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RETURN OF THE SUN GODDESS

Sareee poses

Following her stay in WWE NXT, “Sarray” is gone … but Sareee has returned to Japan to rejoin the fight!

TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY BY ISSA MARIE

IN MARCH 2023, Sareee confirmed her departure from WWE, where she had competed on the NXT brand for the better part of three years under the name of “Sarray.” Now, she has returned to her original home of Japan with a reignited purpose: to show what pro wrestling, from her perspective, is all about.

Ahead of her much-anticipated produce show, Sareee took the time from her busy schedule to meet up with PWI Japan correspondent Issa Marie at TERA CAFÉ SHIEN ZOJOJI in Tokyo, for a special, in-person interview.

“Pro wrestling is a fighting art,” Sareee told PWI. “Strong showing between opponents. And, after two years of not being able to show it, my goal is to reintroduce the fans to my core fighting style.”

Though she impressed sizable, global audiences with her spirited performances on NXT, longtime fans of Sareee knew that she was not being utilized to her full potential. Prior to signing with WWE in early-2020, and relocating to the U.S. months later, this prodigy wrestler seemed destined to carry on the legendary, traditional Japanese style of All Japan Women’s Pro-Wrestling. She debuted at age 15 for World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana, the only organization to carry on All Japan Women’s training system under the tutelage of joshi greats Jaguar Yokota, Kyoko Inoue, Kaoru Ito, and Nanae Takahashi. She pushed her body to the limit, learning foundational pro wrestling moves that require long years of discipline to truly master.

Sareee poses, raising both hands


In doing so, Sareee became “the last surviving hope” of joshi strong style wrestling. After six impressive years with Diana, including a tag title reign with Yokota, she joined up with Takahashi’s burgeoning SEAdLINNNG promotion. At Meiko Satomura’s Sendai Girls, she battled Chihiro Hashimoto in a series of hard-hitting and globally acclaimed matches. After returning to Diana in 2018, she finally claimed her home promotion’s top single championship … twice.

So impressive was Sareee that she was publicly applauded by her wrestling idol, Antonio Inoki, gifted a mask by Satoru Sayama (Tiger Mask), and given the blessing of Masahiro Chono to use his STF hold. It is unsurprising, then, that Sareee was recruited by WWE, where she would spend two years of her career learning the entertainment aspect of the sport she held so dearly.


While signing a WWE contract is a lifelong goal for many grapplers, for Sareee, it was an exciting new challenge. “At the time I was recruited, I was unfamiliar with the company,” she admits. “I was told I would be able to be a similar version of the pro wrestler I was in Japan … however, it wasn’t long before everything changed.”

Often working alongside newer and less experienced talent, the NXT talent known as Sarray was notably more subdued than the fiery ring warrior who had initially grabbed the attention of the industry leader. Her look and on-screen persona also changed, much to the chagrin of longtime supporters.

“While it was not what I had expected, I have no regrets,” Sareee reflected. “That time in WWE, I was able to learn about the entertainment side of the ‘industry’ that is not as prominent in most Japanese promotions.”

Called “The Sun Goddess” for her explosiveness and charismatic in-ring presence, Sareee speaks kindly of her former coworkers. “I really enjoyed working with Zoey Stark and Tiffany (Stratton) during my time in NXT and training with Franky Monet (AEW’s Taya Valkyrie),” she said. “We (Franky and I) wanted to have a match on TV because we had great chemistry when we trained and practiced together. We even went to management to see if it would be possible, but it did not happen.”

Sareee poses

Sadly, there were other matches Sareee looked forward to that were, for various reasons, not able to take place. “When I first learned about NXT, I saw a match of Ember Moon (AEW’s Athena), and I was amazed by her,” she recalls. “We were supposed to have a match, but it was canceled.”

Similarly, planned bouts with Toni Storm and Meiko Satomura were called off. If given the chance, Sareee would still like to wrestle these women. She also expressed interest in facing record-setting WWE Raw champion Bianca Belair. “I am very curious about her strength, testing her abilities and her limits,” said Sareee.

Considering that she had strayed away from the big promotions while in Japan, it seems reasonable to wonder whether competing at NXT was ever in Sareee’s best interests. On the other hand, the move made perfect sense, given her desire to showcase her vision of pro wrestling on a worldwide platform. After all the unique challenges she has faced, we had to ask: Does “The Sun Goddess” have any advice for her Japanese peers who might be considering training and wrestling overseas?

