Mayu Iwatani is one of the best professional wrestlers in the world. Just three days after her exit from Stardom, she’s found a new home for the next phase of her career. During a press conference, she announced that she’s signing with Marigold.
She appeared alongside Rossy Ogawa during a press conference to announce the signing and give additional updates. It was revealed that her scheduled debut match is against Nanae Takahashi on Sunday, May 4 at Korakuen Hall.
Iwatani is a multiple time champion, picking up titles in Stardom, New Japan Pro Wrestling, and Ring of Honor. She recently held the IWGP Women’s Championship for 735 days, cementing her place among the best wrestlers in the world.
Mayu Iwatani wants the opportunity to wrestle WWE stars
Iwatani’s signing with Marigold is a fantastic move because it shows that another promotion can land a big free agent in wrestling. WWE and All Elite Wrestling are the two big dogs in the business, with many of the top names jumping to either one of those companies or looking to make the move there. Marigold signing a big free agent shows that they are a viable alternative for women’s wrestling.
However, that does not mean that Iwatani may not work with WWE in the future. She mentioned during the press conference that one of the reasons she signed with Marigold is to potentially face some of her peers in WWE.
“IYO-San [Iyo Sky] and Kairi [Kairi Sane] are real superstars,” Iwatani said (translation provided by meraWRESTLING. “So, one of the reasons why I transferred was because I wanted to wrestle with members like IYO-san, Kairi, and even Giulia. Well, Iyo-san in particular is like an older sister to me, and I want to wrestle with her and team up with her.”
IYO Sky recently competed against Utami Hayashishita at Marigold Summer Destiny. As WWE opens its doors to partnerships with other companies, it will be interesting to see if Iwatani gets the opportunity to share the ring with some of these top names in the WWE.
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