(NOAH) Hajime Ohara interview about the GHC Junior Championship match on 27th January in Osaka

Q: It has been decided that you will challenge Daisuke Harada for the belt in Osaka

OHARA: Because I had to miss time at the end of the year, I was surprised that I was chosen. I talked to the company about winning the belt last year as it had been half a year, I said I wanted to fulfil this while evaluating other activities than what goes on in the ring. I did my own evaluation too; last year I was a high school student, I was on the fire fighting team, I did welfare activities and so on, these were also covered by newspapers in both the ward* and the city. I went from being Musashi-Kosugi's pro-wrestler to Kawasaki's pro-wrestler and this year there have been many stories about new activities. The "Kosugi Fiesta" is getting bigger each year, and the last time the number of people who came reached 100,000. It seems that there is a plan to do professional wrestling with the fiesta, and by that plan, many more people can watch Noah. There are numerous opportunities here, and I think that the persuasive power will be different if the champion is from the area. I will take the opportunity to spread the word of Noah if I become the champion. In 2018 I would like to be GHC Heavyweight Champion Ohara. You see, the population of Nakahara Ward is 250,000 people, the population of Kawasaki is 1.5 million people. It is not realistic that everyone can come, but even if 1% attend we can full up Korakuen, even if 1% of Kawasaki comes to the Budokan it will be super crowded. I think this is very important for Noah, and I believe that such things, I can do. I appreciate very much the opportunity to evaluate this multilateral aspect. I want to have breakthrough results for "Noah The Live", no matter what!

Q: You had to miss time last year***, how are you feeling?

OHARA: Muy Bien! I have to thank the company for being one that values people, even when I had to miss time, the company were very good about it.

Q: Hitoshi Kumano, your partner, said that this nomination was frustrating?

OHARA: At the time I think there were a lot of doubts and dissatisfactions amongst wrestlers at that time, but I was the one who was given the opportunity. I received a comprehensive evaluation of points and tests. I worked hard and knew the importance of working steady. Besides, Ohara got the job done, although there were many things said that I did not like to read. I won directly over Harada at Hamamatsu (January 7th) and I know myself to be a solid challenger.

Q: A year ago the situation was completely opposite, but it is in the same place (on January 21st
Ohara was the champion, and Harada was the challenger)

OHARA: It has been almost a year, and the position has changed a lot since that fateful match. My opponent - Harada, well we have fought many times, and he is a wonderful and strong champion. He is leading the RATEL'S and is not the same Harada as last year as he has evolved since the single match last August. Therefore, although we know each other well, it is not quite possible to know what he is going to do in the match beforehand, so he I will try different kinds of tricks against a different Ohara. Although I have put out Muy Bien, I still have various options, I will aim to capture the championship. The pre-championship matches are rough investigations, but there is nothing to investigate now, so it will be a trade in. This fight connect to the pre-title fights.

Q: What are your final thoughts?

OHARA: I think this match will be a different one from the Harada and Ohara first fight. Our ways and feelings are different, but I want to see the emotion of the championship, the strong feelings towards Noah, and the collision of the thoughts and ambitions. I will fight for the Noah Jnr, which is a wonderful thing. Thank you for supporting me by all means on the 27th January in Osaka! Muy Bien!

Link to original Japanese language article here
* Ward: geographical area, equivalent to a county or a borough. 
** Musashi-Kosugi: A station in Kawasaki, which I guess must be Ohara's local one.
*** Ohara had bruised kidneys