It’s summer in Japan which can only mean one thing: tournament season for all of your favorite pro wrestling promotions! Margiold’s Dream Star Grand Prix runs for its third year as it looks to crown the company’s strongest joshi through a grueling round robin format, but this year the tournament is bigger than ever! There are more wrestlers, more blocks and even more questions as to who will stand tall on the final night.
24 competitors are separated into four leagues, and over the following month they’ll fight to score the most points in their group – with two wrestlers from each with the most points advancing to the playoffs. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw with a time limit of 15 minutes (barring the Final) means every wrestler needs to be on the top of their game because even one off night could mean the difference between glory and misery. The winner is not only crowned the champion of the Dream Star GP – a mighty honor in of itself – but will go on to get a shot at the Marigold World Championship at a later date.
Although both the Dream Star GP and Marigold itself are still relatively young, it’s easy to see why winning the tournament is so important. Both prior winners of the Grand Prix – Utami Hayashishita and Miku Aono – have gone on to win the world title, and those challenges mark the only times the world title has changed hands. Whether it’s a chance for a veteran like Natsumi Showzuki to insert herself into the main event, a hungry young wrestler like Komomo Minami to prove herself, or an Icon looking to return from injury in style like Mayu Iwatani – there’s no more important month in Marigold than Dream Star month.
For the first time, the tournament will start inside the hallowed Korakuen Hall on August 28, and continues through September until they return there on September 19 and 20 for a double header. Every show will be available on the Wrestle Universe streaming service through a mixture of live streaming or on-demand a couple of days after the show (which are noted in the full schedule breakdown at the bottom of the Guide). Wrestle Universe costs 1,298 yen a month (approx $8.15 USD) and also offers a one-week free trial for new subscribers for those interested in testing the waters.
League A
Miku Aono
As last year’s Grand Prix winner and the current reigning Marigold World Champion, there’s little doubt that Miku Aono is the top star in her League, and arguably the most feared competitor in the entire tournament. She’s been carrying the company all year during some tumultuous times, and is yet to drop a singles match in 2026, which is the kind of daunting form you want heading into a tournament like this.
It also means she’ll need to be ready for every wrestler’s A game, because a win over Aono doesn’t just mean two points in their division, but it automatically puts them to the front of the line for a future title shot. It’s the perfect consolation prize. Winning the Grand Prix requires a near perfect month, beating Aono requires just a perfect night – and when you break it down that’s far more achievable. So, expect everyone to be gunning for the champion.
Match to watch: vs. Misa Matsui (Aug 28). Miku might have won the tournament last year, but her campaign stumbled out of the gates when she lost her first match to Misa Matsui. Now there’s a chance that lightning strikes twice on opening night to upset her attempt at repeating.
Natsumi Showzuki
There was a lot of excitement surrounding Natsumi Showzuki heading into last year’s tournament, until the injury she was trying to return from ended up forcing her to withdraw from the Grand Prix. It must have been hard to watch from the sidelines, because she’s been wrestling with a renewed vigor since her return. The cool and easy grace she carries herself with is barely at odds with the crisp kicks she throws, until you see how it can break down her opponents.
There will be a certain expectation on Showzuki’s shoulders heading into the 2026 tournament to define her place on the pecking order. Since her inaugural Superfly Championship run she’s not really had a chance to put her stamp on the singles scene, and with a wealth of youth hungry to climb the ladder she will need to remind everyone where the line starts.
Match to watch: vs. Miku Aono (Sep 19). Whenever these two have faced off in the ring during tag matches it’s felt like a preview to something greater waiting on the horizon. Whether that could be a Marigold World Championship match or not may very well depend on what goes down in these 15 minutes.
Misa Matsui
If you only look at the numbers, you’d think Misa Matsui discovered something between the first and second Dream Star Tournaments, where she jumped from a disappointing two points scored to a far more respectable eight. And while in between those two GPs she joined Darkness Revolution, the truth is she’s always been an electric talent. She just needed to connect the last 10 percent of a match.
Last year was more representative of the kind of damage she could do in a tournament setting. Matsui won several matches by surviving copious amounts of abuse and then catching opponents with their guards down for a sneaky pin. Combined with her lightning quick speed, all-round adept wrestling game…and not to mention willingness to bend the rules, and it’s a dangerous combination to watch out for.
