[8.0] "I finally decided to watch this match, i was very curious why people have mixed feelings towards it and why it's considered mid/bad. Personally i've enjoyed it but man there's so many things that went wrong. Starting with the first fall, it was the best one with amazing action and actually there was nothing bad; the intensity was on point, you could tell their rivalry is heated and Momo scoring the first fall was well deserved as she wrestled like there was no tomorrow. The second fall is where the things start to get a bit messy, it's now a hardcore falls count anywhere which sounds cool but it was executed in weird way. Firstly everyone would expect Oedo Tai interferences as it was NO DQ so why there was barely any, i know it's weird that i have a problem to this but logically thinking they should have helped Watanabe. Also some spots were just not it but i have to praise them for taking some NASTY bumps throughout, such as those on the gems. Someone in the comments pointed out that Maika is not the best at working the crowd and that also stood out to me - she felt kinda robotic at times. After these 26 minutes ngl i was a bit bored, the 2nd fall dragged in some places. The final fall was absolutely not needed + it was last woman standing which extended it even more, they were tired and it was sold well but it felt empty at the same time. After 35 minutes Maika beat Momo which was bad idea to be fair, Watanabe clearly outwrestled Maika in every aspect and she should have walked out champion let's be honest. Overall it's definitely a good match with very strong start and middle part being great at times but maybe it would have worked better if it was standard best 2 out of 3 without the 3 stages of hell stipulations on top. ****"
[6.0] "Hmm, solid but like especially not special if that makes sense. The crowd felt so dull but they werent any different for Mayu vs Sareee so what could they do really? It was fine and I liked some spots like Momo throwing Maika into the chairs a million times. The ladder suplex was well done. It just didn't come together for me as a great three stages of hell main event that it couldve been. Also a million hours long. ***1/4"
[2.0] "First fall came across like a typical semi-main event of a just another 5 Star Grand Prix show - action was logical and good enough, but heated back and forth between these two didn't feel like a big deal. Watanabe beat Maika clean with her big finisher, but by that point STARDOM taught their audience that she is not a threat, she's never gonna win a big match again, so everyone knew that Maika would make a big comeback and win, but she just didn't make the crowd (and me) want to see her do that while looking as strong as possible in the process. Second fall totally exposed Maika as someone who didn't know how to work the crowd and make herself look good in that part of the match - she came across as a nice little 'student wrestler' who knew what to do, but really had no idea how to do it, she just went through her typical routine and got very little reaction when she won. Third fall didn't change things either - in a vacuum it had a decisive finish, but the work just as dull and forgettable as it was in the first two."
"A good match, but I feel like this could have been great if it were just a standard 2 out of 3 falls match. The first fall was great, but the second fall dragged the match down a little and whilst the work in the third fall was solid, last man standing matches just don't have the same drama as regular finishing stretches for me."
[10.0] "Underrated and hated match for no reason. Gimmick matches usually suck, but the fighting and storytelling that Momo and Maika put into the match were impeccable. It's impossible not to give a 10 out of 10 to this match. I hope in the future people can change theyr minds, everyone should watch and love this match"
[8.0] "It was going to be hard to follow up with such an amazing match like the IWGP womens title match but I still thought this was a good match. Was it MOTN? No, but it definitely wasnt a bad match at all. I was a little disappointed as I wanted Momo to win but they still delivered. Id give this 4 stars."
[7.0] "The first bout was excellent. The second was good despite some really weird spots. The last one was bad, with a bad ending. Momo completely outwrestled Maika during this match and showed once again why she should be the champion. But hey, Maika is charismatic and over with the fans so it justifies a title reign I guess. 3.75*"
[8.0] "The first fall was fantastic wrestling, giving the match a lot of promise. The second fall wasn't as good but it was still entertaining, the Michinoku Driver on the chairs was a great way to end the fall. What ruined the match for me was the last fall, Maika dominating the majority of it which made Watanabe look really weak. I was extremely disappointed with the result, Maika winning wasn't the right decision. STARDOM is making me have doubts, I have a feeling that Watanabe will never win the red belt. If they do want to put the belt on her, it should've been here."
[2.0] "It was really exhausting and disappointing clash. It didn't felt like they have starpower for main eventing biggest show of the year for Stardom. First fall was good, a lot of great wrestling here it was niece to watch. Unfortunertly second fall totally killed this match for me. It was soo bad and stupid i dont want to even write about it. At 3rd fall i was to bored to even care. Maika experiment isn't going well in my opinion, shme Starlight Kid AZM and Hazuki ares till waiting for their chance, i hate stardom booking in the past year+"
[7.0] "If it was maybe ten minutes shorter, then I think I would give it a better rating, but as much as I can appreciate many aspects of it, the second fall dragged a lot because it was all a matter of waiting for Maika to tie it up. Like others have mentioned, it might've made more sense with an Oedo Tai interference spot to spice it up."
