One of the biggest news from 2025 in Japanese wrestling was a STARDOM original, Mayu Iwatani, leaving the promotion and headed to Marigold.
In STARDOM, Iwatani did it all. So much so, that she became STARDOM’s second-ever Grand Slam Champion behind Io Shirai. She spoke recently with ENCOUNT on her decision to go to Marigold and actually stayed in STARDOM a year longer than originally planned.
“I agonized over it. Staying would have been the safer choice, but I also had this desire to go… I wrestled with it endlessly. But then there was ‘The Runaway Wrestler’ (a film about Iwatani’s life). I thought, if I transferred now and this movie fell apart, it wouldn’t just affect me – it would cause trouble for everyone involved. So I decided to stay for a year, for the film and for STARDOM.
Also, if I lost the IWGP Women’s Championship, I would have felt like I had done everything I could in STARDOM… I think there are wrestlers who aim for the IWGP, but in my case, the IWGP came after I had conquered everything, so I felt that I had a place in STARDOM because I had that belt.”
She continues, “Honestly, there was no real benefit to leaving (STARDOM) (laughs),” Iwatani recalled her thoughts when she initially made the decision. “I thought to myself, Did I make a stupid choice? And felt anxious, wondering if I was heading into some crazy place. But once I actually joined (Marigold), it wasn’t like that at all. It’s nothing but rewarding. As for making mistakes in techniques, I make mistakes myself, and I think it’s important to know how to recover afterwards, and my honest impression was that, surprisingly, everyone can do that. I thought, ‘Everyone’s got this.’” (Fightful/Transcript)
Iwatani continues to be decorated outside of STARDOM. She is currently the Marigold Super Fly Champion and the GHC Women’s Champion of Pro Wrestling NOAH.