Marigold GRAND DESTINY 2026
Venue: Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo
Attendance: 2,100
Marigold’s biggest event of the year marked the promotion’s third show at Ryogoku Kokugikan, following previous events on July 13, 2024, and October 26, 2025.
At the opening of the show, footage of Miss Global—one of the world’s largest beauty pageants—played on the video screen, followed by an announcement that Kouki Amarei had won the Grand Prix at the Tochigi qualifying tournament. With that victory, Kouki earned her spot in the Japan national finals, which will be held in Shinagawa on February 8 next year.
Kouki appeared in the ring, where she was presented with a tiara by model and actress Mao Matsumoto before addressing the crowd.
Kouki: “I was able to advance to the national finals as the Tochigi Prefecture representative for Miss Global Japan. Thank you very much. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I would compete in a beauty pageant, but since I was given this wonderful opportunity, I definitely want to take on the challenge, firmly claim the number-one spot in Japan and number one in the world, and bring those honors back to the Marigold ring. Thank you all for your support!”
1. Suzuka Debut Match (15-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
The Lady AI defeated Suzuka (7 min 8 sec, Lateral Press)
Finishing Move: STO
This was the debut match for Suzuka, who joined the promotion this spring. Serving as her opponent was AI, who made her own debut at Korakuen Hall on March 14.
Entering second, Suzuka sprinted down to ringside, delivered a crisp salute, and climbed into the ring. Donning red ring gear, she was introduced as a “former Japan Self-Defense Forces member, wearing jersey number 76.”
They shook hands, and the bell rang. After tangling into the ropes off a lock-up, Suzuka fired an elbow into AI’s chest. AI fired back, sparking an elbow exchange. AI got the better of the strike battle and clamped on a headlock.
Whipped into the ropes, AI bowled Suzuka over with a shoulder tackle, then followed up with several more in succession for a two-count. She transitioned into a Boston crab, forcing Suzuka to crawl to the ropes. Another elbow exchange broke out, which AI won before stomping Suzuka down in the corner.
Mounting a comeback, Suzuka connected with a corner dropkick followed by a standard dropkick and a bodyslam for a two-count as the five-minute mark passed. Suzuka locked in a Boston crab, but AI reached the ropes.
AI fought off a bodyslam attempt and hit a bodyslam of her own. She followed with a senton for a two-count, which Suzuka reversed into a pin of her own for two. AI planted her with an STO for a two-count, then hit a second STO to secure the three-count.
With the win, AI earned her first career singles victory.
◆ Backstage Comments
Suzuka: “Honestly, I wanted to win so badly, realizing that I still fall short in so many areas. Right now, I think the only thing I can really convey is my fighting spirit, so from here on out, I want to become a wrestler who can pour everything she has into getting that emotion across to the crowd.
(Were you able to show what you’ve practiced?)
Suzuka: Yes, I was.
(Now that you’ve debuted, what kind of wrestler do you want to become?)
Suzuka: It hasn’t been very long since I first encountered pro wrestling, and there is still so much I don’t know, but I want to become a wrestler who can bring energy and spirit to people.
(How did it feel making your debut in a massive venue like Ryogoku Kokugikan?)
Suzuka: Honestly, I was full of anxiety. There were moments where I truthfully felt like a venue this grand was way too good for me, but being allowed to stand in Ryogoku Kokugikan today thanks to so much support and gratitude is truly a wonderful thing. I still have a long way to go in so many ways, but I want to grow into a wrestler worthy of saying she made her debut at Ryogoku Kokugikan.”
AI: “This was my very first Ryogoku event—thank you very much. Since it was Suzuka’s debut match, my opponent was a rookie, but I got my first (singles) victory! Still, even though it was a first win that both I and the fans had been waiting so long for, I feel surprisingly unsentimental about it—almost like, ‘Oh, is that all it feels like?’ For me, this is nothing more than the beginning. I have to start beating my seniors from here on out, and I still have a mountain of things to work on, so I don’t feel like this was a victory I can be fully satisfied with. Moving forward, I want to keep practicing hard alongside Suzuka and become a wrestler capable of defeating my seniors. Thank you very much for the Ryogoku show today.”
2. Kizuna Tanaka Return Match ~ A Story of Destiny (15-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
Shinno defeated Kizuna Tanaka (13 min 15 sec, Single-Leg Crab Pin -> Pinfall)
Finishing Move: Uranage
Kizuna: “I will remain in Marigold for good from here on out.”
Having been sidelined with a dislocated fracture of her left ankle suffered on January 17 in Toyonaka, Kizuna made her return to the ring after nine months away. This marked her second singles match against Shinno, and their first in a year since last year’s October 26 Ryogoku event.
Kizuna paused at the entrance gate for a long moment, visibly overcome with emotion. After taking a deep breath and flashing a smile, she walked down to the ring, bowed deeply at ringside, and stepped through the ropes.
Shinno refused a handshake, and the bell sounded. They locked up and jockeyed for wrist control before Kizuna applied a headlock. Shinno backed her into the ropes, broke free, and drove an elbow into Kizuna’s chest. Kizuna returned fire, went back to the headlock, and grounded her with body scissors. Shinno escaped and chopped Kizuna down with a kick to the back of the thigh.
Shinno zeroed in on Kizuna’s left leg, drawing a scream of pain from Kizuna. After stomping on the leg, Shinno draped it over the ropes and wrenched it. Kizuna fought back with an elbow, a corner elbow smash, and a running neckbreaker. They traded elbows until Shinno unloaded a flurry and charged in, only for Kizuna to snatch her into a Fujiwara armbar. Shinno reached the ropes.
Shouting “Here we go!”, Kizuna whipped her into the ropes, but Shinno caught her with a dropkick. Shinno went for a Sasori-gatame (Sharpshooter), which Kizuna kicked her way out of. Shinno blasted her with a PK, stomped on her left leg, and locked in the Sasori-gatame as the five-minute mark passed. Kizuna made it to the ropes.
Kizuna intercepted Shinno’s corner charge and climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Shinno peppered her with a barrage of Venus (palm strikes). Catching her arm, Kizuna leapt off the top into an avalanche flying cross armbreaker. Shinno stacked her up to break the hold for a two-count, so Kizuna transitioned from an armbar into a modified chickenwing. Shinno escaped to the ropes.
Kizuna took her back, but Shinno shook her off, reversed an Irish whip attempt, and connected with an elbow followed by a running knee for a two-count. Shinno locked her up for an Uranage, prompting Kizuna to grab the ropes. Fighting off a second Uranage attempt, Kizuna hit a fisherman’s suplex hold for a near-fall.
Shinno brought Kizuna to her knees and cracked her with a buzzsaw kick for a two-count, then drove an elbow straight into her face. Kizuna staggered as she fired back, and Shinno pressed the attack. Letting out a roar, Kizuna battered Shinno to her knees with a flurry of strikes and floored her with a headbutt. Screaming “It’s over!”, Kizuna set up for a tiger suplex, which Shinno countered into a flash rollup for two as the ten-minute mark passed. Shinno followed with a running knee for another two-count and repeatedly tried to pin her down. Kizuna charged in with a dropkick and a running knee of her own for a two-count.
Kizuna connected with a tiger suplex hold, but Shinno was close enough to grab the ropes. With three minutes remaining, Kizuna charged in, and Shinno met her with a jumping knee for two. When Shinno charged in next, Kizuna intercepted her with a counter high kick. Kizuna tried to lock her up, but Shinno pried herself free, landed a high kick, and—when Kizuna refused to go down—leveled her with a rolling elbow for a two-count.
Yelling “It’s over!”, Shinno headed to the top rope. She crashed down with a diving knee drop to the back of the head, then planted Kizuna with a steep-angle Uranage for the three-count.
