Puroresu Pulse

On the afternoon of the 13th, Dream Star Fighting Marigold held a press conference in Tokyo and announced the complete match card for their biggest event of the year on October 24 at Ryogoku Kokugikan (detailed below). The main event has been set as a “Triple Crown Match ~ 3-Way Survival Game” pitting the promotion’s three major singles champions against one another: Marigold World Champion Miku Aono vs. United National Champion Victoria Yuzuki vs. Super Fly Champion Mayu Iwatani. Contested as an elimination-style three-way match, the last competitor standing will walk away with all three titles—the World, UN, and Super Fly belts—in an unprecedented winner-take-all showdown. As the headliners of the event, Aono, Yuzuki, and Iwatani sparked a fierce rivalry as they vie for the pinnacle of Marigold in its third year.

The semi-main event will feature a Twin Star Championship match between Kouki Amarei & Chika Goto and Unagi Sayaka & Hikari Noa. A war of words between Gochika and Unagi quickly boiled over, escalating into a wild brawl with both women grabbing each other by the hair. When Unagi boasted, “It’s better off in the hands of the two of us who can bring these belts in front of massive crowds,” a furious Gochika roared back, “I’m giving it everything I’ve got!”—further heating up the feud between both teams ahead of their Ryogoku showdown.

Additionally, popular idol Yoshino Chitose will make her in-ring debut at the event. She will face Megaton in a bout billed as a “Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match,” setting the stage for a clash of “Idol vs. Pro Wrestler.” Trainee Suzuka’s debut match has also been made official. She will make her maiden voyage on the grand stage of Ryogoku Kokugikan against Lady AI.

Comments from the wrestlers in attendance at the press conference are as follows.

▼ Triple Crown Match ~ 3-Way Survival Game (1 Fall, No Time Limit)

[Marigold World Champion] Miku Aono vs. [United National Champion] Victoria Yuzuki vs. [Super Fly Champion] Mayu Iwatani

Iwatani: “First of all, I’m just happy to be competing in the main event at Ryogoku this time. To my surprise, the match turned out to be a 3-Way where we’ll be fighting for all three belts. I actually became a Triple Crown champion myself a long time ago, though that was about ten years back. In this current era, as the Icon of Joshi Puroresu once again, I want to use this match to show everyone that Mayu Iwatani is amazing, tough, and the absolute best—and stand at the very top of Marigold. …Wait, I had a lot of other things I’d planned on saying, but my mind just went completely blank, so I’ll post the rest of my thoughts on X and whatnot.”

Yuzuki: “A 3-Way match in the main event of Ryogoku Kokugikan, with all three major titles on the line—from where I’m standing, this is a massive opportunity. After the United National title, the next belt I should be aiming for is the red belt. And as for the Super Fly title Mayu-san holds, she’s the one who took it from me, so this is also my chance to win it back. Plus, I’ve never beaten either of these two before. In every possible way, this is the ultimate situation. I’m going to conquer this 3-Way no matter what and become the Triple Crown Champion in the main event at Ryogoku. Nobody in Marigold has ever held all three crowns, so I want to be the very first person to do it. The one walking out of the Ryogoku main event as Triple Crown Champion is me—Victoria Yuzuki!”

Aono: “This is Marigold’s third show at Ryogoku Kokugikan, and Ryogoku has always been a special venue for me. The first time here, I wrapped the United National belt around my waist, and the second time, I captured the World Championship. Each of those shows marked a turning point in my career. Now, I have a chance to become a Triple Crown Champion—a chance to make this a monumental turning point. It’s also my very first time standing in the main event at Ryogoku. I’ve held this World Championship for about a year now, making six successful defenses. Over this past year, with wrestlers departing the promotion and so many people out of action, it’s been genuinely tough, and I believe I’m the one who has protected Marigold through it all. I didn’t do it alone, of course, but I take pride in having stood at the forefront to lead this promotion. So if I’m being completely honest, I refuse to lose to two people who spent time on the sidelines. All the time I spent carrying this company on my back matters, and I want to firmly prove everything I’ve accomplished up to this point. I believe that the only person in Marigold right now who deserves to become the Triple Crown Champion—and who can properly lead the promotion as a Triple Crown Champion—is me, Miku Aono. I will defend my belt without fail and become the Triple Crown Champion.”

