This is part of the “Stardom’s Favorite Daughter—Icon or Illusion?” watch series, which you can find here.

It’s been a month since I watched something for this project, and apparently, I’ve come back just to beat a dead horse. This isn’t good. It’s not bad, either. Even calling it average feels wrong. Io looks sharp. Mayu’s here. That’s the review. Everything else is fluff—something I’m writing because I’ve made myself feel obligated to, not because this match deserves it. Let’s be real, if you’ve found yourself watching the show, just skip to the main event.

Still, some more words. Mio Shirai makes her first and only appearance in the project, walking in with a pile of belts and a solid look. I’m not too familiar with her work, but it feels like her best days are behind her—and with retirement a week away, to her credit, she’s likely saving her energy for the matches that matter. Still, she’s clearly positioned as the focus here, though you wouldn’t know it from her early stretch, which is mostly spent half-committed and disinterested in both the match and her sister. It’s a strange choice, considering the billing being one last tag with Io before calling it quits. Maybe there was an idea in there somewhere, but in true Stardom fashion, it’s dropped the second she tags in, and with it, any hook the match might’ve had.

Because we’re still on the topic of Mayu, I can add that the best stretch comes when it’s just Mayu and Io going full throttle. Their offense is fluid, their pacing crisp, and both bump like they want to make this mean something. It doesn’t last; every time the pace picks up, it’s dragged back down by the other two, but it is a notable upgrade over their last singles match, if that means anything.

In the end, Io finishes Mayu with a moonsault. Seventeen minutes gone, and you and I get nothing out of it. The Meiko match cannot come soon enough.

Rating: Meh