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00:00:01,152 --> 00:00:04,677
Crowd: [Indistinct shouting
& chatter]
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00:00:04,721 --> 00:00:08,333
♪ [Crowd chatter]
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00:00:55,424 --> 00:00:57,817
I feel like there are a couple
of top companies in Japan
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00:00:57,861 --> 00:00:59,297
when it comes to
women's pro wrestling,
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and Stardom is the pinnacle.
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[Wrestlers shouting]
[Applause]
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00:01:03,562 --> 00:01:06,130
In the States, female wrestling
kind of piggybacked as
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side story to accompany
the main male characters.
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00:01:09,220 --> 00:01:11,440
Here, it's been
looked at more as a sport.
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♪
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00:01:30,328 --> 00:01:37,814
♪
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00:01:37,857 --> 00:01:39,598
[Indistinct speaking]
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[Grunts]
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00:01:50,174 --> 00:02:02,578
[Grunts]
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00:02:02,621 --> 00:02:03,840
[Laughs]
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00:02:03,883 --> 00:02:05,233
You gotta watch your hand
placement 'cause
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00:02:05,276 --> 00:02:06,495
you're gonna hit yourself in
the face like that.
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00:02:06,538 --> 00:02:07,931
- Yeah, oh, sorry.
- No, no, no, it's not.
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00:02:07,974 --> 00:02:10,847
[Banging]
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00:02:10,890 --> 00:02:13,066
I did have a little notion
of what wrestling was like
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00:02:13,110 --> 00:02:15,112
in the States
because in my head,
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I thought wrestling was
just tall, busty women
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00:02:18,333 --> 00:02:20,813
coming at each other and then
grappling on the ground
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00:02:20,857 --> 00:02:22,163
and then, I don't know,
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00:02:22,206 --> 00:02:24,600
sometimes mud
is thrown on them.
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00:02:24,643 --> 00:02:26,689
Women's pro wrestling has a
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00:02:26,732 --> 00:02:29,213
complicated and
challenging history.
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While there's always been
incredibly talented
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00:02:31,128 --> 00:02:34,479
female wrestlers, their in-ring
skills were often
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valued less than
their sex appeal.
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In North America,
many promoters look to
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00:02:38,875 --> 00:02:41,269
modeling agencies and
swimsuit calendars
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for their female talent.
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00:02:43,358 --> 00:02:45,316
Japan had a very similar system,
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00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:47,362
yet achieved a very
different result.
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00:02:47,405 --> 00:02:49,233
While many of the country's
biggest female stars,
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00:02:49,277 --> 00:02:52,018
as far back as the 1970s,
started out as models,
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00:02:52,062 --> 00:02:54,238
actors, or pop stars,
Japan's intensive
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00:02:54,282 --> 00:02:57,023
Joshi Puroresu
dojo-style training system,
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transformed them
into some of the
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world's best wrestlers.
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00:03:01,071 --> 00:03:03,421
In my humble opinion,
it's amongst the
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greatest wrestling ever, period.
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00:03:06,816 --> 00:03:11,081
Japanese women's wrestling is
still amongst the world's best.
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[Grunts & Shouts]
[Applause]
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00:03:13,649 --> 00:03:15,259
Leading the charge is the
relatively new
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00:03:15,303 --> 00:03:18,001
independent promotion,
Stardom.
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00:03:18,044 --> 00:03:20,569
I'm in Tokyo to learn
firsthand why young and
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00:03:20,612 --> 00:03:24,616
ambitious female wrestlers
the world over see Stardom
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00:03:24,660 --> 00:03:26,749
as the launching pad to
the main stages
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of women's wrestling.
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00:03:28,533 --> 00:03:33,799
[Footsteps]
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For years, fans that have
come to Korakuen Hall have
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00:03:35,627 --> 00:03:37,934
lined up on the staircase
in anticipation of the
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show they're about to see.
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And while they
were doing it,
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they've sat here and
written on the wall:
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00:03:42,068 --> 00:03:44,027
wrestlers that they're
excited to see,
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00:03:44,070 --> 00:03:45,985
events they're excited for.
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And it's incredible to
think of the unbelievable
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00:03:49,337 --> 00:03:53,471
historical matches
these people got to see.
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It's a lot of stairs.
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[Indistinct chatter]
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What is it about the women
in Stardom that is more
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00:04:05,483 --> 00:04:07,877
appealing than the women's
wrestling that's going on
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00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,139
in America right now?
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00:04:23,066 --> 00:04:25,024
And so, do you-- you go and
see other wrestling as well?
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00:04:26,374 --> 00:04:28,593
Only Stardom?
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00:04:43,695 --> 00:04:50,876
[Chanting & Clapping]
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Oh! [Claps]
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♪
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Are all you big Stardom fans?
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[Thud]
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00:05:09,330 --> 00:05:11,419
- [Cheering & Applause]
- Whoa!
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Oh! A title change!