▼ Twin Star Championship Match (1 Fall, 30-Minute Time Limit)

[Champions] Kouki Amarei & Chika Goto vs. Unagi Sayaka & Hikari Noa [Challengers]

Hikari: “Nice to meet you, I’m Hikari Noa. Since this is my very first time competing in Marigold, I’d love to celebrate my debut anniversary here by taking home matching belts with Una-chan. I’m sure you only have eyes for Una-chan right now, but Hikari Noa is in this match too, so don’t let your guard down.”

Unagi: “At the end of the day, what kind of tag team you two even are hasn’t reached the outside world at all. Mind telling me what your team is supposed to be about?”

Goto: “We’re Marigold’s tall tag team—170 cm Kouki Amarei and 173 cm Chika Goto—the reigning Twin Star Champions, tWin toWer.”

Unagi: “And besides being big, what else do you have going for you?”

Goto: “We have star power, we have popularity, we have buzz, and we have the in-ring skill to back it up!”

Unagi: “Wait, you have buzz? If you actually had any buzz, I’m pretty sure I would’ve heard about it by now. Well then, do the two of you at least have a goal as a tag team?”

Goto: “Since Kouki isn’t able to speak today, I’ll do the talking! With these Twin Star belts around our waists, we intend to become the top tag team in the entire joshi puroresu world—not just in looks, either. To get there, we know there are walls we still have to overcome, like Spark Rush. As for the two of you calling yourselves Kabuki U, your names aren’t even a wall we need to climb over. So we’re going to beat you decisively and give you a reality check.”

Unagi: “And what exactly does ‘the top of the joshi wrestling world’ mean to you?”

Goto: “Delivering both our strength and our beauty even to people who don’t know pro wrestling yet. That’s what it means to us.”

Unagi: “Yeah, except it seriously isn’t reaching anyone at all. Like, not even a little bit.”

Goto: “Unagi Sayaka-san, you’re always posting constantly on X, so I’m sure you’re watching us too. Conversely, if it really hasn’t reached you, doesn’t that just mean you’re way too ignorant about Marigold?”

Unagi: “Because you don’t generate any buzz. Nobody knows who you are. That’s the reality.”

Goto: “Well, well, well! Well then!! On this massive stage of Ryogoku Kokugikan, we get to face the great Unagi Sayaka-san, who supposedly has all that star power, popularity, and buzz. Which means if we beat you, we’ll surpass you right then and there—are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Unagi: “If you can pull it off, be my guest.”

Goto: “We can! And to do it—to make that happen—we’re going to fight you. Besides, what was with that flippant, half-baked title challenge anyway? Hikari Noa-san sitting there saying, ‘I wanna wear a Marigold belt as a souvenir of stepping into a Marigold ring!’—are you kidding me?!”

Unagi: “Dead serious.”

Goto: “If that’s how you’re treating this, then we’ll beat you with ease. Because we’re stepping into that ring as the tag team representing Marigold.”

Unagi: “…Is the little speech you rehearsed before coming here.”

Goto: “I didn’t rehearse a damn thing! I know I can’t out-talk Unagi Sayaka in a verbal sparring match, so I came in with zero script! Unagi Sayaka and Hikari Noa—two people with plenty of buzz! It’d be a waste if we didn’t turn this into a huge talking point! We’re coming at you packed with buzz of our own! Because these belts aren’t just some cute accessories!”

Unagi: “Man, you’re always straining so hard just to keep your head above water, aren’t you? You’re completely overwhelmed. That’s all you’ve got, right? And that’s all Marigold has got right now, isn’t it? That’s the exact reason so many people keep leaving this promotion, right? About time Rossy got to actually have some fun again, don’t you think? So don’t worry anymore. We’ll take that heavy burden right off your shoulders.”

