Sareee is ready to get back on track after a difficult January.
After winning the 2024 Tokyo Sports Women's MVP award, Sareee entered 2025 with all the excitement and two championships around her waist. Holding both the Marigold World Championship and Beyond The Sea Championship, "The Sun God" was set to start strong but ended up losing each title in matches against Utami Hayashishita and VENY. She then dropped her third straight singles match to Meiko Satomura at Sareee-ISM Chapter VI.
Sareee decided to finally move her intentions back to the IWGP Women's Championship but to get there, she needs to get back on track. She announced that STARDOM's Syuri will be the woman that she faces to try and do just that. They're set to go one-on-one at Sareee-ISM Chapter VII on March 10th in the main event.
With the show right around the corner, Fightful's Scott Edwards had the chance to speak with Sareee about her tough first month of 2025, why Syuri was the opponent she needed to face, the IWGP Women's Championship, taking time off in February, and so much more.
Here's what Sareee had to say!
Edwards: A lot has changed since our last interview. January was a month of trials and tribulations for you. The month saw you lose both of your championships and suffer three major matches. With the competitor that you are, how difficult was it for you to deal with those losses with them all being after one another?
Sareee: "I received the 2024 Tokyo Sports Award Female MVP award and various other awards so I felt I had the momentum. But it's part of life, people experience the ups and downs of life.
"I felt pathetic at first. But I didn't want to waste time feeling sorry for myself. After my third big loss against Satomura-san, it was strange but I felt like my heart was on fire. I was fired up and had this inner desire to get back up. I had to get back up. After every sunset, there is a sunrise. I will try my best to shine again."
Edwards: On January 3rd, your string of losses started when you dropped the Marigold World Championship to Utami Hayashishita. While you have new goals regarding a different championship, Hayashishita has already said she’d like to defend the title against you in a rematch. Would you like to face her again down the road and try to get your redemption?
Sareee: "I would but only after she has grown into the ultimate true ace of Marigold. I look forward for the rematch one day again when the timing is right."
Edwards: VENY ended your record-breaking run as Beyond The Sea Champion. You two have been against each other a few times since your return to Japan, including the Sareee-ISM Chapter V event, and now this title matches. She’s seemingly become a true rival for you. Do you see her as one of your newest rivals? What makes her such a difficult opponent in your mind? Will you look for revenge against her as well?
Sareee: "She has strength, power, and athleticism unlike other pro wrestlers. She keeps improving so much. This also helps me to train even harder and improve myself. When the timing is right, I would like to one day."
Edwards: The Sareee-ISM VI main event saw you go one-on-one with Meiko Satomura for the final time. What did it mean to you to share the ring with Satomura one more time after waiting for so long to compete against her again? Did this loss feel the most impactful of the three you suffered in January?
Sareee: "As people may remember she was my debut opponent. Had a singles match before going to WWE. Although it never happened, a title match was set for NXT UK when I was in WWE. She was always there as an important figure in my pro wrestling career. Because it was my last opportunity for the singles match with her, I wanted to win very much. I had to win but couldn't. I can now never catch up to her in the ring. That was my last chance. But I can still continue to do my best and catch up to her as a pro wrestler by the time I retire.
"Each loss had a different effect on me in their own unique way."
Edwards: Now you’ll get the special chance to team with Meiko Satomura at Kenta Kobashi’s Fortune Dream show in April right before her retirement. Despite the loss to her, are you looking forward to this team-up considering the history you share with her? Is there anyone you’re hoping to face?
Sareee: "I very much look forward to the tag team with her. It's such a great honor. It's a few days before she officially retires and this will be my last opportunity to learn everything that I can from her. I will learn as much as possible. I also thank Mr. Kobashi for giving me this opportunity and such a great honor to be selected for his event.
"The opponent Team 200kg is a great tag team and they have proved to be a great success. Hashimoto being my rival, is always excited to have a match with her. But even though they are a great tag team, tag team with Satomura-san, we must win."
Edwards: Now, you’re moving forward. You’ll be taking the majority of February off to prepare for Sareee-ISM Chapter VII, when you’ll face Syuri in another major main event. You’ve said she will be a “stepping stone.” Why was Syuri the competitor you felt you needed to face after the tough start to 2025? What can fans expect from you in the match?
Sareee: "Because I had the tough start, I had to face someone very tough and not run away. I wanted to face the ultimate. I was fired up.
