JPN
"High Kick Angel" Sakura Aya revealed her determination for the spring festival "Cinderella Tournament 2026" (opening on March 6th at Chunichi Hall in Aichi)
32 players will participate in this year's tournament. The first round will consist of 16 matches (8 matches per tournament) over two days in Nagoya on March 6th and 7th. Sakura, who is participating for the second consecutive year, has stated that her theme for this tournament is "to overthrow the established order."
"This year, not only young wrestlers but also top-tier wrestlers will be competing. If I can win among them, it would be incredibly amazing. The reason I was able to win the tag league (last year) was because the strengths of Sakura and Sayaka Kurei combined, and 1 + 1 became 100. But the Cinderella Tournament is a test of my own individual strength and true worth. I want to prove that I can compete in both tag team and singles matches. And I will break free from being 'the other one' of Sakura and Kurei. I'm going to stage an upset!"
Last year, Sakura faced HANAKO in the first round of the tournament. The match ended in a time-limit draw, resulting in both being eliminated. HANAKO currently holds the Future Championship, which Sakura is also aiming for. Because the Future Championship has a rule that holders must be "less than three years old or under 20 years old," both Sakura, who debuted on March 25, 2023, have less than a month left to be eligible to wear the Future Championship
Moreover, HANAKO, who recently achieved her third consecutive victory, has hinted that she will put the belt on the line if she finds a suitable opponent for the Cinderella T
Regarding this, Sakura said, "Recently, young wrestlers have been getting a lot of attention not only in NEW BLOOD but also in the main tournament. That's why I think the Future and NEW BLOOD tag team belts haven't been able to have as many title defenses as they'd like. These two belts have a time limit, so they should be able to have more frequent title defenses. If they're not getting enough defenses, then they should just do it in the Cinderella tournament, I agree with that." She thus supports the champions' viewpoint
Coincidentally, Sakura and Hanako will both have their first-round matches on March 6th, so depending on the tournament pairings, they could potentially clash in their first match. Sakura showed a cautious attitude, saying, "To be honest... I can't say I want to face her. Because I've never been able to beat her in a singles match," but she quickly changed her mind
"But I can't afford to say something so uncool. Standing closest to me is the biggest obstacle in Stardom: HANAKO. To reach the top, I have to overcome her. If I have to overcome her anyway, it's the same whether it's the first match or the final," she said, her fighting spirit burning
Last year, her tag team partner, Kurei, won the tournament. Seeing that, she said she felt a variety of emotions
"Honestly, I never thought a winner would come from our generation. I was surprised, and I felt a great deal of respect. But as I watched the ceremony, I was thinking that I'm more suited to trudging through thorny paths with my bare hands, getting covered in mud, and walking barefoot, rather than a Cinderella story. More than wanting to wear a dress, there are things I want to achieve in Stardom right now. That's why I'm aiming to win. I think Kurara is also aiming for a second consecutive victory, but I'm already prepared to stand opposite her and crush her. If possible, I'd like to meet her in the finals. This year, I hope Kurara will hold the hem of my dress ♡."
The cherry blossoms are blooming a little early on the Stardom mat
"CINDERELLA TOURNAMENT 2026" Tournament Schedule
March 6th (Friday), Aichi, Chunichi Hall, Round 1
March 7th (Saturday), Aichi, Chunichi Hall, Round 1
March 8th (Sunday), Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Round 2
March 11th (Wednesday), Korakuen Hall, Tokyo: Quarterfinals
March 15th (Sunday), Kanagawa, Yokohama Budokan: Semifinals & Finals