In an exclusive interview with Monthly Puroresu, Syuri explains her feelings about carrying the Red Belt, and reigning atop STARDOM as the leader of God’s Eye
by: Trent Breward
Kickboxing. MMA. Pro Wrestling. It takes a special talent to become a top champion in any one of those disciplines. It takes a true phenom to conquer all three. When Syuri won the World of Stardom Championship on December 29, 2021, she did just that. Becoming just the twelfth person to hold the ‘Red Belt’ aloft, Syuri capped off a year for the record books. A long fourteen year journey that now has her leading the way through a new boom period, thanks in part because of her. The world is now more aware of joshi than ever before, captivated by the kind of hard hitting action and fierce storytelling that has demanded the attention of wrestling fans around the world. There is noone that better epitomizes this than its nigh unbeatable champion: Syuri. Now that she’s reached the top of the mountain she can reshape it in her own ‘Syu-Red’ world vision.
Monthly Puroresu: How difficult was it transitioning between the disciplines of pro wrestling, kick-boxing and MMA?
Syuri: I think it’s quite a difficult thing to achieve results because they are completely different disciplines. It’s kind of hard to explain in words. I have done different training and set different goals for each of them. I have spent a lot of time and practice to master each of them. That’s why I believe I’ve been able to achieve results in all areas.
Monthly Puroresu: Did you notice all the press and attention you received in the West from your 43-minute double K.O. with Utami Hayashishita? What did that feel like?
Syuri: I think it was a match that put Stardom on the radar of people overseas, through this match. There was such a great response. I was very happy that people appreciated the match. But I couldn’t win the match. I cried because I was so disappointed that I couldn’t wear the Red Belt. But I think I am here now because of that frustration.
Monthly Puroresu: In the future, we would love to talk to SWA champion Mayu Iwatani, who is lovingly known as “The Icon” to fans worldwide. The belt she carries now must be won by intercontinental challengers as a stipulation in every match – what did it mean for you to represent your Filipino heritage during your own SWA Title reign?
Syuri: SWA is a belt that pits multinationals against one another. Foreign fighters could not come to Stardom during that period. So I said that I wanted to fight on the back of my mother’s homeland, the Philippines. That way I could defend it and increase its value. It was inevitable for me because I love my mother more than anything, and I’m proud of her country.
Monthly Puroresu: You recently formed your own group God’s Eye, and in our last issue Giulia told Monthly Puroreu she sees you having challenges & shortcomings in becoming a leader. What do you think will make her wrong?
Syuri: Well, I was with Giulia at DDM. I think she has led DDM to become one of the best units in Stardom. After defending my World of Stardom title against Giulia on March 26 at Ryogoku Kokugikan, I left DDM and started God’s Eye. God’s Eye has a lot of momentum right now. No matter what Giulia says, I will continue to go my own way with MIRAI and Ami Sohrei.
Monthly Puroresu: Are you officially in a long-term rivalry with Donna Del Mondo now that you’ve left?
Syuri: I have really special feelings for DDM, and of course I think it’s a rivalry that will last forever. But since we created the unit God’sEye, I look at all the other units, not only DDM, and I have a desire to be better than all of them, and all of them are rivals.
Monthly Puroresu: Fans have speculated that God’s Eye was named after the Four God’s in Chinese astrology, with each member wearing a costume that represents one of the Gods’ colors. Is this true or a coincidental link that people have made?
Syuri: It’s a coincidence. For us, the meaning of God’s Eye is “Chosen by the God of Fighting.” I think it was fate that brought us together.
Monthly Puroresu: You’ve expressed interest in defending your title against old friends like Hikaru Shida and Asuka, is there anyone else from outside of Stardom right now you’d really like to defend the title against?
