Saya Iida Tops Block After Defeating Maki Itoh At 5★STAR GP Night 4

After taking a few days away, STARDOM’s 5★STAR Grand Prix continued on Saturday from Kanazawa, Japan. The event featured seven tournament matches as the competitors continued their pursuit of advancing through the league stages

The event kicked off with a singles match between two wrestlers looking to bounce back after opening-round defeats to Sayaka Kurara. Akira Kurogane lost the tournament’s opening match on July 18, while Rina fell to Kurara in the main event on July 19.

Rina picked up the victory after forcing Kurogane to submit to the Hydrangea at 9:21, earning her first points of the tournament. Kurogane, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2.

The second match of the evening saw two powerhouses collide as Lady C faced Rina Yamashita. The pair entered the bout at opposite ends of their block standings, with Yamashita sitting second on three points, while Lady C was still searching for her first after losing to Saya Iida on July 20.

Despite Lady C throwing everything she had at the vastly more experienced Yamashita, it was the former GCW Ultraviolent Champion who emerged victorious, putting her away with the B-Driver at 7:03 to move further up the standings.

The action continued with a clash between Itsuki Aoki and H.A.T.E. leader Natsuko Tora. Aoki entered the match on the back of a win over Saya Iida, while Tora was looking to rebound after her opening-round loss to Tomoka Inaba.

Although it was not one of the standout matches of the night, Aoki pulled off the upset by catching Tora with a flash pin at 6:42, earning another valuable victory in the tournament.

Business picked up considerably in the next bout as former World of Stardom Champions Maika and Sayaka Kurara went one-on-one. Kurara arrived in Kanazawa with a 2-1 record, while Maika was 1-0 after defeating AZM in the main event of Night 3.

Maika entered with a clear game plan, relentlessly targeting Kurara’s injured arm, which had already taken significant punishment over her previous three tournament matches. While some fans may have hoped for a longer contest given the pedigree of both former Red Belt holders, Maika capitalised on her opponent’s weakened condition, forcing Kurara to submit to an armbar in 6:01.

Following a tag team match that saw Hanan and Matoi Hamabe defeat Anne Kanaya and Ema Maishima, the tournament resumed with a singles contest between Azusa Inaba and another former World of Stardom Champion, Utami Hayashishita.

Arguably the standout match of the night, the bout saw Inaba relentlessly unload stiff strikes, with Hayashishita more than willing to absorb the punishment. The karate specialist took the fight to the former world champion throughout, delivering a thrilling performance before capping it off with a huge upset, pinning Hayashishita with the Baba Killer No. 2 at 9:13.

The next tournament matchup saw AZM take on Azusa Inaba’s older sister, Tomoka Inaba, following a brief intermission. Inaba entered the contest with a 2-1 record, having defeated Natsuko Tora and Sayaka Kurara on consecutive shows, while AZM was looking to bounce back after losing her opening match against Maika on Night 3.

The two delivered an excellent encounter featuring fast-paced sequences, hard-hitting strikes, and impressive mat work. In the end, AZM secured the victory by catching Inaba with the Azumi Sushi roll-up at 9:05.

The evening’s semi-main event saw the high-speed Mei Seira take on former Wonder of Stardom Champion Konami. As expected from Konami’s aggressive style, she attacked Seira before the bell had even settled, sending her into a row of chairs to gain the early advantage.

Seira was able to build momentum throughout the contest with her speed and aerial offence, but Konami repeatedly regained control through her powerful strikes and impressive ground game. The difference in tournament experience also appeared to play a factor, with Konami entering her first singles match of the tournament while Seira had already competed twice.

Konami eventually forced Seira to submit to the Triangle Lancer at 11:22, securing the victory. After the match, she continued the assault by spraying Seira with her black spray paint can.

Night 4 of the 5★STAR Grand Prix concluded with Maki Itoh taking on Saya Iida in the main event. This marked Itoh’s second match in the tournament and her first-ever 5★STAR Grand Prix main event, while Iida entered her third contest looking to become the first wrestler in her block to reach six points.

While the match was not the standout of the evening, with Azusa Inaba vs. Utami Hayashishita and Tomoka Inaba vs. AZM arguably stealing the show, it remained an enjoyable encounter. Iida used her immense power, stamina, and determination to overcome Itoh, eventually putting her away with a brutal Vertical Drop Brainbuster at 12:57. With the victory, Iida became the first wrestler in her block and the entire tournament field to reach six points.

STARDOM will return for Night 5 of the 5★STAR Grand Prix on Sunday from Joetsu, with another eight tournament matches scheduled to take place. The card will feature bouts, including Sayaka Kurara vs. AZM, Natsuko Tora vs. Rina, Saya Iida vs. Utami Hayashishita, and Rina Yamashita vs. Maki Itoh in the main event.

For more coverage from the tournament and everything surrounding STARDOM, WrestlePurists will keep you updated.

5★STAR Grand Prix – Current Standings:

Red Stars Block A:

Itsuki Aoki – 2-0 (4 points)

Sayaka Kurara – 2-1 (4 points)

Tomoka Inaba – 2-2 (4 points)

AZM – 1-1 (2 points)

Maika – 1-0 (2 points)

Rina – 1-1 (2 points)

Akira Kurogane – 0-2 (0 points)

Natsuko Tora – 0-2 (0 points)

Red Stars Block B:

Saya Iida – 3-0 (6 points)

Rina Yamashita – 2-1-1 (5 points)

Azusa Inaba – 1-2 (2 points)

Konami – 1-0 (2 points)

Maki Itoh – 1-1 (2 points)

Mei Seira – 1-2 (2 points)

Utami Hayashishita – 0-1-1 (1 point)

Lady C – 0-2 (0 points)

Blue Stars Block A:

Ruaka – 2-0 (4 points)

Aya Sakura – 1-1 (2 points)

HANAKO – 1-1 (2 points)

Hina – 1-1 (2 points)

Suzu Suzuki – 1-0 (2 points)

Julia Hart – 0-0 (0 points)

Miyu Amasaki – 0-2 (0 points)

Rian – 0-1 (0 points)

Blue Stars Block B:

Hanan – 2-0 (4 points)

Koguma – 2-1 (4 points)

Momo Watanabe – 2-0 (4 points)

Ami Sourei – 0-1 (0 points)

Kikyo Furusawa – 0-3 (0 points)

Saya Kamitani – 0-0 (0 points)

Starlight Kid – 0-0 (0 points)

Yuna Mizumori – 0-1 (0 points)