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>Aono Miku (35) of women’s pro wrestling promotion *Marigold* underwent a waterfall purification ritual in preparation for her World Championship challenge against reigning champion Utami Hayashishita (27) at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event on the 26th. Visiting Kuzuryu Falls in Hinohara Village, Tokyo, Aono cleansed her body and spirit, expressing her determination to carry the banner of the promotion.
>Having captured her first-ever singles league title in the Dream Star GP, Aono now challenges Hayashishita, who has defended the World title four times. “This title match is a huge challenge for me. I wanted to bring out something beyond my own strength, so I came here to do the waterfall training,” she explained.
>On this day, with the temperature in Hinohara Village at 9°C and light rain falling, Aono—dressed in a white training robe—performed warm-up exercises under the guidance of the temple priest before stepping into the frigid stream. Enduring the freezing water and powerful current, she stood beneath the falls. Emerging from the torrent, she said with a bright expression, “Even while the water was pounding down, all I could think about was the belt. My focus sharpened, and as I stood there, the cold only ignited my fire. The burning Aono Miku will take the World Championship.”
>Aono participated in Marigold’s founding last May and became the inaugural United National (UN) Champion that July. At the May Yoyogi event this year, she served as the final opponent of the retiring Nanae Takahashi and has remained at the forefront of the promotion ever since.
