(NOAH) Sugiura & Marufuji, and the "older generation", present a united front on the outlook towards the generational struggle.

30th May 2018
Boku Pro

Takashi Sugiura, who succeeded in defending the GHC Heavyweight Championship for the second time by defeating the challenge of Naomichi Marufuji at Korakuen Hall on the 29th, held an interview on the 30th in Tokyo. While looking at the battle with Marufuji, he took a stand against the rapidly "super-generation" accelerating on Noah.

On that night, he and Marufuji had a "GHC Match that can only be done by us", the second defense bought Korakuen to boiling point. After the match, while shaking hands with Marufuji, Kenoh, Kaito Kiyomiya, Masa Kitamiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima also appeared. "The Encirclement" was laid, with an atmosphere of generational war filling the air.

On the 10th June Korakuen Hall event, he will will form a tag with Marufuji for the "Mitsuharu Misawa memorial match". At the press conference, Sugiura realized that it was not a positive team with Kenoh anymore, and he understood it was "time to separate". Regarding Marufuji, "I think that I am willing to organize this genuinely now", this would reunite Sugiura and Marufuji who once wore the GHC Tag Belts.
The current tag champions, The Aggression, also came to the ring. Sugiura commented "I have a single belt, and the timing may be difficult, but what will happen in the future? Depending on what happens on June 10th with Marufuji, we may come to see the tag belts".

Regarding the GHC Heavyweight, it was decided that the winner of Kenoh vs Kaito Kiyomiya at the 10th June will challenge on the 29th. "Whoever wins doesn't matter, I can fight with both of them".
Due to the generation struggle of "old vs new", Kenoh is also resonating with Atsushi Kotoge, who he has consistently been hostile to in the past, and Noah is becoming polarized. Sugiura said "the situation may become unavoidable if this is the case, because the older generation is not just me and Marufuji, Masao Inoue is also here." 

THE PRESS CONFERENCE

- It is the morning after the defense?

SUGIURA: First of all, thank you to the fans who came out on a weekday, and I am thankful that I could fight Marufuji for the GHC title.

- You have decided on the winner of Kenoh vs Sugiura to be the next challenger?

SUGIURA: The young athletes have various thoughts and have a sense of crisis, which is why they came out after the match. Kenoh and Kiyomiya appealed for the challenge. I feel like the belt is going to be hanging for a while.

- Who would you prefer? Kenoh or Kiyomiya?

SUGIURA: Which one would I prefer? I'm vulgar from daytime.

- So you don't mind which?

SUGIURA: Whoever wins, either one is fine.

- You said that Marufuji was your "comrade" after the match yesterday, what was on your mind when you addressed the audience?

SUGIURA: Well, there have been many things since Noah was founded eighteen years ago. There are so many young athletes who have come out in the same circumstances, and have appealed to various things. Marufuji and I, went felt the atmosphere, "it is okay now...". Because it was a title match I could hear a voice in my ears saying, "do it now, or you will regret the past", and it was a GHC match that only we could do. We have been here for eighteen years, and we are not going to lose to the young people. I think those words were needed to be spoken in such a situation.

- You will team with Marufuji at Misawa's memorial match on the 10th June?

SUGIURA: To be honest, it will be fun. It will be a memorial event with Marufuji against the younger generation, and that composition is a lot of fun.

- Your current partner is officially Kenoh, but it seems that Kenoh is about to bare his fangs?

SUGIURA: I guess. I had the same feeling yesterday. Originally Kiyomiya was my partner, and Kenoh does not want to hear what "the old man" has to say. That's why in the future it will change, I don't think it can be as it was.

- Last night as you were shaking hands with Marufuji, the next generation came out and surrounded you, what was this situation like?

SUGIURA: Well, I guess you can put it in that way, but the older generation is not just me and Marufuji, there is Masoe Inoue and others.

- So do you feel that from the tag on the 10th June that something will be borne of the future, not just working together?

SUGIURA: That's right, first of all, what will happen in the future? I think that I am willing to organize this genuinely now.

- The other side is Shiozaki and Nakajima, what do you think of that situation?

SUGIURA: Although Nakajima seems to be doing what he wants to do, but Shiozaki...I want you to keep at it.

Q: Nakajima has bought his aggression to the fore, and has made a dazzling change?

SUGIURA: Well, I guess he's had a bad attitude from the beginning (laugh), I think he can do those kind of thing. His hair is also sexual violence. However, in Nagano he used chairs or something. That will not be the case this time. He cannot use chairs.

Q: You did once too...

SUGIURA: Ah...

Q: So, you are planning to form a tag with Marufuji, while Kenoh competes with Kotoge? Is this the situation where Noah is changing due to the generation struggle?

SUGIURA: Like I said earlier, the situation may become unavoidable if this is the case, because the older generation is not just me and Marufuji, Masao Inoue is also there too.

- Will you fight with Masao Inoue?

SUGIURA: Uh huh. I'll draw that one out.

- Nakajima has recaptured the tag belt, what are your thoughts on the tag championship?

SUGIURA: I don't have an official partner right now. I am in a towering situation, and I think I want to join with Marufuji, but I don't know what will happen. Well, I have the singles belt. It may be difficult to time it, but who knows what will happen in the future on June 10th, but depending on what happens with Marufuji, we may come to see the tag belt.

Link to original article (in Japanese)