Sareee Reacts To Konami Loss, Mindset Moving Forward In STARDOM | Interview

Following her opening night loss to Konami in the 5STAR Grand Prix, Sareee is on a path of redemption and destruction.

When Sareee returned to the STARDOM ring earlier this year with the IWGP Women’s Championship in sight, no one could have known where it’d lead. She defeated Syuri at STARDOM THE CONVERSION 2025 in just Syuri’s second defense to win the championship she had long pursued since her return to Japan in 2023. The victory was met with boos from STARDOM fans, who were opposed to an outsider like Sareee winning the gold instantly. Over the year since she had challenged prior to her match with Syuri, she had held SEAdLINNNG’s Beyond The Sea Championship for over a year, along with being Marigold’s first-ever world champion.

This success brought her the Tokyo Sports Women’s Grand Prize (MVP), becoming the first non-STARDOM wrestler to win the award since 2018. Sareee had said in interviews that she was determined to win the same award for a second straight year — something that hasn’t happened since IYO SKY had won it three straight times from 2015 to 2017.

So, her eyes were reset on the IWGP Women’s Championship, and the victory at STARDOM THE CONVERSION brought her one step closer. And with the win, she doubled down, telling Tokyo Sports soon after that she wanted to be in the 5STAR Grand Prix for the first time in her career, planning to run through the tournament and show she was the ace of the women’s pro wrestling world.

Before that could even start, however, Sareee would team with her SPARK RUSH partner Takumi Iroha to take on H.A.T.E.’s Natsuko Tora and World of Stardom Champion, Saya Kamitani at Sareee-ISM Chapter VIII on July 14th — marking a first-time ever collision between two of Joshi’s biggest stars. The match was a spark for so much more, as a feud between Sareee and H.A.T.E. would truly begin after “The Sun God” managed to pin Tora. This led to STARDOM’s top faction attacking after the bell. It was there that the match was made official for July 24th.

Sareee and H.A.T.E. would collide once again. Chi Chi and Miku Kanae joined the IWGP Women’s Champion, while Kamitani brought Konami and Momo Watanabe with her — the same woman that Sareee named as the only interested participant in her 5STAR GP block. Sareee was booed loudly when she arrived at Korakuen Hall, while H.A.T.E., the antagonists of STARDOM, were heavily cheered by the STARDOM faithful. Watanabe was the crowd favorite, as “Momo” chants rang through Korakuen when she fought Sareee.

It was just days later that the next chapter was told, as Sareee stepped into the ring to kick off her 5STAR Grand Prix against Konami. And it was there that Konami stunned Sareee, choking her out in the middle of the ring, a loss that changed the dynamic dramatically. It was Sareee’s first loss since returning to STARDOM, and it was a loss that was celebrated by the STARDOM fans in attendance. Sareee’s shock could be seen in the ring, as she questioned the referee as to what had happened. It’s a loss that has triggered Sareee’s road to redemption.

“To be honest, I have never lost like that,” Sareee told Fightful’s Scott Edwards regarding her reaction to the loss on opening night. “So the first reaction was — I didn’t know what had happened and couldn’t remember. I was angry that I lost like that after I was told, but I do accept my defeat. A loss is a loss. But that loss made me realize and wake myself up.

“I can’t lose anymore, no matter what. It got me more fired up to defeat the STARDOM roster. Pro wrestlers become stronger after being defeated. The heart of a pro wrestler is to keep getting back up, no matter how many times you lose.”

Sareee has gone undefeated since then, managing dominant victories over Ranna Yagami and Hina in her last two tournament matches. Next up for her is a tough test in Suzu Suzuki, but her main focus remains Momo Watanabe — who she will face on August 16th. The loss to Konami has only driven the battle against Watanabe and H.A.T.E. all the more.

“From the beginning, I thought Momo would be the toughest wrestler in this block,” Sareee said. “It made me want to defeat her, who is a member of H.A.T.E., even more.”

In her wins, the boos only continued to be heard anytime Sareee was on the offensive against junior wrestlers Yagami and Hina. The match against Hina was in Hina’s hometown of Tochigi, making for a heated crowd that wanted anything but a Sareee win to take place. The IWGP Women’s Champion fought through the boos, however, and has lived up to her promise of dominance.

Sareee hears the reaction from STARDOM fans, though. It’s difficult not to when watching her compete in the World Wonder Ring. But even so, she is pushing forward with her pro wrestling as well with her fans being the driving force to do so.

“I have great confidence in myself since I train a lot,” Sareee said regarding the reactions she has been receiving. “So it doesn’t matter what people say or think. But I am human, so yes, honestly, it can bother me at times. But that’s not going to keep me down or stop me. I have to believe in myself and my pro wrestling and keep going forward, and to prove it.

“I use that as an energy to fire me up. I can also hear my fans cheering for my name and believing in me, even if everyone seems to be going against me at times. But that really helps me, and I really appreciate my fans. I feel that I need to win, not only for myself, but for them as well. I will continue to try my best.”

Every match moving forward is going into enemy territory for “The Sun God,” but it’s a challenge she welcomes because she believes in herself and the belief from the fans.

Sareee has four matches remaining in her 5STAR Grand Prix run, with Suzu Suzuki coming up this Saturday in KBS Hall. She will then face HANAKO on Monday before her highly anticipated matchup with Momo Watanabe takes place the weekend following. She’ll then finish her tournament off on the final day against Momo Kohgo on August 17th, with the hope of making it into the top three of her block and advancing to the playoffs. Let’s see if STARDOM’s new top antagonist can follow through on her promise — something she’s done time and time again since returning to Japan.

However, that’s not all for Sareee. She will be back in action this Friday at Marvelous’ Korakuen Hall show, as she defends the AAAW Tag Team Championships alongside SPARK RUSH partner Iroha against the reigning Sendai Girls Tag Team Champions, Team 200kg.

The summer is still only heating up for “The Sun God” with so much more on the horizon.

To stay up to date with everything Sareee has going on, make sure to follow her YouTube channel “Sareee Channel.” Make sure also to follow Sareee’s X account to never miss anything going on in her career, as well as the official Sareee-ISM account.

Fans can also check out the exclusive interview Sareee had with Scott back in June prior to winning the IWGP Women’s Champion. The interview features English and Japanese subtitles.