After the match, the two embraced and linked pinky fingers in a promise.
▼ Backstage Comments
Kizuna: “After getting injured in January, this was my return match after about nine months away. I had a lot on my mind while I was out injured, especially seeing people leave the promotion while I wasn’t around. It was so frustrating not even being able to move at a time when I really wanted to step up and do my part, so I’m glad I could make it back safely today. Even though I lost, I have a lot of juniors now, and I feel strongly that from here on out, instead of following behind someone else, I want to carry Marigold on my own back and make it shine. Maybe it doesn’t sound very convincing coming from someone who just lost, but I love Marigold with all my heart, and I genuinely want to work with everyone in Marigo to make Marigold the number-one promotion. I will remain in Marigold for good from here on out. I kept everyone waiting for a very long time, so thank you so much to everyone who waited for me. I’d be happy if you could watch over me as I pull off a massive comeback—or rather, a second comeback—from here on out. Thank you very much for today.”
Shinno: “Thank you very much for the Ryogoku Kokugikan event. In our second-generation showdown, Shinno got her revenge. Since it was Kii-tan’s return match—and it was my first time serving as someone’s return opponent, plus I lost to her last year—I stepped into the ring today carrying a lot of emotions of my own. Fighting Kizuna Tanaka really is a blast, and she truly ignites my fighting spirit. I know we have the kind of rivalry where we’re going to clash many, many more times in the future. And for Marigold’s sake too, I felt that our second-generation rivalry needs to grow much bigger, to the point where we can headline in the main event. I won today, but we’re still tied at one win and one loss apiece. Either one of us could come out on top at any time, so I’m going to aim even higher and keep working hard.
(Where do you feel you’ve grown the most over this past year?) Going through title matches, the singles league, and all sorts of experiences, for a long time I was just desperately trying to hang on to my seniors because I was still a young wrestler. But over the past year, a feeling sprouted inside me that I need to step up and drive things myself in the ring. True to being called a second-generation Egoist, I think it’s been a year where a bit of an egoistic heart has started to blossom in me.”
3. Seri Yamaoka Return Match (15-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
Seri Yamaoka & Yuuka Yamazaki drew with Komomo Minami & Nagisa Tachibana (15 min 00 sec, Time Limit Expired)
Having been sidelined with a dislocated left shoulder suffered at Shinjuku FACE on May 28, Yamaoka returned to action after five months following surgery.
Yamaoka refused Tachibana’s offer of a handshake, and the two kicked off the match at the bell. Yamaoka shot in for a takedown to bring things to the mat, then hit a spinebuster for a two-count.
Komomo and Yamazaki tagged in and engaged in a brisk series of reversals. Yamaoka stepped in to combine forces with Yamazaki, clearing out both Komomo and Tachibana. Taking the legal tag, Yamaoka went to work on Komomo until Tachibana entered to help mount a double-team counterattack, trapping Yamaoka in enemy territory.
Yamaoka retaliated with a dropkick and tagged in Yamazaki. Yamazaki evaded a double-team attempt from Tachibana and Komomo and took the fight to Tachibana. Using a delayed rope-running sequence, Tachibana rolled through into a stunner and followed with a dropkick. Yamazaki answered with a counter chop, a flurry of strikes, and a leaping guillotine legdrop to the back of the head as the five-minute mark passed. Yamazaki went for a brainbuster, which Tachibana reversed into a suplex of her own.
Komomo and Yamaoka became the legal competitors, and Komomo landed a dropkick. Yamaoka rammed her into the turnbuckles, and while Komomo fired back with a corner attack and Yamaoka quickly answered, Komomo sprang onto the ropes to hit a diving body attack for a two-count.
Komomo connected with a counter dropkick, which Yamaoka answered with a spinebuster for two. Yamaoka and Yamazaki teamed up for a double 619 followed by a sandwich dropkick for a two-count. Yamaoka locked in a modified chickenwing, prompting a save.
Yamaoka and Yamazaki won the ensuing battle of double-team maneuvers, setting up Yamaoka to hit a springboard dropkick on Komomo for two. Komomo countered with a rolling prawn hold for a two-count, followed by a modified Complete Shot.
Tachibana tagged in and hit Yamaoka with a corner dropkick, a bulldogging headlock, and another dropkick for a near-fall. Letting out a roar, Tachibana set up for a swinging stunner, but Yamaoka evaded it and combined a Yamazaki footstomp with a side suplex of her own for a two-count.
Ten minutes elapsed as the two traded elbows. Tachibana spread her arms wide and taunted, “Come on!” She absorbed Yamaoka’s flurry of strikes and avoided the Aoki Clutch. Yamaoka escaped Tachibana’s La Magistral attempt and grabbed her leg, forcing Komomo to rush in for the save.
Tachibana and Komomo connected with a double-team sequence, though Yamazaki broke up Tachibana’s cover. Yamazaki and Yamaoka answered with a seesaw whip into a Yamaoka spinebuster for a two-count with three minutes remaining.
Tachibana landed on her feet out of Yamaoka’s German suplex attempt, and off a Komomo sobat, hit a swinging stunner that required a save at two. Tachibana and Komomo won a double-team exchange with dropkicks, and Tachibana soared out onto her opponents on the floor with a springboard body attack at the two-minute warning.
Back in the ring, Yamaoka fought back against Tachibana. Avoiding the Aoki Clutch, Tachibana rolled her up with La Magistral for a two-count, and Yamaoka countered with the Aoki Clutch for two with one minute left. Tachibana blocked a German suplex attempt by grabbing the ropes. With thirty seconds remaining, Yamazaki connected with a missile dropkick, setting up Yamaoka for a German suplex hold for two. Yamaoka bridged into a second German suplex hold, which was broken up at two just as the time-limit bell sounded.
Yamaoka Recruits Her Older Sister Miyabi into Pro Wrestling: “I figured if I said it in front of everyone, I’d have a shot.”
After the match, Yamaoka took the microphone.
Yamaoka: “Today was my first time in the ring in half a year, and even though I couldn’t get the win, I’m glad I could make it back safely! Yuuka, Nagisa, and Komomo-san, thank you very much. And today, for Seri’s return match, there’s one thing I want to say to my older sister, Miyabi Yamaoka.”
Stepping out of the ring, she walked over to her older sister, Miyabi Yamaoka, at the broadcast table and spoke into the mic.
Yamaoka: “Why don’t you wrestle alongside Seri right here in Marigold? (Addressing a bewildered Miyabi) Well, since I sprung this on you out of nowhere, you can give me your answer later. Please think about it!”
The two sisters shook hands.
Yamaoka: “Thank you very much!”
▼ Backstage Comments
Komomo: “People say the young wrestlers carry the future on their shoulders, and honestly, being in this spot on today’s card frustrated me. Since I’m the senior among this group, I want to become the kind of wrestler who helps carry matches higher up the card moving forward. Still, getting to team with Nagisa today in an all-young-wrestler bout—I think we put on the kind of match that fans will one day brag about having witnessed live.”
Tachibana: “Komomo-san isn’t the only one who wants to climb higher up the card. I feel the exact same way, and I’m sure Seri and Yuuka do too. I’m thrilled that I got to be Seri’s opponent for her return match here at Ryogoku Kokugikan today. Normally—or at least the old me—would have lost a match like this, but today it was a draw. I showed a ton of grit, and I know Seri is frustrated as hell. I’m super frustrated that I couldn’t win, too. That’s why today is the real starting line. In order to pin Seri for a three-count without fail, I’m going to climb much, much higher.”
Yamaoka: “Thank you very much. First of all, I’m glad I could return safely, but looking at a matchup of Komomo-san and Nagisa versus Yuuka and Seri—in the past, this might have been a match we would have won, yet everyone was so strong today. It really showed me how many areas I’m still lacking in.”
