Utami Hayashishita

Hayashishita in March 2023

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Amami, Kagoshima, Japan

**Utami Hayashishita** (林下詩美, *Hayashishita Utami*) (born September 14, 1998) is a Japanese professional wrestler currently signed to World Wonder Ring Stardom promotion. Since making her debut on August 12, 2018, she became a two-time Goddesses of Stardom Champion, one-time Artist of Stardom Champion, one-time Future of Stardom Champion, and one-time SWA Undisputed World Women's Champion, one-time World of Stardom Champion, while also having won the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League in 2018, and the Trios Tag Team Tournament in 2019.

## Early life

From 2006 to 2013, Hayashishita was featured in a reality show that documented her 12-person family. Hayashishita reportedly first got interested in professional wrestling during her days when she was in her third year of junior high school after watching TAJIRI when he was at WWE with her family. After graduating, she would take auditions in the Stardom dojo after paying her school expenses for her sisters while working in a restaurant.

## Professional wrestling career

### World Wonder Ring Stardom (2018–present)

After attending Yoshihiro Tajiri’s homecoming show, Hayashishita began to train at World Wonder Ring Stardom in March 2018. On August 12, 2018, Hayashishita debuted at Stardom when she wrestled Jungle Kyona to a time-limit draw. On August 18, Hayashishita entered the 5★Star GP tournament. Hayashishita managed to win her way to the finals where she lost to Mayu Iwatani. After winning the Goddesses of Stardom Tag League with Momo Watanabe on November 4, Hayashishita won her first title where she and Watanabe defeated J.A.N. (Kyona and Natsuko Tora) to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship on November 23. Hayashishita joined afterward to Watanabe's unit "Queen's Quest".

On January 3, 2019, Hayashishita defeated Starlight Kid to win the Future of Stardom Championship. On January 5, Hayashishita, along with fellow Queen's Quest members Bea Priestley & Viper, won the one-day Trios Tag Team Tournament. On January 14, Hayashishita defeated Viper to win the Pro-Wrestling: EVE International Championship and the SWA Undisputed World Women's Championship, making her a quadruple champion. On April 5, Hayashishita participated in Stardom's first event at the United States in New York City where she unsuccessfully challenged her tag team partner Watanabe for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. On June 30, during Pro Wrestling: Eve's *Wrestle Queendom 2*, Hayashishita lost the International Championship to Jamie Hayter in a three-way elimination match, which also involved Nina Samuels, ending her reign at 167 days. On July 15, Hayashishita and Watanabe lost the Goddess of Stardom Championship to Tokyo Cyber Squad (Konami and Kyona), ending their reign at 234 days with six successful title defenses. As Hayashishita competed in the annual 5★Star GP, Stardom announced on September 7 that Hayashishita won't compete in the tournament any longer after suffering a finger injury. Hayashishita returned on November 15 where she teamed with Leo Onozaki, as both unsuccessfully challenged Oedo Tai (Hazuki and Tora). On November 23, Hayashishita, along with AZM and Watanabe, defeated Oedo Tai (Andras Miyagi, Kagetsu & Sumire Natsu) to win the Artist of Stardom Championship.

On January 19, 2020, on the 9th anniversary show of Stardom, Hayashishita was unsuccessful to win the Wonder of Stardom Championship from Arisa Hoshiki. On January 26, Hayashishita lost the SWA Undisputed World Women's Championship to Hayter, and on February 8, AZM, Hayashita & Watanabe lost the Artist of Stardom Championship to Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika and Syuri Kondo). On February 16, after successfully defending the Future of Stardom Championship against Saya Kamitani, Hayashishita vacated the championship to pursue the Wonder of Stardom and the World of Stardom titles. While Hayashishita & Watanabe were unable to win the Goddess of Stardom Championship from Oedo Tai (Hayter and Priestley) on March 8, Hayashishita did win the title with Kamitani on July 26 at *Cinderella Summer in Tokyo*. On September 19, Hayashishita won the 5★Star GP after defeating Himeka in the finals. On November 15, Hayashishita won the World of Stardom Championship after defeating Iwatani. Hayashishita had her first successful title defense on December 20 against fellow Queen's Quest member Watanabe. On December 27, Hayashishita & Kamitani lost the Goddess of Stardom Championship to Konami & Priestley, ending their reign at 153 days.

