Utami Hayashishita Discusses the Options of Going Freelance, Joining Another Promotion or Going Overseas

By Noah Leatherland

Having left Marigold, Utami Hayashishita is one of the biggest free agents on the market. In a recent interview, Hayashishita discussed the different paths she could take in the next part of her career.

Utami Hayashishita discussed what she might do next with Encount. First, Hayashishita talked about the potential of becoming a freelancer, akin to the likes of Sareee. However, she doubts whether that kind of lifestyle would suit her:

Actually, I think what the fans are most hoping for is that I go freelance. Whilst I do want to live up to those expectations, I’m the sort of woman who can only remember her schedule up to the next day, so I’m bound to mess it up (laughs). So, given my personality, I don’t think freelancing suits me.

Despite that sentiment, Utami Hayashishita has made freelance appearances already. She wrestled YuuRI at Ganbare Pro back in April, and since leaving Marigold has appeared for Ito Dojo and P.P.P. Tokyo. Hayashishita shared that these have been enjoyable experiences:

I really love stepping into the ring for other promotions. There’s an atmosphere I don’t usually experience, and the ring itself is different. YuuRI was a friend of mine to begin with, so I was delighted to be able to have a match with her… [At Ito Dojo] it was my first time doing a tag team match with just me and Takumi Iroha, so it was a different kind of fun. There are plenty of wrestlers I’d like to face in other promotions, but I can’t manage my schedule…

If not freelance, there is the option of signing full time with another promotion. Hayashishita shared that a decision like that needs to be carefully considered:

I’m in high demand at the moment (laughs). If I were to join somewhere, I’d have to consider which organisation would be best for Utami Hayashishita, and whether that would turn out for the best or the worst, so I’m still wondering what to do about that…

Then, the topic of wrestling overseas was discussed. Hayashishita went on a brief international tour in 2023, wrestling for Ring of Honor, Game Changer Wrestling and Jersey Championship Wrestling. She also appeared for Pro Wrestling EVE in the UK back in 2019. From what she shared in her interview, it appears that heading abroad again could be a possibility:

I’ve been saying all along that “I can’t go overseas”. I don’t speak English, and I don’t have any family abroad. But when I went on overseas tours, I felt that even without speaking English, I could probably manage somehow, and I really love competing abroad. If I can, I’d like to go again; I’m even envious of the wrestlers from Marigold who are competing in SUKEBAN.

While it is uncertain where exactly fans can expect to see Utami Hayashishita compete in the future, she spoke on what her overall mindset is heading into this new chapter of her career:

I think I’ll stick to my own style of pro-wrestling, but I want more people to watch pro-wrestling itself. Not so much me, but pro-wrestling. Personally, I think my life would have been dull without pro-wrestling; it changed my life, so I want to keep fighting to show people that ‘there’s something this amazing out there’. That sense of the extraordinary, the superhuman nature of pro-wrestlers, the way they shine in the ring and get back up even after being knocked down – it really moves you. It’s frustrating when the wrestler you’re supporting loses, and when they win, you feel as happy as if it were your own victory. I don’t think there’s anything else that stirs up so many emotions. Since I’ve discovered this wonderful thing called pro-wrestling, I want to spread the word even further.

(Quotes translated via DeepL)