(NOAH) With "I AM NOAH" in his heart, he shows "the culmination and beyond" as he heads into his 20th anniversary debut - interview with Go Shiozaki
Pro Wrestling DX
Q: Your 20th anniversary show is approaching, but what are your honest thoughts on your 20th anniversary?
SHIOZAKI: Personally, it feels like I just had my 15th anniversary match the other day. I've been doing this for twenty years now, it's gone by in a flash.
Q: I am sure a lot of things have happened, it went by surprisingly quickly?
SHIOZAKI: In my case, there were so many things going on, that I really didn't notice how many years had passed. When it was ten years ago, I thought "Today is my 10th anniversary", but now it feels like, "Fifteen years, twenty years, oh, it's been that long already?"
Q: How do you compare the future you envisioned when you debuted, with the present?
SHIOZAKI: When I debuted, I had an image of "what do you want to be," but I didn't really think about what I wanted to do with the promotion. This might be a bit strange to say, but as I continued to build my career and experienced a lot of things, I felt a stronger desire to lead the promotion and make it a better place.
Q: You left Noah at one point, but was that necessary to get where you are now?
SHIOZAKI: Yes, I don't think it was a negative thing, and I was able to experience a lot of different things. I think it is because of those experiences that I have been here for twenty years as Go Shiozaki. I think all of it was necessary for me.
Q: What is the most memorable match of the past twenty years?
SHIOZAKI: I think the first time I won the GHC Heavyweight was the most unforgettable and memorable match.
Q: Hakata Star Lane on June 14th 2009*. Misawa had passed away the day before, and Akiyama vacated the title due to injury, and you suddenly fought in a number one contenders match with Rikio. Do you still remember it vividly?
SHIOZAKI: I remember that time right away. I think that all the Noah wrestlers, the staff and the fans poured their hearts into their matches at Star Lane that day.
Q: I think that match was trigger for you to carry the weight of Noah in a different way from that day?
SHIOZAKI: Yes. If I hadn't won the GHC at that time, then it would have taken me a long time to get the belt, and I don't think I would have really been able to think about the meaning of the GHC or the meaning of Noah. I think it is because of that experience, that I am who I am today.
Q: In general society, twenty years is considered a veteran, but do you feel that way?
SHIOZAKI: I suppose it's inevitable to a certain extent that people call me a veteran, but I still want to stay at the forefront, both physically and emotionally, so I'm doing all sorts of things to keep that desire going.
Q: After twenty years, have you started to see what pro wrestling means to you?
SHIOZAKI: I haven't found that answer yet, and I don't think I will find it while I'm still active. It's a journey to find that answer, and I think I'm walking a path to arrive at that answer. I may not find it, but I think I'm enjoying the journey to find it.
Q: And how did you feel about teaming up with Akiyama to face Marufuji and Sugiura in the commemorative event?
SHIOZAKI: Three people who are integral in my twenty years of wrestling. Akiyama was my opponent in my debut match, and he was the wrestler when I first challenged for the GHC. Jun Akiyama is a big presence for me in my career. Of all the members who were in my debut match (Go Shiozaki & Tamon Honda vs Jun Akiyama & Makoto Hashi), the ones who are currently competing in the ring are myself and Akiyama. I think he's a wrestler who has taught me a lot of things, so when I thought about opponents to face with him next to me, I chose Marufuji and Sugiura. I've almost always faced those two in my wrestling career, but I have to surpass them, and they are indispensable when talking about Noah. I did think about younger wrestlers, or wrestlers with the same career history, but I thought that there were no other people than these three when I reached my twentieth year as a professional wrestler.
Q: Both of them are former GHC Heavyweight champions who built an era in Noah, but since this is a TEAM NOAH event, do you want to show what Noah is all about?
SHIOZAKI: I think they are the few people who can put on the Pro Wrestling Noah fights that I envision, and although this is a commemorative match for my 20th anniversary, I want everyone watching to see that this is the kind of match this is, with the four of us involved. I think I can have the fight I want.
Q: What kind of team do you think Marufuji & Sugiura are as opponents?
SHIOZAKI: Those two have an unbreakable bond, and I can feel the meaning of fighting them. Marufuji has a flexible match style and can respond to anything, and as for Sugiura, it's a wrestling match where I can go head-to-head. I feel like there are no other opponents than these two.
Q: You've fought Sugiura many times for the GHC, but is he the wrestler who shaped you?
SHIOZAKI: Yes, Takashi Sugiura is an indispensable person on my GHC road. It figures, I think Sugiura is the opponent in which I can shine the most.
Q: You have fought against Marufuji for the GHC, but when you rejoined Noah, you fought at key points and were sometimes rejected or guided at times, and there were many other things that happened.
SHIOZAKI: He's often said to be the symbol of today's Pro Wrestling Noah, but more than a symbol, he's the image of Pro Wrestling Noah. I think he is the one who will carry on Misawa's legacy, and when you think of Noah without him, it's not Noah. I think he is the person who represents Pro Wrestling Noah in its entirety.
Q: You left Noah together with Akiyama, but what kind of person is he to you?
SHIOZAKI: For me it's Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi and Jun Akiyama. There is a lineage between those three. He's one of the very few wrestlers who knows about that time, and he often competed with Kobashi, or rather, he was always in the opposing team, so no matter how many times we fought, I learned a lot from him. I think he's one of the people who shaped Noah during that era. I thought about facing him, but I wanted Akiyama to be next to me. I am going to go in a way to be the one who can show the true Noah fighting style.
Q: You'll be fighting with the three of them in your 20th anniversary match, but what kind of match do you want it to be? What kind of match do you think it will be?
SHIOZAKI: To be honest, I can't say exactly as to how the match will go, or how it will turn out, but I am sure it will be a fight that will touch the hearts of both current Pro Wrestling Noah fans, and fans who don't come and watch anymore but remember the old Pro Wrestling Noah fights. It's weird to say this, but I'm the one who's most excited.
Q: You have to be the center of attention?
SHIOZAKI: Of course. I'll be the starring role.
Q: Do you want to win the match yourself, and be the last one standing?
SHIOZAKI: I want to close with the best 20th anniversary match.
Q: "I AM NOAH" remains sealed away?
SHIOZAKI: Yes. I think I will have to say it again at some point, and I don't know that if that will be in the 20th anniversary match or not, but I'll always keep "I AM NOAH" in my heart as I fight.
Q: Lastly, please tell us your enthusiasm.
SHIOZAKI: June 19th, LIMIT BREAK at Korakuen Hall. My twentieth anniversary show. I want to show the culmination of Go Shiozaki's twenty years as a pro wrestler, and what lies ahead. Don't miss it, everyone!
Notes
Hakata Star Lane: The building was torn down a few years ago due to age, obsolete building materials, and structural damage caused by seismic activity.
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