
In 2024, Giulia made the leap from STARDOM to launching MARIGOLD and then packing her bags and heading to NXT in Orlando. At New Year’s Evil, Giulia kicked off 2025 by dethroning Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women’s Championship, joining Asuka, Kairi Sane, and IYO SKY (then Io Shirai) as one of WWE’s many success stories. It wasn’t a question of if she could defeat The Prodigy, but a matter of when.
With MARIGOLD’s successful 2024 and their planned international debut in Las Vegas during WrestleMania week, I am hoping beyond hope that now that Utami Hayashishita has defeated Sareee MARIGOLD’s top championship, the promise they made when Giulia left for the US (and charging Utami with leading the company) could lead to an exceptional singles match that they have yet to share.
January 2025 Recap!
- Event Report: NOAH THE NEW YEAR (1/1/25)
- Special Podcast: Wrestle Kingdom 19 & WRESTLE DYNASTY Primer (1/2/25)
- FREE Podcast: Wrestle Kingdom 19 in Tokyo Dome Review w/ Bruce Lord (1/4/25)
- Guest Podcast: Wrestle Dynasty in Tokyo Dome w/ JP Houlihan for Grappl Spotlight (1/5/25)
- Podcast: NJPW Battle in the Valley w/ Bruce Lord (1/12/25)
- Podcast: POST PURORESU w/ WH Park (available around 1/17/25)
Dream Star Fighting MARIGOLD
MARIGOLD First Dream (1/3/25) Ota Ward Gymnasium
- Rumble: Yuuki Mashiro defeated Flying Penguin, Hamuko Hoshi, Hummingbird, Minami Yuuki, Misa Matsui, Momoka Hanazono, Nagisa Tachibana, Naho Yamada, Nightshade, Rea Seto, RAIRA and Ryoko Sakimura (20:25)
- Yamaoka’s Debut Match: MIRAI vs. Seri Yamaoka (15:00) – Time Limit Draw
- MIRAI defeated Seri Yamaoka (7:14)
- MARIGOLD Superfly Championship: Victoria Yuzuki defeated Natsumi Showzuki (c) (13:14)
- MARIGOLD Twin Star Championship: Bozilla & Tank defeated CHIAKI & Nagisa Nozaki (c) (7:10)
- Nanae Takahashi & Nao Ishikawa defeated Meiko Satomura & YUNA (16:46)
- GHC Women’s Championship: Kouki Amarei (c) defeated Chika Goto (8:21)
- MARIGOLD United National Championship: Mai Sakurai defeated Miku Aono (c) (25:17)
- MARIGOLD World Championship: Utami Hayashishita defeated Sareee (c) (22:23)
- Medical Update: Amarei suffers torn ACL, aims to return at Anniversary Show (1/12/25)
- MARIGOLD New Year’s Golden Garden (1/13/25) Chunichi Hall in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
- MARIGOLD World Championship: Utami Hayashishita (c) defeated Tank (10:27)
MARIGOLD New Year’s Golden Garden (1/19/25) Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan
- Marigold Superfly Championship: Victoria Yuzuki (c) defeated Yuuki Mashiro (8:00)
- Marigold United National Championship: Mai Sakurai (c) defeated Nagisa Nozaki (16:02)
- Marigold Twin Star Championship: Nanae Takahashi & Seri Yamaoka defeated Bozilla & Tank (c) (19:32)
Ice Ribbon
RIBBONMANIA 2024 (12/31) Korakuen Hall
- Kirari Wakana defeated Miria Koga (8:02)
- Grizzly Fujitaki, Mayuka Koike & Nanae Furukawa defeated Mifu Ashida, Minami Yuuki & Yuu Hanaya (8:37)
- Three-Way Tag Team: Arisa Shinose & Kaori Yoneyama defeated Ancham & Yappy and Kyuri & Yuna Manase (8:00)
- Ibuki Hoshi & Unagi Sayaka defeated Mio Shirai & Saran (11:21)
- Miku Kanae & Yumiko Hotta defeated Totoro Satsuki & Tsukina Umino (12:36)
- Manami Katsu defeated YuuRI (11:45)
- International Ribbon Tag Team Title: Hamuko Hoshi & Makoto (c) defeated Sumika Yanagawa & Yuko Sakurai (16:04)
- ICExInfinity Championship: Yuuki Mashiro (c) defeated Misa Kagura (18:36)
New Ice Ribbon #1392 ~ New Year Yokohama Ribbon 2025 (1/4/25) Yokohama Radiant Hall
