Since returning to Japan in May 2023, Sareee has shown the world that she's one of the very best pro wrestlers today. Whether she competes in Marigold, STARDOM, Sendai Girls, SEAdLINNNG, or on her own produce shows Sareee-ISM -- she's made sure to leave fans excited for what's next.
This weekend, she will main event Marigold's first major show Summer Destiny 2024 -- live from Ryogoku Sumo Hall on WRESTLE UNIVERSE. She will be facing Giulia in what is expected to be one of the top matches of 2024 -- likely to crown the inaugural Marigold World Champion.
Then at the end of the month, Sareee will hold her fourth produce show Sareee-ISM Chapter IV. She announced in June that the main event of the event will see her team up with her best friend Natsupoi to take on the super team of AZM and Takumi Iroha.
Ahead of her huge month of July, Fightful's Scott Edwards had the chance to chat with Sareee for another exclusive interview. In this interview, "The Sun God" discussed a number of topics including calling herself the ace of Marigold, what goes into booking her Sareee-ISM events, a potential singles match with Meiko Satomura, Utami Hayashishita, and so much more.
Here's what Sareee had to say.
Edwards: On July 29th, we will see Sareee-ISM Chapter IV take place. You’ll team with Natsupoi to face Takumi Iroha and AZM. As we’ve learned through the first three events, each main event has a level of importance to you. The first main event was your return, taking on Chihiro Hashimoto. The Chapter II main event saw a super tag match as you got to team with KAIRI. And Chapter III was about revenge. Can you tell us about your thought process when making this next star-stuffed match the main event for Sareee-ISM Chapter IV?
Sareee: "For Sareee-ISM, there are two sides. Sareee as a promoter and a pro wrestler.
So I think of who I would like to have a match with or tag with but at the same time of would this also make the fans and the customers who come watch it excited and happy. I try to do the best that I can. This time, it happened to be Natsupoi and AZM & Iroha. Last summer, I was able to have a dream tag team with KAIRI. This time, I wanted to do a dream tag team again. It was Natsupoi."
Edwards: For Chapter IV, you will get the chance to team up with Natsupoi for the first time in four years in the match. What does it mean to you to have your friend by your side in the main event of your show?
Sareee: "I am very happy to have Natsupoi as my tag team partner. She is my best friend and we always hang out together. I am very excited. I think people will be able to see that our tag team play will be great in the ring together. Natsupoi is like a fairy and cute that everyone knows and has seen it. But this event is Sareee-ISM. Therefore I also would like to pull out and show everyone her dangerous strong side of Natsupoi that people don't get to see."
Edwards: You have plenty of history with both Iroha & Natsupoi, but this will be the first time you and AZM will share a ring. What are your impressions of AZM? Why did she stand out to you when making this match official?
Sareee: "AZM is a great pro wrestler. Every move she makes is great. I wanted to have a match against such a great pro wrestler. AZM is a rival for Natsupoi and also knows Iroha from before. I wanted to create a tag match in which I along with the fans can also enjoy the various combinations between the four of us in the match."
Edwards: For Sareee-ISM Chapter IV you put Char and Misa Kagura opposite two legends in Kaoru Ito and Jaguar Yokota. What was your thought process putting this together, and furthermore what do you hope Char and Misa take away from this match?
Sareee: "By having such two legends in the event, I feel very comfortable and secure. They have taught me so much throughout my pro wrestling career. They had a great influence in my career. I learned a lot when I was still young when I had a match against legends. I wanted to do the same for upcoming young pro wrestlers in the industry. I wanted to create a chance for them so that they can learn and experience just like I did. I had a match against Kagura and so I wanted to help her become a better pro wrestler more quickly for her and for the industry. Same with Char, I know she experienced a match with Aja Kong and that's tough. I know since I went through it too. I hope the young two girls can learn and become better pro wrestlers from going against these two legends."
Edwards: Arisa Nakajima has been on her retirement road and will take part in Sareee-ISM. She’s one of your great rivals. Did you consider facing her again in some form on your show before she retires? Would you like to compete either against her or by her side before she retires in August?
Sareee: "Just recently because of the injury of (Tsukasa) Fujimoto, I will be replacing her to do a tag team with Nakajima. I would like to but not sure if she would like to have a singles match. But yes, any opportunity to tag with her or have a match against her will be great."
