to being bullied. Mayu's biggest attempt to win the match a dragon suplex off the top rope just ends with Io landing on her feet and throwing German suplexes and her fantastic moonsault. Mayu kicks out AT 1! What an awesome fighting-spirit spot, not no-selling but where you still feel she's badly hurt but is running on pure adrenaline. Mayu attempts a tombstone but Io reverses it into her own. Double moonsault, Io wins. There are a few minor flaws in the ring-work, some transitions weren't prefect but they're not much of an issue to me and the story-telling is 5 stars worthy. ****3/4"
[10.0] "(**** 3/4) OMG , that was damn awesome , very alert and intense , for sure one of the best women match I ever seen. Those suplexes were damn sick and very well thought. I think both of them deserve to fight in a better company in front of many people"
[8.0] "This was a great match and a great way to close out Stardom's 2016. The story coming in was great: Io had betrayed Mayu, her best friend, and now Mayu was coming back for revenge. This gave Mayu the babyface role, playing well off of Io's new, darker, heelish persona. I really enjoyed Io being a playful heel who took great joy in breaking Mayu down bit by bit. Io played her role well, as she seemed genuinely excited to beat Mayu down. This beat-down early on included some good working over of Mayu's right leg, although Mayu's long-term selling of it was heavily inconsistent (random grabbing of the leg to demonstrate pain, but no selling when actively using the leg). Ignoring the selling though, Mayu was great. She showed great determination and desperation to beat Io, and Io showed similar compelling emotions once Mayu unloaded her best moves, showing Io that she would have to take Mayu seriously and wouldn't be a pushover. It really felt important for both women to destroy the other and they both showed great endurance in pursuit of this, surviving some very impressive sequences and single-move spots from the other. The match did get rather formulaic at the end with a constant structure of a sequence or big-move followed by a near-fall, but both wrestlers executed these moves and near-falls with fantastic technique and acting, making it hard to really complain. The intensity kept increasing and Io was forced to go overkill to finally beat Mayu. ****"
[9.0] "Oh, Io, you malicious and insecure Goddess - during the finals of Stardom's Tag League, Io slapped and turned on her partner of four plus years for being a "loser, " setting up this match in which Iwatani was originally supposed to go-over. But then reports came out that Iwatani desires retirement after '17. So although rumors were rampant at that time, and now, that Shirai would depart w/ Hojo for WWE, the powers-that-be decided to not switch the belts. Nevertheless, this was bell-to-bell fluid action as Io Shirai has been, and still is, the best Big Match female wrestler in the world. It's been this way for years now, and noone comes close to her. Noone! Many of the other commentators have written about the sequences - Mayu's Dragon Suplex on the apron, Shirai flipping out of a top-rope SE Dragon and then hitting three rolling German's, Mayu superkicking Io on a moonsault attempt - and they're all great. Unlike the glut of matches I see on this site and others garnering four plus stars, and 9 & 10 ratings, this is one that is truly deserving of the moniker. Wow! My everlasting appreciaton to Io and Mayu - please, please stay in Japan Mistress Shirai, Please! Sure, you're currently a heel but don't get tempted to the true DarkSide, WWE."
[10.0] "This match was just incredible and probably the best match I've seen from either competitor. The story was told quite well and Io Shirai was freaking awesome here and Iwantani was really good but it was more so Io for me than anything although the match was all about Mayu trying to capture the gold from a fellow stable mate and leader of Queen's Quest in Io Shirai. Good use of psychology and the finishing stretch was amazing as well. Completely blows US women's wrestling out of the water for me. (****3/4)"
[9.0] "First ever Stardom match I have watched, and I was very impressed with it. They packed lots, and I mean LOTS of action into this - both girls impressed, especially Io Shirai who really came off as a great wrestler here. ****"
[9.0] "Io Shirai und Mayu Iwatani liefern hier wirklich ein großartiges Match. Io bearbeitet anfangs Mayus Bein, was diese jedoch einfach nicht interessiert, die extrem schmerzhafte Beinbearbeitung anfangs gegen das Adrenalin von Mayu, das im Match immer mehr wurde. Immer wieder zerstört sie Io mit dem Dragon Suplex ob auf den Hallenboden, das Apron oder später noch zweimal im Ring, aber Io gibt sich nicht geschlagen und wird ihrer großen Übermachtstellung hier gerecht. Mayu zeigt jedoch unfassbaren Fighting Spirit und kickt schließlich noch mit allem Adrenalin nach dem Moonsault bei 1 aus, packt noch mal den Dragon Suplex aus, was jedoch wieder ganz knapp nicht reichte, bis ihre Beine schließlich doch nachgaben und Io dadurch den Tombstone in einen ihrerseits kontern konnte und sie dann nach zwei weiteren Moonsaults pinnte. Ein einfach großartiges Match mit wunderbarem Storytelling und einer phänomenalen Schlussphase (****½)."
[9.0] "Der Anfang war sehr genial beide stehen irgendwo in einer Stadt gegenüber und laufen über einen Zebrastreifen und es gab einen kurzen Rückblick der Fehde zu sehen. Es wirkte so man sah den Zwist von zwei Schulfreundinnen. Dann das Match selbst, der Wahnsinn. Io wollte Mayus Bein brechen. Die Szenen wo Mayu das Bein ihm Stuhl hatte und dann kam Io angesprungen irgendwie ein Wunder das es nicht noch schlimmer mit Mayus Bein wurde. Auch sehr brutal die Szene beim Apron wo es einen Dragon Suplex zu sehen gab. Echt wieder mal ein Wahnsinn Maatch der Joshis (****1/2)."
[10.0] "I don't want to use the generic expression of "best friends now bitter enemies", but that worked great here. Crowd was mostly split 60/40 with the most being in favor of Shirai, even though she was playing the heel, but Iwa got a great reaction throughout the match as well. The best part of this match is the sotrytelling with Iwa being the underdog and Shirai being the dominant face, but ironically it was Iwa that controlled most of this match until the end. There were some brutal spots in this match with both delivering some nasty suplexes, and there is this insane no sell by Iwa at the end that freaked me out. This rivalry isn't done yet and I'm stoked to see more, ****3/4."
[8.0] "I gave this match **** stars out of five. Mayu worked a very good underdog role and Io was as good as any wrestler (male or female) in the world. The triple rolling german suplexes by Io are a sight to see. Hopefully this rivalry ends in Mayu eventually dethroning Io as the ace of the company."
[9.0] "Wonderful story told here, and yet a simple one about betrayal and a championship. Io can play the heel and the ace simultaneously, and that's really great, given that the crowd will still be somewhat behind her regardless. Mayu is very sympathetic and always has at least half of the crowd with her the whole match. The way she goes for Dragon Suplexes the whole match is good stuff, especially when Io hits one for a nearfall; the backflip out of the attempted Super Dragon Suplex into 3 Rolling Chaos Theory German Suplexes from Io was an incredible spot. This match felt climactic and worthy of a main event. Magnificent job from both women, two of a small pool who help carry Stardom. ****1/2"
[10.0] "Holy shit, this was an amazing high end motyc, the callbacks were good, the spots were crazy, great story tellingand the Samurai TV version had excellent camera work. ****3/4 stars."
