I know I’m a bit later than usual on this one, but welcome back for another edition of the Joshi Wrestler Index where this time we’ll be covering probably the biggest star and most people’s choice for Marigold’s “Ace” Utami Hayashishita. Obviously, so far I’ve done my best to try to pick some of the best talents on the joshi wrestling scene, but at the same time I didn’t want to just pick every single wrestler who’d be at the top of their class. I felt like it would be important to mix it up a bit, so that people could see the differences between one great wrestler and another at least when it comes to the way people rate them. Utami was right up towards the top of STARDOM for quite some time, and now that she’s taken on a new challenge of building a new promotion, I wonder how people perceive her compared to how they saw her a year or two ago.
When Utami debuted in 2018, she was quickly looked at by many in the industry as a super rookie, which is a term you might have heard a few times when reading about, or listening to anything that talks about Marigold. She already had a little bit of fame being one of the daughters of “Big Daddy” from Amami who gained notoriety from a reality show where he raised his eight kids as a single father. I’m sure people who watched that show had no idea that Utami would end up becoming such a big star in the pro wrestling world, but her appearance on that show definitely had to help give her a little extra fame going in at least. Utami was also known for being a really good judoka as she grew up, and she no doubt used the power gained from it, along with the confidence that doing a martial art can give you to really make a splash right away.
One of the signs that she was destined for greatness is that she actually won her first championship title in STARDOM only three months into her pro wrestling career, something that you don’t see every day. She was also pretty aggressively pushed as a focal point of the company even though many still saw her as a rookie. Hell, between 2019 and 2020 she held the SWA Undisputed championship, the Artist of Stardom championship and Future of Stardom championship all at the same time. She was quite the belt collector to say the least.
What she was probably most known for was her long World of Stardom Championship reign that went from November of 2020 all the way to December of 2021 where she defended the title nine times in some of the best matches that STARDOM had to offer at the time. There were very few in the industry that were more impressive than she was at that time in her career, but now that she’s moved onto to a more golden field, she’s gotten off to a little bit of a slower start than expected.
While she’s definitely been protected when it comes to her booking, I feel like a lot of people still expect a bit more from her now that she’s the leader of a new promotion that was seen to be a possible adversary to the big dogs known as STARDOM. She currently holds the Marigold World Championship, and she’s been pretty good at marketing the company the way an “Ace” should, but she hasn’t quite caught that same magic that she had a few years back. With all of that said, let’s get to her ratings, and you can see for yourself how people currently view her, compared to how they might have before.
A wrestler’s ability to use power related moves and how well they are known for using their power inside of the ring.
My Rating: 9.5
If you asked most fans who watch a lot of joshi pro wrestling who some of the best power wrestlers were there’s no doubt that Utami would be a name that they’d mention. Utami’s power game is excellent, but not quite good enough for me to give her the full ten rating because I do think that there are a couple of wrestlers who might be a slight tier above her when it comes to being a power wrestler. Her use of the “BT Bomb” and the “Torture Rack Bomb” both show off her strength well, plus she’s been known to lift quite a few wrestlers that people wouldn’t expect. I do think that there’s room to grow for Utami in the power game, and I believe that in a few more years, she might take that next step that gets her to that highest level.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9
“Utami is one of the strongest Joshi wrestlers. She uses her series of lariats and shoulder tackles to set up her High Jack Bomb”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 9.5
“A fierce powerhouse, capable of punishing wrestlers with a variety of suplexes, a brutal Argentine Backbreaker or BT Bomb.“
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 9
“The image of her suplexing Viper lives rent free in my head.”
@ Jferimsw on X
OVERALL POWER RATING: 9.06
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to do throws and suplexes as well as their ability to do their moves cleanly without messing up.
My Rating: 9.5
The technical skill is one that is broken down into two parts, and Utami is very good at both of those parts. Not only does she do her moves cleanly, but she’s also very well versed in many suplex variations, with the “German Suplex” being her specialty. There’s no doubt that Utami’s strong judo base has helped mold her style to what it is today, and it has definitely helped her become one of the best technical wrestlers with the definition at which we rate them. Once again while I do think she’s great, there are a few wrestlers who I’d probably put above her in this category, which is why she’s not getting that full ten rating.
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 9
“A technical master. If anyone needs proof: watch her incredible battles with Syuri.“
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Pep’s Rating: 9.5
No comment given.
@ Peps_Wrestling on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 8
“Utami has great technique. She can break (someone) down by body part to set towards her power game”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL TECHNICAL RATING: 8.43
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to perform at a high speed as well as their ability to perform high flying moves.
