>Rina (18), the “villainous high school girl wrestler” of the women’s professional wrestling group Stardom, revealed her thoughts on becoming the Wonder Champion.
>She defeated Saori Anou in the next challenger deciding match for the title and it was decided that she would challenge the current champion Starlight Kid at the tournament in her hometown of Utsunomiya on February 24th. This will be her first time challenging for the title, but she vowed, "This is the best situation I've ever grabbed. There's no point if I don't win. I'll take it in one shot."
>Kid and the current champion are classmates from the 7th generation of Stardom wrestlers. During their time as the villainous group Oedo Tai, they teamed up to inspire the younger generation. "Recently, they asked me, 'Are you sure you want to just be a supporting role for your juniors?' and kicked me out of Oedo Tai, but it seems nothing has changed. They say Neo Genesis will take all the belts, but that's something H.A.T.E. (hate) would do. Kamitani (Saya) wore the red (World) title, so next I'll wear the white (Wonder Championship)."
>What further motivates her is the presence of her master, Hana Kimura, who passed away in May 2020. Hana challenged for the title twice but lost, never to be crowned. "I saw her aiming for the white belt, so I definitely want to win it and show people what it's like to wear it. I'm sure I'll cry when I put the white belt on... I don't know," she said, gazing into the distance.
>Rinnan still uses the manji hold that she inherited from Hana as a weapon. "When I was in the first year of junior high school, she said to me, 'Let's use the manji hold together. Practice it 100 times, and show me when you've improved.' I'll never forget practicing it 100 times while feeling dizzy and staggering," she recalled.
>"Look forward to the birth of a new star in Utsunomiya, not just in Tochigi, but in the world!" Rinan's eyes were full of sincerity as she carried her master's hopes.