Goto: “When a Gochika who’s giving it everything she’s got finally explodes, it’s terrifying!”

Unagi: “Then do it right now!”

Goto: “Oh, alright then! Ogawa-san—you’re the one who raised Unagi Sayaka, aren’t you?”

Representative Ogawa: “Didn’t she just grow up like that on her own?”

Goto: “What a Gochika giving it everything she’s got can muster up right now is… Mayu-san! Mayu-san! Please tell me Unagi Sayaka’s weak point! You’ve fought her plenty of times, haven’t you?! …No, wait, no, never mind! I don’t need to ask about her weaknesses or anything—I’ll fight her myself—”

Unagi: “Seriously, quit treating this like a comedy routine!”

Goto: “I’m giving it everything I’ve got! It’s not a comedy act!”

Unagi: “I’m telling you, it’s boring. That’s why the fans are walking away in droves.”

Goto: “No, they aren’t! No!”

Unagi: “Instead of you two holding onto them, having those belts in the hands of the two of us—who can actually take them everywhere and put them in front of huge crowds—is obviously the best thing for those titles.”

With those parting words, Unagi shoved Gochika backward. Gochika snapped back like a grade-schooler—”Ow! What the hell are you laying hands on me for?! You laid hands on me, didn’t you?! She threw the first shove!”—and lunged at Unagi. The two locked up by the hair and tore into one another, guaranteeing a chaotic Twin Star title match. Unagi and Hikari then unilaterally stormed out of the press conference, leaving Amarei and Gochika to pose for the commemorative photo session alone.

▼ 3D Trios Championship Match (1 Fall, 30-Minute Time Limit)

[Champions] Misa Matsui, CHIAKI & Rea Seto vs. Flying Penguin, Hummingbird & Nanase [Challengers] *First title defense for the 2nd Champion team.

Hummingbird: “We may belong to different promotions and live in different regions, but we have the bond we’ve built up until now and the complete trust to leave our backs open to one another. We’re going to secure a decisive victory and wrap those 3D Trios belts around our waists!”

Matsui: “Thinking you can beat us—Darkness Revolution—with ‘bonds’ and ‘trust’ is barking up the wrong tree entirely. Now, this whole incident started the other day at Korakuen Hall. I let my guard down just a tiny bit and ended up suffering an unexpected defeat. Well, even so, we haven’t had a single title defense since winning these belts, have we? So I like to think of it as me paving the way so we could finally have a defense on the grand stage of Ryogoku Kokugikan. After all, we want to rack up our defense count. We want to defend these belts left and right. Proper trios are hard to come by, anyway—though I doubt a trio capable of beating us will ever show up from here on out. Still, as challengers go, this lineup is a bit weak, isn’t it? Shallow, cheap—nothing about it resonates with me at all. ‘Bonds’? ‘Trust’? I don’t get it, and frankly, what do you even plan on doing if you actually win these belts? I can’t see a vision there whatsoever. It’d be boring if this just turned into a glorified showcase challenge for you. Since we’re at Ryogoku Kokugikan, it’d be a waste not to have fun with you in our own way. While we’re at it, we might even lay out a path for you to change yourself. Well, that all depends on how hard you try.”

Rea: “For our milestone first title defense, my honest impression is that this is going to be way too easy. Hummingbird, Flying Penguin, and when I wondered who the third member would be—it’s Nanase? Seriously, who in this trio is even supposed to be strong? It’s almost insulting—did you really think you could beat us with a trio like this?”

Hummingbird: “I do.”

Rea: “Oh, you actually did? I had no idea. Well, do your best not to lose too quickly at Ryogoku.”