Syuri: Asuka and Hikaru Shida, because they are on the worldwide stage, are rivals in a way that most others couldn’t be. If I have the opportunity to fight them again, I believe I will be able to show them how my world has evolved even further. Others that I want to defend my title against would be Nanae Takahashi, Chihiro Hashimoto, Meiko Satomura, Toni Storm, and other great fighters from around the world. I will continue to prove through my defenses that the Red Belt is the pinnacle of the wrestling world.
Monthly Puroresu: What kind of legacy would you like your World of Stardom championship reign to have?
Syuri: I joined Stardom to win the Red Belt. Stardom is by far the number one organization in women’s professional wrestling, and the World of Stardom championship is proof that you are elite. I still have many things I want to do. I want to break the record for most defenses, win the Tokyo Sports Women’s Pro Wrestling Grand Prize, and win the Best Bout of the Year. With this World of Stardom title, I will carve my name in the history of the pro wrestling world.
Monthly Puroresu: Tell us about some of your favorite memories, traveling on the road, in 2020-21 leading up to when you captured Stardom’s fabled Red Belt.
Syuri: My first challenge for the Red Belt was in October 2020, when I lost to Mayu Iwatani and then decided to join Stardom. In June of 2021, when I challenged Utami Hayashishita for the Red Belt, I was so frustrated that I cried during the post-match interview after going to a 30 minute time limit draw and then getting the time extended and still failing to have a winner. In the same year, I won the 5 Star GP championship. I was also finally able to tell to my mom, who passed away in 2020, and everyone who cheered and supported me that my time was now. Everything is a good memory for me.
Monthly Puroresu: In the ring, you debuted your new finisher Syu-Sekai to win the Red Belt – what went into creating that finisher?
Syuri: After that 43 minute KO with Utami Hayashishita at Ota Ward Gym on June 12, 2021, I had been thinking about Syu-Sekai constantly, envisioning what I wanted and how to create it. It was only right before the Ryogoku show that I finally decided “this is it.”
Monthly Puroresu: What changes have you seen in Joshi puroresu, and in Stardom, since you started wrestling?
Syuri: Since my debut, I have experienced many different organizations and worked as a freelancer, but I think I’ve really changed since I joined Stardom. There are a lot of big fights, and the amount of media coverage and attention is totally different here, and the number of people watching me has increased a lot. The way I am viewed as an athlete has also changed, and I think I’ve become more conscious of being a professional.
Monthly Puroresu: Stardom and New Japan are running their first ever combined show in November. What do you think it means for Stardom moving forward to be seen on equal footing with NJPW?
Syuri: I would like to participate in the first joint show with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and I would be happy to do so. I don’t know that we’re on equal footing with NJPW or anything, but if I am able to compete, I would like to help show people who have not yet seen Stardom, just how great it is.
Monthly Puroresu: If you were to wrestle in a mixed tag match on that show, who would you most want to team with?
Syuri: Minoru Suzuki. I’ve had the opportunity to fight against him and have had a face-off with him, so I’d like to stand next to him this time, as his partner.
Monthly Puroresu: Your vision is to create a Syu-Red world. What does that world look like to you?
Syuri: I want to bring wrestling to the world, and I want to create a world where the matches are so memorable, so influential, and so life changing that they leave a lasting impression on those who watch.
Monthly Puroresu: Have the goalposts moved with you as Stardom’s top champion? And, what are three reasons fans should tune in to watch your title reign as the promotion works towards those new goals?
Syuri: I am proud to say that I have mastered everything from kickboxing, MMA, and wrestling to become the World of Stardom champion, and I am further increasing the value of this belt with each title defense. I’ve poured all my experience into Stardom, and I believe that I have reached the position of an absolute champion, and as the person who carries women’s professional wrestling on her shoulders. And Stardom is moving forward with new developments one after another.
Monthly Puroresu: What are three things our readers should know about your mindset as Stardom’s top champion?
Syuri: What I want people to pay attention to in my reign as World of Stardom champion is:
Having defended my belt six times since the beginning of 2022, Syuri’s evolution is far from over. Keep your eyes on me!
Date:
October 15, 2022
