Seri Yamaoka to Return to the Ring at Ryogoku on 10/24 After 5 Months / Trainees Suzune (18) and Miyabi Hirano (15) Greet the Fans
Prior to the event, two trainees, 18-year-old Suzune and 15-year-old Miyabi Hirano, stepped into the ring to greet the fans. Suzune: “I have become a Marigold trainee. I’m 18 years old, Suzune. I will do my best to debut as a professional wrestler. Thank you.” Hirano: “I have become a Marigold trainee. I’m 15-year-old Miyabi Hirano. I will work hard so I can debut soon. Thank you for your support.”
Having dislocated her previously injured shoulder during a match at the May 28 Shinjuku FACE event, which forced her into a long-term absence, Seri Yamaoka entered the ring and announced her return at the October 24 Ryogoku Kokugikan event. Yamaoka: “Hello everyone! Once again, I am number 18, Seri Yamaoka! It has been about five months since I’ve been out of action starting May 28. During this time away, many things happened. I felt down, realized a lot of things, and went through quite a bit. But I am here today because of everyone—the staff who support me, the wrestlers, and all the people who have been there for me. Thank you very much. My injury is recovering smoothly, and I will be making my return at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event on October 24. Leading up to my return, I won’t let my guard down, and I want to do my absolute best with all my heart and soul in my own way. Please continue to support me!”
1. 3-Way Match (15-minute time limit) ○Nagisa Tachibana (7 mins 58 secs, Pinfall) Lady AI● *Winning move: Triangle-jump Plancha. The other participant was Mila Smidt.
The bell rings after the three shake hands. Gauging the distance, the three lock arms in a test of strength. Mila overpowers the two, but Tachibana and AI push back in defiance. AI puts Mila in a headlock. Tachibana puts AI in a headlock. Mila puts Tachibana in a headlock. Mila overwhelms AI and Tachibana’s double-team attack with a shoulder tackle. She lifts Tachibana but eats a shotgun kick from AI. Tachibana goes for the cover, but it’s a two count. Mila backs Tachibana and AI into the corner and charges with a running elbow smash. Knocking them both down, she steps on them with both feet to taunt the crowd. Tachibana rolls out of the ring. Mila corners AI diagonally and hits a running low dropkick. Brainbuster. Two count. Tachibana fires off elbows but takes a spinebuster. Mila goes for the pin, but AI breaks it up. AI hits a low dropkick. From a double-team sequence, they hit a double brainbuster.
Both women fight over the pin on Mila, breaking down into a one-on-one exchange. AI delivers a flurry of elbows, and Tachibana responds with a single strike. AI body slams Tachibana. She goes for the pin, but Mila breaks it up. AI body slams Mila onto Tachibana. She pins Mila but gets a two count. She tries another body slam on Mila, but is resisted. Codebreaker. She goes for the cover, but Tachibana breaks it up at two. After being cornered, she hits a kick followed by a bulldogging headlock. Mila hits a German suplex. AI also joins the fray, but Tachibana catches AI with a triangle-jump crossbody for the three count. Tachibana’s victory.
▼ Backstage
Tachibana: “Thank you for the Korakuen Hall event. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a 3-Way, my first time fighting Mila, and my first time facing AI in a while. I was actually extremely nervous. But against Mila and AI—even though I couldn’t get the three count on Mila, I got it on AI. I’m glad I could win at Korakuen. We have back-to-back shows, so I want to keep this momentum going tomorrow and finish the two-day stretch with back-to-back wins. Thank you.”
AI: “Thank you for the Korakuen Hall event. I couldn’t participate in the last Korakuen show. I was so happy to be able to wrestle in front of the fans like this today. Because I’m a pro wrestler, I want to fight in front of the crowd, and I want everyone to see me grow. But today, both Nagisa-san, whom I haven’t faced in a while, and Mila beat me up. In the end, I lost without even being fully conscious. Someday, I want to build up my power just like Mila and eventually shut down Nagisa-san’s triangle jump. Thank you very much.”
Mila: “Wow, what a match… First of all, congratulations Nagisa. That was a truly fantastic fight. She’s smart, and what is up with that incredible stamina? Flying all over the ring. It was impressive. As for me, I have two fractured fingers… and I knew I’d struggle. So, today was a really tough challenge. I was confident in my strength, but today, they were just one step ahead of me. However, one thing is clear: I need to recover from this damage as soon as possible. My next title defense is coming up soon, and I can’t be dwelling on this forever. So, thank you very much. Today was a frustrating result, but I’ll definitely bounce back. Catch you next time.”
