(NOAH) RATELS press conference

31st May 2018

On May 30th, RATELS (Daisuke Harada, Tadasuke, YO-HEY & HAYATA) came to TGI Fridays at Korakuen Hall to talk about a Pro-Wrestling Noah collaboration event. RATELS presented the card for the production to be held at 30th June at ShinKiba 1st RING.
Daisuke Harada will have a singles match with GHC Heavyweight Champion, Takashi Sugiura, YO-HEY & HAYATA will confront Jiro Kuroshio (WRESTLE-1), and Tadasuke has nominated KAZMA SAKAMOTO ("I want to have a match with you before I die")
The interview is as follows.

HARADA: The four of us talked about it, and we have organised a card of six games.

(DAISUKE HARADA READ OUT THE CARD)

Q: I feel enthusiastic for each match.

TADASUKE: The reason why I chose my opponent? KAZMA SAKAMOTO came to me and said "I want to do a single match with you before I die", and I thought I would put in the RATELS box office. Was it like that for everyone?

HAYATA: Not particularly

YO-HEY: Speaking of personal matters, the tag match is with Kuroshio " Ikemen " Jiro. I have been involved with him since SMASH and then again in the ASUKA project that was done in May, and in the ring I felt "it suddenly is now". Honestly, I wish I could absorb it all and not make only a reference to it. I tried not to fight with the group when organising it. My opponent has a fluttering jacket. I am looking forward to it. And speaking of HAYATA and Seiki Yoshioka; this was a team in Hiroshima, a proper funny team. And what kind of chemical reaction will be caused when we collide? We can only wait in anticipation.

HARADA: At Korakuen Hall yesterday, Takashi Sugiura defended the belt, I formed the match so it would be Heavyweight Champion vs Junior Champion. The Heavyweight championship is undergoing generational change, but that means nothing to me. About a year after I joined Noah, I had a single match with Takashi Sugiura, and I thought "I want to do this again in Noah" because the reason is "I want to defeat Takashi Sugiura one day." It was four years ago, and I have grown up, so now I will stand before Takashi Sugiura once again to beat him, so I made a single match.

Q: Did you decide each card?

HARADA: Yes. We decided to share ideas about what wrestlers and athletes we wanted to wrestle and wanted to see. We all decided, not just myself.

Q: Will there be a RATELS event unique to the box office?

HARADA: Goods. To celebrate the event, I would like to offer various merchandise.

Q: Seiki Yoshioka was the W-1 Cruiserweight Champion, and was with HAYATA in Dove Pro in Hiroshima. I guess you don't want to lose?

(HAYATA whispers something to YO-HEY)

YO-HEY: Hmmm...I'm not interested in losing, because I was doing the same thing in Hiroshima, I was the best leading....Hmmm...sorry. I've been talked down (laugh). Perhaps I don't want to lose, but I think that if you want that, why is your opponent Jiro Ikemen and broken down YO-HEY? I don't want to lose, a wonderful fighting spirit has arisen from the hole in the left ear.

Q: Ikemen brings the atmosphere to a venue almost immediately, is he likely to take a leading role at the RATELS produce?

YO-HEY: Of course, the RATELS box office is swamped by the wave of that guy...I mean, there is thing called "Win-Win", but I feel like I want to know something of the flavor of this guy, I don't want to be defeated by him, but I will make the atmosphere good, if you feel the same way, its a task I want to do.

Q: From the time you first had a match with Sugiura, you have grown, how do you want to strike?

HARADA: The first time was in Sasebo, the second time was in Kawasaki. After that I joined NO MERCY with KENTA and Sugiura, and after that I became junior heavyweight champion. I think that both my power and experience are different from myself back then. I have no desire to hit Takashi Sugiura. I want to beat him up.

Q: If the first priority is to win, do you want to have a match that will show fight and strength to the full?

HARADA: Yes. I want to you to see what I mean by beating him up.

Q: Tadasuke, why have you decided to fight KAZMA?

TADASUKE: He has gone up to WWE, which I was longing for. I fought with him (KAZMA) after debuting. There were times on Osaka Wrestling, but there are not so many wrestlers with that strength. I thought he was amusing, and I wanted to do it someday.

Q: He is a wrestler who excels at having inside knowledge, you want to win this match using your head?

TADASUKE: I want to compete with him. I will use my head and raise it.

Q: Why did you invite Alexander Otsuka?

HARADA: I haven't seen Otsuka for a long time (next part doesn't translate well)...I chose Shiozaki after seeing the Differ Cup, I thought "there is only him". I watched him with Dino and knew he promised more. It would be disapointing if I didn't do anything.
(Harada goes on to say something about other wrestlers not being involved which doesn't translate well)

Link to article from Noah.co.jp (in Japanese)