Mai Sakurai, one of the pillars of Dream Star Fighting MARIGOLD, will leave the company on October 24th. This was announced by the wrestler during the first event of the BATTLE HEART 2026 tour of the promotion. On that day, Sakurai revealed her intention to take a break from professional wrestling to address a series of injuries she had been dealing with for some time.
During an interview with Tokyo Sports, Sakurai provided more details about this decision, explaining that one of the reasons she needs to step away from action is to address issues with her knees and neck, which have been affected by a cervical sprain. She also confessed that she has been dealing with health problems related to stress since the beginning of the year.
"As other wrestlers left the promotion and my own situation was changing, there were times when I demanded too much of myself and tried to be someone I was not. I have been managing as best as I could until now, but I have reached a point where I can no longer reconcile the expectations placed on me with what I am truly capable of," Mai declared.
I feel like I have done everything I could. I don't know what the future holds for me, but since I have made the decision to leave, I will not return to Marigold in the near future
Mai Sakurai's professional trajectory reflects a progressive evolution within Japanese women's professional wrestling. From her beginnings in Actwres girl'Z to her consolidation in STARDOM and MARIGOLD, the wrestler has gone through different stages that have helped define her style and position in the joshi puroresu landscape.
Among her main achievements are the Artist of STARDOM Championship with Baribari Bombers, the Twin Star Championship with MIRAI, and the Unified National Championship of MARIGOLD. Her departure from Rossy Ogawa's company now opens a period of uncertainty. Although she does not currently plan to return to the promotion, Mai Sakurai's future in professional wrestling is still to be defined.
ES
US
