(NOAH) Leaving the "Good Fight Man", Interview with Yoshiki Inamura ("Weekly Pro", 8th September 2020)
In his third year of career his powerful fight has already begun, he fights in the main, and everyone has recognised his growth. However, Inamura, who has not left a big result so far, is trying to leave behind the "Good Fight Man" when he participates in the N-1.
"No matter who I win or lose to, I can prove my strength"
Q: This is your first appearance in the N-1?
INAMURA: To be honest, I am happy. Because of the current situation, there aren't that many matches being made, and I was wondering if I would be able to participate this year as the number of participants may have decreased.
Q: Of course, you wanted to enter last year.
INAMURA: Yes. However, I knew my own ability, and so I knew I couldn't leave anything last year. This year I will definitely progress, and I have have a strong feeling that I will leave results.
Q: Through Corona, you have gained valuable singles experience, even though the number of matches have been limited.
INAMURA: This year there have been many matches with Kongoh, but I did a single with Sakuraba (Kazushi) in May, and at NEW HOPE with Kiyomiya (Kaito), there was the GHC Tag Team Champion Rene Dupre with Kongoh in July. Then there was Mochizuki.
Q: The single achievement part of Noah is...
INAMURA:Not at all. There are all seniors in my block. Some of them I have done in a number of matches, and I had a singles match in Nagoya with Nakajima in February of this year. I have never had a singles match with Marufuji.
Q: That's surprising.
INAMURA: No matter who I win or lose to, I can prove my strength
Q: Recently, it's not been uncommon for you to be in the main event, and in most of the matches you have used "Splash Mountain"
INAMURA: Tag matches and single matches are completely different; there is an assist when Splash Mountain is used in a tag and you win. I decided to use Splash Mountain for the first time in the tag league against Go Shiozaki because there was an assist. Therefore, I think that it will change completely depending on how I can do it by myself, how I can accumulate attacks, and how much I can accept and endure.
Q: This year, you also participated in the singles league "Ikkitousen" in Big Japan, and you got a big result.
INAMURA: The win over Ryuichi Kawakami meant a lot of self-confidence. "Strong Climb" was my first singles league, and it was a great experience to win a league match in another promotion first when I was able to defeat my seniors in the industry somewhere else with a sense of tension. It was a big experience to win against my contemporary, Akira Hyodo. Compared to the experience of my seniors in the N-1 this year it may be trivial, but I feel confident in myself.
Q: What are you conscious of currently when fighting singles matches?
INAMURA: When I attack I aim to use up my physical strength, so as a result I feel it hasn't lead to the finish. I've been fighting for a long time with momentum...momentum is important to me, but I don't want to leave it to that alone. I want to make an attack so that I can get a good momentum.
Q: Like when you surf for example, you choose the waves.
INAMURA: I want to find a good wave to ride, and not ride one blindly.
Q: Presently, it is a losing pattern in which the Splash Mountain is generally counterattacked.
INAMURA: It's a matter of how to do it. First, I would like to decide the course such as the GEKITOTZ or the Diving Shoulder Attack, and connect it to the next move. I want to be aware that the technique is not a single shot, if does become that then I think it will give the opponent a chance to counterattack.
Q: However, the wrestlers who have entered B Block have passed through this fight many times, so they won't let you keep attacking so easily.
INAMURA: Simply put, Sugiura and Taniguchi are tough and can endure, Nakajima is powerful, Marufuji is always watching the opponent, even if he is taking a move. Kenoh has the high kick and a palm strike that can change the flow of the match in one shot.
Q: Exactly, these are the veterans who have fought many battles for a long time.。
INAMURA: I have no choice but to endure my opponent's techniques, with the toughness I am training myself in. If you can endure more than the other person thinks, then there will surely be a time when the attack will be interrupted. There is a chance, but there is also a risk.
Q: The schedule is...
INAMURA: 18th September is the opener against Sugiura, and the 20th September is in Takasaki against Marufuji.
Q: Matches against two of the backbones of Noah.
INAMURA: I had three singles with Sugiura last year, so I think I have to show what has changed a little over a year later.
Q: On the 23rd September you will have a match against Kenoh, it's been quite a while?
INAMURA: I haven't had a chance to wrestle him since joining Kongoh. It's a chance to show your strong belief in single combat with the unit leader, and the results will not be evaluated unless it exceeds the imagination of the customers that it will be possible to reach this point. I am two years into my career this September, and in other promotions, my contemporaries are producing results.
Q: I think you have made great efforts satisfactorily
INAMURA: In other promotions there are people who are either the same era as me, or have a shorter career than me, who are producing results.
Q: For example?
INAMURA: In terms of results, it's Hyodo from Big Japan.
Q: He took the 6 man tag Yokohama Shopping Street title
INAMURA: He challenged the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion the other day, right? I'm curious because of the match at this years STRONG CLIMB.
Q: Similar in type. Are there any other thoughts?
INAMURA: Hayato Tamura of JUST TAP OUT took the ZERO1 World Heavyweight Title the other day. It's a big result, right? There is a sense that Tamura has solidified each chance. I had a lot of chances, and have been doing my best for a long time, so why stop?
Q: For the women, Suzu Suzuki won the highest championship in August after a career of a year and seven months.
INAMURA: That's right. Also, in All Japan three people of the same generation have made a unit, and Danji Tamura has challenged for the World Junior Heavyweight Championship for the first time.
Q: Recently, the success of young wrestlers has been remarkable, and Inamura has been the top runner of that generation. After about a year and a half of your career, you joined Kongoh, had a mohican, shaved eyebrows, and established an outstanding impact, but...character.
INAMURA: If you have the opportunity to wrestle against people from other promotions, you can prove that you can win, but for me there has been no such thing at the moment. Other than that, if you say that you want to get noticed, then you have to make a presence in Noah and take actions that fans can see.
Q: In Noah, 24 year old Kaito Kiyomiya is already an ace. There is a lot of ground for inspiration.
INAMURA: This league match is the first big chance in three years.
Q: Here is where you want to get rid of the "Good fight man"
INAMURA: That is something I have been thinking about
Q: The N-1 will be held at the same time as New Japan's G1 and All Japan's Champion Carnival. Do you have any feelings about that?
INAMURA: Well, I thought Noah was the best, so I entered it. But now I want to concentrate on myself, it's not the time to worry about the things around me. I want to do my best to get pro wrestling fans involved as much as possible with the N-1.
Q: What do you want to show at this years N-1?
INAMURA: I have said this repeatedly, I want to show you a Yoshiki Inamura who can win.
*"Good Fight Man" basically means someone who is always trying to succeed, but for various reasons cannot. Although the term was also used for Jumbo Tsuruta, it was also the nickname of sumo wrestler, Kurama Tatsuya, who could not win even though he was on par with superior wrestlers. The term is also applied to job hunters who fail the final interview; so in short it is someone who often fails the final hurdle.
Translated from "Weekly Pro"
Picture credit: "Weekly Pro"
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