Victoria Yuzuki has made her ambitions clear since Margiold’s inception: she intends to become the Ace.
In a promotion with the likes of Utami Hayashishita, Mayu Iwatani, and Miku Aono at the top, as well as a group of fellow talented young up-and-comers biting at her heels, being able to stand out as the singular definitive Ace would be no easy feat.
Yet, on the eve of just her second anniversary in pro wrestling, there are few with as bright a future than her, and even fewer who seem to better represent what Marigold is all about. At only 20 years of age, the newly minted United National Champion may very well be the best candidate for Marigold’s Ace.
It’s easy to forget now, but her debut was fairly innocuous. There was no real fanfare surrounding her first match (unlike fellow Young Marigold member Seri Yamaoka) – she simply walked out to the ring against the veteran Momo Watanabe at a NEW BLOOD show looking a little nervous. She seemed like any ordinary rookie before the bell, though by the end of that match it was easy to see that there was more than meets the eye to her. That was confirmed when she beat out the others in her class to win the STARDOM Rookie of the Year Tournament despite only being six weeks into her career.
This is why her decision to leave STARDOM and follow Rossy Ogawa to his new promotion was the most shocking of the five. Having only just debuted, it seemed unbelievable that she would already be willing to leave the stability of the biggest women’s promotion in Japan for an unproven start-up.
Yuzuki didn’t have a next step already planned like Giulia, nor did she have an established track record like Utami and MIRAI in case things went south. She was taking a big risk by immediately leaving the company that trained her– it’s not the kind of move that would be looked on favorably by potential employers if Marigold didn’t work out and she had to find a new home. It was a move even her father may have preferred she didn’t make at the time.
She was betting on Ogawa, but in reality, she was also betting on herself.
Even with the loss of some big names, there was no immediate path forward for Yuzuki in STARDOM. As promising as she was, she was still just a rookie, and there was a pecking order full of others who had been waiting for their turn in the spotlight; it likely would have been a slow climb up the card with the odd chance to shine and progress. Looking at who Yuzuki beat out for the STARDOM Rookie of the Year award and where they are now gives you an approximate idea of where she might be currently if she had stayed. Certainly not a bad position for a wrestler about to finish their second year, but it’s very different to her place right now.
Marigold didn’t have that same luxury in terms of talent depth. At their debut it was a lopsided roster with a couple of established main stars and a lot of inexperienced potential – so anyone who was able to step up would not just be given opportunities but be encouraged to take them. There would be a time when you’d be asked to sink or swim, and if you succeed then the chances would come your way.
Victoria Yuzuki was tested straight away. At Marigold’s first two Korakuen Hall shows she faced off against Nanae Takahashi (her 50th ever match) and Sareee in singles matches. She took a beating in both, but she showed the kind of grit and determination (and passion) you look for in rookies put in that kind of situation.
It was sink or swim, and Yuzuki seemed to relish the deep water. The way she carried herself from the very beginning of Marigold felt so far removed from that nervous debutante stepping out from the NEW BLOOD curtains just a couple of months earlier. She proclaimed her intention to be the Ace of Marigold, started wearing the company colors in her new gear and when selecting numbers chose #1. There was no mixing her message, and it was all delivered with a certain swagger that had manifested from her seemingly out of nowhere.
That first year in Marigold was all about growing as quickly as possible, exposing Yuzuki to a variety of different challenges. She’d get big singles opportunities like competing in the Dream Star and challenging for the Superfly Title but would also get to grow in different team combinations – one where she was clearly learning under Utami Hayashishita and another where she was the more dominant personality in Selene Flora alongside Kizuna Tanaka.
If there was a criticism levied at Victoria Yuzuki during this time, it was that she could be a bit inconsistent. She would try to work a bit too quickly or perform moves beyond her current abilities, leading to some mistakes through experimentation. It wasn’t always pretty, but it came with the territory of someone who was trying to find the boundaries of their athleticism.
It seemed to fall in line with the type of personality who would leave a stable job a month or two into their career for something that hadn’t even started yet.
‘Intuition’ is what she called it. Despite it not seeming like the smart option she trusted her gut, which seems to be something that follows her to the ring. She’s willing to put her body on the line every time she steps between the ropes and has never met a move she’s not willing to try twice, because the first time might not be proof it can’t be done.
That same devil-may-care attitude has ultimately served her well, because after some initial growing pains Yuzuki began to tighten up her game. The mistakes became far less frequent and the hits far more reliable. Not long after her first anniversary she won the Superfly Championship, overcoming Natsumi Showzuki and earning a tangible reward for her growth as well as taking her first real step towards claiming the real title she was after: that of being the Ace.
It wouldn’t be long until another potential Ace would reveal themselves. Of the five that initially left for Marigold, it always felt like there was meant to be a sixth. Mayu Iwatani’s frustration during her final year in STARDOM wasn’t always particularly secretive as her uniquely longer contract played out, but once May of 2025 started so too did her time in Marigold.
Of all the challengers to Yuzuki’s claim for the Ace throne, nobody feels like more of a personal hurdle than Mayu. The Icon was her trainer and the person who inspired her to actually get in the ring and wrestle after seeing her perform. Iwatani’s arrival essentially put the rest of the roster on notice entering the promotion’s second year, and nobody was more ready to see how they stacked up.
It’s not hard to make comparisons between Mayu Iwatani and Victoria Yuzuki. The youngster herself isn’t afraid to acknowledge the similarity in their move sets, though she claims it wasn’t out of any attempt to imitate her mentor but rather just because they share an affinity for the same types of moves. But even beyond how they wrestle there are similarities in how they carry themselves outside of the ring too which makes it easy to see her as an heiress apparent to The Icon.
