(NOAH) Noah Renaissance, and then....."I'll do anything to get to the top" - interview with Takeshi Morishima

Weekly Pro 

19th September 2000 (Issue 995)

Pro Wrestling Noah's Ariake event on August 19th was hit by a major shock. The epicenter of the shock was, of course, Jun Akiyama. However, we must not forget the presence of Takeshi Morishima, who attacked Kenta Kobashi before anyone else. When Morishima took this action, he was filled with ambition to rise to the top.

Q: This is your first interview in about a year. 

MORISHIMA: Last years interview was terrible. You took a picture that you said you wouldn't use*, and it's awful because you did (laughs) 

Q: I'm sorry... A year ago, you had that kind of innocent image, but that aside, your image has changed quite a bit since you came to Noah, hasn't it?
MORISHIMA*: That's right. I think that in order to feel that things have changed since the launch,  it's impossible to just suddenly change the content from the beginning, but by accepting my appearance first, it gives me a positive feeling that I can change my content too. 

Q: Your theme song has also changed to "Captain of the Ship" by Tsuyoshi Nagabuchi? 

MORISHIMA: Yes, it's a song I've been playing since I was a student when did I judo. When I hear it before a match it pumps me up, so it was something I felt I had to do. 

Q: It's the best song to get you pumped before a match.

MORSHIMA: Well, that's true. The lyrics are about a ship, and the promotion, Noah, is also a ship, so I think it is a good idea to have that connection (laughs). It's like taking the helm, and it gets you excited, which is the best thing.   

Q: Are you a fan of Nagabuchi?

MORISHIMA: I love his songs and I'm also drawn to his personality. He really does what he wants, although sometimes he might go too far (wry smile). But I think it's better to have someone who can do what they want than someone who can't do anything at all.

Q: In the sense that he does what he wants to do, he has something in common with Noah.

MORISHIMA: Yes. But if you're free to do what you want, you have to take responsibility for it if it doesn't work out.

Q: Did it give you a sense of responsibility in a way?

MORISHIMA: That's true. If you want to do what you want to do, you have to be determined to do it yourself. My parents were against it when I entered wrestling, but since I made up my mind to do it myself and I started, I knew I had to succeed. 

Q: Speaking of taking action by yourself, on August 19th you attacked Kobashi at Ariake. Could you tell us what led up to that?

MORISHIMA: Riki-san (Riki) took action on the second day (August 6th at Ariake) and he suddenly attracted attention. After that, I was thinking about what to do, and I had a vague feeling that I wanted to work with Shiga-san.

Q: Why did you want to team up with Shiga? 

MORISHIMA: I'm sure Shiga had a lot of thoughts about Riki teaming up with Kobashi, and personally I felt like Riki had beaten me to it, so I consulted Akiyama.

Q: What did Akiyama say?

MORISHIMA: He said that even if Shiga and I worked together, we'd probably end up at the Asia Tag Team level. He said that if I wanted to go higher, I had to use someone higher up as a stepping stone. To go higher, you have to be in a place that gets people's attention. Riki had Kobashi, so Akiyama said to me, "Then use me as a stepping stone". 

Q: So that's what led to your actions? 

MORISHIMA: That's true, but it's not like I've been working with Akiyama-san for a while now. Once I feel like I've gained the skills, I plan to separate from Akiyama-san.

Q: Did you feel jealous that Rikio was getting all that attention in just two matches before the launch*? 

MORISHIMA: It's really frustrating. I may lose to Riki in sumo, but I'll never lose to him in pro wrestling. 

Q: Would you like to fight Rikio?   

MORISHIMA: I think it would be fun to do it now, but thinking ahead...

Q: Do you want to do it after gaining more attention? 

MORISHIMA: How can I put it? Riki teamed with Akiyama, and with me teaming with Akiyama, I think our respective levels will rise. 

Q: So you're teaming up with top wrestlers and fighting at a higher level?

MORISHIMA: Yes, I think I can keep climbing higher and higher, and ultimately I would like to reach the very top.

Q: I see

MORISHIMA: And when the time comes to go outside, I think it would be fine for Riki and I, who have helped each other to grow, to go out into it together. 

Q: When you say "go outside", do you mean as in friendly matches? 

MORISHIMA: Yes. It may not happen right away, but when it does happen it would be a problem if we didn't have the skills. No matter which way you look at it, New Japan has more guys, so we will probably be called upon to compete, and it is better to have those skills. That's why we have to fight at a higher level. 

Q: Noah is a liberal promotion after all, so are you interested in other promotions and matches elsewhere? 

MORISHIMA: That's true for any promotion. I think now is the time to absorb as much as I can in order to move up. I could go to other promotions, go overseas, or even train with the Self-Defense Forces, which I think are all good experiences. If I were to go to PRIDE, I'd need a certain amount of preparation time, though.     

Q: You said that in order to move up, it's also important to study by competing overseas and in other promotions? 

MORISHIMA: In any case, I want to get to the top as soon as possible. 

Q: Are you considering overseas as well as Japan? 

MORISHIMA: Marufuji and Kanemaru appeared in AAA in July, right? When I saw them I thought they were completely different. I can't do aerial moves* or anything like that (laughs) I think there are all kinds of pro wrestling styles overseas. I don't want to do them, but I'm sure there are test matches and things like that, and even the way the audience leaves* is an element of pro wrestling. I'd like to study those things too.

Q: If you experience a variety of things, you will find what suits you best.

MORISHIMA: Yes. Even if I do end up at the top someday, it would be good for me to have that kind of experience so that I can deal with any situation. 

Q: If you can think like this, then that means the change in promotions has had a positive effect.

MORISHIMA: I think it's a huge positive. It was a great opportunity for me to change the image I had up until now. From now on, I want to make sure that fans keep an eye on Morishima. I want to make an impact so that even people who see me for the first time think that I was amazing. Also, once I improve my skills, I want to go back to wearing black tights.

Q: Why is that?

MORISHIMA: Well, to be honest, I don't have any good memories of wearing them. I was a complete failure during that time, and I had a lot of different experiences. So it's not like I'm going back to my roots, but it's more like I'm giving back. I never had a good experience back then, so once I've gained some skills, I'd like to go back to wearing black tights. 

Notes

Morishima's picture: While later pictures (i.e. his arrest where far more embarrassing), he was apparently on a slide in this one. 

Note: Due to white text on a colored background, some of this was hard to make out. 

Rikio's last two matches in All Japan: These were not big matches, but he was on the winning team. Before this he had only won once since his debut. 

Aerial moves: While it was true Morishima never could do moonsaults over the top rope, he did manage to get off his feet more than a man of his size usually did. His cartwheel might not have been the best, but fans loved it. 

"Even the way the audience leaves": You can tell he's been raised by Baba, as this was the type of thing that Baba noticed. 

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