Chi Chi is one of the brightest young stars in all of pro wrestling, and she's continuing to take the Joshi world by storm.
One of the founding roster members of Pro Wrestling Evolution, "Joshi's Barbie Girl" has consistently made people take notice of her. Not just because of her love for Barbie, but more so because of her incredible talent in the squared circle that combines elegance with physicality. It shouldn't come as much of a shock, as Chi Chi was trained by top puroresu wrestlers Suwama and Shuji Ishikawa, as well as working and training with IWGP Women's Champion Sareee.
Last year, Chi Chi won the Sendai Girls Junior Championship and held it until March of this year before dropping it to STARDOM's Aya Sakura. Now, she's on the journey to trying to become the first-ever Evolution Strong Champion -- having just won her first tournament match against Natsu Sumire and preparing to face Momoka Hanazono in the semifinals.
Having just returned from injury earlier this month and with so much on her plate, Chi Chi is ready to take over once and for all by calling herself champion once more.
Fightful's Scott Edwards had the opportunity to interview Chi Chi in a very special, exclusive interview. Chi Chi discussed several topics, including her love for Pro Wrestling Evolution, dream opponents, training with Sareee, rivals, the goals of her career, and so much more.
Here's what Chi Chi had to say!
Scott: As a member of Pro Wrestling Evolution, you have worked closely and been trained by two powerhouse male wrestlers Shuji Ishikawa and Suwama. What made Pro Wrestling Evolution the place for you to become a pro wrestler? How has learning from those two with such different styles impacted your development as a wrestler? How much do those two mean to you as you continue to grow as a wrestler?
Chi Chi: "I was scouted by the president and that’s how I became a trainee. Being able to learn from both Suwama and Shuji Ishikawa gives me a strong advantage that I think other Joshi promotions don’t really offer because I get to absorb elements of men’s pro wrestling as well.
To me, they are people I respect deeply. I can honestly say that if it weren’t for Evolution, I wouldn’t be a pro wrestler today. Both Suwama and Ishikawa aren’t just amazing wrestlers, they’re amazing people too, and I truly love and admire them.
Outside the ring, we also have a lot of fun joking around and teasing each other. It makes the learning environment feel warm and full of joy, even when the training is tough."
Scott: On June 1st, you returned from your first major injury that you suffered back in March in a match against Miku Kanae. First off, how are you feeling now that you’re back wrestling? And second, how was dealing with being out of action to heal, and how happy are you to be back in the ring competing?
Chi Chi: "Right now, I’m feeling really good physically. It was my first time being sidelined due to an injury, and I was honestly pretty down for about three days.
But what was even harder than the mental side was getting my physical condition back. I was frustrated with how my body had changed, and I was really worried about whether I could return to my original condition in time for my comeback match.
I pushed myself hard, so I didn’t feel any ring rust when I returned.
I’m just so happy to finally be back. This experience made me realize once again that I really can’t imagine a life without pro wrestling."
Scott: You are Joshi wrestling’s Barbie! You have shared your love for Barbie through your appearance, through your entrance music, and on social media. Can you tell me a bit about where your love for Barbie comes from and what Barbie means to you? Also, do you love being the wrestler that so many see as the Barbie of Joshi wrestling?
Chi Chi: "I’m not just a Barbie character…I’m a true Barbie collector with over 200 dolls.
Barbie is my idol and my comfort. Even when I’m having a bad day, playing with my Barbies makes me forget everything and feel happy again.
My dream is for Mattel to create a Chi Chi Barbie, just like they did for Naomi Osaka and Tetsuko Kuroyanagi.
There are other wrestlers in the world who have been called “the Barbie of wrestling,” but I truly believe no one loves Barbie more than I do. One day, I’d love to have a match against one of them and prove it!"
Scott: Recently, Suwama officially introduced the Evolution Strong Women’s Championship! You’ll be a part of the tournament to crown the first champion, facing Natsu Sumire in your first match on June 19th. What would it mean to you to become the first Evolution Strong Women’s Champion? Who would you like to face in the finals of the tournament if you’re able to make it?
Chi Chi: "The Evolution Championship is something truly special to me.
As someone who came up through this promotion, I have to win it—there’s no other option.
