JPN
Saya Iida, who has been in top form this summer, has succeeded in defeating a formidable opponent. In the first round of the "5★STAR GP 2026" final tournament, Iida, who is ranked 2nd in Red Stars B, faced AZM, who is ranked 3rd in Red Stars A
From the start, AZM's relentless attacks, utilizing her superior speed, gave her a tough time. Nevertheless, she tried to break through head-on with a series of reverse chops
Iida Rocket is dodged, and he is caught in an armlock and becomes the victim of Numero Uno, but Azumi Sushi intervenes and slams him hard with a Spanish Buster
The back-and-forth battle continued, with both sides aiming for Iidabashi and Azumi Sushi, but neither could secure a victory
Despite enduring AZM's submission hold torture, Iida unleashed a powerful lariat. Finally, she finished him off with two vertical drop brainbusters to claim the victory
In the second round on the same day, they will face Maika, who advanced as the top seed in Red Stars A
[Saya Iida's Story]
First round of the final tournament, AZM. I knew it wouldn't be easy. I sacrificed an arm a little, but I managed to get through somehow. Next up, Maika. No matter what happens to this arm, I'll definitely beat her and win 5★STAR Ryogoku. I'll be the champion.
[AZM's Story]
My plan was to beat Iida and face Maika. I should have been mentally preparing myself for Maika by now, but I lost to Iida. Last year I made it to the finals and was really disappointed, and this year I came into it with the feeling that reaching the finals was the minimum requirement, but... well, of course I'm disappointed, and I've learned firsthand that it's meaningless unless I win 5★STAR, and it's meaningless unless I get results. This time I lost in the first round and didn't get the result I wanted, but I feel much better than last year. That's not just because I got this far, but because I've learned from each and every step. I lost, though. I lost, but I think I've grown a little since last year. Well, I'm not giving up. Not just 5★STAR, but please look forward to me this year and in the future