- Hikari Shimizu & Ibuki Hoshi defeated Kirari Wakana & Miku Kanae (17:02)
- Totoro Satsuki defeated Kelsey Magnolia (6:19)
- Hamuko Hoshi & Misa Kagura defeated Ancham & Yappy (9:26)
- Kaori Yoneyama defeated Arisa Shinose (6:47)
- Akane Fujita defeated Kirari Wakana (10:51)
- Makoto & Yuuki Mashiro defeated Manami Katsu & YuuRI (15:15)
Ice Ribbon New Ice Ribbon #1394 (1/13/2024) Ota City Industrial Plaza PiO Small Exhibition Hall
- ICExInfinity Championship: Manami Katsu defeated Yuuki Mashiro (c) (10:12)
NJPW
Podcast Reviews
- NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 19 Review w/ Bruce Lord (1/4/25) Tokyo Dome
- WRESTLE DYNASTY w/ JP at Grappl Spotlight (1/5/25) Tokyo Dome
- Battle in the Valley w/ Bruce Lord (1/11/2025) San Jose Civic Center, San Jose, CA
Current Champions
- IWGP Women’s Championship: Mayu Iwatani (STARDOM)
- NJPW STRONG Women’s Champion: Mercedes Moné (AEW)
OZ Academy
OZ Academy The Wizard Of OZ 2025 (1/5/2025) Shinjuku FACE
- New Year’s Makenokori Majiten Tournament
- First Round: Hiroyo Matsumoto defeated Rina Yamashita (7:46)
- First Round: Kakeru defeated AKINO by Count Out (5:10)
- First Round: Momoka Hanazono defeated Tomoka Inaba (4:54)
- First Round: Kohaku vs. Saori Anou (10:00) – Time Limit Draw
- First Round: Ram Kaicho defeated ZONES (1:53)
- First Round: Kaori Yoneyama defeated Tsubasa Kuragaki (3:32)
- First Round: Tomoka Inaba defeated AKINO (6:09)
- First Round: Saori Anou defeated ZONES (1:17)
- Semi-Final: AKINO defeated Rina Yamashita (0:33)
- Semi-Final: Tsubasa Kuragaki defeated ZONES (1:29)
- Jaguar Yokota & Mayumi Ozaki defeat Itsuki Aoki & Sonoko Kato (16:27)
- Final: Rina Yamashita defeated ZONES (8:05)
- OZ Academy Openweight Championship: Ryo Mizunami (c) defeated Unagi Sayaka (15:37)
Sareee-ISM Chapter VI (1/25/2025) Shinjuku FACE
- Victoria Yuzuki defeated Miku Kanae (9:59)
- Honori Hana & Jaguar Yokota defeated Misa Kagura & Yumiko Hotta (10:44)
- Takumi Iroha defeated Chi Chi (12:55)
- Bozilla & Mio Momono defeated Kaoru Ito & Yurika Oka (17:05)
- Meiko Satomura defeated Sareee (16:35)
SEAdLINNNG
SEAdLINNNG Shin-Kiba Series 2025 Vol. 1 (1/17/2025) Shin-Kiba 1st RING
- Misa Kagura defeats Honori Hana (16:32)
- High-Speed Tag Team: Miku Kanae & Miyuki Takase defeated La Pidita & Na Tsudita (14:18)
- Ayame Sasamura, Itsuki Aoki & Nagisa Nozaki defeated Hiroyo Matsumoto, Makoto & Miria Koga (14:53)
- SEAdLINNNG Beyond The Sea Championship: VENY defeated Sareee (c) (23:37)
Sendai Girls
Sendai Girls (1/12/25) Sendai PIT
- Yurika Oka defeated Yura Suzuki (8:07)
- Reiwa Ultima Powers (DASH Chisako & Hiroyo Matsumoto) defeated Soy & YUNA (13:32)
- Chihiro Hashimoto defeated Chi Chi (10:29)
- Red Energy (Mika Iwata & Miyuki Takase) defeated Manami & Ryo Mizunami (13:16)
- Battle Royal: Manami defeated Chi Chi, Chihiro Hashimoto, DASH Chisako, Gabai Ji-chan, Hiroyo Matsumoto, Mika Iwata, Miyuki Takase, Ryo Mizunami, Soy, YUNA, Yura Suzuki and Yurika Oka (19:42)
Sendai Girls (1/5/25) Shinjuku FACE
- YUNA defeated Soy (6:42)
- Chi Chi, VENY & ZONES defeated Miyuki Takase, Ryo Mizunami & Yura Suzuki (10:15)
- Mika Iwata & Takumi Iroha vs. Team 200kg (Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu) (15:00) – Time Limit Draw
- Meiko Satomura defeated Manami (14:43)
- Sendai Girls Tag Championships: Bob Bob Momo Banana (Mio Momono & Yurika Oka) (c) defeated Reiwa Ultima Powers (DASH Chisako & Hiroyo Matsumoto) (18:40)
Meiko Satomura’s Retirement Road (April 29, 2025)
See Dream Slam Monthly December 2024 for previous retirement road results.
