JPN
Saori Anno, known as the "Absolutely Indomitable Girl," gave an interview and candidly revealed her feelings towards Natsupoi, who will be retiring from active competition after the Yokohama Budokan event on January 3rd next year. The event on August 23rd at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo will be the first leg of Natsupoi's de facto retirement road and will be their final singles match. What are the true feelings she harbors deep in her heart for her close friend as she heads towards this decisive battle, which she has positioned as a "summer without regrets"?
—Why did you choose this location with a view of the sea for the interview?
Annou: Sometimes, I like to go to places like this where there aren't many people, or to look at beautiful scenery and talk about what's on my mind.
--The showdown at Ryogoku on August 23rd is approaching
Anno: I myself said to Natsumi (Natsupoi) that this would be our "last singles match," but honestly, it didn't really sink in. Natsumi and I debuted around the same time (at the Actwres girl'Z Shin-Kiba event on May 31, 2015), so it's been 11 years, and we've been together almost constantly. There were times when she wasn't by my side, but I wonder what it feels like to suddenly lose someone who's always been by your side.
—Their first meeting was before their professional wrestling debut
Annou, was it 12 years ago? We first co-starred on stage in 2014. Natsumi was still a teenager then. She was chubby and would say, "Saori-san, Saori-san!" She was just so adorable. I doted on her a lot too, saying things like, "Natchan! You're so cute!" We didn't have much contact after the play ended, but then I was invited to join "Actress Girls" when I was starting up, and while I was practicing alone, Natsumi showed up among the other members who were arriving one after another...
—So you reunited through professional wrestling
Anno: I remember that moment very clearly, and I was like, "Wow, Natsumi's here..." I was a little scared. That "scared" feeling was probably a sense of rivalry, or rather, I had a very strong feeling at the time that if such a cute girl came along, she would steal the spotlight. Looking back from that time, I think I was looking at Natsumi with the eyes of a rival. Natsumi was embodying the image of someone I wanted to be but could never become, so that was frustrating from my debut match. She was cute after all, and she was everyone's idol. I wanted to be a cute girl too, but, hmm. Maybe the word "envy" was stronger. That's how I felt about Natsumi back then.
-- I had the impression that Anno was the older sister and a step ahead, but was that not the case deep down?
Annou: That's right. After that, I teamed up with Natsumi and we became the two top wrestlers who really boosted the organization, but Natsumi graduated in 2018. There was a period when we didn't see each other, and there was a five-year gap until we reunited in 2023. Did we have any contact during those five years? No, we didn't. But Natsumi kept in touch a lot. She would say things like, "Let's go out for a meal," but that was right when Natsumi joined Stardom. When I saw that, I was just in despair... I was like, "Wow, Natsumi has finally gone to Stardom..." I was also working as a freelancer and things weren't going so well for me, and when I saw Natsumi shining brightly after joining Stardom, and seeing her say, "I'm going to do my best as Natsupoi!", I felt like I couldn't honestly accept it from Natsumi's own mouth, so I would turn down her invitations to hang out or have a meal. I wasn't mature back then.
--When Anno returned to the Stardom ring in April 2023, she was reunited with Natsupoi
Anno . Back then, the three of us—Kairi, Natsumi, and myself—teamed up and won the Artist of Stardom belts, and we were like, "Let's work together as teammates from here on out," but there was still a bit of a wall between Natsumi and me somewhere along the line. It was so much fun to see each other again, and I felt like we clicked, but for some reason, this wall just wouldn't go away. I think that was because of the feelings we had for each other during those five years apart, and we couldn't really talk honestly. Then, in a match, I accidentally hit Natsumi and got kicked, and I thought, "We need to communicate with each other using our moves," and that's how our singles match was decided.
--That was the Indian Strap Match at the Yokohama tournament on July 2nd, 2023, right?
Anno and I fought with straps tied to each other's hands, it was a special rule. These straps were really annoying. But now that I think about it, I think those straps represented the wall that existed between us. But after the fight... it felt like that wall that existed between us just disappeared. Before that, we had clashed (at the press conference). We were like, "I was so jealous of you!", "We muted each other on social media!", "I absolutely didn't want to lose to Natsumi!", "I didn't want to lose to Saori!". From the outside it might seem like a small thing, but I think it was a really big deal for us. That rivalry grew bigger and bigger over the past five years. So I'm glad we fought.
-- How has your relationship changed after this match?
Anno-chan . Since I started teaming up with Natsumi in Stardom in earnest, it's become something I take for granted. She's always been there beside me as a significant presence. She's someone I can truly rely on, and for the three years since I came to Stardom, she's been a truly reassuring partner. To be honest... I wish she were still by my side. There are so many things I want to do, and I myself still want to aim higher, and I realize that there's no other partner I can do things with like Natsumi, someone I can feel so secure with, trust so much, and who understands everything without words. So... I might be the one who feels the most vulnerable. I haven't told Natsumi this. It's something Natsumi bravely decided. So, of course I want to support her, and I will support her... I always took it for granted, but I've realized that it won't last forever.
-- The August 23rd Ryogoku match between Anno and Natsupoi will be the first match on her retirement road until the January 3rd Yokohama Budokan event. Why did you volunteer to be her first opponent?
Anno's retirement road, the "Bye-Poi Road." I thought that by fighting me, I could give Natsumi the push she needs to run full speed ahead on this Bye-Poi Road, and I wanted to be first. A lot of people thought Anno would be the last one, but I like being first. I think Natsumi would hate losing to me the most. I think that will probably give her energy, so I'll win. "A serious, all-out battle," wasn't that what Natsumi said? There's no holding back between us, and we can understand each other better by clashing. I want to make Natsumi feel frustrated... and honestly, I also want her to think that she wants to do pro wrestling a little more. Neither of us wants to lose. These are feelings that come from being rivals but also being partners. I won't lose. I'll win!
--Your head-to-head record in Stardom is 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss, so it's even
Anno ! I think the result is very typical of us. I wonder what kind of battle it will be. Well, it's bound to happen. Natsumi is very much like Natsumi. But Natsumi is prepared too. Because she knows Anno Saori. This is our last singles match. My theme for this summer is "to have a summer without regrets," so I'm going to have a final singles match with Natsumi that I won't regret.
Saori Ano was born on February 1st in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture. After graduating from high school, she moved to Tokyo from Shiga to pursue an acting career. She debuted in May 2015 with Actwres girl'Z. As the ace of the organization, she became the first AGW Champion in November 2018. After leaving the company in December 2019, she worked as a freelancer in OZ Academy and Ice Ribbon. In April 2023, she was called back to the Stardom ring by KAIRI at a Korakuen Hall event, marking her return after approximately six years. She joined COSMIC ANGELS, and in August of the same year, she won the Goddess of Stardom Championship in a tag team with Natsupoi, and in December, she won the Wonder of Stardom Championship at a Ryogoku event. In May 2025, she produced a 10th-anniversary show with Natsupoi. In April 2026, at Yokohama Arena, she was defeated by Fuwa-chan, who had only debuted four months prior, becoming "the woman who lost to Fuwa-chan."
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