JPN
Will she set a new record? "High Kick Angel" Sakura Aya is burning with desire for her last chance. At "NEW BLOOD 30" on March 25th (Shin-Kiba 1stRING, Tokyo), she will challenge Future of Stardom Champion Yagami Ranna. Yagami, who defeated HANAKO at the March 15th Yokohama event, nominated her for this title match
The rules for the title state that the winner must be "within three years of debut or under 20 years old," and Sakura, who debuted on March 25, 2023, has one last chance to win the title. However, her target opponent is said to be the former champion
"What I envisioned was for HANAKO, who debuted on the same day as me on March 25th, to be in the main event, competing for the future title. There was no guarantee that HANAKO would last until the very end, but I wanted us to stand in the main event together on our debut anniversary at NEW BLOOD, the promotion where we were born," she revealed
That's why, even though the three-year mark since her debut was approaching, she didn't step up to challenge until the very last moment. If HANAKO hadn't been the champion on March 25th, she had considered having a match for the NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship, which she and Sayaka Kurei hold, but she was impressed by the new champion's enthusiasm
"Ranna has kindly nominated me. This is my last chance, and my first singles match against Ranna. We both have a karate background, similar height and build, and we mainly use kicks and joint locks. Because our fighting styles are similar, I see her as my biggest rival in a different way than my other contemporaries. Ranna wants to defend her first belt, and Sakura wants to seize this last chance no matter what. I think the outcome will depend on whose desire is stronger," she said with a determined expression
This will be her third challenge for the Future Championship. Of course, her desire to win the title is strong. "I want to focus on 'results in Stardom.' The NEW BLOOD Tag Team Championship and the Tag League championship were both achieved as a tag team. I haven't achieved anything on my own in Stardom yet. I still regret not being able to participate in the Rookie of Stardom due to injury. If I don't win the Future Championship, I'll end my early career without having accomplished anything in singles competitions, since I wasn't able to participate in the Rookie of the Year tournament. Moreover, it's the first belt I've ever wanted to win since I started professional wrestling, a goal I'll be proud of. If I don't win the Future Championship, I won't be satisfied with my professional wrestling career," she explains
If she succeeds in capturing the title, she will be forced to relinquish it immediately. This is because she will lose her eligibility to hold the title the following day. If she relinquishes the title after only one day, it will set a new record for the shortest reign to hold the title. Sakura grits her teeth and says, "A record for the shortest reign to hold the title? That's right. But I really didn't want to go down in history this way. I wanted to become champion and defend my title against all of them: HANAKO, Ranna, Kurei, Rian, Matoi, Akira, Yuria, Anne, Kian, and Emma. When I held the Sendai Girls World Junior belt, I experienced the frustration of not having any title defenses scheduled, so I had the ambition to defend my Future title against many different wrestlers at a high frequency. It's frustrating that this won't be a reality."
Nevertheless, he shifted his mindset and said, "Even if I'm only a champion for one day, I'm happy because I can leave my mark on the history of Future. I want to become the Future Champion and tell my past self, who was devastated by the injury in my first year, that I'm glad I chose pro wrestling. And I will carry on my ambition to defend my title against all of my contemporaries, which I couldn't achieve in Future."
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