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[Applause]
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♪
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♪ [Drum beat]
[Crowd clapping] ♪
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[Camera clicking]
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[Indistinct speaking]
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[Laughs]
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[Laughs]
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♪
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Crowd:
[Indistinct speaking]
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I don't think he necessarily
cares too much or
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too little about anyone, really.
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00:06:38,070 --> 00:06:41,378
I think he's mostly
just a business man.
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I don't think
he dislikes me.
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I don't think he necessarily
cares for me either;
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that's how he feels
about most people,
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00:06:48,864 --> 00:06:50,953
except that he can see
who makes him
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more money or profit.
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00:07:04,009 --> 00:07:05,576
He's okay with
whatever you do
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00:07:05,620 --> 00:07:07,404
as long as you show
up to practice.
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00:07:07,448 --> 00:07:10,494
As long as you work,
he doesn't really care.
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00:07:10,538 --> 00:07:12,975
I've yet to see any other
wrestlers train with the
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intensity and consistency
shown by the Stardom squad.
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00:07:16,805 --> 00:07:19,329
On top of their own
individual workout regimes,
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00:07:19,372 --> 00:07:21,810
they train together five
days a week for at least
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00:07:21,853 --> 00:07:23,986
two-and-a-half
hours each day.
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00:07:26,510 --> 00:07:27,946
You have to be
incredibly disciplined,
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I would imagine.
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Have you seen women that
have come through and
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00:07:31,341 --> 00:07:33,778
not be able to cut it
and have left?
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00:07:33,822 --> 00:07:34,910
Yeah.
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00:07:39,262 --> 00:07:41,873
Mentally,
physically, emotionally,
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00:07:41,917 --> 00:07:44,659
they weren't prepared for
the amount of sweat and work.
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[Indistinct speaking]
[Laughs]
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00:08:01,327 --> 00:08:03,155
Fuka is the General Manager
of Stardom,
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00:08:03,199 --> 00:08:05,723
but she also trains
all the new girls.
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00:08:05,767 --> 00:08:08,030
Fuka Kakimoto is a former
professional wrestler,
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00:08:08,073 --> 00:08:09,945
mixed martial artist,
and model.
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Known to her many
adoring fans simply as Fuka,
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she is one of the company's
most beloved idols.
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[Ringing bell]
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Given that you're a lot
of these women's teacher,
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00:08:19,476 --> 00:08:20,651
does it ever make you
nervous before they
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00:08:20,695 --> 00:08:21,739
go out and wrestle?
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00:08:36,537 --> 00:08:39,452
She drills really hard;
she has high expectations.
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00:08:39,496 --> 00:08:41,150
In a sense, she is like a
Ogawa because it is
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00:08:41,193 --> 00:08:44,545
about the money, but she
does take care of the girls.
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♪
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[Clapping]
Ah!
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♪
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00:09:28,980 --> 00:09:34,203
[Shouts & Grunts]
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♪
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After having lived in Japan
and seeing the limited roles
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that women get to play,
seeing strong women
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perform in the ring...
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00:09:46,302 --> 00:09:47,999
Oh!
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00:09:48,043 --> 00:09:50,785
And showcase
such raw emotion...
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00:09:50,828 --> 00:09:52,743
Crowd:
[Rhythmic clapping]
133
00:09:52,787 --> 00:09:54,005
[Screeches]
134
00:09:54,049 --> 00:09:56,051
[Shouting]
[Thud]
135
00:09:56,094 --> 00:09:57,530
...That really moved me.
136
00:09:57,574 --> 00:10:03,667
[Banging]
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00:10:03,711 --> 00:10:16,375
♪
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00:10:21,729 --> 00:10:25,254
♪
139
00:10:35,090 --> 00:10:37,222
So, looking back
four years ago,
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00:10:37,266 --> 00:10:40,312
what was it about Mayu that
first attracted you to her,
141
00:10:40,356 --> 00:10:42,140
made you a fan of hers?
142
00:10:51,236 --> 00:10:52,498
Look at that!
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00:10:56,154 --> 00:10:58,461
Did you make this?
144
00:10:58,504 --> 00:11:00,506
- Beautiful work.
- [Laughs]
145
00:11:00,550 --> 00:11:05,337
♪
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00:11:08,166 --> 00:11:11,300
Mayu Iwatani is one of
Stardom's top babyfaces and
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00:11:11,343 --> 00:11:14,738
the only remaining wrestler from
the company's original roster.
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00:11:14,782 --> 00:11:17,349
Just last year, the highly
regarded Wrestling Observer
149
00:11:17,393 --> 00:11:19,743
newsletter touted Mayu
alongside her fellow
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00:11:19,787 --> 00:11:22,877
Stardom workers of
Io Shirai and Kairi Hojo
151
00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,880
as three of the best
wrestlers in the world.