"My goal is to go after that IWGP belt. In order to do that, I need to face the ultimate girl from that organization which I thought was Syuri. I know the match will be very tough. But I will be prepared both mentally and physically for this match. I want that IWGP belt!"
Edwards: Of course, that “stepping stone” you speak of is to reach the IWGP Women’s Championship. This is a championship you’ve continuously talked about throughout our interviews and elsewhere because of the connection to Mr. Antonio Inoki. You even told STARDOM’s president Taro Okada that you’d come for the championship. Is it safe to say that winning this championship is the number one goal of Sareee in 2025? Do you feel you need to be the one to end Mayu Iwatani’s record-breaking reign after coming up short against her in 2024?
Sareee: "Yes, getting that IWGP has been a goal for me especially when I had my chance last year and lost. It's not easy to get another opportunity. But I have received the 2024 MVP award and have proven to be a worthy challenger. I want to end her reign and get that belt."
Edwards: Sareee-ISM Chapter VII sold out in minutes. This not only marked the fastest sell-out for the Sareee-ISM events, but it also made seven straight sold-out events booked by you. What was your reaction when you saw this one sell out as quickly as it did? What does it mean to you to see the excitement and reaction of fans for these shows?
Sareee: "It was a great surprise and I was very happy. I really thank all the fans who have gained interest in Sareee-ISM. Sareee-ISM is an event which focuses on my thoughts and my belief in pro wrestling. I am so happy to know that there are many fans who also like and have similar thoughts with me."
Edwards: To continue with Sareee-ISM, the last event (Chapter VI) was viewed as arguably the best one to date. While you did lose in the main event, do you still feel proud of that show and what you managed to put together on that card?
Sareee: "I am just very happy that fans liked the event. I try to book pro wrestlers that might be hard to do at their organizations and try to do what the fans might want to see.
"Also, I want to thank all the participants because they understand the concept of Sareee-ISM and they all try their best to fit into this Sareee-ISM concept. That makes each match great and overall making the fans who watched the event excited and satisfied."
Edwards: You finished second in WrestlePurists’ voting for Booker of the Year in 2024, only finishing behind Paul Levesque for WWE. What was your reaction when you saw where you finished in the vote?
Sareee: "I was so surprised that I was on the list and even second place. I just couldn't believe it. Others are all mega-big multi-million companies. I really thank all the fans and everyone who has made this happen. Thank you so much. It's just so amazing."
Edwards: As a result of this, you told Tokyo Sports that you’re interested in doing a Sareee-ISM USA event in the future — stating you want to show that Sareee is different from WWE’s Sarray. This has left many fans of yours excited at the prospect of this happening. Has Sareee-ISM USA always been something you’d hope to do? Can fans expect this to happen over the next year or two? Who is someone you’d want to face at the event?
Sareee: "Yes, this is another new goal that I have. It's extremely difficult but will try to make it happen in the near future. Athena, Toni, Taya Valkyrie, and so many people. Will try to do the best Sareee-ISM USA event possible for my American fans."
Edwards: As noted, you've taken the month of February off to recover and prepare for your match with Syuri. You said in a previous interview in Japan that you learned a lot in your time in WWE about preparation and taking care of yourself. Was this a difficult decision for you to take off a month of action? What is the recovery and preparation process like? And how has this continued process allowed you to better your overall career?
Sareee: "I wanted to take a month off to prepare myself mentally and physically coming from my major losses in January and kind of reset myself. It's not an injury. Just go over my matches, learn from my mistakes, and train.
"Yes, at WWE I learned a lot of body maintenance and training and the importance of it. Because your body is going through so many beatings, it's just better this way to take some time off. But time off doesn't mean not doing anything. I am busy training and learning many new things and preparing myself for the match vs Syuri in which I know will be a tough match. Also to reach my goal of getting that IWGP belt."
Edwards: It’s safe to say that Joshi wrestling is thriving in popularity right now in Japan and you’ve been leading the charge as a freelancer as well as the Tokyo Sports Women’s MVP. From packed venues to more and more wrestlers debuting, it’s a great time. Have you felt the rise in popularity over the last year? Does it excite you on what the future looks like?
