MIRAI is prepared to take Marigold to the next level.
Marigold will hold its next major show this upcoming Saturday at Yoyogi with Shine Forever 2025 ~ A Glorious Celebration ~. While the main event will feature the retirement match of Nanae Takahashi, it will be MIRAI who challenges Utami Hayashishita for the Marigold World Championship.
MIRAI has been with Marigold since the start in 2024, making the move from STARDOM after having won back-to-back Cinderella Tournaments and holding the Wonder of Stardom Championship in her final year with the company. She has set her sights on accomplishing even more in Marigold, winning the TwinStar Championships alongside Mai Sakurai to be the inaugural champions late last year. But when it comes to singles success, MIRAI continues to look for that first major victory that can catapult her to the top of Marigold.
As she gears up for the biggest match of her young career against Hayashishita at Shine Forever, Fightful's Scott Edwards had the opportunity to interview MIRAI on a number of topics including her upcoming match, her new mindset as a wrestler, the first anniversary of Marigold, Mayu Iwatani joining the company, and so much more.
Here's what MIRAI had to say!
Scott: As Marigold comes up on its first anniversary, it’s been clear since day one that you have wanted to lead the promotion to success. And as a result, the term “Ace” has been thrown around a lot by wrestlers like Utami Hayashishita and even Sareee. What has been your overall opinion of Marigold after its first year? Do you believe that you should be the one considered the “Ace” of Marigold with all the work you’ve put in?
MIRAI: "This is the first year since we launched the company. I'm sure you can imagine that it wasn't an easy task for all of us, who have come from other organizations, debuted here, and have different 'up to now' backgrounds, to work together from that point on. There were no precedents or rules for Marigold, so I have the impression that we have all been working together to create this project, one wall at a time.
Looking back at my wrestling career over the past year since I came to Marigold, I have not had any singles results. I keep losing at the most important places...
I believe that a person who is called an ace must have many things, such as humanity and brilliance.
I think strength is absolutely necessary in that, so it is hard to say with confidence that I am an ace yet in terms of results...
So in my second year with Marigold, I want to show off my strength, get results, and hone my humanity so that I can become an ace that everyone recognizes."
Scott: You've shifted your style since joining Marigold last year to incorporate a lot more grounded and technical offense. Was that a conscious effort? Do you have any influences when it comes to your evolved wrestling style?
MIRAI: "I am very happy to hear you say so! At the time of my debut, I was bigger than I am now, and most of my friends back then were lightweights. So I chose to be a power fighter. But when I went to STARDOM, there were more people who were bigger than me. So I was a little worried. But I didn't want to waste the moves I had been doing. I wanted to challenge with power.
At that time, I was thinking only about how to show off my power in my movements.
But at Marigold, I wanted to show a new MIRAI.
Of course, I didn't want to lose in terms of power, but I also wanted to bring out the speed and technique that I had gradually developed through practice, and I wanted to increase the variation in my matches. I think this has led to a change in my wrestling style.
I don't have anything in particular that has influenced me, but I subscribe to almost all the wrestling streaming contents, watch wrestling of various organizations on a daily basis, and go to Korakuen Hall and Shinjuku FACE as a customer when I have time to watch wrestling. LOL
I guess I pick up hints there and use them for my own growth."
Scott: The Lariat has become the move most associated with MIRAI. Many believe that you have the best Lariat in all of wrestling. Were you inspired from other wrestlers who use the Lariat which led to your development of the move? How do you feel knowing that such a famous move like the Lariat is now connected with you and your career?
MIRAI: "Hey, I'm confident in my left arm lariat! Stan Hansen, Riki Choshu, Kazuchika Okada, Satoshi Kojima... I refer to the lariat of various people. I am studying every day to become the best lariat in the world.
I am very happy to be recognized by everyone. I will continue to take this lariat to higher levels！！！！！"
Scott: How has taking on the role of both a trainer and a leader in Marigold affected your perspective on pro wrestling as a whole?