Match to watch: vs. Natsumi Showzuki (Sep 8). The safe bet is one of the two playoff spots in League A to go to Miku Aono. This match right here could determine who gets the other position. Two evenly matched foes who moved to Marigold under Fuka’s wing and who have an argument are undervalued in their current singles standing.
Erina Yamanaka
Marigold’s newest signing may no longer be holding the 3D Trios title, but there’s still momentum to be found in making the decision to join with the company right before their biggest tournament. At the age of 40 (Yes, her choice of player number was tongue in cheek) Erina decided this is where she belongs, and there’s no better way to prove this than with a strong showing through their premier tournament.
Yamanaka will find herself in a dog fight with no outright easy victories yet few matches she’s entering with only a hope and a prayer. Now that’s she’s a permanent member of the roster, asserting herself in the pecking order will be even more important, especially since title opportunities are few and far between and a promotion filled to the brum with hungry young talent.
Match to watch: vs. Natsumi Showzuki (Sep 13). It’s a battle between two thirds of La Vie En Rose in what should be a friendly showdown, but one with plenty of intrigue, nonetheless. Whenever teammates battle you can expect a bit of extra spice since nobody knows their opponent better than when they spend every day training together. And at the end of the day, two points are two points.
Yuuka Yamazaki
The Mad Dog of Naniwa has been one of the more impressive young stars in the Marigold system, quickly establishing herself as one to watch thanks to her fiery persona and strong wrestling foundations. Yamazaki is the perfect kind of underdog that will thrive in this kind of tournament setting; even if she won’t walk away with a big haul of wins, she’ll win over any fans who aren’t already firmly behind her.
That’s not the say she can’t walk away with some upsets. She didn’t get to wear Twin Star gold at Summer Destiny, but she did get a submission victory in a singles match against Chika Goto at Korakuen Hall in the lead-up: the biggest win of her career to date. It didn’t feel like a fluke, she won that because she was good enough, and there’s no reason why the Mad Dog can’t prove that was won through talent by doing it again in the GP.
Match to watch: vs. Misa Matsui (Sep 12). They’ve fought one-on-one twice already this year, and while Matsui has walked away both times with the win, Yuuka will have been learning how best to overcome the heelish actions that have kept her at bay through both showdowns. As they say, third time’s the charm…
Aleah James
While Aleah is technically one of three foreign imports for the tournament, she’ll be no stranger to the Marigold faithful having been on tour with the promotion since July and having fit in quite nicely. It’s been several years since her NXT UK days, and it feels like Aleah has come into her own during that time, cementing an exciting athletic style that feels at home with many of the joshi she comes across.
Her singles record in Marigold is better than what her overall 2026 record suggests, so don’t go in assuming it’s going to be a rough showing for the British import. That being said there’s no easy win in her League. What might be more valuable is cementing herself as someone Marigold looks at calling back to do regular tours for them, which could be achieved with a good outing through this coming month.
Match to watch: vs. Yuuka Yamazaki (Sep 19). This should be an exciting match between two wrestlers who should not only mesh well together in the ring but will be scrapping for every chance to score two points. This is a match they’ll both have circled in their respective calendars, so don’t expect any quarter given.
League B
Mayu Iwatani
If there’s ever anyone to watch when tournament season rolls around, it’s the Icon of Joshi Puroresu. Between STARDOM’s 5 Star and the Dream Star this will be her 13th appearance in this kind of tournament. Even if you can’t win the Dream Star, scoring a singles win against Mayu is a rare feat worth celebrating in of itself, and in the League B division that will be the Everest that needs to be climbed.
There’s no such thing as guarantees in pro wrestling, but if you were to place bets on this tournament then Mayu being one of those to advance from League B would be offering the lowest odds. The risk could come from Iwatani assuming such a thing and trying to play things too carefully, especially since she has only just returned from several months on the shelf due to a broken toe (and a shoulder issue) that required her to relinquish the GHC Championship. Getting fancy and overthinking the situation could lead to dropping a match or two she really shouldn’t – though it’s not too often Mayu would get accused of overthinking…
Match to watch: vs. Komomo Minami (Aug 28). There might be nobody better to learn under than Mayu Iwatani, but that doesn’t mean that Komomo will be getting a fun little exhibition match when they square off in the Dream Star. Mayu always tends to turn into a bit of a bully when facing the younger talent and she’d certainly expect one of her prize pupils to fire back. Though she also has a tendency to drop her first night matches, and this kicks off their respective tournaments…
Mila Smidt
As one of two foreigners who will be debuting in Marigold at the start of the tournament, there’s always a question of what to expect – but in Mila Smidt’s case her decade-long career has prepared her as well as anyone else who has travelled to Japan to wrestle in the Golden Fields. Smidt’s experience has seen her grapple across the globe to face a variety of different women, including joshi like Mei Suruga, Miya Yotsuba, and Nanami Hatano. Perhaps more importantly, she’s scored a win over the incomparable Mercedes Mone. The stage and the opposition won’t worry her.
