MARIGOLD DREAM STAR GP 2024 Guide & Preview

Dream Star Fighting Marigold will hold the first DREAM STAR GP beginning this Saturday, bringing back the two-block, round-robin system to Joshi.

The tournament is the first in the promotion’s short history and will feature 16 wrestlers — including the Marigold World Champion Sareee. Those 16 wrestlers will be separated into the DREAM League and STARS League as the tournament will take place over an eight-day, nine-show schedule throughout September. With the remainder of the major Japanese tournaments finishing up at the end of August, all eyes will be on the “Golden Gardens.”

Rossy Ogawa has already said that this tournament marks the beginning of Chapter 1 for Marigold, as it will be the first series of shows following the departure of Giulia. With the promotion having started back on May 20th at Marigold Fields Forever, it’s been a whirlwind couple of months headlined by Summer Destiny, all leading to this moment.

The roster is set, the champions have been crowned, and now Marigold will utilize the DREAM STAR GP to showcase to the world what they’re all about — now and for the future. If this tournament is the first time you plan to view Marigold, then you’re in for a treat. It’ll bring forth top-class wrestling with the likes of Sareee, Utami Hayashishita, and MIRAI while you get the chance to witness the future of Joshi grow as Victoria Yuzuki and Kizuna Tanaka (among others) jump into their first round-robin tournament.

16 wrestlers, 2 blocks, 1 winner — checking out this tournament should be well worth your time.

Below is your complete guide to DREAM STAR Grand Prix 2024, featuring each competitor and champion in the blocks, the full schedule, stories to know, favorites, darkhorses, and the essential matches to check out as the tournament begins.

DREAM STAR GP 2024 Leagues

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita
MIRAI
Natsumi Showzuki
Kouki Amarei
Chika Goto
Nagisa Nozaki
Victoria Yuzuki
NØRI (LLPW-X)

DREAM STAR GP 2024 Schedule

August 31 (Day Show)

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/aFGuXK72mv15N2g4SxwMxg

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. Nagisa Nozaki
MIRAI vs. Chika Goto
Kouki Amarei vs. NØRI
Natsumi Showzuki vs. Victoria Yuzuki

STAR League

Nanae Takahashi vs. Mai Sakurai
Miku Aono vs. Misa Matsui
Kizuna Tanaka vs. Bozilla

August 31 (Night Show)

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/nYA5rM5cfPQnorNdLDsuxQ

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. Chika Goto
MIRAI vs. NØRI
Nagisa Nozaki vs. Natsumi Showzuki

STAR League

Miku Aono vs. CHIAKI
Bozilla vs. Misa Matsui

September 8

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. Victoria Yuzuki
Kouki Amarei vs. Natsumi Showzuki
Chika Goto vs. NØRI

STAR League

Miku Aono vs. Bozilla
Nanae Takahashi vs. Misa Matsui
Sareee vs. Mai Sakurai

September 14

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/n25tcykSArxxVb1TVqdxgL

DREAM League

Nagisa Nozaki vs. NØRI
Kouki Amarei vs. Victoria Yuzuki

STAR League

Sareee vs. CHIAKI
Nanae Takahashi vs. Kizuna Tanaka
Mai Sakurai vs. Bozilla

September 16

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/anRsAKcjomWACkAa1QpPbF

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. MIRAI
Natsumi Showzuki vs. NØRI
Chika Goto vs. Victoria Yuzuki

STAR League

Sareee vs. Miku Aono
Nanae Takahashi vs. Bozilla
Mai Sakurai vs. Kizuna Tanaka
Misa Matsui vs. CHIAKI

September 20

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. Natsumi Showzuki
MIRAI vs. Kouki Amarei
Chika Goto vs. Nagisa Nozaki

STAR League

Sareee vs. Misa Matsui
Miku Aono vs. Kizuna Tanaka
CHIAKI vs. Nanae Takahashi

September 21

DREAM League

MIRAI vs. Victoria Yuzuki
Kouki Amarei vs. Nagisa Nozaki

STAR League

Sareee vs. Kizuna Tanaka
Mai Sakurai vs. CHIAKI

September 23

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/fxaAwCcZkMC7FPJz7ChxdG

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. NØRI
Kouki Amarei vs. Chika Goto
MIRAI vs. Natsumi Showzuki
Victoria Yuzuki vs. Nagisa Nozaki

STAR League

Sareee vs. Nanae Takahashi
Mai Sakurai vs. Miku Aono
CHIAKI vs. Bozilla
Kizuna Tanaka vs. Misa Matsui

September 28

Watch: https://www.wrestle-universe.com/en/lives/nFSjtDE8kXc3AB3fr8ncQ

DREAM League

Utami Hayashishita vs. Kouki Amarei
MIRAI vs. Nagisa Nozaki
Natsumi Showzuki vs. Chika Goto
Victoria Yuzuki vs. NØRI

STAR League

Sareee vs. Bozilla
Miku Aono vs. Nanae Takahashi
Mai Sakurai vs. Misa Matsui
Kizuna Tanaka vs. CHIAKI