MIRAI: "Teaching is only possible if you are able to do the things yourself. Therefore, it has led to my own learning and discovery. I also feel a renewed sense of respect and gratitude for those who have taught me wrestling."
Scott: You haven't gotten involved with the Marigold vs. Marvelous feud in an official capacity, but you have gone face to face with Mio Momono, who's currently out with an injury. What do you make of the Marvelous rivalry, especially now as Magenta has taken the TwinStar Championships? What interests you about that match specifically?
MIRAI: "I'm really interested in Marvelous' amazing wrestling fundamentals, and wrestlers like Mio Momono, and Takumi Iroha. Of course, I'd like to have a spirited battle with them.
I think rivals are important in a fight, but losing in a rivalry match is no good, and moreover, the belt should not be dropped to another company.
The worst situation is happening right now.
I want to be the savior of this situation. I want to become the Marigold World Champion at Yoyogi and stand in front of the Marvelous Army as a general full of confidence. I will put the strength of Marigold to the test."
Scott: You and Mai Sakurai established the great TwinStar Championship matches in Marigold. What did that inaugural championship reign mean to you? Do you believe the championships have followed what you both set out to do as champions?
MIRAI: "It is not easy to be the inaugural champions, and it meant a lot for me to wear it with Mai Sakurai.
Those who know the story of MiraiSaku up to now will understand. The TwinStar Title is already on the fifth champions compared to the other belts.
The tag belts change quickly.
The way the belt shines depends on who holds it, and I have seen it shine in many different ways, but I think it shines best when it is held by MiraiSaku.
I promised Mai Sakurai that we will wear the Twin Stars again as the Red and White champions.
I haven't forgotten that promise."
Scott: After seeing Sakurai accomplish her goal of becoming the United National Champion, did that motivate you to aim for the Marigold World Championship and to show even without the Twin Star belts, MiraiSaku are still the standard barriers of Marigold?
MIRAI: "I think MiraiSaku is a very strange tag team. We're good friends, but we do not get along well. We can say what we think, but we can also be considerate of each other with minimal rules.
We can go at it from opposite corners, and we don't want to lose to each other, but we also inspire each other.
That's why I was very happy when Mai Sakurai became the United National Champion.
I also honestly thought that since Mai Sakurai had become the singles champion and was going to shine from here in singles, I thought I should stay away from MiraiSaku for a while so as not to drag her down.
But I am always inspired by Mai Sakurai, and she is a special tag team partner for MIRAI, giving me tips that no one else would give me."
Scott: At Shine Forever, you’ll finally challenge for the Marigold World Championship against Utami Hayashishita. It’s been clear since the moment you made your challenge that there’s some animosity between you and Hayashishita. After all, she made you work to earn the title shot, which you did by defeating her at the April 25th Korakuen. What is your overall opinion on Hayashishita as a champion? For you, does that animosity from Hayashishita come from wanting to be the one leading Marigold and standing alone as champion? Or do you believe your connection with her is ultimately out of respect and wanting to make Marigold better in your own image?
MIRAI: Utami Hayashishita is very strong, good at wrestling, so cool, and a good talker, someone MIRAI can't hang with. But there is something too quiet about her.
I don't feel her soul. She is the complete opposite of me. I'd like to know more about her cool side.
I am confident that I can have a great fight with her that will surprise the world. I'm sure that she will be happy to fight with MIRAI.
I want to use this fight to promote Marigold, and I feel that by beating her in a singles match, I will be able to gain more than just the belt; I will be able to gain something that I have not been able to gain by beating Utami Hayashishita.
And I want to say with pride, "Now you follow behind me in Marigold's second year!" I want to say that to her."
Scott: This match against Hayashishita will be the first time you challenge for a world championship since 2022. How important is this upcoming match with Utami Hayashishita to you?