Yamazaki: “It was your return match, after all.”
Yamaoka: “Well, even so, I felt like I needed to outshine everyone else in that ring. I want this exact matchup to be a main event one day, so all of us homegrown roster members are going to keep clawing our way up and crush the current champions.”
Yamazaki: “Seri, first of all, congratulations on your return. It’s a huge honor to stand beside you as your tag partner in your return match. Honestly, ending in a 15-minute time-limit draw is super frustrating. Precisely because Seri and I team together so often, I really wanted us to see it through and get the win. Still, I really felt and understood the strength of our homegrown roster out there. Even though it’s frustrating, I think it was a match that proved we homegrown wrestlers can carry things moving forward and keep climbing the ranks. Next time we fight, I want us to produce a better result, and I want to keep teaming with Seri to achieve even bigger things. Let’s keep giving it our all.”
Yamaoka: “Yes, thank you very much.
(You invited your older sister to join pro wrestling out there?) I’ve been telling her for the past year or two, ‘Let’s do pro wrestling together.’ I figured Ogawa-san would be happy about it too, and since I’ve always wanted us to work together as sisters, I’ve kept bringing it up, though it hasn’t come together yet. Today was her first time doing guest commentary since my debut, so I figured if I said it in front of everyone, I’d have a real shot.
(If she debuts, do you want to fight her or team with her?) I want to fight her, and I want to team with her. At first, though… for our first match, I’d want to face her. And then eventually, I want us to team up, win the belts together, and climb to the top side by side.
(How do you feel your chances are?) Huh? …Well, when a little sister says something like that, an older sister has no choice but to listen, right? So I think she’ll come around, though I’ll leave the final decision up to her.
(She didn’t seem to give you an immediate answer at the commentary desk?) She didn’t give me an answer right there, no. When I get home tonight, I’m going to keep pestering her and somehow convince her to become a pro wrestler.
(Does your older sister usually give in to your requests?) She does! Seri listens to a lot of her older sister’s requests too, and even more than that, my sister always listens to mine.”
4. Different Style Fighting Match (2 Rounds, 2-Minute Limit per Round)
Megaton drew with Yoshino Chitose (End of Round 2, Time Limit Draw)
Megaton: “Next time, become a wrestler and fight me in this ring!” / Chitose: “Pro wrestling—next time, I’ll take on anyone, anytime!”
Popular gravure idol Yoshino Chitose made her in-ring debut against Megaton in a “Pro Wrestling vs. Idol” crossover martial arts bout. Chitose brought five years of kickboxing experience into the contest.
Chitose competed in kickboxing gear wearing gloves, while Megaton competed in standard pro wrestling attire. The bell sounded.
Megaton immediately shot in with a sliding kick, dropping into an Inoki-Ali position on her back while Chitose peppered her legs with kicks. When Megaton tried to kick back from the mat, Chitose stepped up onto the corner ropes to evade.
Megaton threw punches and kicks on the feet, only for Chitose to dodge them and chop her down with low kicks as the one-minute mark passed.
Changing tactics, Megaton crisscrossed the ropes, hit a forward roll bump, and struck her signature “Gao!” (“Roar!”) pose. Chitose promptly blasted her with a kick. Megaton spread her arms wide, but a sharp middle kick dropped her to the mat, and a right hook knocked her down a second time. Chitose swarmed the downed Megaton with punches and kicks just as the first round ended.
Following a one-minute interval, Round 2 began. Chitose opened with a rush of punches and kicks. Megaton charged in shouting “Gao!”, to which Chitose yelled “Gao!” right back before firing a low kick. Megaton yelled, “That didn’t hurt at all!”, prompting Chitose to unload a barrage of low kicks. Megaton caught a middle kick, tripped her to the mat, and locked in a camel clutch. She pulled Chitose up to grapple, and although Chitose shook her off, Megaton chopped her with a Mongolian chop, scooped her up for a spinebuster, and dropped an elbow. Megaton climbed the corner for a Vader-style reverse splash, but Chitose rolled out of the way.
Chitose landed a low kick to the head of the grounded Megaton. Megaton beat the ref’s count at six, only for Chitose to crack her with another kick to the head. Just as Megaton got back to her feet, the final bell sounded for a time-limit draw.
Post-match microphone exchanges followed.
Megaton: “Gao! Yoshino Chitose, you were strong! Gao! Today was a different-style fighting match, so Yoshino Chitose—next time, train in pro wrestling, become a wrestler, and fight me in this ring! And hey, you over there working as her second! I’m waiting for you inside the ring too, not just at ringside! Next time, put on some ring gear and step in here!”
Chitose: “Pro wrestlers, pro wrestling—next time, I’ll take on anyone, anytime! Build up your stamina and wait for me next time!”
5. Mai Sakurai Final Match (20-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
Mai Sakurai, Natsumi Showzuki & Erina Yamanaka defeated Chanyota, Diana Strong & Mila Smidt (9 min 16 sec, Single-Leg Crab Pin -> Pinfall)
Finishing Move: Diving Elbow Drop
For her final match as a member of the Marigold roster, Sakurai teamed up with her “La Vie en Rose” unit partners Showzuki and Yamanaka to take on the trio of P.P.P. Tokyo’s Chanyota and international regulars Diana and Mila, who have been touring with the promotion since August and are returning home temporarily following this event.
When Sakurai announced her departure in the ring at Toyonaka on October 3, she explained her decision by stating, “I prioritized my matches too much and ended up putting my own body and mind on the back burner. Because of that, I want to give my body a rest and hit the reset button for now.”
Chanyota entered the bout holding the VENUS OF PARTY Championship.
La Vie en Rose thwarted an opening ambush from Chanyota’s team to kick off the match. La Vie en Rose stacked all three opponents in the corner for a train of running attacks, capped off by Yamanaka hitting a triple bronco buster. They then tied all three opponents up side-by-side in Paradise Locks and struck a pose together.
Chanyota’s squad mounted a counterattack against Sakurai, with Mila and Diana dropping synchronized elbows before the trio posed together. Diana weathered a double-team attempt from Showzuki and Yamanaka, fought back, and isolated Yamanaka. Chanyota tagged in and connected with a flying shoulder tackle, though Yamanaka answered with a brainbuster to swing the momentum and tag in Sakurai.
Sakurai hit Chanyota with a missile dropkick, a corner front kick, and a double facecrusher alongside Showzuki for a two-count. Chanyota caught a charging Sakurai for a brainbuster, then hoisted her into an Argentine backbreaker while Mila and Diana simultaneously hoisted her partners into matching Argentine backbreakers as the five-minute mark passed.
After pressing the attack on Sakurai, Chanyota tagged in Mila. Sakurai popped right back up from a Mila lariat, only for Mila to launch her with a release German suplex that required a save from Showzuki at two. Mila and Diana followed with a double-team maneuver, which Yamanaka broke up at two.
Caught in enemy double-teaming, Sakurai absorbed a corner senton attack from Mila, prompting Showzuki to fly in with a diving double knee attack to break up the pin at two. Showzuki and Yamanaka planted Mila with a double brainbuster and had Sakurai cover her, though the pin was broken up at two.
Sakurai evaded a double-team attempt from Diana and Chanyota, allowing Yamanaka and Showzuki to clear both women to the floor with dropkicks. Yamanaka followed up with a diving body attack from the top rope to the outside. Inside the ring, Sakurai won a reversal exchange with Mila and hit a backdrop suplex for a near-fall.
