JPN
Utami Hayashishita, who is returning to the Stardom ring after approximately two years, gave an interview and revealed her current feelings. At "STARDOM THE CONVERSION 2026," to be held on Saturday, June 20th at the National Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Tokyo, she will face Saya Kamitani in an eight-person tag team match. What are her thoughts as she faces this fateful reunion match?
――She returned to the Stardom ring and competed in five matches
Shimi : Hmm, I thought I might feel more nostalgic or something like that, but there are so many new and unfamiliar things that I can't get used to them at all. I'm just trying my best to keep up with the present.
--You made a surprise appearance in the ring at Korakuen Hall on May 26th. What were your feelings when you got to that ring?
Utami had so many different feelings... I really wanted to stand in front of Kamiya, but I was worried that people who support Stardom right now wouldn't know who I was, and that even if there were people who knew Utami Hayashishita, I'm sure there would be some who didn't think highly of me, so I was worried I would get a lot of flak. I was nervous about standing in front of Kamiya, and I was also very nervous about standing in front of the fans.
—What was the atmosphere like at the venue?
Utami: First of all, when my entrance music started playing, there were already people who recognized me, and that made me feel relieved. I was so scared up until that point, so it was really reassuring that there were people who recognized me, and that when I came out I could hear people chanting "Utami." I hadn't even stepped into the ring yet, and I wasn't even standing properly in front of Kamitani, but I felt so relieved... It was like the fans had spontaneously given me a push. I thought, "It was okay for me to come back here."
--Do you remember the expression on Kamiya's face when you faced her for the first time in a while?
Shimi: Yes. First of all, it was her expression, but the moment I faced her, I really felt that the Kamiya I knew was no longer there. It's obvious, but so many things have changed in these two years, and I was the only one who remained stuck in the past. I felt that I had to go and meet this Kamiya I didn't know at all. But, to be honest, when I went to meet her, I still had some expectations, so when I stood in front of Kamiya and saw her expression, I felt that "even that is difficult now."
――What were you expecting?
Shimi: We were always by each other's side at that time, no matter what. I had a little bit of hope that maybe I could stand beside Kamiya again, or that Kamiya would just accept me again.
――But perhaps seeing Kamiya's reaction at that time helped her to move on
Shimi: That's right. When I talked to Kamiya at that time, I really felt that I could no longer stand beside her. But even so, I still felt that I wanted to stand in front of Kamiya and convey more things that needed to be conveyed, and that there were still many things that needed to be communicated between us in the ring. I may no longer be able to stand beside her, but I felt that I had to stand in front of Kamiya.
--In that Korakuen Hall ring, you said, "I didn't want to lose to Kamiya. That's why I had no choice but to come here today."
Utami Kamiya. Of course, I also wanted to catch up to her, but it was Kamiya's presence that motivated me, Utami Hayashishita, to work even harder as a professional wrestler. I was jealous of Kamiya for no reason, and her existence pushed me forward for no reason. For better or for worse, Kamiya's presence was my driving force.
—What kind of news have you heard about Kamiya since she left Stardom in March 2024?
Utami Kamiya made a historic double win at the Pro Wrestling Awards (MVP and Women's Pro Wrestling Award), and that really stuck with me. More than anything, I was impressed that Kamiya appeared on television, where she was seen by many people, and had matches broadcast live on TV. Those are all things I always wanted to do. Winning big awards is one thing, but I think Kamiya did what I wanted to do: to bring pro wrestling to people who don't know about it
--At the June 6 Sendai tournament, your third fight since your return, you encountered Kamiya again
Shimi: At that time, just as Natsuko (Tora) told me, what I knew was Oedo Tai, but now there's no such thing as Oedo Tai, it's become HATE, and everyone has changed. I felt once again that it's not the same as what I knew. Kamiya wasn't in the match at the time, but she came out (midway through) and used the Magic Killer that we used to use. I'm sure Kamiya has a lot on her mind, but that day I just couldn't understand her anymore. I'm sure Kamiya doesn't know what I'm thinking either, but that day I became even more confused about her.
