Female professional wrestler Natsumi Shozuki

If you don't give up on yourself even after setbacks, you'll surely find your dream

Female professional wrestler Natsumi Shozuki
 
■ Profile
She worked as a hairdresser, but returned to her hometown of Amagasaki for a while, then moved back to Tokyo with the goal of becoming an actress. After a theatrical project using professional wrestling, she became a trainee for the women's professional wrestling organization Stardom. After many twists and turns, she joined the Marigold when it was launched in 2024. Just two months later, in July, she won the inaugural championship match held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, becoming the first super flyweight champion.

■What did you focus on when you were a student?

After graduating from high school, I went to beauty school. I became interested in beauty because I wanted to make people beautiful and make them happy. Beauty school had contests on weekends, so I focused on those contests like it was a club activity.
 
■What made you start professional wrestling?

I gave up on my path to becoming a hairdresser. In my first year as a hairdresser, my skin and nails became weak and rough, which made it difficult to fully heal, and I was unable to do the work required of a newbie, so I quit. After that, when I didn't have anything in particular that I wanted to do, a friend who was acting invited me to start acting as well. When I moved to Tokyo, my first role was a high school girl who wanted to be a professional wrestler, so I went to see a wrestling match to prepare for the role, and that was how I first encountered professional wrestling.
Among the active professional wrestlers, there were some who were younger, cuter, and thinner than me. Seeing them made me think, "I want to try that!" That's what got me started in professional wrestling. Nowadays, there are many ways to get into professional wrestling, so I was able to get started as well.

■ The presence of cousins

Actually, my cousin is Tokoda Hiroki, a professional baseball player for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. When I was about 25, I had to quit professional wrestling and show business due to an injury. It was around that time that Hiroki, who is five years younger than me, decided to join the Hiroshima Carp. I was happy because I had seen him work hard since he was little, and seeing him achieve his dreams inspired me, so I decided to give it another go and returned to this world at the age of 30. I want to show Hiroki what I can do. I hope he will come to see a game someday, and my goal is to throw the opening pitch at a Hiroshima Carp game!

■ The appeal of professional wrestling

Professional wrestling has a strong entertainment element, so thinking about how to entertain the audience and get them to cheer is both rewarding and fascinating. When they cheer me on, it gives me strength, and I'm happy when people who watch me say, "It gave me energy."
For first-time viewers, I think you'll enjoy it more if you can find a favorite player. There's bound to be a player you can empathize with, so if you can find your favorite player, I think you'll enjoy watching even if you don't understand the rules!

■ Enthusiasm for the tournament on January 3, 2025

I hold the first ever Marigold Super Flyweight Championship belt. It's exciting to see big fighters go head to head, but there are some fights that can only be done in the lightweight division, so I hope you'll come and see my exciting fight. I've successfully defended my title four times so far, so I definitely want to defend it again and lift the belt. There are four other belt title matches on the day, and each one has its own unique character, so I think everyone will enjoy it.

■Message to university students

There may be students out there who don't have any dreams or are worried about their future. But it's okay. I wanted to be a hairdresser but gave up. But I discovered professional wrestling and now I'm chasing a new dream. I believe you'll discover something new at some point. So don't give up on yourself. Maybe watching professional wrestling will change the world for some people, just like it did for me, so if you're interested, please come and see the Marigold Ota Ward General Gymnasium tournament.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 4, 2024 by Aoyama Gakuin University freshman Aoi Kuwayama

Aoi Kuwayama, 1st year student at Aoyama Gakuin University / Yurie Watanabe, 1st year student at Josai International University