(NOAH) "Pro Wrestling with customers is deeply engraved" Noah's Marufuji talks about spectator matches for the first time in four months and changes in consciousness in ideals in the "Corona era"
ABEMA\Yahoo.co.jp
(This article comes from a TV show on ABEMA that Naomichi Marufuji and Kaito Kiyomiya were on recently)
A number of sporting events have been forced into self-restraint due to the Coronavirus disaster. In the process of resuming the box office, Pro Wrestling Noah finally held a tournament with spectators for the first time in four months as they have been without an audience since March. At the time of the event, all the athletes and the staff conducted PCR tests using saliva. For the athletes who had difficulty in producing saliva, they had to do it while looking at an image of umeboshi*. As a result of the test, all were negative. The event was held with about 500 people, a quarter of the usual size. In the main event, which was four people representing Noah, the team of Marufuji and Mutoh won the special tag match. The venue was filled with intensity with audience mobilization after a long time.
However, the limit on the number of large-scale events that were planned to be relaxed on August 1st, may be reviewed on 22nd due to the re-spreading of the infection.
With the income made from the entrance fee and the sales of goods drastically decrease, what is the state of pro wrestling and sports? This is contemplated by Noah's rising star "Super Nova" Kaito Kiyomiya and "The Genius of The Ark" Naomichi Marufuji, who is also the vice president of Noah. The theme is the challenge of pro wrestling in the age of Corona, "What are the measures taken to prevent infection of the body vs the physicality of contact sports?" "It's difficult to fill all the seats! What is this operation this new style of entertainment?"
Regarding the event with a live audience for the first time in a long time, Marufuji said, "The long awaited feeling has been transmitted to the audience, and of course the wrestlers are really happy. When I entered the venue from the waiting room, the moment I walked out, I felt everyone's excitement."
Is it completely different from doing it with no audience?
Marufuji said, "When it was empty arena I thought it would be okay, but after all it was completely different."
When Kendo Kobayashi* asked, "As an awareness between wrestlers, was it strongly engraved that for a pro wrestlers there were customers again?" Marufuji said, "I think all the wrestlers really felt that. You can endure things that you can't because there are customers, for example standing when you can't stand. I have often felt that it was because there are customers".
"(1) PCR test for athletes and interviewers" (2) "Limit on the number of attendees" (3) "Body temperature measurement, disinfectant, masks, mats and ropes for related parties/audience" are being carried out.
Regarding the preventative measures against infection, Marufuji explained "Wrestling is super close contact. Basically, I take my temperature in the morning and the evening three days before match day, and on the day of the event it is regular disinfectant and a mask. It goes without mentioning to make this commonplace. If this is doesn't done then nothing can be done, so all the wrestlers are usually mindful of this. I can't do much more than this."
Regarding the reopening of audience attended events, Kiyomiya said "I can endure pain, but a strike when its an empty arena hurts. I feel I can do my best when I am applauded by the customers, so the pain just blows away."
On August 1st it has been planned to relax the maximum audience limit of 5000 people for large-scale events, but this will be reconsidered by a subcommittee on the 22nd.
Marufuji said, "There was an idea to gradually increase the number of seats, but I will have to review various things again. The price of tickets have been raised to some extent, so I think it is hard for the customers to pay out, and I wonder who can pay the quadruple ticket price. The ticket price when raised was about 1000 yen. Maybe there are a lot if seats that are a little higher than the ticket price of 1000 yen. In the old days, ticket prices of 7,000 yen,6,000 yen and 5,000 yen are currently 8,000 yen and 6,000 yen at Korakuen Hall. For example we have increased the number of seats at 8,000 yen. Everyone works hard to buy tickets and come to the show, so that is something I would like to consider, but I would like you to understand that it goes without saying that the entrance fee accounts for a large percentage of the box office revenue."
Noah is considering new forms of entertainment such as "Development of profitable venues in the central Kanto region", "Raise average ticket price", "Improvement of Internet autograph session" and "No interaction with other promotions."
Regarding the income from merchandise, Marufuji said "Selling the goods at the venue is no longer possible, but there is a now a new way to buy goods using the Internet. There was a story that sales of goods were down, but since it has become possible to compensate for such areas by holding internet autograph sessions, I think this will become a new form."
Regarding the development of the venue, Marufuji said, "There is a usage fee for the venue, there are seats available, and some venues lend and others do not. There was a venue that we started using when we first had no audience, and so it is important to find more and more places like that, but I think every promotion is doing the same." Kendo Kobayashi added, "I ended up broadcasting the two live gigs that I was planning to do in July. I said that I should really bring in customers, but the local customers were happy. It's a difficult balance when you think about the trouble of buying an electronic ticket and going to Tokyo, but I wonder if the Kanto people are feeling at a disadvantage."
Journalist Toshinao Sasaki said, "According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare you should have a PCR test, put on a mask and sterilize your hands and fingers. The three secrets to preventing the spread of Coronavirus is not talked about, but when you look at the medical professionals who are talking about it, things are a little more complicated. Depending on the environment of the venue and what kind of sport, the risk of infection is different. For example, if you wanted to go running you were told to wear a mask, but after that there were various discussions with infectious disease specialists at associations for runners, and eventually it was said that it was okay to run outside without a mask. The entertainment industry needs to have more discussion with infectious disease specialists, and consult with people to think about a new style of live entertainment. I have met and talked with people who have had music festivals recently. It's quite difficult to have a crowd of 100 people in an underground live venue, but on the contrary its becoming more and more popular for small outdoor festivals to be carried out. It's easier outside as its not going to be so packed. I don't know much about pro wrestling, but if its too hard to sell goods outdoors and it can only be done online, that maybe I can see something in front of me that I can buy and get sent to my house. There are many ways to hybridize online while enjoying various feelings, so I think trying to find that kind of thing and searching for a physical sensation with the experience of the new live in a new era is important now I think."
In the current situation, it seems difficult to train new employees.
Marufuji said, "Passion is important for professional wrestling. There are some practice exercises that are passive, but there are many passive exercises when there is an opponent, so I think that there is a great delay in training newcomers in those areas. There are some trainees who haven't been able to make their debut at the moment, so I think it is difficult now for young people who want to become professional wrestlers."
Kendo Kobayashi called out to Kiyomiya saying, "Kiyomiya, close contact is not good, but please hook tightly on the Tiger Suplex". Kiyomiya replied, "The match will take place at the Yokohama Cultural Gymnasium on August 10th. I will take care of that, and get the victory over Keiji Mutoh."
There seems to be no doubt that the support of the Noah fans are empowering the Noah wrestlers as they seek a new style of pro wrestling during Corona.
Picture credit: Yahoo.co.jp\ABEMA TIMES
*Polymerase chain reaction (a Corona antibody test)
*Pickled fruits, extremely sour and salty.
*Japanese comedian
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