Sakurai connected with a running kick and a buzzsaw kick for another two-count. She then swept Mila to the mat with an Osotogari (major outer reap), setting up a rapid-fire finishing sequence: a guillotine legdrop from Yamanaka, a diving double knee drop from Showzuki, and finally a diving elbow drop from Sakurai for the three-count.
Sakurai’s Grateful Final Promo: “Until the day we meet again, I bid you adieu.”
Post-match microphone speech.
Sakurai: “A very good day to all you commoners who have gathered here at Ryogoku Kokugikan! First of all, to Chanyota, Mila, and Diana for fighting me in this match—thank you very much.”
Chanyota stepped forward to embrace her, followed by Mila and Diana.
Sakurai: “And to Natsumi-san and Erina-san, who fought beside me in my final match—thank you so much.”
The three unit mates embraced.
Sakurai: “And to Ogawa-san, who always told me ‘It’s okay, you’ll be fine’ backstage when I was still inexperienced in the early days after our launch and would cry after every match. Saved by those words from Ogawa-san, no matter how close my spirit came to breaking, I was able to keep going right here. Thank you so much for letting me belong to this ring, which gave me so many experiences. And to all the fans—it is thanks to the Marigold fans that I was able to shine in this ring! Thank you very much! This came as a sudden announcement, and it is truly selfish of me, but today I am leaving this ring. Still, Mai Sakurai will never die! I will keep walking my own path in life from here on out. So until the day we meet again, I bid you adieu (gomen asobase). Thank you very much!”
Three Major Events Announced for Ota City General Gymnasium on January 3, May 22, and August 21 Next Year
Via the video screen, three major big-match events at Ota City General Gymnasium were announced for 2027: January 3, May 22, and August 21.
6. 3D Trios Championship Match (30-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
Misa Matsui, CHIAKI & Rea Seto (Champions) defeated Flying Penguin, Hummingbird & Nanase (Challengers) (16 min 56 sec, BORN THIS WAY -> Submission)
Note: The 2nd champion team succeeded in their first title defense; Hummingbird submitted to Seto.
Having captured the 3D Trios Championship from Mai Sakurai, Natsumi Showzuki, and Erina Yamanaka at Ota City General Gymnasium on August 9, Darkness Revolution entered their first title defense. The challenging trio—featuring Marigold’s Hummingbird alongside Naniwa Joshi Pro-Wrestling’s Flying Penguin and Nanase—earned their shot after Bird pinned Matsui in a tag match at Korakuen Hall on October 10. For Nanase, this marked her third appearance in Marigold following shows on May 30 in Toyonaka and June 20 at Korakuen.
Seto and Nanase started at the bell, with Seto grabbing a handful of hair to take control before Nanase answered with an arm drag. CHIAKI and Penguin tagged in; CHIAKI raked the eyes, absorbed a string of shoulder tackles from Penguin, and bowled her over with a shoulder block of her own. When Matsui and Bird became the legal competitors, Bird had her legs yanked from the outside, sparking a ringside brawl during which Seto mercilessly whipped Penguin and the seconds with her whip.
Back inside the ring, Bird was isolated as the five-minute mark passed. When Bird dodged CHIAKI’s face wash in the corner, Penguin and Nanase rushed in to turn the tide.
Receiving the tag, Nanase evaded a double-team attempt from Matsui and Seto and teamed up with Penguin to clear them out. Together, the two caught CHIAKI’s spear mid-charge and planted her with a double brainbuster. Nanase hit CHIAKI with a stunner into a facebuster for a two-count, which CHIAKI answered with a powerslam for two.
Matsui tagged in and connected with a missile dropkick that sent Nanase flying. When Penguin stepped in to cover for her partner, Seto snapped her throat-first with a stunner off the apron, and Matsui followed with a diving footstomp from the middle rope for a two-count.
Penguin caught Matsui’s running knee attempt, allowing Bird to jump in and assist. Climbing the corner and shouting “Alright, here we go!”, Penguin connected with a swinging DDT that required a save at two.
As the ten-minute mark passed, Bird tagged in off a reversal exchange between Matsui and Penguin, leaping off Penguin’s shoulders in an electric chair position to land a body press for a two-count. Matsui retaliated against Bird with a thrust kick into an Osotogari.
Seto tagged in and combined with Matsui for a double dropkick for two, immediately transitioning into a Fujiwara armbar until Bird reached the ropes. Seto then blasted Bird with a dropkick while she was draped against the bottom rope.
Bird and Seto traded strikes, with Bird firing a flurry of knife-edge chops before Seto felled her with an elbow. Bird intercepted a corner charge and leapt off the ropes for a diving body attack, but Seto dodged it. CHIAKI and Matsui swarmed the ring for a triple-team sequence, capped by Seto dropkicking Bird’s left arm for a two-count.
Nanase charged in to rescue Bird, and after an assist strike from Penguin, Bird landed a high kick that drew a save at two. Bird leapt onto Seto’s shoulders and snapped her down with a facebuster, flowing straight into a European clutch for a near-fall as the fifteen-minute mark passed.
Seto pulled Bird down into a double-arm submission until her partners broke it up. CHIAKI and Matsui dumped Nanase and Penguin to the floor, leaving Seto to set up Bird for a Rainmaker-style lariat. Bird countered into a small package for two, only for Seto to nail her with a counter dropkick. Off a CHIAKI cannonball in the corner, Seto hit another dropkick for a two-count. Finally, starting from a Rainmaker setup, Seto trapped both of Bird’s wrists, hurled her over, and folded her into BORN THIS WAY, forcing Bird to submit.
In the ring after the match, the victorious champions gloated after ripping the masks off all three challengers.
▼ Backstage Comments
Matsui: “That’s V1 in the books—and Rea’s very first title defense.”
CHIAKI: “Feels amazing, doesn’t it? Yeah!”
Matsui: “Facing those three again today, honestly, I don’t think they were worthy challengers at all. Still, I wanted to create some kind of meaning out of putting our belts on the line against them, and as a result, we claimed these war trophies (their masks). Wait—what’s with this Penguin mask?”
CHIAKI: “Seriously, what the hell is up with her? That thing wouldn’t come off at all! It was stuck on so tight it felt like she glued it to her face so she could never be unmasked. We planned on exposing her true identity today, but hey, with our V1 defense complete, our story is still just getting started. Alright, on three—”
Darkness Revolution: “Good work out there!”
Nanase: “For a massive Ryogoku Kokugikan event like this, our trio—Star Wars—came in fired up and debuted brand-new matching gear as you can see, only to suffer the ultimate humiliation at the very end. Ripping our masks off like that… how can anyone forgive champions who act that way?”
Penguin: “I’ve said it all along—I respect the teamwork those three have. But ripping our masks off? Why the hell did they have to go and do something like that? They won fair and square, so they should just be happy with the win! There’s no way we can let people like them stay champions. I’m definitely getting my partners’ two masks back, so just you wait!”
Hummingbird: “Finding myself in this situation now—plenty of masked wrestlers throughout history have had their masks ripped off before, so part of me figured a day like this would eventually come for me too. I always thought that if I actually got unmasked, my head would be spinning or I’d be bawling my eyes out, yet my heart is surprisingly calm right now. That’s because instead of getting down on myself here, I’m already looking ahead and thinking about only one thing: how I’m going to crush them next time. Today was my second anniversary since my debut, and I had my mask ripped off. Even so, my heart is already gearing up for the next fight. My body is beaten to shreds right now, but I’m going to heal up fast, and I will personally rip back the masks Darkness Revolution stole—along with those belts that don’t suit them one bit. Just wait for me, you bastards.”
7. Twin Star Championship Match (30-Minute Limit, 1 Fall)
Kouki Amarei & Chika Goto (Champions) defeated Unagi Sayaka & Hikari Noa (Challengers) (18 min 33 sec, Single-Leg Crab Pin -> Pinfall)
Finishing Move: Amethyst Butterfly. The 7th champion team succeeded in their 5th title defense.
