August 27, 2026
At 7:00 PM on the 18th, VENY announced via her social media that she will face Ayako Hamada in a singles match in the main event of her self-produced show at Korakuen Hall on October 16th. There will undoubtedly be those who hold negative opinions regarding this match. That is exactly why I want to take this opportunity to explain the circumstances that led VENY to commit to this bout, fully aware of the considerable risks involved.
First, seeing as last year marked her 10th anniversary in the business, why did VENY decide to hold her first self-produced show at this particular time? The story goes back about a year. That day, while they were out having drinks together, Yuki Kamifuku said the following to VENY:
“It’s your 10th anniversary this year, right? Why aren’t you putting on your own show?”
VENY did have the desire to put on a commemorative show. She had decided that if she was going to do it, it had to be at Korakuen Hall, where she made her debut. However, doing so presented a high hurdle in various ways. Furthermore, at the time, VENY was actually considering taking a break from wrestling. When she shared this, Kamifuku reportedly responded:
“If it’s you, people will definitely show up. You can pack Korakuen. Plus, if I’m on the card, even more people will come.”
It was a very Kamifuku-esque, blunt piece of encouragement, but her words served as the biggest push VENY needed to start making moves toward holding her self-produced show at Korakuen. Fortunately, she was able to secure the venue much more smoothly than expected. The next step was the match card—specifically, finding her opponent.
“In my mind, I always had the name of Ayako, who I’ve wanted to wrestle for a long time, but I also knew it wouldn’t be easy,” VENY explained. “Once the event was decided, I asked several people, ‘Who do you want to see me wrestle?’ Most of them brought up Ayako’s name. I felt that my instincts weren’t wrong, so I started making moves to bring her to Japan.”
I (Hirotsugu Suyama) am one of the several people she consulted. Ayako’s name came out of my mouth without hesitation. In fact, no one other than Ayako came to mind. However, it wasn’t a match that could be made easily, and it was entirely predictable that VENY—serving as both the opponent and the promoter of the show—could face heavy criticism.
This is because eight years ago, Ayako was arrested for stimulant possession and received a guilty verdict of one year and six months in prison, suspended for three years. Following the incident, Ayako announced her retirement, but she returned to the ring in Mexico the following year and continues to be an active wrestler today. However, since the arrest, she has not wrestled a single match in Japan.
To begin with, could Ayako, despite having a suspended sentence, even enter Japan with a guilty verdict? Yet, two years ago at Shinjuku FACE, at the farewell event for Arsion—the promotion where Ayako made her debut—she made a surprise appearance, albeit without wrestling a match. In other words, she was able to enter the country. Although she had moved her life to Mexico, Ayako’s nationality remained Japanese; legally, it wasn’t an “entry” into the country, but a “return home.”
Harboring some anxiety, VENY contacted Ayako and conveyed her desire to have a one-on-one match at her self-produced show.
“At the time, she was thrilled, saying ‘I’m so happy!’, but I think she was probably taking it half as a joke. However, as we continued to meet to make it a reality, and when I told her I was officially announcing the match… she cried. She seemed incredibly happy, not just to be able to wrestle in Japan again, but also to be able to bring her father (Gran Hamada), who passed away last year, back home to Japan.”
Furthermore, upon making the official offer, VENY required Ayako to undergo drug testing in Mexico before coming to Japan, and again in Japan after her arrival. Ayako agreed, and she has reportedly already completed the testing in Mexico. This wasn’t a matter of whether VENY trusted Ayako or not; it was her fundamental obligation as a promoter.
In addition, VENY went around explaining the situation to the home promotions of the wrestlers participating in the event, as well as the promotion that was severely inconvenienced by the incident eight years ago. She was fully prepared for them to refuse participation, but fortunately, every promotion showed understanding, saying, “If this is what VENY wants to do.” It almost feels like a reward for her, for continuing to face professional wrestling with absolute sincerity despite stumbling time and time again.
Now, having read this far, some of you might be wondering, “Why is VENY going to such great lengths for Ayako?” It’s true that, for the reasons mentioned above, a match with Ayako carries significant risks, and it took a massive amount of time and effort to make it happen. On top of that, there are travel expenses from Mexico and living costs during her stay in Japan to consider.
Even so, for VENY, wrestling Ayako isn’t a matter of profit or loss. When VENY was an elementary school student, the pro wrestler who first captivated her and gave her the courage to go to school the next day… was Ayako Hamada.
(To be continued in the next week)