Smidt might have an amateur wrestling pedigree, but she doesn’t lean on it, preferring to use a far more well-rounded style. She can throw you around, wrestle you to the ground, or try and knock your head off with some chunky lariats. It’ll be hard to prepare for the French import which could put her in a prime position to upset the status quo and insert herself into the playoff picture.
Match to watch: vs. Mayu Iwatani (Sep 8). If you sign up for a Marigold tour there’s one name you hope you get the opportunity to face, and that’s Mayu Iwatani. She’s already proven she can go toe-to-toe with world class talent, and if she can leave Japan with Iwatani’s name next to Mercedes Mone on the list of wrestlers she’s beaten, then that will put her in a very exclusive class.
Komomo Minami
More and more Komomo is evolving into a next generation Mayu Iwatani, from her mannerisms and the way she speaks to how well she carries herself in the ring. It’s a good foundation to build yourself around given the immense success of The Icon, and her growth as a wrestler and burgeoning self confidence over the past year is plain to see. Komomo’s future is looking brighter all the time.
Komomo Minami is set for a fascinating tournament. Between dealing with multiple Darkness Revolution matches, a dangerous foreign import, a hungry lower carder looking to prove her worth and her mentor this Dream Star is going to test how far Komomo has come in her training. She’ll earn some points and lament some that were left on the table that felt within her grasp, but it’ll all lead to laying the foundation for a potential tournament win in a few years time.
Match to watch: vs. Mila Smidt (Sep 19). While Komomo has been firing up nicely as of late, she’s still a quintessential underdog by nature. This should be highlighted brilliantly against the bigger and stronger outsider Mila Smidt, who will be able to throw her around and let Komomo lean on the best facets of her game and get the crowd behind her on the final night of block action.
Nagisa Nozaki
The head of Darkness Revolution could have been entering the Dream Star as the World Champion, instead she does so as the only member of the group without a belt. It’s a tough reality but one that the 20-plus-year veteran should be able to shake off as she enters the tournament – this is just another chance to get herself straight back in the title picture after all.
With just one month for the tournament to take place this time around, Nozaki’s style should work in her favor as she manages the pace and flow of her matches. As long as she can properly switch on when she needs to and not leave valuable points on the table like she has in the last two Dream Star Tournaments, then her skill and experience will prove a dangerous combination.
Match to watch: vs. Mayu Iwatani (Sep 19). This is not a match we’ve ever seen one on one before, yet it should be one that provides an interesting blend of styles. Mayu can lean into the fun if Nozaki wants a new play buddy now that MIRAI has gone freelance, and Nozaki can hit hard if The Icon is hungry for a fight. Both are interesting prospects, and the fact we’ve not seen them square off before means the direction they’ll go is anyone’s guess.
Chiaki
If you need any proof as to how confident CHIAKI is in herself, you just have to look at the fact she put her hair on the line for a shot at Miku Aono’s World Championship at the start of the year. She might have come up short (just like her haircut) but CHIAKI stepped up and swung for the fences.
That’s the kind of confidence you need to succeed in pro wrestling, and in the record books she’s one of the most successful in the company. A two-time Twin Star Tag Champion and now a 3D Trios Champion shows she’s a proven winner, however she still lacks a definitive result in the singles division. She’ll have multiple chances to change that here.
Match to watch: vs. Nagisa Nozaki (Aug 28). It’s rare we see Darkness Revolution versus Darkness Revolution. It’s a faction that gets on incredibly well. Expect all of the shenanigans and trickery throughout this match, and at the end of it all they’ll leave with smiles on their faces because that’s what they’re all about. Only one will be smiling a little more because they pulled one over the other.
Nao Ishikawa
Every few months, Nao Ishikawa will remind everyone that she’s not just a lower card comedy wrestler and put on a match that draws eyes. What follows is discussion about whether she’s being wasted in her position. Well, this year’s Dream Star might be her chance to answer that question definitively. Five singles matches against a range of opponents with all of them carrying some measure of importance – and perhaps more importantly none of them involving Megaton which always have a very specific style.