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00:11:25,923 --> 00:11:28,752
Soon after, Io and Kairi
left Stardom to pursue
153
00:11:28,796 --> 00:11:32,147
offers from the WWE,
briefly leaving Mayu
154
00:11:32,190 --> 00:11:34,018
as Stardom's only ace.
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00:11:34,062 --> 00:11:38,370
♪
156
00:11:38,414 --> 00:11:41,069
Last year there was a major
shift in the Stardom roster
157
00:11:41,112 --> 00:11:42,766
and you were suddenly thrust
into a position where
158
00:11:42,810 --> 00:11:45,290
you had to carry the
company on your back.
159
00:11:45,334 --> 00:11:46,857
What's it like...
160
00:11:46,901 --> 00:11:48,598
being the ace of a company?
161
00:11:48,641 --> 00:11:50,469
And what kind of pressure
does that bring with it?
162
00:12:01,219 --> 00:12:05,789
♪
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00:12:15,190 --> 00:12:17,061
♪
164
00:12:17,105 --> 00:12:21,152
[Cheering & Applause]
165
00:12:21,196 --> 00:12:23,067
[Stomping]
166
00:12:23,111 --> 00:12:25,026
Top rope.
167
00:12:25,069 --> 00:12:26,070
[Grunts]
168
00:12:26,114 --> 00:12:27,550
What's she gonna do?
169
00:12:27,593 --> 00:12:30,031
Ah! [Laughs]
170
00:12:30,074 --> 00:12:33,861
[Grunts]
171
00:12:33,904 --> 00:12:35,558
- Crowd: [Cheering]
- Damian: Oh!
172
00:12:35,601 --> 00:12:37,603
[Shouting & Cheering]
173
00:12:37,647 --> 00:12:39,344
Oh, whoa!
174
00:12:39,388 --> 00:12:40,737
[Match bell ringing]
175
00:12:40,781 --> 00:12:45,307
[Applauding]
176
00:13:10,723 --> 00:13:12,682
You're not originally
from Tokyo, are you?
177
00:13:19,907 --> 00:13:21,822
What was it like, then,
moving from like a place
178
00:13:21,865 --> 00:13:24,607
that small to one of the
biggest cities in the world?
179
00:13:36,924 --> 00:13:40,014
♪
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00:14:39,812 --> 00:14:43,120
Crowd:
[Shouting & Cheering]
181
00:14:43,164 --> 00:14:50,649
[Grunting]
182
00:15:51,188 --> 00:15:53,451
[Indistinct speaking]
183
00:16:29,922 --> 00:16:31,576
♪
184
00:17:09,049 --> 00:17:10,137
[Indistinct speaking]
185
00:17:14,445 --> 00:17:16,230
[Cheering & Applause]
186
00:17:31,158 --> 00:17:33,073
Crowd:
[Shouting & Cheering]
187
00:17:36,467 --> 00:17:43,039
Crowd:
[Shouting & Cheering]
188
00:17:43,083 --> 00:17:45,215
So how long have you lived
in Japan now?
189
00:17:45,259 --> 00:17:48,871
Ah, in October
it'll be five years.
190
00:17:48,914 --> 00:17:51,656
It seems like a
place that would be...
191
00:17:51,700 --> 00:17:54,181
almost seemingly
impenetrable for an outsider.
192
00:17:54,224 --> 00:17:59,447
There's no real permanent place
that's crafted for foreigners.
193
00:17:59,490 --> 00:18:01,013
Everyone kind of
expects you to leave
194
00:18:01,057 --> 00:18:02,624
after a certain amount of time.
195
00:18:17,595 --> 00:18:20,032
Kris Wolf is an American-born
graphic designer and
196
00:18:20,076 --> 00:18:22,687
photographer, who came to
Japan on a whim.
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00:18:22,731 --> 00:18:24,646
Unlike almost every
other wrestler I've met,
198
00:18:24,689 --> 00:18:25,951
she wasn't a fan of
wrestling and
199
00:18:25,995 --> 00:18:28,476
only started training
in her late 20s.
200
00:18:28,519 --> 00:18:30,739
Three years later, she's
become an integral part of
201
00:18:30,782 --> 00:18:33,133
the company, helping her
fellow foreign wrestlers
202
00:18:33,176 --> 00:18:36,310
adjust to life in Japan
and the Stardom system.
203
00:18:36,353 --> 00:18:38,268
I wore makeup because I
wanted to try it out 'cause
204
00:18:38,312 --> 00:18:39,704
all the foreign wrestlers
were wearing makeup,
205
00:18:39,748 --> 00:18:41,706
and then everyone was
like, "Kris, what the fuck?
206
00:18:41,750 --> 00:18:43,317
Why don't you wear
makeup all the time?"
207
00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:45,971
And I said, 'cause I'm lazy.
208
00:18:46,015 --> 00:18:47,973
And that's the
story of makeup.
209
00:18:48,017 --> 00:18:50,411
Right, Fuka-san?