On January 5, 2021, on the second night of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW)'s Wrestle Kingdom 15, Hayashishita made her first NJPW appearance where she, alongside AZM and Kamitani, defeating Himeka, Maika and Natsupoi in a dark match. At Stardom 10th Anniversary Show on March 3, she successfully defended the World of Stardom Championship against her Queen's Quest stablemate Saya Kamitani. A month later at Stardom Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 which took place on April 4, Hayashishita scored a victory over Bea Priestley, therefore successfully defending her championship in the latter's last match for the promotion. On the first night of the Stardom Cinderella Tournament 2021 from April 10, she defeated Mina Shirakawa in a first-round non-title match. On July 4 at Yokohama Dream Cinderella 2021 in Summer, Hayashishita successfully defended the "red belt" against Natsuko Tora by doctor stoppage after the latter suffered a legitimate knee injury during the match. Hayashishita competed in the Stardom 5 Star Grand Prix 2021 between July 31 and September 25, placing herself in the "Blue Stars" Block where she scored a total of 10 points after competing against Syuri, Saya Kamitani, Takumi Iroha, Konami, Tam Nakano, Maika, Unagi Sayaka, AZM and Ruaka. At Stardom 10th Anniversary Grand Final Osaka Dream Cinderella on October 9, she successfully defended the red belt against Takumi Iroha. At Kawasaki Super Wars, the first night of the Stardom Super Wars trilogy of events which took place on November 3, Hayashishita defended her world title against a returning Hazuki. At Tokyo Super Wars on November 27, she defended the title again successfully against Maika. At Osaka Super Wars, the last event from the trilogy from December 18, she teamed up with Queen's Quest stablemates AZM, Saya Kamitani and the team's captain Momo Watanabe to battle Oedo Tai's Starlight Kid, Saki Kashima, Konami and Ruaka in an elimination tag team match. While down to Kid versus Watanabe, the latter betrayed the stable and attacked AZM with a steel chair to get herself disqualified in a shocking manner to join the enemy team. The former Queen's Quest leader declared that she would be Oedo Tai's black peach (reference to her real Japanese name *Momo (モモ)* meaning peach). On December 13, *Tokyo Sports* voted Hayashishita the *joshi* wrestler of the year. On December 29, Hayashishita lost the World of Stardom Championship to Syuri in a winner-takes-all match also for the SWA World Championship, ending her long year reign as champion.

On January 3, 2022 at *Stardom Award in Shinjuku*, Hayashishita, AZM, and Kamitani engaged in a brawl with Oedo Tai after their match against Fukigen Death, Saki Kashima and Ruaka. Obviously outnumbered, the three members of Queen's Quest reveiced help from Lady C who rushed down the ring to try to save them. After Oedo Tai retreated, Hayashishita offered C a spot into the unit which the latter accepted so she was later announced to join the stable in the process. At Stardom Cinderella Journey on February 23, 2022, she teamed up with Lady C in a losing effort against Starlight Kid and Ruaka. On March 11 at Stardom New Blood 1, Hayashishita defeated the debuting Miyu Amasaki. Despite the latter's loss, Hayashishita was so impressed by Amasaki's performance that she offered her a spot into Queen's Quest which Amasaki accepted. On the first night of the Stardom World Climax 2022 from March 26, Hayashishita unsuccessfully challenged Saya Kamitani for the Wonder of Stardom Championship. On May 1, a five-way match between Lady C, AZM, Saya Kamitani, Hina and Utami Hayashishita took place to determine the new leader of the unit, to end the leaderless period of almost six months after Momo Watanabe's defection to Oedo Tai. Hayashishita won the match, therefore becoming the fourth (AZM was said to be the third de facto leader) and elected leader of Queen's Quest.
From July 31 until October 1, Hayashishita took part in the 2022 5★Star GP, competing in the Red Stars block. Finishing with a record of seven wins and five losses, Hayashishita narrowly failed to advance to the finals after losing to Koguma on the final day. In October, Hayashishita took part in a tournament to become the inaugural IWGP Women's Champion. In the first round of the tournament, she defeated Donna Del Mondo's Himeka on October 22 and a day later, Hayashishita was defeated by Mayu Iwatani in the semi-final match of the tournament. On November 20 at Historic X-Over, in a post-match interview, Hayashishita challenged KAIRI to a match on December 26 at Dream Queendom, with Hayashishita getting very physical with KAIRI. At the event, Hayashishita faced KAIRI in a time-limit draw. After the match, KAIRI offered her a blue rose as a sign of respect, only Hayashishita throw the rose and walk away from KAIRI.

