Marigold Dream Star GP 2025: Top Stars, Grudge Matches, Surprises

By: Thom Fain

Marigold just dropped the full Dream Star Grand Prix lineup, and this tournament is going to be something special. The whole thing kicks off August 2nd with a double-header in Osaka before wrapping up September 14th at Korakuen Hall.

The bottom line: Rossy’s building something that could reshape Joshi wrestling competitions, and the matchups prove he’s not messing around.

Here’s what’s got me interested: Rossy back at his forte, creating storylines within storylines, like this is his version of a prestige TV series where every episode matters. You’ve got established stars, rising talent, and grudge matches all baked into one cohesive narrative.

The Dream League is stacked with talent that makes sense. Utami Hayashishita – who’s basically the ace of aces right now – opens against Victoria Yuzuki. Then you get the August 30th Korakuen show with Mayu vs. Utami, which is the kind of dream match that writes itself. These are two wrestlers at the top of their games, and we rarely get to see them go head-to-head in tournament settings.
The final night dynamics are particularly smart: Yuzuki facing her mentor Mayu creates that student-vs-teacher drama, while Utami vs. Kouki Amarei gives us a rematch from last year’s final night. Rossy knows his history, and he’s using it.

The Star League has some compelling matchups too. Mai Sakurai vs. Chanyota to open feels right – longtime friends with history. MIRAI vs. Miku Aono on the evening show should be excellent based on their previous encounters. And having Mai Sakurai vs. Miku Aono as a final night matchup? That’s their first singles meeting since January, which creates natural anticipation.

Here’s a fun wrinkle: all final block matches happen on the same night as the final. September 14th at Korakuen Hall is going to be one of those marathon shows where everything comes together. It’s ambitious scheduling that could pay off big.

This feels like Rossy taking everything he’s learned about tournament booking and applying it to his vision for what modern women’s wrestling can be. Worth watching to see if he pulls it off.

Coverage on WRESTLE-UNIVERSE starts August 2nd.

DREAM LEAGUE

• Utami Hayashishita
• Mayu Iwatani
• Victoria Yuzuki
• Kouki Amarei
• Seri Yamaoka
• CHIAKI
• Rea Seto
• Senka Akatsuki

STAR LEAGUE

• Mai Sakurai
• Miku Aono
• MIRAI
• Chika Goto
• Kizuna Tanaka
• Misa Matsui
• Nagisa Nozaki
• Chanyota