CHIAKI: “Sitting over there all by your lonesome is honestly pathetic to watch. Still, since we’re doing this, we’ll play with you guys with everything we’ve got, so I just hope you make for good toys. Getting to work a title match at Ryogoku Kokugikan—I hope it becomes the greatest memory of your entire careers. With that said—”

All Three: “Thanks for coming out~!”

Hummingbird: “I’m not tired, and we’re not done yet! Keep acting cocky while you still can!”

▼ Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match (2 Rounds, 2 Minutes Per Round)

Megaton vs. Yoshino Chitose

Chitose: “Normally, I work as a gravure idol, a singing and dancing idol, and a competitive eating personality. I’ve also been training in kickboxing for about five years. I’m truly grateful for this wonderful opportunity to make my in-ring debut at such an incredible venue as Ryogoku Kokugikan. Since this is billed as a Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match, I usually do my fighting up on a stage, but on the 24th I’m going to fight with everything I’ve got inside the ring and beat Megaton-san to a pulp—so please look forward to it!”

Megaton: “Grrr-oar! With this being a Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match, I am super excited! I can hardly wait to see what kind of chemical reaction happens this time around. Yoshino Chitose-san! Those looks of yours—that’s a foul! An illegal foul! Megaton is honestly on the verge of getting knocked out already, but Megaton has her own pride and stubbornness too! On the day of the show, I’m going to come at you full force. I want to answer Chitose-san’s challenge and resolve with everything I have, so on match day—from the front, from the back, bring everything you’ve got from any angle you want!”

Chitose: “I won’t lose!”

Megaton: “Alright, thank you very much~!”

▼ Mai Sakurai Last Match

Mai Sakurai, Natsumi Showzuki & Erina Yamanaka vs. Chanyota, Diana Strong & Mila Smidt

Chanyota (via statement): “Konnichi-Muscle! Representing P.P.P. Tokyo, I am the Ultimate Lifeform, Chanyota. Today, my muscles told me, ‘You haven’t trained us nearly enough yet,’ so I deeply apologize for being unable to attend the press conference in person. For the October 24 Ryogoku event, I am truly grateful to be stepping back into a Marigold ring for the first time in a while, and to stand across the ring as an opponent in Mai Sakurai’s final match as a roster member. I first faced Mai Sakurai in 2022. Roughly four years have passed since then, and even as our environments and stages in life have changed, being able to stand across from one another in the ring at such milestones in our careers feels like fate. I have a feeling that you and I will cross paths again in some ring down the road. However, this day will be the very last time I get to fight ‘Mai Sakurai of Marigold.’ That is precisely why I want to experience Marigold’s ‘Ultra Aristocrat’ to the fullest—and in return, I will throw everything I have right now as the ‘Ultimate Lifeform’ straight at her. On a personal note, I have an upcoming title match against Erina-sama with my Venus of Party Championship on the line, making this a prelude clash. It will also be my first time teaming with Diana Strong and Mila Smidt—they both look delightfully muscular and reliable! I’m really looking forward to fighting alongside the two of them. It may be a commemorative ‘honorable match,’ but rather than just getting lost in sentimentality, I’m going to pour all my gratitude and emotions into the ring and sear the current Chanyota into your memory. Prepare yourselves. POWER!!!!”

Yamanaka: “If not for my UN Championship match against Mai Sakurai, I might never have started competing full-time in Marigold. And if not for La Vie en Rose, I might never have officially joined the Marigold roster. At every turning point of my pro wrestling life, Mai Sakurai has been there. Being able to stand in the same ring together as La Vie en Rose for a milestone match in Mai Sakurai’s own wrestling career… honestly, I have feelings right now that simply can’t be captured by the word ‘happy.’ When I joined the roster, I declared that when the day comes for me to retire, I will step out of the ring as a Marigold wrestler. Because of that, I’m personally prepared for the reality that I’ll probably have to see many people off in the years to come. Standing side by side as a trio in La Vie en Rose may reach a closing chapter for now at Ryogoku. To be honest, it still hasn’t sunk in that the Aristocrat won’t be standing next to me anymore, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to send her off with a clean, cheerful smile—but first and foremost, I know I won’t find any emotional closure unless we win brilliantly and beautifully in true Erina Yamanaka fashion, and in true La Vie en Rose fashion. I’m going to win so that the two of us can properly wish her ‘Bon Voyage.’ I also have a title match coming up against Chanyota, so first I’ll secure a clean victory here and think about what comes next afterward.”

