 Hanako in April 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (2000-09-14)14 September 2000 (age 25)[2] |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name |
|
| Billed height | 181 cm (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Billed weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Trained by | Mina Shirakawa Maika |
| Debut | 2022 |
Hanako Ueda (上田華子,Ueda Hanako) better known mononymously by herring nameHanako (stylized asHANAKO), is a Japaneseprofessional wrestler signed toWorld Wonder Ring Stardom, where she is the currentFuture of Stardom Champion in her first reign.[3]
During her junior high school years, Ueda has had avolleyball sports background and was also part of the school'sBrass band.[4]
Ueda first came into contact withprofessional wrestling in her high school years when she attended a local event alongside her mother and another person from her mother's workplace. She continued watching professional wrestling during her university years when she regularly watched Student wrestling (学生プロレス,Gakusei Puroresu) groups. She attended one such kind of festival held within theRitsumeikan University which she attended alongside her cousin.[5] Also during her university years, she joined an intercollegiate student wrestling club. At first, she had no intention of physically starting to involve into wrestling as she only worked behind the scenes as a manager. However, after watching her seniors wrestle, she wished to get into the ring herself, and with the encouragement of others, she began competing.[4]
Ueda was given her first wrestling opportunity in late 2022. She made herprofessional wrestling debut inProminence's lineage of events in which she fell short toRisa Sera on 28 August 2022. Ueda competed in several other events under the name of "Fella Risa" until December 2022.[6]
Ueda made her debut inWorld Wonder Ring Stardom atStardom New Blood Premium on 25 March 2023, where she teamed up withLady C in a losing effort againstMaiHime (Maika andHimeka) in tag team competition.[7] In her rookie years with the promotion, Ueda became a regular competitor in theNew Blood events. AtStardom New Blood 8 on 12 May 2023, she teamed up with Lady C to unsuccessfully challengeBloody Fate (Karma andStarlight Kid) for theNew Blood Tag Team Championship.[8] AtStardom New Blood 9 on 2 June 2023, Ueda teamed up with Aya Sakura in a losing effort againstThe New Eras (Ami Sourei andMirai).[9] AtStardom New Blood 10 on 18 August 2023, she teamed up withKizuna Tanaka and Honoka to defeat God's Eye (Ami Sourei,Nanami) and Miran.[10] AtStardom New Blood 11 on 28 September 2023, she fell short to Tanaka andHina in athree-way match.[11] AtStardom New Blood West 1 on 17 November 2023, Ueda unsuccessfully challengedRina for theFuture of Stardom Championship.[12] AtStardom New Blood 12 on 25 December 2203, she teamed up withYuzuki in a losing effort against Haruka Umesaki andMiyu Amasaki.[13] AtStardom New Blood 13 on 21 June 2024, she wrestledSaran into a time-limit draw.[14] AtStardom New Blood 14 on 13 September 2024, Ueda teamed up withEmpress Nexus Venus stablemateWaka Tsukiyama to defeatwing★gori (Hanan andSaya Iida).[15]
On the finals night of theStardom Cinderella Tournament 2023 from 15 April, Ueda wrestled Aya Sakura into atime-limit draw.[16] AtStardom All Star Grand Queendom on 23 April 2023, she competed in theYokohama Rumble match won byMai Sakurai.[17] AtStardom Fukuoka Goddess Legend on 5 May 2023, she competed in aFukuoka Rumble match won bySuzu Suzuki.[18] AtStardom Flashing Champions 2023 on 28 May, Ueda teamed up withNeo Stardom Army (Nanae Takahashi andYuna Mizumori) in a losing effort against Maika, Suzu Suzuki andMei Seira.[19] AtStardom Sunshine 2023 on 25 June, she fell short to Takahashi in one of the latter's"Passion injection" matches.[20] AtStardom Mid Summer Champions 2023 on 2 July, she teamed up with Mei Seira and Suzu Suzuki to defeatClassmates (Hazuki and Saya Iida) and Aya Sakura.[21] AtStardom x Stardom: Osaka Summer Team on 13 August 2023, Ueda teamed up withSyuri and unsuccessfully competed in aGauntlet tag team match won by Suzu Suzuki and Mei Seira.[22] AtStardom Midsummer Festival on 19 August 2023, she fell short to Mei Seira andFukigen Death in athree-way match.[23] AtStardom Gold Rush 2023 on 18 November, she teamed up with God's Eye (Konami and Ami Sourei) in a losing effort against Stars (Hazuki, Hanan and Saya Iida).[24] AtStardom Nagoya Big Winter on 2 December 2023, she teamed up with Miyu Amasaki to defeat Mina Shirakawa and Yuzuki.[25] AtStardom Dream Queendom 2023 on 29 December, she teamed up with Kurara Sayaka and Ranna Yagami in a loing effort against Miyu Amasaki,Azusa Inaba and Yuzuki.[26]
AtIttenyon Stardom Gate on 4 January 2024, she teamed up with Yuzuki and Ranna Yagami to defeatQueen's Quest (Lady C and Hina) and Sayaka Kurara.[27] AtStardom Supreme Fight 2024 on 2 February, she competed in afour-way match won by Mai Sakurai and also involvingRuaka and Ranna Yagami.[28] AtStardom The Conversion on 22 June 2024, she teamed up with Mina Shirakawa to defeatCosmic Tropical Fairy Super Angel (Natsupoi and Yuna Mizumori).[29] On the first night of theStardom Sapporo World Rendezvous from 27 July 2024, she fell short toMayu Iwatani in singles competition.[30] AtStardom Namba Grand Fight on 14 September 2024, she teamed up with Waka Tsukiyama to defeat God's Eye (Hina and Ranna Yagami).[31]
Ueda competed in several signature events promoted by Stardom. AtStardom New Year Stars 2024, she took part into the revivedStardom Rookie of the Year tournament in which she defeated Kurara Sayaka in the first rounds then fell short to Yuzuki in the finals.[32] She took part into theStardom Cinderella Tournament 2024 in which she fell short to Hanan in the first rounds.[33] AtStardom All Star Grand Queendom 2024 on 27 April, she teamed up withEmpress Nexus Venus stablematesXena and Waka Tsukiyama in a losing effort against God's Eye (Syuri, Konami and Ami Sohrei).[34]
Due to World Wonder Ring Stardom beingNew Japan Pro Wrestling's promotion, Hanako often competes in events promoted by the latter. She made her first appearance atNJPW Academy Showcase #4 on 3 August 2024, where she defeated Jada Stone in singles competition.[35] AtCapital Collision on 30 August 2024, she teamed up withMina Shirakawa to defeatTrish Adora andViva Van.[36]
AtMLW Summer of the Beasts, and event promoted byMajor League Wrestling (MLW) on 29 August 2024, Ueda unsuccessfully challengedJanai Kai for theMLW World Women's Featherweight Championship.[37]
Hanako made her Ring of Honor debut AtROH Final Battle Zero Hour on 20 December 2024, defeatingHarley Cameron in singles competition.[38][39] On 2 January 2025, she unsuccessfully challengedRed Velvet for theROH Women's World Television Championship[40]
