This Monday on May 20th, DREAM STAR FIGHTING MARIGOLD will hold their inaugural event live from Korakuen Hall. The event, titled "Marigold Fields Forever," will air live on WRESTLE UNIVERSE with a six-match card.
Among the many big-name wrestlers on the roster include Giulia and Utami Hayashishita. But anyone who has been following the start of Marigold, a promotion created by STARDOM founder Rossy Ogawa, knows that there's even more talent to be excited about. Six of those competitors come from Actwres girl'Z, with former AWG Champion Miku Aono being the headliner.
Aono spent all of her career as part of Actwres girl'Z, beginning in 2017. Now the woman nicknamed "Brilliant Future" will kick off a new chapter in her career as part of Marigold.
Fightful's Scott Edwards had the chance to interview Aono ahead of Marigold Fields Forever, discussing a number of topics including her decision to join the new promotion, her first match in the company, her time in Actwres girl'Z, and so much more.
Here's what Aono had to say.
Edwards: You spent your entire career with Actwres girl'Z dating back to 2017 when you made your debut against Natsumi Maki (Natsupoi). Why did you feel like now was the time to do so?
Aono: "I am where I am today because of Actwres girl'Z, without a doubt. It was a very courageous decision for me to leave Actwres girl'Z where my trusted friends are, representative Sakaguchi who nurtured me, and the fans I met through Actwres girl'Z. I am very grateful to Actwres girl'Z for giving me the opportunity to work with them and to be a part of their team.
"I wanted to make Actwres girl'Z bigger, and I felt a sense of responsibility to do so.
"However, the main reason for my decision was that I felt I had reached my limits and wondered if there was anything I could do in Actwres girl'Z. I wanted to stand on a bigger stage. I want to be on a bigger stage.
"I want more people to know Miku Aono. I came to Marigold to shine for myself."
Edwards: Now that you're a member of the Marigold roster, what are your goals? Do you hope to reach the top of the promotion more than anything else?
Aono: "Of course I want to reach the top! I want Marigold to reach not only Japan but also the world!"
Edwards: Is there anyone specific in Marigold that you are interested in as someone you want to target?
Aono: "I am currently most conscious of Giulia, who also debuted in 2017 and is in the same class as me. I've seen a lot of her success behind the scenes, and I have a lot of respect for her and a little bit of envy."
Edwards: Your nickname was "The Brilliant Rose." What is the meaning behind that nickname?
Aono: "My nickname has been changed to 'Brilliant Future' in Marigold.
"My name means future in Kanji, so I chose this catchphrase to make myself and my future the brightest as the name implies."
Edwards: In a video for Marigold, you said that you joined the promotion to “change your life.” Can you explain the meaning behind that and why this means so much to you?
Aono: "For me, it was such a big life-changing challenge.
"I have a lot of fears and anxiety about leaving my comfortable home at Actwres girl'Z, but you only live once, and I would rather attack than defend."
Edwards: Much of your wrestling skillset includes hard strikes like kicks. Can you tell me a bit about why your style is so strike-based? Can you tell me a bit about why your style is so strike-based?
Aono: "I didn't know much about wrestling to begin with, so for a while after I debuted I struggled with my own personality and fighting style. I had always had a lot of power, so I was looking for a style that made the most of it, and with the guidance and advice of the representatives of Actwres girl'Z and my seniors, I was able to create the style that I have now. There are still many things I don't know about the styles of the other Marigold players, but I will continue to refine my own style."
Edwards: Over the past few years, you've worked closely with Fuka after she joined Actwres girl'Z. What has working with Fuka meant to you? How has she helped you as a competitor and now, a pro wrestler?
Aono: "Fuka is the one who gave me confidence. I had a hard time gaining confidence, but she accepted me and helped me to become the ace of Actwres girl'Z. She is the one who has helped me on my journey to become the best wrestler in the world. Her toughness and energy have been a great inspiration to me, and I hope to learn a lot from her and repay her by shining at the top.
Edwards: Many of your colleagues have expressed excitement now that they are officially pro wrestlers. What does it mean to you to call yourself a pro wrestler now?
Aono: "I'm excited to be able to call myself a pro wrestler again, to be seen by so many people, to have more possibilities, and to be able to push the boundaries that I felt being in Actwres girl'Z."
