Rookie of the Year Tournament Begins: Hime Yuria Defeats Kanaya Anne in the First Round "I want to proudly say, 'Yuria has become the Rookie of the Year'" / April 4th Osaka Tournament

The "Rookie of Stardom 2026" tournament, which will determine the strongest rookie, kicked off on Saturday, April 4th at "STARDOM in OSAKA 2026 Apr." (Herbis Hall, Osaka)

Six wrestlers, all scheduled to debut in 2024 and 2025, entered the tournament: Matoi Hamabe, Akira Tetsu, Yuria Hime, Anne Kanaya, Emma Tanajima, and Kian Furusawa. One first-round match was held on this day, with Hime and Kanaya clashing

From the start, both sides' pride and determination clashed. Hime won the elbow exchange, but lost momentum after a dropkick. Nevertheless, she regained control by locking in a figure-four neck lock and endured a brutal reverse prawn hold

After the 4-minute mark, they cornered each other and unleashed a barrage of elbows. Even after taking Kanaya's bulldog headlock and reverse splash, he refused to be pinned for the three count

He fended off the pinning attempts and launched a counter dropkick. Finally, he locked in an armlock-style figure-four neck hold, forcing his opponent to tap out in sheer determination

Backstage after the match, she said, "Anne has been feeling frustrated all this time because she's been out of action for so long, but Yuria hasn't been able to get what she wants either... I want to prove that these past year and three months haven't been wasted, and I really want to become Rookie of the Year and stand in front of Shirakawa (Mina), whom I admire in America, and proudly say, 'Yuria has become Rookie of the Year.'"

In the second round (on the 8th at Korakuen Hall), she is scheduled to face Emma Tanashima. "Emma may have been disappointed to have to miss the tournament, but I'm determined to finish her off," she said with a determined expression

[Kanaya's story] I've worked so hard for this day... I was behind my peers, so I wanted to become the Rookie of the Year champion and show everyone that I could come this far despite being a late bloomer. Is this the end of my Rookie of the Year title? Right now I'm just filled with regret. I'll study more to figure out what I was lacking. I'm truly sorry to everyone who supported me