5★STAR GP 2022 Opening Round Day 2: WrestleFile Historical Verdict

The July 31, 2022 5 STAR GP opening Day 2 began with a five-team gauntlet involving three successive victories by AZM and Miyu Amasaki before the pair finally fell. The Queen's Quest duo defeated Lady C and Hina at 4:12, then Ruaka and Rina in 2:59, followed by Hazuki and Hanan in 3:28. In the final stage Maika and Mai Sakurai overcame the exhausted pair when Maika pinned Amasaki with a lariat after 3:45. STARDOM's results make the order clear: these were four separate tags in one gauntlet, not a ten-woman simultaneous contest. Maika and Sakurai won the attraction while AZM and Amasaki supplied most of the earlier action, before the card moved to scored Grand Prix singles matches.

Koguma opens her Red Stars campaign by beating Momo Kohgo in 6:27 with a horizontal cradle. The short runtime suits both wrestlers because the match leans on speed, counters and familiar STARS chemistry rather than a prolonged power struggle. Kohgo enters after losing on Day 1, so the second defeat immediately puts her behind in the block while Koguma gets on the board without exhausting one of her larger future matchups. Historically, the bout functions best as a standings checkpoint and a reminder of Koguma's ability to turn scrambling exchanges into sudden finishes.

Mina Shirakawa's 10:44 win over Momo Watanabe is one of the night's clearest personal breakthroughs. Stardom's official report notes that Shirakawa had repeatedly lost their prior singles meetings, including the previous year's 5 STAR GP. The finish also fits the rivalry: Watanabe reaches for Oedo Tai weapon interference, the referee removes the wrench, and Shirakawa capitalizes with Glamorous Collection MINA. The victory gives Shirakawa two Blue Stars points while leaving Watanabe at zero and provides a result that matters independently of the final tournament standings because it ends a specific losing pattern.

Risa Sera moves to four points by beating SAKI in 8:13, following her opening-night win over Maika. That makes Sera one of the first wrestlers to create real separation in the Red Stars standings and gives Prominence immediate influence over the tournament. SAKI had also won on Day 1, so the match is a direct early collision between undefeated wrestlers rather than a routine middle-card pairing. Sera's win with Rashabasami reinforces her physical style while keeping the outside-promotions story active inside the points table.

The special tag is outside the block standings, but it carries useful character history. KAIRI and Natsupoi team together after years of connection, while Mayu Iwatani gives KAIRI a direct link to Stardom's earlier era and Saya Iida provides the wrestler who can absorb the decisive fall without weakening Iwatani. KAIRI pins Iida after the Insane Elbow at 13:49. The match does not reshape the tournament, yet it gives the second night a different rhythm and documents Natsupoi's new direction immediately after leaving Donna del Mondo. Stardom's official report adds two specific career connections. Natsupoi wrestled in gear KAIRI had given her, highlighting the personal history behind their reunion. After the victory, Natsupoi told KAIRI she wanted a future singles match, and KAIRI agreed. It was a mutual challenge, not a match announced as part of the July 31 tournament card.

Tam Nakano starts her Red Stars campaign with a strong 11:50 win over Himeka, who had entered Day 2 with momentum after beating Utami Hayashishita. That context gives Nakano's Twilight Dream finish more value than a normal opening-round victory. Himeka's power forces Tam into a more physical match than the faction-heavy stories surrounding Cosmic Angels had recently demanded, and the result prevents Himeka from opening 2-0. Tam's win also gives the block another established contender before the tournament moves away from opening weekend.

MIRAI's 12:10 win over Giulia turns an impressive opening weekend into a genuine breakout story. One day after beating Mayu Iwatani, MIRAI defeats the leader of Donna del Mondo and moves to four points. Giulia, meanwhile, falls to 0-2 after also losing to Hazuki. The result carries faction history because MIRAI had previously moved through Donna del Mondo before becoming part of God's Eye, so the clean pin is more than a standings upset. It establishes MIRAI as someone who can beat Stardom's top names in consecutive singles matches and gives Giulia an immediate tournament hole to climb out of.

Starlight Kid beats Wonder champion Saya Kamitani in 9:45 only three weeks after failing to take the white belt from her at MidSummer Champions. The tournament setting changes the stakes: Kid does not need the title to gain something important, because a clean block win proves she can defeat the champion and gives her a future argument. Kamitani starts the Blue Stars campaign with a loss despite her strong title reign, while Kid immediately repairs some of the damage from the July 9 defeat. The Momo Latch finish also gives the match a different ending from their championship bout.

Utami Hayashishita and Syuri nearly use the full fifteen-minute block limit before Utami wins at 14:56 with the Hijack Bomb. The result is historically important because Syuri had defeated Utami for the World of Stardom Championship at Dream Queendom 2021, ending Utami's defining title reign. Their first singles meeting since then occurs with Syuri now firmly established as champion and Utami rebuilding momentum through Queen's Quest. Utami's win does not change the red belt, but it proves she can still beat the champion and gives the Red Stars block a major early result. The near-limit runtime adds urgency without settling for a draw.