A Savior Cometh for Marigold's First Anniversary

Yes, I know it’s me, the one who reviews STARDOM. And yes, I will be talking about Dream Star Fighting Marigold and their recent Iconic acquisition. Since I’ll most likely be doing a review of the upcoming Glorious Celebration event at Yoyogi I figured I might as well put something out there instead of just diving in cold so I decided to focus on the May 4 Korakuen Hall show which was the last big-time event before Yoyogi and more importantly, the debut of Mayu Iwatani.

NOT ALWAYS SHINING FOREVER

2024 was a year of upheaval for Joshi fans like me. Not only did STARDOM fire founder and long-time booker Rossy Ogawa but he was soon followed out the door by upper card talents like Giulia, Nanae Takahashi, Utami Hayashishita, and MIRAI as well as top prospect Yuzuki. The group who left would go on to form Marigold along with former DDM and Cosmic Angels member Mai Sakurai, former Ice Ribbon wrestler Nao Ishikawa, and at the last minute an exodus group from Actwres girl’Z of Miku Aono, Nastumi Showzuki (former STARDOM wrestler who retired for a while), CHIAKI, Misa Matsui, Chika Goto, and KOUKI.

Eventually joined by a foreign group of Bozilla, Zayda Steel, and Myla Grace as well as freelance veterans Sareee and Nagisa Nozaki, Marigold ran its first event in May of 2024 and made a statement. The show felt like a pretty big shift in the landscape with a pretty sizeable crowd enjoying a show that had its ups and downs but ultimately showcased a lot of potential with the main event scene especially looking like a shining light for the company when Sareee/Bozilla vs Utami/Giulia overdelivered on all expectations.

In the year since, things have been a bit of a rollercoaster. While Marigold has brought some good like Sareee as world champion, Nanae Takahashi leaving it all on the line in her last ever year as a wrestler, the dream match between Io Shirai and Utami Hayashishita, Bozilla’s surprise breakout, MIRAI somehow finding another level to her already great skills, and a whole host of excellent matches, it hasn’t always been great. A raw undercard filled with rookies or talents in desperate need of reps, Giulia’s injury and early call-up by WWE, injuries, poor booking, and at times the misuse of talented and popular wrestlers like Nao Ishikawa, Naho Yamada, and Miku Aono left things feeling a little…underwhelming? I could write an essay on how rushed, unemotional, and flat Utami’s chase to the title felt and how it ultimately has left Hayashishita in an awkward spot as this supposed leading figure who doesn’t emote, doesn’t have much storytelling chops, and has been firmly outmatched by a resurgent MIRAI.

It was a good promotion for those who paid attention and invested in Marigold. An easy watch with short shows, a light schedule, and more ambition than some of its competitors, but it firmly failed to grab people by the neck and force them to pay attention, either due to poor booking or cards that were let down by depth problems.

AN UNDERWHELMING FIRST DREAM

In my eyes, this all culminated earlier this year at Marigold First Dream at Ota Ward. A show that failed to really make the statement I think it was supposed to. I mean, looking back, Rossy Ogawa used that show to belt up Hayashishita, Mai Sakurai, Victoria Yuzuki, AND to debut his much-hyped super rookie Seri Yamaoka. That event was quite obviously meant to signify a real start for the promotion after an injury-hit few months and a number of picots due to Giulia’s unexpected absence.

The show failed for a few reasons, the Twin Star stuff where a heel team squashed another heel team in a bad match didn’t help, Utami beating Sareee was a great match but lacked the real emotional resonance they wanted, Kouki and Chika didn’t click before Kouki blew her ACL at the finish, and there were a few other small issues that detracted from the event. Don’t get me wrong, First Dream was a good show with good matches, but it failed to really make the statement that Marigold NEEDED it to make after STARDOM’s massive success at Sumo Hall and a TJPW Ittenyon that left their fanbase salivating for more.

Since then, I think MG has mostly been trading water. Yes, it has it’s fans who watch regularly like me and a few others I know but it never really broke through to the fringes and made people take notice. Which is why, a recent acquisition might just change the game.

