Sunday marked the official beginning of the 2023 5STAR Grand Prix, STARDOM's premier round-robin tournament.
The field consists of 20 of the top wrestlers and will crown its latest winner on September 30. Giulia is the reigning winner, having gone the distance in 2022 and earning herself a World of Stardom Championship match at Stardom Dream Queendom.
There are four former winners entering the 2023 tournament -- Giulia (2022), Syuri (2021), Utami Hayashishita (2020), and Mayu Iwatani (2018).
The opening night of the tournament featured some of the biggest matchups possible in STARDOM, including another match in the rivalry between Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani as well as the return of Utami Hayashishita to STARDOM following her tour of America, facing former Wonder of Stardom Champion Mina Shirakawa.
Full results and standings for the show are below.
STARDOM 5STAR Grand Prix 2023 Day 1 Results (7/23/23)
- Mei Seira, Thekla & Mai Sakurai won the Trios Gauntlet Preshow Match
- Blue Stars: Maika (2) def. Hanan (0)
- Blue Stars: Mariah May (2) def. AZM (0)
- Red Stars: Natsuko Tora (2) def. Ami Sourei (0)
- Red Stars: Natsupoi (2) def. Starlight Kid (0)
- Blue Stars: Utami Hayashishita (2) def. Mina Shirakawa (0)
- Blue Stars: Momo Watanabe (2) def. MIRAI (0)
- Red Stars: Syuri (2) def. Suzu Suzuki (0)
- Red Stars: Mayu Iwatani (2) def. Hazuki (0)
- Blue Stars: Giulia (1) vs. Saori Anou (1) ended in a 15-minute time-limit draw
- Red Stars: Tam Nakano (2) def. Saya Kamitani (0) due to injury stoppage
- After the match, Megan Bayne made her STARDOM debut and challenged Tam Nakano to a World of Stardom Championship match
- Utami Hayashishita challenged Mayu Iwatani to an IWGP Women's Championship match
5STAR Grand Prix 2023 Standings as of 7/23
RED STARS
2 - Mayu Iwatani
2 - Natsuko Tora
2 - Natsupoi
2 - Syuri
2 - Tam Nakano
0 - Hazuki
0 - Starlight Kid
0 - Suzu Suzuki
0 - Saya Kamitani
0 - Ami Sourei
BLUE STARS
2 - Utami Hayashishita
2 - Maika
2 - Mariah May
2 - Momo Watanabe
1 - Saori Anou
1 - Giulia
0 - MIRAI
0 - Hanan
0 - Mina Shirakawa
0 - AZM
Check out Fightful's exclusive interviews with Saori Anou and Mariah May.
You can follow STARDOM on Twitter at their official account (@wwr_stardom) and their official English account (@we_are_stardom) to stay up-to-date with the promotion.
