JPN
Rina, who won the singles tournament "Sammy presents STARDOM 5★STAR GP 2026," spoke candidly about her feelings at a press conference held the day after the tournament at Bushiroad's headquarters in Tokyo on August 24th (Monday)
At the Ryogoku tournament the previous night, she faced Starlight Kid in the championship match. She won the fierce 27-minute and 3-second battle, becoming the youngest champion at the age of 19. Appearing at the press conference with a radiant expression, she reflected, "Although it was only yesterday, it feels like a long time ago. A day has passed and my body is worn out, my legs are worn out and hurt, but I think I'm the happiest I've ever been right now. I was the runner-up in both last year's Cinderella and this year's Cinderella, and I only made it to the top 4 in last year's 5★STAR. I've always said this, but I was frustrated that I couldn't get the results I wanted, so when I lost in the final of this year's Cinderella, I felt really down, or rather, something hit me hard. At the time, I didn't understand why I couldn't reach the top, but I'm glad I didn't give up and kept going. I went on solo tours to America and Mexico to gain various experiences, and I'm happy that I was able to make history in Stardom with this 5★STAR 2026 and becoming the youngest champion. It was a moment when I truly felt glad that I was doing professional wrestling."
From here, we moved on to a question-and-answer session with various media outlets
--Have your feelings changed at all since the day began?
Rinami : Changes in my feelings? Well, as I said yesterday, I don't think that winning 5★STAR is just about getting a chance to challenge for some belt, so I think it's something much more valuable. So of course I'm aiming for the belt, but that's not where I'm aiming, it's somewhere higher. As I said yesterday, I want to proudly show that Stardom isn't just about Kamitani (Saya), and I want to be one of the people who can do that. I want to be one of the people who can really liven things up, not just within Stardom, but within women's professional wrestling, within the world of professional wrestling.
--Are you not thinking about the World Championship yet?
Rinami: I have everything in my sights, but since I've reached the top, I want to say, "Don't get complacent." To all the champions. I've taken what the champions couldn't. So I think I can say anything, and anything I say is worth saying. So just wait and see.
--After the match you went out to the audience seats. What did the fans say to you and how did you feel at that time?
Rina: A lot of people said, "You did a great job," and I know it sounds strange coming from me, but I felt a lot of expectation, so I really thought I had to win, and I think I was able to live up to those expectations, so I was happy. Another thing that made me happy was the gold confetti. I had always only seen people being showered with gold confetti from the sidelines, like as a second or something, so when I was actually showered with it, I realized that I could receive it too.
--What aspects of your US and Mexico tours did you find particularly helpful?
Rinami : My mental strength has definitely increased. I don't get nervous even at 5★STAR, although I do have a good sense of tension. I've been able to participate in many really big events like AEW and CMLL, and I've overcome those to get here, so I think the biggest thing I gained from my overseas tours is a strong confidence that I can overcome anything. My mental strength has really increased. I'm glad I went alone.
--You must select which wrestlers to send on overseas tours, but what were your thoughts when you sent Rinami?
President Taro Okada: First and foremost, I wanted her to experience the world. She's been with Stardom for a long time and has a solid career for her age, and she's a wrestler who can really deliver pro wrestling to the audience, but she hasn't really performed in an away environment, so I really wanted her to see it. Of course, I want everyone to see it, but I especially wanted Rinami to go alone, so I decided to have her go by herself this time instead of with someone else. I noticed from her everyday behavior that her gaze is a little different from others, always looking upwards, so I really wanted her to go. I informed each organization, and since she also expressed a desire to go, we decided to have her go at this time.
--Does it feel like you've come back with exactly what President Okada had in mind?
Rinami: I've come back with even more than that. It's beyond my expectations.
--At the end of your comments earlier, you smiled and said, "I'm glad I did pro wrestling." Are there any thoughts that have come to mind from your pro wrestling career so far?
