Peatzilla | MP
By: Alessandro, of HypeTalkTV
Takumi Iroha is, in her own words, useless outside the ring. The Ace of Marvelous Pro Wrestling — current AAAW Singles Champion, AAAW Tag Team Champion alongside her partner-rival Sareee, RCW Women’s World Champion, and until January the second-ever GHC Women’s Champion in Pro Wrestling NOAH history — is one of joshi puroresu’s most decorated active figures.
But step away from the ropes and the General of Marvelous gives way to something quieter: a self-described pro wrestling otaku who shares her home with four rescue dogs and six rescue cats and credits them with keeping her sane.
That contrast sits at the center of how she works. Iroha treats everything as input — a stubbed finger, a cat’s expression, a jiu-jitsu drill, a comedy match she’d rather not be in — and feeds it back into her ring style. She trains at an MMA gym between Marvelous shows. She watches her pets fight and play, and harvests their faces for her own. Takumi also carries the burden of being number one as fuel (rather than burden), because she insists that the moment she slows down, someone behind her is ready to take her place.
We sat down with Iroha shortly after her acclaimed AAAW title defense against Sareee at the Marvelous 10th Anniversary show at Yokohama BUNTAI on May 5, 2026 — a match she calls one of the best of her career, and one her body is still recovering from.
Monthly Puroresu:
Please introduce yourself. People say you look so cool in the ring — how do you do it?
Takumi Iroha:
I’m Marvelous’s ace, Takumi Iroha. Thank you—but honestly, once I step out of the ring, I’m kind of useless. A mess. It’s only in the ring. Just in the ring.
Monthly Puroresu:
What kind of person are you in your private life?
Takumi Iroha:
Hmm… I don’t really do anything. Nothing at all. I love dogs. I love animals — I’m an animal lover. I have four dogs and six cats, all rescues. They’re my family. Wrestling gives me a massive adrenaline rush — when I’m in a match the adrenaline is pumping—but when I come home to my dogs and cats, I can just be myself again. They’re my on-and-off switch. The switch flips on in the ring, and with the dogs and cats I relax and turn it off. If they weren’t there, I’d probably be running on adrenaline all the time.
Monthly Puroresu:
What’s the real appeal of women’s pro wrestling?
Takumi Iroha:
The real appeal is the combination of glamour and the will to fight — that fighting spirit, that heart. Ordinary women are expected to be cute and pretty, but pro wrestling has fighting spirit. That’s why I think it’s a place where you can experience something truly extraordinary. Pro wrestlers are different from normal girls. They’re strong. They have a different aura. Punching, kicking, throwing people around — that’s not normal. You only get to see that in the pro wrestling ring. Plus there’s a lot of glamour to it, and the flying. There’s real risk — the risk of getting hurt or injured—but everyone does it because we absolutely love pro wrestling. To me, pro wrestling is about the audience getting to witness that passion and that raw tension. That’s what pro wrestling is.
Monthly Puroresu:
Your ring gear is super cool too — what are the key points? And it feels a bit combat-sports inspired; do you watch martial arts?
Takumi Iroha:
I definitely want it to look glamorous and sparkly, but I also want it to make me look big, presence-wise — a larger-than-life image. And I wear pants that make my kicks and kick form look good. Yes, I watch combat sports. I don’t have a specific favorite fighter, but I study it a lot. I watch YouTube, and I also go to an MMA gym to train and practice. In pro wrestling, you have to be an all-round player, so I challenge myself with lots of things—MMA, jiu-jitsu, all kinds of things. I absorb them and then show them in the ring.
Monthly Puroresu:
Are you a bit of a pro wrestling nerd? An otaku?
Takumi Iroha:
I’m probably a total pro wrestling nerd. Even in my daily life — for example, if I stub my finger or bump into something, it hurts, but I think about how to apply that to wrestling. Everything, all of it. Even my dogs and cats. When they’re happy, when they get angry — their expressions, their faces, their eyes, happy eyes, angry faces — I absorb all of it and integrate it into my own wrestling style.
Monthly Puroresu:
What has been your biggest “Aha!” moment — an epiphany that connects wrestling to something else?
Takumi Iroha:
I take the best parts from everything around me, pick them out, and build them into myself. Bit by bit, piece by piece. It’s not just one single thing—it’s everything. I’m constantly focusing on everything.
Monthly Puroresu:
In your wrestling career, what leaves the strongest impression?
Takumi Iroha:
What leaves a strong impression is facing a rival. When I wrestle a rival, I get incredibly tense and nervous. But even that is fun. On the flip side, when I wrestle someone who does more comedy-style wrestling, I don’t look down on it just because it’s comedy. I treat everything with total seriousness. Comedy wrestling is actually incredibly difficult — it’s full of unpredictable elements, and because it’s so different, it takes a lot of effort. If I had to say whether I like it or not, I’d probably say I don’t. But it serves as excellent training. Everything is a lesson.
Monthly Puroresu:
What is the hardest part of your job that people don’t see?
Takumi Iroha:
When you’re always at the top, you’re constantly being hunted. The wrestlers below you are always chasing you. You’re the leader — everyone looks at the leader. Every wrestler is aiming for your spot, and they come at you with everything they’ve got. If you slip up or show a moment of weakness, if I slow down even a little, someone else takes my place. The burden of knowing you absolutely must stay number one is tough. You can’t afford to fall. You have to keep running constantly. But that pressure drives you to climb even higher.
Monthly Puroresu:
What has been your best match recently?
Takumi Iroha:
Recently, I had a title match against Sareee at Yokohama BUNTAI. That was intense—incredibly intense. My body still hurts from it. I’m still dealing with a lot of damage, but it was our first singles match in seven years. We were able to show the fans exactly who we are today, and it was a deeply passionate battle. It allowed me to reconfirm where I stand right now, and it fueled my constant desire to elevate the sport. That match against Sareee was truly special.
Monthly Puroresu:
What is your relationship with Sareee like?
Takumi Iroha:
Usually we are a tag team, so we aren’t standing in opposite corners very often. But I always view her as a rival. We are rivals, yet we are a tag team. A tag team, yet rivals. It’s a very complicated dynamic. But our dream, our ultimate goal, is the same. Sareee and Takumi are looking toward the exact same peak.
Monthly Puroresu:
What is the next challenge you want to take on, and why?
Takumi Iroha:
Next, I want to fight against even more top-tier wrestlers. I want to keep proving my strength and showing everyone what I’m capable of. And I want to make pro wrestling more popular — women’s pro wrestling should be right up there with soccer and baseball. Those sports are incredibly popular. I want to bring wrestling up to that exact same level.
Monthly Puroresu:
What makes you feel truly happy?
Takumi Iroha:
When the fans watch us and tell us they gained courage, or that we inspired them to work hard the next day — that is the greatest joy. It makes me feel that getting beaten up was completely worth it. Wrestling hurts, right? If the fans are happy, then it was worth the pain. That makes me happy.
Monthly Puroresu:
Do you have a message for your international fans?
Takumi Iroha:
I really want to wrestle overseas a lot more — so please, come out and see a show! I want to prove how incredible Japanese women’s pro wrestling is. At the same time, I have immense respect for international wrestling, and I want to test myself against the top talent out there. So please wait for me.
Date:
May 18, 2026
