Rossy Ogawa Addresses Former Marigold Champion's Imminent Departure

By Brie Coder
Dream Star Fighting Marigold owner, Rossy Ogawa, discusses his new promotion at a press event Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

This past Saturday, Utami Hayashishita announced that her time with Dream Star Fighting Marigold will be coming to an end, with her final match set for Saturday, May 23.

On Saturday, at Korakuen Hall, Marigold held an event, where Hayashishita challenged for her former piece of gold, the Marigold World Championship, against current champion Miku Aono. Aono retained successfully. After the match, Hayashishita addressed the crowd and informed them of her upcoming departure.

After this weekend's show, Marigold owner Rossy Ogawa was interviewed on the matter by Tokyo Sports. Ogawa mentioned that he was aware of her decision to leave since January of this year, and while saddened to hear she will no longer work for his company, he's not going to convince her to say, as her mind is already made up.

"I didn't try to convince her to stay. Because if she wants to quit, it means she doesn't want to work here anymore. There's no point in trying to convince her to stay," he said. "We don't chase after those who leave. But there's no point in dwelling only on the negatives. This is precisely the time to turn a crisis into an opportunity. All we can do is hope the wrestlers do their best."

A standout in Ogawa's formerly owned and operated promotion, World Wonder Ring STARDOM, Hayashishita was one of several big names who chose to leave STARDOM and take part in Marigold in 2024. The 27-year-old sensation was the second-ever Marigold World Champion, after winning the title from inaugural champ Sareee on January 3, 2025, at First Dream in Tokyo. As of this report, Hayashishita remains the former and longest-reigning champion of that title at 296 days.

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