STARDOM
5STAR Grand Prix Finals
September 30, 2023
Yokohama Budokan
Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Watch: PPV by way of @we_are_stardom

The 2023 5STAR Grand Prix concludes this Saturday because the two-month event will crown its winner.

It hasn’t been a simple street to get to those finals, because the opening evening kicked off with an harm to Saya Kamitani, leading to her having to overlook your entire event. Because the reported winner, all the things needed to shift afterward but it surely hasn’t taken away from what’s going to go down as a really particular event.

For the previous two months, we’ve witnessed a few of the finest 5STAR matches ever as STARDOM has put collectively what can simply be referred to as the most effective event in all of professional wrestling in 2023.

As we prep ourselves for the ultimate evening, eight wrestlers out of the 20 who competed stay in competition. And for the primary time in numerous years, predicting who will stroll out because the winner is unpredictable. Nearly everybody remaining has a official shot at this factor, making it probably the most extremely anticipated nights within the historical past of STARDOM.

If Utami Hayashishita is ready to compete, we’ll see her go one-on-one with Giulia for the primary time ever. That match alone is value testing — whether or not you’re a diehard fan of STARDOM/Joshi or not. It must be a particular quarter-hour. Different main matches embody Maika and MIRAI colliding with the winner having an opportunity to win the block in addition to meltear’s Tam Nakano and Natsupoi squaring off because the World of Stardom Championship has a official shot to win the entire shebang.

There’s little question that that is going to be one other particular evening in STARDOM and professional wrestling this 12 months and that’s why we’ve got you lined.

Right here’s a take a look at all the things that you must know heading into the present together with the standings, card, situations, prediction, and matches to take a look at if you wish to see the event for your self.

5STAR Grand Prix 2023 Standings

Purple Stars

♦ 12 pts — Natsuko Tora (6-2)
♦ 12 pts — Suzu Suzuki (6-3)
♦ 11 pts — Tam Nakano (5-2-1)
♦ 11 pts — Syuri (5-2-1)
———————-
♦ 9 pts — Natsupoi (4-3-1)
♦ 9 pts — Mayu Iwatani (4-3-1)
♦ 8 pts — Hazuki (4-4)
♦ 6 pts — Ami Sourei (3-5)
♦ 4 pts — Starlight Child (2-6)
♦ 0 pts — Saya Kamitani (0-9)

Blue Stars

♦ 11 pts — Giulia (5-3-1)
♦ 10 pts —MIRAI (5-3)
♦ 10 pts — Maika (4-2-2)
♦ 9 pts — Mina Shirakawa (4-3-1)
———————-
♦ 8 pts — Utami Hayashishita (4-5)
♦ 8 pts — Saori Anou (3-3-2)
♦ 8 pts — Momo Watanabe (4-4)
♦ 8 pts — AZM (4-4)
♦ 6 pts — Mariah Might (3-5)
♦ 4 pts — Hanan (2-6)

5STAR Grand Prix Finals Card

Purple Stars Block

• Suzu Suzuki (12) def. Saya Kamitani (0) (resulting from harm)
• Mayu Iwatani (9) vs. Starlight Child (4)
• Tam Nakano (11) vs. Natsupoi (9)
• Syuri (11) vs. Ami Sourei (6)
• Hazuki (8) vs. Natsuko Tora (12)

Blue Stars Block

• Giulia (11) def. Utami Hayashishita (8) (by way of forfeit resulting from harm)
• MIRAI (10) vs. Maika (10)
• AZM (8) vs. Momo Watanabe (8)
• Hanan (4) vs. Mariah Might (6)
• Mina Shirakawa (9) vs. Saori Anou (8)

FINAL

• Purple Stars Block Winner vs. Blue Stars Block Winner

5STAR Grand Prix — Purple Stars Block Eventualities

Natsuko Tora

Suzu Suzuki

• Natsuko Tora loss AND Syuri loss AND Tam Nakano loss or draw

Tam Nakano

• Win vs. Natsupoi + Natsuko Tora loss

Syuri

• Win vs. Ami Sourei + Natsuko Tora loss AND Tam Nakano loss or draw

5STAR Grand Prix — Blue Stars Block Eventualities

Maika

• Win vs. MIRAI
• Draw vs. MIRAI + Mina Shirakawa loss AND Giulia loss + Win vs. MIRAI in tiebreaker

Mina Shirakawa

• Win vs. Saori Anou +  Maika vs. MIRAI draw (potential tiebreaker*)

MIRAI

• Win vs. Maika
• Draw vs. Maika + Mina Shirakawa loss AND Giulia loss + Win vs. Maika in tiebreaker

Giulia

• Mina Shirakawa loss AND MIRAI vs. Maika draw
  • STARDOM has Giulia nonetheless listed with an opportunity so the tiebreaker — relying on how the tiebreaker could be dealt with, she’s doubtless out already

*Observe: Tiebreaker hasn’t been formally introduced

5STAR Grand Prix Finals 2023 Prediction

In contrast to final 12 months, I’ve zero confidence in what the precise 5STAR Grand Prix Ultimate will probably be. I nailed it final 12 months as Giulia vs. Tam Nakano was pure and becoming of the story for Giulia’s final victory. Initially of this event, the ultimate seemed prefer it’d be Saya Kamitani vs. Utami Hayashishita merely based mostly on the story between Queen’s Quest heading in, the potential of the story they may inform, and both of them having an actual likelihood to stroll away with the win. Now, with each of them injured and eradicated, there’s simply no clear closing. In order that’s the place we dive in.

