There has been a generational struggle in STARDOM the past few months, and at the centre of it all is their self proclaimed number one power wrestler: Maika.
Part of an incredibly talented and hungry STARDOM roster, Maika has quickly grown into one of the company’s more reliable performers. Joining in 2020 after starting her career studying under TAKA Michinoku and JTO, she quickly asserted herself as someone to watch alongside the dominant Donna Del Mondo faction.
The high prospect rookie quickly started putting together the pieces of the puzzle, winning the Artist of Stardom trios title, the Future of Stardom Championship and then enjoying a brief reign alongside Himeka as the Goddess of Stardom Tag Champions. However, the top titles in the company have so far remained elusive, despite her best efforts.
Now just four years into her career, Maika’s full potential is becoming clear: a true powerhouse with an underrated technical side, a charismatic performer with an eye turning look and a clear determination to become the best.
Management have taken note too. Not only was she christened as one of the vaunted ‘Golden Generation’ in STARDOM, but she also earned one of the rare Historic X-Over mixed tag match spots, teaming with Hirooki Goto to face the dual ace threats of Hiroshi Tanahashi and Utami Hayashishita.
If there was ever a time to prove herself, it’s now, as the 12th running of the 5 Star Grand Prix begins.
Maika fell agonisingly short in the 2022 5 Star Grand Prix, finishing just one point behind eventual finalist Tam Nakano. She might not have walked away with the top prize but her hard work didn’t go unnoticed, earning the ‘Best Red Stars Match’ award for her hard hitting final night match with her best friend Himeka.
She got to share in the celebrations as her stablemate Giulia wore the crown and cape. It was the second straight year a Donna Del Mondo wrestler had won the tournament, and a third straight year one had competed in the final.
If Donna Del Mondo are to make it four straight years in the final, then Maika will be determined to make sure she’s the one representing her group. 2023 hasn’t been full of championships, but it has been an impressive year for the powerhouse. Momentum is on her side, now she just needs to take that next step to truly assert herself amongst the STARDOM elite.
We had the privilege to speak to Maika ahead of her next 5 Star Grand Prix campaign to get her thoughts on the upcoming tournament, the retirement of her best friend Himeka, her tag team with Hirooki Goto and lots more.
A special thanks to Kyosuke (@puroresu_boi) for his translation work.
Q: You’re getting ready to make your fourth appearance in the 5 Star Grand Prix and you came very close to making the finals last year. What do you feel you need to do in order to take that next step and reach the final in a very stacked 2023 tournament?
Maika: This year’s competitors will have the 20 of the best in Stardom, but to make up for last year, I have to win this year. I am not the same Maika you saw in 2022. I want to have more intense, more brutal matches this year. If I don’t, I think that will keep me from winning the 5 Star Grand Prix.
Q: Which matchups are you particularly looking forward to in this year’s 5 Star Grand Prix, and why?
Maika: Giulia. She has held many belts and accomplished many things that I couldn’t. Even though she is my stablemate in Donna Del Mondo, I believe that we will have one hell of a match.
Q: It was very clear how close you and Himeka were, the MaiHime pairing was a crowd favorite. What was it about your relationship with her that seemed to work so well both in and out of the ring?
Maika: Himeka was the first friend I saw as an equal since becoming a pro wrestler. After time passed, we became more like family than friends. I think that’s why we had a close bond in the ring and out of the ring.
Q: You wrestled Himeka in her last PPV match at All Star Grand Queendom in a very emotional match. What did it mean for you to be able to share such a special match and moment with her?
Maika: It was a very special moment. I wouldn’t be who I am right now if Himeka wasn’t with me along the way. But I knew that I had to accept the fact that we were going to part ways. I knew that I needed to beat her in order to stand at the top so the mentality of “I can’t lose” was rushing in me. But I feel like it was a very pure feeling between us. I feel like that was a match that both of us had no regrets about having.
Q: You initially started wrestling with JTO before joining STARDOM early in your career. What led to you deciding to pursue pro-wrestling, especially since you had to move across the country to do so?
Maika: I had very few matches in JTO. So in search of competition and stimulation, I made the move to STARDOM.
Q: Donna Del Mondo has been undergoing some upheaval over the past year. How is the group feeling right now?
Maika: A lot of stuff happened that caused people to leave DDM. That’s why I believe that the bond between the current DDM members is stronger than ever. There’s no toxic atmosphere. My wish is that there will be a new member that’s a badass and loves to train!
Q: Last year your feud with Koguma led to an unforgettable moment of you donning a bear costume! What happened there?
Maika: It was a curse of Koguma. I do not have any memory of that incident….
Q: You were one of several STARDOM wrestlers who got to compete in special tag matches with NJPW talent at Historic X-Over, when you teamed with Hirooki Goto. Firstly, congratulations on doing what you set out to do and throwing Hiroshi Tanahashi! What was that experience like for you, what did it mean to you?
Maika: I was very honored to be able to team with an amazing wrestler like Hirooki Goto and also to go against the Ace Hiroshi Tanahashi. I had some experience in intergender matches back when I was with JTO so I went into that match with no worries. The only worry I had though was that Tanahashi weighs over 100 kg, so I was kind of worried if I would be unable to use my throw based attacks on him. Because of that worry, I did a ton of training heading into the match. Even if it was by a little, I wanted to prove that joshi wrestling, STARDOM, and most importantly Maika, is amazing. I believe that X-Over was a show that granted a lot of wishes, and created new ones.
Q: If Historic X-Over takes place again in 2023, which NJPW wrestlers would you most want to fight against and team up with?
Maika: Last time we teamed, we decided on the team name “Fuyajou” [Direct translation: City that never sleeps] so that we could team again. So if there was another chance to team with a NJPW wrestler, I would stick with Goto. One thing I’m grateful for is that there have been more opportunities to work with New Japan recently. I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with Yano with Himuka no Kuro [one of Yano’s sponsors, a barley Shochu company]. So with that, I would like my next opponent to be Toru Yano. I want to throw as many wrestlers as I can!
Q: Do you have a final message you would like to share with your international fans?
Maika: As the COVID era is coming to an end, and more STARDOM talent have been starting to head overseas, I will definitely go overseas and fight as many wrestlers as I can. To the day that we can meet and witness the power of Maika, stay tuned!
Thank you to STARDOM for arranging this interview, Maika for generously taking the time to answer these questions and again to Kyosuke (@puroresu_boi) for his translation work.
You can follow STARDOM on Twitter @we_are_stardom and Maika @_Maika0324. You can sign up to STARDOM World for just ¥920 (approximately $7.00) every month.
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