2. 15-minute time limit Flying Penguin & ○Hummingbird (10 mins 50 secs, Roll-up) Misa Matsui● & Rea Seto *Reversing Matsui’s pin attempt.
Starting off are Hummingbird and Rea. Rea’s kick explodes onto Hummingbird. Matsui joins in and attacks Penguin as well. Darkness Revolution controls the ring. Rea corners Hummingbird, unleashing a barrage of elbows followed by a hair whip. She tags Matsui. They do whatever they please, kicking Matsui and choking her with the ropes. CHIAKI and Rea also join the assault. A one-knee cover yields a two count.
Rea catches Hummingbird’s flurry of elbows and fires back with a single strike, but Hummingbird hits a dropkick. She tags Flying Penguin. Brainbuster. Matsui hits Penguin with an elbow. Penguin chops. Matsui kicks. Matsui aims for a corner splash, but Penguin counters with a swinging DDT and pins for a two count. She tags Hummingbird. Hummingbird kicks and pins for a two count. Matsui delivers an elbow. Hummingbird applies a submission using the ropes. A dropkick between the ropes. While she taunts the crowd, Rea strikes her with a whip. Matsui hits a Shining Wizard on Hummingbird. She executes a DDT using the bottom rope and goes for the pin, but it’s a two count.
Penguin body slams Matsui. She hoists Hummingbird onto her back and drops her onto Matsui. Hummingbird covers but gets a two count. Hummingbird climbs to the top turnbuckle, but Rea intervenes. Matsui goes for the cover, but Penguin breaks it up. Taking advantage of Matsui’s opening, Hummingbird rolls her up. Two count. However, Matsui regains the upper hand. Finally, she unleashes a Shining Wizard, but Hummingbird counters with a roll-up, snatching the three count for a shock victory.
By Defeating Matsui, Bird and Penguin Announce Their Challenge for the 3D Trios Championship. Negotiating Directly, They Add Nanase to Make a Trio and Will Challenge at Ryogoku on 10/24
Hummingbird: “I have never ever beaten Misa Matsui before, did you guys see today? Did you see? It’s a bit sudden, but there’s something I need to tell everyone. October 24 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, let us challenge for those belts you hold!”
Matsui: “It was just a fluke, right? What, did I lose today? Huh? The two of you? You two are going to challenge? Do you know what title this is? It’s a six-woman tag title! Hummingbird… are you Koshino?”
Penguin: “I’m Flying Penguin!”
Matsui: “Make sure you tell them clearly. Because they’ll get it wrong.”
Penguin: “It’s the Flying Menu! People might be misunderstanding, but I am properly Flying Penguin!”
Matsui: “Whatever. Maybe you’re just talking out of momentum. Well then, are you ready to reveal your true faces?”
Penguin: “Stop saying such immature things. Hey, let’s not? Your promotion has been a mess for a while now, you know? Getting names wrong. If we lose, we retire? We take off our masks? You guys aren’t retiring anyway, right?”
Matsui: “No, there’s no way we’d put our careers on the line against you. We’re telling you we’ll put the belts on the line!”
Penguin: “She said she’ll do it! Did you hear that just now? October 24 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, the title match is official!”
3. Independent World Junior Heavyweight & UP TOWN Championship Double Title Match (30-minute time limit) ○Momoka Hanazono (9 mins 54 secs, Lateral Cradle) Megaton● *Megaton fails her 4th defense of the 41st Indie Junior title; Hanazono becomes the 42nd Champion. Hanazono succeeds in her 2nd defense of the UP TOWN title.
The bell rings and Megaton rolls Hanazono up. Then, after deflecting Hanazono’s shoulder tackle, she attempts a Megaton Press but misses. Hanazono pulls Megaton’s hair. She pins her after a standing dropkick but only gets two. After a flying mare, she hits a running dropkick and covers for a two count. She pulls her hair again.
