In a press conference announced today by and streamed via WRESTLE UNIVERSE on YouTube, former Stardom head Rossy Ogawa officially announced his expected newest promotion. Here’s what we know so far:
It will be called DREAM STAR FIGHTING Marigold, or Marigold for short.
The wrestlers who just left Stardom a couple weeks ago will be part of it-Utami Hayashishita, MIRAI, Nanae Takahashi, Mai Sakurai, Victoria Yuzuki (Yuzuki) and-for now-Giulia, who also will appear in Pro Wrestling NOAH on their 5/4 PPV and is expected to head to WWE later this year. Also joining are most of the Actress Girls roster-Natsumi Sumikawa, Miku Aono, Misa Matsui, CHIAKI, Chika Goto, and KOUK (who have been appearing semi-regularly in All-Japan before events, that promotion had been on hiatus since one of their wrestlers was killed in a car accident earlier this year en route to an event), along with former wrestler/trainer and Stardom GM Fuka. A handful of foreigners were also announced.
The first event will be on 5/20 at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo headlined by Giulia & TBA vs. Sareee & TBA and possibly Yuzuki vs. Takahashi. Also, on the 5/4 NOAH PPV they will have Giulia, Utami Hayashishita, MIRAI & Mai Sakurai vs Miyuki Takase, Sakuya, Nagisa Nozaki & Takumi Iroha. That event reportedly will stream on WRESTLE UNIVERSE, but it does not yet show in the live schedule. A full slate of events for most of the second half of the year also were announced.
More as it becomes available.
UPDATE: WRESTLE UNIVERSE announced it will be a live broadcast in Japanese and English but no word on if it’s a PPV or not. Initial reports lead me to believe it is not.