Final

DREAM League Winner vs. STAR League Winner

MARIGOLD STORIES & NOTES TO KNOW

Sareee, the Marigold World Champion, plans to face Utami Hayashishita in the finals of the DREAM STAR Grand Prix. She has continuously called herself the ace of the promotion despite not being an official roster member. “The Sun God” has called out Hayashishita and MIRAI multiple times, asking them to step up with Giulia now gone from the promotion.
Multiple wrestlers are entering their first-ever round-robin tournament. The likes of Kouki Amarei, Chika Goto, Victoria Yuzuki, CHIAKI, and Kizuna Tanaka are wrestlers looking to make strides in this tournament by gaining experience. For many, this is a tournament of growth in the long term rather than just winning.
Both Sareee and Natsumi Showzuki enter the tournament with undefeated singles records. Sareee is 3-0-0 (9-0-1 overall) while Showzuki has a 5-0-0 singles record.
Victoria Yuzuki and Chika Goto have developed a rivalry, with their lone singles match going to a 15-minute draw. They collide on Sep. 16 at Korakuen Hall.
Nanae Takahashi and Utami Hayashishita are former 5STAR Grand Prix winners. Takahashi won in 2013 and Hayashishita won in 2020.

DREAM STAR GP 2024: FAVORITES & DARKHORSES

FAVORITES

Utami Hayashishita

Utami Hayashishita enters her first DREAM STAR Grand Prix as the most successful tournament wrestler among the 16 competitors. Not only does she have a 5STAR Grand Prix victory to her name (2020) but she has also managed to get to the finals two years prior. Now that she’s in Marigold, she enters as the promotion’s ace. And while she’s been the ace since Day 1, it has become noticeable how little she’s been featured in many stories of the promotion — and especially the title hunt.

When the first Marigold World Champion was crowned, we saw Hayashishita face IYO SKY in a dream match — one where she came up short in the biggest opportunity of her career. But the timing of everything right now makes it easy to believe it’s time she turns that corner with this tournament.

The final image the world saw in Marigold prior to the DREAM STAR was Giulia giving Hayashishita a handshake, a sign of this is Hayashishita’s promotion now — once and for all. Winning the DREAM STAR GP and finally putting her name into the Marigold World Championship conversation feels like the tournament’s most likely outcome.

It’s a matter of when, not if, for the Marigold ace. Sooner than later, she’s going to rise to the top of Marigold and there’s no better chance at accomplishing that than beginning with the first round-robin tournament in company history. The biggest match Marigold has is Hayashishita vs. Sareee — we know that’s coming sooner rather than later. It’s just a matter of when. Winning this tournament will give us a really good idea.

Utami Hayashishita has to be the favorite and is heading into the Grand Prix.

MIRAI

MIRAI and winning tournaments. That’s just what she does.

As a two-time winner of the Cinderella Tournament during her time with STARDOM, MIRAI showed the ability to shine when the pressure was the toughest. And while Utami Hayashishita might be viewed as the ace of Marigold, it’s been MIRAI who has stepped up into those spots seemingly every opportunity she’s had. The United National Championship didn’t go her way but the TwinStar Championships did. And now she enters a setting where she’s got the skills to shine.

The DREAM League is no easy task; she will need to best Hayashishita to get to the finals. But if you’ve watched Marigold since the start, you know that MIRAI is ready to run through the DREAM STAR Grand Prix and win the entire thing.

She’s got the confidence to succeed and the heart to get the job done. Through the power of “soul” and a devastating Lariat, I like her chances if it’s not Hayashishita’s time just yet. Someone besides Hayashishita has to step up with Giulia moving on — that screams MIRAI to me.

Bozilla

The STAR League is filled with big names, beginning with the top two champions of Marigold. But if size “does matter,” then it’s Bozilla who enters the block as the favorite.

Bozilla has felt like an unbeatable force in the promotion. Her only pinfall loss was at Summer Destiny when Miku Aono shocked the world and pinned her. Otherwise, she has run through the Marigold roster and at times looks unstoppable. She will have to overcome the likes of Sareee, Aono, and Nanae Takahashi if she wants to win the league — but Bozilla has become locked in since that United National Title loss.

With a final night matchup against Sareee, it sure feels as though that will be a match that decides everything for the STAR League with Aono and Takahashi facing off in the other key match. There are a lot of great options to win this tournament, but making a star with Bozilla feels right up Marigold’s alley as they look forward to a post-Giulia era.

DARKHORSES

Nanae Takahashi

Nanae Takahashi doesn’t have many of these tournaments left in her career and this very well could be the final one. If that’s the case, why not a “PASSION” winner to take the first-ever DREAM STAR?

Takahashi has stepped into Marigold as a full-time competitor, showing that despite her age, she’s still able to bring the top of her game in any match. Passion Injection matches have become the ultimate test for the Marigold roster, and only Hayashishita and Bozilla have managed to best Takahashi in those matches. She’s already said that she would like to win world championship gold one final time, something she hasn’t done since 2019. And I’d go as far as to say that Takahashi and Sareee are locked into a potential Marigold World Championship — sooner rather than later.

