Maki Ito bursts into tears after being scheduled to face fellow dojo member Kian Furusawa in the first round: "I can't believe I'm fighting against a friend I finally made..." / Cinderella T press conference

The pairings for the spring festival "Cinderella Tournament 2026" (opening on March 6th at the Chunichi Hall in Aichi) have been announced, and a match between Maki Ito and Kian Furusawa, both members of the Ito Respect Army, has been confirmed

This tournament will be held over two days in Nagoya on March 6th and 7th, with 16 first-round matches (8 matches at each event). On the first day, Ito will face Furusawa. Ito stood on the stage with a look of surprise on her face and burst into tears, saying, "This is unbelievable. I've only been in Stardom for two months, and to be fighting against a friend I've just made...it's unbelievable!"

Seeing her master in such a pathetic state, Furusawa suddenly slapped him across the face. "Master! Why are you crying? I really wanted to fight you in the finals, but I'm happy that we can have a singles match in the first round. Let's settle who's stronger, the world's number one or me, the second cutest!" she said, encouraging him

Cheering up by his protégé's words, Ito promised, "I'll win, wear a dress, and make some high-quality T-shirts for the Ito Respect Army." In the end, the two of them promised to do their best, saying, "We're looking forward to it!"