Let’s get one thing straight right out the gate: Unagi Sayaka doesn’t care what you think.
She’s not here to be cute, though she could be. She’s not here to be polite, though she used to play that game. She’s not here to smile, unless it’s a smile full of teeth right before she dropkicks you into the third row of Korakuen Hall. And she damn sure isn’t here to be predictable.
She’s here to survive.
She’s a Cosmic Angel with the instincts of a back-alley brawler and the heart of a delusional anime protagonist who still believes everything will turn out alright—after she’s elbowed fate square in the jaw. She’s the kind of wrestler who wanders into a promotion like a stray cat with a vendetta and leaves behind a trail of bruised egos and glitter.
From Idols to Elbows: The Unagi Genesis
Before Unagi Sayaka was smashing people into the canvas, she was sashaying through the idol world under the name Himawari Unagi. Bright, bubbly, and everything Japan’s squeaky-clean entertainment machine could chew up and spit out. But something inside her snapped. Maybe it was one too many fake smiles. Maybe it was a realization that no pop single could satisfy the bloodlust hiding behind the sparkle.
In 2019, she stepped into Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling like a deer in the headlights. Within months, she was locking horns with Yuka Sakazaki, Maki Itoh, and Miyu Yamashita like she had a death wish—or at least a strong case of career misdirection.
Turns out, she had neither. What she had was a calling.
Stardom’s Unlikely Star
November 2020, Unagi strolled into World Wonder Ring Stardom with Tam Nakano and Mina Shirakawa in tow and founded the Cosmic Angels. Think Sailor Moon meets fistfights in back alleys. She wasn’t supposed to be the best wrestler in the room. Hell, most nights she wasn’t even third best. But she had something more potent than skill: charisma so stubborn it should be illegal.
Her first major title? The Artist of Stardom Championship. Picture this—Unagi, Tam, and Mina, facing off against a brigade of grizzled joshi veterans, and winning. Not because they were stronger. Not even smarter. But because they were weirder. Stardom fans didn’t know what the hell was going on—but they couldn’t look away.
She’d later take the Future of Stardom Championship and clutch it like a middle finger to everyone who thought she was a gimmick. She beat Saya Iida for it, held it proudly, and dropped it to Ruaka only after leaving enough body glitter in the ring to choke a small horse.
Rumbles, Regret, and the Rise of the Weirdo Messiah
In 2021, she entered the All-Star Rumble and beat out Chigusa Nagayo, Yoko Bito, and Kyoko Inoue. That’s like a karaoke singer beating out Freddie Mercury in a falsetto contest. The fans thought it was a fluke. Unagi knew it was destiny.
And that was her thing—every loss she took became part of a long, strange poem she was writing in pain and polyester. For every five matches she lost, she won one, but that one win would stick to your brain like a sugar-high fever dream.
The Cinderella Tournament, the 5-Star Grand Prix, Cosmic rules comedy matches where nobody even knew what the hell the rules were—Unagi was there, turning every platform into performance art. Whether she was challenging Tam Nakano for the Wonder of Stardom belt or getting pancaked by Suzu Suzuki in a six-woman brawl, she did it like she believed she belonged.
Going Freelance: Joshi’s Wandering Clown Samurai
In October 2022, Unagi took one look at the Stardom office, lit a metaphorical cigarette, and walked into the indie world like a woman ready to get hurt for enlightenment.
She didn’t sign contracts—she made appearances. From Marvelous to Zero1, from GLEAT to Diana, she floated like a fluorescent butterfly and stung like a caffeinated eel. In Pro Wrestling Just Tap Out, she defeated Aoi and went after Tomoka Inaba’s Queen of JTO Championship like it was the Holy Grail dipped in ramen grease.
In Zero1’s Fire Festival, she became the first female competitor ever to enter the sacred, testosterone-filled sausage party. She didn’t win, but she didn’t care. She showed up, laced her boots, and told every grizzled man in the room: “I’m Unagi Sayaka. You’re welcome.”
Sheer Madness Dressed in Sequins
Unagi has never been about winning titles or stealing the show—though she does both when she feels like it. She’s about making you feel something.
Confusion. Awe. Pity. Delight. Fear.
Sometimes all at once.
Her matches feel like performance pieces staged inside a tornado. One second she’s throwing flying forearms like she’s auditioning for New Japan, the next she’s screaming about love, friendship, or pickled plums.
She’s Joshi’s fever dream. A wrestler who defies every expectation you have about what a “female wrestler” is supposed to be. She’ll never be your workrate queen. She doesn’t want your five-star matches. She wants to leave lipstick on your collar and bruises on your soul.
Cosmic Angel, Eternal Outlaw
Even after going freelance, Unagi never left the Cosmic Angels. You could bury the stable, salt the earth, and she’d still show up in pink boots waving the flag like a lunatic Marie Antoinette.
She’s a reminder that pro wrestling isn’t just about belts and bookings. It’s about presence. It’s about mythology. It’s about that one wrestler who makes you sit up and mutter, “What the hell am I watching—and why do I want more?”
So here’s to Unagi Sayaka—the eel that slipped through every net, the glitterbomb in a world of grey tights and grimaces.
She’s not your favorite wrestler.
But she’s the one who’ll be haunting your dreams.
Forever weird.
Forever fierce.
Forever Unagi.