Edwards: Your participation as a regular in Marigold, along with your other bookings in Japan and the United States, has meant a slight uptick in the amount of matches you have every month. Did you make the conscious decision to wrestle more frequently this year, or was it more of a natural occurrence?
Sareee: "Last year, it was more of preparation time. I wanted to prepare myself for 2024. I have taken any offers that seem interesting and exciting for myself and for the fans. Right now, I wanted to prepare myself for the important matches I have in July and the schedule of June happened to work out very well. I am in great condition going into July."
Edwards: What has been your assessment of the Marigold roster now that you’ve had the chance to wrestle more of them in the lead-up to Ryogoku? Has anyone stood out to you?
Sareee: "Bozilla for sure. The impact she left on her debut match was amazing. Also, Victoria Yuzuki is still a six-month rookie but had the courage to come after me. She will become a great pro wrestler."
Edwards: It feels like you can make the impossible possible in Joshi wrestling with the Sareee-ISM shows, do you feel the same way? Or is it a matter of you putting together things you personally want to see?
Sareee: "I am very happy that you feel that way. It's more of a mixture of the three key elements. What would I like to do, what would make the fans surprised and excited, and the timing of what's going on and the schedule? I am not afraid of challenges and hurdles. The fans always motivate me."
Edwards: Anybody can be a world champion, however very few can become the first world champion of a promotion. What would winning the Marigold World Championship mean to you knowing that it would be up to you to set the standard for that belt?
Sareee: "It's very important for me to win that title. Yes, the champion determines the value of the belt. I want to be part of the history to become the first champion and set the standards."
Edwards: Meiko Satomura recently returned to the ring at Kenta Kobashi’s Fortune Dream show. You noted in our last interview that she’s someone you’d like to step in the ring with again. Of course, you made your debut against her in 2011 and then you crossed paths with her in WWE — but never got the chance to go one-on-one. Can you tell me about what Meiko has meant to your career? Also, what would a singles match all these years later mean to you? How do you think the match would go?
Sareee: "She is an important person in my career. Like you have mentioned, my debut opponent. Beating her in singles before going to WWE. Then tagging with her in WWE NXT UK but never having that title match with her in NXT UK. I am sure that if we had a singles match, it would be a great match. I am sure that it will happen somewhere down the line. It cannot be avoided. I hope to win if we ever have a singles match again."
Edwards: Besides Meiko, is there anyone else from your past that you’d like to face one-on-one in the future?
Sareee: "(Takumi) Iroha from Marvelous would be one. She is my rival. Although we have faced each other in a tag team, we still haven't had a singles match yet after I have returned to Japan. Another is (Mayu) Iwatani from STARDOM again. I really want a rematch. I must get that IWGP from her."
Edwards: Since returning to Japan, you’ve competed at the Hana Kimura Memorial Shows last year and this year. What does it mean to you to get the chance to wrestle on those shows?
Sareee: "It's a great honor to be part of her memorial show. It's a great event with many pro wrestlers throughout the industry participating. We all miss her."
Edwards: We are less than a week away from your showdown with Giulia at Marigold Summer Destiny 2024. You’ve detailed that this is a match you really want to have, as the first time you ever faced her, she was a different wrestler. With her injury, the build to the match likely hasn’t been as expected. As we countdown the days to the bout, how are you feeling about the match itself? Why is Giulia such an appealing opponent for you? And where are you mentally regarding the big match?
Sareee: "Like everyone, I wanted to have a match with both of us being in perfect condition. There is nothing we can do about injuries. It's not her fault. Things happen. Right now, I am hoping that she can do the match. If she is cleared to have the match though, as a professional pro wrestler myself, I won't take it easy for her and will give my 100%. I am sure she would want that also. Right now, I trust her that she would be able to do the match and look forward to the match against her."
Edwards: You said in our last conversation that the Marigold United National Championship is a belt you're interested in because of the ties to Antonio Inoki. While you have your sights on the World Championship right now, have you been paying close attention to that tournament? Will it be a title you plan to challenge for in the future?