Showzuki: “With Sakurai leaving the promotion at this Ryogoku show, and Mila and Diana returning to their home countries for the time being, this is an important match where we’re seeing off all three of them. Getting to team up like this makes me happy, though of course there’s sadness mixed in too. Ever since I started teaming with Sakurai, the two of us talked so much—we were on the phone almost every single day talking about the future. Since we’re close in age, there were a lot of struggles we could relate to in each other. Forming La Vie en Rose together with Erina-sama allowed us to create so many memories, and we even became the inaugural 3D Trios Champions. Even after losing those belts, we agonized over how to move forward and kept fighting side by side. I knew Sakurai was carrying a lot of worries on her shoulders, and I feel like I truly understand the frustration of having your body not cooperate the way you want it to. Because of that, I have no intention whatsoever of questioning her decision. Even though this might be the last time for now, I want to deliver a fresh, absolute best La Vie en Rose match—and keep working hard here so that this ring remains a place Sakurai, Mila, and Diana will feel like coming back to anytime. So I’m firing myself up to win no matter what and deliver a victory together with Sakurai.”

Sakurai: “Ever since my departure was announced, I’ve spent the whole time looking back on these past two and a half years. I still remember the day we launched the promotion as vividly as if it were yesterday. In my match at that inaugural show, I also stood across the ring from foreign wrestlers and outsiders who weren’t part of the roster. Back then, I was so much greener than I am now—I couldn’t bring out my true self in the ring at all, and my only memory after that inaugural show was crying my eyes out the entire time. I believe the Mai Sakurai standing here today exists precisely because I tasted that bitterness and hit rock bottom back then. I’m truly grateful for all the experiences I’ve been given here. Looking at the card for my final match, the opponents standing in the opposite corner make it feel like a very similar situation to that inaugural show, so I see this as a chance for redemption as well. Having been taken care of by Marigold for two and a half years since its very inception and allowed to experience so much—through all the joyful times and the painful ones alike—I am deeply grateful that I was able to live a truly La Vie en Rose pro wrestling life. For my final match, I have two wonderfully reliable partners right beside me, and I want to make it a final bout with my personality on full display, 100% true to myself. So that I can repay everyone who has supported me right there inside the ring, I want to step into my final match with a smile.”

All Three: “Très bien—a rose-colored life!”

▼ Kizuna Tanaka Return Match

Kizuna Tanaka vs. Shinno

Shinno (via statement): “Marigold squad number 5, the second-generation Egoist, Shinno! A second-generation showdown for the first time in a year! While this is Kizuna-san’s return match, for me, it’s a revenge match. For this entire past year, the frustration of last year’s Ryogoku match has stayed burned into my chest, and I’ve been waiting for my chance at payback. I will surpass the person I was last year, throw everything I have as the current Egoist Shinno into this match, and win without fail. Let’s tear it up in this second-generation clash!”

Kizuna: “After suffering a major injury—a fracture-dislocation of my ankle—this past January, this will be my return match after nine months away. It was my first major injury, my first surgery, my first hospitalization, and there were so many walls to overcome, but driven purely by my desire to return to the Marigold ring I love so much, I was able to work toward my comeback without my spirit breaking once until today. At Korakuen Hall the other day, Shinno stepped up and nominated herself as my opponent. I can really sense how much Shinno has grown while I was on the shelf, and I’m sure I’ll feel it even more once we lock up in the ring. Up until now, I was always just chasing after the backs of my seniors, but through getting injured and spending so much time confronting myself—and with so many new juniors having joined the roster in the meantime—I’ve developed a strong resolve to take responsibility and help lead Marigold moving forward. While this is my return match, coming back isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting line. For Shinno’s sake as well, I want to stand tall as a formidable wall in front of her and get off to a strong start of my own. Naturally, my injury is completely healed, and I have zero anxiety or fear. I can’t wait for match day. Thank you very much.”