If I do capture the title, I want to defend it all over the world. And when that happens, I hope people pay attention not just to my matches, but also to what I say and how I carry myself as champion.
As for my ideal opponent in the finals… well, I think a lot of people are thinking the same thing I am: ZONES. But Chanyota is also a very strong competitor, so nothing is certain yet."
Scott: While it’s clear how meaningful both Suwama and Shuji Ishikawa have been to your career thus far, I know that you have a connection with Sareee as well. It was about two years ago almost two years ago now that Sareee told me in an interview about how you were a young wrestler that jumped out to her, and she has consistently been supportive of you since then. Can you tell us about what Sareee has meant to your career thus far? As well as what she’s taught you that you bring with you to all your matches? Is she someone you’d like to team more with in the future as well to learn from her in matches and potentially find success together?
Chi Chi: "Sareee is the senior I admire the most. And at the same time, she’s also the one I feel closest to.
She teaches me at the dojo, we train together, and she even takes me out for meals. We meet at least once a week.
If we go a whole week without seeing each other, she’ll say, 'It’s been a while! How have you been?' and honestly, that always makes me really happy.
I’ve learned so much from her: her discipline, her wide perspective on the entire Joshi wrestling scene, and her commitment. Behind the scenes, she’s always training. Watching her has made me realize just how important constant practice is when it comes to becoming stronger.
Even though she’s incredibly busy with her own training, media work, and organizing her self-produced shows, she still makes time to guide us younger wrestlers at the dojo. She’s always thinking about how to make Joshi wrestling more exciting, and I think that’s why just one comment from her can grab so much attention.
One of the most important things I’ve applied from her teachings is to never hesitate. Even when I’m unsure how to attack, if I keep the mindset that I want to beat my opponent, I won’t give them an opening. That’s something Sareee taught me.
I’ll keep working hard so I can team up with her more in the future. That’s one of my goals."
Scott: As part of your relationship with Sareee, you are consistently booked for her Sareee-ISM events. Notably, you’re tied for the most appearances on Sareee-ISM events, only trailing Sareee herself! In many of the matches, you are able to test yourself against some of the top legends and champions of pro wrestling. Your next match will be against someone you’re very familiar with in DASH Chisako. How do you feel about being such an important part of Sareee-ISM?
Chi Chi: "I’m truly grateful to be given the opportunity to appear regularly not just in Sareee-ISM, but in other promotions as well.
Sareee ISM, especially, is filled with the kind of wrestling I want to learn, so I always feel a good kind of pressure when I’m part of the shows. Every time, it’s a valuable learning experience for me.
One of my dreams is to someday become the main eventer of Sareee-ISM."
Scott: What’s your mindset heading into your upcoming match with DASH Chisako, someone you have faced multiple times before and even teamed with at the last Sareee-ISM event?
Chi Chi: "I had a singles match against Chisako in June as well, but I lost pretty quickly at the end.
Our next match will be our fourth singles match. Chisako is a very strong opponent, but I want to use my youth and persistence as my weapons and go after the win with everything I’ve got."
Scott: As part of Pro Wrestling Evolution, you were a member of the debuting original class with ZONES and SUNNY. While SUNNY no longer competes, she is still a key member of Evolution as a referee. ZONES, on the other hand, has often been someone you are always in competition with. What do those two wrestlers mean to you as fellow classmates of your debut class? Does ZONES push you to be a better pro wrestler, and do you try to do the same for her?
Chi Chi: "SUNNY and ZONES are both really special to me. SUNNY now works not only as a referee but also as part of the staff for Evolution. Because she understands the feelings of us wrestlers, she’s such an important part of the team.
Honestly, I don’t think Evolution could run without her.
She’s the one who always keeps our wild president in check, and she handles everything with a smile and such professionalism — it means a lot to all of us.
ZONES, on the other hand, is the total opposite of me personality-wise, and I’ll be honest—she frustrates me sometimes. But when that happens, I tell her directly what bothered me.
The truth is, we share the same goals and the same level of motivation, so I find myself feeling grateful for her far more often than annoyed.
Since we’re homegrown members of Evolution, we don’t have seniors above us—we’re the ones who have to shape what this promotion becomes. We often talk seriously about the future of the company together.
She’s also the one person I never want to lose to, so I definitely see her as my greatest rival."
