JPN
"High-speed Fairy" Natsupoi made a surprise announcement on Thursday, July 23rd, that she will retire from active competition at the Yokohama Budokan event on January 3rd next year
At the press conference held at Bushiroad's headquarters in Tokyo, she appeared in an ivory dress. She announced her retirement from professional wrestling on January 3rd of next year, stating, "I have decided to put an end to my career as a professional wrestler and move on to a new life." At the Ota Ward tournament on July 18th, she challenged IWGP Women's Champion Syuri, which she described as "the biggest challenge of this century." She fell just short of winning the belt, and after the match, she left a knee pad with the letter "P" on it backstage, leaving it behind intriguingly
"I challenged for this belt with the desire to have my final moment as a singles wrestler. Whether I won the belt or not, I had already made the decision to retire. When I won the belt, I was determined to hold it and run to the very end, so now I'm filled with regret, but my decision to retire hasn't changed."
President Taro Okada, who was also present at the press conference, said that he had heard of her intention to retire even before the IWGP Women's Championship match. However, he wanted her to continue to be active in the sport, and with the hope that "if she challenges for the title and wins, it will motivate her to continue even more," he arranged this championship match
"It's so typical of her, she's always straightforward. That was the case when she told us about her marriage, and Natsupoi is a player who has always given her all in every situation, so I thought that her feelings about retiring wouldn't change so easily, but somewhere inside I was also hoping for something," said President Okada
Ultimately, she didn't win the belt, and Natsupoi's resolve remained unchanged, but the company president said, "I still believe that she is in a position where she can aim much higher as a wrestler, but she has decided to move on to the next stage of her life, or rather, to put an end to her career in professional wrestling while she is still able to do so properly, and I want to respect this decision."
The "STARDOM NEW YEAR DREAM" event at Yokohama Budokan on January 3, 2027, is planned to be held as a retirement commemorative event for Natsupoi. Further details will be announced as soon as they are decided
Next up was a Q&A session. Here's a Q&A with Natsupoi:
—What was the fundamental reason for deciding to retire?
a Natsupoi pro wrestler for 12 years, and I've had the opportunity to try many different things and have many different experiences. This year, I also announced my marriage, and I've started to think about the next stage of my life, and that's when I decided I wanted to live a life different from that of a pro wrestler.
—Who would you like to face in your final match?
Natsupoi: There are so many fighters I really want to compete against, but I like surprises, so I think I'll hold off on saying anything here (at the press conference).
—What's the most memorable moment that comes to mind right now?
Natsupoi, hmm. It's really hard to choose. If we're talking about battles, there are so many battles that I have fond memories of, but right now, what comes to mind is the presence of the members of Cosmic Angels who were always by my side and supporting me, and Tam-chan (Nakano Tam)... and the time we spent together in the hotel during the tour, even when things were really tough, talking about all sorts of things... It's like all those memories are welling up inside me. But really, there are so many tough and painful things in professional wrestling, but when I stand in the ring, everyone shouts "Natsupoi! Natsupoi!" and those are things that you don't really get to experience in normal life. I feel so fortunate to have been able to be in that kind of environment.
-- Is there anything you'd like to do on your retirement road?
There are lots of people I'd like to fight against or team up with, like Natsumi . I'd love to do a husband-and-wife tag team (laughs)
Mr. Okada , well, we'll be choosing our opponents too (laughs). We want to plan it carefully.
Yes, it's summery (laughs). I think I'd like to try something like that. I want to do everything I want to do, as much as I can.
—What was the reaction of the members of Kozuen and Shingo Takagi when you reported it to them?
Natsupoi Kozuen's Saori (Anno) knew about it from the beginning, and she was like, "Oh no!", but she really supported Natsumi's decision. All the Kozuen members were like that too. All the Kozuen members are shining brightly now, and I have no worries at all, but they are all very supportive members and they supported me. Rather than consulting with Takagi-san, I really made the decision myself and reported it to him, but he always supported me no matter what, saying, "Just do what you want to do, Natsumi." With this decision too, he watched over me and said, "You did a good job," and also supported me.
--Did you talk to Shuri, with whom you fought for the IWGP Women's Championship, about retirement?
about Natsupoi . She said "I see," which gave me the impression that she was reflecting on it rather than being surprised, and she did say something like, "I'm really going to miss you." She also said something like, "I hope you'll stay true to yourself and keep going straight down your own path until the very end."
—After retirement, will you be a completely ordinary person, or will you continue to be involved in events and such as an alumna?
a typical summer wrestler anymore, but I don't think I can hide this aura (laughs). I'm not sure right now if I'll do anything in the general public, but if there's anything I can do, I'd like to do it, so if there's anything...
President Okada , I believe that fans still want to meet you and that you are someone who can do something to reach them even if you're not a wrestler. Of course, I want to continue working with Stardom, but I also want to take on more other jobs, and if there's an opportunity to support you, I want to support you with the full force of the company. Knowing Natsupoi, I also feel like "whenever she feels like causing trouble" (laughs). So, I think we should first draw a line under things and then we can talk about various things.
—If you had won the IWGP title match, would you have continued your wrestling career?
Natsupoi 's decision was unwavering, and I don't think it would have changed even if she had won the title. There were many opponents I wanted to face in title defenses, and I imagined that would be my road to retirement. But I went into this with the feeling that I would take this belt with me until retirement. Just because I've decided to retire doesn't mean I can't challenge for the belt for the next five months, right? I want to always walk the path as a challenger.
--Did you tell your close friend, Sareee?
Natsupoi seemed to think, "Oh, so you've made up your mind," but she kept sending me LINE messages periodically asking, "Really?" "Really?" When I told her, "I've already made up my mind," she said, "I'm still sad. It doesn't feel real."
—Did you have any lingering feelings or internal conflicts about not wanting to go pro wrestling?
I'm the kind of person who, once I've made up my mind, I just go for it, so I don't waver. But if you ask me if I've done everything I could as a professional wrestler, I don't think so. I guess that's just like me, because you never know what's going to happen in life. With that in mind, my decision to end my professional wrestling career for now is unwavering.
—Is there any chance that you might feel like doing professional wrestling again?
It might have a summery feel to it . Or maybe not (laughs)
--This is the second surprise this year, what would you like to tell your fans now?
Natsupoi, I'm really sorry for always surprising you all. There are about five months left, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to everyone and give my all in my performance in the ring as a professional wrestler so that you will continue to support me until the very end. I love surprises, so you never know what will happen from now until my retirement, so I hope you will all keep your eyes on me. Thank you so much.
Finally, President Okada said, "As Natsupoi moves forward on her retirement road, if she changes her mind, the company will always accept her back," but added, "Natsupoi has come through the professional wrestling world with a diverse background. We will make sure to meet the expectations of her fans and support her so that she can do what she wants and complete her professional wrestling career without any regrets."
Having just celebrated her birthday on July 19th, the fairy who held a milestone press conference on "Natsumi Day (723)" is now sprinting down the final stretch
