Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2022: First Week Recap

So far, the 2022 5 Star Grand Prix has been absolutely wild. There have been major upsets, phenomenal matches, and the amazing quality that we have all come to expect from Stardom. There’s nothing better than true quality women’s wrestling and you cannot change my mind on that. Nothing in WWE or in AEW can compare to the fun and entertainment that Stardom has to offer. As I said, the 2022 Grand Prix has been wild so far this year. It’s the most grueling tournament in professional wrestling and it’s also the most fun and unpredictable. So without further babbling on my part, here are the current standings as of 10th August.

So, as you can see from the current standings, the tournament is off to a truly wild start. I did not see any of these results coming at all. Here’s the breakdown of how points are calculated, folks.

Win = 2 Points
Draw = 1 Point
Loss = 0 Points

Pretty straightforward, right? When you look at the current standings, that means that the current leaders have four points total. Not only that, but the current leaders are women that I did not foresee even being close to the top, well with one exception. I’m not gonna bore you with the results from the first week. Instead, I’m gonna pick different matches that I think you all would enjoy. Let’s get into it.

Upset of the Week: Mina Shirakawa def. Momo Watanabe

Mina Shirakawa has been the biggest spoiler so far in the early going of the tournament folks and of the Blue Block. Not only did she defeat Saya Iida but she defeated Momo Watanabe, last year’s red block finalist. Frankly, I am utterly shocked that Mina pulled an upset this major so early in the tournament but this was one fun match. There’s no way that I could have predicted that Mina Shirakawa would be undefeated this early in the tournament, but that’s not going to keep. Mina will continue to play the spoiler, there’s no doubt in my mind, but I don’t expect this momentum to keep.

Match of the Week: Starlight Kid vs Saya Kamitani

Starlight Kid defeated Saya Kamitani, her only win thus far in the tournament, but that win was absolutely phenomenal. Saya and SLK have insane chemistry together and it showed in this match. The action was back and forth and it was non-stop. This was a match that WWE wishes they could put on with their women’s division. If you want a nearly 5 Star match then this is it. SLK and Saya Kamitani delivered nearly a match of the year candidate here and I encourage everyone to watch this match.

The Best of the Rest: Hazuki vs Giulia

If Mina Shirakawa didn’t defeat Momo Watanabe, then this would have absolutely been my upset of the week. Why’s that you might ask. Well, in my preview for the tournament, I told you all that Giulia should be the favorite from the Blue Block to win it this year. While that should still be correct and she should be viewed as a favorite, the Wild Heart of Stardom has overtaken her in my opinion.

Hazuki defeated Giulia in one of the best matches of the tournament so far. Not only that, but that match started Hazuki’s 2-0 run this far with her second win coming over Starlight Kid. Giulia, by contrast, has gone 0-2 thus far, losing not only to Hazuki but to former stable mate MIRAI.

Reflecting On Week One Of The 2022 5 Star Grand Prix

There are your three best matches of the week folks. That’s not saying that there were not other phenomenal matches to be seen, but these are the three that you absolutely must watch. I’m sure that the 5 Star Grand Prix will continue to give us high-quality matches and even more shocking results. Today, I conclude with the results of the first four days of the tournament. I’ll see you next week with the week 2 results!

Night 1
Mai Sakurai def. Momo Kohgo
Ami Sourei def. Saya Iida
Saki def. Unagi Sayaka
Risa Sera def. Maika
Syuri def. AZM
MIRAI def. Mayu Iwatani
Himeka def. Utami Hayashishita
Hazuki def. Giulia

Night 2
Koguma def. Momo Kohgo
Mina Shirakawa def. Momo Watanabe
Risa Sera def. Saki
Tam Nakano def. Himeka
MIRAI def. Giulia
Starlight Kid def. Saya Kamitani
Utami Hayashishita def. Syuri

Night 3
Koguma def. Saki Kashima
Mayu Iwatani def. Hanan
Natsupoi def. MIRAI
Hazuki def. Starlight Kid
Saya Kamitani def. Momo Watanabe

Night 4
Mina Shirakawa def. Saya Iida
Saya Kamitani def. Hanan
AZM def. Mai Sakurai
Utami Hayashishita def. Unagi Sayaka
Himeka def. Koguma
Natsupoi def. Ami Sourei