An elbow exchange ensues. Then, with a roar of “Gao!”, Megaton unleashes left and right Mongolian chops followed by a throat thrust. She covers after a shoulder tackle but only gets two. When she blows her whistle and stomps on Hanazono, Hanazono starts to cry. The crowd boos and starts an “Apologize” chant. Megaton aims for the Miracle Super Megaton Press but fails. Hanazono locks in a cross armbreaker. Rope break. Megaton dodges Hanazono’s running kick. She climbs to the top turnbuckle, realizes an attack from there would be difficult, so she runs around the four sides of the ring apron instead and delivers a body press.
Rolling Hanazono back into the ring, Megaton hits a series of presses. She goes for the cover with a Megaton Press but gets a two count. She applies a Romero Special on Hanazono. She tries to lift her but fails. While Megaton is distracted by a dog, Hanazono seizes the moment and hits a running dropkick. A missile dropkick from the top turnbuckle. She goes for the pin but gets a two count. When Hanazono climbs the top turnbuckle again, this time Megaton starts crying. The crowd chants “Apologize” at Hanazono. Hanazono follows a kick by climbing the top turnbuckle and delivering a diving foot stomp. She covers for a two count.
Hanazono raises her right arm from her left to rile up the crowd and pops a party cracker. An infuriated Megaton unleashes a flurry of lariats. She goes for a passionate schoolboy but only gets a two count. She covers after a lariat for a two count. She goes for the passionate schoolboy once more, but this time Hanazono reverses the roll-up to snatch the three count. Hanazono’s victory.
4. 20-minute time limit Kouki Amarei & Chika Goto & ○Shinno (17 mins 39 secs, Pinfall) Mai Sakurai● & Natsumi Showzuki & Erina Yamanaka *Uranage
Before the bell rings, Sakurai, Showzuki, and Yamanaka ambush them. Starting off are Yamanaka and Shinno. Yamanaka climbs to the top turnbuckle and hits a diving body attack on all five women on the outside. She throws Shinno back into the ring and covers for a two count. She body slams her and covers again for a two count. She backs her into the corner and hits running knees. She follows with a Natsu Sumire-style Bronco Buster. She goes for the pin but gets a two count. Sweeping her hair back to taunt the crowd, she locks in a Reverse Indian Deathlock.
Goto and Amarei intervene, but Sakurai and Showzuki join the fray. The three of them unleash their “You Commoners!” stomp. They cover for a two count. The three use the ropes to stomp on Shinno. Shinno somehow manages to turn the tables and tags Goto. Shoulder tackle. A hip attack to Sakurai, Showzuki, and Yamanaka. Then she hits Yamanaka with a body slam. She goes for a giant swing but gets countered into a roll-up. Two count. A running corner splash. Yamanaka fires back with an elbow. She goes for the pin but only gets two.
Showzuki tags in. She applies an abdominal stretch on Goto. Goto forcefully breaks free and eats a facebuster after a 10-spin reverse giant swing. She is pinned for a two count. Goto tags Amarei. She throws Showzuki into Shinno for a kick. They kick her together. A cover yields a two count. Brainbuster to Showzuki. She covers for a two count. Sakurai kicks Amarei as she goes for a backdrop. Double knees from Showzuki. She covers for a two count.
With Goto’s help, Amarei hits a cutter on Showzuki. She covers for a two count. Then she hits a modified cutter and goes for the pin, but Yamanaka breaks it up at two. Goto hits Yamanaka with an elbow. However, Showzuki climbs the top turnbuckle and hits a diving double knee drop on Goto and Amarei. Amarei hits a cutter on Yamanaka and Showzuki. Showzuki hits a high kick. A fierce back-and-forth unfolds with Amarei’s big boot.
Shinno and Sakurai tag in. Sakurai eats a kick from Shinno but fires back with a backdrop. An exchange of elbows between the two. Sakurai hits a vicious elbow followed by a big boot. She hits a running kick and covers for a two count. Shinno counters with a running knee. She then unleashes a barrage of kicks to Sakurai’s front and back. She goes for the pin but gets a two count.
Shinno hits a Kamigoye. She covers for a two count. She goes for a Uranage, but Sakurai resists. Yamanaka and Showzuki jump in to help. Sakurai hits an Osoto Gari into an STF. Amarei and Goto break it up. Yamanaka and Showzuki toss Goto and Amarei out of the ring. Yamanaka hits a top rope missile dropkick simultaneously with a double backdrop from Showzuki and Sakurai. Sakurai hits a diving elbow drop and covers for a two count. Shinno rolls Sakurai up. An exchange of kicks between Shinno and Sakurai.
