JPN
The midsummer festival "Sammy presents STARDOM 5★STAR GP 2026" kicked off on July 18th (Saturday) at the EBARA WAVE Arena Ota (Ota City General Gymnasium) in Tokyo, and in the Blue Stars A official match, Sakura Aya achieved her first victory against HANAKO
They both debuted at the Yokohama Budokan on March 25, 2023, making them contemporaries. Sakura immediately caught HANAKO in a triangle choke, but HANAKO lifted her up and slammed her to the ring
So she tried to follow up with a crossbody from the apron, but once again she was struggling against her opponent, who was superior in power. She got caught in a reverse Boston crab at a brutal angle, and Sakura's scream echoed through the venue
Sakura managed to escape to the ropes, but she was in a groggy state. Still, she continued to stand in the ring purely on willpower, and seizing a momentary opening, she applied a kneebar and unleashed a barrage of attacks on her left leg
After about 10 minutes, she was hit with a superplex and a big boot in quick succession, putting her in a very precarious situation, but she managed to block the JP Coaster. Seeing that Sakuracchi wasn't getting the move, she countered with a German suplex
With two minutes remaining, she blocked JP Coaster once again. From there, she unleashed a series of kicks to HANAKO's head, starting with a spinning kick, and finally threw HANAKO's massive body with a Blooming Dream (modified German suplex) to secure the three-count victory
Even after the match, their rivalry was on full display. Sakura reflected, "I'm so happy, but my body is completely worn out. 5★STAR is tough. But I ran through 5★STAR last year, and this year I'm not just going to run through it, I'm going to win. Keep an eye on Sakura."
Furthermore, she grumbled to HANAKO, "I really hate people from Kyoto! They're so petty and nagging, always replying to my (X) posts immediately. Kyoto people's responses are so petty and annoying," but then added, "Our battle isn't over yet. Let's meet again at an even higher level."
[HANAKO's Story] I lost to that damn Sakura! To get such a result in the first match is awful, I'm feeling absolutely terrible. Sakura! Don't get cocky just because you beat me once. I'm definitely ahead of you. This result will never happen again. Next time, I'll beat you and beat that cocky attitude of yours to a pulp. It's not you who will break through Blue Stars A, it's me. Be prepared