After capturing the Twin Star titles for the first time by defeating Misa Matsui and CHIAKI at Ota City General Gymnasium on May 23, Kouki and Gochika reeled off four successful defenses against the teams of Mai Sakurai & Natsumi Showzuki, CHIAKI & Rea Seto, Shinno & Yuuka Yamazaki, and Diana Strong & Mila Smidt. Following their fourth defense in Toyonaka on October 3, the team of Unagi and Hikari—”KABUKIWooo”—issued a challenge via video message.
Formerly competing in Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling under the kanji spelling of her name (乃蒼ヒカリ) before departing that promotion in May 2024, Hikari re-debuted under the katakana spelling of her ring name (ノア・ヒカリ) at Unagi Sayaka’s self-produced Korakuen Hall show on June 21 this year, competing in her first match in two and a half years since December 2023. Since then, she has competed as a member of Unagi’s “Papapa Reiwa Party” in promotions such as GLEAT, SEAdLINNNG, and Pro Wrestling WAVE. This marked her Marigold debut.
For Unagi, this was her second appearance in Marigold following the August 9 Ota City event, and the first time either she or Hikari had stood across the ring from Kouki and Gochika.
Passionate cheers rang out for both teams, with the crowd chanting “Acchika! Kocchika! Gochika!” (“That way! This way! Gochika!”) during Gochika’s ring introduction.
Unagi glared daggers across the ring, and Gochika opened with a barrage of elbows to her chest as the bell sounded. Unagi cracked her with an open-hand slap, but when she charged the ropes, Gochika mowed her down with a shoulder tackle, followed up with a hip attack, and tagged in Kouki for double-team offense.
Unagi dodged Gochika’s corner charge and combined with Hikari to trap her in a giant rubber-band snap spot, stretching the band all the way to the back rows of the arena floor before letting it snap into her, isolating Gochika.
Gochika fought back against Hikari with a corner body attack and a hip attack. Although Unagi stepped in to put her back on the defensive as the five-minute mark passed, Gochika unleashed a flurry of chops while Hikari was perched on the turnbuckles and spun her around for a 12-rotation giant swing. Hikari caught her in a flash rollup for a quick strike, but Gochika booted her down with a front kick and tagged in Kouki.
Kouki and Unagi squared off, trading wrist reversals before putting up their dukes in a boxing stance and glaring at each other. They traded stiff elbows to the chest; Unagi unloaded a flurry and charged the ropes, where Kouki cut her off, only for Unagi to answer with a counter of her own. When Unagi charged in again, Kouki scooped her up for a bodyslam and a two-count.
Unagi connected with a neckbreaker drop followed by Sessha, Kabayaki-mono de Sourou. (her guillotine legdrop) for a two-count, and then hit a brainbuster. Tagging in, Hikari hit Kouki with rapid-fire dropkicks for a near-fall as the ten-minute mark passed, then wrapped her up in a modified chickenwing until Kouki reached the ropes.
When Hikari hit the ropes, Gochika grabbed her from the apron, setting up a front kick from Kouki and a follow-up lariat from Gochika. They combined a Kouki spinebuster with a Gochika sliding lariat, and Kouki folded Hikari into a jackknife pin that required a save from Unagi at two, followed by a brainbuster for another two-count.
Unagi shoved Kouki off the top turnbuckle and hit Gochika with a Codebreaker, allowing Hikari to soar off the top rope onto both champions on the floor. Rolling Kouki back inside, Unagi and Hikari connected with double-team offense. Kouki fought off Hikari’s grapple attempt, kicked out of a small package at two, and escaped a victory roll at two. Off an Unagi front kick, Hikari applied a figure-four jackknife pin that Gochika broke up at two.
As the fifteen-minute mark passed, Gochika leveled Hikari with a lariat and planted Unagi with a Samoan drop. Unagi answered with a front kick to Gochika into a running Diamond Cutter. Seizing the opening, Hikari and Unagi sandwiched Gochika with Hikari’s McEnroe (running knee) and Unagi’s front kick. Mounting a downed Kouki, Hikari rained down elbows until Kouki fought her way up and charged the ropes—only for Hikari to catch her with a suplex, pull her up, and bridge into a Northern Lights suplex hold that Gochika broke up at two.
Gochika flattened both Unagi and Hikari with a double lariat. Shouting “Kouki!”, she hauled Hikari up for a double backdrop suplex and a two-count. Kouki hoisted Hikari onto her shoulders and planted her with a Storm Breaker, though Hikari reversed the ensuing cover into a pin of her own for two. Hikari landed a thrust kick, which Kouki answered with a front kick for a near-fall before ascending the corner and soaring off with the Amethyst Butterfly (a corkscrew diving body press) for the three-count.
Unagi: “Marigold is such a sinking ship of mud—don’t go sinking before Una has free time to climb back aboard!” / Gochika: “We will never abandon this ship called Marigold!”
Post-match microphone exchange.
Kouki: “tWin toWer has succeeded in our fifth title defense! I have a ton of things I want to say, but first—Hikari Noa, I never imagined I’d have such a fun match with you. Thank you very much! And as for you, Unagi Sayaka—the Unagi I know isn’t the type to quietly back down after something like this, right?”
Unagi: “‘Thank you’? Don’t screw with me! You two have only been doing this for three years at most and have only won a belt once—meanwhile, we’ve got way more in the tank! We have everything that you two overwhelmingly lack. Your Marigold promotion is such a mud boat (sinking ship)—don’t you dare sink while Una is too busy to climb back aboard!”
Kouki: “Fine by me! Let’s go at it until we’re both completely satisfied. We stand in this ring carrying all sorts of pride and having gone through all kinds of experiences of our own. The same goes for these belts—we practically coughed up blood to win these titles and defend them all the way to today. Bring it on as many times as you want!”
Kouki shoved Unagi while she stood on the apron, but Unagi kept her footing, playfully patted Kouki on the cheek, and made her exit.
Gochika: “Me and Kouki—tWin toWer—are Marigold’s tag team champions, the Twin Star Champions! Don’t you forget it!”
▼ Backstage Comments
Hikari: “I’m sorry… That’s so frustrating.”
Unagi: “Still, what has it been—four months since your comeback? Four months into your return, and you’re in the semi-main event at Ryogoku.”
Hikari: “I really stood on that stage.”
Unagi: “Well, in a big match like this, all we have to do is win next time.”
Hikari: “Honestly, weren’t the cheers for us way louder than expected out there?”
Unagi: “Well, yeah. What has it been since they launched, three years? We can overtake them with ease—we’ve got way more up our sleeves. Honestly though, my heart was pounding wondering whether they’d injure themselves on their own or injure us out there, so I think Kouki did a pretty good job just barely making it through today without getting hurt. Still, those two are pretty damn entertaining, aren’t they? Fine by me. There are still plenty of worlds out there that you two have never laid eyes on, so we’ll show you what it’s like aboard our ship too. Just don’t go sinking your own mud boat by yourselves! Float higher to the surface and wait for us.”
Hikari: “Since you beat Hikari Noa, I need you two to keep climbing much higher, otherwise it looks bad on me. Hikari Noa has way more to show than this too, so be ready for it next time we meet. Right? We put on way crazier matches on our turf—you two have never done a Neutral Corner match, have you?”
Unagi: “We’ve got Neutral Corner matches, and we’ve got Health Sandal matches too! Just wait for us, you two.”
Kouki: “I had so much I wanted to say, yet every single time, Unagi Sayaka just runs her mouth and walks off. At first, that woman claimed she didn’t know anything about us at all, right? And then today, out of nowhere, she acts like she knows everything about us, spouting off nonsense like ‘You two don’t know anything’ and ‘We still have way more than you.’ Like, what the hell do you actually know about us?”
