In an announcement made on December 1 by Ice Ribbon it was revealed that a number of talents have or will be leaving the company. Kyuuri, Thekla, Maya Yukihi, potential future ace Suzu Suzuki, Mochi Miyagi, Kurumi Hiiragi, Akane Fujita, and Risa Sera were all mentioned although there are different circumstances around each departure. Let’s break down the specifics of this news that has shaken Joshi Wrestling to its core.
Suzu Suzuki, Risa Sera & Maya Yukihi Among Names Leaving Ice Ribbon
Kyuuri, who hasn’t wrestled since February of 2020 has left the group and retired from pro wrestling. She first debuted for Ice Ribbon in 2012 but took a break from wrestling to pursue her studies.
Thekla, an Austrian competitor who has been touring with Ice Ribbon recently has already left the group as of November 30. Thekla only managed to return to Japan in January of this year so her sudden departure comes as a surprise.
Maya Yukihi, one of Ice Ribbon’s most decorated competitors and current International Ribbon Champion, is going to continue as a free agent but does intend to continue working with Ice Ribbon. Yukihi also works with OZ Academy who use her as a member of their main faction. Yukihi will no doubt be in demand throughout the scene. Yukihi will officially become a freelancer for 2022
Lastly, we have a collective. Suzu Suzuki, Risa Sera, Mochi Miyagi, Akane Fujita, and the currently injured Kurumi Hiiragi are starting a group called Prominence which will be centered around deathmatch wrestling. It isn’t yet known if Prominence will run shows or just feature the five talents in deathmatches in various groups. We expect to see them pop up in FMW-E at the very least. In Ice Ribbon’s statement, they do seem to indicate that the door is open to all five to work Ice Ribbon events in the future. All five will officially leave Ice Ribbon on December 31, 2021
