u/UnchainedMachoGori40

(LONG POST LOL)

As we get closer to the Finals of the 5★STAR Grand Prix 2026, it's becoming more apparent to me that the Final scenario that makes the most sense to me is Maika vs. Starlight Kid. It's been a story that's been told since the end of 2025.

Maika missed much of the 2025 STARDOM boom that saw Saya Kamitani and Starlight Kid reach unprecedented heights due to piling on injuries. Maika had set her sights on Saya Kamitani and the Red belt but.....a old foe reared her head in Maika's business. Suzu Suzuki and Mi Vida Loca have been gaining more momentum since Suzu's defection from Starlight Kid's NEO GENESIS and were looking to make an example of Maika's EXV, which would begin a blood feud between the 2 factions dominant much of the winter into the spring, eventually leading to an All Unit Battle in Osaka that saw Suzu Suzuki's faction come out on top and Maika's confidence being shook in the process but seeing how strong her own teammates had become that she decided to dissolve EXV. Suzu had effectively won the war....... and then the independent members would still continue fighting, leading to Yokohama Arena in a bloody tag affair with Maika & HANAKO teaming to face MVL's Suzu & Rina Yamashita and once again, came up short. We'll come back to Maika in a bit but let's talk about Starlight Kid.....

Starlight Kid's incredible 2025 ended at the hands of Konami claiming her White belt and Starlight Kid has been on the path of Redemption ever since. As she became the next challenger to Saya Kamitani's Red belt, she made it a point that the Red will be her only focus from now on, the only belt in STARDOM she has yet to win. Coming up short against Kamitani in a classic put her on the back burner a bit, not being featured in a big match on the biggest show of the year after being in the Semi-Main the previous year. Seeing the landscape of STARDOM change with Sayaka Kurara's victory created a new playing field and one by one by one, new challengers for Kurara started to appear. Suzu. Then Tora. Then Maika. Then SLK threw her name into the mix. 2 Former World Champions, one multi-time challenger and a former White belt Champion. Something had to give. Which brings us to Inazawa.....

Queens Dynasty saw a 4-Way #1 Contenders Match for the World of STARDOM Championship pitting Maika, Suzu, Tora and SLK to determine the next challenger at The Conversion in June. Maika, wanting to get her groove back. Suzu to finally realize the dream Maika denied her back in 2023. Tora to regain what she lost in 2024 and put H.A.T.E. back on top. Starlight Kid to finally complete a Grand Slam and win the one belt in STARDOM she's yet to win. Maika was back in form dominating a good bulk of the match with SLK trying her best to overcome the onslaught put against her but in the end, Maika is pinned by Suzu, furthering adding to their longstanding rivalry and Starlight Kid just being a second too late to stop the pin and seeing her former NEO GENESIS sister on top. It was back to the drawing board for Maika and SLK.

Suzu would go onto defeat Kurara at The Conversion and become the World of STARDOM Champion, taking her spot that was denied of her by Maika almost 3 years ago. STARDOM sees another huge shift in hierarchy and neither Maika or SLK are the ones to lead it. But that leads us to today. The 5Star tournament stage has been complete and we are ever so close to Maika and Starlight Kid crossing paths once again. It's been a tale of 2 tournaments for them; Maika has only lost once the entire tournament and that was to Natsuko Tora, someone who historically Maika has never been able to beat. Her run has been a tale of dominance; Starlight Kid has had to literally scratch and claw her way into the Final 4 and has the chance to finally get one over on Suzu and make the finals.

Now what does the G1 have to do with this?? This is where the real inane rambling begins as we start getting into fantasy booking territory, which I don't usually partake in but the story potential and parallels here are too good to ignore.

G1 Climax 36 saw the rise of the new generation in New Japan, particularly the domestic stars Ryohei Oiwa, Yuya Uemura and current IWGP Heavyweight Champion Yota Tsuji. Ryohei Oiwa defeated Callum Newman to secure one half of the Final and the other half saw Uemura defeat the World Champion Tsuji to secure the other half, leading to an all time classic Final that I'm sure most people have already seen by now. Unfortunately for Yuya, despite being the favorite to win for months by many (myself included), he came up short in the end. Yuya beat the World Champion and has a potential shot at the belt in the Future if Tsuji can hold onto it but losing the tournament is still painful and will have to build himself up again. I think STARDOM might tell that same story but with Maika, Suzu, and SLK.

I think all roads are leading to a Maika vs. Starlight Kid final. Who wins will be anyone's guess but if NJPW are telling the story I think they are telling...... Oiwa will challenge Tsuji in October, lose that match and then Uemura will make his challenge, possibly on January 4th. I think Maika wins the tournament and becomes the first 2 time winner in history but will lose the challenge against Suzu adding another layer to their story and the end goal of all of this is SLK beating Suzu for the belt. When and where is anyone's guess, not like there isn't a massive show at the end of the year or anything like that......

OR THIS COULD ALL BE FOR NOTHING AND NONE OF THIS WILL HAPPEN LOL Okada loves to subvert expectations now and then