Goto: “Kouki, easy, easy! The ones who won today are us—tWin toWer! We achieved V5! Kouki, we stood in the semi-main event at Ryogoku, and we defended these belts decisively. She called us a mud boat, didn’t she? Mud boat or whatever they want to call it, we will never step off this ship called Marigold. Even if it is a mud boat, we’re going to row and row and row like crazy—and far from letting this ship sink, we’re going to charge straight to the front of the pack!”
Kouki: “We’ll turn it into a luxury cruise liner!”
Goto: “Let’s turn it into a luxury cruise liner! We’ll do it! We’ll take on any challengers. We’re going to make these Twin Star belts shine brighter and brighter, so everyone, please keep your eyes glued to tWin toWer and Marigold!”
Kouki: “The main event coming up next is insane. It’s going to be red-hot.”
Goto: “Let’s go watch! There’s an opportunity there for us too. Let’s go! Don’t take your eyes off Marigold—Dosukoi!”
8. Triple Crown Match ~ 3-Way Survival Game (No Time Limit Elimination Match)
Miku Aono (Marigold World Champion) vs. Victoria Yuzuki (United National Champion) vs. Mayu Iwatani (Superfly Champion)
- Victoria Yuzuki defeated Miku Aono (21 min 58 sec, Cross-Arm German Suplex Hold)
- Mayu Iwatani defeated Victoria Yuzuki (26 min 17 sec, Two-Stage Dragon Suplex Hold)Note: Aono failed in her 7th defense of the Marigold World Championship. Yuzuki failed in her 6th defense of the United National Championship. 3rd Superfly Champion Iwatani succeeded in her 8th defense while becoming the 4th Marigold World Champion and 4th United National Champion.
The promotion’s three reigning singles champions collided in an elimination-style 3-Way match, where the last woman standing would walk away with all three titles: the Marigold World, United National, and Superfly Championships.
Since capturing their respective titles—Aono winning the World Championship from Utami Hayashishita at last year’s October 26 Ryogoku show (6 defenses), Yuzuki winning the UN Championship from Mai Sakurai at that same event (5 defenses), and Iwatani winning the Superfly Championship from Yuzuki at Yoyogi on May 24 last year (7 defenses)—each had built an impressive reign. Coming into the bout, Yuzuki had never defeated either Iwatani or Aono in singles competition, while Aono had never defeated Iwatani.
Making their entrances in the order of Iwatani, Yuzuki, and Aono, the three champions were formally introduced, and the bell sounded at 5:22 PM.
All three stood face-to-face, sizing one another up. At Iwatani’s invitation, they locked hands in a three-way test of strength. When Aono pressed the advantage, Iwatani and Yuzuki teamed up to wrench her wrists, sparking a three-way sequence of reversals. Yuzuki and Aono kicked away at Iwatani together, but Iwatani dodged their consecutive corner charges, dropkicked Yuzuki, and hit a soccer ball kick for a two-count. Wrapping Yuzuki in the ropes, Iwatani dropkicked her in the back and locked in a camel clutch.
Having watched quietly from the floor, Aono re-entered the ring and hit Iwatani with a dropkick off the ropes. Incensed, Iwatani dumped Aono back to the outside and went to work on Yuzuki. When Iwatani clamped a figure-four headscissors on Yuzuki, Aono slipped back in and applied a figure-four headscissors to Iwatani, linking all three women in a human chain as the five-minute mark passed before Yuzuki reached the ropes.
Aono planted Yuzuki with a bodyslam and locked in a Boston crab until Yuzuki grabbed the ropes. As Aono lined up a corner charge, Iwatani jumped in so the two could hit consecutive corner attacks on Yuzuki. When they whipped her across the ring, however, Yuzuki caught both women at once with a double dropkick. Yuzuki tried to grapple Aono, and when Aono resisted, Iwatani pretended to help Yuzuki before shouting “This way instead!”—betraying Yuzuki to help Aono hit a double brainbuster on her, followed by alternating soccer ball kicks to the chest and back and a sandwich kick.
Aono trapped Yuzuki in a full nelson, only for Yuzuki to duck Iwatani’s incoming dropkick so it blasted Aono by mistake. Yuzuki tossed Iwatani with a Harai Goshi (sweeping hip throw), sent Aono flying with a headscissors takedown (corbata), and soared from the top rope onto both opponents on the floor with a diving body attack.
Ten minutes passed as Yuzuki brought the action back inside and hit Iwatani with a missile dropkick. Iwatani blocked a double-wrist armsault attempt, and off a series of reversals that sent Yuzuki into the ropes, Aono kicked her from the apron. Aono then felled Iwatani with a kick as well and connected with a corner dropkick on Yuzuki.
As Iwatani and Aono traded offense, Iwatani evaded Aono’s attack and launched herself through the ropes with a tope suicida onto Yuzuki on the floor, immediately followed by Aono leaping off the apron with a diving body attack.
Back inside, Aono peppered Yuzuki with soccer ball kicks. Yuzuki deftly caught one and got to her feet, though Aono chopped her down with a low kick. Yuzuki fought off a Tiger Driver setup, and when Aono hit a corner lariat and whipped her across the ring, Yuzuki slipped out to the floor. Seizing the moment, Iwatani hit Aono with a missile dropkick and a frog splash for a two-count.
Iwatani called Yuzuki back in and tried to set her up on the top turnbuckle, attacking and locking her up for an avalanche maneuver. Yuzuki fought her off, slipped down to the canvas, and went for a sunset flip powerbomb, which Iwatani countered mid-air with a headscissors whip as the fifteen-minute mark elapsed.
Iwatani cracked Aono with an elbow, touching off a three-way elbow exchange moving counterclockwise until Aono reversed the rotation by firing an elbow back at Iwatani. Soon, both women ganged up on Yuzuki. When Yuzuki charged the ropes, she cleared an Iwatani leapfrog straight into a Tiger Driver from Aono, whose cover was broken up by an Iwatani thrust kick. Seeing both opponents laid out side-by-side, Iwatani hit a moonsault press onto the pair for a two-count.
Iwatani and Aono squared off in a grueling strike battle, taking turns blasting each other with lariats against the ropes until Aono’s counter lariat found its mark as the twenty-minute mark passed. Iwatani caught her with a Dodonpa (sit-out inverted front slam) for a two-count, and when Aono countered a hurricanrana attempt into a Styles Clash, Yuzuki swooped in to cover Aono for two.
Letting out a battle cry, Yuzuki went for a cross-arm German suplex on Aono. When Aono resisted, Yuzuki nailed her with a jumping knee strike, which Aono answered with a high kick. Iwatani barged in to launch Aono with a release German suplex, and Yuzuki immediately followed with a cross-arm release German. Iwatani tried to finish Aono with a dragon suplex, but Yuzuki cleared Iwatani out with a thrust kick and bridged Aono into a cross-arm German suplex hold for the three-count—eliminating Aono first.
The match came down to a one-on-one showdown between Iwatani and Yuzuki. Pressing the attack, Iwatani hit a corner dropkick and an avalanche brainbuster. Yuzuki popped right back to her feet, only for Iwatani to snap off a high-speed release dragon suplex. Yuzuki ducked a thrust kick, landed a thrust kick of her own, and planted Iwatani with the Buckingham (a modified Dodonpa) for a two-count, followed by a cross-arm German suplex hold for another near-fall.
Iwatani couldn’t get back to her feet at first, yet when Yuzuki charged in, Iwatani sniped her with a counter thrust kick and hit a dragon suplex hold. After landing a high kick, Iwatani charged in to finish her, only for Yuzuki to catch her in the Rolling Arrow (a modified La Magistral) for a razor-close two-count. Iwatani answered with another dragon suplex hold for two.