Sareee poses, spreading arms


“If there’s an opportunity to go, go for it!” she says. “Opportunities are few and far between [for us], so take advantage of them! Go for the experience!”

And that experience has inspired the 12-year veteran to produce her own card, Sareee-ISM, taking place on May 16, 2023, at Shinjuku Face event hall in Tokyo. The event will feature joshi wrestlers carrying on the torch of the traditional fighting art of Japanese women’s pro wrestling.

“I want to thank all of the international fans gained for their support, by performing and fighting in the style of pro wrestling that I have always believed in and love,” said Sareee. But, above all, she wants to be able to meet the high expectations that have been set.


“I received a lot of support and encouragement from the fans during my time with WWE, which helped me pull through during the hardest of times,” she told PWI. “I really appreciate them all, and want to give back to those who supported me, by being the best version of myself. I am very grateful for you all and look forward to seeing everyone again!

If you are not in Japan to watch Sareee-ISM Chapter 1, fret not, as the event will be streamed LIVE at https://sareeelive.com/

Note: The English Language Option can be found in its drop-down menu, top right). Start time is 7:00 p.m. local time, (6:00 a.m. on the U.S. East Coast, and 3:00 a.m. Pacific).

Poster for Sareee-ISM, Chapter 1
COURTESY OF SAREE/SAREEE-ISM


The match card for Sareee-ISM is as follows:

Opening Match
Riko Kaiju (SEAdLINNNG) vs. Yurika Oka (Sendai Girls)
10-minute time limit

Second Match
AKARI (Pure-J) & Arisa Nakajima (SEAdLINNG) vs. Ibuki Hoshi (Ice Ribbon) &
Miyuki Takase (Freelancer)
20-minute time limit

Semi-Main Event
Jaguar Yokota (Diana) & Nanae Takahashi (Freelance) vs. Kaoru Ito (Ito Dojo) & X [mystery competitor to be revealed at a later date]
30-minute time limit

Main Event
Sareee vs Chihiro Hashimoto (Sendai Girls)
30-minute time limit

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ON HEELS: Zicky Dice, Silas Mason, Dominik Mysterio

Pollo Del Mar & Thrillbilly Silas Mason pose

ON HEELS: Zicky Dice, Silas Mason, Dominik Mysterio

TEXT BY POLLO DEL MAR

SOMETIMES IT’S BEST to recognize you’re fighting a losing battle. Zicky Dice should have remembered this when our paths crossed recently in Connecticut.

On Sept. 22, Best Trivia Ever collected a mixture of today’s brightest talent and legends like Scott Steiner and Scotty 2 Hotty for SLAM 2, an unforgettable night of pro wrestling action in Milford. Seeking revenge for his humiliation at a SLAM event a year prior, Dice had the temerity to direct his anger toward me to begin the show.

The IMPACT Wrestling star’s callous and unwanted disruption turned me from the night’s emcee into an impromptu “general manager” and matchmaker of sorts. The grave error of threatening me if “appropriate opposition” was not offered did not end well for “The Outlandish One.”

Dice fell into a trap far too many do: underestimating the cunning and calculated “Manager Of Champions.” He also failed to recognize just how far my connections extend in the wrestling world.

Some 90 minutes later, when he returned to the ring to menace and intimidate, it was my turn to surprise. You should have seen Zicky’s expression when the music hit and Eddie Kingston came through that crowd!

Fresh from devastating Sammy Guevara the night prior during an AEW Rampage taping, Kingston was all-too-ready to avenge that disqualification loss. Though I find no joy in siding with fans, I, like everyone in attendance, rejoiced as Eddie thoroughly trounced the former National Wrestling Alliance Television champion.

Yet again, Dice’s big mouth was temporarily silenced—thanks to my new buddy Eddie. Now that is “Outlandish”!

IT’S A THRILL RIDE!

Being forced to acknowledge one of the all-time great fan favorites galls me to no end. However, when Ricky Steamboat is right, he’s right—and the National Wrestling Alliance’s new “Steamboat Proclamation” is very, very right!