Amarei lands a kick. Goto places Sakurai on the top turnbuckle. She hits an Iconoclasm and covers for a two count. The end came with a Gotoh-n Special, followed by Amarei’s Amethyst Butterfly, and finally Shinno’s Uranage for the three count.
Tearful Victory Over Sakurai… Shinno: “I Will Work Hard for Mai-san’s Sake.” Plus, Shinno vs. Kizuna Tanaka is Set for 10/24 at Ryogoku.
Shinno: “I beat Mai Sakurai! It’s been about a week since Mai-san announced her departure, and I’ve been really lonely, walking around with a sad face the whole time! But today, in this Marigold ring, I feel like I’ve conveyed all my feelings of gratitude and my resolve moving forward. Even if Mai-san leaves, I’m going to work extra hard in this Marigold ring for her sake. Mai-san, thank you so much… (Then turning to Kizuna Tanaka) Ryogoku Kokugikan is up next, but I feel like I can’t take another step forward unless I defeat this opponent… Kizuna Tanaka! Will you continue our story from a year ago on the Ryogoku Kokugikan stage?”
Tanaka: “Shin-chan, I believe it is my mission to continue fighting you. While I was out injured, I know you grew so much and became stronger, but I absolutely cannot afford to lose to you yet. For my return match, I want to stand before you tens of times stronger than I was last year. Let’s do this. Please treat me well.”
Sakurai: “Good day to all the commoners who came to Korakuen Hall! Despite announcing my departure, I’m truly filled with so much joy and sadness to see so many of you here until the very end. But first, to the two members of La Vie En Rose who fought in my last match today, the two members of tWin toWer, and Shin-chan, thank you very much. Especially Shinno—I was your debut opponent. I was so happy you chose me, and when I decided to leave, I was most worried about you. But after fighting you today, I thought, ‘She’s going to be just fine.’ So Shinno, walk straight down your own path and shine brightly in Marigold. I’ll be cheering for you. Thank you very much.”
▼ Backstage Goto: “Yes, thank you for the Korakuen Hall event. This match was my last with Mai-san. We were able to have La Vie En Rose vs. tWin toWer and Shinno at Korakuen, and Shinno picked up the win! (Applause) tWin toWer also has a match set for the Ryogoku event against Unagi Sayaka, Hikari Noa, and Kabuki Woo, so we need to kick it up a gear from here. We have a match in Sapporo, Hokkaido, but let’s get perfectly tuned in these remaining two weeks.”
Amarei: “That’s right. Even though we won the final match against Mai-san, I just couldn’t stop the tears. But well, we’ve fought Mai-san for these belts before. Yeah, by Shinno beating Mai-san today, I think we were able to leave a message that Marigold is going to be okay. I’m still dragging it out a bit. But from here on, I want to smile again, and whether we’ll all get along or not, I want to energetically hype up Marigold and women’s pro wrestling. Thank you for your support.”
Shinno: “Yes. Today was Mai-san’s last match in Marigold, and I’m really glad I had the two members of tWin toWer beside me. Thanks to them, I was able to get the three count on Mai-san myself at the very end. Yes. Honestly, I’m still filled with so much sadness, but if I let those feelings drag me down, I don’t think I can move forward. I’m putting an end to those feelings today, and I want to look forward and make Shinno’s pro wrestling life shine even brighter.”
Goto: “Yes! So, is Shinno’s opponent for Ryogoku decided?”
Shinno: “Yes. Kizuna Tanaka, whom I faced in the exact same venue last year. Back then, my parents were at ringside and I lost, but I believe I’ve gained a lot of experience while Kizuna-san was away, so I want to throw all of that at her on October 24.”
Goto: “Please keep your eyes locked on the future of Marigold. Thank you very much!”
Sakurai: “Yes. This was the second to last match. It was a great match, but truly, thank you to the two of you for fighting me today. Like I said earlier, I’ll always support Shinno’s growth. She really just debuted—it hasn’t even been a year or two. She’s growing so fast. I was really surprised. But from now on, I feel I can leave this ring without any regrets, and I look forward to seeing everyone again somewhere. I have nothing but gratitude for the two members of La Vie En Rose. They really helped and supported me. I realized how great it is to be in a unit. For my final Marigold match, I want to team up with the two of them. So, I will go on a rampage in Marigold until the very end, and I ask for everyone’s continued support until then.”