210
00:18:50,454 --> 00:18:53,457
Yep, yep.
211
00:18:53,501 --> 00:18:55,155
[Laughs] I try.
212
00:19:10,300 --> 00:19:11,649
[Cheering & Applause]
213
00:19:11,693 --> 00:19:14,913
My character is hungry,
angry, and energetic.
214
00:19:14,957 --> 00:19:16,915
And, for a little bit,
215
00:19:16,959 --> 00:19:19,614
I get to be myself and
let it all out.
216
00:19:19,657 --> 00:19:24,140
♪
217
00:19:24,184 --> 00:19:29,580
[Crowd chatter]
218
00:19:29,624 --> 00:19:30,842
[Laughs]
219
00:19:30,886 --> 00:19:32,583
This is quite nice,
actually. Thank you.
220
00:19:32,627 --> 00:19:33,889
- [Laughs]
- Ah!
221
00:19:33,932 --> 00:19:36,108
Oh god.
I spoke too soon.
222
00:19:36,152 --> 00:19:37,632
Yes!
223
00:19:37,675 --> 00:19:40,112
Toni Storm and Xia Brookside
are two young wrestlers
224
00:19:40,156 --> 00:19:42,941
from outside Japan who have
been marked for success.
225
00:19:42,985 --> 00:19:45,335
Toni, just 21 years old,
is widely considered
226
00:19:45,379 --> 00:19:47,250
one of the top talents
in the world.
227
00:19:47,294 --> 00:19:48,947
As the daughter of
Robbie Brookside,
228
00:19:48,991 --> 00:19:51,211
a highly successful wrestler
and talent developer,
229
00:19:51,254 --> 00:19:54,605
Xia comes from wrestling
royalty.
230
00:19:54,649 --> 00:19:57,173
[Train screeching]
231
00:20:00,742 --> 00:20:02,570
It would seem to me this
would be the
232
00:20:02,613 --> 00:20:04,180
best place on earth to wrestle.
233
00:20:04,224 --> 00:20:06,965
Being in Tokyo is like
being in a wrestling bubble,
234
00:20:07,009 --> 00:20:08,793
like a little
wrestling dreamland.
235
00:20:08,837 --> 00:20:11,840
If you're a wrestling fan
it's not as accepted as it here.
236
00:20:11,883 --> 00:20:14,582
Over here, it's just
like any other sport.
237
00:20:14,625 --> 00:20:15,800
Being a fan of wrestling
everywhere and
238
00:20:15,844 --> 00:20:17,324
watching it everywhere,
the thing about
239
00:20:17,367 --> 00:20:20,283
Japanese wrestling is it just
seems like it's a...
240
00:20:20,327 --> 00:20:22,851
a different kind of
training approach.
241
00:20:22,894 --> 00:20:24,461
I feel like it's so
much more intense,
242
00:20:24,505 --> 00:20:26,637
like, especially, like--
as well,
243
00:20:26,681 --> 00:20:30,815
not exactly knowing
what they're even saying.
244
00:20:30,859 --> 00:20:33,209
The hardest part is the
language barrier, definitely.
245
00:20:33,253 --> 00:20:36,734
[Shouting & Grunting]
246
00:20:48,485 --> 00:20:51,183
[Laughing & Shouting]
247
00:20:54,317 --> 00:20:57,886
[Shouting]
248
00:20:57,929 --> 00:20:59,453
So that's what I
meant about...
249
00:20:59,496 --> 00:21:01,498
the ah, communication issue.
250
00:21:01,542 --> 00:21:02,847
[Laughs]
251
00:21:04,458 --> 00:21:07,330
I'm in, like, the group chat for
the Japanese girls and stuff,
252
00:21:07,374 --> 00:21:09,985
but I still do
feel kind of outside of it.
253
00:21:10,028 --> 00:21:12,422
But, I think that's just
kind of the nature of
254
00:21:12,466 --> 00:21:14,076
being a foreigner in Japan.
255
00:21:14,119 --> 00:21:16,818
♪
256
00:21:16,861 --> 00:21:19,124
It's really hard for a
foreigner to
257
00:21:19,168 --> 00:21:23,781
live here and feel accepted.
258
00:21:23,825 --> 00:21:25,566
I don't feel like I
have a place here,
259
00:21:25,609 --> 00:21:30,484
and I don't think it's because
it's malicious or anything.
260
00:21:30,527 --> 00:21:35,793
♪ [Train whirring]
261
00:21:35,837 --> 00:21:38,187
They don't have a place
for foreigners because
262
00:21:38,230 --> 00:21:44,411
they don't normally have
foreigners in the system.
263
00:21:44,454 --> 00:21:46,587
Dealing with the other
way that people kind of get
264
00:21:46,630 --> 00:21:48,371
started at Stardom is that
kampai system
265
00:21:48,415 --> 00:21:49,546
that you mentioned.
