Marina Shafir vs. Miyu Yamashita

[7.0] "(3.75 stars) It's reassuring to see Marina put in a good performance ahead of her match against Mercedes at Full Gear, even though Yamashita is obviously a good match-up who is almost certainly a better fit for Marina's style of wrestling than Moné will be"

[10.0] "A legitimate dream match of mine, and one that absolutely delivered. Miyu kicked the shit out of Marina, Marina kicked and tossed the shit out of Miyu, they traded slams and submissions, Marina hit a Roddy style backbreaker, pulled out the Brutalizer and finally won with Mothers Milk. Her best singles match since Speedball, and another banger in the catalog of Miyu."

[10.0] "A match that manages to be cool without trying too hard. This is a clash of pride that gives way to a really raw physical match. Marina is awesome, she's been awesome for years but she's really showing out in 2026 to the point where she's genuinely of the best acts in wrestling, perfectly balancing her toughness with some creativity and personality in her offense; her starting 10 corner punches only to come down after one and treat Miyu's belly like a punching bag as the crowd keeps counting was awesome. Miyu in turn though, wow what a performance from her. You can see her mentally giving Marina her flowers as they fight but also see her descend from clean strikes to scratching and clawing her way through the match. I adored the heft and effort she put into that wheelbarrow german and how feverishly she fought to get out of Marina's submissions towards the end with the knees to the temple in the Brutalizer and trying to rip Marina's fucking face off before the Mother's Milk could take effect. This fucking ruled man. ****1/2"

[10.0] "This match feels really, really special. Miyu Yamashita is one of my absolute favourite wrestlers, and I was kicking myself that I hadn't managed to make the trip down to london to see her in person at all during her run in EVE, and I'm so glad I finally was able too as they did a show outside of the capitol, and on a weekend. Gutted the first time I see Miyu is where she drops the belt but what a match to do it in. Miyu is somebody who is one of the best in the world, without question, and am so glad I can say that right here, Marina was every bit her peer and equal. This match was tonally perfect. They really hit the balance between "Fiery intense rivalry" and "Respect match" perfectly. The early standing and mat exchanges were so well done, they just meshed perfectly, I loved the machismo spots with the kick exchanges, both of them inviting them on, and they were landing with such a thud too. Miyu got in the bouncing kicks from the corner which are just one of my absolute favourite moves, the armbar on the ropes and the brawl on the outside was great, that headscissor DDT on to the apron from Shafir looked outstanding, some of the kick exchanges were brilliant, The avalanche AA looked brilliant, Marina got in some fantastic judo throws and proper MMA style wrestling, the sleeper was fantastic from Marina, the strike exchange towards the end with Marina countering the skull kick into the backbreaker was just superb, and it did such a good job setting up to the big pivotal point of the match, where Miyu is able to land the Skull kick, but collapses afterwards, stopping her from securing the pinfall. The crowd was pretty pro Marina but definitely split, but when Marina locked in that Brutaliser, you just felt the entire energy shift. Even though I did want Miyu to retain, not a single part of me can be disappointed with Marina getting the win. That being said I love the choice to have Miyu fight out of it, only for Marina to lock in the Mothers Milk, and for Miyu to fade while clawing at Marina's face. The brutaliser felt really special, but the Mothers Milk to secure the win here felt correct. The post match sequence was genuinely really moving, so, so well done. Marina's range of emotions while she was on that turnbuckle was fantastic, and I am so glad I got to see it, and then the handshake, into what looked like Miyu squaring up, only to pull Marina in for a massive hug and raise her hand all around the arena. Perfect. Literally the only possible negative I can give this match is I fear this may spell the end of Miyu's frequent UK trips for EVE, although considering how long she has been around, it didn't feel like much of a goodbye, so I'm optimistically hoping she's going to be back for more, but if that is the case that this is the end, I'm gutted I only got to see the one in person, but I cannot complain in the slightest about what that one was. I'm quite devastated to see Miyu drop the belt, and I am every bit equally as excited to see Marina's run with it. That's what a title should be. It just matters. I adore this match entirely, an absolute privelege to see live."

[7.0] "Marina surprised me here, and seeing her in person I can see how good she's become, however I take issue with the result. Miyu has been loyal to EVE for a while now, and more often than not delivers in the big matches. It's nothing against Marina, but as of yet, she isn't the same level as Miyu - although that could change soon at Full Gear - and I think some fans are disappointed to see so many AEW stars holding their titles. I hope Miyu is back again soon because she's an absolute pleasure to watch. These two had decent chemistry but their styles are similar, which sometimes got in the way."

[9.0] "I knew this match would be amazing and I was right. No nonsense, just two women beating the shit out of each other for fifteen minutes or so. I thought the finish was beautiful, with Marina using Pac's move to weaken Miyu, but ultimately winning with the move she has had in her arsenal all along. She could always do it, she just needed a little help from her friends."

[8.0] "Very good match but i'm not a fan of the result and overall how Miyu was booked here. I get Shafir is supposed to be this dominant and dangerous monster and AEW books her like the baddest player around but nothing will ever convince me she's more dominant or more intimidating than THE Miyu Yamashita, at least she passed out and not tapped out. They had some great exchanges here and i have to say i'm pleasantly surprised by Marina's performance cause i remembered her as mid wrestler but here she proved me wrong. ****"