Mina Shirakawa vs. Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship, from Stardom Hiroshima Goddess Festival

The injury that effectively ends the match will overshadow the discourse around it, no doubt worsened by everyone involved not being in sync in resolving it (I’d cut them some slack, but I’m sure others haven’t been as kind). It’s unfortunate because everything up to that point was darn good, a simple story of determination and intelligence told well and without overstatement or superfluous fluff; it’s hard to be down on matches that run twenty minutes but feel like five. I’m not assured that this would’ve been a classic without the injury, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility.

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