On August 17, 2024, Dream Star Fighting Marigold announced that Seri Yamaoka had joined the promotion as a trainee and would make her in-ring debut at Marigold First Dream on January 3, 2025. At just 17 years old, Yamaoka entered the scene with an impressive freestyle amateur wrestling background, having placed second in the 54 kg class at the 2021 National Junior High School Selection Championships and earned first place in the high school lightweight class at the 2022 All Japan Beach Wrestling Championships. If that wasn’t enough to draw attention, the Rossy Ogawa-led promotion quickly began billing Yamaoka as a “Super Rookie,” a label last bestowed upon former World of Stardom and current Marigold World Champion Utami Hayashishita at the dawn of her career.
The wait for Seri Yamaoka’s official debut was agonising, with excitement building around the young prospect, but there were plenty of signs between the initial announcement and Marigold First Dream that the promotion was onto something truly special. During her introduction to the Korakuen Hall crowd, Yamaoka noted that she was inspired by Giulia to become a pro wrestler, making it feel like a cruel twist of fate that her arrival coincided with the former Donna del Mondo leader’s impending move to WWE. Yamaoka was ready to seize her moment, however, and during Giulia’s Farewell Gauntlet on August 25, the “Super Rookie” stormed the ring, taking down her idol with a perfectly executed double-leg and following up with sharp forearms, offering a brief but powerful glimpse of the intensity she was about to bring to Marigold.
Fast forward to December 10, and the stage was set. Seri Yamaoka would make her professional wrestling debut on January 3 at Marigold First Dream in Ota Ward. Her opponent? Former Wonder of Stardom Champion MIRAI, positioned as one of the faces of the fledgling promotion. With her hard-hitting style and judo background, MIRAI represented a formidable first hurdle for Yamaoka, but one the rising star seemed eager to embrace. Ahead of one of the most anticipated debuts in recent memory, Marigold presented Yamaoka with the No. 18, a jersey number traditionally associated with the “ace” in Japanese baseball, and one many fans had long speculated was being reserved for the eventual arrival of Mayu Iwatani. While Iwatani would ultimately leave STARDOM to join Marigold this year, the promotion made its message unmistakable: Seri Yamaoka was the one carrying their flag into the future.
When the time came at Marigold First Dream, Yamaoka bolted to the ring, looking every bit as determined to meet the enormous expectations the promotion had placed on her shoulders. It is fair to say she did exactly that. With MIRAI providing an ideal base for her offence, Yamaoka showcased her flawless grappling technique and delivered several jaw-dropping suplexes, taking the match to a 15-minute time-limit draw before MIRAI ultimately secured the victory in overtime. Rossy Ogawa has at times faced criticism for his reliance on time-limit draws, but this was far more than a booking crutch. It was a symbolic result that immediately positioned Yamaoka among the upper echelon of Marigold’s roster.
Having stuck the landing, it was now all about the follow-up. Marigold paired Yamaoka with Joshi wrestling legend Nanae Takahashi immediately after her debut, and her first outing at Korakuen Hall saw her capture gold in just her fifth match. Seri and Nanae faced the mammoth challenge of taking the Twin Star Titles from Bozilla and Tank, and that is exactly what they did. Yamaoka’s performance offered yet another indication that she was born for professional wrestling, with her selling far surpassing her experience. The result was a poignant moment, marking the succession to come, with the “Super Rookie” claiming her first taste of championship gold while Nanae collected her last.
The pairing worked wonders for the rising star. Takahashi, in the latter stages of her career, had long excelled at bringing out the best in her opponents, particularly in her aptly named “Passion Injection” matches, but here it was standing alongside Yamaoka that brought the best out of both. With her retirement set for May, Takahashi officially declared her young tag team partner as her successor, a major endorsement that further underscored the promotion’s belief that Yamaoka would lead them into the future. In the following months, the duo successfully defended their Twin Star Titles against Utami Utami Hayashishita and Victoria Yuzuki, Marvelous’ Takumi Iroha and Senka Akatsuki, and Dark Revolution’s CHIAKI and Misa Matsui, each match strengthening the Passion Family’s bond as Yamaoka’s confidence between the ropes grew. The pair ultimately dropped the titles to the current champions Magenta, allowing the attention to shift towards Takahashi’s swansong.