266
00:21:49,590 --> 00:21:50,634
- Ah, the...?
- Kam, kam...
267
00:21:50,678 --> 00:21:51,940
Kanpai is when you drink.
[Laughs]
268
00:21:51,983 --> 00:21:53,724
Oh, sorry. What's it called?
What's the, ah...
269
00:21:53,768 --> 00:21:56,727
- Senpai-kohai system.
- Senpai-kohai system
270
00:21:56,771 --> 00:21:59,121
- [Greetings]
- Hello.
271
00:22:03,212 --> 00:22:05,257
The senpai kohai system
has existed since
272
00:22:05,301 --> 00:22:07,782
the beginning of
Japanese history.
273
00:22:07,825 --> 00:22:09,958
At its core, it's a
philosophy that aims to
274
00:22:10,001 --> 00:22:11,829
create an educational
relationship,
275
00:22:11,873 --> 00:22:13,831
not unlike that of a
western-style
276
00:22:13,875 --> 00:22:15,311
master and apprentice.
277
00:22:18,401 --> 00:22:21,143
The system strives to eliminate
internal competition,
278
00:22:21,186 --> 00:22:23,580
and to reinforce the
unity of the organization
279
00:22:23,624 --> 00:22:26,453
as a whole,
in this case, Stardom.
280
00:22:26,496 --> 00:22:27,976
Some of these
kids are, obviously,
281
00:22:28,019 --> 00:22:30,457
already in the ring,
very advanced,
282
00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:33,416
and there are a few kids
here that look newer to
283
00:22:33,460 --> 00:22:35,897
the process of starting becoming
a professional wrestler.
284
00:22:38,116 --> 00:22:41,032
You get pushed up as
new girls come in...
285
00:22:46,211 --> 00:22:48,997
You can become a senpai
regardless of your skill,
286
00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:50,390
it's just time.
287
00:22:50,433 --> 00:22:52,827
And that's basically
universal throughout
288
00:22:52,870 --> 00:22:55,525
Japanese culture, like,
in all sports systems,
289
00:22:55,569 --> 00:22:57,179
in all businesses.
290
00:22:57,222 --> 00:22:59,181
In some cases, the
senpai-kohai relationship
291
00:22:59,224 --> 00:23:01,401
can lead to a very
rigid hierarchy,
292
00:23:01,444 --> 00:23:03,925
resulting in bullying,
hazing, and violence.
293
00:23:03,968 --> 00:23:07,189
In 2015, this manifested itself
between Stardom wrestlers,
294
00:23:07,232 --> 00:23:10,235
Act Yasukwa and
Yoshiko Hirano,
295
00:23:10,279 --> 00:23:12,412
when their World of Stardom
championship match
296
00:23:12,455 --> 00:23:14,239
turned into a horrific shoot.
297
00:23:36,436 --> 00:23:38,046
In the end, it has been
said that Act was
298
00:23:38,089 --> 00:23:39,917
conducting herself too
far outside of
299
00:23:39,961 --> 00:23:41,484
the senpai-kohai system for
300
00:23:41,528 --> 00:23:44,182
the tastes of some of
her senior wrestlers.
301
00:23:44,226 --> 00:23:46,054
The brutality and raw
emotion of the match was a
302
00:23:46,097 --> 00:23:48,448
clear indicator to Stardom
that the hierarchy
303
00:23:48,491 --> 00:23:50,580
had been taken too far.
304
00:23:51,712 --> 00:23:53,627
The culture itself is...
305
00:23:53,670 --> 00:23:56,151
effective, clean, strong,
306
00:23:56,194 --> 00:23:58,327
but inside the
individual is the one that
307
00:23:58,370 --> 00:23:59,720
suffers because
they're constantly
308
00:23:59,763 --> 00:24:02,505
thinking about the
wellbeing of the group...
309
00:24:02,549 --> 00:24:05,247
and the performance.
310
00:24:05,290 --> 00:24:09,860
It's also, like, what
about the person's soul?
311
00:24:09,904 --> 00:24:11,949
Fuck, no wonder
people go mad.
312
00:24:11,993 --> 00:24:16,998
♪ [Counting in Japanese]
313
00:24:17,041 --> 00:24:19,827
[Banging mat]
314
00:24:19,870 --> 00:24:21,481
[Bell ringing]
315
00:24:21,524 --> 00:24:23,308
[Cheering & Applause]
316
00:24:23,352 --> 00:24:25,267
♪
317
00:24:25,310 --> 00:24:31,665
♪ [Crowd Chatter]
318
00:24:31,708 --> 00:24:34,015
[Laughs]
Thank you.
319
00:24:34,058 --> 00:24:35,756
We're in the Stardom
merchandise room
320
00:24:35,799 --> 00:24:38,889
where all the wrestlers are
signing autographs.
321
00:24:38,933 --> 00:24:41,936
Every single dude that
was in that hall is
322
00:24:41,979 --> 00:24:44,199
in this room right now.