That’s not to say she won’t be the comedic relief during the tournament. That’s why her role is so interesting. Will we see more of the Nao Ishikawa we got against Mai Sakurai at the end of last year? Or will she get extra creative? The wins and losses will be secondary to Ishikawa’s attitude for a lot of onlookers.
Match to watch: vs. Mayu Iwatani (Sep 5). If there is one match Nao Ishikawa needs to put her working boots on and showcase herself, it’s against The Icon and the newly announced player/coach of Marigold. This match alone might give us an insight into what her future looks like. We know Nao is capable, so this match needs to have people remembering that.
League C
Victoria Yuzuki
Marigold’s Young Ace was within a breath of winning the entire tournament last year, and she would have done it by wrestling The Icon Mayu Iwatani to a time limit draw and then ignoring her exhaustion just one match later and swinging for the fences against Miku Aono. One year later, and she enters the Dream Star as the United National Champion and one of the favorites to win the whole thing.
There were questions she would even make it to the tournament when an ACL injury derailed what was a hot start to 2026. Her return at Summer Destiny seems to have put any lingering concerns about her health to rest, but given her abrasive attitude and willingness to take risks, Yuzuki is one to flirt with danger – which isn’t always the smartest move in a gruelling tournament.
Match to watch: vs. Chi Chi (Sep 19). This might be the single most anticipated match in the entire tournament. Two of the brightest young stars in joshi who seemed set to square off in a high-profile title match before Yuzuki’s injury put both her leg and the match on ice. The tensions between the two didn’t die off, however. In fact, Yuzuki seemed to spend all her time on the bench getting angrier at the world. Add in potential playoff advancement implications on the final night of block action, and these two are set to explode.
Mai Sakurai
The First Lady of Marigold has firmly established herself as one of the premier talents in the company and a real threat in a tournament like this, having made it to the final of the inaugural Dream Star before she ultimately fell to the victor Utami Hayashishita. She’s come a long way from her early days in STARDOM, now she has grown into a dangerous all-around wrestler capable of beating you down or tapping you out.
A submission loss to Rea Seto which led to La Vie En Rose losing their 3D Trios Titles isn’t the ideal tournament preparation for Mai, but she’s learned how to bounce back over the years and should be able to shake that off. She’ll need to be ready from the start though,expect a hotly contested three-way fight for those two spots at the least.
Match to watch: vs. Victoria Yuzuki (Aug 28). This is the chance for Mai Sakurai to claim a measure of revenge for last October when she lost her United National Championship to Victoria Yuzuki. That match that had every argument for being MOTN if it had a measure of the history and gravitas of the Thunder Rock collision of the main event, and given their personalities expect them to come out of the gates looking to do the same again.
Chi Chi
Pro Wrestling’s Barbie isn’t here to make friends, a trick she’s no doubt learned from her mentor Sareee. For months now she’s been feuding with the Marigold roster, doing what she can to assert her dominance. However the stakes have been raised. It’s not just pride on the line but a chance for some serious prestige, and Chi Chi finds herself in a division with a couple of Marigold’s heaviest hitters who will be more than eager to send her packing back to the independents.
If Chi Chi managed to walk in and win the tournament, it would be a huge prize on her growing resume and put a stamp on the past couple of months she’s spent terrorising everyone who bears the golden flower insignia. Even advancing to the playoffs would be notable, and not out of the realm of possibility for someone with her talent.
Match to watch: vs. Mai Sakurai (Sep 5). Chi Chi has enjoyed plenty of success in Marigold so far, but most of her matches have been against the younger members of the roster. That’s fair given she too is a young up and comer, but to win the Dream Star she’ll need to prove herself against some of the big names, and Mai Sakurai is one of them.
Syoko Koshino
Few wrestlers make their mark as they enter like SYOKO does. Microphone in hand, exuberantly singing her way to the ring. The early highs of her Marigold career so far have peaked when she challenged Victoria Yuzuki for the U.N title in January and since then she’s settled into more of a lower card role, so there’s a risk she’s going to ‘just be happy to be here’, but Koshino will bring some unique challenges to League C that will make her someone that competitors will need to prepare for.