▼ Seri Yamaoka Return Match

Seri Yamaoka & Yuuka Yamazaki vs. Komomo Minami & Nagisa Tachibana

Tachibana: “First off, Seri, congratulations on your return! I’ve been looking forward to your comeback so much. All I’ve ever done is lose to you, Seri, but during the time you were out, I’ve gotten way stronger, and I intend to pour all of my growth and my feelings into this match against you and walk away with the win. Since it’s a tag match, I won’t lose to Yuuka either—besides, our side has the dorm leader, Komomo Minami, AND the strongest Nagitan, Nagisa Tachibana! This is going to be so much fun, I’m super excited for it. I hurt my leg in my match the other day, but I’ll be totally fine for Ryogoku! I promise I’m fine! I’m going to come at you full force!”

Yamaoka: “First of all, I’m super happy to be making my return at a venue like Ryogoku Kokugikan. And getting to have this match alongside Nagisa, Komomo-san, and Yuuka—an all-homegrown lineup—makes me really happy. While I was out of action, watching Nagisa, Yuuka, and Komomo-san out there made me feel super impatient and pretty down at times, too, but I’m genuinely happy to see how much everyone has grown—and at the same time, I can’t afford to fall behind them myself. Out of everyone in this group, the one who’s going to shine the brightest is me. I want to make this the absolute best return match.”

Yamazaki: “Seri, congratulations on your return! Before Seri went on the shelf, the two of us teamed up quite a bit. Even though there’s been a gap since then, I don’t feel anxious at all. In fact, I have nothing but confidence—there isn’t a single reason we could lose. Since all four of us are homegrown Marigold wrestlers, I believe the four of us can put on a match that shows everyone watching just how bright Marigold’s future is. I want to make it a hard-hitting, fiery bout. I’ll do my best!”

▼ Suzuka Debut Match

Lady AI vs. Suzuka

Suzuka: “It has been decided that I will be having my debut match at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event. I’m super excited and my heart is pounding. Being able to make my debut at such a sacred venue as Ryogoku Kokugikan makes me so happy and thrilled! I definitely want to defeat Lady AI. Thank you all for your support!”

Lady AI: “I am Marigold squad number 12, Lady AI. First of all, Suzuka, congratulations on your debut match. Suzuka joined the dojo this past spring, and we’ve worked hard together in training ever since to get to this point. I feel like I know Suzuka better than anyone else in Marigold. However—there’s going to be a 2026 Rookie of the Year tournament over New Year’s, isn’t there? Even though this is her debut match, the prelude between Suzuka and me starts right here! I am dead set on becoming the Rookie of the Year, and I have no intention of losing to Suzuka here. I plan on thoroughly crushing Suzuka in her debut match. Thank you very much!”