Yamanaka: “Hearing the Lady say that just now… I was so happy. I still don’t know about Ryogoku, so I had prepared myself for the possibility that today might be the last. But thinking there’s still a chance made me a little happy, and at the same time, thanks to La Vie En Rose, I’m now able to confidently say, ‘I am a pro wrestler.’ I’m so grateful to the two of them. And La Vie En Rose, a rose-colored life—both life and pro wrestling aren’t just filled with fun things; there are things that don’t go your way and frustrating moments, but I was able to reaffirm that, including all of that, it’s colorful, sweet, and wonderful. I was able to realize that because of La Vie En Rose, so I’m truly thankful. Let’s look forward to the day of Ryogoku. Please continue to support us.”
Showzuki: “As for me, I haven’t given up on trying to make Sakurai stay. Until the very end, you know. It’s the same with everyone who has left before, but whenever someone is missing, Marigold feels a bit lonely. Sakurai truly told us earlier, but I also believe we have helped each other out. So, one of us leaving really breaks my heart. But I haven’t given up yet. I’m expecting her to say at Ryogoku, ‘Actually, I don’t want to leave anymore,’ and I believe we can fight together until the very end. So, I plan to throw my feelings and everyone’s feelings at her, and I hope we can end it with a smile. But there’s also a part of me that doesn’t want it to end, so I’ll do my best in my one remaining match to bring Sakurai’s feelings back. Thank you very much.”
Yamanaka: “Tres bien.”
All three: “A rose-colored life!”
5. 20-minute time limit ○Mayu Iwatani & Komomo Minami (18 mins 13 secs, Dragon Suplex Hold) Miku Aono & Yuuka Yamazaki●
Dream Star Fighting Marigold World Champion Miku Aono and Super Fly Champion Mayu Iwatani, two major singles champions who could be called the top two of Marigold, clash in a tag team match. Aono brings along Yuuka Yamazaki, while Iwatani brings Komomo Minami—two rapidly growing talents—to face off in the semi-main event ring.
Starting off are Minami and Yamazaki. The two youngsters aggressively trade sparks. Tagging in, Iwatani delivers a fierce slap. She rears back and smacks her hard! Yamazaki tries to retaliate, but the crowd boos as Iwatani dodges it. Yamazaki strikes back again, but Iwatani boos the lackluster blow. Prompted by this, Yamazaki chops her again. Iwatani returns fire and tags Minami. Minami corners Yamazaki with speedy movements. She applies a Boston Crab. Minami wins a chop battle, but Yamazaki answers with a dropkick and tags Aono. However, Iwatani rushes out from the blue corner, aiming for a double-team attack. Aono shows her resilience with a dropkick, then launches a corner missile at Minami. Firing off back-to-back kicks to the back, Aono relentlessly mounts the pressure on Minami. Yet, Minami shows her tenacity with roll-ups. Aono hits a side kick. Iwatani jumps in for the assist, and Minami answers back with a body attack. 10 minutes pass.
Iwatani tags in here. She hits a running dropkick. Aono refuses to back down, answering with a swinging slam. She hits a flurry of kicks followed by a sliding lariat (two count). After a series of counters, Aono fires off short-range lariats. Aono nails a double-arm suplex and climbs the turnbuckle. However, Minami pulls her leg down. Iwatani unloads a brutal chop. Shouting “I’m gonna throw you!”, she executes an avalanche-style Frankensteiner. Iwatani hits elbows and then consecutive lariats. She hits a headlock takeover into a kick, but Aono catches it. Aono lands a short-range lariat and successfully tags Yamazaki. Yamazaki charges in. She hits a running body block. She follows up with a corner attack and a John Woo dropkick for a two count. Reading each other’s moves, Iwatani lands an elbow. Yamazaki returns fire. Iwatani instinctively drops to the mat, but Minami provides an assist. Iwatani climbs the turnbuckle and hits a frog splash, but it’s a two count. 15 minutes pass. Shouting “It’s over!”, Iwatani attacks, but Yamazaki reverses into a pin for a two count. Aono follows up with a high kick. Yamazaki hits an Enzuigiri. Aono’s lariat, Yamazaki’s Codebreaker, and Aono’s backdrop suplex sequence only gets a two count. Roaring “I’m finishing this!”, Yamazaki aims for a face stamp, but Iwatani counters. Three minutes remaining. Yamazaki tries the face stamp again, but Iwatani blocks it, hits an elbow, a superkick, and then a Buzzsaw Kick. Shouting “It’s over!”, she drops a moonsault press, but Aono breaks the pin. Iwatani then executes a two-stage Dragon Suplex Hold for the three count. Iwatani defeats Yamazaki and conquers the semi-main event.
