The “Sun God” of the Japanese wrestling scene is officially opening up about the challenges she faced during her time in the United States. In a new interview with Tokyo Sports on March 18, 2026, the 29-year-old Sareee looked back on her WWE tenure, which spanned from 2020 to 2023. While she has since reclaimed her spot as a top star in Japan, she does not recall her time in the Stamford-based promotion as a positive experience.
Sareee admitted that the period was the most difficult of her fifteen-year career. She explained that the sheer size of the roster made it difficult to secure consistent match time, a problem that was exacerbated by the global pandemic. However, her primary frustration stemmed from the creative direction she was forced to follow upon her arrival at the Performance Center.
“I went there intending to bring the strength of women’s professional wrestling from Japan, but what was required in reality was different, and it was tough,” Sareee shared. She specifically noted the “high school girl” character she was required to play, an anime-inspired role that many fans and critics at the time felt was stereotypical and “infantilizing.”
The stress of the environment reportedly took a toll on her health and personal habits. She admitted to using sweets as a coping mechanism, which affected her physical conditioning and appearance during her run on the NXT brand. Despite these struggles, she insisted that the lessons she learned were valuable and that she doesn’t consider the time wasted.
“Looking back now, I realize that everything was an experience that has become a valuable lesson for me, so nothing was wasted,” she added. Once her contract expired in 2023, she made the decision to return home to Japan rather than continue in a system that didn’t align with her “real pro wrestling” philosophy. She has since become a focal point of the Marigold promotion and the Japanese independent scene.
Sareee recently celebrated her 15th anniversary in the industry by competing in a high-profile tag team match at the First Generation Tiger Mask 45th Anniversary event. Her focus for the 2026 season is on winning singles titles across every major Japanese organization. The WWE fans in Orlando and Tokyo alike continue to respect her dedication to the “strong style” as she enters the next chapter of her legendary journey.
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