Translator’s Notes

• Event Notation & Triple Crown Terminology (10.24 Ryogoku Kokugikan / Toripuru Kuraun Matchi):
  • In Japanese puroresu journalism, major dates are written in numerical shorthand (10.24 for October 24). This show marks Marigold’s third annual autumn supercard at the historic Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo arena.
  • The main event is described as a kachinuki (elimination-style) three-way match and a zendai-mimon no beruto so-dori matchi—combining the four-character compound zendai-mimon (“unheard of in previous eras / unprecedented”) with so-dori (“sweeping all prizes / winner-take-all”).
  • Victoria Yuzuki refers to Miku Aono’s Marigold World Championship simply as Aka (“the Red [Belt]”), continuing the storied joshi puroresu tradition originating in All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling (AJW) where the top singles title is synonymous with the crimson strap, alongside the white United National (UN) Championship and the high-speed/weight-class Super Fly Championship.
  • Mayu Iwatani’s comment about forgetting everything she planned to say (zenbu tonjatta, literally “it all flew away”) is a classic example of her endearing, scatterbrained out-of-ring persona contrasting sharply with her status as the Joshi Puroresu no Aikon (“Icon of Joshi Puroresu”).
• Wordplay & Meta-Heat in the Twin Star Title Feud (Sei-ippai vs. Ippai-ippai):
  • Tag Team Names: Kouki Amarei (170 cm) and Chika Goto (173 cm) style their team name as tWin toWer, capitalizing the two W’s to represent double victories (“Twin W’s”). Goto contrasts Unagi Sayaka and Hikari Noa’s team name, Kabuki U (a nod to Unagi’s Kabuki-mono eccentric warrior persona), against Spark Rush, the former Twin Star Champion team of Mayu Iwatani and Victoria Yuzuki. (Goto also notes that Amarei is unable to speak at the podium, covering for her partner’s vocal/medical absence from the mic).
  • Sei-ippai vs. Ippai-ippai: Throughout the heated verbal exchange (zessen, literally “tongue war”), Goto repeatedly describes herself as working sei-ippai (“with all one’s might / giving 100% effort”). Unagi mocks this by pivoting to the phonetically similar reduplicated phrase ippai-ippai (“filled to capacity / completely overwhelmed / barely keeping one’s head above water”), framing Goto’s earnest desperation as proof that both she and the Marigold roster are stretched thin following recent roster departures (taidan) and injuries.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: Rattled by Unagi’s verbal onslaught, Goto turns directly to Marigold founder Rossy Ogawa (Ogawa-daihyo, “Representative Ogawa”) and Mayu Iwatani—both of whom worked closely with Unagi during her earlier years—asking how Unagi was raised and begging for scouting tips mid-presser. Unagi angrily dismisses this as a gyagu (“gag / comedy routine”), leading to a physical shoving match where the journalist wryly compares Goto’s tattletale outburst (“Saki ni te dashimashita!” — “She threw the first shove!”) to an elementary schooler (shogakusei no yo ni).
• Darkness Revolution’s Heel Dismissal & Wordplay (Okado-chigai & Otsukare):
  • Idioms & Pronouns: Misa Matsui dismisses Hummingbird’s appeal to friendship and trust as okado-chigai (literally “standing at the wrong gate,” equivalent to “barking up the wrong tree”) and admits to yudan wo kamasu (“pulling a careless lapse in concentration”) in her recent Korakuen Hall pinfall loss. Her partner CHIAKI uses the rough, masculine first-person plural ore-ra (“we/us”) and condescending second-person plural omae-ra (“you lot”), emphasizing Darkness Revolution’s delinquent heel dynamic while mocking Hummingbird for attending the press conference alone (hitori-bocchi) without her freelancer partners Flying Penguin and Nanase.
  • The “Otsukare” Exchange: At the end of their segment, Matsui, Rea Seto, and CHIAKI brush off Hummingbird in unison with a breezy “Otsukare~” (Otsukaresama, literally “you must be tired,” the standard Japanese workplace/industry phrase for “good work today” or “that wraps things up”). Hummingbird snaps back with a literal retort on the root verb tsukareru (to get tired): “Tsukarete nee yo!” (“I’m not tired, and we’re not done here!”).
• Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match (Igyoshu Kakutogi-sen):
  • The bout billing Igyoshu Kakutogi-sen (“Cross-Industry Martial Arts Match”) is a comedic homage to Antonio Inoki’s famous Ishu Kakutogi-sen (“Different-Style Martial Arts Match,” pitting pro wrestlers against boxers, karateka, or judoka). By adding the syllable gyo (business/industry), the match pits gravure idol, competitive eater (ogui tarento), and recreational kickboxer Yoshino Chitose against Marigold’s resident monster heel/comedic powerhouse Megaton.
  • Megaton opens with a monster roar (“Gao!”), refers to herself in the third person, and calls Chitose’s gravure idol figure a hansoku (“foul / rule violation”).
• Mai Sakurai’s Departure, La Vie en Rose, and Chanyota’s Muscle Gimmick:
  • Roster Status Terminology: The article carefully distinguishes between Mai Sakurai’s taidan (“leaving the promotion / roster departure”)—which Erina Yamanaka contrasts with her own vow to stay with Marigold until her eventual intai (“retirement from wrestling altogether”)—and the status of international guests Diana Strong and Mila Smidt, who are making an ichiji-kikoku (“temporary return to their home countries” at the end of an excursion tour).
  • Aristocratic Speech & La Vie en Rose: Mai Sakurai’s persona is the Cho-Kifujin (“Ultra Aristocrat”). Her unit with Natsumi Showzuki and Erina Yamanaka is La Vie en Rose (French for “Life in Pink / A Rose-Colored Life”), and they conclude their promo with their signature French-Japanese catchphrase “Très bien, bara-iro no jinsei!” Both Showzuki and Chanyota address Yamanaka with the lofty honorific suffix -sama (Erina-sama). In her statement, Chanyota playfully uses Sakurai’s aristocratic vocabulary by referring to the bout as a memoriaru na ‘o-matchi’ (attaching the polite Japanese honorific prefix o- to the English loanword “match”).
  • Chanyota’s Catchphrases: Representing the party-themed promotion P.P.P. Tokyo, bodybuilder and wrestler Chanyota opens with “Konnichi-Muscle” (a portmanteau of konnichiwa and “muscle”), calls herself the Kyukyoku Seimeitai (“Ultimate Lifeform”), and signs off with “POWER!!!!” (an homage to famous bodybuilder-comedian Nakayama Kinniku-kun). She also notes that this match serves as a zenshosen (“prelude / preview match”) for her upcoming Venus of Party Championship defense against Yamanaka.
  • Loanword Nuance (Ribenji): Both Mai Sakurai and Shinno use the English loanword ribenji (“revenge”). In Japanese sports parlance, ribenji does not imply malicious vengeance; rather, it means “redemption” or “avenging a past defeat/regret.” Sakurai uses it to describe redeeming herself for her tearful, disappointing performance against foreign outsiders at Marigold’s inaugural May 2024 show (hata-age-sen).
• Generational Rivalries, Squad Numbers, and Homegrown Talent (Nisei, Se-bango, and Haenuki):
  • Second-Generation Showdown (Nisei Taiketsu): The clash between Kizuna Tanaka (daughter of veterans Minoru Tanaka and Yumi Fukawa) and Shinno (daughter of Pro Wrestling NOAH legend Naomichi Marufuji) is billed as a battle of nisei (second-generation wrestlers). Shinno calls herself the Egoisuto Nisei (“Second-Generation Egoist”) and ends her statement with the spirited colloquial inflection “Yaccharimasu!” (“I’m gonna do it / tear it up!”).
  • Squad Numbers (Se-bango) & Debut Terminology: Both Shinno (#5) and Lady AI (#12) introduce themselves by their se-bango (uniform/squad number), a signature Marigold tradition modeled after professional baseball rosters. Trainee Suzuka’s debut is described in the intro as her ui-jin (“maiden battle”), a classical samurai term for a warrior’s first military campaign, while Lady AI frames the match as an early prelude for the year-end Shinjin-O (“Rookie of the Year”) tournament.
  • Homegrown Pride (Haenuki): In Seri Yamaoka’s return match, both Yamaoka and Yuuka Yamazaki emphasize that all four participants are haenuki—an industry term for “purebred” or “homegrown” wrestlers who entered the Marigold dojo as trainees and debuted natively within the promotion. Nagisa Tachibana refers to herself by her cutesy nickname Nagitan and calls partner Komomo Minami ryocho (“dormitory leader”).