Maki Itoh - 5 Quick Facts About The Fired Idol
3. She Was The #1 Trend On Twitter In Japan
Maki Itoh's idol career started off as a member of LinQ, but things eventually turned sour between her and the people in charge.
According to an interview Maki gave in 2018, LinQ's management told her they wanted her focus to be on becoming an idol, rather than wrestling. Maki felt that she was capable of doing both and, despite jumping through every hoop asked of her (such as doing street performances to promote upcoming concerts), Maki found out she had been sacked when LinQ's Agency announced the band's updated line-up, with Itoh's name conspicuously absent.
Understandably pissed off at finding out she had been fired through news outlets, rather than being told face to face, the now-Fired Idol did what every great wrestler does - turn a setback into an angle.
While making her entrance to a heavily-hyped lumberjack match against rival Asuza Takigawa, Maki Itoh stormed down the ramp, told everyone watching she had just been fired, and demanded the company to stop playing her old, LinQ-penned entrance music.
Maki's outburst caught the imagination of everyone watching, and her name became the no.1 Twitter trend in Japan as a result.
Now that's how you grab a brass ring.