Syuri vs. Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom Championship, from Stardom Tokyo Dream Cinderella 2021 Special Edition

NJPW’s rise in popularity in the West in the past decade can be traced back to a classic bout between Minoru Suzuki and Hiroshi Tanahashi at KOPW 2012, and if there’s any justice in the world, this match will translate to similar interest in Stardom. It isn’t just that it’s a clash in styles between Syuri’s MMA-based attacks and Hayashishita’s sound technical prowess; rather, it is that everything feels earned and natural even as they take to executing mindblowing holds I’ve never seen before. Easily the best match of 2021 so far and among the greatest matches I’ve ever seen.

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