¡Hola a todos!
Everyone! Friday has arrived! ( ◜ω◝ )
I got so many messages in the fan club group chat and elsewhere saying how much everyone learned from last week’s column about pro wrestling rules! Big thanks to Ringo🍎-sensei! ✨
Now then, today’s topic is all about the mystery opponent “X.” Lately, for some reason, MIRAI’s opponents keep getting announced as “X”… My opponent for the November 1 Michinoku Pro Wrestling show at the Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium is a “megastar X.” And my opponent for the Nagisa Nozaki 20th Anniversary Show on November 16 is also “X.”
It leaves me sitting here thinking, “Who the heck is it?!” lol
Personally, MIRAI thinks there are both pros and cons to announcing an opponent as “X.”
First, the good parts.
It makes your heart race with excitement, doesn’t it? ( ¯ᵕ¯ )
You can’t help but let your imagination run wild wondering, “Who could it possibly be?” ( ¯ᵕ¯ )
I believe that kind of speculation is one of the greatest joys of pro wrestling.
However, from the perspective of MIRAI—the one actually stepping into the ring to fight—I can’t put together a game plan at all. From my side of things, I’m mostly just screaming, “Come on, tell me already!!” lol
Also—and I don’t think this happens very often—there are times when the opponent hasn’t actually been finalized yet.
In those cases, announcing the slot as “X” allows the promotion to start building hype for the match early.
I feel like that’s both an advantage and a bit of a gamble, though (^^;
Next, the not-so-good parts. Wouldn’t actually revealing who “X” is draw a bigger crowd? According to my “self-proclaimed mentor” Taro Nohashi, the “X” for November 1 is a massive star. Vice President Udagawa-san also said they are someone incredible, so it must be true.
If that’s the case, announcing the name in advance would definitely lead to better ticket sales. Even so, the fact that Michinoku Pro Wrestling chooses the fun of letting the fans speculate is intriguing, a real gamble, and it means they’re placing a lot of trust in MIRAI as the opponent…!! (; • д•́)
And on top of that, being “X” is really tough on the mystery wrestler, too, you know? Unless you have overwhelming name value or absolute trust from the fans that you’ll deliver an incredible match… Walking out as “X” only to get a lukewarm reaction from the crowd would be beyond heartbreaking. The person playing “X” gets pretty nervous—no, insanely nervous. (Though I suppose it depends on the person.) …So says MIRAI, who appeared as “X” at last year’s Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium show and is now on the waiting side for “X” at this year’s Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium show lol When I came out as “X” last year, I was truly saved by the warmth of everyone in the venue and by Mayu Iwatani ( ˊᵕˋ 😉
Now then, having shared my perspective on “X,” I wanted to dive into my own theories on who this “X” might actually be… or so I thought, but since this is getting pretty long, I’ll save it for next time!! lol
To everyone who read this far, please share your own theories with me on social media or in the fan club!!
I’m really looking forward to reading them ✨
Well then, please be sure to read again next week~ ´ω`)ノ
Translation Notes:
- Tamakome: In the column’s title, MIRAI uses tamakome, an abbreviation of tamashii o komete (魂込めて, “putting one’s soul into it”). “Tamashii komete!” is her signature catchphrase.
- ¡Hola a todos!: Spanish for “Hello, everyone!” MIRAI regularly opens her columns and social media posts with this greeting (accompanied by katakana pronunciation guides for her Japanese readers).
- Ringo🍎-sensei (林檎🍎先生): Refers to Ringo Yamaya, a fellow Michinoku Pro Wrestling roster member and referee whose official stylized name in Japanese includes the apple emoji (山谷林檎🍎). The honorific -sensei (“teacher” or “professor”) is used playfully here because he helped break down intricate pro wrestling rules in her previous column.
- Opponent “X” (対戦相手『X』): In Japanese professional wrestling, the letter “X” (or “XX” for multiple wrestlers) is the standard placeholder used on official match graphics and press releases to denote an unannounced mystery participant.
- 誰やねん！！ (Dare yanen!!): A classic Kansai-dialect tsukkomi (straight-man comedic retort) roughly translating to “Who the heck is that?!” or “Who are you supposed to be?!”
- Self-proclaimed mentor Taro Nohashi & Vice President Udagawa-san: MIRAI writes Taro Nohashi’s name in casual hiragana (のはしたろう). Both MIRAI and Michinoku Pro Wrestling veteran Taro Nohashi hail from Miyako in Iwate Prefecture, leading to their comedic dynamic where Nohashi claims to be her wrestling mentor. “Udagawa-san” refers to Yukihiro Udagawa, the Vice President of Michinoku Pro Wrestling.
- Last year’s “X” appearance with Mayu Iwatani: Before joining Michinoku Pro Wrestling full-time, MIRAI made a surprise homecoming appearance as a mystery participant (“X”) at Michinoku Pro Wrestling’s Iwate Prefectural Gymnasium event the previous year alongside fellow joshi star Mayu Iwatani.
- んでば、来週も読んでけどがんせ～ (Ndeba, raishū mo yonde kedoganse~): MIRAI signs off using her native Miyako dialect from coastal Iwate Prefecture. Ndeba (んでば) is the local equivalent of sore dewa (“well then” / “see you”), and ~kedo ganse (～けどがんせ) is an affectionate regional expression meaning “please do ~ for me.”