JPN
The April 26th Yokohama Arena event produced numerous dramatic moments, including the crowning of new champions in the three major titles, a tearful retirement ceremony, and betrayal, but there was another surprise. Anno Saori, the "unyielding girl" celebrating her 11th year in the industry, suffered a major upset in a singles match against Fuwa-chan, who had only debuted four months prior. How will "the woman who lost to Fuwa-chan" cope with this fact, and where will she go from here?
--I lost to Fuwa-chan at Yokohama Arena on April 26th
Annou : That's right. I've been working with Fuwa for two months straight, and a lot has happened. Fuwa gets carried away and causes controversy, then reflects on her actions and becomes more like Shio. I honestly had no worries about losing to Fuwa. If anything, in terms of experience, I'll soon be celebrating my 11th year since my debut, and Fuwa has only been re-debuting for four months. I went into it feeling completely confident. Well, even I was surprised, and it was a little hard to accept. But strangely, I didn't dislike it. That's my simple feeling after the battle.
-- What was your reaction when the three-pointer was scored?
Anno . I was like, "Huh?" That move is the same as her mentor Hazuki's pinning technique, isn't it? I was a little blown away thinking that Fuwa must have discovered it herself after facing pro wrestling for four months.
—Why do you think this result occurred?
Anno Fuwa started out with a negative impression, didn't she? I had the same impression as the audience. I thought it was that "delinquent puppy phenomenon." When a girl who used to speak informally starts using polite language, she's seen as a good girl. I thought it was a little unfair that when a girl who was so wild and unconventional starts setting up the ring or working as a second, people think, "Huh? She's a good girl after all." But I was really impressed by how seriously she thinks about pro wrestling and practices. After fighting her for two months, I really felt that she's truly started out as a pro wrestler, so my initial impression of her changed 180 degrees. I don't know why I lost. I put 100% into pro wrestling every day, too. But I could tell while fighting her that at that moment, Fuwa became a pro wrestler.
--I imagine there were various comments from fans on social media
Anno: I got a lot of comments like, "How pathetic," "That's a shame," and "Losing to Fuwa means you're not fit to be a pro wrestler." If you only look at the result, I suppose that's true. But I can confidently say that Fuwa practiced so hard, and that she really faced the challenge head-on, and that I also fully embraced her and fought alongside her. I think Fuwa felt the same way, and if she wasn't confident, she wouldn't have been in that ring. So, I didn't get discouraged by what people said. But, I guess one of my dreams came true...
--What is that dream?
Anno had set a goal of "beating Fuwa and going viral." But, unintentionally, she lost and went viral. It was when she wrote a comment to Fuwa about the moonsault (press). She had always admired the moonsault move and had wanted to be able to do it since her debut. But no matter how much she practiced, she couldn't do it, and she was too scared to do it. So when Fuwa, who had only been in the industry for four months, did it, she was really moved. She wondered how much she had practiced. And somehow that went viral (laughs).
-- What are your regrets about that?
regret . I wonder why. I think it's because I have confidence in myself as Saori Anno, the professional wrestler I've been doing for 10 years. I can't do the same things as Fuwa, and Fuwa can't do what I do, so I'm proud of myself. Right now, I don't feel like doing a moonsault. I think I didn't feel any regret because I'm going to do things my own way.
—However, it is true that she was the first wrestler to lose to Fuwa-chan in a singles match
Annou will probably be haunted by this for the rest of her life. She'll have to carry this burden for the rest of her life. The woman who lost to Fuwa in her first singles match victory, she has to bear this cross. It's kind of exciting. To be carrying that cross. Besides, no one else can carry it, right? Only I can. On the other hand, it's a good thing for Fuwa too, isn't it? Her first (singles) victory was against Annou Saori, right? So Fuwa is also carrying a cross. Because she beat Annou Saori. I think Fuwa is aware of that too. The other day (after the Korakuen Hall show on May 17th), I was driving home with Fuwa. She said, "Annou-san, I want to talk for a bit." Since it was after we had teamed up, I wondered what it was about, but as we talked, I heard her talk about her feelings towards pro wrestling, and her thoughts on what will become of Fuwa as a pro wrestler in the future, and I felt that it was a meaningful match. She was talking the whole time I was driving, so it was noisy, but listening to her, I was reminded that it was good that we fought.
--It's clear that Fuwa-chan is taking professional wrestling very seriously
Annou, you can really feel it. I wish everyone would just watch Fuwa's match at least once. If they did, they'd understand Fuwa the pro wrestler, not just the talent and YouTuber. Do you feel she's grown? I do, and I feel like our relationship has changed too. She lost in the Cinderella (tournament) (※disqualified for both of them going over the top rope in the first round of the Nagoya tournament on March 6th), and it was a stain on her record. I thought I wouldn't get involved with her anymore because it brought me down, but she had this audacity to keep coming at me, and that's what makes her Fuwa. It's been a long three months. Pro wrestling is so interesting, isn't it? Even with someone you hate or don't want to be involved with, you fight them, you get hurt, and a bond is formed, though that's a bit of a heavy word to use. Why am I praising Fuwa so much? (laughs)
--They will be on the same team for the first time in the 8-person tag team match at the Korakuen Hall event on May 17th, and the two will team up for the first time at the Toyota Gosei Memorial Gymnasium event on May 23rd (Inazawa City, Aichi). They will face off against HATE's Saya Kamitani & Ryuka
Anno said, "I can't believe something like this is happening. And my opponent is HATE, right? I thought I'd have a little fun with HATE. I told Fuwa that this is where the fun of pro wrestling begins. I think HATE will also notice how interesting Fuwa is."
--Anno herself will have been in the ring for 11 years as a wrestler since her debut on May 31st. However, she failed to win the World Championship at the Ryogoku tournament last December, and has not achieved results in big matches such as the one at Yokohama Arena
Anno : Hmm, there are things I want to do. But I just can't quite grasp them. They're also my dreams, so all I can say is, please watch me. I'll become a better woman, both inside and out, and then I'll grasp them! I want to grasp them by the end of the year. It would be great if I could do that next year. I know it's weird to talk about my age, but I'm 35 now, and I'm at the age where people call me a "pretend-to-beautiful old hag." But I think age is an asset, and that's why I have to face myself properly. My body, and my life from now on. Oh, there's one thing I can say, but it's not marriage (laughs).
--lastly
Anno: It's been a while since I've basked in the sunlight and seen such a vast ocean, and it's made me feel a little more positive again. I think I've gained some insight into the 23rd. It's hard to imagine what it will be like to team up with Fuwa for the first time. But I think we have the same goals and aspirations, as I felt when we fought and teamed up last time. So, on May 23rd, it might be the last time we see "that Fuwa tag team," so please come and see it with your own eyes.
Saori Ano was born on February 1, 1991, in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. She moved to Tokyo from Shiga to pursue an acting career and has been active in stage productions. She made her debut on May 31, 2015, at the Actwres girl'Z Shin-Kiba event and reigned as the AGW champion. After leaving the company in December 2019, she worked as a freelancer and was called back by KAIRI to Stardom on April 2, 2023, at the Korakuen Hall event, making her first appearance in Stardom in about six years. In December of the same year, she won the Wonder Championship for the first time. In May 2025, she held a 10th-anniversary show with Natsupoi. Her finishing move is the Special Potering. She is 160 cm tall and weighs 56 kg