Sareee: "I am very interested in all belts related to Mr. Inoki. That hasn't changed. I have been checking the tournament. Because the red belt didn't have anything going on, I have made the suggestion for the match between myself and Giulia to be for the red belt to make it more interesting. But I was surprised Marigold didn't have other challengers to express themselves wanting to challenge that belt. Giulia happened to agree with me for all."
Edwards: The Marigold roster took exception to you calling yourself the ace of the promotion. A lot of the roster took exception to that, to the point that many want singles matches with you. Why do you believe you’re the ace of the new promotion? What are your feelings towards the roster as they challenge you for naming yourself as the ace?
Sareee: "I am simply keeping the request and promise from Giulia. I understand what she is going through with her injury. I know that she wanted to be the ace and looked forward to raising the level of the Marigold rosters herself but couldn't. We are rivals but share the same thoughts. Having rivals and wanting to become stronger will make a better pro wrestler. That would help create a better Joshi pro wrestling industry overall. I want to be this big wall for them. As a rookie, I was surrounded by legends and had a hard time beating this big wall. I wanted to become that big wall for them. I hope they continue to come after me. That would also make me train harder and become a better pro wrestler myself."
Edwards: Last time we talked, you said you were excited to face Utami Hayashishita in the tag match alongside Giulia. Now that you’ve faced her in tag team action a few times, what are your thoughts about her as a competitor?
Sareee: "I know that she can improve more. She has to. I want to have more matches with her so that I can get to know her even more in the ring. I think it's just the start. I hope to have a singles match one day with her."
Edwards: Hayashishita has said on X that she wants to face you in a singles match. Does that match interest you now that you know how she fights in her matches?
Sareee: "Yes, I would like to have a singles match one day. But just like what Giulia mentioned, she needs to give more to become the ace. I won't give the ace spot that easily."
Edwards: Do you hope to team with Bozilla again after your successful tag team match against Giulia and Utami Hayashishita?
Sareee: "I don't mind tagging with her again but if we do, I don't think there will be any opponents that can ever beat us. It won't be fair."
Edwards: You've now successfully defended the Beyond The Sea Championship twice. Once against Ayame Sasamura and most recently against Misa Kagura. Are there any potential challengers that intrigue you? Also, with Nakajima retiring soon -- do you feel there's added pressure to help lead the promotion forward as its champion?
Sareee: "There is no pressure. But I was hoping there would be more challengers. This belt is a symbol for fighting and being strong. I accept challenges from anyone. Unfortunately, no one wants to challenge. It's a shame the young ones have more courage than other pro wrestlers to challenge me."
Edwards: For the first time, you announced two Sareee-ISM events back-to-back, with Chapter V coming in September. While you still have Chapter IV happening before the next, do you have an idea of what you’re hoping to do at the fifth installment? Do you feel any pressure when it comes to making the cards for these shows?
Sareee: "I have ideas about Sareee-ISM Chapter 5. I hope that I can continue to make the fans excited and happy. I will try my best to bring the best possible match card. I don't have any pressure. It's fun and exciting. The fans always motivate me. I am very happy when the fans are excited for Sareee-ISM. Thank you very much for your support."
I'd like to thank both Sareee and her team for helping put this interview together. It's the fourth interview that I've had the chance to conduct with Sareee, and she continues to provide insightful and exciting answers about her career for fans to read.
If you'd like to check out more of what Sareee is up to, make sure to follow her new YouTube channel "Sareee Channel."
Sareee-ISM Chapter IV will take place on July 29th while Sareee-ISM Chapter V is set for September 2nd -- both at Shinjuku FACE. The events are expected to once again air live on sareeelive.com. The cards will be released in the coming months.
Here's a look at the full card for Sareee-ISM Chapter V:
- Sareee & Natsupoi vs. AZM & Takumi Iroha
- Mio Momono & Riko Kawahata vs. X & Arisa Nakajima
- Kurumi Hiragi vs. Yuu
- Jaguar Yokota & Kaoru Ito vs. Misa Kagura & Char
- Chi Chi vs. Miria Kouga
You can also check out Sareee's big match at Marigold Summer Destiny this Saturday on WRESTLE UNIVERSE PPV. She will go one-on-one with Giulia with the Marigold World Championship on the line -- as long as Giulia is cleared.
For more from Sareee, you can check out her store at sareee-mania.com
For more exclusives from Fightful, check them out here.