Sareee: "I have seen the popularity grow and is in the right direction. I am happy to be part of it. But we can't be satisfied yet. Before my time, All Japan Women's had an even greater era. Joshi pro wrestling even had its own event at the Tokyo Dome. There are many new pro wrestlers in the industry. I hope that we can all contribute to making the Joshi pro wrestling industry grow even bigger again."
Edwards: Dating back to our first interview in 2023, you have always seen a lot and believed in Chi Chi. The Evolution star has only continued to grow and is starting to make waves around the entire Joshi scene, including winning the Sendai Girls Junior Title. You’ve featured her on every Sareee-ISM event since Chapter II and have teamed with her a number of times, including in your lone match in February. What about Chi Chi has stood out to you from day one? Have you taken her under your wing and worked with her beyond your team-ups? What are you hoping to see from her as she continues to learn and grow as a competitor?
Sareee: "With Chi Chi, I did a singles match with her at Evolution around the time I returned to Japan. I thought she had lots of fighting spirit and had a strong mind. She has asked to join my training sometimes and we have practiced together along with others. I think she will continue to become a better pro wrestler as long as she continues to do what she is doing now."
Edwards: While it hasn't been in your view the past two years, could Chi Chi be someone you'd like to chase a pair of tag team championships with in the future?
Sareee: "I recently had a tag team match with her at Sendai Girls. We will be pairing up again. We will have to see where that will go."
Edwards: You have a proven great eye for talent and at Sareee-ISM Chapter VI, Victoria Yuzuki and Miku Kanae had great showings in the opening bout. How much did the two young wrestlers impress you during that match? What do you make of Yuzuki challenging you to another singles match in the future after her victory?
Sareee: "Yuzuki is a great young pro wrestler at Marigold. I have trained with Miku and I thought that they will gain so much experience from each other if they had a match. There are other young pro wrestlers who has asked if they can join my training together. If I know and have seen them work hard, I wanted to give them a chance and opportunity. I feel that more opportunities and experiences will make them become a better pro wrestler and in return will make the whole Joshi pro wrestling scene better. It's also good for the young pro wrestlers to have rivals. That will also make them a better pro wrestler.
"If Yuzuki wants a single, I am ready anytime. But for right now I think it will be better for her to keep gaining experience and confidence against her rivals."
Edwards: Why do you feel Natsupoi is the right opponent to test Miku Kanae in the Sareee-ISM Chapter VII semi-main event?
Sareee: "Miku has been sometimes training with me. Knowing the both of them, there are some similarities. I know a semi-final match against Natsupoi will really boost Miku's experience and can learn so much from a match against Natsupoi."
Edwards: Are there any other young wrestlers/new debutantes that have impressed you over the past number of months that you haven't gotten to book on a Sareee-ISM show?
Sareee: "When I get booked at other promotions, I can see that there are many future stars. There are some girls from other promotions that have asked if they can train with me. Please keep watching Sareee-ISM, then you will see the answer to this question."
Edwards: Is there anything you’d like to specifically see from the Joshi scene moving forward to continue this momentum?
Sareee: "I hope that more and more companies will have their events be a success and filled and not just the popular ones.
"I also hope that there will be more girls that share the same pro wrestling style as me."
I'd like to thank Sareee and her team for helping make this latest interview happen. This is the eighth exclusive interview with Sareee as she prepares to climb the mountain and win the IWGP Women's Championship.
If you'd like to check out more of what Sareee is up to, make sure to follow her YouTube channel "Sareee Channel." She also shares a YouTube channel with her best friend Natsupoi, which you can check out here. Make sure also to follow Sareee's X account to never miss anything going on in her career.
The next major match for Sareee happens at Sareee-ISM Chapter VII, which takes place on March 10th at Shinjuku FACE. She looks to get back on track when she faces STARDOM's Syuri. Here's a look at the full card for the show.
- Sareee vs. Syuri
- Natsupoi vs. Miku Kanae
- DASH Chisako & Chi Chi vs. Honori Hana & VENY
- Jaguar Yokota & Kaoru Ito vs. Yurika Oka & Kohaku
- Misa Kagura vs. Shaa
The show will soon be available to purchase on sareeelive.com. You don't want to miss it!
You can also see Sareee's latest match in Sendai Girls on WRESTLE UNIVERSE as she teams with Chi Chi to face Mika Iwata and YUNA.
For more from Sareee, you can check out her store at sareee-mania.com
For more exclusives from Fightful, check them out here.
