Marigold First Dream 2025

By: Jeff Brown

Photos: Masahiro Kubota

Marigold had their first big show of 2025 at Ota Ward Gymnasium; all the titles were on the line, and legends Nene and Meiko had made a stop on their road to retirement. Utami challenged Sareee in one of the most anticipated matches in the company’s history; Miku and Mae rekindled an ongoing rivalry, and Nagisa and CHIAKI took on two giants, Bozilla and Tank. Newer talent was in action in the rumble and in tag matches. Marigold is set to leave a mark in 2025, and it began at First Dream 2025.

Marigold New Year Dream Rumble

It was a high-energy opening match, and they made good use of both Flying Penguin and Marigold’s own singer, Naho Yamada, by having them do their full entrances as the first and second entrants. There were some clever Ice Ribbon callbacks, and old AWG stablemates Misa Matsui and Naho even teamed up at times. Hanazono was bubble-filled chaos, as expected. NightShade had some good monster spots, and Hummingbird did some neat lucha. Yuuki Mashiro won the Rumble when she eliminated Yuuki Minami. The full list of participants was: Naho Yamada, Flying Penguin, Rea Seto, Misa Matsui, Hummingbird, Ryoko Sakimura, Yuuki Minami, Nagisa Tachibana, Yuuki Mashiro, Hamuko Hoshi, Riara, NightShade, and Momoka Hanazono.

MIRAI vs. Seri Yamaoka

The debut of Seri Yamoaka, and she was promoted as a super rookie. It was about the established star in MIRAI being a test for Seri, which is a good spot for MIRAI now that she is without the tag titles. The pace was deliberate with lots of mat work and submission attempts. Very UWF/shoot style and stood out very much from the rest of the card. Initially this went to a 15-minute draw, but Seri advocated for more time and got it. This mirrored MIRAI’s run of matches with Miku early in the year. She stayed in the fight during overtime and had a spirited performance. MIRAI got the upper hand and put her down with a lariat. A strong debut, and it contains plenty of highlights for future video packages. 

Natsumi Showzuki vs. Victoria Yuzuki-Superfly Championship

Victoria has been hunting for the belt, and Natsumi has been the veteran obstacle. Natsumi always shines, and tonight was no different. It was nearly 15 minutes with Natsumi dominating early with action on the floor. Victoria hit three successive moonsaults off each turnbuckle to get the victory and become the new Superfly Champion. Mashiro walked out and challenged Victoria to a future title match.

Nagisa Nozaki & CHIAKI (Dark Wolf Army) vs. Bozilla & Tank -TwinStar Championship

The champs were at a disadvantage heading into the bout, and even with their underhanded ways, they were pretty soundly beaten by the two monsters in Bozilla and Tank (Bulldozer Todoroki formerly of AWG, was there manager. It was Tank’s Marigold debut, and she looked mean and just beat up her opponents, as is fitting of a first appearance. A very short match that was only about seven minutes after Tank and Bozilla hit finishers.

Meiko Satomura and Yuna vs. Nanae Takahashi and Nao Ishikawa (The Passion Sisters)

Two legends who each have retirements on the horizon, with two younger protégé’ types as tag partners. Ishikawa went right after Yuna, who has gotten good very fast and also has loads of charisma to build off. In regards to the two veterans, nothing else needs to be said. Two highly influential careers that speak for themselves, and they stood toe to toe, striking one another to the delight of the crowd. Matches like this are when talent can turn back the clock and take the audience on a wild ride. Not merely nostalgia, both Meiko and Nene can still flat-out go in the ring. Yuna got back in the ring and showed Nene some aggression before enduring a beating until Nene hit a fisherman buster for the victory.

Kouki Amarei vs. Chika Goto-GHC Women’s Championship

Gochika had a makeover with new hair and brightly colored gear. She continues to improve, and that is nice to see, considering how unsure she was about wrestling when she debuted in AWG at Korakuen Hall. Kouki has been marked as a future ace and definitely has the tools to get there; she has the GHC Women’s title, and that’s a big step forward. This was very basic and actually minimalist in actual moves executed. Gochika was doing body slams, and that works for someone her size on the roster. Kouki won with the splash, and this match was a bit short. Kouki may have suffered a leg injury, but it was also a packed card, so either way, it’s understandable. 

Miku Aono vs. Mai Sakurai-United National Championship

In title defenses, Miku is always evolving and adding new moves to her repertoire, and tonight was no different. Mai has a history with Miku that goes back to the old system of AWG and has been gunning for Miku and the title for a while. Each wrestler hit everything they had to try and win this match. It was the longest match on the card and was closing in on 30 minutes. Miku added in a cloverleaf giant swing and a second-rope Styles Clash, but Mai would not go down and was the rare opponent that could withstand the brute force of Miku’s title matches. Mai did a dive to the floor and kept attempting her STF. Mai even kicked out at one after a Rainmaker and Styles Clash combo that caused gasps from the crowd. Mai locked in the STF in the middle of the ring, and Miku was forced to tap out. Mai ended the nearly six-month reign of the inaugural UN champion. One of Mai’s best matches and well worth seeking out.

Sareee vs. Utami Hayashishita-Marigold World Championship

A big main event with a big-fight atmosphere, and it absolutely delivered on all fronts. Early on, Utami tried a dropkick off the apron, and Sareee dodged it, answering with a foot stomp off the apron. That set the pace and informed everyone that these two were going for an epic title war. Utami had fire, the same fire that helped her dominate STARDOM and get the world’s attention. Sareee may be the best wrestler in the entire world, and today was a great argument for that. Sareee cracked Utami with one of the loudest forearms you will ever hear in a match. The final stretch saw each kicking out of everything each other had to offer, and Utami gets a spinning crucifix bomb to pin Sareee and win the World Championship. She celebrated alongside Victoria and Mai with confetti to end the show.

During the press conference, Tank confronted Utami and demanded a title shot.

In the company’s first year, roughly seven and ½ months, they have had some exciting signings, new trainees, and strong guests. While they may not have Giulia anymore, Marigold always delivers on big shows, and this was no exception. What this company will ultimately look like when May rolls around is anyone’s guess. They do have a really loaded undercard that is full of potential and could mean a booming run down the road. Meanwhile, Utami on top felt like the right time, and she can be counted on to provide top-level wrestling in the main events. 2025 is going to be wide open for all of joshi, and Marigold could very well be shaping the scene. A really nicely paced show, and the final matches in particular are a must-see.