The Ubiquitous Utami
F YOU HADN’T heard of her before, you most certainly have now. Ranked #2 in the 2021 “Women’s 150,” Utami Hayashishita holds the distinction of being the highest-ranked representative of a Japanese promotion in the history of our annual women’s list. At press time, she was nearing a full year as the reigning World of Stardom champion, boasting an impressive eight successful title defenses against the promotion’s top stars. In September 2020, she won the celebrated 5STAR Grand Prix tournament. And, if that wasn’t enough, her June 12, 2021 battle against Syuri was rated 5.5 stars by—making it the highest-rated women’s match of all-time.
