Two More
I was thinking so much about the 5★STAR that I completely spaced on my column!!!
It’s already Sunday!!!! It’s already tomorrow!!!! It’s finally here: Ryogoku Kokugikan ~ 5★STAR GP Finals ~
First, let’s look back at this week’s three-match stretch ̖́-
August 16th, Hamamatsu The final league match vs. AZM. This was the very last official league match of this year’s entire 5★STAR GP. Honestly, I was happy this match was chosen for such an important spot. Then again, considering it won “Best Bout” in last year’s finals tournament, I guess it’s a no-brainer.
This was the first time I properly beat AZM. For me, it was my most valuable victory. I felt like I had finally caught up to her, even just a little. But the reason I don’t feel like I’ve surpassed her at all is because I “believe” I know AZM’s greatness better than anyone else.
Winning by overcoming a do-or-die, must-win situation. Finally beating an opponent I could never beat before. That clutch ability and mental toughness are definitely things I gained from my overseas excursion.
Looking at this league overall… Ever since losing to Kurara at the start, things didn’t go the way I wanted. I spent most of the tournament sitting near the very bottom of the block. But the fact that I still managed to clinch my spot in the finals tournament on my own power at the very end is proof that I’ve properly grown since last year.
I secured 2nd place in the Red Stars A block.
And then, two days later, the finals tournament at Korakuen Hall.
The wrestlers who advance in 2nd and 3rd place have to win two matches in a single day, or they don’t move on to the semifinals at Ryogoku. It’s a brutal tournament format.
However, over the past two years of tournaments and leagues, I’ve experienced “two matches in one day” more than anyone else, so I had more confidence in that regard than anyone.
Of course, at first, the only thing on my mind was winning the first round.
Finals Tournament Round 1 vs. Rina Yamashita
I kept saying I wanted a singles match with her, and thanks to my own strength and a bit of luck, the long-awaited “Rina-Rina Showdown” finally happened. Watching her throughout this 5★STAR, I always thought Rina Yamashita had incredibly fun matches, generated so much buzz, and was just genuinely amazing. Every single one of her strikes was so, so heavy. It was grueling. I still vividly remember how brutal that final German Suplex I took was. I’ve kept saying that this is the year I’m going to win it all, so I kicked out on pure, stubborn pride, refusing to lose there. But that first round was so hard I didn’t even have the luxury of thinking about the second match. She was so strong.
I won by the skin of my teeth and moved on to the second match. When you have to wrestle twice, there’s a small gap of time between the first and second match, and keeping your focus from breaking during that time is pretty damn hard! I’m used to it by now, though!!! ( `ω´) That’s why at Korakuen Hall this time, because the gap between the first and second match was so short, it was physically exhausting. But it was actually a good thing because I could go straight in without losing my concentration.
My opponent was my H.A.T.E. stablemate, Konami. We even team together as the “New Sisters,” and we have a deep history going way back. A match with Konami. The main event of a sold-out Korakuen Hall. A battle with a spot in the 5★STAR GP final four on the line. It was the ultimate stage.
Her submissions, her strikes—all of them had the kind of strength and weight that tries to break your spirit. I felt Konami’s power with my entire body. Submissions and sleepers are especially brutal because you subconsciously hold your breath to endure the pain, which just drains your stamina even faster.
But I didn’t lose. I couldn’t lose. In the end, I finally locked in the “Tiger Lily” perfectly and got the win. This was also my first time ever beating Konami.
After the match, for the first time in a long while, I cried. I don’t know the exact reason why. I think it was just because it was so gruelingly hard, and there were so many different emotions swirling around… but I cried for the first time in forever. Or rather, my emotions just exploded. That’s the kind of match it was.
And with that, I advanced to the 5★STAR GP final four for the second year in a row.
Being the Cinderella Tournament runner-up two years in a row, and making the 5★STAR GP final four two years in a row… in the end, if you don’t actually win the whole thing, it means nothing and nobody gives you the credit. I know that better than anyone.
The only result that surpasses last year is “winning the championship.”
The semifinals are against Maika. When we faced off in the same block in Hokkaido, it went to a 15-minute time-limit draw. I couldn’t beat her, but I didn’t feel like I was going to lose, either. She has the experience of an undefeated tournament victory, and undeniable strength that everyone acknowledges.
But I’m not the type to stop here.
Ryogoku Kokugikan. I’m going to win it all.
Translator’s Notes
- Pink♡Devil: The official moniker of STARDOM wrestler Rina. The subtitle of the column, “Poison-Tongued” (毒舌 – dokuzetsu), refers to her signature brash, trash-talking persona.
- Rina-Rina Showdown (りなりな対決): The match between STARDOM’s Rina and freelancer Rina Yamashita. A play on their shared first names.
- Kurara (玖麗): Refers to Sayaka Kurara, a rookie wrestler in STARDOM who picked up an upset victory over Rina early in the tournament.
- New Sisters (新姉妹): Rina and Konami’s tag team name. This is an ironic storyline nod: Rina has actual blood sisters in STARDOM (Hanan and Hina), but she rebelled against her family to form a bond with her heel stablemates instead.
- H.A.T.E.: The primary heel faction in STARDOM (the successor to Oedo Tai), which both Rina and Konami belong to.
- Tiger Lily: The signature finishing move of Rina’s older, estranged sister, Hanan. Rina utilizing her sister’s move to finally overcome and defeat her veteran stablemate Konami is a massive character and storyline moment.