Victoria Yuzuki Vows To Become The Ace Of Marigold, Says She Will Prove Herself By Defeating Mayu Iwatani

By: Lewis Carlan

In less than a week on May 24th, Victoria Yuzuki will defend her Marigold Super Flyweight Championship for the fourth time at SHINE FOREVER 2025. Her opponent will be her toughest challenger to date in the “Icon” Mayu Iwatani.

This title defense by Yuzuki could very well be the most important match in her young career. Yuzuki spoke with Tokyo Sports recently about facing Iwatani again for the first time since March 2024. She indicated that she wants to be the ace of Marigold and to prove herself, she needs to surpass Iwatani.

From Victoria Yuzuki:

At that time, I was desperate to make Mayu-san, who I admired, acknowledge my existence. Of course, I still have that fighting spirit, but I think I’ve grown in many ways since then, so I’m not the same person I was back then. The greatest joy for me was that Mayu-san joined the company and we were able to fight together again in the same promotion. But I have also been fighting with the company on my back for a year, and my goal is to become the ace of Marigold, so I won’t give up this belt just because it’s Mayu-san. At Yoyogi, I will definitely surpass the person I admired.”

Yuzuki discussed the harsh criticism she  received when she departed STARDOM last year to join Marigold which made her work hard with determination for the new promotion.

From Victoria Yuzuki:

“When I left STARDOM, I received a lot of harsh criticism, and I thought I had to turn those criticisms around, so I’ve been working hard with that determination for the past year since the company was founded. Winning the belt has given me confidence, but I’m still nowhere near my goal. I still want to wear this belt and prove myself, so I will defeat Mayu-san.”

Yuzuki also touched upon her time when she was a member of the STARDOM unit STARS which was led by Mayu Iwatani. She indicated it was by watching Iwatani that inspired her to pursue a career as a pro-wrestler.

From Victoria Yuzuki:

“After watching Mayu-san’s matches on video, I started to think that I wanted to try doing what I loved instead of just watching it. Having everyone in STARS celebrate my birthday is an unforgettable memory.”

As mentioned, Yuzuki’s Marigold Super Flyweight title defense against Iwatani will be one of the most important and crucial matches of her career.

Iwatani has stated previously that she wants to win every title available in the Marigold promotion. Yuzuki is expected to fight like hell to keep her championship and prevent Iwatani’s title belt collecting to begin with her.

Marigold SHINE FOREVER 2025 will be available on Wrestle Universe PPV on May 24th.

(H/T goes to meraWRESTLING for all the above English quote translations)