JPN
The Ito Respect Group (RG), consisting of Maki Ito, Kian Furusawa, and Rian, is actively working towards becoming an officially recognized group unit
When Ito joined Stardom in January of this year, she unexpectedly teamed up with Furusawa Kian. Ito RG, who had previously been active in other promotions, made a comeback on the Stardom mat. Moreover, their outrageous rhetoric, such as advocating for "100% admission" and "100% merchandise sales," has become a hot topic, and they quickly became a popular unit. At the Kyoto event on May 31st, Rian also joined them, and at the Yoyogi event on June 20th, they even managed to challenge for the Artist of the Year title (held by Sorei Ami, Hina, and Lady C)
Although he didn't manage to win the belt, his entrance featured a spectacular choreography set to Ito RG's official theme song, "Setsunairo," which caused a huge stir in the wrestling world
For Ito RG, who is currently incredibly popular, the only remaining concern is that he is not an officially recognized unit like STARS or HATE
Ito, who had long advocated for official recognition, announced after the June 20 Yoyogi match, "Despite the popularity at the venue, there has been no talk of becoming an official unit. At this rate, I'll call in Taro Okada (the president) and try to persuade him."
They finally took action the other day. A video of Ito, Furusawa, and Rian visiting Bushiroad's headquarters in Tokyo has been uploaded to Ito's official X account
The three waited for President Okada outside, holding a message board that read, "Make the #ItoRespectArmy an official unit!" As soon as the meeting ended, they surrounded President Okada, and Furusawa, while holding a butterfly net, chanted, "Make us an official unit!" This was no longer collective bargaining, but a direct confrontation
Then President Okada shouted, "You're being rude! What are you doing?! That's disrespectful!" When the three still didn't stop, he finally blurted out, "You're just players, do you really think you can be so disrespectful to the president?!"
Twenty-two years ago, in 2004, amidst the turmoil of team restructuring in professional baseball, this same "they're just players" remark was taken out of context and escalated into a major controversy. Will history repeat itself, or will something else happen?
Meanwhile, attention is also focused on what Ito RG's next move will be, as his attempt ultimately proved unsuccessful