323
00:24:44,242 --> 00:24:46,897
[Indistinct speaking]
324
00:24:46,941 --> 00:24:48,290
Another thing you can't help
but notice in this room is
325
00:24:48,333 --> 00:24:51,380
the amount of men here
lined up with gift bags
326
00:24:51,423 --> 00:24:53,469
to give these wrestlers.
327
00:24:53,513 --> 00:24:58,039
The flip side of these
wrestlers being given gifts
328
00:24:58,082 --> 00:25:01,564
is the fact that the young
wrestlers here are also
329
00:25:01,608 --> 00:25:04,393
getting given
gifts by the same men.
330
00:25:04,436 --> 00:25:06,134
And these are older
men giving them gifts.
331
00:25:10,530 --> 00:25:12,270
Watching Azumi,
a 14-year-old wrestler,
332
00:25:12,314 --> 00:25:14,577
receive gifts from middle
aged men and sell them
333
00:25:14,621 --> 00:25:16,710
photos of herself in
revealing outfits,
334
00:25:16,753 --> 00:25:19,103
it's hard not
to feel weird...
335
00:25:19,147 --> 00:25:22,063
But at Stardom,
it's business as usual.
336
00:25:22,106 --> 00:25:24,152
While I've been told there's
nothing inherently sexual
337
00:25:24,195 --> 00:25:26,371
about the fans'
interest in the wrestlers,
338
00:25:26,415 --> 00:25:29,374
there's an element of
objectification that worries me.
339
00:25:29,418 --> 00:25:30,985
[Rhythmic clapping]
340
00:25:31,028 --> 00:25:32,290
AZM, or Azumi,
341
00:25:32,334 --> 00:25:34,379
is one of Stardom's
youngest wrestlers.
342
00:25:34,423 --> 00:25:36,643
She began training
at 12 years old.
343
00:25:36,686 --> 00:25:39,602
Now 14, she's a constant
presence at their shows,
344
00:25:39,646 --> 00:25:40,995
both as a
wrestler in the ring,
345
00:25:41,038 --> 00:25:43,911
and a member of the
Hail the Queens faction.
346
00:25:48,263 --> 00:25:50,004
- Ah!
- [Applause]
347
00:25:50,047 --> 00:25:51,614
[Breathing heavily]
348
00:25:57,968 --> 00:26:01,798
What do your teachers think
about this other profession
349
00:26:01,842 --> 00:26:04,235
and the fact that you have
chosen profession so young?
350
00:26:11,329 --> 00:26:12,809
[Grunts]
351
00:26:12,853 --> 00:26:14,637
Oh!
352
00:26:14,681 --> 00:26:18,989
[Rhythmic clapping]
353
00:26:19,033 --> 00:26:20,295
[Thud]
354
00:26:20,338 --> 00:26:22,993
[Banging]
355
00:26:23,037 --> 00:26:27,041
♪
356
00:26:27,084 --> 00:26:32,437
I'd say in Japan the average
fan is 30 to late 40s.
357
00:26:32,481 --> 00:26:36,877
Maybe 90% male.
95% male.
358
00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,269
[Laughs]
359
00:26:48,366 --> 00:26:50,238
Spend any time in Japan,
especially at women's
360
00:26:50,281 --> 00:26:53,415
wrestling events, and you'll
be surrounded by kawaii.
361
00:26:53,458 --> 00:26:56,374
In its simplest sense,
the word means 'cuteness'.
362
00:26:56,418 --> 00:26:57,898
But kawaii is much
more than just
363
00:26:57,941 --> 00:26:59,813
lovable cartoon characters:
364
00:26:59,856 --> 00:27:03,077
it's a deeply
complex cultural phenomenon.
365
00:27:03,120 --> 00:27:06,341
Kawaii's origins
date back to the 1970s.
366
00:27:06,384 --> 00:27:08,735
It started as a style of
intentionally childlike
367
00:27:08,778 --> 00:27:11,868
handwriting, but quickly
evolved into a multi-faceted
368
00:27:11,912 --> 00:27:14,001
youth movement opposing the
strict and depersonalized
369
00:27:14,044 --> 00:27:16,394
culture of post war Japan.
370
00:27:16,438 --> 00:27:18,222
Realizing there was
a profit to be made,
371
00:27:18,266 --> 00:27:20,311
entertainment companies
began manufacturing kawaii
372
00:27:20,355 --> 00:27:23,488
for mass consumption.
373
00:27:23,532 --> 00:27:26,535
This gave birth to the idol,
essentially a manufactured
374
00:27:26,578 --> 00:27:28,711
avatar of all things cute.
375
00:27:28,755 --> 00:27:32,193
♪
376
00:27:32,236 --> 00:27:35,587
It's that pure love where
they can really worship that
377
00:27:35,631 --> 00:27:40,201
person and never feel
expected to do anything or
378
00:27:40,244 --> 00:27:43,247
feel rejected, so
it's kind of safe.