- Defeated Sareee (1/23/2025) – Sareee-ISM VI; Shinjuku FACE
- Unagi Sayaka (2/16/2025) A Single Match Even in Korakuen Hall
- NEW! Rhio (2/23/25) Progress Wrestling – My Own Destiny, Camden, London, England
- MEIKO SATOMURA: THE FINAL (4/29/2025) Korakuen Hall
STARDOM
STARDOM NEW YEAR DREAM 2024 (1/3/2025) Tokyo Garden Theatre, Ariake
- Pre-Show: Mizuki Kato & Yuma Makoto defeated Honoka & Rian (9:15)
- Pre-Show: God’s Eye (Lady C & Nanami) defeated STARS (Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida) (7:11)
- Pre-Show: God’s Eye (Hina & Ranna Yagami) defeated Soy & ZONES (8:19)
- Athena & Thekla defeat Mina Shirakawa & Tay Melo (14:21)
- High Speed Battle Royal: Saki Kashima defeated Kohaku and Matoi Hamabe and Waka Tsukiyama and Yuna Mizumori (5:10)
- HATE (Rina & Ruaka) defeated Hanan & Manami (10:08)
- Sendai Girls Junior Championship: Chi Chi (c) defeated Aya Sakura (15:09)
- God’s Eye (Syuri & Tomoka Inaba) & Kiyoka Kotatsu defeated HATE (Azusa Inaba, Fukigen Death & Momo Watanabe) (7:04)
- STARS (Hazuki, Koguma & Mayu Iwatani) defeated Neo Genesis (AZM, Mei Seira & Miyu Amasaki) (10:43)
- Cosmic Angels (Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Sayaka Kurara) defeated Dump Matsumoto, Natsuko Tora & ZAP (6:56)
- Empress Nexus Venus (HANAKO & Maika) defeated Team 200kg (Chihiro Hashimoto & Yuu) (18:10)
- Stardom Career Vs. Stardom Name: Tam Nakano [Name] defeated Unagi Sayaka [Career] (17:02)
- Neo Genesis (Starlight Kid & Suzu Suzuki) defeated HATE (Momo Watanabe & Saya Kamitani) (15:43)
Artists of STARDOM Tournament – New Years Stars 2025
New Year Stars 2025 (1/11/25) Chunichi Hall
- #1 Contendership Tournament First Round: Cosmic Angels (Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Yuna Mizumori) defeated STARS (Hazuki, Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida) (14:18)
- #1 Contendership Tournament First Round: HATE (Fukigen Death, Natsuko Tora & Rina) defeated God’s Eye (Hina, Lady C & Ranna Yagami) (12:49)
New Year Stars 2025 (1/12/25) Chunichi Hall
- Tournament Final: Cosmic Angels (Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Yuna Mizumori) defeated HATE (Fukigen Death, Natsuko Tora & Rina) (15:41)
New Year Stars 2025 (1/13/2025) Korakuen Hall
- High-Speed Title Best Two Out Of Three Falls: Mei Seira (c) defeated Saki Kashima [2:1] (5:08)
- Three Way: Hina defeated Fukigen Death and Matoi Hamabe (5:44)
- HATE (Momo Watanabe & Natsuko Tora) defeated Empress Nexus Venus (Rian & Waka Tsukiyama) (9:33)
- STARS (Hanan, Hazuki, Koguma, Momo Kohgo & Saya Iida) defeated God’s Eye (Lady C, Ranna Yagami, Syuri & Tomoka Inaba) & Kiyoka Kotatsu (14:27)
- HATE (Azusa Inaba, Rina & Saya Kamitani) defeated Neo Genesis (Miyu Amasaki, Starlight Kid & Suzu Suzuki) (12:10)
- ROH Women’s World Championship: Athena (c) defeated Thekla (14:56)
- Artist Of Stardom Championship: Cosmic Angels (Natsupoi, Saori Anou & Tam Nakano) (c) defeated Cosmic Angels (Aya Sakura, Sayaka Kurara & Yuna Mizumori) (18:38)
STARDOM Supreme Fight (2/2/2025) Korakuen Hall – Full Card TBA
- World of STARDOM Championship: Saya Kamitani (c) vs. Suzu Suzuki
Tokyo Joshi Pro-Wrestling (TJPW)
