Promoter Rossy Ogawa Brutally Fat-Shames Utami Hayashishita In Ridiculous Comment (Marigold News)
"I don't approve of a fat wrestler." - Marigold's Rossy Ogawa on champion Utami Hayashishita.
Marigold booker Rossy Ogawa appears to be hell-bent on chasing this year's Most Ridiculous Thing Said By A Wrestling Promoter Award after absurdly calling his 26-year-old World Champion Utami Hayashishita "fat."
Ogawa's comments came ahead of Marigold's upcoming first anniversary show, Shine Forever 2025 ~ A Glorious Celebration, on 24 May.
"The match was good, but she should tone up a bit more," said Ogawa to Japanese outlet Number (translated by Google). "Utami has already blossomed once in Stardom, hasn't she? I think she has a sense of mission for the organization, but it will be difficult to make her blossom 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."
An insane way to promote a high-profile match between an acclaimed World Champion, regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, and a game challenger in MIRAI, you might think.
You'd be correct.
The article also contains a disconnected quote from Hayashishita ("I should slim down a bit more"), which isn't captured elsewhere in the conversation.
Utami shot to international prominence with two high-profile matches against Syuri in 2021, the first of which (12 June) drew a *****1/2 rating from the Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, making it one of the most acclaimed bouts in wrestling history.
When Ogawa launched Marigold with a press conference in April 2024, Hayashishita was an original roster member, alongside Giulia, MIRAI, Nanae Takahashi, and more. Two months prior, Stardom had fired Ogawa for alleged talent poaching.