My Rating: 6.5
So I know that this rating looks quite low, but in all honesty I think it fits. Utami is not a high speed wrestler by any means, she’s also not a high-risk wrestler when it comes to jumping off of the top rope all that much. She can work a somewhat quick style when she’s in there with someone who’s smaller and quick, but I wouldn’t say she excels at it. While Utami did use a bit of a quicker style against Bozilla since she was so much smaller than her, a lot of wrestlers don’t out power Utami, so I think we don’t really get to see what Utami’s true potential is when it comes to her agility rating. This rating could definitely go up in the future.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 7
“Utami is deceptively agile. She doesn’t show that side of her game as much, but when needed she can take to the sky.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
FAR5222’s Rating: 6
No comment given.
@ FAR5222 on X
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 8
“Not Utami’s strongest ability, but for a big, strong athlete, she’s surprisingly fast on her feet.“
Check Out His Work On RESURA
OVERALL AGILITY RATING: 6.95
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use submissions and chain wrestling as realistic looking offense.
My Rating: 8.5
This rating I really had to think about, because Utami has shown over the years that she is not only quite good at chain wrestling to start off a match, but she’s also quite well versed in submissions. Once again, I do believe that Utami’s judo background has helped her develop her game to use submissions effectively when she needs to in a match, but I wouldn’t say that she’s a submission specialist by any means. The main submission she uses is a “Sleeper Hold,” which isn’t all that fancy, but she’s been known to be especially good at finishing matches with it when she really gets it locked in.
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 8.5
“Her suplexes were a big part of her move-set since the beginning.”
@ Jferimsw on X
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 9.5
“Great execution, incredible array of holds and counter-holds, which, combined with her amazing strength, can take anyone down. Whether you’re stronger, faster or hard hitting, Utami can take you down without breaking a sweat.”
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Matt Turner’s Rating: 8
“Utami submission / grappling game is second to none. With her background in Judo and submission wrestling, it’s a very useful part of her offensive arsenal”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL GRAPPLING RATING: 8.04
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use strikes effectively as a realistic part of their offense.
My Rating: 8
Utami has some really hard strikes, but when it comes to wrestlers that most would call “strike based” I don’t think Utami would be mentioned. Her main weapons are her hard forearm shots and the big clothesline that she can use to take down opponents of every size. While both strikes are impressive, they aren’t quite top tier enough to raise her rating above an eight. I think if she uses some running kicks to go along with her hard clothesline, the rating could definitely grow, and I do believe that she’ll continue to improve as time goes on considering the fact that she’s still only 26 years old.
Matt Turner’s Rating: 8.5
“Utami’s explosive strikes would make King Kong run. Her forearms, shoulder tackles and lariat can drop the strongest of wrestlers.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
PlugPedro’s Rating: 8
No comment given.
@ plugpedro99 on X
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 8.5
“Utami hits hard, but she is so skilled, she doesn’t really have to depend on it.”
Check Out His Work On RESURA
OVERALL STRIKING RATING: 8.13
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s ability to use good psychology in their matches to make them make sense and tell a story.
My Rating: 9
When it comes to putting together an exciting match, Utami is very good at it, especially if the match is going to be a long one that has an epic feel to it. To me, Utami is kind of like Kazuchika Okada. Hold on, put the pitchforks away, and let me explain. Utami can have good matches that are under 20 minutes, but I feel she excels in matches that are longer than that. She seems to prefer a bit of a slow build, and is good at bringing the match to a good climax after that slow build. In STARDOM, there were quite a few examples of Utami Hayashishita epics, and while I do think she’s going to have some in Marigold as well, I don’t think she has the right talent around her at the moment to really tell those beautiful stories that she wants to tell. Hopefully, in time, the roster will grow to allow her to do so, but until then she’ll be expected to tell shorter stories through her matches, which is something I do think she can improve on a bit.
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 9
“Watch her battles with Saya Kamitani, IYO SKY or Syuri and you see how great she is at telling a match story and keeping the crowd invested.”
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Jeff Brown’s Rating: 8
No comment given.
@ JeffBrown1982 on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9
“Utami’s game plan to win matches clearly works for her as she’s been on top of her respective companies since 2018.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL PSYCHOLOGY RATING: 8.79
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s looks when it comes to marketability. This includes both their physical look as well as their wrestling attire.