[6.0] "[3.5*] Maika and Watanabe's effort for this match was incredible, it's the biggest match of Watanabe's life and she tried really hard throughout the match. I have to admit that I didn't like the two out of three falls THAT much, there were some good moments but I expected more from the first fall, the second fall had some really cool spots and I think it was the best fall of the match. The third fall was boring, they were already tired and apart from Maika's suplex sequence at the beginning there weren't many other great moments. The ending was creative and won points with me."
[7.0] "Somewhat difficult to rate. A very good opening fall where Momo showed some of her old level before a really poorly put together hardcore match, followed up by a solid finisher spam ending. Doesn't really elevate Momo and it's a defence for Maika, I guess- but it did not need the two out of three falls stipulation."
[8.0] "It was a good main event, a little slow as expected from a 2 out of 3 Falls. There was many good spots and strikes there, but not that many to fill a 35-minutes match, so it got stall in some moments. But a good match still. (****)."
[6.0] "A main event for the World of Stardom title, this was a mixed bag. It feels very forced and kind of desperate to make this a two out of three falls when there wasn't any explanation why. The first fall, which was a regular singles match, was genuinely great. Momo was taking it to Maika with some brutal kicks, but the champion kept fighting back. A lot of good, stiff exchanges here until Momo finally manages to get the pin. Had that been the match, awesome. Sadly, there's much more to come. The second fall, which was a falls count anywhere hardcore match, was flat out bad. Even with Momo ahead, it was obvious she was not going to win here. This would have been the perfect time for Oedo Tai to get involved since it's no disqualification, but for absolutely no reason they didn't try to help Momo at all. Just run in with weapons and beat up Maika for a few minutes. They built this part of the match around dropping each other onto plastic gems and falling off ladders the same height as the turnbuckle. Really weird. Maika wins. The third and final fall was a last woman standing, and this was fine. A lot of finisher spam until Momo can't get up, Maika wins to retain the title. With no major story to carry the stipulation, this was all unnecessary. The singles match would have been enough. 6.5/10"
[6.0] "Great first fall. The hardcore match had no drama whatsoever. I expected some form of Oedo Tai/ExV interference, and we got none of it. Oedo Tai members held table watching Momo get power bombed into the table and did nothing. Had they maybe established that Momo wanted to do this on her own with no involvement from Oedo Tai then fine. But during the entire build up she cheated to defeat some big names to get to this point so having no interferences and drama was jarring. The Last Woman Standing match felt flat which is understandable as the damage between both opponents was established from the first two falls. But the issue yet again is no sense of drama or urgency match felt under booked. There is a way to do interferences and not feel overbooked, there is a happy medium."
[8.0] "Great main event, I really enjoyed it and thought the stipulation was very well booked as it was basically a Three Stages of Hell and everything was really good, every part of the match was interesting in various registers and despite its long duration I must admit I was never lost in the match, it was well paced and the two actually had a great chemistry together. I liked a lot of things, and I really believed in Momo, but once again it just wasn't his night. But I'm convinced after this excellent main event that Momo will be the one to dethrone Maika, as the ending makes clear. A very good end to a very good show."
[7.0] "I mostly enjoyed this but the more I think about it, the less happy I am. Balancing Oedo Tai involvement with letting Maika and Momo have a great match was always going to be tricky but I think there couldve been more from the faction to build intrigue and drama. Plus, the whole second fall was just pedestrian and didnt take much advantage of the stipulation beyond a handful of nice spots. The opening fall was great and I thought parts of the final one were - thats really the issue to be honest. It never felt complete and jumped between good and bad so often that its hard to say I loved it overall."
[7.0] "Fantastic first fall that set up a good story of Momo destroying Maika but getting increasingly cocky and complacent in this lariat vs high kick battle. Unfortunately, the hardcore match, while it featured some great spots, also featured some embarrassing and phony spots. The final fall was very good and completed the story well. Had the second fall not existed this rating would be hihger."
[8.0] "They did the best they could given they are following 3 very good matches in a looking card, had to go quite long and needed to finish with last woman standing fall. I would have preferred if they just faced off in a standard 1v1. Maika still needs that great opponent for her title run."
[9.0] "Great match overall, regardless of whether the stipulation was needed or not. The first part with normal rules was awesome, everything you could expect from those two with stifgf srikes, nice counters and brutal power moves with a faster pace than you would have had in a tradional match. The hardcore part was good, though it didn't use the stipulation to its fullest (you have that barbwire bat and you don't use it to put some color on your opponent face ? ). The hardcore spot were well executed did'nt slow down the match and you still had ffine wrestling). The last woman standing final part was the most underwhelming, cerrtainly not bad but they sold almost too well the exhaustion and could have been a frantic struggle to get the win became a fairly sluggish, though still brutal exchange of big moves. Oedo Tai was shockingly almost uninvolded in the match. Momo getting the first fall was unexpected, it told a good story of the overconfident heel falling for her hubris with the stipulation backfiring against her while she would have won the match under normal rules."
[8.0] "The match definitely doesn't try to be a typical big show main event and that's what makes it memorable. I didn't find anything interesting in the first part, and just the bumps from the second part would certainly not be enough to give a rating of 8. I think the third part is by far the most psychological and the one that leaves a strong impression. This is Momo's most protected defeat and I felt like her character was really valuable because of how dramatic that ending was."