MIRAI: "My first singles match with Utami Hayashishita, I just felt a huge difference. It was really frustrating. And the next singles match with Utami Hayashishita, I didn't feel the same spirit as the first time I fought her. I won, but it wasn't what I expected, and I was frustrated.
And this time... We've been going head to head in preliminaries, and I could hear people waiting for our singles match more than ever, and this location is great, Yoyogi. But there is still something too cool about Utami Hayashishita.
On the day of the event, I definitely want to feel the passionate spirit hidden in her coolness. And MIRAI is going to beat up such an amazing Utami Hayashishita."
Scott: As someone who helps lead training, who has impressed you the most from the roster over this last year that you’ve enjoyed watching grow and improve?
MIRAI: "Victoria Yuzuki."
Scott: In your career, you’ve had the opportunity to be part of and succeed as a member of TJPW, STARDOM, and now Marigold. First, why was it the right situation for you last year to move on from STARDOM, where you found plenty of success, to be a founding member of Marigold? And from there, can you tell us a bit about what makes Marigold so special to you and why fans worldwide should be taking notice?
MIRAI: "I came to Marigold because I wanted to follow Rossy Ogawa, because Rossy Ogawa is there.
Mr. Ogawa saved me.
The fact that I am being interviewed like this, that you are reading this article, that you know me, is because Mr. Ogawa gave me a chance.
Otherwise, you might not have known about me. So I must return the favor."
Scott: Entering the 2024 DREAM STAR Grand Prix, you were seen as one of the favorites to win the tournament, or at the very least make the finals. While you came up short in doing so, did you learn anything about yourself from that tournament you didn’t know beforehand?
MIRAI: Some of the fighters were fighting for the first time, and I learned a lot from their wins and losses.
It was frustrating not to get the results I wanted, but I think that experience has helped me in my current situation.
Scott: One of the most memorable parts of Marigold’s first year was the rivalry that you and Miku Aono had in the lead-up to crowning the first United National Champion! It’s a series of matches that showed that both you and Aono are among the best in Marigold, but she ultimately got the better of you in the end. What did the series with Aono do for your mentality and personal growth as a wrestler? What are your thoughts on Aono now that you’ve gone your separate ways since then? If you win the Marigold World Championship, would she be the first name on the list you’d like to defend against?
MIRAI: "We had been fighting to a draw so many times, and I wanted to win, but I couldn't. We were both so determined, and even though we were both down to our final breaths, we kept clashing with each other just because of our feelings.
I still remember the ceiling I looked up at in Ryogoku, and it was the last thing I wanted to see. But it is also true that my feelings toward Miku were strengthened because of that view. I think the United National belt shines more now that Mai Sakurai has it than it did when Miku Aono had it. The way it shines is different, though.
Anyhow, I don't want to keep losing to her, so I want to get revenge on her in a singles match. But whether or not I will put the world belt on the line is another matter. If Miku Aono wants it and I feel her passionate spirit, I will give her a chance, but if not, I will not put the world belt on the line.
However, if I become the world champion, I would like her to be the first one to show her passion for an opportunity."
Scott: At First Dream, you were the debut opponent for super rookie Seri Yamaoka. She managed to go to a draw in the first 15 minutes of the match before you ultimately defeated her when she wanted the match to continue. Since then, you’ve had the chance to team with her and have even developed some chemistry with each other. How impressed have you been with Yamaoka in her first few months of her career? What do you believe her potential is in Marigold? Is she someone you’d like to continue teaming with, potentially with Yamaoka’s tag team partner Nanae Takahashi retiring at Shine Forever?
MIRAI: "I think it's great that she was able to fight like that from her debut match, push aside a lot of expectations and pressure, and achieve results. However, there are many aspects that are helped by her partners and by timing.
I think what she gained from her recent loss in the tag title match is very significant. I think it's important for her now to find a way to make the most of it. I believe that hard work is a part of one's ability, and I hope that what she has learned from Nanae Takahashi will help her be a wrestler who can continue to work harder than anyone else.