Syoko’s size will be an inherent advantage over the rest of the roster, especially if she can learn to utilise it more, which then allows her to get the most out of her deceptive athleticism. With that in mind, she can easily ruin a few nights if she’s on her game. It’s unlikely she advances given the block Syoko’s been placed in, but it might also mean her opponents are looking past her and onto their next match. That’s not something they can afford to do.
Match to watch: vs. Victoria Yuzuki (Sep 5). We saw these two square off at the start of the year on PPV and it was ok. It certainly didn’t reach the heights that Yuzuki is capable of. But under different circumstances there’s a chance for something a bit more special. The two provide a nice contrast and Syoko’s now had more time to get comfortable in the Marigold system.
Humming Bird
There are several wrestlers who will be looking at the Dream Star as a chance to prove that they’re more than their position on the card. For Humming Bird, she’s found herself perpetually stuck in the opening matches of shows but with aspirations to do more. The Bird showed signs that there was more to her when she got a Superfly title match against Mayu Iwatani, and now she finds herself in the Dream Star with another chance to state her case.
Five different matches to prove her value, be it with wins or just by showing out. She’ll have a unique athleticism advantage over most of the competition, but surviving the barrage of heat coming her way will be a challenge. But for Humming Bird this might be less about the end points result and more about the impression she leaves.
Match to watch: vs. Chi Chi (Sep 8). As pro wrestling’s Barbie came in and ran her own assessment of Margiold, one of the wrestlers who wasn’t part of her test was Humming Bird, and it’s a snub that she might have taken personally. This is her chance to prove that she should have been at the forefront of that defense squad.
Diana Strong
Making her debut in Japan six years into her career, there will be a lot of curious eyes on the Polish former powerlifter. She gained some notoriety after going even in a two-match series with the renowned Mercedes Mone, which should give you an idea of how high her ceiling can be. Now she’ll have at least five matches to showcase herself inside the world of joshi, and maybe more if she handles her business.
Despite her smaller frame, Diana has the pure strength to handle anyone in her division, even the larger Syoko Koshino. Her style isn’t going to be one they have a lot of experience going up against, which combined with her being a relative unknown (unless they’ve been spending time studying tape on YouTube) should work in her favor. On the other hand, Diana’s striking seems to be her weak point, and she finds herself in a League with some heavy hands. She’s going to learn very quickly if she can sink or swim when it comes to trading blows with the best of them.
Match to watch: vs. Mai Sakurai (Sep 19). Of everyone in League C, Her Ladyship provides the most interesting challenge for the young Polish import and will act as her best litmus test for how Diana stacks up against the wider Marigold roster. Mai has the ability to knock her out, wear her down or even submit her, forcing Strong to run the full gamut if she expects to get out of the match with two points. But if Diana does so, it’ll be quite the statement.
League D
Kouki Amarei
The question of just what her ceiling is will continue to hang over Kouki’s head. She was the inaugural GHC champion, but the process of winning the title put her on the shelf for six months. Then injury again slowed her momentum just as she was starting to find her form. With her commitments split between pro wrestling and theatre, Kouki Amarei remains one of the hardest wrestlers to predict from a long-term stance, but in the short-term, things have been looking as good as they ever have.
Now she headlines League D, in a block that feels like anything can happen. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Kouki led the group and it wouldn’t be surprising if she missed the playoffs entirely after dropping matches she’d be the odds on favorite to win. Things are promising though, because Kouki’s form has been strong. Whether it was her singles match at Korakuen Hall against Shinno or the successful run as Twin Star Champion alongside GoChika, the momentum is there and that’s as important with Kouki as perhaps anyone in the tournament.
Match to watch: vs. Chika Goto (Aug 28). This is not just a battle for two points; it’s a battle between the tag champions. Kouki is currently down 2-1 to her tWin toWer partner when it comes to singles matches, but last time it took extra time to get a victor. They won’t have that luxury this time around. Can she tie their record?
Chika Goto
Ah Chika Ko Chika Go Chika! The Mood Maker of Marigold has been riding high as one half of the Twin Stars Champions and what has been a big 12 months of growth for her since the end of the last Dream Star. Chika’s had several high-profile singles matches against Sareee, Miku Aono, and Utami Hayashishita and while she didn’t walk away with wins in those matches, they will have left her well prepared for the coming month’s run of tournament matches.
The question is: has GoChika grown enough to make the jump from being competitive in singles matches to consistently winning them? She might not be expected to beat the Sareee’s and Aono’s of the world yet, but failing to make the playoffs here would be considered a misstep. She’s been studying her old school AJPW tapes and seemingly added the Emerald Flowsion to her moveset, will that be enough to keep her at the tip top of her League?