Nanae Takahashi’s final official match saw her face Miku Aono in the main event of Marigold Shine Forever on May 24, though in typical joshi fashion, there was plenty more to follow in the immediate aftermath. An impromptu retirement gauntlet commenced, during which Takahashi took on Senka Akatsuki, Seri Yamaoka, Kouki Amarei, Yumiko Hotta, and Momoe Nakanishi, a lineup perfectly encapsulating the past, present, and future of the scene. Takahashi’s final encounter with Yamaoka was particularly emotional. Having fallen to Takumi Iroha earlier in the show, the “Super Rookie” seized her last opportunity to prove herself and pinned her pro-wrestling mentor in a definitive passing of the torch moment.
Now carrying the flag for Passion in Takahashi’s absence, Seri Yamaoka spent the following months establishing long-time rivals and seeking out new legends to surpass. The aforementioned arrival of “The Icon” Mayu Iwatani presented Yamaoka with a new wall to climb. Iwatani’s debut in May saw her defeat Nanae Takahashi, and she would remain unbeaten in singles competition heading into the Dream Star Grand Prix in August. After defeating Maria in the first of two shows on the opening night of the tournament, Iwatani was set to main event the second show against Yamaoka. What followed was an utterly dominant display from the former World of Stardom Champion, the kind of performance fans had not seen from her in quite some time. Yet despite the vast difference in experience and the direction the match seemed to be heading, Yamaoka stunned EDION Arena Osaka with a trio of devastating German suplexes before pinning “The Icon” with an Aoki Clutch to score a monumental two points. Finishing with a 3–1–3 record, the upset stood as Iwatani’s only defeat of her inaugural Dream Star GP campaign, a major feather in the cap for Yamaoka.
Iwatani has since evened the score against Marigold’s “Super Rookie,” defeating Yamaoka to retain the Superfly Championship in the main event of the promotion’s October 13 Korakuen Hall show. It was business as usual for the Greatest of All Time, once again taking the lead while her younger counterpart sought to prove that her earlier victory had been no mere fluke. To say it is unlikely this will be the last time the two meet in singles action would be an understatement. It feels only a matter of time before Iwatani turns her attention to the Marigold World Championship, but with Yamaoka’s meteoric rise showing no signs of slowing, the Marigold original may well take exception to an outsider cutting the queue.
Outside of her own inaugural Dream Star GP campaign, Yamaoka’s maiden year also marked the beginning of a rivalry that could very well define Joshi wrestling for the next decade and beyond. With Marigold at war with Marvelous, Yamaoka had the opportunity to defend the honour of her home promotion against the likes of Takumi Iroha, Mio Momono, and Magenta. However, it has been another “Super Rookie” who has truly ignited a fire within her, Senka Akatsuki. The youngest ever WrestlePurists Wrestler of the Week first crossed paths with Yamaoka back in March, and with each encounter since, the intensity and the respect between the two has continued to grow.
Under the guidance of the legendary Chigusa Nagayo, Akatsuki brings an old-school spirit to the ring that few rookies of this era can replicate. Her unwavering confidence and willingness to chase shoot-style pinfalls give her a unique skillset and relentless drive that make her the perfect foil for Yamaoka. Their encounters so far have been equal parts frantic and technically superior, standing out as some of the most compelling wrestling you’ll find anywhere today. As both continue to evolve with every appearance, it truly feels as though there are no limits to the heights both can reach as long as they’re striving to outdo one another.
In the process of writing this feature, the two once again found themselves sharing the ring, this time as partners. Appearing on Chigusa Nagayo’s Friday Night Gacha, Yamaoka and Akatsuki took on Sareee and Takumi Iroha, and while SPARK RUSH proved too tall a task for them at this stage, the match was a natural and exciting next step in their ongoing story. Sareee and Iroha perfectly embody the ace role that their immense talent commands, and when that veteran presence meets the raw hunger of Yamaoka and Akatsuki, it creates the perfect recipe for a ferociously competitive encounter. Their connection is one that will likely bind them for the rest of their careers, and we should feel privileged to witness its earliest chapters unfold.