TOKYO JOSHI PRO ‘25 (1/4/2025) Korakuen Hall
- Chika Nanase & Toga defeated HIMAWARI & Mifu Ashida (10:42)
- Kaya Toribami, Ryo Mizunami & Yoshiko Hasegawa defeated Ivy Steele, Kira Summer & Matcha (8:25)
- Pom Harajuku, Raku & Yuki Aino defeated Aja Kong, Haruna Neko & Mahiro Kiryu (10:25)
- Year of the Rubber Snake Death Match: Hyper Misao defeated Shoko Nakajima (Shoko Nakajima) (12:00)
- Moka Miyamoto & Yuka Sakazaki defeated Arisu Endo & Shino Suzuki (10:25)
- Lei Ying Lee & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Rika Tatsumi & Wakana Uehara (12:07)
- International Princess Championship: Suzume defeated Yuki Arai (c) (13:20)
- Princess Tag Championship: 121000000 (Maki Itoh & Miyu Yamashita) (c) defeated Masha Slamovich & Zara Zakher (12:05)
- Princess of Princess Championship: Mizuki defeated Miu Watanabe (c) (18:40)
TJPW New Year Circuit 2025 (1/11/25) Kobe Art Center
- Princess of Princess Championship #1 Contendership Battle Royal: Rika Tatsumi defeated Arisu Endo, Hyper Misao, Pom Harajuku, Shoko Nakajima, and Yuki Aino (15:01)
Futari Princess Max Heart Tag Tournament 2025 (January-early February)
- First Round Results (1/18/25) Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
- First Round: Haru Kazashiro & Toga defeated Ivy Steele & Kira Summer (9:02)
- First Round: Kyoraku Kyomei (Hyper Misao & Shoko Nakajima) defeated Chika Nanase & Mifu Ashida (11:25)
- First Round: Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku defeated Miu Watanabe & Uta Takami (9:17)
- First Round: Wakana Uehara & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Daisy Monkey (Arisu Endo & Suzume) (11:48)
- Second Round Results (1/19/25) Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX
- Second Round: Wakana Uehara & Yuki Kamifuku defeated Haruna Neko & Mahiro Kiryu (11:25)
- Second Round: HIMAWARI & Shino Suzuki defeated Haru Kazashiro & Toga (12:43)
- Second Round: Max The Impaler & Pom Harajuku defeated Raku & Yuki Aino (11:57)
- Second Round: Kyoraku Kyomei (Hyper Misao & Shoko Nakajima) defeated Kaya Toribami & Yoshiko Hasegawa (17:15)
GRAND PRINCESS ‘25 (3/16/2025) Ota Ward Gymnasium – Full Card TBA
- Princess Tag Championships: Winner of Yamashita/Itoh vs. Sara Phoenix (2/9) vs. Winner of the 2025 Futari Princess Max Heart Tag Tournament 2025
- Princess of Princess Championship: Mizuki vs. Rika Tatsumi
- Scheduled Appearances: Yuki Arai, Aja Kong, Max The Impaler
Dream Slam Homeroom
- Recommended Match: Aja Kong & Sareee defeat Manami & Meiko Satomura (17:18) (Full Results)
- Promotion: Sendai Girls
- Date: November 17, 2024
- Venue: Korakuen Hall
- Availability: Wrestle Universe (full show)
There is a high probability that between now and the end of April, I will be showcasing Meiko Satomura matches as her retirement road nears a close.
International News Round-Up
- Momo Watanabe wins International Women’s Cup at Wrestle Dynasty
- Athena (AEW) Reflects on Recent Japan Tour after Defending her ROH Women’s Championship against Thekla
- Willow Nightingale to return to Japan via CMLL
Thank you for always listening and joining me on this global learning excursion! Arrivederci, Mata, na!