6. United National Championship Match (30-minute time limit) ○Victoria Yuzuki (13 mins 9 secs, Cross-arm Suplex Hold) Diana Strong● *The 3rd Champion succeeds in her 5th defense.
For Victoria Yuzuki, this is her first United National title defense in eight months—her fifth overall—since facing Chika Goto in February this year. Her opponent is the Polish wrestler Diana Strong, who handed Yuzuki a loss during the “DREAM STAR GP” official league match in Shinjuku on September 8.
The opening bell rings. First, the two gauge the distance and lock up. Diana backs Yuzuki into the ropes, leading to a clean break. They lock up again. Diana hits a shoulder tackle. Flying mare. An exchange of holds begins. Yuzuki throws an elbow. Diana knocks Yuzuki down. She corners her and delivers stomps. Diana continuously batters Yuzuki with powerful offense. Yuzuki is trapped in the corner. Diana hits an elbow, whips her into the ropes, and aims for a lariat. Yuzuki counters, but Diana, refusing to back down, hoists Yuzuki up and follows a backbreaker with a body slam. Yuzuki shows resilience, but Diana’s powerful offense forces her into a tough spot. Even so, she tosses her opponent’s massive frame with a Harai Goshi, hits a running dropkick to knock her out of the ring, and follows up with a plancha from the top turnbuckle to the outside.
Even back in the ring, Yuzuki’s offensive continues. She tosses her opponent with a suplex, but Diana responds with elbow stamps. Diana’s onslaught resumes. Landing on her feet out of a backdrop suplex attempt, Yuzuki unleashes a kick rush. Diana answers with a brainbuster, but Yuzuki shows her grit with a backdrop suplex of her own. Following an Enzuigiri elbow, Yuzuki buries another elbow into her. Roaring “Get up!”, a furious Yuzuki runs the ropes, but Diana catches her and slams her to the mat. She follows a knee lift with the Polish Game, but it’s a two count. Diana then places Yuzuki on the turnbuckle, setting up for an avalanche-style Polish Game. Yuzuki resists. She buries an elbow into her opponent’s back, hits a missile dropkick, and this time goes to the opposite corner. She hits another missile dropkick to her opponent’s back. She climbs the turnbuckle a third time, but Diana catches her, aiming for the avalanche-style Polish Game. It hits dead on, but Yuzuki shows terrifying endurance. Diana aims for a standard Polish Game, but Yuzuki counters. She hits a Rolling Arrow, but it’s a two count. Superkick into a cross-arm suplex. Yuzuki hits another superkick, but it’s still a two count. Finally, she executes a Cross-arm Suplex Hold for the three count. Yuzuki successfully defends her United National Championship for the 5th time.
UN Champion Yuzuki Announces Her Challenge to World Champion Aono. Super Fly Champion Iwatani Then Chimes in With “I want to join too…” Resulting in an Unprecedented Winner-Takes-All Match Between the Three Major Singles Champions on 10/24 at Ryogoku!
Yuzuki: “I successfully defended the United National title for the 5th time! Diana Strong—living up to the ‘Strong’ in her name and being a powerlifter—she was incredibly strong. Her power is amazing. I am really glad I could fight with the United title on the line today. Diana, thank you very much! Today, I defended this belt. And last month at Korakuen Hall, I won the ‘DREAM STAR GP’! I want to aim even higher. So today, there is something I want to say. Miku-san!”
Receiving Yuzuki’s call on the mic, Aono enters the ring.
Yuzuki: “Just as expected, you brought it, you brought it. The fact that you brought that belt means you already know, right? Everyone else knows too, right? Miku-san, I want to challenge for your World Championship belt. Please let me challenge for it!”
Aono: “Yuzuki, congratulations on your defense. I am an adult, so I understand these things well. I wanted to win the DREAM STAR GP as the champion, but that didn’t happen. Even though I am the champion, I feel a sense of responsibility for that. But since I brought this belt here, I will accept your challenge. However, I have a proposal of my own. I am a champion, and you are a champion. Champion vs. champion. Do you understand what that means?”
