JPN
Stardom held a press conference on the 2nd and announced that they will hold a retirement ceremony for Saki Kashima at their Yokohama Arena event on April 26th. They also announced the matches for the three final shows from the Korakuen Hall event on April 8th to the Korakuen Hall event on April 23rd. In what will be her de facto last match at the Korakuen Hall event on April 23rd, she will team up with Syuri as the "ConcaveAneconTotsu" tag team to face Momo Watanabe and AZM in a special tag team match.
President Taro Okada and Kashima attended the press conference. They said that after Kashima made the shocking announcement at the Korakuen Hall event on January 10th that he would retire at the Yokohama Arena in April, they consulted with him and the company has been planning a proper retirement ceremony
Kashima explained the reason for her retirement, saying, "As I said in the ring, I'm tired and have reached my physical limits." She also mentioned that she requested "no singles matches" during her "retirement tour." She added, "I won't be having a retirement match. I thought about doing it with the 凹AnekonTotsu, but I feel a little bad about having Shuri carry me down the long aisle at Yokohama Arena. So instead, I'd like to have a retirement ceremony. I'd like it to be a grand one!" It has now been decided that a retirement ceremony will be held at Yokohama Arena on April 26th
Additionally, a special handicap match has been scheduled for the Korakuen Hall event on April 8th: Shuri & Kashima vs. Sorei Ami & Hina & Lady C & Inaba Tomoka & Yagami Ranna & Koryu Kiyoka. All members of God's Eye will be there
Kashima grinned and said, "I've been thinking about what to do if Shuri becomes unable to fight, so I'm thinking of preparing another monster in my stock. I want to bring along a monster that will make it a reverse handicap match." It remains to be seen who she will bring
At the Korakuen Hall event on April 11th, a special six-person tag team match has been scheduled: Kashima, Hazuki, and Koguma vs. Maika, Seira Mei, and Unagi Sayaka. Teaming up with FWC, their opponents will include the "troublesome female wrestler" Unagi
Kashima, who had expressed a desire to team up with FWC, said, "There is a wrestler named Unagi Sayaka who was fired from Stardom, and of course we never fought again after she was fired, and she has been bothering me on social media, so I thought it might be okay to get involved with her one last time, and that's why I requested this."
Furthermore, at the Korakuen Hall event on April 23rd, which will be her de facto last match, she will team up with Shuri for a special tag team match against Momo Watanabe and AZM. Watanabe has been absent due to injury, but will make a one-day return for this event. Kashima said, "I wanted to team up with Watanabe Momo as a duo at Korakuen Hall, which holds a lot of meaning for me, and Watanabe Momo has always been very kind to me, even though her unit has changed since I was kicked out. She is a wrestler I really love." She added, "AZM also became friendly with me when I returned to Stardom, saying 'Welcome back' and 'Saki-chan,' so all three of us are wrestlers I really have a lot of affection for, and I asked them to team up with me because I absolutely wanted to do this match."
President Okada said, "We would like to give him a grand send-off, so although it is sad that he is retiring, I think it is also a new beginning for him, so I would like you all to support him step by step as he walks his long farewell."
Finally, Kashima left the press conference with the message, "I truly have no regrets, so please come and see me at my retirement ceremony at Yokohama Arena where I will ring a fast 10-count gong," and then said, "Excuse me," before leaving the room. It was a warm and friendly press conference, typical of Kashima, right to the end
[Question and Answer]
—We won't be playing at Yokohama Arena
Kashima said that he felt he had no regrets after his last performance at Korakuen. He told them that he would be happy with just a ceremony at Yokohama Arena
President Okada, I think we were able to work together to find the option that would allow us to end things on the best terms
- What would you like to do at the ceremony?
Kashima: I want to do a high-speed 10-count gong. That's the one thing I won't compromise on. A 10-count gong that's on par with a brawl outside the ring
- I hear you've reached your physical limit
Kashima: I'm really at my physical limit. The matches are fun, but they're exhausting. I'm 32 now, after all
- What kind of performance do you want to show in the remaining 5 matches?
Kashima: I'm just being myself. I don't feel like I need to push myself harder because there's not much time left (laughs). Because if I push myself too hard and can't participate in the last three Korakuen Hall shows, nobody would like that, right? I'll manage my energy levels carefully
-Fukigen desu★, who teamed up with me at Shinkiba on March 25th, will face me in their final singles match at Osaka on April 4th
Kashima: When we were working together, he was so attached to me, so it made me sad to think that he hated me this much. But I was happy when he said in some kind of alien language that he wanted to do a singles match
—You're forming a trio with FWC, but did you feel a connection with the other two?
Kashima: To put it simply, I'm a returning player (laughs). Personally, I really wanted to team up with him
Okada: FWC also said they were "very keen" to participate. I think they felt that way because the three of us have a lot of experience
- The name of Unagi
Kashima and I had quite a few rivalries at one point, so I thought it would be nice to face each other one last time
- What is your most memorable moment from your playing career?
Kashima: Is it okay if I mention something that made me happy? I was happiest when I became like Shuri's little hanger-on, and that was the best moment of my entire playing career
—After retirement
I'll become Akari Kashima's kept man (laughs)
—What are your feelings as retirement approaches?
Kashima: I have no regrets, so I feel pretty much the same as usual. I've missed a lot of games to begin with, so I hope the fans will think, "Oh, he's probably absent again," when they see me out
- Some players disappear from the public eye after they retire
Kashima: I haven't thought about it at all. If Shuri is in trouble, I'll go. If I'm called to be a second, I'll definitely go
- What do you want to do after you retire?
Kashima: I'd like to be a NEET for about a month (laughs)
—A message to your fans as you approach your retirement ceremony
Kashima: All I can say is that I want lots of cute pictures taken of me (laughs)