Match to watch: vs. Rea Seto (Sep 5). There’s a distinct power and size advantage at play here, but as we saw just recently GoChika can be tapped out, and Rea Seto’s submission game is far more potent than Yuuka Yamazaki’s. Add in the potential Darkness Revolution antics at play here, and Chika will need to walk the tightrope between fearless and cautious to get the job done.
Shinno
As the youngest person in Dream Star GP history, Shinno doesn’t need to do anything special in order to make her mark in the record books. However, it’s not in her nature to rest on her laurels. The second-generation star in waiting will be looking to make an impact and lay down the foundations for what we can expect once she graduates from school and can devote all her time between the ropes.
On the surface, this will be a great learning opportunity. Five singles matches in a row against a range of opponents is unlike anything she’s really encountered in her young career, but she’s going to have grander aspirations than just gaining experience. League D’s playoff bracket is the most wide open, and while Shinno isn’t the favorite to advance if she can maximize the matches which are 50/50 for her, then she’ll just need to steal a match. Then she won’t just be the youngest tournament participant, but playoff contender.
Match to watch: vs. Chika Goto (Sep 12). She came up short against Kouki Amarei and fell to the tWin toWers at Summer Destiny, but maybe Shinno can find better luck trying to chop down the oak tree that is GoChika in a singles match. There’s motivation alone in not wanting to deal with Yuuka Yamazaki holding it over her head that the Mad Dog did what she couldn’t.
Megaton
There is only one singles champion in the D League, and that’s Megaton. Whether that should make her the favorite to advance or not is of course less objective, but in a tournament that will be pushing people to their limits, Megaton will throw that vibe on its head.
There could be tournament dreams ended if someone sees Megaton on their schedule for the night and decides that have the night off. All it takes is one mistake and you might see two points that were considered sure things turned to ash – and that can be the difference between watching the Finals from the Korakuen Hall rafters or being in the ring fighting for it. Megaton might not be a worldbeater but a month long tournament tests your resolve as much as anything, and it’s times like this when wrestlers like her are at their most dangerous.
Match to watch: vs. Kouki Amarei (Aug 29). This has danger match written all over it. The two team up on semi-regularly alongside Miku Aono and it’s clear that Megaton has a shortcut to making Kouki laugh. She needs to enter the match looking to finish things ASAP, but if Megaton starts to make her crack, then there’s a very real chance she forgets what is at stake and ends up lamenting how it was Megaton of all people that caused her to miss the playoffs.
Rea Seto
The Dream Star Grand Prix is all about momentum, and nobody might be carrying more of it than young Rea Seto, who managed to submit Mai Sakurai to win her first title and become part of the 3D Trios Champions. It was a huge scalp heading into the tournament, and proof of just how far she’s come already.
There’s a very real chance she could force her way into the playoffs. The D League lacks an undisputed heavy hitter like an Aono or Iwatani, and nobody in the block is safe from her submissions. Seto is one of Marigold’s great young talents, and they tend to elevate in big jumps. Are we in the middle of one of hers?
Match to watch: vs. Kouki Amarei (Sep 6). Normally Kouki’s size and length would be an advantage, but Rea Seto has to be licking her lips at the chance to pretzel the Amethyst Butterfly’s limbs into a range of deadly submission holds. If she can keep this match on the ground Seto has a chance of stealing a huge two points in a match that could upset the order of League D.
Nagisa Tachibana
Tachibana has been one of the success stories of 2026 amongst Marigold’s extensive rising stars class, with one unfortunate caveat: Injuries. Nagisa’s athleticism has always been clear, but combined with her hard work and steady growth she’s been able to become one of the more exciting performers on the roster, eschewing any concerns that she might fade out like the others who debuted with her. If it wasn’t for injuries seemingly haunting her every time she gets a big opportunity, there would be no question as to what lay in her future.
The Dream Star Grand Prix will be her return from another recovery break, so the test will be about whether she can quickly get back into the same groove she was feeling or risk falling behind the pack – which in the small sized Leagues this year could mean you’re out before you get a chance to consider the playoffs. She has the fire and talent to force herself into the conversation, but she can’t afford to work off any ring rust.