379
00:27:43,291 --> 00:27:45,728
The popularity of idols
ties into the low rate of
380
00:27:45,772 --> 00:27:48,252
romantic relationships
in Japan.
381
00:27:48,296 --> 00:27:51,603
Idols are a way for some men
to feel love and devotion
382
00:27:51,647 --> 00:27:53,780
without any
chance of rejection.
383
00:27:53,823 --> 00:27:56,826
This devotion ensures
the survival of the idols.
384
00:28:13,190 --> 00:28:14,714
To be perfectly kawaii
is to possess
385
00:28:14,757 --> 00:28:16,759
no negative traits at all.
386
00:28:16,803 --> 00:28:18,935
This place's incredible
pressure on the young,
387
00:28:18,979 --> 00:28:21,895
often under-aged wrestlers
of Stardom to live up to the
388
00:28:21,938 --> 00:28:25,420
impossible demands of
their most devoted fans.
389
00:28:25,463 --> 00:28:26,813
Is there ever pressure?
390
00:28:26,856 --> 00:28:28,249
Do you feel that
pressure ever?
391
00:28:51,968 --> 00:28:53,840
When you see these streamers
being thrown in the ring,
392
00:28:53,883 --> 00:28:57,495
and you see the lineups for
given wrestlers after the show,
393
00:28:57,539 --> 00:29:00,368
how do you think these
kinds of pressures
394
00:29:00,411 --> 00:29:01,804
affect your daughter?
395
00:29:18,995 --> 00:29:21,781
[Grunts]
Ah!
396
00:29:21,824 --> 00:29:22,869
[Applause]
397
00:29:35,882 --> 00:29:37,274
[Rhythmic Clapping]
398
00:30:53,742 --> 00:31:01,184
♪
399
00:31:01,228 --> 00:31:03,665
Jungle Kyona spent two years
in Senegal volunteering for
400
00:31:03,708 --> 00:31:06,407
an NGO before deciding
to become a wrestler.
401
00:31:06,450 --> 00:31:08,626
[Panting]
402
00:31:10,977 --> 00:31:13,414
Unlike most of her peers, she
had a career before wrestling
403
00:31:13,457 --> 00:31:16,243
that she sacrificed
start training with Stardom.
404
00:31:16,286 --> 00:31:19,159
She's developed an almost
motherly role at the dojo,
405
00:31:19,202 --> 00:31:21,074
helping to train
the younger wrestlers.
406
00:31:32,912 --> 00:31:36,567
[Breathing heavily]
407
00:31:36,611 --> 00:31:39,092
[Growling]
408
00:31:39,135 --> 00:31:40,354
[Laughs]
409
00:31:41,964 --> 00:31:44,836
Ah! [Laughs]
410
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:47,535
[Laughs]
Yay!
411
00:31:47,578 --> 00:31:49,363
[Laughs]
Sorry.
412
00:31:49,406 --> 00:32:00,330
♪ [Stringed instrument]
413
00:33:21,585 --> 00:33:25,372
[Stomping &
rhythmic clapping]
414
00:33:25,415 --> 00:33:29,680
[Shouting & screeching]
415
00:33:56,577 --> 00:33:58,318
Who are you rooting for?
Who's your number one?
416
00:34:00,059 --> 00:34:01,495
Jungle.
417
00:34:01,538 --> 00:34:03,584
Tough loss for
Jungle today though.
418
00:34:03,627 --> 00:34:05,325
[Applause]
419
00:34:28,652 --> 00:34:30,959
[Shouting & Cheering]
420
00:34:31,002 --> 00:34:32,091
Whoa!
421
00:34:37,574 --> 00:34:39,576
♪
422
00:34:43,972 --> 00:34:45,582
[Rhythmic clapping]
423
00:34:45,626 --> 00:34:47,323
[Thud]
424
00:34:47,367 --> 00:34:53,286
[Shouting & Cheering]
425
00:34:53,329 --> 00:34:55,114
[Thud]
426
00:34:55,157 --> 00:34:58,291
[Referee banging mat]
[Cheering]
427
00:35:23,229 --> 00:35:26,319
What did you think the first
time you were hit in that ring?
428
00:35:26,362 --> 00:35:28,843
Oh... fuck.
429
00:35:28,886 --> 00:35:30,845
[Laughs]
430
00:35:30,888 --> 00:35:32,455
One hit, you go a bit numb.
431
00:35:32,499 --> 00:35:34,065
Second hit,
you're already numb.
432
00:35:34,109 --> 00:35:35,980
And then it's just
like, from then on,
433
00:35:36,024 --> 00:35:38,505
you feel it, but it's like
your body's already
434
00:35:38,548 --> 00:35:41,812
kind of like blocked it, like
mentally blocked it.
435
00:35:55,652 --> 00:35:57,437
[Cheering]
436
00:35:57,480 --> 00:35:59,526
At the end of the day,
wrestling is a combat sport.