At Mid Summer Champions 2023 on July 2, 2023, Hayashishita announced that she would be taking a break from her Queen's Quest leadership duties to go on an excursion in the United States in order to reevaluate herself. Hayashishita returned on the first night of the 2023 5 Star Grand Prix on July 23. In September, Hayashishita suffered a cervical hernia, which caused her to withdraw from the 5Star Grand Prix and go on a hiatus. Hayashishita made her return on November 28th alongside her AphrOditE teammate, Saya Kamitani, who had also been out due to an injury. At Nagoya Big Winter on December 2, AphrOditE won the vacant Goddess of Stardom Championship by defeating Divine Kingdom.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Air Raid Crash* */ Koumori Tsuri Otoshi* (Over the shoulder back-to-belly piledriver, sometimes while cross-legged) – adopted from Mariko Yoshida
	+ Argentine backbreaker rack, sometimes transitioned into a bridging German suplex or a spinning powerbomb
	+ *BT Bomb* (Sitout crucifix powerbomb) – adopted from Black Tiger
	+ *Hijack Bomb* (Spinning crucifix powerbomb)

* **Signature moves**
	+ Argentine backbreaker rack transitioned into a Samoan drop
	+ Brainbuster, sometimes from the top rope
	+ Dropkick
	+ Lariat
	+ Multiple judo throws
		- Harai goshi
		- Ipponzeoi
	+ Multiple suplex variations
		- Belly to back
		- German
		- Sleeper
	+ Over the shoulder back-to-belly piledriver dropped and held over the knee
	+ Sleeper hold, sometimes transitioned into an inverted facelock takeover

## Championships and accomplishments

* **Pro-Wrestling: EVE**
	+ Pro-Wrestling: EVE International Championship (1 time)

* ***Pro Wrestling Illustrated***
	+ Ranked No. 46 of the top 100 female wrestlers in the *PWI Female 100* in 2019
	+ Ranked No. 2 of the top 100 female wrestlers in the *PWI Women's 100* in 2021
	+ Ranked No. 20 of the top 50 tag teams in the *PWI Tag Team 50* in 2020 with AZM, Momo Watanabe and Saya Kamitani as Queen's Quest

* ***Tokyo Sports***
	+ Newcomer Award (2018)
	+ Joshi Puroresu Grand Prize (2021)

* **World Wonder Ring Stardom**
	+ Artist of Stardom Championship (1 time) – with AZM and Momo Watanabe
	+ Future of Stardom Championship (1 time)
	+ Goddess of Stardom Championship (3 times, current) – with Momo Watanabe (1) and Saya Kamitani (2, current)
	+ Goddess of Stardom Tag League (2018) – Momo Watanabe
	+ World of Stardom Championship (1 time)
	+ SWA World Championship (1 time)
* 5★Star GP (2020)
* Stardom Year-End Award (6 times)
	+ Best Tag Team Award (2018) – with Momo Watanabe
	+ Outstanding Performance Award (2018)
	+ Rookie of Stardom (2018)
	+ Best Match Awards (2020)
	+ Best Tag Team Award (2020) – with Saya Kamitani
	+ MVP Award (2021)
* 5★Star GP Award (1 time)
	+ 5★Star GP Best Match Award (2020) vs. Syuri on September 19
* ***Wrestling Observer Newsletter***
	+ Women's MVP (2021)