Scott: Last year, you became the Sendai Girls World Junior Champion. This was your first championship win in your career as you managed to defend the championship four times before losing it. When you first won the championship, how special was that moment for you? And then what did you learn from your first time being a champion?
Chi Chi: "It was the very first championship of my career. The belt was pink, and it matched my costume perfectly — I really felt like it was destiny. Even though I was figuring things out as I went, I constantly thought about the belt and how to carry myself as a champion.
I sometimes said bold or provocative things on purpose to put pressure on myself, because I didn’t want the belt to feel like just an accessory. I always made sure to present myself as the champion.
Thanks to that experience, I’ve gained a lot more confidence, and I truly believe I’m more prepared than anyone to hold my next championship."
Scott: Through your reign as champion, you seemed to have found a true rival in STARDOM’s Aya Sakura. Sakura defeated you for the championship at Sendai Girls ~ The Top of Joshi Wrestling, but you had her number before that in the junior tournament as well as your first defense! You’ve both shown to get the best out of each other, making for great long-term rivals. Do you feel that Aya Sakura is a rival for you? If so, what about her brings the best out of you? And do would you like to get your win back sooner rather than later after she defeated you for the belt?
Chi Chi: "To be honest, I didn’t think of her as a rival until she beat me in March. But now that I lost, I’m the one who has to chase her—so yes, I do see her as a rival now.
She’s relentless. No matter how many times she loses, she keeps coming after you and never gives up. That kind of persistence really inspired me.
Right now, my full focus is on capturing the Evolution Championship, so I’m not thinking about getting my revenge just yet. But I believe there’s a thread connecting the two of us — something only we truly understand.
And I think everyone wants to see us face off again, right? The day will definitely come when I meet her in the ring once more."
Scott: Speaking of rivals, you’ve been very open about looking for rivalries with your fellow peers from the entire wrestling scene. What makes a perfect rival in your eyes? Who do you consider the rivals of Chi Chi?
Chi Chi: "I think an ideal rival is someone who makes you want to train harder, even when you’re exhausted. Someone who constantly makes you think, 'I absolutely don’t want to lose to them.'
Besides ZONES, I think Honoka is that kind of rival for me."
Scott: Has anyone caught your eye in wrestling that you haven’t had the chance to face off with yet? I’d love to hear about a wrestler you’d like to share the ring with that is around your experience level (3 years or less) as well as a veteran wrestler that you haven’t had the opportunity to face yet!
Chi Chi: "If we’re talking about someone around my experience level, I’d say Senka Akatsuki from Marvelous.
As for veterans, Miyu Yamashita from Tokyo Joshi Pro.
And internationally, Trish Stratus from WWE."
Scott: Being a member of Pro Wrestling Evolution, both Suwama and Ishikawa have said they want you and your peers to fight the best in Joshi wrestling. This has allowed you to work so many different promotions, including STARDOM, Sendai Girls, WAVE, Oz Academy, Marvelous, and others. The ability to compete and learn through these other promotions, as well as Evolution, is something not every other wrestler gets to do as much. How does competing in other companies help you improve?
Chi Chi: "Since Evolution only runs shows once or twice a month, getting the chance to wrestle in other promotions is incredibly valuable. I’m truly grateful for those opportunities, and I believe they’ve helped me grow a lot as a wrestler.
Whenever I step into another company’s ring, I carry Evolution on my back and wrestle with the mindset of, 'I’m Chi Chi from Evolution!'
I do my best to make sure people remember who we are through my performances."
Scott: As a part of Evolution, you've had the chance to compete in several different promotions across Japan and leave an impression on each of their fan bases in the process. Is there a promotion in Japan or abroad that you'd like to compete in for the first time? Is there a company you are looking forward to returning to now that you're back in action?
Chi Chi: "In Japan, I’d love to wrestle for Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling. They have so many amazing wrestlers, but the promotion is quite closed off to outsiders, so I know it won’t be easy.
But that’s exactly why I want Evolution to be the first promotion to break that wall and have a true interpromotional match with them.
As for a company I want to return to — it’s Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling. I’ve already competed there, but I want to become a real threat, a dangerous outsider. So I’ll keep working hard to make that happen."
Scott: Recently, you’ve revealed that Kelly Kelly is an inspiration to you as a wrestler. So much so that you said that your name Chi Chi is due to hers as well. Why was Kelly Kelly such an inspiration for you as a wrestler?