Returning for Season 10 of NWA Powerrr, the former World’s heavyweight champion immediately convinced NWA owner and president William Patrick Corgan to expand title opportunities for everyone in the company. That resulted in, among other things, a single elimination tournament to determine the #1contender to The Great Cyon’s National heavyweight title.

Pollo Del Mar & Thrillbilly Silas Mason pose
Pollo Del Mar poses with “The Thrillbilly” Silas Mason / Photo by Daniel Moore/Hardway Photo and NWA

The Hall-of-Famer Steamboat hand-selected 12 competitors of varying NWA tenure to compete for a title shot at the November 12 Hard Times 3 pay-per-view in New Orleans. With gentle persuasion, “The Thrillbilly” Silas Mason joined the likes of Jax Dane, “Magic” Jake Dumas, and more!

To the shock of apparently all except me, Silas “upset” former National champion Anthony Mayweather in the opening round. We then went on to face that demon-worshipping Judais in the semi-finals. I ran interference as that devilish garden gnome Father James Mitchell tried some shenanigans, allowing Silas to take “The High Priest Of Punishment” on a Thrill Ride he could not survive!

Soon, “The Thrillbilly” will face Chris Adonis and relative NWA newcomer Dak Draper in three-way finale. Adonis is a two-time National champion and Draper is a former Ring of Honor Top Prospects Tournament winner. However, neither has faced someone like Silas Mason—and certainly not with “The Lovely” Pollo Del Mar at his side.

Stay tuned to NWA’s weekly programming—NWA Powerrr every Tuesday on FiteTV and NWA USA Saturdays on YouTube—to catch this must-see match-up. Silas Mason’s ready to take the entire NWA on a Thrill Ride straight into New Orleans!

DADDY ISSUES

Poor Rey Mysterio! The man simply can’t control his family.

First, daughter Aaliyah seemingly strayed amidst his ongoing feud with Seth Rollins. Now, son Dominik has stabbed him in the back to join The Judgment Day.

Sure, becoming the first father/son team to hold WWE tag gold was cute, but did Rey expect that to satisfy Dom forever? How long could Daddy reasonably expect Dom to ride his coattails, treating him like a child when all he wanted was to his own man? Little Dom finally stepped from his father’s shadow—and all it took was Rhea Ripley’s encouragement.

As the nephew of a legend himself, surely Rey knows the pressures of following an icon’s footsteps. To ever be seen as more than “Rey Mysterio’s son,” Dominik needs to establish himself individually … and could never do that under his father’s thumb.

Now Dominik shows dastardly depth and determination at the sides of Finn Balor, Damian Priest, and Ripley. He’s turned the page, and his back, on the past to forge his own legacy. And it’s clear fans like it no more than Rey does.

A recent Raw audience in California nearly booed Dominik and company of San Jose. Still, the smile on Dom’s face said it all. For perhaps the first time in his young career, he’s eliciting a crowd response entirely his own—and that’s presumably all he ever wanted.

No judgment here, Dom!

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FROM THE DESK OF … [A Plea To MJF]

Full spread (dual cover) of April 2022 PWI

FROM THE DESK OF … [April 2022 PWI; A Plea To MJF]

Full spread (dual cover) of April 2022 PWI
Back/front cover of PWI April 2022 issue

TEMPTING AS IT is to use this space to reminisce about 2021, that’s not what I’m going to do here. At the risk of seeming biased, I’ve instead got some things I’d like to say about Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

This year, MJF took home PWI’s notorious Most Hated Wrestler of the Year Award in what amounted to a landslide. He received more votes for Most Hated than any winner in any other category. He’s ably played his job as a villain, although he’s crossed a few lines that some of us wished he wouldn’t have. (That comment about Melanie Pillman? C’mon, Max.)

Friedman has made a choice to be detestable, and it’s mostly working out. As much as he claims to be “Salt Of The Earth,” he’s been pretty much untouchable in AEW. And, when I say “untouchable,” I mean that literally. Over the last 12 months or so, MJF has talked a much bigger game than he’s played, leaning heavily on his cohorts in The Pinnacle or, just as often, choosing not to compete at all.

And I get it. After all, it’s pretty easy to boast a high win-loss percentage when you take most weeks off from competition.


