JPN
In Red Stars A, Natsuko Tora of HATE will face Maika. Exactly two years ago, at the Sapporo event on July 28, 2024, Tora defeated the then-World Champion Maika to win the title for the first time
As they entered the ring, Tora attacked Maika, and a fierce brawl immediately ensued outside the ring. Back in the ring, Tora continued to hit her with three sentons, putting her in a difficult position
Maika, unable to find her rhythm, unleashed a series of moves including a body-lock sleeper hold, a brainbuster onto a folding chair, three consecutive brainbusters from a superplex, a rolling lariat, and a Michinoku Driver II, but Tora stopped her attacks with a Blue Mist. She then followed up with a Death Valley Bomb and a Swanton Bomb to secure the victory
With two consecutive wins after two consecutive losses, Tora has brought her record back to even, and she boasted, "For someone like me, the 5★STAR Grand Prix is nothing special. Because this tournament is there so that the winner can say, 'Let me challenge for the red belt next,' or 'Let me have a match like this next,' and have it happen, right? I don't need to participate in a tournament like this; if I say, 'I want to fight for the red belt,' I can do it even if they don't want to."
She then added, "So why am I in this tournament? Because I can defeat whoever I want, whenever I want. I'm more concerned with who I defeat than winning this tournament. The other day it was Rina, and today it's Maika. Two years ago today, I beat Maika and created HATE. There's no way I can lose. I'm not going to lose yet. Maika has more to offer. Try and stop my poison mist. Though I doubt you can." With that, she left the backstage area