Marigold is presenting ‘First Dream 2025’ on January 3rd from Sumo Ota Ward. It’s the second major PPV for the newly founded promotion by Rossy Ogawa, and it will be the next big test for the promotion
The eight-match long show is available as a PPV on Wrestle Universe and features five championship matches, including Sareee fighting Utami Hayashishita for the Marigold World Championship. In addition, we’ll also see the debut match of the Seri Yamaoka against MIRAI is scheduled to happen on the show.
Let’s dive into the card.
New Year’s Dream Rumble
This is a match to get everyone on the card who wasn’t planned for a bigger spot. The participants include Misa Matsui, Humming Bird, Rea Seto, Minami Yuuki, Naho Yamada, Ryoko Sakimura, Nagisa Tachibana from the Marigold side as well as Momoka Hanazono, Riara, Flying Penguin, the ICExInfinity Champion Yuki Mashiro and Hamuko Hoshi, the latter of which is the most shocking name out of the bunch as the relationship between Ice Ribbon and Ogawa hasn’t been good in a while. In addition to the announced names, the rumble will likely include surprise entrants, but the expectations should be kept low here. In terms of what’s possible, potentially the biggest surprise names could come from Marvelous, such as Chigusa Nagayo or Takumi Iroha, as they seem to be on good terms with Ogawa.
Ogawa mentioned at the press conference that this rumble will also be used as an audition for freelancers, who could become regulars in Marigold next year and the most obvious name for that is Yuki Mashiro, who is currently the top champion of Ice Ribbon. She has stated in interviews that she’s a big fan of Giulia and teased working for Marigold in 2025 after leaving Ice Ribbon last year.
In terms of the winner, it could be anyone really. Misa Matsui is the biggest name from Marigold in this match and desperately needs some momentum after being the only talent of the original roster to not be involved in a match higher on the card. For me, it’s between her and Mashiro. If they want to use Mashiro more regularly, this might be a good opportunity to give her some momentum at the start of her run.
Prediction: Yuki Mashiro
Seri Yamaoka vs. MIRAI
Seri Yamaoka makes her debut against MIRAI in the most anticipated debut in Joshi Pro Wrestling in a very long time. The self-proclaimed Super Rookie is a former freestyle amateur wrestler, who competed in tournaments on a national level in the past. She now made the transition to pro wrestling after starting to become interested following seeing a Stardom show back in 2021, where her sister Miyabi Yamaoka was on commentary for the show.
She made her first in-ring experience as part of Giulia’s Gauntlet Match in the summer, where she took down the current WWE star with an impressive double-leg takedown that instantly grabbed the eye of every fan who watched the event. In a public training, she showed to have a more complete move set than most Rookies with a Bridging German Suplex, an Air Raid Crash as well as a Nothern Light Suplex in her arsenal.
Her opponent on that day is the former Marigold Twin Star Tag Team Champion MIRAI, who is a great fit for Yamaoka as her debut match with her judo background as well as her hard-hitting style that can bring the best out of everyone. She’s been one of the MVPs of Marigold so far with her consistency in tag matches as well as singles matches. The pressure will be high on Yamaoka as her debut will have a lot more judging eyes on her than for any other debut ever since Utami Hayashishita, who stands in the main event of the show. An exciting match that will kick off the main card with a bang.
Ogawa has made no secret on high he is on Yamaoka as he wants her to reach the top of Joshi Wrestling by the age of 20, which would be in two years. A rocket will be strapped around her waist and it starts off her against MIRAI. Just like Hayashishita back in 2018, a Time Limit Draw against one of the bigger names in the promotion seems on the table.
Prediction: Time Limit Draw
Marigold Superfly Championship: Natsumi Showzuki (c) vs. Victoria Yuzuki
In the first title match of the night, Natsumi Showzuki puts her Superfly Title on the line against Victoria Yuzuki who is trying to claim the first singles title of her career. The two faced off twice before, once in the Dream Star and again in October with the Superfly Title on the line. Both matches ended in a 15-minute time limit draw so coming into this match the big question is – will there finally be a finish between them?
This time, the answer will probably be yes as both wrestlers will do everything possible to end the rivalry on that show with a clean finish. Typical high speed action is to be expected here – lots of counters, great action, fast moves, many near falls and roll-ups with a hot crowd getting louder and louder.
While their first match was rather underwhelming, their second match at Korakuen Hall was great and lived up to the expectations of what those two could deliver in the ring. The third match is expected to be the best of the trilogy and needs to be a major moment for Victoria Yuzuki, who made her debut just 13 months ago against Momo Watanabe in STARDOM and has developed into a great package over the year in Marigold with not only her in-ring skills drastically improving, but also her mic work to be one of the best ones in Marigold. This is her moment to claim the belt, while Showzuki slowly moves up the card
Prediction: Victoria Yuzuki
Marigold Twin Star Championship: CHIAKI & Nagisa Nozaki (c) vs. Bozilla & Tank
After Nagisa Nozaki & CHIAKI claimed the Twin Star Championship from MIRAISaku with the help of Bozilla, Nozaki unintentionally hit Bozilla with a chair shot, which made the German-born wrestler mad, prompting her to attack her two friends of the Dark Wolf Army. Then, she announced that she would challenge for the tag titles with a surprise partner – Tank.
The 5’11” beast from the Netherlands will make her Japan debut on this show next to Bozilla in what could be an unstoppable duo. They are likely to be tough opponents for the new champions and it’ll be interesting to see how Tank will do in the ring. She been active for around two years and only has a handful of matches under her belt. The interactions between Nozaki & Bozilla in the preview bouts have been great, so Tank will be paired with CHIAKI, whose goal will be to bump as great as she can for her.
