Mai Sakurai States She Is Set To Carry Marigold, Discusses Low Attendance At Events

By: Lewis Carlan

Utami Hayahishita is set to depart Marigold on May 23rd as she leaves the promotion she has been with since its inception two years ago.

Another Marigold original has indicated that she is ready to fill the leadership role void that will be left when Hayashishita leaves to become a freelancer.

In a recent interview with Number Web, Mai Sakurai explained that with Hayashishita leaving Marigold, she is set to carry the weight of the promotion on her shoulders.

From Mai Sakurai:

“With Utami leaving Marigold, I have to resolve to carry the weight of the organization on my shoulders. Specifically, that means winning the red belt and standing at the very top of Marigold. To make that happen, there’s still a lot I need to do first—it’s a huge challenge.”

Sakurai spoke honestly during the interview as she indicated Marigold competitors are taking the opportunities given to them for granted.

From Mai Sakurai:

“I’ve long felt that people take for granted the opportunities laid out right in front of them. They assume it’s a given that they’ll get to compete at Ryogoku Kokugikan or the Ota City General Gymnasium. That’s why competing at Korakuen Hall feels even more like a given. But that’s not right. Having experienced being slotted into the preliminary matches when there were too many participants, I don’t think it’s a given that you’ll make it into the main card. I think the intensity with which you approach a match differs between someone who has fought to earn a spot in the main card and someone who feels like stepping into the ring is just a given. That’s why I believe it’s better for newcomers to experience being placed in an environment where nothing is taken for granted.”

In addition, Sakurai discussed the declining crowds at Marigold events and offered advice on how to bring more fans to venues such as Korakuen Hall.

From Mai Sakurai:

“I think the Korakuen Hall event is just as important as any big match, so I don’t want it to be half-empty. Personally, I feel that if it’s at a venue like Korakuen Hall or somewhere in the Tokyo metropolitan area, we can invite our own friends and acquaintances, right? For example, if each wrestler invited just 10 people, that would add another 200 fans. I think adding 200 more fans to a current Marigold event at Korakuen Hall is a pretty big deal. Ideally, the venue would be filled entirely with fans, but I don’t think we can be that picky right now. At Korakuen, where drawing crowds is tough, when I was Twin Star Champion, I invited nearly 50 acquaintances during tag team matches, and during my triumphant return as UN Champion, I asked nearly 100 people I knew to come watch. When it comes to drawing crowds, there’s surely still more we can do. We have to provide our fans with value that exceeds the price of their tickets, and as a team, we want to raise the energy level of our events.”

On May 23rd, Sakurai is set to team with MIRAI & Miku Aono as they face Utami Hayashishita, Takumi Iroha & Maddy Morgan at “MARIGOLD SHINE FOREVER 2026”. This will be Hayashishita’s final bout as a Marigold pro-wrestler.

Sakurai is expected to resume her pursuit of Miku Aono and the Marigold World Championship after May 23rd.

(All English quote translations via Deepl.com)