Mai Sakurai has offered further insight into the decision that will bring her Dream Star Fighting Marigold run to a close later this month. Sakurai is scheduled to wrestle her final match for the promotion on October 24 at Marigold Grand Destiny, which takes place at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo.

The wrestler has already announced plans to leave Marigold and take a break from professional wrestling. Speaking to reporters, Sakurai explained that the choice was shaped by a combination of physical issues and the strain she has felt while trying to meet changing expectations within the company.

Sakurai said she needs to address problems involving both her knees and her neck. Her neck concerns were affected by a cervical sprain, while she has also dealt with stress-related health issues since the beginning of 2026. The comments make clear that this is not simply a routine change of scenery or an immediate move toward another wrestling destination. Sakurai is stepping away with recovery and her broader well-being at the center of the decision.

“As other wrestlers left the promotion and my own position changed, there were times when I was pushing myself too hard and trying to be something I wasn’t. I’ve been muddling through until now, but I’ve reached a point where I can no longer balance what’s expected of me with what I’m actually capable of.”

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That assessment provides important context for Sakurai’s departure. Professional wrestling demands sustained physical output even under the best circumstances, and the workload becomes more difficult to manage when a performer is working through lingering injuries or health concerns. Sakurai’s remarks also point to the emotional pressure created by a changing environment, as departures elsewhere in the promotion altered her position and the responsibilities she felt she needed to carry.

Rather than frame those pressures as a temporary obstacle she can simply work through, Sakurai acknowledged that she had reached her limit. Her statement is notably candid about trying to force herself into a role that did not feel natural, as well as the gap between outside expectations and what she felt capable of delivering. For Sakurai, the decision to stop appears to be an effort to confront that reality directly.

Sakurai says her Marigold chapter has run its course

Along with outlining the health factors involved, Sakurai said she believes she has accomplished all that she could in Marigold. She did not offer a detailed roadmap for what comes after her break from wrestling, and she was equally firm in stressing that a return to Marigold should not be expected in the near future.

“I feel I’ve done everything I could. I don’t know what the future holds, but since I’ve made the decision to leave, I won’t be returning to Marigold anytime soon.”

The wording leaves Sakurai’s long-term future open, but it removes any suggestion that her October 24 appearance is merely a brief pause before a quick comeback to the same promotion. She has not announced retirement, a future promotion, or a timetable for resuming her in-ring career. What is known is that she intends to take time away and that her current Marigold departure is not expected to be reversed soon.

That distinction matters heading into Grand Destiny. Farewell matches often invite speculation about a wrestler’s next step, particularly when the performer does not close the door on wrestling entirely. In this case, however, Sakurai has made it clear that immediate questions about where she might appear next are secondary to the need to step back. There is no announced destination beyond Marigold and no stated date for a return to action.

Her final bout is set for one of Marigold’s biggest stages. Ryōgoku Sumo Hall is a major Tokyo venue, and Grand Destiny will now carry added significance as the site of Sakurai’s last match under the Marigold banner. Details about her opponent and match stipulations were not included with her comments, but the event has become a clear endpoint for this phase of her career.

Health takes priority before an uncertain next chapter

Sakurai’s decision places the focus on the realities wrestlers face beyond results and event cards. A cervical sprain is particularly concerning in an industry where neck health is essential to both training and in-ring safety. Combined with knee issues, it creates a substantial physical burden for any active wrestler. Sakurai also indicated that the impact has not been limited to physical pain, citing stress-related health matters that have followed her since the start of 2026.

Her comments do not provide medical timelines, treatment plans, or a projected recovery period. It would therefore be premature to attach a return date to her absence or make assumptions about the extent of her future involvement in wrestling. Sakurai herself said she does not know what the future holds. The most definitive part of her message is her present decision: she is leaving Marigold, taking a break from the ring, and will not be back with the company anytime soon.

There is also a professional dimension to Sakurai’s explanation. She described a period in which the promotion changed around her and her own role changed with it. In any roster, movement among wrestlers can reshape matchups, expectations, and the visibility of those who remain. Sakurai said that process led her to push herself beyond what she could reasonably sustain.

Importantly, she did not place her departure on one isolated moment. Instead, her explanation describes an accumulation: physical concerns involving her knees and neck, a cervical sprain, stress-related health issues, and the challenge of adapting to a different position within Marigold. By speaking openly about that combination, Sakurai has presented the October 24 farewell as a considered decision rather than an abrupt one.

Grand Destiny will mark the end of her current Marigold run

The upcoming Grand Destiny card at Ryōgoku Sumo Hall now serves as the final date on Sakurai’s current Marigold schedule. The match will provide a formal closing moment in front of a major live audience, while also giving fans an opportunity to recognize a wrestler who has decided that continuing at the same pace is no longer the right option.

There can be a tendency around departures to focus solely on whether a wrestler will reappear somewhere else. Sakurai’s own words call for a different reading. She has not announced a new destination, and she has not suggested that a return is imminent. The immediate story is one of a performer choosing to take care of her health after concluding that she could no longer reconcile the demands around her with what she was able to give.

That does not eliminate the possibility of a future in wrestling. Sakurai deliberately left that question unresolved, saying she does not know what lies ahead. But uncertainty about the future is not the same thing as a promise of a quick return. Her statement about not returning to Marigold anytime soon is the clearest available indication of what fans should expect following Grand Destiny.

For now, October 24 stands as the key date. Mai Sakurai will make her final Marigold appearance at Grand Destiny in Tokyo before beginning her break from professional wrestling. The event will close an important chapter, while the timing and shape of whatever comes next remain entirely open.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.