(NOAH) "Donmai, Donmai" ~ 18th April 2008 ~ Mitsuharu Misawa's diary

Cheers! Well, this Navi is long, difficult, and painful....this is Misawa.

I haven't told the media, but I hurt my left knee. I think I probably twisted it. Of course, this is Noah's first tag league*, so I'll do my best until the end. I'm sure there are some things I'm lacking, but I hope those of you reading this diary will be forgiving. 

The pain and swelling were so bad that I thought the bolt in my knee might have come loose, so I went to the hospital on my day off on the 14th. I won't go into details here, but fortunately there was nothing wrong with it. Again, I want to make it all the way to the Budokan, so I will do my best in the remaining tag league matches and other matches, not just against my opponents, but also against myself. 

I am sure that some of the readers of this blog will be annoyed, but I have been against leagues since Noah was founded. Of course, I have in mind that if there are league matches, people in rural areas who usually have few opportunities to watch title matches at the venue, will be able to enjoy official league matches. The reason why I was still against it is difficult to explain in words, but I also have confidence in the wrestlers, who always do their best, even without the league format. Also, for example, if a wrestler is not in good physical condition, changing the card will often result in a more fulfilling match than having a match where they are not able to do their best, but in the case of an official league match, here is a risk that changing the card will not be an option. Of course, even in such a situation, the wrestlers do the best of their ability, which is why there is a growing concern that they may be pushing themselves too hard while not in good condition. This is the first time we have held a tag league, and I realized how difficult is is to manage the rest periods for the wrestlers. And maybe it's because it's the first time, but when I actually have the matches, I feel some confusion among the people who come to the venue. The league is still in the middle of its run, but if there is a chance to hold the next one, a major issue will be how to appeal to fans so they can enjoy the league itself* while also managing the wrestlers rest periods. 

I'm jumping ahead a bit, but speaking of appeals, we can't help but talk about appeals, and speaking of appeals, we can't help but talk about Ito's diary! Even though he says "appeal to Mie Prefecture", the stories are all ones that seem to leave a negative impression. Usually, when you appeal to someone, it ends up being positive, right? Even though it's his hometown, he says, "It's Kansai dialect, but it's not Kinki region..." I wonder if the part of Mie prefecture where Ito lived is in Kinki region... Well, that's typical of him, though.

I'll also answer Ito's question. I like playing sports more than watching them, so I don't dislike batting centers. But I don't go there unless I'm drunk, and my eyesight has gotten worse recently, so I haven't been there. And, as you'd expect... wrestlers sweat twice as much when they exercise in places like that. So it's probably difficult if you don't have a change of clothes. If you think about it, it's not normal to be drunk and have a change of clothes, so that's why I don't go there very often.

Speaking of sweat, it's gotten a lot warmer! It was surprisingly chilly in Hakata, but in Kumamoto I was able to walk around in short sleeves even at night. 

...Huh!? Is something wrong? 

You're wearing short sleeves, right? 

To everyone in Kumamoto, I write this every year, but it's hard to regulate the temperature in hotels at this time of year, and I imagine everyone is sweating in rooms with no windows that open, and I sleep drenched in sweat myself. It may be difficult on higher floors, but it's still a relief that there are still hotels with windows that open. I guess it would be a pain to clean without windows because of all the dust. I've strayed from my original point, but this long Navi season is now in its final stages. Its a tough schedule with six matches between the Fukuyama show on the 1st, and the final match at the Budokan, and only official league matches remaining until the finals, but we will aim to win. If you are in the area, please come and support us. 

Speaking of the final event, some merchandise of my own invention will be on sale at the Budokan. It's still in production and I'm not sure if it will be ready in time, but guess what? These are not really things you need to wear, but dribble bibs for babies. I think they're called "bibs" nowadays, not "dribble bibs". I've been wanting to make some items for children for a while now, and this is the first in my series. I made these from soft towels, so I'll introduce them on the site once they're finished. If you have an irritated baby and need a website, please get this for your child, and show them off! 

Also, if you know someone with a baby, why not give them a present? I've only seen the plain version so far, but it's planned to be a set of two! 

By the way, when I suggested that I make goods for babies, the first thing that came up was rompers...but if they are not cute and no one sees them, then it's pointless...

This is getting long and I think the reader is getting tired, so I'll end it here with a question for the next person, 3,000 yen Ippei (sorry for the inside joke. If you're interested, please ask him if you have the chance). What current news has caught your attention recently? And what is Ippei's opinion on that news? Please let me know. This is all for now. I apologize for repeating myself, but I ask that those of you who are nearby to come and support us in the remaining six events. 

See you next week. Misawa.  

Notes

Noah's first tag league: From the start this was not an auspicious thing for Misawa. 

The next league: The utter reverse of this was going to happen. No one was going to enjoy the outcome.