(NOAH) "Pros and cons of getting the belt" ~ Keiji Mutoh confident in taking Noah's championship at the age of 58
Yahoo.co.jp\ABEMA TIMES
At Pro Wrestling Noah's Nippon Budokan event, which will be held on February 12th, Go Shiozaki and Keiji Mutoh will face each other in the main event for the GHC Heavyweight Championship. Last year, Shiozaki became the driving force behind Noah's breakthrough, with six defenses. Mutoh, who challenges such a champion, is 58 years old.
Mutoh is a legend, and he expressed his challenge with, "It's okay for old people to dream". In an interview before the match, Mutoh said;
"I was thinking about whether or not to challenge, but if I did, I thought I would be standing in the way of others in the pro wrestling world. I want to lift it, but I wonder if it will be lowered. But anyway, I should do something, if I don't do anything, then it won't be anything. Even if I am criticized, it is better to take a step forward and be criticized. Participating in Noah is the same as climbing a mountain, when you climb it, you are aiming for the summit."
Mutoh has been competing in Noah since last year, when he made an appearance during the empty arena era.
"Corona gained momentum when I started competing in Noah, but Noah's momentum was also increasing. It was refreshing for me, because this was my first time wrestling empty arena. After all, in order to continue, you have to evolve, and in that sense I felt the potential of Noah working in empty arena matches."
However, he didn't try and blend in with Noah. Keiji Mutoh is just Keiji Mutoh. He is a different era from the current roster, and this is his merit. Regarding the title match too, the long fierce battles that Shiozaki has shown so far, has been expressed by Mutoh as, "Not my style".
"Each pro wrestler has his own philosophy. One of them is Noah's style. But my own philosophy, my own bible, is different from Noah. I have seen some of the GHC title matches, but I am the type who thinks, "There is something I can omit". It is not my philosophy to have a long match".
Mutoh says that the current professional wrestling is experiencing a "deflation of technique."
With the style of performing big moves one after the other is sometimes described as an "inflation of moves", but Mutoh says the same thing is "deflation". The unit price per technique is cheaper. He says, "I've been studying the art of inflation. I want to tap into that philosophy".
In Mutoh's head, there is also an idea about fans who watch matches online.
"Many people watch it on their smartphones. If you are sluggish, and have a slow long match, young people will change channels immediately. You have to have a match to look people at their Smartphones and say, "What is this?".
His aim is not to have "Noah style", but to finish it in a shorter time. However, at the signing ceremony one week before the event, he said, "I've gained the strength to wrestle for 90 minutes". The actual match time is only 60, but does this mean he can afford to wrestle long matches? This can be seen as a veteran like shaking of the opponent. Mutoh is full of confidence now. At the signing ceremony, he said "Maybe I am inferior in many ways, but still, I don't feel like losing." In terms of condition, there is a response to that extent. His knee has an artificial joint, but as a result, he can move more than before the surgery.
"I didn't lose to Keiji Mutoh yesterday in my daily training, although as he gets older, he is getting more defeated. However, my dark ages are around 45 to 55 years old. I couldn't train because my knees hurt, and I still had to have a match. Compared to that time, it's good. I can practice now."
Striving to train yesterday in order not to lose himself, fighting at the top and challenging for the title. I asked him where that power and vitality comes from.
"That is because I am doing pro wrestling, and my origin is not unsteady. I don't practice unless I am wrestling, and I do my best when I have an offer. The next is The Budokan, and I am trying to do my best. I am a freelancer now. I can immerse myself in pro wrestling without worrying about management. If its your own promotion, you might say, "I'm going to have a dull match" against one of the wrestlers I have raised. I don't have that now either. It's really fulfilling".
In his career, Mutoh has worn the IWGP Heavyweight (New Japan) and Triple Crown Heavyweight (All Japan) championship belts. He will be a "major title conqueror" if he is crowned GHC Heavyweight.
"From the olden days, when I put on a belt, the promotion would get better. There was such a time in both All Japan and New Japan. Well, I think there are pros and cons if I get the belt this time, but that's it, it doesn't matter."
Above all, Mutoh is an overwhelming challenger, and I think that Shiozaki will be challenging the "enormous presence of Keiji Mutoh" in the match.
The more I interview, the more I think so.
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