All of the above has led Yamaoka to the challenge she now faces. Back in January, ahead of her debut, the tremendously talented ScottEWrestling had the opportunity to speak with the “Super Rookie,” asking which professional wrestlers she had studied most closely, particularly those with an amateur wrestling background. Yamaoka named Chihiro Hashimoto, a former standout amateur who once aspired to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics. A graduate of Sendai Girls under the tutelage of Meiko Satomura, Hashimoto was crowned Tokyo Sports Rookie of the Year in 2016 and currently holds both the Sendai Girls World Championship and the Sendai Girls Tag Team Championship alongside Yuu, marking her sixth reign with each title.
Seri Yamaoka’s wrestling attire is embroidered with the words “Chase Dreams,” a phrase that perfectly captures the 18-year-old’s approach to her craft. On September 28, Yamaoka appeared at the Sendai Girls Shinkiba 1st RING show and issued a challenge to Chihiro Hashimoto for a match at Marigold Grand Destiny on October 26 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Whereas Akatsuki stands as an equal to Yamaoka at this stage of their journeys, Big Hash represents the final boss of Yamaoka’s first chapter. With her signature Albright suplex, a move Yamaoka has since incorporated into her own arsenal, Hashimoto embodies the complete professional wrestler, blending legitimate athletic credentials with unmatched in-ring power. Few can rival her raw strength, and that will undoubtedly be the advantage she carries into Grand Destiny.
Seri, however, possesses a few weapons that set her apart from her opponent, one of which is her ability to take to the skies. Rather than relying solely on her superior wrestling fundamentals, Yamaoka has developed one of the most explosive dropkicks I have seen in all my years following professional wrestling. In recent outings, she has added a springboard element to the move, further increasing its devastation. This aerial prowess could offer a route to success against Hashimoto, who will almost certainly look to ground the “Super Rookie” and dictate the pace on the mat. The manoeuvre also carries echoes of the one frequently used by WWE’s IYO SKY, and considering that the former Women’s World Champion was another name mentioned by Yamaoka in her interview with Scott, it is clear that Seri intends to learn from the very best. Speaking of IYO SKY, Marigold Grand Destiny will be headlined by her return match against Mayu Iwatani, marking the first meeting between the two former World of Stardom Champions since 2018. With IYO making her second Marigold appearance following her victory over Utami Hayashishita at Summer Destiny last year, Yamaoka may soon find herself with yet another legend to overcome.
Even so, while Chihiro Hashimoto enters Grand Destiny as the heavy favourite, history has proven that it is never wise to count out the heir to Nanae Takahashi’s Passion. Whatever the outcome, this match stands as yet another indicator of the promotion’s faith in what they have on their hands, and should Yamaoka manage to topple Big Hash with an Albright of her own, the roof of Sumo Hall may just come off.
Seri Yamaoka is undeniably on a path to greatness. Some enter the business with a natural talent for professional wrestling, and then there are true generational prospects. That is exactly what Marigold has discovered with Yamaoka. When you combine her deep understanding of the sport with her drive to not only surpass her peers in every aspect but also reach and exceed the heights of the likes of Nanae Takahashi, Mayu Iwatani, Giulia, Chihiro Hashimoto, Sareee, and IYO SKY, it becomes impossible to deny that we are witnessing the beginning of something truly special.
Yet Yamaoka isn’t carrying Marigold’s future alone. A wave of fresh talent is rising alongside her, each bringing something unique to the ring. Victoria Yuzuki’s potential has been evident since her debut in STARDOM, and with a reign as Marigold’s Superfly Champion already under her belt, she now sets her sights on the United National Championship against Mai Sakurai at Grand Destiny, a victory that would firmly cement her ascent as one of the promotion’s top stars.
The show will also feature a battle of second-generation stars as Shinno, who is the latest to be christened a “Super Rookie”, takes on Kizuna Tanaka, with their mothers, Michiko Omukai and Yumi Fukawa, set to second their daughters. The pair were tag team partners in ARSION, and thus, the matchup perfectly embodies the combination of past and present that has always been at the heart of Marigold. Add in the likes of Komomo Minami, Rea Seto, and Yuuka Yamazaki, each of whom continue to show growth with every in-ring outing, and it’s clear that Marigold’s youth movement can’t be ignored.
MIRAI’s recent departure has left questions at the top of Marigold, but the answer lies within their own ranks. It’s time to back the rising stars ready to define the promotion’s next era.
The Future is Now.
