Same Icon, New Home

[Utami]

Contrary to what might be expected under the circumstances, there’s no exciting video package to introduce the EBWF Universe to their high profile signing. No highlights of her countless past conquests. Not even a slide show of big moments or a progression of her growth as a wrestler, courtesy of World Wonder Ring Stardom. Just a simple black backdrop with the Monday Night Warfare logo emblazoned on it, hanging on the wall backstage at the Toyota Center. And in front of it, dressed in red, white and blue ring gear, is the Icon of Joshi Wrestling herself.

MAYU IWATANI: <Houston Texas. Monday Night Warfare. EBWF. You know, all of those are words that no one ever really expected to be associated with the name of Iwatani Mayu. I didn’t expect them to be associated with my name. But I’m here. No matter who believes it, Iwatani Mayu is standing here in Texas, just about - what, is it an hour or so?>

Her mind seems to wander a little as she speaks off the cuff, with white subtitles at the bottom of the screen translating her Japanese.


MAYU IWATANI: <Yes, an hour. I guess that means I have a few minutes to get some stuff off my mind. There’s a lot - and I often forget what I was going to say in the moment. That isn’t perfect, it isn’t what you’d expect of an icon, it’s definitely not cool. But that doesn’t mean I can’t still get my message across with my strength in the ring. It doesn’t make me any less accomplished even if people might have this image of who I’m supposed to be, then they see me forget my phone charger at the hotel or trip on my way into the building->

She chuckles and shakes her head.


MAYU IWATANI: <Sorry, I’m getting sidetracked. If I keep doing that, I’m going to end up forgetting what I wanted to say here tonight. That’s not acceptable - it’s my debut! True, I came out last week and spoiled the surprise, but - I’ll get to that in a bit. Tonight’s a night where the world’s changing both for EBWF and for me. Nothing’s going to be the same. But I guess it hasn’t been the same for a while. That’s why I’m here, I think.>

She pauses for a moment to collect her thoughts before she awkwardly continues.


MAYU IWATANI: <I’m not very good with words like this. I’m used to letting my wrestling - my strength in the ring - do the talking for me. But that’s just another thing that’s changed. Fourteen years ago I ran away from home to become a wrestler with no real plan on what to do if that didn’t work out. So I worked extremely hard with success looking extremely unlikely at first. I had all these way more talented women around me who you’d be forgiven for assuming would just leave me in the dust. They had their eyes on bigger things, but me? I just wanted to be the best me that I could be. Having had nothing before, Stardom became my everything - my family, my home, my purpose. Even when those women left and I could’ve easily followed them, I didn’t. Because my home needed protecting. I needed to be the same thing they were for me for the girls who came after. Girls who’ve ended up here! Did that sound weird?>

She ponders it a moment before just electing to keep on trucking.


MAYU IWATANI:<The point is, I risked everything every night to protect my home. I got so focused on what I wanted it to be that I didn’t notice the whole house changing around me. When I finally looked up, most of the faces were completely different and everything felt so much colder and - I guess soulless. Like the heart was ripped out the moment the old man left to create one last vision. But that’s not the point. The point is, the more I looked around the more I realized it was a place that wasn’t home anymore. It wasn’t my place anymore.”>

Her shoulders rise and fall as she shrugs it off, just as a little smile tugs at the corner of her mouth.


MAYU IWATANI: <But there’s this hope in me that maybe losing one home is just an opportunity to find a new one. This one. I’ve been watching as some of my former - well, I won’t say family since we’re not that close - succeed here and become famous across the world. Fame isn’t really something I need or care about, but - well, the idea of the whole world becoming my home? There’s something really interesting about that. So I’m here, in Houston, to start settling in.>

The latent goofiness in her expression starts to fade, her gaze locking in on the camera.


MAYU IWATANI: <So - tonight it’s Rhea Ripley. A towering monster who snaps girls in half without a second thought. When she gets her hands on you it’s really bad news. She’s one of those top level talents that joshi leave everything behind just to get a shot at. I don’t know Rhea as a person, and we’ve never crossed paths before. But I do know a couple things about her. I swear I do!>

Mayu counts them off on her hand.


MAYU IWATANI: <One, she started off here in EBWF trying to end the careers of ‘legends’. Two, when she came back she became a member of Oedo Tai. She might not be a member now, but that does tell me a few things about her. I may not have fought her, but some of my greatest tests and successes have come against Oedo Tai. And tonight she won’t be facing someone she can intimidate or push around. I’ve stared a thousand cruel women in the eyes and survived everything they could do to me. Rhea will find out what every one of them did - that when everything seems lost or impossible, I thrive. When I’ve been physically punished beyond the point most women would be out, I keep getting back up like a zombie. Some people say I’m crazy. Some call me an icon.>

She nods solemnly.


MAYU IWATANI: <But tonight I’m going to be a problem you can’t solve. When my home’s threatened by brutality, I use the fire inside of me to burn my opponents to the ground. Guess what Rhea? Tonight, I’ve got a feeling Iwatani Mayu’s coming home.>

Mayu starts to smile just a bit before pointing to the camera.


MAYU IWATANI: <Iwatani Mayu vs Rhea Ripley for the first time ever! Check it out!>