(NOAH) "Aiming at the top. For Noah now, there is only the future". Vice President Naomichi Marufuji talks Noah's big match strategy.
10th October 2020
ABEMA TIME\YAHOO.CO.JP
The finals of the "N-1 VICTORY" will be held on October 11th at the Edion Arena Osaka 1st Stadium. The Yokohama Budokan event on November 22nd, which will be a new venture. In addition, they have also announced the Yoyogi 2nd Gymnasium Event on December 6th. This will be the first time in 16 years that Noah will hold a event at the Yoyogi Number 2.
Naomichi Marufuji, the top active wrestler and vice president of the operating company, CyberFight, showed a good fight to advance to the finals as far as the final round. Although he did not advance to the finals, it can be said that he represents the current level of Noah.
In an interview immediately after the 4th October Korakuen Hall event, Marufuji said, "Because the N-1 are carefully selected members, I think it has been an unprecedented battle like never before. Not so long ago it was in the shape of Sugiura and Marufuji and some good wrestlers below, but now it doesn't matter who beats who. It's a good league match, isn't it? It's tough though for those who have to do it (laughs)."
On the 4th October at Korakuen Hall, three people from A block and four from B block had the chance of advancing to the finals. This is how thick the layer is.
"The members who appeared in the league, apart from the individual wins and losses, are all stronger than me. I just managed to connect it to winning somehow. Everyone has their own strengths, and there many wrestlers who are still evolving."
Marufuji does not hide his confidence in Noah's current position, however he does say, "It will change again in the next two or three years, and new wrestlers will emerge. I hope that more young people will enter and the balance between the young, the mid career and the veterans will emerge more. It was the same in All Japan in the past? The growth of the younger wrestlers is especially important, and I think that Inamura (Yoshiki) and others will grow steadily. It will be even better if a large newcomer can enter. I think there is a chance now that we are holding trainee auditions. For those who want to succeed as a pro wrestler, Noah is the most recommended. Because now there is only the future. I haven't been able to say that in the last few years, but now I can and in that, a wrestler like Kiyomiya (Kaito) may emerge".
Noah joined CyberAgent earlier this year. In such an important milestone year (Noah's 20th anniversary), Noah was effected by the Corona disaster, but in September they achieved a unification with DDT. Despite Corona, Marufuji thinks positively. "Despite Corona, on the contrary, I feel that pro wrestling has had a lot of attention. What should pro wrestling do in the midst of Corona? With ABEMA we could try something new together, and so not everything was negative. I think there were surprisingly many positives. For example, the empty arena matches. Each promotion had the idea that they wouldn't do anything, but we did it while observing the rules without bringing in infected people, and as a result many people cared that the broadcast was on and watched. I think that is a very big thing. On top of that there is now a new issue. I think that some people will be satisfied with the live broadcast, but we have to make a form that makes people who watch the broadcast want to come to the venue. It doesn't make sense if you are only satisfied by watching through the screen. What will make you want to come to the venue? I think it will no longer be a dream to fill out the Tokyo Dome if we take action for that purpose."
Despite the "self restraint", Noah hasn't slowed down the pace of the Korakuen events. Following Osaka, Yokohama and Yoyogi, the big matches are likely to increase next year. This aggressive attitude is the attraction of Noah currently.
"It's important to know what you will be doing, and it is also important to steadily bring in customers in structuring small venues. But, if we overdo that then we might not be able to reach the bigger things, which also includes how motivated the wrestlers are. I think if we don't have big aspirations, then the promotion will become smaller, but with overdoing the motivation of the wrestlers we might not be able to reach the important place if we overdo it. I think if you don't have that aspiration, then you will end up with a smaller promotion. Our goal is to be the best, so I want to make Noah's image bigger and bigger."
Of course, as an individual wrestler, Marufuji aims for the "top".
"I have aim for another top. I can't go from the front to the back yet. I wonder if young children need me to make my era. That is because of Noah. If it was just about my own personal ambition, in short I think I would have chosen to go out of Noah and go to various places to improve my skills. But I am not interested in that at all. I am only interested in Noah, and I don't have to compare that to anything else. I think the skill here is the best, and I want to get good results in Noah's ring."
It also appears that a new YouTube project about Marufuji is also underway in collaboration with ABEMA.
"It's a project that I have never done before, but in a sense it's a role that I can do because of my character. I hope that people will be interested in it from various directions, and I think that other wrestlers should also do various things. I want to see that more and more."
Although he is the Vice President, Marufuji says that he is first and foremost a pro wrestler, but there is no doubt that "Pro Wrestler Naomichi Marufuji" will always act in Noah's best interests.
Picture credit: ABEMA TIMES\Yahoo.co.jp
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