(NOAH) Confrontation with Naomichi Marufuji & Atsushi Kotoge at Korakuen! Interview with Hideki Suzuki.

20th February 2018
Noah.co.jp
Interview with Hideki Suzuki, who will participate for the second time on the Noah mat in Korakuen

Q: This will be your second time in Noah?

SUZUKI: The last was the 23rd September 2014 in Niigata. It was about the time of the explosion match. I don't remember how many matches, but I wrestled against TMDK (Mikey Nichols & Shane Heist) and Quiet Storm in a six person tag.

Q: What kind of impression did you have of Noah then?

SUZUKI: Misawa and Kobashi

Q: How was it actually being in Noah's ring?

SUZUKI: Marufuji and Sugiura had become "Noah = Misawa and Kobashi", but I thought that neither of them were there anymore. The match in Niigata didn't give the feeling that "this is Noah" because my opponent were a foreigners. They trained in Japan, didn't they? I debuted with IGF, and no one says that is a new Japanese style, I felt different because I learned systematically. There is a beautiful image of Noah in All Japan long ago. There were brawls outside the ring, but what I remember of the match has a beautiful impression. I guess it might be the image I have of Marufuji and Sugiura. It is rough, but sophisticated.

Q: What kind of impression do you have of the current Noah?

SUZUKI: I haven't really seen anything since the struggle with the Suzuki Army. Nakajima was the champion, and Kitamiya went out...or something. Until then Marufuji and Sugiura were at the top for the past year, about one year ago Nakajima, Kiyomiya and recently Kenoh and other young wrestlers have risen. That is the impression.

Q: This will be the first time in four years?

SUZUKI: The first time was jontly with ZERO 1, and I felt as if being put with Noah was unexpected. I went and was called a member of ZERO 1 (laughs). This will be the first time that I will appear with Noah at Korakuen Hall.

Q: Do you feel like this time is your first time?

SUZUKI: Yes! This is the first match! The fans think so, do you? This is the first time since Niigata. For each group, Korakuen Hall is the standard.

Q: You will compete against Marufuji and Kotoge, who you see as a symbol of Noah at Korakuen?

SUZUKI: Marufuji thinks he is the face of Noah. Its not what I often say about seniors, but he is a genius wrestler. I do not know Kotoge.

Q: You have been interacting with Kotoge on SNS?

SUZUKI: I saw an interview with Kotoge. He was talking about me as "being retrograde", but I don't understand what he meant. What does he mean? I was thinking of Kiyomiya, and would like to wrestle him. Of course, it is important to do everything officially so it goes on the cards, but if he doesn't understand then I'd like him to be replaced with Kiyomiya. Please make the substitution! Please replace him, please!

Q: What is about Kiyomiya you are so particular about?

SUZUKI: I was at Differ when I happened to see him in the parking lot, he greeted me and I had a great impression of him. He had strong eyes, and I thought as he stared at me "Kiyomiya is powerful". I knew I would be attaching to him, "a freshly debuted wrestler" I felt. It was an impressive thing. I couldn't remember his name back then. I was worried though because here is Noah's dojo and I felt he was too young a wrestler to talk to the press. He had a match with Minoru Suzuki before going abroad. It is interesting to see his previous match with Kenoh, and him wrestle others. To use a common phrase, he is doing his best.

Q: To you "Noah's elite are Marufuji and Sugiura", but you also think you want to compete with Kiyomiya?

SUZUKI: The fans see what I do, Kiyomiya will be the future of Noah. So I wonder if I should get rid of him....now... hahaha...I have wrestled Sugiura a few times in Zero-One, and now I can embody Marufuji who is a symbol of Noah. I would like to compete with Kiyomiya who will become a symbol of Noah in the future. ... ... Can we really not change the cards? Why does not it change? Let's change!

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