Rina: I've always valued the feeling of frustration at key moments, and that's what really blossomed in my pro wrestling career. The moment when that feeling blossomed the most in my pro wrestling career was at a draft meeting a long time ago. It was so long ago that some people remember it and some don't, but I was the last one to be selected. I want to say to you all, "Did you see that?" and I really think that I've come this far purely on rebellious spirit. I'm the kind of person who feels frustration more than anyone else, but I think it was at 5★STAR that I was able to properly build up that frustration and finally explode. The biggest frustration for me was not being selected by everyone in the draft, but from that point on, I truly wanted to prove everyone wrong. I think I was in elementary or middle school at the time? Now that it's come to fruition, I'm really glad I continued.
--You performed the Tiger Lily yesterday, but now that you've won 5★STAR, could you tell us again about your feelings for Hana Kimura? My
Rinaka will never disappear from my heart, and I was selected in the draft and we became the same unit, so my foundation is completely built on Hana, or rather, my base is really Hana. But I also believe that I've come this far because of my own strength. And the fact that I won with the finish that has brought me this far in yesterday's result is meaningful, and Hana is definitely the base for me. I think I was able to show all of that throughout 5★STAR. I can proudly say that I was able to show my true way of life as a professional wrestler in 5★STAR.
--You went on a solo tour to the US and Mexico. Did you have any significant experiences, such as specific experiences you gained or accidents you overcame?
Rina: Over there, matches are decided at the very last minute. So, I would suddenly have a singles match when I wasn't expecting it, and I had to perform at my best without being mentally prepared, which is something that often happens, especially in big organizations. I haven't had that kind of experience in Stardom, and Stardom announces their matches well in advance. That's why I thought Stardom is a really good environment, and I'm not saying that the other place has a good environment or anything like that. They are a really big organization in their own right. I was suddenly given a match, but I think I was able to perform at my best under those circumstances, and I think that has given me confidence.
--You said, "It's not just Kamiya," but what were your thoughts when you saw Kamiya's great performance last year?
Rina : When I went on a month-long overseas tour, I spent three days with Kamiya in America, but even before that, I had started talking to Kamiya a lot. Even in America, I felt that Kamiya wasn't just thinking about herself. I was really inspired by the fact that she was thinking about Stardom, or rather, the world of professional wrestling. We're in the same unit, after all. I know how busy Kamiya is and how many different things she's doing outside of professional wrestling. So, I feel that I have to do just as much as she did after winning 5★STAR, and that I have to keep doing more and more in other areas as well. I think my comment, "It's not just Kamiya," was made because I've been really inspired by her. I said it impulsively at the time. But the fact that I said it impulsively means that I really mean it. I also want to make Stardom the number one organization in the world, and I will.
--HATE has won 5★STAR for the second year in a row. Yesterday, some of HATE's members were in your corner. What was their reaction?
Rina: They were all happy, and Fukigen was in a really good mood for the first time in a while. I was just happy, and when I went over to HATE after I had finished my round, they all threw gold confetti at me, which made me think that HATE is truly the best unit. I think HATE is still the strongest, to the point where I think the other units need to try harder. They don't have the belt, but I think they're still the strongest, and that's what I felt throughout 5★STAR. In the end, I think HATE was the one who headlined the important parts of 5★STAR. I think the era of HATE is still going strong and will continue in the future.
Okada: It's truly amazing that we've had the largest number of participants in history for the second year in a row, and I can proudly say that the level of Stardom's wrestlers has really risen. It's difficult to even make it to the finals with just two people, and I realize that winning in that situation is no easy feat. Watching the finals, I was incredibly excited, and I felt that our company is carrying this much on its shoulders. They are carrying professional wrestling on their shoulders. And it's not just Stardom. As you said, they are carrying the entire professional wrestling world on their shoulders, and carrying the entire professional wrestling world on their shoulders means not only within the professional wrestling world, but also delivering professional wrestling that resonates with people who have never even seen it before, and this year's representative of that is Rina. And she's only 19 years old, which I'm very proud of. Age is not everything, but even so, being the youngest winner will go down in history, and I believe she will lead the way for the future. I am confident that you will look forward to what Stardom has in store for the future.