Essentially the most plausible finals for this 12 months’s event are:

• Tam Nakano vs. Mina Shirakawa
• Suzu Suzuki vs. Mina Shirkawa
• Tam Nakano vs. Maika
• Suzu Suzuki vs. Maika
• Syuri vs. Maika

The reasoning for these potentialities are easy — Natsuko Tora has her World of Stardom Championship per week after the finals, MIRAI profitable the event doesn’t really feel just like the street we’re on for her and the year-end occasion, and Giulia is just about eradicated as is.

With the chances at hand, there are tales to be informed. One is, in fact, Tam Nakano profitable the 5STAR Grand Prix and incomes her likelihood to select her personal opponent for Stardom Dream Queendom. The second is Maika lastly overcoming the percentages, getting the largest win of her profession — whether or not it’s in opposition to her present frenemy Suzu Suzuki, her former stablemate Syuri, or the World of Stardom Champion. Then there’s the opportunity of Suzu Suzuki getting each chance to fall into her lap, heading into the ultimate recent, and rising to the highest of STARDOM in meteoric trend. And eventually, it’s the continuation of Mina Shirakawa defying the percentages, getting herself a shot at Tam Nakano yet another time after she had taken the Surprise of Stardom Championship from her.

STARDOM has choices — good ones at that. However as we head into probably the most unpredictable closing evening in years, it’s solely becoming that we go together with a closing that both participant might really win.

Tam Nakano vs. Maika

A intestine name on this one. However one which has two of the largest tales in STARDOM crossing over.

Tam Nakano has been the story of STARDOM in 2023. Nakano received the World of Stardom Champion, turned a double champion by defeating Mina Shirakawa, and has rolled her means by the 5STAR Grand Prix with an opportunity to win it. She’s been all about making historical past within the greatest moments. That is simply one other likelihood to take action.

Maika, alternatively, has had a dominant 12 months. She’s not often misplaced with Giulia and Momo Watanabe being the one two to pin her. “The Empress” walks into the ultimate evening with an opportunity to win and advance. That is as shut as she might ever get to the ultimate, so why not see her pull it off? If Saya Kamitani had been on the other aspect, it will have been simply as doubtless.

By incomes her approach to the finals of the 5STAR Grand Prix, Maika would get the long-awaited stage as much as a foremost eventer with out even having to win the event. And if she defeated MIRAI to get there? It’s all of the extra spectacular.

However relating to who wins the event, accidents actually do make you assume — what’s the most secure play at this stage? The most secure play is Tam Nakano getting the win and incomes the chance to call whoever she desires as her challenger at Stardom Dream Queendom. A two-match effort by Maika to try to take down each champions of STARDOM in a single evening makes her. A win would take her to a different stage, however with all that has occurred injury-wise with Kamitani and Hayashishita, going secure looks like the most effective guess.

Suzu Suzuki vs. Maika, for the story and pressure alone between the duo, could be the ultimate I’d go together with however Suzuki must win seeing she received’t be competing in a giant match like Maika will, it’s robust to go together with.

Nakano is the secure guess at this stage but it surely’s the one one I’m assured in. If Maika loses right here, having her go after MIRAI and the Surprise of Stardom Championship at Stardom Dream Queendom looks like a great runner-up prize. She’s able to win some gold.

Irrespective of who’s within the closing and who does win, it’s going to be a particular evening in STARDOM. You’re not going to wish to miss this present! Prediction: Tam Nakano

5STAR GRAND PRIX 2023: MATCHES WORTH CHECKING OUT

The 2023 5STAR Grand Prix has been a protracted, grueling event. In consequence, it’s been among the best start-to-finish tournaments of the previous few years. However as usually occurs for a lot of followers making an attempt to observe a round-robin event, it’s laborious to maintain up.

STARDOM’s roster put each ounce of them into their matches, delivering must-see battles, all-timer moments, and nice skilled wrestling. To make life simpler for you as a fan, right here’s an inventory of the matches which can be value going out of your approach to see previous to the ultimate — in chronological order. Each single match is offered on Stardom World, so be certain to verify them out!

7/23/23

• Syuri vs. Suzu Suzuki
• Giulia vs. Saori Anou

8/8/23

• Giulia vs. Mariah Might
• Syuri vs. Natsupoi

8/10/23

• Mayu Iwatani vs. Natsupoi

8/12/23

8/15/23

• Syuri vs. Hazuki
• Tam Nakano vs. Mayu Iwatani
• Utami Hayashishita vs. AZM

9/3/23

9/9/23

• Tam Nakano vs. Suzu Suzuki
• Giulia vs. Maika

9/20/23

9/23/23

Take a look at Voices of Wrestling’s critiques for each 5STAR Grand Prix present right here.

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