There have been a lot of eyes drawn to Dream Star Fighting Marigold from the very get-go. Not only because it is the latest endeavour of Rossy Ogawa, but also due to it coming by way of a ‘split’ from World Wonder Ring Stardom.
Former-World of Stardom Champion Utami Hayashishita was arguably the biggest name to take the leap alongside Rossy, Giulia and a handful of other roster members in May 2024. At 26-years old, and managing to achieve almost all there is to achieve in Stardom, many looked to Utami as the Ace of Marigold and the person to build this entire venture around.
With a Marigold World Championship match locked in for First Dream on the 3rd January 2025, we were granted the opportunity to talk to Utami about the label of ‘Ace of Marigold’, who she would like to face in singles action – both in Marigold and out – that match with IYO SKY and so much more…
Q: Can you talk a little bit about your personal start in professional wrestling?
UH: I was a wrestling fan and I loved it! It all started because I wanted to be a someone special like a wrestler.
Q: Whilst in Stardom, you achieved almost every accomplishment there was to achieve, from winning the World of Stardom Championship, to winning the 5Star Grand Prix and wrestling in Nippon Budokan. What are some of your own personal highlights from your time in Stardom?
UH: The World of Stardom defence against Syuri lasted a total of more than 40 minutes. That match was recognized worldwide, and I’m happy about that. Also, there was a time when I was a quadruple champion. The many title defences were tough, but they are a treasure to me.
Q: You are obviously now a part of this exciting new adventure called Marigold, choosing to follow Rossy Ogawa. Can you tell us about your thought process, and how hard it was to leave Stardom?
UH: I didn’t have any doubts. I had already decided to go when I heard rumours about the new group. However, I was born in STARDOM, so I felt lonely leaving. It felt like leaving my family that I had been with for so long.
Q: How did the other members of Queen’s Quest react to your decision?
UH: Everyone felt lonely. Saya in particular told me she didn’t want me to leave. But in the end, everyone supported my decision.
Q: Congratulations on winning the first-ever Dream Star Grand Prix! It’s something you will always be remembered for, just like Masahiro Chono and the G1 Climax. What does this accomplishment mean to you?
UH: For me, this was my first big achievement since joining the new organisation. I’m very happy about that, and more than anything, I feel very honoured to have made my mark at the beginning of the history of a new organisation.
Q: In the Dream Star Grand Prix, we saw you have great singles matches with the likes of Kouki Amarei, Victoria Yuzuki and MIRAI. Who else in Marigold would you like to face in a singles match that you haven’t already?
UH: Among those who I have no experience with in singles, Matsui is interesting. I don’t have that speed, so I’d like to face her in a singles match.
Q: What is it like training in the Marigold dojo?
UH: We often start from the basics. The image is that the people who gather start from the basics again. Then we do technical things that step up from there.
Q: You were Io Shirai’s first match in Japan in five years. What was it like to be in the ring with someone who means so much to you?
UH: I was happy to be able to meet someone I’ve admired since I was a fan. I was nervous and anxious at the same time. The two weeks before the match were a busy time for my brain with all sorts of emotions. lol.
Q: You’ve said over the past few months that Io and VENY were your dream matches. Having now faced both of them, is there anybody else that you have your eye on?
UH: I’ve always been interested in Rina Yamashita. I’m really drawn to her coolness. Also, Jungle Kyona. She was my debut opponent and I think she’s my eternal rival. I definitely want to meet her again in the ring, and I think she’s someone I have to meet.
Q: Many people see you as the ace of Marigold. How does that make you feel? Does that name come with a lot of pressure?
UH: Of course I feel pressure. I’m not the type of person who can handle pressure well lol, but I think that pressure is making me stronger.
Q: Looking ahead to 2025, you are already guaranteed a match for the Marigold World Championship at Ota-Ward City Gymnasium. How excited are you for this match, and what else would you like 2025 to have in store for you and for Marigold?
UH: I think this is an important match for Utami Hayashishita’s big comeback. I think this match is very important not only for Utami Hayashishita, but also for the future of Marigold’s ace.
Q: You’ve been in the ring with some of the hardest strikers in Joshi – Mayu Iwatani, Syuri and Momo Watanabe just to name a few – but in your opinion who do you think hits the hardest?
UH: They all had different kinds of strength. Mayu Iwatani had sharp kicks, Momo Watanabe had heavy kicks, and Syuri had kicks that resonated to the core. I think Syuri’s kicks were what hit me the hardest, but I think what I struggled with were Mayu Iwatani’s kicks, which were so fast you couldn’t even see them.
A huge thanks goes to Dream Star Fighting Marigold and Utami Hayashishita for doing this interview and giving up their time during an incredibly busy week to make this happen. A big thank you also goes to friend-of-the-show Sonny Gutierrez for facilitating this and being amazing with all of our questions and requests!
We would like to take the time to thank Chiyoko Asakura, without whom this interview wouldn’t happen. Chiyoko kindly translated all of the questions we had for Natsumi and we truly appreciate the effort and kindness. You can follow Chiyoko on Twitter right here: @chiyoko_asakura
You can learn more about – and follow – Marigold on both their Japanese (@DSF_Marigold) and English (@Marigold_Joshi) twitter channels. You can also check out their website right here
Finally, another huge thank you to Utami Hayashishita for agreeing to this interview. You can follow her on Twitter here: @Utami0914
You can check out Marigold on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. Sign-up with a seven-day free trial here.
Be the first to comment