Yuzuki: “…Yes.”
Aono: “Really?”
Yuzuki: “…Yes.”
Aono: “Why don’t we put both our belts on the line in a double title match?”
Yuzuki: “Sounds good, sounds good! Let’s definitely do a double title match!”
Aono and Yuzuki shake hands, agreeing to a double title match with the World Championship and the United National Championship on the line. However, Iwatani enters the ring holding the Super Fly belt.
Iwatani: “Good evening to everyone who came to Korakuen Hall! Thank you all so, so much for coming today. Hey, um… sorry for barging in so suddenly. It looked like you were having such a fun conversation. You can tell just by looking, right? Mayu Iwatani is also a singles champion. From what I’m hearing, you’re doing a double title match at Ryogoku, right? Hey, won’t you let me join in? I want to join. I really want to join.”
Yuzuki: “Wait a minute. If we put all three on the line, Mayu-san, your belt has a weight limit, right? (Glancing at Aono) It’s 55 kilograms or under, right?”
A weight-cut chant starts in the crowd.
Aono: “What…! What?”
Yuzuki: “Miku-san, this is a bit hard to ask a lady in front of the audience… but Miku-san, Miku-san, about how many kilograms do you weigh right now?”
Aono: “It’s far too rude to ask a lady her weight in a place like this, especially when it’s being broadcast. …Fine, just absolutely don’t tell anyone.”
Saying this, Aono whispers into Yuzuki’s ear.
Then Yuzuki, stunned, blurts out, “Eh…! 56.5?! Miku-san, you’re over the limit!”
Aono: “Yes, 56.5. That’s right, there are two weeks left, so I just need to drop 1.5, right?”
A mysterious “1.5” chant erupts from the audience.
Aono: “OK, if I have a chance to become a triple crown champion, I’ll drop the weight! Let’s do a triple title match.”
Yuzuki: “Is that okay?”
Iwatani: “Of course. A 3-Way, elimination, triple title match at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event is officially decided!”
Aono: “OK, then I’m going to start my diet right away.” Saying this, Aono leaves the ring. Next, Iwatani says, “At the Ryogoku Kokugikan event, Mayu Iwatani will become a triple crown champion! Please support me!”
Yuzuki: “Of course, the one who will shine with three belts is me, Victoria Yuzuki!”
At the end, Yuzuki shouts, “Shine! Forever! Marigold!!” bringing the event to a close.
Translator’s Notes
- “You Commoners!” (この庶民が！): A catchphrase utilized by Mai Sakurai as a core part of her aristocratic “Lady” (貴婦人 – Kifujin) gimmick.
- La Vie En Rose (ラビロ): “Rabiro” is simply a phonetic portmanteau and shorthand abbreviation used to describe the faction La Vie En Rose, which is led by Mai Sakurai. Later in the promo, Yamanaka translates it into its literal meaning, “a rose-colored life”.
- Natsu Sumire-style Bronco Buster: Yamanaka performs a bronco buster that pays homage to joshi veteran Natsu Sumire, who is famous for her highly suggestive and flamboyant variation of the move.
- Capital Apron (資本のエプロン): A literal, humorous typo in the original Japanese magazine text. The author mistakenly typed the kanji “資本” (shihon – capital) instead of “四方” (shiho – four sides/directions). It has been properly localized as “the four sides of the ring apron” to reflect the author’s intended meaning.
- John Woo: A running, double-footed dropkick directly referencing the famous action movie director, whose characters are known for violently flying backward as if hit by a shotgun blast. It was originally popularized in Japanese wrestling by SUWA.
- Flying Menu / Koshino: During the backstage promo, Matsui purposely breaks kayfabe to imply Hummingbird is actually wrestler SYOKO Koshino in a mask. Penguin then fires back by making a joke that Matsui might mistake her ring name for “Flying Menu,” playfully criticizing Matsui’s faction for being sloppy and getting names wrong.
- 1.5 Chant: The Korakuen crowd began chanting “1.5” in reference to the 1.5 kg (roughly 3.3 lbs) that Miku Aono needs to safely cut over the next two weeks to legally make the 55 kg weight limit for the Super Fly Championship.
- Kabuki Woo (カブキウー): A tag-team/faction name mentioned by Chika Goto featuring Kaho Kobayashi and her allies.