My Rating: 10
“When it comes to pulling off the regal look, there are very few better at it than Utami Hayashishita. Utami’s look wasn’t the best when she was a super rookie back in STARDOM, but as soon as things switched up, and she started to wear more intricate gear, still with the bright red color we’ve come to know from her, her aura started rising up until the point it is at today. Utami looks like a superstar who could be right in the front of any poster you’d put up to try to sell your show, and that’s truly all you can ask for when it comes to having “the look.” The Queen’s Quest-like mask is also a nice touch for her big matches in Marigold, something that had always added to her look while she was in STARDOM.”
Matt Turner’s Rating: 9
“Utami’s look is unique and sets her apart from everyone else on the Marigold roster, from her entrance robe to her gear. She is truly one of a kind.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 10
“Not just good looking. But looks, walks, talks and wrestles like a true mega-star.”
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Fernando Ibarra’s Rating: 10
“Red Queen, anyone?”
@ Jferimsw on X
OVERALL LOOKS RATING: 9.71
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
A wrestler’s natural star power when it comes to marketability. It also includes their ability to talk on the mic and charisma shown.
My Rating: 10
When it comes to what people consider star power, one of the main things that would be considered would be the person’s “aura.” Utami looks like a million bucks, and truly has that star power that you simply can’t teach. Her ability to talk on the microphone is also very good, which is important for marketability, especially if you’re going to be an “Ace” of a promotion. Ultimately, Utami has that intangible star power that is special, and one that is not rivaled by many in the joshi wrestling scene. It’s why she was a good choice to become the Marigold “Ace,” even though there are times where she seems a little bored with what she has to do on the house shows.
Dave Coumans’ Rating: 10
“One of the best in the business right now.”
Check Out His Work On RESURA
Ryan Dilbert’s Rating: 9.5
No comment given.
@ ryandilbert on X
Matt Turner’s Rating: 10
“Utami is one of one. There is no one like her. Not just in Japan but in all of wrestling. When she’s walks into a room, you know you’re in the presence of a Star.”
@ MattTurnerOF on X
OVERALL STAR POWER RATING: 9.48
Based On: 9 Creators & 12 “Crowd” Entries
As you can see if you look at the data provided above, that Utami is a pretty well rounded wrestler who has quite a few high ratings in multiple categories. She’s strong, hard-hitting, technical and she has those intangibles that a lot of people point out in superstar wrestlers. As always, I leave a spot open at the end of the form for the wonderful “crowd” members to add any words they may want to share with their ratings, and this is what one person had to say…
“Utami hasn’t been the same since returning from her injury in late 2023. For the most part, she seems to just be going through the motions. She is still a great wrestler, but isn’t hitting the same level as she was in STARDOM.”
If a wrestler were to get a ten rating in all eight categories, that would give them a total score of 80. Out of all of the content creators that took part in this edition of the JWI, Pep’s was actually the highest on Utami, giving her a total score of 75.5! The lowest on Utami was FAR5222 who only rated her a 62! As you can see that’s a pretty big swing to say the least. My personal score when you add it all up was a 71, so I’m basically in the middle. With that said, let’s get to the graphic as always!
So far out of the five wrestlers we’ve covered her on the Joshi Wrestling Index, Utami Hayashishita’s score of 8.57 puts her in second place behind Sareee, which is pretty impressive to say the least. As you can see, the agility rating was Utami’s weak point in most people’s eyes, but it wasn’t terrible. The three bottom categories, Psychology, Looks, and Star Power did quite a bit of heavy lifting as well, which shows how marketable someone like Utami can be. All in all, Utami has a high rating right now, but she’s still pretty young, so maybe if this series is still going three to five years from now, we’ll have to revisit her and see where she compares to what she was today. After all, that type of stuff is fun to think about isn’t it?
JOSHI WRESTLER INDEX OVERALL RANKINGS
- Sareee – Freelancer: 8.79
- Utami Hayashishita – Marigold: 8.57
- Momo Watanabe – STARDOM: 8.29
- DASH Chisako – Sendai Girls: 8.05
- Suzume – TJPW: 7.33
Just like every time before, I’d like to take this opportunity to not only thank the wonderful content creators who submitted their ratings for Utami Hayashishita, but also thank the wonderful community members in the crowd who submitted ratings as well! Without all of you, projects like this wouldn’t be possible. At the end of the day, all of us should work together to bring more eyes to the joshi pro wrestling product, so that we can help show the masses why joshi pro wrestling is the best wrestling in the world! Check out the content creators below by clicking the links. See you next time!
FAR5222 – PlugPedro99 – Ryan Dilbert – Peps_Wrestling – Fernando Ibarra – Matt Turner – Jeff Brown – Dave Coumans – Myself
Next Wrestler Being Rated: Ryo Mizunami
RESURA 