The story of the match will be clear as Bozilla & Tank will throw around and destroy the champions, who will try to escape with the titles with all means necessary – chairs, ref bumps, and every method of cheating that they know. The match quality may suffer a bit towards the end, but it should achieve the goal of getting Tank over while Bozilla gets her big moment winning gold
Prediction: Bozilla & Tank
Nanae Takahashi & Nao Ishikawa vs. Meiko Satomura & YUNA
The retirement road of Nanae Takahashi kicks off as she teams together with her passion sister Nao Ishikawa against YUNA & Meiko Satomura of Sendai Girls. 2025 will be the last year that fans will be able to see see Takahashi and Satomura in the ring and before both end their respective careers in late spring. The pair want to wrestle each other one last time and have that chance here.
The interactions between Nanae and Meiko will be the clear highlight of the match and should be the focal point of this match, while YUNA & Nao rather take a backseat and come into the match towards the end for the finish. A win for Takahashi to kick off her retirement road seems likely with her getting the win over YUNA
Prediction: Nanae Takahashi & Nao Ishikawa
GHC Women’s Championship: Kouki Amarei (c) vs. Chika Goto
The tWin toWers collide with the GHC Women’s Championship on the line in a match about growth, jealousy and friendship. When Marigold first started back in May, Chika Goto & Kouki Amarei started off as a duo and even took part in the Marigold Twin Star Title tournament, where they were eliminated by runner-ups Miku Aono & Natsumi Showzuki. Shortly after, both Chika Goto & Kouki Amarei wanted to challenge for Aono’s United National Championship, but only one of the two got the shot – Kouki Amarei. From then on, the friendship slowly started to have its first problems.
Kouki Amarei quickly was seen with someone, who has high potential as a singles wrestler, while GoChika was more in the shadow of her tWin toWer tag team partner. That was especially seen in the Dream Star Grand Prix, where Kouki just missed out on advancing to the final of the tournament, while Chika Goto only scored two points in her campaign. Interestingly, those two points came against Kouki Amarei in their match at Korakuen Hall. From there on, a rivalry started to heat up between the two.
A few weeks after coming short in a Twin Star Title match, Chika Goto announced that she would take a month-long break due to an injury, while, in the meantime, Kouki started to team up with Utami Hayashishita and won the GHC Women’s Championship. It was a shock when Kouki Amarei became the inaugural GHC Women’s Champion in a battle royal that featured Utami Hayashishita, Miku Aono, Takumi Iroha, Bozilla, and even Chigusa Nagayo. Shortly after, the match was made official between GoChika & Kouki with a lot on the line. Goto wants to show that she just isn’t the Marty Janetty of the tWin toWers, while Amarei wants to keep the championship that is the ticket to have big matches in not only Marigold but also Pro Wrestling NOAH.
Since this is Kouki’s first defense, she will likely retain the title and hug it out with Chika Goto afterward, as they can still be one of the teams to potentially hold the Twin Star Titles in 2025.
Prediction: Kouki Amarei
Marigold United National Championship: Miku Aono (c) vs. Mai Sakurai
Miku Aono puts the Marigold United National Championship on the line against Mai Sakurai in a rematch from their good match in the Dream Star Grand Prix. The story of the match is all about Sakurai trying to establish herself on the top end of the card by winning the White Belt.
Mai Sakurai’s rise started with her great match against Giulia at Korakuen Hall after she was chosen to be the current WWE wrestler’s opponent during her the last singles match in Japan. Sakurai has been riding a wave of momentum ever since by coming short in the Dream Star Grand Prix final against Utami Hayashishita and holding the Twin Star Tag Title until she & MIRAI lost it in December. Regardless if Sakurai wins or not, she is an overachiever and has already made it way higher up the card than anyone ever could have expected. Meanwhile, Aono has had very good defences against Kouki Amarei, Nagisa Nozaki, and Natsumi Showzuki and is the clear standout of the AWG talents that joined Marigold. She’s been one of the most consistent wrestlers of the promotion and delivers in every match that she’s in.
Of all potential title changes on this show, this is the one that needs to happen the most. Not because Miku Aono’s run has been bad, it’s the opposite, but this is the moment for Sakurai to take the next step to the top of Marigold with her first singles title in her career. It feels like now or never for her as she will never get hotter than she is following her 2024.
Prediction: Mai Sakurai
Marigold World Championship: Sareee (c) vs. Utami Hayashishita
Ever since Marigold started, Sareee has been head and shoulders above the company’s roster, especially on Utami Hayashishita, who hasn’t reached the heights that she promised the fans that she would. Meanwhile, Sareee defeated Giulia to become the first-ever Marigold World Champion and dominated the entire promotion. Hayashishita was able to win the first Dream Star Grand Prix to earn herself a shot at the Sun God so it all comes down to this in the main event of Marigold’s second PPV.
If any match could reach the ‘Match of the Year’ level then it’s this one. No woman in the world is on the level of Sareee right now in terms of consistent output and her match catalogue in Marigold has been incredible, including her fantastic title defences against Bozilla & Nanae Takahashi which both rank highly as the best Joshi match of 2024. Hayashishita on the other side of things had rather a quiet year, but everyone who followed her in STARDOM knows how high her big matches can peak as her legendary match series with Syuri goes to show. 2025 will be the first year in a long time, where Hayashishita will be put into focus and it starts with this match against ‘The Sun God’. It’s her time to step up again and show why she was once hailed as the best women’s wrestler in the world.
Both could walk out as the winners here with Sareee giving Hayashishita one last set back or the ‘Red Queen’ claiming her spot as the Ace of Marigold. Utami winning is what should happen here as Marigold needs something fresh to kick off 2025, with Hayashishita being the perfect name to carry the torch into the tough second year for the promotion.
Prediction: Utami Hayashishita
