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Maika officially joins an elite class of Japanese female wrestlers to have won the prestigious 5 Star Grand Prix tournament held by STARDOM.
The semi-finals took place earlier on in the night. Maika bested IWGP Women’s Champion Mayu Iwatani to secure her slot in the finals scheduled for the main event of the same show. Her opponent was then decided in the second semi-finals match wherein Saya Kamitani defeated Hanan.
Maika and Saya Kamitani clashed in an all-out battle in the finals of the 5 Star Grand Prix tournament. The two have plenty of history facing one another in World and Wonder of Stardom Championship matches. Back in 2021, they were also the finalists of the Cinderella Tournament that Saya ultimately won. However, this time around, it was Maika who came out victorious after a grueling 27-minute match with her rival. A wristlock Michinoku Driver secured her the three-count to become the winner of this year’s 5 Star Grand Prix Tournament. She was then awarded with the crown and robe along with the tournament trophy right after the match.
As the winner of the tournament, Maika earned herself a future shot at the World of Stardom Championship. During her celebration speech, she wasted no time in calling out the new champion, Tam Nakano, for the challenge. The two agreed to the title match for STARDOM Namba Grand Fight in just two weeks on Saturday, September 14.
Maika’s historic achievements
Maika also made history on top of her major accomplishment. Her victory marks the first time in STARDOM history that a competitor won the 5 Star Grand Prix with an undefeated record. She is also the first woman to reach the finals of the tournament twice. Following these events, Maika seemingly avenged her 2023 5 Star Grand Prix loss to Suzu Suzuki after tonight’s events.