--So you've become confused?
Shimi Hayashishita, he showed up during the match and used Magic Killer. I don't know if he's not interested or if he is, if he doesn't want me in his sight anymore, or if he's still watching me.
--On that day in the ring, I asked Kamiya to face me in a match at Yoyogi on June 20th. But she refused a singles match and set the condition that we would do a tag team match. So on June 14th at Korakuen Hall, I asked the Goddess Champions 02line (AZM & Amasaki Mitsuyoshi) to team up with me
Utami, those two... It's not just because they were originally next to me, because we were together. During the two years I was away, and the time since I came back, there are so many things I want to tell Kamiya, so many things I want to say, but it's not just Kamiya that I want to tell. I also have a lot I want to tell AZM and Mitsuyoshi, not as former members of the same unit, but as Hayashishita Utami the individual. Of course, there are still people I need to stand in front of and tell my message to, but first I wanted to tell AZM and Mitsuyoshi, and I wanted them to be by my side, so I went to see them that day.
Coincidentally, Momo Watanabe, who had been sidelined due to injury at that Korakuen Hall event, announced her return. An eight-woman tag team match was scheduled for June 20th in Yoyogi: AZM, Amasaki, Starlight Kid, and Utami vs. Watanabe, Kamitani, Konami, and Bea Priestley
Utami: Of course I feel that way myself, but I think each wrestler has a lot of different feelings. I don't think this will just be Watanabe Momo's comeback match, nor will it just be a time for me and Kamiya to meet in the ring, nor will it just be a time for me, AZM, and Mitsuyoshi to stand next to each other. I really feel that on this day, the time for Stardom, which had been stopped for me, will finally start moving again.
--What would you like to tell Kamiya?
things I want to say , like what I've seen over the past two years, things that I thought were really amazing, and the day we were separated... It's really hard to put into words, and I'm not good at putting my thoughts into words. So when I have more time, I want to convey it to you in the ring as a professional wrestler, and if Kamiya is willing to face me, I want her to listen to what I have to say, even if it's just a little bit, even if it's just one thing. To be honest, I haven't even sorted out what I want to say yet, or rather, I don't know where to start, what I want to convey most, or how I should convey it. I have so many different feelings about Kamiya, and she's really special to me... Kamiya might not want to hear this, but she's special to me, so I want her to hear it all.
--What kind of feelings do you expect to have going into the June 20 decisive battle?
Shimi: Of course, I'm feeling a lot of tension and anxiety, but on that day, there will be people I'm seeing for the first time in two years, people standing next to me, and I don't even know what's going to happen. I'm nervous, I'm very anxious, and I have a lot on my mind, but I'm also looking forward to it, all of it.
—What do you want to accomplish in the Stardom ring in the future?
Utami wants to stand at the top of the women's professional wrestling world again. This time, I want more people to know about professional wrestling, and I want to go higher and higher as a professional wrestler. I have high expectations for myself as "Hayashishita Utami," and I think Hayashishita Utami is capable of so much more. She's an amazing person, so I want to become the strongest and best presence in Stardom so that Hayashishita Utami can shine even brighter.
[Profile]Hayashishita Utami, born September 14, 1998, from Amami, Kagoshima. She debuted against Jungle Kyona at the Stardom Korakuen Hall event on August 12, 2018, and immediately participated in the "5★STAR GP". She won the "Pro Wrestling Awards" Rookie of the Year award that same year. In October 2020, she won the World Championship for the first time and won the Women's Pro Wrestling Awards for the first time in 2021. She left Stardom at the end of March 2024, but made a comeback in May 2026 after a two-year absence. Her finishing move is the Torture Rack Bomb. 166 cm, 72 kg.
▽Interview video available on STARDOM's official YouTube channel