Unloading a combination of thrust kicks and a buzzsaw kick, Iwatani hoisted Yuzuki up for a two-stage dragon suplex hold to score the three-count.
Iwatani: “Mayu Iwatani is still doing just fine! Because, because, because—I even made the cover of ‘FLASH’!” / Iwatani vs. Aono Set for the World Title on January 3 at Ota City
Post-match microphone exchanges.
Iwatani: “Good evening to all the fans who came out to Ryogoku Kokugikan tonight! The weight of these three belts together is seriously heavy. And the one who became the Triple Crown Champion today is Mayu Iwatani! Right now, at a time when Marigold has been taking criticism from different directions and dealing with departures that draw a lot of attention, thank you so much for coming to Marigold at Ryogoku today! Right now in Marigold, the young wrestlers are working their hearts out. Amidst all of that, I’m already 33 years old. I was a little worried about my stamina holding up, too, yet Mayu Iwatani is still doing just fine! Because, because, because—I even made the cover of FLASH magazine! Thank you! I can still keep going strong, and from here on out, Mayu Iwatani is going to take the lead and pull this promotion forward.
Yuzuki—I know you had time off with injuries and went through a lot of tough times, too, yet within just a three-year career, I genuinely think you are freaking incredible. From here on out, I want to keep standing beside you as Peach Arrow and keep growing together. Thank you for fighting me today.”
Yuzuki: (In tears) “Mayu-san, thank you so very much as well. Honestly, I am beyond frustrated right now, but I promise I will surpass you without fail. Thank you very much.”
Iwatani hugged her.
Iwatani: “And there’s one more person—Miku Aono.”
Aono walked back down the aisle to ringside.
Iwatani: “Hey, I want to look you in the eye while I say this, so could you step into the ring? (Aono climbs into the ring) For the past three years since our launch, you have stood in this ring without missing a single show and protected this place—thank you for that. Mayu won today, yet I truly believe that Marigold’s number-one ace is Miku Aono. Look, I know it’s none of my business, and part of me wants to say you should use this as a chance to take a little breather… except today was a 3-Way, and Miku Aono and I still haven’t faced each other in a one-on-one singles match, have we? With the title of true ace of this promotion on the line, how about we put this belt up in a one-on-one match? (Aono hesitates to take the microphone) Well, if you’re not going to say anything…”
Aono: (Taking the microphone) “Mayu-san, thank you for those kind words. I have stepped into this ring without taking a break since our launch, yet I didn’t make it this far on my own strength alone—it was because everyone was here, including the wrestlers who had to miss time. After protecting the World Championship for a full year… to be the very first one pinned today and lose my belt is truly, truly frustrating! (Cries) There are still so, so many things I want to achieve. I want to stand in this ring as the ace of Marigold. So please, face me in a singles match with the World Championship on the line!”
Iwatani: “Alright then—January 3 at Ota City, right at the start of the New Year, let’s have that title match!”
Aono shook Iwatani’s extended hand.
Iwatani: “By the way, just to be clear, it’s going to be for the Red Belt. (Leaning in close to whisper to Aono) Good news for you—this time, you won’t have to diet to make weight! Let’s meet at Ota City General Gymnasium on January 3. Well, since Mayu Iwatani won here at Ryogoku Kokugikan on October 24, do you mind if I close out the show?! Today is Marigold’s biggest event of the year, so everyone who is able to step into the ring, please come on up! Everyone on the Marigold roster, you watched the match and heard what was said on the mic just now, right? The champion holding Marigold’s top singles belts is Mayu Iwatani, and the one leading this promotion forward is Mayu Iwatani. And as champion, I believe my mission is to accept challenges from anyone and everyone. Anyone who wants to lead the future of this promotion—whether you’re a young wrestler or anyone else, it doesn’t matter. Whenever you have that resolve, I will accept your challenge anytime. I’m always waiting, so come sink your teeth into me! With that, I’d like to close the show. Everyone, please stand up! When I say ‘Shine Forever!’, please thrust your right fist into the air and shout ‘Marigold!’ at the top of your lungs—the loudest voice of the year! Thank you very much for coming today. Will you keep coming to watch Marigold from here on out? Will you fire this place up together with us? Will you have fun together with us? Let’s all find happiness together! Shine Forever! Marigold! Thank you very much!”
Iwatani: “Whether you’re a young wrestler, a veteran, or from another promotion, anyone who has the kyakugyo… the resolve—I want you to come at me!” / Representative Ogawa’s Post-Show Summary
Iwatani: “Ahhh, they’re heavy! Seriously heavy! I’ve held all kinds of belts and trophies up to now, and holding three belts and three trophies at once is the heaviest—and the happiest—I’ve ever been! How many years has it been since I was a Triple Crown champion? Over ten years? Ever since I joined Marigold, maybe I was overly conscious of thinking I needed to help raise the young roster and elevate the overall floor of the promotion rather than putting myself at the very top. Because I joined Marigold midway through rather than from day one, I’m sure people wondered how they felt about someone who isn’t homegrown being the face of the promotion—and I had a little bit of that hesitation myself. Now, though, I can proudly say that the true top star of Marigold is Mayu Iwatani, and from here on out, I want to pull this promotion forward even harder as the top champion! Winning them is great and all, though now I’m wondering what on earth I should do next. First, I want to keep putting my body on the line defending them one belt at a time and raise the value of all three titles. I don’t know if my next defense will be on January 3 or if I’ll defend one of the other belts before January 3, too, so first up is Miku Aono at Ota City on January 3. Aono-san and I still haven’t had a proper one-on-one singles match, so I want to settle things decisively with her there.
As the holder of these belts, for as long as Mayu Iwatani is champion, I will accept anyone’s challenge. Whether you’re a young wrestler, a veteran, or from another promotion, anyone who has the kyakugyo—the resolve (kakugo)—I want you to come at me! For tonight, at least, I want to get a good night’s sleep alongside these belts. I am seriously exhausted. That was grueling. Still, I’m happy! Mayu Iwatani is happy! Thank you for all your support! Please continue to support us! Ugh, I’m beat!”
Representative Ogawa:
(Now that you’ve wrapped up the biggest event of the year?)
“Well, it’s our third time in our third year. I think there is real meaning in holding this show every single year—and the same goes for Korakuen Hall and Ota City. We’re committed to doing that next year and beyond, though I have to admit I’m a little relieved now that it’s over.”
(Do you plan to run Ryogoku again next year?)
“I’d like to, yes, though I can’t officially announce anything just yet.”
(Mayu Iwatani won the main event to become Triple Crown Champion?)
“Since she herself declared that she’s going to pull the promotion forward, I want her to do exactly that. She’s a woman of her word. Plus, our young wrestlers are growing up, and we already have about four more trainees set to make their debuts next year. New wrestlers are going to keep coming in steadily. Calling it ‘turnover’ might sound strange, yet this is a time when the promotion is being reborn, so rather than worrying about attendance numbers this or that, what matters most is actually running big venues like Ryogoku. It’s not as if we’re losing money on the show, anyway. So we just have to keep pushing forward while hoping things take an upward turn somewhere along the line.”
(Iwatani also mentioned in her promo that Marigold is a promotion where ‘a lot of things happen’?)
“Isn’t a promotion more interesting when a lot of things happen? It gives people plenty to talk about. Still, beyond just that, I want us to work hard and grow properly as a pro wrestling promotion.”
(Is Iwatani vs. Miku Aono official for January 3 next year?)