At press time, MJF has wrestled about a dozen-and-a-half times in 2021. Compare that with 2019, when he signed with AEW—and wrestled 84 matches. Sure, it’s important not to burn yourself out, but Friedman enjoys a relatively light schedule compared to the other “Pillars Of AEW.” For instance, Jungle Boy has wrestled 52 matches in 2021, as of this writing.

It’s certainly not because MJF can’t go. He’s in incredible shape; has remarkable stamina. He’s proven that he’s a great mat wrestler, showcasing technical ability that rivals his ego. His talents between matches—his vicious promos, his singing voice—are proof positive that he’s not only gifted, but willing to put in the work. And yet … he trades verbal insults far more than holds.

Deep down, I’m convinced MJF doubts his own merit. Though he appears confident, he’s taken shortcut after shortcut to win matches, and he’s made opponents, like Chris Jericho, jump through hoops merely for the chance to punch him in the mouth.

And that mouth. Whew! There’s no denying MJF has a unique ability to talk fans into seats, and foes into encounters they may not be quite ready for. The guy, for all his faults, has “Future World Champion” written all over him. But he’s not going to get there unless he allows himself to be vulnerable—to take the chance that he might actually get his butt kicked more often.

Max, if you happen to read this—and I have a feeling you might—please realize you won’t get where you want to be by coasting. Get out there and wrestle. Wrestle at least half as much as you talk. And rely on your actual abilities inside the ring. Because, at the end of the day, you’re good enough to be the star you already say you are. But, first, you need to get out of your own way.

Kevin McElvaney

Editor-in-Chief
Pro Wrestling Illustrated

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From The Desk Of … (April ’21)

From The Desk Of … (April ’21)

By the time you read this, 2020 will officially be in the rearview mirror. This was a difficult year for wrestling. Government-mandated shutdowns led promotions around the world to shutter their doors … some never to reopen. Economic concerns forced reliable venues to close, as well as some journeyman independent grapplers to hang up their boots for good. With independent wrestling events shut down worldwide, the #SpeakingOut movement offered survivors of abuse and assault a receptive audience to share their stories. While the movement was inspiring, the alleged conditions that led to it were, of course, anything but.

WWE and AEW continued to operate, running shows throughout the pandemic. Each company was impacted at various points by COVID—not only because of lost revenue, but by talent and crew who either contracted the virus or had to quarantine after being exposed to it. Fans and pundits alike continue to debate whether running shows in 2020 was actually a good idea, but you know what they say about hindsight.

Personally, 2020 was a year of tremendous highs and lows. If you’re a regular reader, you likely know that I was tapped by Stu Saks to take over the role of Editor-in-Chief of Pro Wrestling Illustrated. It’s been an absolute joy to work on this magazine full-time. I’ve learned so much about the history of PWI while aiming to help it evolve. But, away from PWI, this has been the most challenging year I could have imagined.

Back in April, my grandmother, who had long suffered from dementia (and lived in a nursing home), was taken from us by COVID. Hundreds of thousands of families this year came to know the pain of mourning that was delayed, isolated, or otherwise less than ideal.

Around the same time my grandmother passed, my wife Megan was struggling with escalating G.I. issues that were clearly more serious than the acid reflux her doctor had initially suspected. It took us months of specialist appointments and tests to learn that she was actually battling advanced bile duct cancer, which had spread to her liver.

Megan, who hasn’t yet turned 35, is the kindest, most thoughtful person you could meet—the kind of person who feels a real responsibility to the world around her. She’s devoted countless weekends to helping shelter animals. She offers to babysit for free because she loves kids (and their parents). She even learned how to make her own soap because she heard recycling plastic was bad for the environment. As you can imagine, her diagnosis has hit all of us—Megan, myself, her loved ones—pretty hard.

I know that many of our readers have battled a horrific disease like cancer (or loved someone who has). Please know that my thoughts are with you. Witnessing Megan’s battle, doing whatever I can to support her, I see the toll serious illness can take.

As an optimist, I’d like to leave you with this: Now, as always, professional wrestling offers me a measure of comfort through the dark and unknown. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or someone who just picked up this magazine on a whim, I sincerely hope that the squared circle provides some light for you, too. And I hope that PWI, even if only in some small way, helps enhance and enrich your enjoyment of this beautiful sport/art form/catharsis we know as professional wrestling. Thank you for reading … and thank you for being a fan.