The scary thing is that when you consider their similarities and then compare where Yuzuki is to Mayu in the early parts of their respective careers. For as incredible a performer as Mayu Iwatani became, she was a slow starter. It took her a few years to find her footing and her confidence in the ring. That’s not been an issue for Yuzuki, she hit the ground running and has made large strides early. Mistakes that might have shaken Mayu early on don’t seem to deter Victoria, they only seem to spur her to find a way around it. That’s the kind of attitude and early growth you expect from a future Ace.
While The Icon of Joshi Puroresu made sure to remind her protege who was still the top dog at Shine Forever and claim the Superfly Title in fairly comfortable fashion (it’s worth noting Yuzuki named Mayu as her next challenger, again seeking out the toughest challenge possible in her quest to be the best) when it came time for them to face off again a few months later, things wouldn’t be so cut and dry.
They would meet again four months later on the final day of the Dream Star Grand Prix with a spot in the final at stake, but this Yuzuki felt far stronger than the one Iwatani was able to overwhelm at Yoyogi National Gymnasium. Mayu shot out of a cannon and tried to end it quickly, but Yuzuki endured the sudden onslaught and then returned fire back just as fast, managing to keep pace with Iwatani, counter her at key moments and even ground her with submissions.
Four months might not seem like a long enough time for such growth and drastic change, but for context: that’s a sixth of her entire career. She’s consistently been making those kinds of leaps over similar periods of time, it’s just hard to grasp because ever since she entered Marigold, she’s carried herself beyond her own experience level even while still being presented as a part of the Young Marigold program.
Four months after being handled comfortably by her mentor, she wrestled Mayu to a draw, and not one of survival but instead one where Iwatani arguably got saved by the bell. Still, it was Yuzuki who advanced on points. And while exhaustion from such an intense 15-minute match contributed to her falling short in the Grand Prix Final against Miku Aono, the whole tournament served as a showcase that Victoria Yuzuki had well and truly arrived with an MVP level performance over the two months of action.
All that was left was to ride that momentum to one big moment. She had failed in setting herself up for a Marigold World Championship match, but perhaps she could still challenge for the United National Championship…
Her match against Mai Sakurai at Ryogoku Sumo Hall was the perfect final test as she came to her second year of pro wrestling and yearned for a top championship. If she wanted to stand amidst the best in the company, she would have to crawl through hell to get there. Sakurai came at her hard from the opening bell, launching her through the audience chairs and dropping her with a tombstone piledriver on the outside, forcing her to dig deep just to stay in the match after the opening few minutes.
The match challenged her resolve, surviving an early onslaught and bleeding from the mouth for much of the match. The match challenged her ability to wrestle at a different pace, as Mai looked to slow down the former Superfly Champion and one of the quickest wrestlers on the roster. The match challenged Yuzuki to pull out everything in her arsenal; from suplexes and slams to strikes and submissions – as well as a healthy dose of high flying spectacle. It all culminated in the debut of a new finishing move, a top rope variant of her ‘Victory Shooting’ (aka a Spiral Tap) which she used to finally quell the reign of Mai Sakurai and claim the United National Championship in the biggest moment of her career.
As the night closed out and everyone stood in the middle of the ring, on a night where IYO SKY and Mayu Iwatani reunited after seven years and Miku Aono won the World Title, it was Victoria Yuzuki who was given the microphone to send the crowd home. At just 20 years of age, just shy of two years into her career, there she was standing in the middle of Ryogoku Hall thanking the promotion’s biggest ever crowd while holding onto her newly won White Belt.
Sure, she stumbled over the words a bit, but that’s just her. That’s part of her charm. There’s an earnestness to Yuzuki where you know she’s not hiding anything. Is she the smartest person in the room? No. Is she going to make a fool out of herself every now and then? Yes. But she’s not going to hide that side of herself. She is who she is. Behind all that is an authentic hard worker with a fiery passion that comes across in her matches. That’s why she connects with fans and why they’ve rallied behind her already.
It’s the same reason why she was able to bet on herself, leaving the security of STARDOM for the wild card that was Marigold. Once there, she’s always made the choice to push herself harder and take risks. Trust her intuition.
It’s the kind of boldness that’s needed from a 20-year-old who has already called her shot of becoming the Ace. Importantly, it’s not just her who believes she can get there.
In an interview with Encount, then Marigold World Champion Utami Hayashishita had this to say:
“Yuzuki is so good that it wouldn’t be a surprise if she became Marigold’s Ace at any time. In her free time, she’s always watching pro wrestling videos and thinking about pro wrestling, and I think that since she won the (Superfly) belt, she has become aware of her role as a champion. Until then, it seemed like she was working hard as the leader of the younger group, but now (even after losing the belt) she is working hard to take the lead of Marigold, and although she is young, her growth is remarkable.”
If there is anyone who understands what it takes to withstand the pressure as a young top star in wrestling, it’s Utami Hayashishita. The same woman Yuzuki currently sees as the Ace.
Likewise there is Mayu, who has praised her for being a hard-working genius when it comes to wrestling. It seems like no coincidence that both veterans have paid notice to her effort.
Then there is Rossy Ogawa, who has consistently put her in positions early in her career where she can flourish. As a booker he has never shied away from pushing young wrestlers who he sees potential in as long as they can handle the pressure, and Yuzuki has seemingly taken on every challenge he’s thrown at her head on.
Two years into her career, 20 years of age and Victoria Yuzuki has already put her name forward as the Ace of Marigold. In a promotion that continues to rapidly evolve as new wrestlers find what makes them special, it feels like Yuzuki is constantly at the forefront of that progression. The bold, devil-may-care performer has followed her intuition to the head of the line.
If she keeps growing like she has, on the eve of her third anniversary there may be no doubt about whether she’s the Ace.
RESURA 