Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2021 Explained

Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2021
Sport:	Professional wrestling
Location:	Japan
Start Date:	July 31, 2021
End Date:	September 25, 2021
Tournament Format:	Two-block round-robin
Host:	World Wonder Ring Stardom
Participants:	20
Champions:	Syuri
Runners-Up1:	Momo Watanabe
Matches:	91
Previous:	2020
Next:	2022

, often stylized as 5★Star GP 2021 was the tenth annual professional wrestling tournament under the Stardom 5Star Grand Prix Tournament branch promoted by the Japanese promotion World Wonder Ring Stardom.^[1] It took place between July 31 and September 25, 2021, with a limited attendance due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time.^[2]

Tournament history

The Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix is a professional wrestling tournament held each summer by Stardom. Similar to Bushiroad-owned male counterpart New Japan Pro-Wrestling with the G1 Climax tournament, it is currently held as a round-robin tournament with wrestlers split into two pools. The winner of each pool will compete in the final to decide the winner. As is the case with G1 Climax, a win is two points and a draw is one point for each wrestler.^[3]

Storylines

The show featured professional wrestling matches that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in the scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.^[4]

On the sixth night of the tournament which took place in the Korakuen Hall on August 13, it was announced that the shows from August 14 and August 15 were canceled due to a certain number of female wrestlers being identified as contacts for a person infected with COVID-19. On the same night, after losing the Future of Stardom Championship match to Unagi Sayaka, Mai Sakurai was presented as the newest member of Cosmic Angels and was announced to undergo a newcomer "challenge" against ten opponents during the tournament.

After a couple of lockdowns were announced to be taking place during the event, the original schedule had been slightly changed.^[5] So due to several wrestlers undergoing home isolation, the shows from August 21 and 22 were also cancelled.^[6]

On the eight night from August 29, Hazuki appeared to confront Mayu Iwatani as she was cleared for her in-ring return.^[7]

On the ninth night from September 4 it was revealed that Waka Tsukiyama from Actwres girl'Z would make her debut in Stardom. Just as Mai Sakurai, she was announced to undergo a rookie "challenge" against ten different opponents.^[8]

The seventeenth night portraited the final of the tournament on September 25 with Syuri defeating Momo Watanabe to win it. She revealed that she will challenge Utami Hayashishita for the World of Stardom Championship on December 29 at "Stardom Dream Queendom". Utami Hayashishita versus Takumi Iroha for the World of Stardom Championship, Tam Nakano versus Mayu Iwatani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship and Syuri against Konami for the SWA World Championship were also announced for the Stardom 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella pay-per-view from October 9.^[9]

Participants

This is a list of participants who changed a couple of times during the event. Despite being listed as a participant, Natsuko Tora was replaced by Fukigen Death after suffering a legitimate knee injury at Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 in Summer on July 4.^[10] Takumi Iroha from Marvelous That's Women Pro Wrestling was announced as the mystery participant at the July 17 press conference.

The tournament featured twenty wrestlers, being the biggest tournament to date, equally divided into two distinctive blocks with the two winners of their respective blocks moving on to the finals.^[11] One mystery competitor, usually a guest from another promotion, is often revealed on the first night of the event. But at Hyakka Ryoran! Press Conference held on July 17, it was revealed that Takumi Iroha was set to make her return to the promotion as the mystery competitor and Fukigen Death would replace Natsuko Tora after the latter's injury.^[12]

• Noted underneath are the champions who held their titles at the time of the tournament.

