JPN
Five wrestlers, Shuri, Saori Anno, Maki Ito, Hanan, and Sayaka Kurei, participated in the "Ariake Spring Festival 2026 Dream Terrace Stage" Dream Lantern Event, held by TV Asahi on Saturday, April 18th at Tokyo Dream Park in Ariake, Koto Ward, Tokyo. The event was emceed by TV Asahi announcer Yohei Onishi. The event was titled "Stardom Special Night☆ Just Before the 4/26 Yokohama Arena Tournament," and each wrestler expressed their determination for the upcoming 4/26 showdown
Ito, who will face Natsupoi in a singles match, couldn't contain her excitement, saying, "I'm so glad that it's finally happening. I've been holding back so much frustration." Moreover, the day before, her "cute ball of obsession" had been burned by Natsupoi's magic, and she revealed her anger, saying, "I'm heartbroken and couldn't sleep last night. I'm absolutely determined to judge Akupoi at Yokohama Arena."
Kurei, who will challenge World of Stardom Champion Saya Kamitani, said firmly, "My belief in myself and my motivation have increased. I wonder what kind of view awaits me if Kurei Sayaka defeats Saya Kamitani. I have no choice but to do it, I have no choice but to win, that's all there is to it." With a determined expression, she added, "I want to use any attacks outside the ring as fuel and head towards the match in eight days."
Hana, the winner of the "Cinderella Tournament 2026," will challenge Konami, the Wonder of Stardom champion. "After being beaten this far, I won't even ask her to stop cheating, so I want to go head-on and beat Konami with all my heart," she said, expressing her determination
"The 'Absolutely Indomitable Girl' Anno will clash with Fuwa-chan in a singles match. At the press conference on the 12th, there was a moment when Fuwa-chan asked Anno how to defeat her, and Anno whispered something to her. Anno smiled confidently and said, "I told her. I'm confident that it's okay to tell her. What was it? I'm not going to tell you (laughs). That's just for Fuwa. I'm nothing but confident."
IWGP Women's Champion Shuri will face Megan Bane of AEW in her third title defense. "She's huge. She has technique and is fast, so she's a monster. You could even call her a freak," she said, expressing her caution towards her challenger, to which Ito retorted, "Huh? If we're talking about being a monster, aren't you the same?" Shuri regained her composure and said emphatically, "I want to raise the value of the IWGP, so of course I want to win and raise the value of this belt."
In addition to the talk show, there was a gift corner and a "themed talk" session where participants drew from a giant gacha machine. When the topic was "What secret gadget would you want?", the players named one secret gadget after another from the anime "Doraemon," which they admire
Finally, with Hanan's cry of "Shine in the night sky, We are STARDOM," the audience and the wrestlers raised lanterns into the night sky, creating a magical atmosphere. The five wrestlers were building up their fighting spirit for the final battle