Edwards: Beyond the roster of Marigold, are there any wrestlers that jump out to you that you'd like to face in the future?
Aono: "I would love to face former Actwres girl'Z wreslters again. I have seen my favorite and precious seniors, classmates, and juniors in the ring. I hope to see them in the ring again someday."
Edwards: In Actwres girl'Z, you reigned as the champion for 292 days. What did you learn from being the top champion?
Aono: "I learned responsibility and confidence from being a champion. I also learned the pain and strength of the chasing side, as I had only been chasing the champion until then.
"Becoming the singles champion, which was one of my goals, was rewarding for me, and most of all, I was happy that my fans, who had supported me all these years, were happy to see me as champ."
Edwards: At Marigold Fields Forever, you will be facing off with Nao Ishikawa in a one-on-one match. Ishikawa took exception to you getting more focus than her despite being part of the original seven of Marigold. Do you have a response to her ahead of the big matchup? What are your feelings towards her heading into one of the most important matches of your career?
Aono: "I am happy about the attention and the fact that I was featured prominently on the poster. But whether or not I can live up to those expectations is up to only me in the ring. If she has objections, she needs to show them in the ring.
"This is an important match that will be a new start for me, so I want to win overwhelmingly against Nao Ishikawa."
Edwards: Nao Ishikawa's criticisms of you stemmed from your time as a 'performer' rather than a 'pro wrestler' for the past two years in Actwres girl'Z , noting you had both crossed paths prior to your shift away from the sport. Can you explain the differences between those two settings and how the past two years have helped you grow as you approach your return to full-fledged professional wrestling?
Aono: "It is very difficult to explain the difference since Actwres girl'Z is no longer a wrestling organization. But there were still many battles and the effort to fight for them was still the same.
"As for my feelings, I had a great desire to lead the group, so I was even more determined. I think the sense of responsibility and confidence I learned over the two years led me to want to go to a bigger stage."
Edwards: You have competed primarily as a singles performer in recent years, being one of the few members of MARIGOLD to have no pre-existing ties to a previous faction or unit. As of right now, is there anyone that you would be interested in aligning with in the event that factions do arise in MARIGOLD?
Aono: "There are many members that I have not wrestled with yet, and there are many things about their personalities that I don't know, so at this point, I don't have anyone in particular. I am looking forward to having such a partner in the future."
Edwards: In the time since your involvement in Marigold was announced, fans have already grown excited at the thought of a singles encounter between you and Utami Hayashishita. How do you view Hayashishita, who has expressed her ambitions to be Marigold's Ace, going into the launch of the company? How do you view Hayashishita, who has expressed her ambitions to be Marigold's Ace, going into the launch of the company?
Aono: "I am glad that fans think that way!
"Of course I am looking forward to a match against Utami Hayashishita. I think we could be good rivals if we're both contenders for the ace."
Edwards: For fans who have never seen you compete before, what should they expect when they watch Miku Aono in Marigold?
Aono: "I hope to show them the powerful fight and determination that brought me to Marigold to fight for my life."
We'd like to thank Miku Aono and Marigold for taking the time to help put this great interview together ahead of their big debut show.
Fightful also thanks Chiyoko. Chiyoko translated the questions from English to Japanese for Miku Aono to answer. You can follow Chiyoko on X here: @chiyoko_asakura
Miku Aono and the rest of the Marigold roster will kick things off on May 20th with "Marigold Fields Forever," live on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. The main event will see Giulia team with Utami Hayashishita to face Sareee and Bozilla. You can check out our interview with Hayashishita here.
Here's a look at the full card:
- Nanae Takahashi vs. Victoria Yuzuki
- Miku Aono vs. Nao Ishikawa
- MIRAI vs. CHIAKI
- Natsumi Showzuki & Misa Matsui vs. Kouki Amarei & Chika Goto
- Mai Sakurai & Zayda Steel vs. Nagisa Nozaki & Myla Grace
- Giulia & Utami Hayashishita vs. Sareee & Bozilla
You can learn more about Marigold here.
You can follow Marigold on X through their Japanese (@DFS_Marigold) and English (@Marigold_Joshi) accounts.
Stay tuned to Fightful for more information on Marigold and other Joshi news.