Chi Chi: "She is simply my ideal. She’s cute, charismatic, her costumes sparkle — and once you see her, you’ll never forget her.
She’s truly my icon."
Scott: This naturally brings us to STARDOM’s Hazuki, who has said in the past that Kelly Kelly was an inspiration to her as well and her favorite wrestler. Hazuki has a similar hard-hitting style that you do, and it would make for a fun matchup. Do you have an interest in facing Hazuki in the future?
Chi Chi: "Of course I want to face her. She’s a very strong wrestler, but I’m not intimidated by that — so I think we could have a really intense, hard-hitting match.
I also really admire her wrestling philosophy. For example, even though Koguma is her trusted tag partner, Hazuki never does Koguma’s bear pose, right?
I respect how she sticks to her own style and beliefs no matter what."
Scott: Do you have any other inspirations in pro wrestling?
Chi Chi: "Trish Stratus from WWE has been my idol since I was a little girl. I used to wear a cowboy hat just to imitate her!
That’s why I really want to meet her in the ring as a pro wrestler someday."
Scott: Many wrestlers have goals in their careers, whether it be short-term or long-term. What are your pro wrestling goals as you continue to learn, grow, and continue your career?
Chi Chi: "My short-term goal is to win the Evolution Title and go on a defense road that only I can create.
This belt should represent true strength, and since I’m not afraid of anyone, I want to defend it against more experienced wrestlers one after another.
As for my long-term goals, I want to win the Joshi Pro Wrestling Grand Prize, help Evolution hold shows overseas, and have Mattel create a Barbie doll of me.
Actually, I recently had the chance to meet Robert Best, one of Barbie’s top designers. I told him, 'Please make a Barbie of me when I get famous,' and he said, 'Sure, if you get famous.'
That’s a dream I’m absolutely going to make come true."
Scott: The way you present yourself has really made you stand out from the crowd to new fans who may not be familiar with your work. For those fans, what's the match from your career that you believe you've shined the most during that they should check out? What about that match makes it your choice?
Chi Chi: "I really hope everyone watches all of my title matches.
Besides that, I also want people to watch my singles matches against Mika Iwata, who I’ve faced many times. She always ignites my fighting spirit. I haven’t been able to beat her yet, but she’s definitely someone I’m determined to surpass in the near future."
Scott: Is there anything you’d like to tell your fans around the world?
Chi Chi: "Since my debut, I’ve always had my eyes not just on Japan, but on the entire world — so I will bring my style of women’s wrestling to fans all over the globe!
But hey, you’re totally welcome to come visit me in Japan too --"
Scott: To end this interview, it’s best to end with this question. What is next for Chi Chi? We know you have the Evolution Strong Women’s Championship in your sights as well as some big matches coming up in the future. But with us so close to the halfway point of 2025, what should the pro wrestling world expect from Chi Chi for the remainder of this year and beyond?
Chi Chi: "First, my goal is to win the Evolution championship.
There are also a few people I want to pick a fight with, so I plan to stir things up as much as I can and turn that heat into matches.
Since I understand English, I don’t just want to wrestle Japanese opponents — I want to take on international wrestlers too.
I won’t rely on labels like “rookie” or “junior.” I want this to be the year I go all-in to chase the very top of the women’s wrestling world."
We'd like to thank Chi Chi so much for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions with so much openness and honesty in her first English interview. We'd also like to thank Pro Wrestling Evolution for their part in this interview.
If you'd like to keep up with everything Chi Chi has going on, make sure to follow her on X: @ChiChi_evo
You can also follow Pro Wrestling Evolution here: @evolutionjpw
For those interested in Chi Chi's upcoming matches, she's set to compete in the semifinals of the Evolution Strong Championship against Momoka Hanazono on July 5th, the same show that the champion will be crowned. Fans can check out Evolution's shows here.
Chi Chi will also compete at Sareee-ISM Chapter VIII on July 14th against DASH Chisako. Fans can watch that show on sareeelive.com.
If you're interested in more Joshi interviews, check out Fightful's latest exclusive interview with Sareee and Marigold's Shinno.
Fans can check out results from past Joshi events by visiting Fightful's results section.