Wrestler	Unit	Notes
AZM	Queen's Quest
Giulia	Donna Del Mondo	Goddesses of Stardom Champion Pulled out of the tournament on September 9 due to injury
Himeka	Donna Del Mondo
Fukigen Death	Oedo Tai	Replaced Natsuko Tora
Koguma	Stars
Konami	Oedo Tai
Maika	Donna Del Mondo
Mayu Iwatani	Stars
Mina Shirakawa	Cosmic Angels	Artist of Stardom Champion
Momo Watanabe	Queen's Quest
Natsuko Tora	Oedo Tai	Pulled out of the tournament due to injury
Natsupoi	Donna Del Mondo
Ruaka	Oedo Tai
Saki Kashima	Oedo Tai
Saya Kamitani	Queen's Quest
Starlight Kid	Oedo Tai	High Speed Champion
Syuri	Donna Del Mondo	Winner Goddesses of Stardom Champion SWA World Champion
Takumi Iroha	Unaffiliated	Announced as the "X"
Tam Nakano	Cosmic Angels	Wonder of Stardom Champion Artist of Stardom Champion
Unagi Sayaka	Cosmic Angels	Artist of Stardom Champion Future of Stardom Champion
Utami Hayashishita	Queen's Quest	World of Stardom Champion Results Blocks Red Stars Shirakawa Giulia Iwatani (18:30) Watanabe w/o Death w/o^[13] Kashima (9:59) Giulia (13:47) Himeka w/o Natsupoi w/o Giulia (14:31) Giulia (5:33) Iwatani Iwatani (18:30) Watanabe (17:37) Death (3:57) Kashima (7:47) Iwatani (6:19) Iwatani (15:39) Iwatani (10:09) Draw (10:01) Iwatani (9:00) Watanabe Watanabe w/o Watanabe (17:37) Watanabe (1:24) Watanabe (5:34) Kid (9:24) Himeka (15:57) Natsupoi (9:44) Watanabe (9:14) Watanabe (8:26) Death Death w/o Death (3:57) Watanabe (1:24) Death (1:52) Kid (5:19) Death (4:44) Natsupoi (3:57) Death (3:34) Shirakawa (4:39) Kashima Kashima (9:59) Kashima (7:47) Watanabe (5:34) Death (1:52) Kid (8:46) Himeka (8:56) Natsupoi (5:24) Koguma (7:01) Shirakawa (10:12) Kid Giulia (13:47) Iwatani (6:19) Kid (9:24) Kid (5:19) Kid (8:46) Kid (11:31) Draw (9:43) Koguma (12:00) Kid (10:11) Himeka Himeka w/o Iwatani (15:39) Himeka (15:57) Death (4:44) Himeka (8:56) Kid (11:31) Himeka (12:12) Koguma (6:19) Himeka (8:16) Natsupoi Natsupoi w/o Iwatani (10:09) Nastupoi (9:44) Natsupoi (3:57) Natsupoi (5:24) Draw (9:43) Himeka (12:12) Koguma (10:16) Shirakawa (7:27) Koguma Giulia (14:31) Draw (10:01) Watanabe (9:14) Death (3:34) Koguma (7:01) Koguma (12:00) Koguma (6:19) Koguma (10:16) Koguma (12:22) Shirakawa Giulia (5:33) Iwatani (9:00) Watanabe (8:26) Shirakawa (4:39) Shirakawa (10:12) Kid (10:11) Himeka (8:16) Shirakawa (7:27) Koguma (12:22) Blue Stars Iroha Hayashishita Draw (20:00) Nakano (13:55) Hayashishita (14:19) Maika (19:26) Hayashishita (8:50) Konami (11:26) Hayashishita (8:16) Hayashishita (11:35) Draw (20:00) Syuri Draw (20:00) Syuri (12:11) Syuri (14:37) Syuri (16:38) AZM (13:38) Konami (13:14) Syuri (6:04) Syuri (11:17) Draw (20:00) Nakano Nakano (13:55) Syuri (12:11) Kamitani (13:18) Nakano (7:37) Nakano (12:20) Nakano (10:45) Nakano (7:41) Sayaka (13:16) Iroha (14:54) Kamitani Hayashishita (14:19) Syuri (14:37) Kamitani (13:18) Kamitani (11:11) Kamitani (8:34) Kamitani (11:04) Kamitani (7:40) Sayaka (11:53) Draw (13:08) Maika Maika (19:26) Syuri (16:38) Nakano (7:37) Kamitani (11:11) Maika (7:58) Maika (6:11) Maika (4:44) Draw (20:00) Iroha (13:45) AZM Hayashishita (8:50) AZM (13:38) Nakano (12:20) Kamitani (8:34) Maika (7:58) AZM (6:20) AZM (3:39) Sayaka (8:21) AZM (8:55) Konami Konami (11:26) Konami (13:14) Nakano (10:45) Kamitani (11:04) Maika (6:11) AZM (6:20) Konami (5:19) Konami (11:33) Konami (10:41) Ruaka Hayashishita (8:16) Syuri (6:04) Nakano (7:41) Kamitani (7:40) Maika (4:44) Ruaka (7:40) Konami (5:19) AZM (3:39) Iroha (8:20) Sayaka Hayashishita (11:35) Syuri (11:17) Sayaka (13:16) Sayaka (11:53) Draw (20:00) Sayaka (8:21) Konami (11:33) Sayaka (7:40) Iroha (13:34) Iroha Draw (20:00) Draw (20:00) Iroha (14:54) Draw (13:08) Iroha (13:45) AZM (8:55) Konami (10:41) Iroha (8:20) Iroha (13:34) See also G1 Climax N-1 Victory External links Page Stardom World

Notes and References

1. Web site: Stardom Announces 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 Lineup. lastwordonsports.com. Alex. Richards. July 4, 2021. July 5, 2021.
2. Web site: World Wonder Ring Stardom - "5★STAR GP 2021". purolove.com. Purolove. July 7, 2021. July 9, 2021.
3. Web site: Stardom Five Star Grand Prix Tournament History. prowrestlinghistory.com. Professional Wrestling History. July 3, 2022. March 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220329232650/http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/japan/women/stardom/grandprix.html. live.
4. Web site: How Pro Wrestling Works . Grabianowski . Ed . August 21, 2017 . . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm . November 29, 2013 .
5. Web site: Stardom 5STAR Grand Prix 2021 / Blocks and Full Schedule in English.. prowrestlingmusings.com. Craig. William. July 18, 2021. August 28, 2021.
6. Web site: Thank you for your continued support for Stardom.. twitter.com. World Wonder Ring Stardom. August 16, 2021. August 17, 2021.
7. Web site: Stardom News: Hazuki Returns, Dark Matches, AndNEW & More. lastwordonsports.com. Alex. Richards. August 29, 2021. August 29, 2021.
8. Web site: Waka Tsukiyama Makes Stardom Debut. lastwordonsports.com. Alex. Richards. September 4, 2021. September 6, 2021.
9. Web site: 9/25 STARDOM “5-STAR GRAND PRIX 2021” FINALS RESULTS. pwinsider.com. WrestlingwithDemons. September 25, 2021. September 25, 2021.
10. Web site: STARDOM anuncia as participants do 5 Star Grand Prix 2021. wrestlingnoticias.com. Alef. Portuguese. July 4, 2021. July 5, 2021.
11. Web site: Entrants Announced For STARDOM 5 Star Grand Prix 2021. wrestling-news.net. Wayne. Daly. July 4, 2021. July 5, 2021.
12. Web site: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cTxRbtVKvg. ja:【記者会見】百花繚乱！5つ星★★★★★極上で激アツな闘い！『5★STAR GP 2021』出場選手が意気込み語る！【#STARDOM】. youtube.com. World Wonder Ring Stardom. July 17, 2021. July 17, 2021.
13. Web site: Giulia will be out of action from 9/11 Shinjuku to 9/23 Toyama to take care of a lingering injury.. twitter.com. スターダム✪STARDOM. September 9, 2021. September 9, 2021.