PASSION can bring anyone to the pinnacle. It’s what drives pro wrestlers most of the time. So why doubt the one who screams passion in each and every match she has? She’s a darkhorse in this tournament, but deserves the respect as she tries to shock the world and win the DREAM STAR — 11 years after she won the 5STAR Grand Prix.

Sareee

Many were surprised when Sareee became the inaugural Marigold World Champion. Maybe it was silly to doubt the best wrestler in the world when you truly think about it. So why should anyone doubt her chances of winning the first DREAM STAR GP?

If Sareee had the option, she’d be facing Utami Hayashishita as soon as possible. She wants to know if “The Red Queen” is actually ace material. Sareee has gone as far to say that she expects to see Hayashishita in the finals of this very tournament.

While I don’t believe we will be seeing that match in this tournament, I do believe that it is the biggest match Marigold has moving forward — and it’s one they both want sooner than later. The natural way is for one of them to win the DREAM STAR, and the world champion going through everyone to win and pick her own opponent is so crazy that maybe, just maybe that’s where they decide to go with this in the end.

It’s the least likely option of the five names here, but I’m not one to ever doubt “The Sun God.”

5 MATCHES EVERYONE SHOULD GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO SEE

Miku Aono vs. Bozilla (September 8)

The first match worth going out of your way for is the United National Championship rematch from Summer Destiny 2024. There Miku Aono shocked the world by defeating Bozilla and becoming the inaugural champion. That, of course, came on the back of Aono outlasting MIRAI right before. Now both wrestlers will enter the match fresh and ready to fight. Bozilla is looking for redemption and Aono is trying to prove it was no fluke when she won the gold. These two should kill it in Toyama on September 8th.

Utami Hayashishita vs. MIRAI (September 16)

The top stars of the company face off for the first time. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Utami Hayashishita and MIRAI will be the ones to lead this company forward with Giulia gone from the company — and they’re going to show why it’s in such good hands when they face off at Korakuen Hall. This match could be the ultimate decider in terms of who represents the DREAM League in the final, making it all the more important and exciting when you take that into account.

With how these two have competed since joining the company, this has all the makings to be the best match in the tournament and the best the company has seen to this point. Do not miss this.

Sareee vs. Miku Aono (September 16)

Marigold World Champion vs. United National Champion. Must I say more?

For the first time, the top two champions of the promotion will go head-to-head and it’s going to happen the same night as Utami vs. MIRAI. We’re spoiled.

It’ll be interesting to see who can walk out of this match between Sareee and Miku Aono as the winner. I’d side with Sareee considering her overall dominance in the company (9-0-1), but counting out Aono is something everyone did when it came to the United National Title tournament — and look at her now. These two are going to trade devastating strikes until the end of the match and whoever hits the hardest will win.

But no matter who walks out with the victory and two points, this has everything needed to be the Match of the Tournament.

Sareee vs. Nanae Takahashi (September 23)

Sareee and Nanae Takahashi are on a collision course and it brings us to the second Korakuen Hall show of the tournament.

These two feel destined to battle over the Marigold World Championship, which is why I believe this is Takahashi’s chance to earn the title shot by forcing a draw or even shocking “The Sun God” to get the win. One of these things is going to happen, and the violence the match delivers to get there is going to be wonderful.

That old-fashioned Zenjo style is going to be alive and well between these two on September 23.

Sareee vs. Bozilla (September 28)

Yes, I’ve listed three Sareee matches in a row. And it’s simply because they’re all going to be special. It’s just how she works these days.

The final day in Nagoya will see Sareee and Bozilla collide for the first time ever. These two have serious respect for each other and have the makings to put together something really special — especially with a spot in the finals likely being on the line for both of them.

Considering how different the styles are between these two, Sareee trying everything in her power to chop down and take out Bozilla is going to be a a treat to watch. If there’s a winner in this match, they’re winning the STAR League. It’s going to be well worth checking out when September 28 arrives and could be a look at a future Marigold World Championship match as well.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Miku Aono vs. Misa Matsui (August 31)
MIRAI vs. NØRI (August 31)
Nanae Takahashi vs. Misa Matsui (September 8)
Natsumi Showzuki vs. NØRI (September 16)
Nanae Takahashi vs. Bozilla (September 16)
Chika Goto vs. Victoria Yuzuki (September 16)
Utami Hayashishita vs. Natsumi Showzuki (September 20)
Kouki Amarei vs. Chika Goto (September 23)
MIRAI vs. Natsumi Showzuki (September 23)
Mai Sakurai vs. Miku Aono (September 23)
Utami Hayashishita vs. Kouki Amarei (September 28)
Miku Aono vs. Nanae Takahashi (September 28)

DREAM STAR GP 2024 begins August 30 at 11:30 p.m. EST on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. Here’s a link to follow along on the tournament’s results, updated standings, and more via Dylan Murray: DREAM STAR 2024 Tracker