437
00:35:59,569 --> 00:36:02,268
And, coming
along with that are
438
00:36:02,311 --> 00:36:03,921
the risks of injury.
439
00:36:03,965 --> 00:36:06,054
Was that something you
kind of were aware of,
440
00:36:06,097 --> 00:36:07,273
coming in here?
441
00:36:37,607 --> 00:36:58,672
♪
442
00:36:58,715 --> 00:37:02,110
This is Mil Mascaras'
ring cloak.
443
00:37:02,153 --> 00:37:04,286
He would have worn
this to the ring.
444
00:37:04,330 --> 00:37:08,334
Mister Ogawa, obviously, has
a huge passion for lucha,
445
00:37:08,377 --> 00:37:12,425
and has collected one of
the finest collections
446
00:37:12,468 --> 00:37:15,558
I've gotten to see since we've
been out here doing this.
447
00:37:15,602 --> 00:37:17,256
I recognize that
face immediately.
448
00:37:19,519 --> 00:37:21,564
That's the thing, is like,
not only do you collect
449
00:37:21,608 --> 00:37:24,654
wrestling history, you
produce wrestling history.
450
00:38:28,196 --> 00:38:30,720
♪
451
00:38:37,161 --> 00:38:39,860
You've seen a lot of changes
in wrestling in your time.
452
00:38:46,954 --> 00:38:49,260
♪
453
00:38:54,265 --> 00:38:59,532
♪
454
00:38:59,575 --> 00:39:01,795
You've been in this for
long enough that
455
00:39:01,838 --> 00:39:03,536
you're no longer starting out.
456
00:39:03,579 --> 00:39:07,757
You're now one of the
top women in this company.
457
00:39:07,801 --> 00:39:11,021
Is it something that
you want to stick with?
458
00:39:11,065 --> 00:39:12,893
I don't know. I...
459
00:39:12,936 --> 00:39:15,809
It's always been really hard
for me to see the future.
460
00:39:15,852 --> 00:39:18,899
Agh!
461
00:39:18,942 --> 00:39:20,683
I really admire people who
know what they want to do
462
00:39:20,727 --> 00:39:24,426
with their life, but I feel
like I want to do everything,
463
00:39:24,470 --> 00:39:27,560
so it's hard for me to say if
wrestling is my call.
464
00:39:27,603 --> 00:39:30,214
But I know I
worked so hard for it,
465
00:39:30,258 --> 00:39:32,173
to get to where
I am right now.
466
00:39:32,216 --> 00:39:34,784
I know I don't really have
the passion for just wrestling,
467
00:39:34,828 --> 00:39:36,917
but there is something
about wrestling
468
00:39:36,960 --> 00:39:39,267
that I am addicted to.
469
00:39:39,310 --> 00:39:41,835
♪
470
00:39:41,878 --> 00:39:44,185
- [Slap]
- [Laughs]
471
00:39:44,228 --> 00:39:50,844
♪
472
00:40:00,114 --> 00:40:04,161
Announcer:
[Introducing Mayu]
473
00:40:04,205 --> 00:40:08,688
[Cheering & Applause]
474
00:40:08,731 --> 00:40:10,211
[Bell chimes]
475
00:40:10,254 --> 00:40:17,566
[Cheering]
476
00:40:23,790 --> 00:40:27,141
♪ [Suspenseful]
477
00:40:27,184 --> 00:40:29,056
[Cheering]
478
00:40:34,801 --> 00:40:36,237
[Cheering]
479
00:40:53,123 --> 00:40:54,473
Oh!
480
00:41:17,017 --> 00:41:26,592
♪ [Shouting & Cheering]
481
00:41:26,635 --> 00:41:27,810
[Screams]
482
00:41:36,906 --> 00:41:44,827
♪
483
00:41:53,619 --> 00:41:55,577
[Applause]
484
00:41:55,621 --> 00:41:57,013
[Shouting]
485
00:42:04,978 --> 00:42:08,503
[Banging]
486
00:42:08,547 --> 00:42:10,505
[Thud]
487
00:42:10,549 --> 00:42:14,683
♪
488
00:42:14,727 --> 00:42:16,206
[Thud]
489
00:42:16,250 --> 00:42:19,079
[Banging]
490
00:42:19,122 --> 00:42:20,820
[Bell chimes]
491
00:42:20,863 --> 00:42:23,083
[Cheering & Applause]
492
00:42:23,126 --> 00:42:24,345
What a match!
493
00:42:24,388 --> 00:42:32,353
[Applause]
494
00:42:50,110 --> 00:42:53,635
Crowd: [Chanting]
Mayu! Mayu!
495
00:43:00,555 --> 00:43:03,993
[Cheering]
496
00:43:15,265 --> 00:43:16,440
[Shouting]
497
00:43:21,881 --> 00:43:31,891
♪