JPN
Saki Kashima's retirement ceremony was held at Yokohama Arena on April 26th
Kashima appeared at the gate in a pure white costume and proceeded down the aisle on a cart pushed by a group of female staff. As his reason for retirement was "reaching the limits of his physical strength," it seemed he no longer had the energy to walk down the aisle
In her final match as an active wrestler, held at Korakuen Hall on the 23rd, she teamed up with Shuri in a concave Anecon convex move to face AZM and Momo Watanabe. She defeated AZM in just 11 seconds, and then in the rematch, she managed to defeat Watanabe in a miraculous comeback
Stepping into the ring, Kashima greeted the audience by saying, "Is everyone having fun? Ever since it was decided that today would be the day of my retirement at Yokohama Arena, I really wanted to come and see you all one last time with my own eyes. But honestly, my eyesight is bad and I can't see anything. It's dark in the back and I can't see anything at all. And my stamina is also reaching its limit, so I'm going to do a quick 10-count gong."
A video message from comedian Teppei Arita was shown on the venue's screen. Furthermore, Tomohiro Ishii of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, whom Kashima has publicly declared as his idol, made a surprise appearance. When Ishii's entrance music started playing, Kashima was overcome with emotion and burst into tears
When Kashima raised the rope to welcome him in, he was presented with a bouquet of flowers. Furthermore, he was given the sunglasses that Ishii had been wearing as a gift
Kashima said with an emotional expression, "It's a little high in calories. Mr. Arita, who sent me a video message, has helped spread the word about Stardom, about our comeback, and about Saki Kashima. He is an indispensable and beloved presence for me as a pro wrestler. And Tomohiro Ishii is a pro wrestler I have always admired, respected, and truly love. When I was going through tough times, I was able to keep going by watching Ishii's matches. I had a dream of standing in the ring with Ishii at the end, and that dream has come true."
He then added, "And today, I have something to say to everyone who came, whether you're a hardcore otaku or not," and concluded with the message, "Please continue to love professional wrestling!"
As Kashima lay down in the ring, a truly rapid 10-count gong sounded, and paper streamers rained down
After the ceremony, he walked out of the ring on his own two feet
