Utami Hayashishita Scores Crucial Win In Main Event Of Night 10 Of 5★STAR GP

STARDOM held its 10th show of the 5★STAR Grand Prix series on Saturday inside the Chateraise Gateaux Kingdom Sapporo in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first of two shows to emanate from Hokkaido’s capital. The event featured six tournament matches and two additional tag team matches and was filmed live for STARDOM World.

The first tournament match of the evening saw Akira Kurogane attempt to earn the first win of her 5★STAR career against Tomoka Inaba, who arrived in Sapporo needing a victory to remain in contention for a potential spot in the knockout round. This was a relatively quick match, with Inaba controlling most of the action while Kurogane showed plenty of heart throughout. Inaba ultimately picked up the victory with a Tomoka Senpuukyaku at 6:57. She now sits at 3-3 and, while she’ll need some help to make it happen, can still potentially earn a spot in the playoffs.

Following that, we got a match pitting Goddesses of Stardom Champion AZM against Natsuko Tora. AZM entered the match with a 3-1-1 record and six points, while Tora arrived with a 2-2-1 record and five. This was a vintage H.A.T.E. style match. Tora came out with AZM already under her arm, and the two spent a good portion of the match brawling on the outside. AZM was completely overwhelmed for much of the contest, thanks largely to Tora’s nefarious offense. She was thrown around both inside the ring and through stacks of chairs on the outside.

The climax came when both women began fighting over a chair with the referee caught in the middle of it all. Both wrestlers were ultimately disqualified at 9:42. AZM now sits on seven points, while Tora has six, with one match remaining for each woman.

After a tag team match pitting Natsupoi and Saori Anou against their fellow Cosmic Angels teammates Anne Kanaya and Sayaka Kurara, the next tournament match featured Maki Itoh taking on Azusa Inaba. The match was essentially a comedy bout for the first few minutes, with both women trying to prove that they were the cuter wrestler. Things finally picked up after a brawl spilled to the outside, eventually turning into a surprisingly physical contest. Despite the change in tone, the match ultimately ended in a 15-minute draw, making it the second consecutive tournament match on the night to end without a winner.

The next match thankfully produced a definitive winner as Rina Yamashita took on Wonder of Stardom Champion Konami. Both women entered the match just one victory away from tying Saya Iida for the top spot in their block, and they wrestled with that knowledge from the opening bell. The match featured yet another H.A.T.E. style brawl on the outside, but unlike AZM, Rina Yamashita was more than comfortable matching Konami’s willingness to inflict damage in unconventional ways.

Konami attempted to spray Yamashita with her black spray paint, but Yamashita blocked the attack with her hands, effectively neutralizing it. She then blocked Konami’s Sleeper Hold before blasting her with a lariat. Yamashita followed that up with an Implant to secure the victory at 10:26.

The event’s semi-final match featured former World of Stardom Champion Maika attempting to move into first place in her block against Rina, who arrived in Sapporo needing a victory to keep pace. As you might expect from an H.A.T.E. style match, Rina took Maika into deep waters on the outside, throwing her into rows of chairs and doing plenty of damage in the process.

Maika eventually regained control once the action returned to the ring, blasting Rina with several wicked lariats before trapping her in a Sleeper Hold. Rina answered by catching Maika in a Hydrangea and later planting her with a devastating double knee stomp. Maika, however, was able to kick out and keep the match alive.

With the match reaching its climax, Maika attempted what could have been a match ending Superplex in the corner, but Rina escaped before the move could be completed, saving herself from what might have been a devastating blow to her tournament hopes. The action soon spilled back to the outside, where the two began trading haymakers.

Rina rocked Maika with another double knee drop from the apron to the floor, but Maika answered with a Rock Drop of her own before following it up with a Brainbuster. The match continued for a little longer until the bell rang, signaling a second 15 minute draw and the third draw of the evening.

The main event of the evening featured a clash between two former Queen’s Quest teammates, Lady C and Utami Hayashishita. It was the first time the two had met in singles action since 2024. However, unlike their previous three encounters, all of which Utami won in less than 10 minutes, this match showcased just how much Lady C has grown over the past year.

Both women threw everything they had at each other from the opening bell. Lady C immediately launched herself forward with a huge Big Boot for a quick two count, setting the tone for the match. She continued to wrestle with tremendous intensity, to the point that it took Utami several moments to gather herself and begin mounting her own offense. Every time Utami planted Lady C with a big move, Lady C seemed to get right back up and go nose to nose with her former teammate.

Lady C threw just about everything she had at the former World of Stardom Champion, including her patented Giant Swing, several hard stomps, a Neckbreaker, and even a Chokeslam. Utami managed to withstand all of it, answering with her own lariats, throws, suplexes, and whatever else she could use to bring down the towering Lady C.

Utami began to gain serious ground after hitting Lady C with two German Suplexes, followed later by a lariat that nearly put her away. Building on that momentum, Utami planted Lady C with a stalling German Suplex, followed it with a Short Arm Lariat, and finally hit the Torture Rack Bomb to secure the victory at 11:08. This was easily the match of the night and one of Lady C’s most impressive singles performances of her career so far.

STARDOM will hold the 11th night of the 5★STAR Grand Prix on Sunday from the same building in Sapporo. The show will feature another seven tournament clashes, including Tomoka Inaba vs. Rina, Maika vs. Itsuki Aoki, Saya Iida vs. Rina Yamashita, and Maki Itoh vs. Utami Hayashishita.

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

5★STAR Grand Prix – Current Standings (W-L-D):

Red Stars Block A:

Itsuki Aoki – 4-2 (8 points)

AZM – 3-1-2 (7 points)

Maika – 3-1-1 (7 points)

Natsuko Tora – 2-2-2 (6 points)

Tomoka Inaba – 3-3 (6 points)

Rina – 2-2-1 (5 points)

Sayaka Kurara – 2-4 (4 points)

Akira Kurogane – 0-4-1 (1 point)

Red Stars Block B:

Rina Yamashita – 3-1-2 (8 points)

Saya Iida – 4-1 (8 points)

Konami – 3-2 (6 points)

Maki Itoh – 2-1-2 (6 points)

Utami Hayashishita – 2-1-1 (5 points)

Azusa Inaba – 1-3-2 (4 points)

Mei Seira – 1-2-1 (3 points)

Lady C – 1-5 (2 points)

Blue Stars Block A:

Suzu Suzuki – 4-0 (8 points)

Julia Hart – 3-1 (6 points)

Ruaka – 3-1 (6 points)

Aya Sakura – 2-3 (4 points)

HANAKO – 2-2 (4 points)

Hina – 2-3 (4 points)

Miyu Amasaki – 2-3 (4 points)

Rian – 0-5 (0 points)

Blue Stars Block B:

Momo Watanabe – 3-1-1 (7 points)

Hanan – 3-1 (6 points)

Saya Kamitani – 2-0-2 (6 points)

Starlight Kid – 2-1-1 (5 points)

Ami Sourei – 2-2 (4 points)

Koguma – 2-3 (4 points)

Yuna Mizumori – 2-3 (4 points)

Kikyo Furusawa – 0-5 (0 points)