Manuel Ish | MP
By: Alessandro, of HypeTalk TV
When we first sat down with Senka Akatsuki nearly a year ago, she was a wide-eyed rookie barely months into her career at Marvelous Pro Wrestling. A lot has changed since then.
In the time between that conversation and this one, Senka has moved at a pace that few wrestlers — let alone debuting ones — could match. She took a loss against Seri Yamaoka in the inter-promotional war with Marigold and made clear she wasn’t done with her. She traveled to Las Vegas as part of Marvelous’ return to the United States, stepping into the ring with Aja Kong in a singles match that earned widespread praise from international fans. She teamed with YUNA of Sendai Girls to face her own master, Chigusa Nagayo, alongside the retiring Meiko Satomura — a dream match she described as unlike anything she had experienced before. And through it all, she’s been building a dedicated fanbase overseas who have latched onto her brand of relentless, hard-nosed wrestling.=
This time, we sat down with Senka for something a little different. Less career inventory, more Senka Akatsuki the person — what drives her, what keeps her up at night, what she listens to when nobody’s watching. What emerged was a portrait of a wrestler who is still actively becoming herself, and who is completely at peace with that process.
Monthly Puroresu: What first got you into pro wrestling?
Senka: It started when I was 9 years old. My mom showed me a deathmatch video on YouTube on her smartphone.
Monthly Puroresu: What is your strongest impression of Marvelous?
Senka: The fundamentals here are so solid. We train hard and we wrestle hard, so I truly believe that more than any other promotion, we are the strongest and capable of putting on the absolute best pro wrestling.
Monthly Puroresu: What is the real appeal of women’s pro wrestling?
Senka: In women’s pro wrestling, you constantly pour your heart and emotions out there. Pro wrestling itself is something extraordinary and removed from daily life, but because of that, when it comes to the emotional side — whether it’s people who go to a regular job or kids going to school, everyone experiences feeling frustrated, happy, pained, or going through hard times. I believe those exact same feelings connect directly to what we do in the ring.
Monthly Puroresu: Do you have “two faces” — a different persona — outside of the ring?
Senka: I’m not striking or hitting anyone out there, so yeah, I definitely have two different faces.
Monthly Puroresu: What are your hobbies outside of wrestling?
Senka: My hobby is listening to Enka — traditional Japanese ballad music. It’s Japanese songs performed in traditional Japanese kimonos.
Monthly Puroresu: Do you like karaoke? What’s your favorite thing to sing?
Senka: I do like karaoke. Enka.
Monthly Puroresu: Any particular artist?
Senka: Aya Shimazu-san. I love old-school things. I love the Showa era.
Monthly Puroresu: What is the hardest or most painful thing for you that people might not see?
Senka: Of course it physically hurts when an opponent hits you with a move — there’s definitely that. But for me, the absolute toughest thing as a professional wrestler is when I feel within myself that I didn’t perform well. When I feel that way, that’s probably when it’s the most draining for me.
Monthly Puroresu: What is your “charm point” — your best feature?
Senka: What I am most conscious of as a professional wrestler is that I am truly striving for a style of wrestling that pursues pure strength. More than anything, I want everyone to see my strong spirit and my refusal to ever give up.
Monthly Puroresu: Do you have a biggest insecurity or complex — in wrestling, or just in life?
Senka: I have some experience in my career now, but I feel like I’m still just recklessly pushing forward through everything. I need to truly establish my own unique identity — who “I” am. Right now, I still feel like I’m in a bit of a transitional, halfway point within myself. So my goal is to break through and become a truly one-of-a-kind presence.
Monthly Puroresu: What is the next thing you want to achieve?
Senka: I want to keep climbing higher and higher. Regardless of how much career experience they have, I want to square off against the strongest wrestlers out there.
Monthly Puroresu: Last question — what makes you happy?
Senka: Honestly, right now, I feel like I am the happiest I have ever been in my entire life. That’s because I’m able to do what I genuinely want to do. I’m able to do what I love. I truly think that is the absolute greatest happiness. And I’m only here today because I’ve been helped and supported by so many people around me. I am so incredibly grateful for that. Seriously, right now is the happiest time of my life.
Monthly Puroresu: Do you have a quick message for your fans overseas?
Senka (speaking in English): Thank you everyone! Before the America show, many, many people support. “Senka! Senka! Senka!” Very, very happy. Thank you so much. I like America show. I want to go to America, and around the country! I want to go, yes! More, more, more shows! I want — please support. Thank you!
Date:
June 16, 2026