Match to watch: vs. Rea Seto (Aug 28). This is very much a battle between two wrestlers that seem to represent opposite ideals of wrestling stylistically – Tachibana is going to take risks and make the crowd ooh and aah while Seto will hunt for limbs to bend and break – but at their core they both are young, hungry and are future stars for the company. They share the important things, and this is a match that should only continue to grow as they do.
Dream Star Grand Prix Schedule
August 28 @ Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (Live Stream)
LEAGUE A
- Miku Aono vs. Misa Matsui
- Natsumi Showzuki vs. Yuuka Yamazaki
- Erina Yamanaka vs. Aleah James
LEAGUE B
- Mayu Iwatani vs. Komomo Minami
- Nao Ishikawa vs. Mila Smidt
- Nagisa Nozaki vs. CHIAKI
LEAGUE C
- Victoria Yuzuki vs. Mai Sakurai
- Hummingbird vs. Diana Strong
LEAGUE D
- Kouki Amarei vs. Chika Goto
- Shinno vs. Megaton
- Nagisa Tachibana vs. Rea Seto
August 29 @Fukushima (VOD)
League A
- Misa Matsui vs. Aleah James
League B
- Nao Ishikawa vs. Nagisa Nozaki
League C
- Victoria Yuzuki vs. Humming Bird
League D
- Kouki Amarei vs. Megaton
September 5 ( Day/Night Double Header) @ Osaka (VOD)
Osaka Day
League A
- Yuuka Yamazaki vs. Erina Yamanaka
League B
- Mayu Iwatani vs. Nao Ishikawa
- Nagisa Nozaki vs. Komomo Minami
League C
- Mai Sakurai vs. Chi Chi
League D
- Shinno vs. Rea Seto
- Nagisa Tachibana vs. Megaton
Osaka Night
League A
- Miku Aono vs. Yuuka Yamazaki
League B
- Komomo Minami vs. CHIAKI
League C
- Victoria Yuzuki vs. Syoko Koshino
- Chi Chi vs. Diana Strong
League D
- Chika Goto vs. Rea Seto
September 6 @Shizuoka (VOD)
League A
- Natsumi Showzuki vs Aleah James
League B
- CHIAKI vs. Mila Smidt
League C
- Syoko Koshino vs. Diana Strong
League D
- Kouki Amarei vs. Rea Seto
- Chika Goto vs. Megaton
September 8 @ Shinjuku FACE, Tokyo (Live Stream)
League A
- Miku Aono vs. Erina Yamanaka
- Natsumi Showzuki vs. Misa Matsui
League B
- Mayu Iwatani vs. Mila Smidt
- Nao Ishikawa vs. Komomo Minami
League C
- Victoria Yuzuki vs. Diana Strong
- Humming Bird vs. Chi Chi
September 12 @ Aichi (VOD)
League A
- Miku Aono vs. Aleah James
- Misa Matsui vs. Yuuka Yamazaki
League B
- Nagisa Nozaki vs. Mila Smidt
League C
- Mai Sakurai vs. Syoko Koshino
League D
- Chika Goto vs. Shinno
- Kouki Amarei vs. Nagisa Tachibana
September 13 @ Arakawa, Tokyo (VOD)
League A
- Natsumi Showzuki vs. Erina Yamanaka
League B
- Mayu Iwatani vs. CHIAKI
League C
- Syoko Koshino vs. Chi Chi
- Mai Sakurai vs. Humming Bird
League D
- Nagisa Tachibana vs. Shinno
September 19 @ Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (Live Stream)
League A
- Miku Aono vs. Natsumi Showzuki
- Misa Matsui vs. Erina Yamanaka
- Yuuka Yamazaki vs. Aleah James
League B
- Mayu Iwatani vs. Nagisa Nozaki
- Nao Ishikawa vs. CHIAKI
- Komomo Minami vs. Mila Smidt
League C
- Victoria Yuzuki vs. Chi Chi
- Mai Sakurai vs. Diana Strong
- Syoko Koshino vs Humming Bird
League D
- Kouki Amarei vs. Shinno
- Chika Goto vs. Nagisa Tachibana
- Megaton vs. Rea Seto
September 20 @ Korakuen Hall, Tokyo (Live Stream)
- League A 1st Seed vs. League C 2nd Seed
- League B 1st Seed vs. League D 2nd Seed
- League C 1st Seed vs. League A 2nd Seed
- League D 1st Seed vs. League B 2nd Seed
- Semi Finals
- Final
RESURA 