If you do that, I think you have the potential to become a wrestler that no one else can compete with, even Nanae Takahashi would be surprised.
As far as making a tag team, if Seri Yamaoka wants to! If she teams up with MIRAI, I will first train her to be a stronger soul, and together we will become the kind of team that people can admire, not only in wrestling, but in other aspects as well."
Scott: Speaking of Nanae Takahashi, she will officially retire on May 24th at Shine Forever. Over the past few years, you’ve had the chance to both face her, team with her, and train with her. What have you been able to pick up and learn from the living legend in your time in the ring with her?
MIRAI: "Really, Nanae Takahashi is great. Her passion is amazing. Her love for wrestling, her compassion, her hard work, and her balance of severity and gentleness are not easy to duplicate.
She is a truly wonderful person who fits the nickname "living national treasure." I will remember the advice she gave me and apply it to my own wrestling.
It is absolutely impossible for me to become Nanae Takahashi right away, but as a goal, I would like to get closer little by little, and I would like to nurture my soul as well as my passion."
Scott: Mayu Iwatani officially joined Marigold on May 1st. She said that she wants to be the face of Marigold as well as its savior — showing a lot of care from the promotion instantly as she also has the same goal of yourself of wanting to make Marigold the best promotion. What have been your overall feelings regarding Iwatani joining the promotion and her comments? With a 1-0 record over her and having grown yourself since that match in 2022, are you excited at the idea of getting to face her again with both of you having changed so much since your only singles match?
MIRAI: "Honestly, I am glad that Mayu Iwatani came to Marigold. She is a great fighter and a fascinating competitor. Mayu Iwatani's way of fighting matches my goal of fighting.
Of course, I am excited to be able to fight again, and I can imagine many things.
But I also have the pride of having created Marigold since its inception, and as someone who aspires to be a hero, I don't want to see a savior appear on the scene and take all the belts and buzz with her.
I will continue to work hard every day to keep up the friendly competition.
And in comments, she's talked about 'Utami's World title belt.' It disappoints me to hear her say that, since I'm going to win the belt... and then I'm going to beat Mayu Iwatani, too."
We'd like to thank MIRAI and Marigold for giving us their time in the lead-up to their major show on Saturday to make this interview happen in time.
We also want to thank Chiyoko for once again providing massive help in this interview. Chiyoko helped translate the questions from English to Japanese for MIRAI to answer.
You can follow Chiyoko on Twitter here: @chiyoko_asakura
Marigold will be live on Saturday, May 24th, with Shine Forever 2025 ~ A Glorious Celebration ~ at Yoyogi. Once again, MIRAI will step into the semi-main event to challenge Utami Hayashishita for the Marigold World Championship. Elsewhere on the card, Mayu Iwatani will face Victoria Yuzuki for the Superfly Championship while Nanae Takahashi's career comes to a close as she main events against Miku Aono.
Here's a look at the full card:
- Nanae Takahashi vs. Miku Aono
- Marigold World Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) vs. MIRAI
- Superfly Championship: Victoria Yuzuki (c) vs. Mayu Iwatani
- Seri Yamaoka vs. Takumi Iroha
- Marigold (Natsumi Showzuki, Nao Ishikawa, Komomo Minami, Hummingbird & Rea Seto) vs. Marvelous (Senka Akatsuki, Maria, Riko Kawahata, Sora Ayame & Ai Houzan)
- Kouki Amarei & Kizuna Tanaka vs. Chika Goto & Yuuki Minami
- Chanyota, Erina Yamanaka, Ryoko Sakimura & Nagisa Tachibana vs. Nagisa Nozaki, CHIAKI, Misa Matsui & Megaton
- Shinno vs. Mai Sakurai
The PPV is available for purchase on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
You can follow Marigold on X through their Japanese (@DFS_Marigold) and English (@Marigold_Joshi) accounts.
Stay tuned to Fightful for more information on Marigold and other Joshi news.
