September 1st
The “Fighting Barbie” Chi Chi’s “DREAM STAR GP2026” kicks off at Dream Star Fighting Marigold’s September 5th show in Osaka at 176BOX.
For Chi Chi, who became a freelancer this spring as she entered her fourth year in the business, a singles league tournament is the first such challenge of her pro wrestling career. Not to mention, the stage is Dream Star Fighting Marigold, a promotion she is currently invading to great acclaim as an outsider. Highly anticipated first-time singles matches are on the horizon, including her final official block match against United National Champion Victoria Yuzuki (Sept. 19 at Korakuen) and her first league match against Mai Sakurai (Sept. 5 afternoon). However, considering this “Fighting Barbie” has delivered fierce battles in the ring and sharp-tongued verbal assaults outside of it since her first Dream Star Fighting Marigold appearance on May 4 in Tsukuba, she is expected to be heavily targeted in the DSGP.
Even so, Chi Chi remains as outspoken as ever, tearing into the members of League C, where she is entered. Looking ahead to the final tournament—should she make it out of her block—she desires a first-time singles match against the “Icon” Mayu Iwatani. With the festival of singles matches just four days away, we bring you this wildly uninhibited interview with Chi Chi.
Chi Chi: “It’s my first time. But no matter who my opponent is, they’re nothing to me, really. The only one that makes me go ‘Who?’ is Diana Strong. If I can beat Diana Strong, I should be able to advance from League C. So, I’m curious to see just how ‘strong’ she really is.”
——Your match against Diana scheduled for the evening of September 5 in Osaka is drawing attention, but naturally, we are very curious about your match against Victoria Yuzuki scheduled for the final day on September 19 at Korakuen.
Chi Chi: “(Yuzuki) just came back, right? It’ll be a breeze. Where was she hurting again?”
——She was out for four months with a torn right knee ligament.
Chi Chi: “Maybe I’ll just go ahead and attack that knee. I’m telling you right now, I’m going after the knee. I couldn’t care less whether it’s ‘good sportsmanship’ or not. This is Dream Star Fighting Marigold, after all. (Smirks)”
——It’s true that Yuzuki only just returned at Ota Ward on August 9, but she left a huge impact in her return match alongside Mayu Iwatani, Sareee, and Takumi Iroha.
Chi Chi: “I saw it. I watched it closely. I even checked out her mic work.”
——What did you think?
Chi Chi: “She was moving so well it made me think, ‘Was her knee actually hurt? Wasn’t she just on vacation?'”
——So you have to admit she looked good?
Chi Chi: “Yeah. However, considering how much she was running her mouth and acting all tough on the mic before the match, I wanted a bit more of that aggressive attitude in the match itself. I was like, ‘Don’t try to wrestle so cleanly.’ You’re no honor student. That’s not what anyone is looking for from her.”
——You’re saying Yuzuki doesn’t need to fight a ‘smart’ match?
Chi Chi: “I’ll rip off her disguise for her. What is the real Victoria Yuzuki actually like? Even I don’t know yet. But that aggressive attitude has to be her true nature.”
——You felt that when you faced off at Korakuen on July 30?
Chi Chi: “That’s the only time I’ve ever interacted with Yuzuki. But I figured that had to be the real Victoria Yuzuki. That aggression. And yet, listening to her on the mic at her return match, she was acting like such a good girl. I was like, ‘What happened to you?'”
——You think the real Yuzuki is different?
Chi Chi: “Yes. I want her to be consistent. I don’t know if her character is wavering or if she’s just lost her way. I think the uncalculated, aggressive Yuzuki that came out then is the real Yuzuki, and instead of weirdly trying to play the honor student, she should stick to it. It’ll earn her more impressions online anyway. (Smirks)”
——The video of your war of words at Korakuen on July 30 got quite a reaction.
Chi Chi: “She should act aggressive and farm those impressions. Don’t chicken out.”
——However, there were mixed reactions because of just how aggressive she was.
Chi Chi: “Who cares about the criticism? No matter what people say, she should just stand tall and own it. She’s green. Like, what are you worrying about? If you worry that much, you won’t make it to the top. The moment I saw that, I realized there was no way I was going to lose to Victoria Yuzuki.”
——Are you not looking forward to it?
Chi Chi: “No, I am looking forward to it. It was Yuzuki’s words that brought me to Dream Star Fighting Marigold in the first place, and I’m excited since it’s our first time fighting. I just don’t see any scenario where I lose.”
Chi Chi: “The Aristocrat? I wonder about her. Isn’t the Aristocrat kind of struggling right now?”
——You feel she lacks energy?
Chi Chi: “I do. Also, her writing is too long. Whether it’s her promos or her social media posts. She needs to get to the point. Writing out these long essays just leads to misunderstandings. She’d be better off keeping it brief and easy to understand.”