[5.0] "Bushiroad sure loves bloated main events, don't they? A flash of what could've been with a great opening fall. Extrapolate that action over 20 minutes, and you have a match that might steal the show. Add a dull gimmick match after? And you have a fall so poor that it ruined the one after it too. This match suffered from lots of things WWE "hardcore" matches suffer from. It was tame and it dragged. Maika and Momo trading elbows and dumping each other with their finishers feels more brutal than a pile of plastic gems and a three-foot ladder. If you want my take, skip the second fall completely, and this thing ends up pretty damn good. With the second fall added? This thing adds up to being average a best. 2.75 Stars."
[8.0] "This was a good match, but the 2 out of 3 falls with different stipulations dragged the match down only because of the second fall. I thought this first gal was amazing a great 10 minute match for the first fall. Second fall was a little sloppy because it was a hardcore match, though it wasnt terrible. 3rd fall it got back to being a great match with good back and forth fighting. I wasnt big on Maika before her title reign started, but she has made me a fan."
[7.0] "A difficult match to rate as the opening fall was wonderful as Maika and Momos respective styles suit each other so well. Hard hitting strikes from Watanabe and a power house exhibition from Maika. Where this match falters is in the execution of the final two stipulations (mostly the Hardcore stip). I know Stardom as a company is averse to blood and crazy violence, but it is difficult not to notice how sanitized the entire premise is. What didnt help was Momo Watanabe coming out with a barbed wire bat, the ladder size, and the box teases (alluding to tacks etc.) but only to be rocks/gems. Despite the underwhelming subversion of familiar expectations, Ill never discount the effort of both. They worked hard and made the hardcore stipulation work far more than most could considering the circumstances. The Last Person Standing worked fine enough operating under a fatigue premise that allowed for a spamming of haymaker finishes. Overall the match was good, with great effort by both, yet I wish they werent Sri handcuffed as I think there is a version of this match between both that is fantastic."
[8.0] "I have mixed feelings on this one. The first fall was pretty awesome. It felt super intense and personal, with Momo obliterating Maika with some stiff kicks, and some really nice fighting spirit exchanges and high-drama near falls. Honestly, if the match ended there, I might've given this a 10. But, the second fall brought the match to a screeching halt. With the hardcore stip, I thought the intensity and violence would be taken up a notch, but the pace almost completely died and the personal edge from the first fall just... wasn't there anymore? It just felt like an average spot match, and not even particularly hardcore (like Maika's box of... rhinestones? That she never used? Or her... paper fan? ). It felt out of place on a Stardom show, and not in the good way that I felt for Meltear vs Ito + Aja. Oedo Tai just sitting there respectfully (and even helping Maika put Momo through a table before just... leaving the ring? ) almost completely took me out of the match, and this 2nd fall just felt like 10 minutes of lackluster spots with no connection to an awesome 1st fall. The 3rd fall brought things back on track to a degree, with both women's desperation to win in their exhaustion on full display as they just hammered each other. But I still think they left something on the table with the "last man standing" stipulation, even if I think the 10 counts added greatly to the drama. Momo's selling and facial expressions really sold this for me, as it looked like she was realising the Red Belt was slipping away in real time, and her desperation began growing and growing as she lashed out with wild kicks. Her performance especially in the 3rd fall improved my opinion of the overall match greatly, as it felt like a really nice story of Momo accidentally biting off more than she could chew with her own hardcore stipulations (when she could've won the belt clean as a whistle! Poor Momo! ) It'll be interesting to see how this plays into storyline, as I can forsee a world in which Momo realises she would've won in a straight up wreslting match, and therefore abandons Oedo Tai and their shenanigans (... or is forced out by Thekla! ). Anyway, overall this felt like 3 distinct matches, with the quality ranging greatly between each fall. I think 8 is a fair rating in the end, based off the strength of the 1st and 3rd falls, and out of respect for the effort these two put in! Even at the end, when they were hot and sweaty from 30+ minutes of action, the spots and moves they hit were still super clean and crisp, and I think that should be commended. And honestly, outside of the action in the 2nd fall feeling slightly sluggish, my problems with this match have more to do with booking and character inconsistencies than actual in-ring action. I do hope Momo wins the Red Belt one day... but her losing here made me feel the same way I've felt about Goto for many years. Maybe it just isn't meant to be for her :("
[10.0] "I was initially concerned about this closing the show, but Maika and Brapi delivered something truly exciting and fresh. 2/3 fall title matches are a rarity in Japan these days, but they brought back the magic of that format with this one. The pacing and structure was amazing, especially considering the different stips for each fall. The first two falls defied expectations, with each conquering the other under their opponent's preferred ruleset. The third was a heavy war of attrition (last man standing). The wrestling throughout was dynamic, varied and hard-hitting with both showing tireless stamina. It reminded me all over again that Momo Watanabe is an amazing wrestler. Really, both are amazing and their efforts to live up to the main event billing should be commended."
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