Summary

Rossy Ogawa said he will not try to convince Utami Hayashishita to stay with Marigold after her run with the promotion ends.

The Marigold founder said he learned back in January that Hayashishita intended to leave. After the 4/25 Dream Star Fighting Marigold show, he said that if a wrestler wants to go, that means they no longer want to be in the promotion, and he is not interested in chasing after someone who has made that decision.

Those comments came after Hayashishita announced she is leaving Marigold following her loss to Miku Aono in a Marigold World Championship match. Hayashishita said her final match with the company will take place on May 23.

Quote from Rossy Ogawa

Ogawa made his longer view on Hayashishita clear in a 2025 interview when discussing her place in the promotion:

"She (Utami Hayashishita) has already bloomed once in STARDOM. I think she has a sense of mission for the organization, but it is difficult for her to bloom a second time. Personally, I want to see her show a toned body as a wrestler. It's not like the Showa era, so I'm not saying that just because she's a pro wrestler, she should drink and eat a lot. But I don't approve of a fat wrestler."

What Rossy Ogawa's stance means for Marigold

Rossy Ogawa publicly accepting Hayashishita's exit puts the focus immediately on Marigold's remaining roster, because one of the promotion's most established names is now heading toward the door without any expectation of a reversal. That gives the company a short runway to reposition the top of the card before Hayashishita's final date on May 23.

It also sharpens the importance of Miku Aono's title reign. With Hayashishita on the way out and Ogawa framing departures as chances for others to step up, Marigold now has a clear opening to elevate the next group around its championship scene.

Hayashishita's Marigold run

Hayashishita was one of the central names attached to Marigold from the start after leaving STARDOM in 2024 and joining the new promotion for its launch. She later became the second Marigold World Champion and held the title for 296 days.

That resume is why her departure carries weight beyond a single result. Marigold is not just losing a former champion, it is losing one of the wrestlers most closely linked to the promotion's first year.

Sources

As reported by Tokyo Sports