“Yes, that’s official. Moving forward, we’ll announce other matchups as soon as they’re ready to be announced. Next year, we’ll be running Korakuen Hall 11 times. On top of that, you have Kouki Amarei advancing to the Miss Global Japan national finals as the Tochigi representative, Mayu appearing on the cover of FLASH, and so on—so I think it’s great if we can tie all of those outside ventures back into pro wrestling. Doing strictly pro wrestling is fun in its own right, of course, and getting all sorts of outside worlds involved is fun too. Even today with Yoshino Chitose—I don’t know what she plans to do going forward, yet she looked like she was having fun out there, so I think there are all kinds of possibilities.”
(Seri Yamaoka made an appeal to her older sister Miyabi to try pro wrestling?)
“We’re going to talk things over with her from here. It would be a great selling point, wouldn’t it—a sister tag team, or sisters facing each other. What’s more, Miyabi Yamaoka actually has an even stronger amateur wrestling pedigree than Seri Yamaoka does. In that sense, my expectations are pretty high. Whether this single dot connects into a full storyline depends on what happens from here.”
(How do you view the attendance figure of 2,100 fans today?)
“Honestly, I felt like we drew a bit better than I expected (laughs). To put it bluntly, we aren’t in the red at all. As long as we aren’t losing money, we’ll keep running it. Naturally, if we kept bleeding money, we wouldn’t be able to keep doing it—whether at Korakuen or anywhere else. We do it because it’s profitable; that’s the whole answer right there. Of course I want a bigger crowd, naturally. Still, that is our current reality, and we have to chew on that and accept where we are. Right now, the fun of running Marigold for me is watching how far we can climb with this current group of wrestlers.”
(For your past two Ryogoku shows, you brought in major outside guest stars, whereas this time it was almost entirely an in-house roster card?)
“Of course I’d love to have big-name guests too; it just didn’t work out schedule-wise this time. It’s not a rigid rule where every show has to be one way or the other—when the timing lines up, big guests will come in, and this time it simply took this form. I think you’ll see both approaches going forward: sometimes we’ll run virtually pure in-house cards, and other times all sorts of guests will show up. It all comes down to timing, so it doesn’t mean we’re sticking strictly to this route forever. That said, I want to climb to the top with these members. Wrestlers who made their debuts right here in Marigold are now approaching more than half of our entire roster, and as I always say, that’s where the real starting line begins.”
(Regarding Mai Sakurai, who left the promotion following today’s show?)
“Truthfully, I wanted her to retire right here, yet that is the path she chose for herself, so there’s nothing more for me to say beyond that. She worked very hard for us, so I think it’s best for her to get some good rest. Every wrestler who has left contributed to the promotion in their own way. When you’re in this business, all kinds of things happen—truly. Most of it is stuff you can never make public. Maybe fans enjoy trying to read between the lines, though it’s tough on the promotion’s side. And that’s not just us; every promotion deals with all kinds of internal issues—they just don’t air them in public.”
(Differences in direction were also mentioned previously?)
“Rather than something we can’t make public, let’s just say a pretty big gap opened up between how the company evaluated her and how she evaluated herself. That’s what it comes down to. We valued her quite highly, mind you. Still, when you run a promotion for two or three years, it’s only natural for the roster to cycle and change. Now, someone of Mayu Iwatani’s stature is a different story altogether—once you reach that level, anything you do becomes a talking point. In the end, everyone who leaves has their own reasons, and everyone is greedy in their own way.”
Translation Notes:
- Hikari Noa’s Ring Name Change (乃蒼ヒカリ to ノア・ヒカリ): In Japanese, Hikari Noa previously wrote her surname in kanji (乃蒼ヒカリ) during her tenure with Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (TJPW). When she returned to the ring on June 21, 2026, at Unagi Sayaka’s self-produced show after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, she changed her ring name to all-katakana (ノア・ヒカリ). Because both versions romanize identically to Hikari Noa in English, the translation clarifies the shift from kanji to katakana so English readers understand why the original text notes that she “changed her ring name.”
- Kizuna Tanaka & Shinno — “Second-Generation Showdown” & “Second-Generation Egoist”: Both Kizuna Tanaka and Shinno are second-generation wrestlers whose mothers were contemporaries and rivals in ARSION during the late 1990s. Kizuna is the daughter of Minoru Tanaka and former joshi star Yumi Fukawa, while Shinno (心希) is the eldest daughter of former AJW, LLPW, and ARSION star Michiko Omukai. Shinno’s official nickname, “Second-Generation Egoist” (エゴイスト二世), is a direct nod to her mother, who used the moniker “Egoist” (alongside “The Beauty Venus”) and led the EGOIST faction during her active career. Retaining “Second-Generation Egoist” preserves the exact lineage callback she makes in her backstage comments.
- Typo in Match 3 Source Text (橘 vs. 立花): In the original Japanese report for Match 3, Nagisa Tachibana’s surname (橘) is accidentally written as 立花 (a homophone surname used by wrestlers like former Wrestle-1 star Seigo Tachibana) four times during the play-by-play. All instances have been standardized to Tachibana.
- Inoki-Ali Position (猪木アリ状態):In Match 4, Megaton drops onto her back to kick at standing kickboxer Yoshino Chitose. In Japanese wrestling and MMA parlance, where one fighter lies on their back attempting low kicks while the other stands looking for an opening, this is universally known as the “Inoki-Ali position,” originating from the famous June 1976 Antonio Inoki vs. Muhammad Ali mixed-rules bout at Nippon Budokan.
- Mai Sakurai’s Catchphrases (“Commoners” & Gomen Asobase):Mai Sakurai’s “貴婦人” (Kifujin / Aristocratic Lady) persona involves addressing the audience as shomin (庶民, “commoners”) and ending her promos with the exaggeratedly refined, old-fashioned aristocratic farewell Gomen asobase (ごめんあそばっせ), localized here as “I bid you adieu” along with the original Japanese phrase in parentheses.
- Unagi Sayaka’s Signature Move (Sessha, Kabayaki-mono de Sourou.) & Match Types:Unagi’s guillotine legdrop is named Sessha, Kabayaki-mono de Sourou. (拙者、蒲焼き者で候。), a samurai-speech pun on Unagi no Kabayaki (grilled eel) and Kabayaki-mono / Kawarimono (eccentric). In the backstage comments, Hikari and Unagi also reference “Neutral Corner matches” and “Health Sandal matches” (where the ring mat is covered in painful plastic acupressure sandals), staples of Unagi’s eccentric self-produced shows and independent appearances.
- Unagi’s “Mud Boat” (泥舟, Dorobune) Metaphor:A dorobune (literally “boat made of mud”) is a Japanese idiom for a vessel guaranteed to dissolve and sink once it hits the water—equivalent to a “sinking ship” in English. Because Chika Goto and Kouki Amarei respond by playing off the literal “mud boat” imagery (“Even if it is a mud boat, we’re going to row… We’ll turn it into a luxury cruise liner!”), both “mud boat” and “sinking ship” are woven into the localization so the back-and-forth wordplay lands naturally.
- Mayu Iwatani’s Diet Quip to Miku Aono & Kyakugyo Tongue-Twister:
- After accepting Aono’s challenge for the Marigold World Championship (the Red Belt), Iwatani whispers to Aono, “Good news for you—this time, you won’t have to diet!” Previously, when Aono expressed interest in challenging Iwatani, Iwatani only held the Superfly Championship, which has a strict 55 kg (121 lbs) weight limit. Because their January 3 match will be for the heavyweight World Championship instead, Aono doesn’t need to cut weight.
- Backstage, an exhausted Iwatani famously trips over the word kakugo (覚悟, “resolve/determination”), accidentally blurting out “kyakugyo” (きゃくぎょ) before correcting herself—a classic “Mayu-ism”.