——You did face her in a six-woman tag match on May 4 in Tsukuba, right?
Chi Chi: “At that time, I was going back and forth with Natsumi Showzuki, so I barely interacted with the Aristocrat. I don’t know what will happen when it’s one-on-one, but for now, my impression of her is that her posts are too long and that she’s lost.”
——Don’t you think Sakurai-san has the edge in terms of career length and accomplishments?
Chi Chi: “That might be true, but what matters is the present. Not the past. Look at the present, look to the future, and judge for yourself.”
——What about Hummingbird, who you will fight in Shinjuku on September 8?
Chi Chi: “You only ever see her in botch compilations, right? It will be a flawless victory for me, but if I had to say one thing to her, it’s ‘You don’t need to fly.'”
——She doesn’t need to fly?
Chi Chi: “There’s no need to do things you can’t do. Do what you can do—you don’t need to fly. I’ll make quick work of her.”
Chi Chi: “I’ve actually wrestled SYOKO before, in Osaka. I don’t know if she wants to give off ‘good big sister’ vibes or if she’s trying to protect her close friends, but I want to know about her ego. You don’t have the luxury of worrying about other people right now, do you? Before you protect someone else, shouldn’t you prioritize getting some attention as a pro wrestler yourself?”
——Harsh as always…
Chi Chi: “To take it to the extreme, a pro wrestler is a sole proprietor. Other people have nothing to do with it. Watching SYOKO made me really think that. I want to tell her, ‘Worry about yourself first. Has your career as a pro wrestler even started yet?'”
——Dream Star Fighting Marigold’s wrestlers and fans are likely to get irritated again…
Chi Chi: “For some reason, when it comes to Dream Star Fighting Marigold, these kinds of words just effortlessly pop out of my mouth.”
——The Chi Chi who appears in other promotions and the Chi Chi in Dream Star Fighting Marigold seem like two completely different people.
Chi Chi: “People tell me that. But I’m not a different person. I’m the exact same; I’m just saying everything I’m thinking.”
Chi Chi: “Having three matches in one day is seriously brutal, but if I have to overcome that, I’ll do it. I couldn’t get the result I wanted in my recent match against Senka Akatsuki, but that one match gave me a ton of experience. You can’t make it to the top without going through grueling experiences. If it’s to win the championship, I’ll wrestle three, four, or even five matches.”
——It will depend on what happens in the other blocks, but is there anyone you’d like to face in the tournament final?
Chi Chi: “Mayu Iwatani. I want to fight Mayu Iwatani.”
——What is your connection with Iwatani?
Chi Chi: “Only once. We fought just once at Monday Magic. It was a tag team match, but we only interacted a little bit at the very beginning before it was over.”
——What was your impression of her then?
Chi Chi: “I thought she was someone whose every single movement is incredibly sharp. It made me wonder what lies beyond that. That’s why I want to face Iwatani-san. Really, who else is there but Iwatani-san?”
——A lot of wrestlers are entered, led by the World Champion, Miku Aono…
Chi Chi: “Because Aono-san is like a deadbeat mom. When you think of Dream Star Fighting Marigold, or rather, the top of women’s pro wrestling, it’s Mayu Iwatani. She transcends Dream Star Fighting Marigold. I think her presence is so massive that it’s almost a mystery why she’s even in Dream Star Fighting Marigold, and that is exactly why I want to fight Mayu Iwatani. I’m going to win my way to the finals, face Mayu Iwatani, win the championship, and continue to be as selfish and say whatever I want from here on out. (Smiles)”
[Chi Chi’s Official DSGP League Match Schedule]
Sept. 5 Osaka (Afternoon): vs. Mai Sakurai
Sept. 5 Osaka (Evening): vs. Diana Strong
Sept. 8 Shinjuku: vs. Hummingbird
Sept. 13 Arakawa: vs. SYOKO
Sept. 19 Korakuen: vs. Victoria Yuzuki
Translator’s Notes
- DSGP: An abbreviation for “DREAM STAR GP2026”, Dream Star Fighting Marigold’s round-robin singles tournament.
- The Aristocrat (貴婦人): Kifujin, the established and localized nickname for Mai Sakurai, reflecting her bourgeois character.
- Ketsu ga aoi (ケツが青い): Translated here as “green,” this Japanese idiom literally means “blue ass” (referring to the Mongolian blue spot often found on infants in Asia) and is used to describe someone who is inexperienced or immature.
- Ryōri suru (料理する): Literally “to cook.” In Japanese wrestling slang, it means to easily dispatch, handle, or make quick work of an opponent. (Translated as “I’ll make quick work of her.”)
- Impression farming (インプレッション稼ぎ): A direct reference to generating engagement and views on social media platforms like X/Twitter.