(NOAH) Birth of the youngest champion in the history of the GHC Heavyweight ~ interview with Kaito Kiyomiya

17th December 2018
Noah.co.jp

Q: It is the day after you took the GHC Heavyweight throne?
KIYOMIYA: Thank you for coming today. Yesterday, Yokohama was a really tough battle and my latent energy came out. I really appreciate everyone who supported me.
Q: On the 6th January, you accepted the challenge of Kenoh at Korakuen Hall?
KIYOMIYA: I am glad that the first defense has been decided as Kenoh as the opponent. I lost to Kenoh at the beginning of the year, and I want revenge for that. I have been able to take this belt, and because Kenoh is here, it is not an overstatement. This is why I am champion, and I want to fulfill it by revenging Kenoh.
Q: After taking he championship last night, your voice trembled when you thanked the audience?
KIYOMIYA: I was able to fight thanks to the cheers of the fans, the switch inside me was turned one at once during the paper tapes before it and the cheers during it! I was really thankful for it, because I could not get this far alone.
Q: You received a fierce attack from Sugiura?
KIYOMIYA: It was the biggest offensive I have ever had, I think that I am not stronger just because I won yesterday. I think that there are some parts that Sugiura has not acknowledged yet, so I think I want to rewind to those from here.

Q: It was not only a championship match, but this was your first main event experience of over 30 minutes, what kind of self-evaluation do you have of it?
KIYOMIYA: To be honest, I was trying to get to grips with the match as I was following it. I'd like to show you how, with this belt, I will grow.
Q: Kenoh said that the match did not resound with him?
KIYOMIYA: I think Kenoh wants to be the noise in the match.
Q: Although you have grasped the consequences and are absorbed in it, what kind of champion will you be to lead the promotion?
KIYOMIYA: Although I am champion, I think the situation will be more severe from now on. More challengers will come out, and the same thing will repeat, so I want to change myself as I "challenge" various things.
Q: You still haven't defeated Naomichi Marufuji, would you like to face him one day?
KIYOMIYA: Of course, the final match of Global League was a situation caused by an accident. If I had defeated Marufuji, it may have been a different situation, and there is a feeling now that I want to "challenge" Marufuji again.
Q: The last arrow of the new generation broke Sugiura, but has a crack now also entered the New Generation Army?
KIYOMIYA: I was desperate to win the belt, and I think each of the other wrestlers have their own way of thinking, so I not surprised that it is unavoidable for the branch to reach out in various directions; rather than just switch in the fight against Kenoh, I want them to rush up like this.
Q: Last night, what kind of blessings did you get?
KIYOMIYA: It was a really happy day yesterday, I had a lot of congratulations and words with everyone who cheered me.
Q: How do you look back on last year?
KIYOMIYA: It was a year of ups and downs to capture the belt, but since I have been able to capture it, it next year will be one of enormous momentum.
Q: You said you wanted to change the times and see a new view, do you see it now?
KIYOMIYA: It was the first time for me to see it when I won, the smiles of the fans looked so fresh in the first view. I think even from the fans viewpoint, everything was different, and then Kenoh bought me a new challenge...so that I think I have completely entered into the landscape of the new era, and in the future, we can open more new doors.

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