THE ICON OF WOMEN’S WRESTLING

Mayu Iwatani is moved to tears while making her entrance for the first time for Marigold.#pw_mg pic.twitter.com/mcidQMWheG
— meraWRESTLING (@meraWRESTLING) May 4, 2025

In a year that’s already tested the hearts of Joshi fans with the retirements of Tam Nakano and Meiko Satomura (and the impending one of Nanae Takahashi), there was still one more bombshell to come. Mayu Iwatani left STARDOM—it is the Joshi equivalent of Sting leaving TNA. The heart and soul of the group announced her departure one day after Yokohama Arena and pretty swiftly joined Marigold.

And listen, I’m not going to bullshit you. STARDOM isn’t suddenly going to fall apart without Iwatani, Marigold isn’t suddenly going to start selling out every Korakuen Hall show, or draw 5,000+ at some big venue. That’s not what this is about at all.

What Mayu Iwatani does offer is a game changer, a floor-raiser, a potential top-10 women’s wrestler of all time who gets to add to her already incredibly legacy by becoming the main character of a burgeoning promotion with a whole host of fresh matches to be had with the likes of Miku Aono, a renewed MIRAI, the aforementioned Yuzuki, the super rookie Seri Yamaoka, and many more.

More than that though, Mayu Iwatani is going to force this roster full of raw potential into being the best it can be. There are very public stories of her telling Mina Shirakawa and Unagi Sayaka to their faces that they aren’t good enough. She has ALREADY called out the roster for not having “good enough techniques” due to their inexperience or greenness. This is one of the most respected wrestlers of a generation and she will force the talent to either step up or get the hell out of the ring, and that is almost more important than any match she could have.

After their match, Nanae Takahashi cut an emotional promo and referred to Iwatani as an angel. She stated that she had been worried about the promotion with her impending retirement before publicly handing the reins as the company’s standard bearer to Mayu Iwatani. It was a literal and figurative passing of the torch as Marigold and Nanee gained a saviour.

Something that stuck out to me in her debut press conference was Mayu saying that Marigold needed her. STARDOM didn’t. I think she more than anyone saw the infrastructure STARDOM has and the guaranteed success it will attain with Saya Kamitani, Hanan, Starlight Kid and others at the helm. But Marigold has no such thing; it needed an ace, it needed a quarterback, it needed an icon, and now it has her.

Mayu Iwatani: “I want to make Marigold the best promotion in the world with my own hands, or rather, with everyone's hands.”#pw_mg pic.twitter.com/NQTrjrxCHK
— meraWRESTLING (@meraWRESTLING) May 4, 2025

A GLORIOUS CELEBRATION

So where does that leave us? Well, with a big show on the horizon and a little recommendation from me. The Marigold Korakuen Hall show on May 4 featured Iwatani’s debut against Nanae in a long-awaited rematch between two excellent wrestlers. And while the rest of the card isn’t going to set the world ablaze I’d implore you to watch the entire thing because the impact of the Icon is already being felt throughout the card.

There was a noticeable fluidity and energy to everything on the undercard even from the greener rookies, Mai Sakurai and Misa Matsui went out there to steal the show, Miku Aono and Kizuna Tanaka went out there to steal the show, MIRAI/Seri vs Utami/Yuzuki was an excellent look at what Marigold offers. But more than anything, the Korakuen set up just about everything you’ll need to know before this month’s big Marigold PPV.

Marigold’s Glorious Celebration event will be another chance to make the big statement they’ve been needing and this time they’ll have the Icon of Women’s Wrestling to help. By watching her debut at Korakuen, you’ll see everything you need to see for four major matches on that card as Nanae, Aono, Yuzuki, Iwatani, MIRAI, Utami, Kouki Amarei, and Chika Goto all set up their matches for the big show. And you’ll be treated to an instant classic from Iwatani and Takahashi in the main event or your troubles. (here I’ll even try and convince you all it’s worth a watch, check THIS OUT)

As Marigold turns one, it’s a promotion that could be at a turning point. Their young roster of potential wrestlers has slowly but steadily shown improvement. The working standard is much higher than it was even five months ago, and their main event core of Iwatani, MIRAI, Hayashishita, and Aono is almost as good as any in women’s wrestling.