Sareee Reflects on WWE Run, Finds Renewed Purpose in Japanese Wrestling

Japanese professional wrestler Sareee recently discussed her experience with WWE, describing it as a challenging period in her career but ultimately a valuable learning opportunity. The 29-year-ancient, who competed in WWE under the name Sarray from 2021 to 2023, shared her thoughts in an interview with Tokyo Sports.

Challenges in WWE

Sareee signed with WWE in 2020, aiming to showcase the strength of Japanese women’s wrestling on a global stage. But, she faced obstacles including a crowded roster and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which limited her opportunities to compete. She too expressed dissatisfaction with being assigned a high school girl character.

“That was the most difficult period in my professional wrestling career. WWE has a huge number of members, so it was difficult to even gain selected for a match and then the pandemic hit, so I couldn’t have matches as I wanted. And then I ended up playing a high school girl character. 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,”

The stress of the situation led to lifestyle changes, including increased indulgence in sweets, which, in turn, caused skin problems. Despite these challenges, Sareee maintained a positive attitude and viewed the experience as a learning opportunity.

Return to Japan and Current Success

After her WWE contract expired, Sareee returned to Japan, initially questioning whether she had failed to achieve success in the United States. However, she ultimately decided to focus on excelling within the Japanese wrestling scene.

“To be honest, I wondered if it was okay to return to Japan without accomplishing anything in the United States. But when I thought about what I really wanted to do, I realized that I should do the best I could in the limited time I had to do the kind of pro wrestling I believe in. I’ve been working towards becoming the strongest in the Japanese women’s pro wrestling world, which is where it all started.”

Sareee currently performs for Sukeban, under the ring name Sareee Bomb, and continues to compete in various Japanese promotions, including Dream Star Fighting Marigold, JWP Joshi Puroresu, Pro Wrestling Wave, Seadlinnng, Sendai Girls’ Pro Wrestling, World Woman Pro-Wrestling Diana, and WWE [1]. She recently participated in a tag team match with Miku Kanae at SSPW Vol. 38, defeating Kaoru Ito and Uta Shima.

Recent Accolades

Sareee’s successful return to Japan has been recognized with several awards. In 2024, she received the Tokyo Sports Women’s Wrestling Grand Prize [3] and the Tokyo Sports Joshi MVP award [4], solidifying her position as a leading figure in Japanese women’s professional wrestling.

Sareee’s career highlights include being the inaugural Marigold World Champion, Beyond the Sea Single Champion, Beyond the Sea Tag Team Champion, JWP Junior Champion, Princess of Pro-Wrestling Champion, Sendai Girls World Champion, WWWD World Champion, and WWWD Tag Team Champion [1].