(NOAH) Time Capsule: Pro Wrestler Takashi Sugiura (51)

August 25th 2021
Chunichi.co.jp

"Because I like it" 

"When I was in elementary school, I was drawn to the first Tiger Mask who I saw while watching pro wrestling on TV. Tiger Mask had a style called, "Four Dimensional Killing", which was a completely different movement from other wrestlers. It was intense. At this time I was playing soccer, but I had dreams now of becoming a pro wrestler. Unfortunately there were no martial arts clubs in Junior High, so I continued playing soccer.

At Chukyo High School, I concentrated on judo, but I also learned wrestling. Then in my third year, I saw the Seoul Olympics and decided to pursue amateur wrestling. My parents, who were also teachers, were reluctant to let me wrestle but did not object to this path. 

I joined the Japanese Self Defense Force and spent harsh days at the physical education school. My friends left one after the other, but I continued because I like wrestling. Still, I was one step short of reaching the Olympics and after missing out on Sydney, the next path was to return to the dream of pro wrestling I had had since childhood. 

I belong to Pro Wrestling Noah, which was founded by Mitsuharu Misawa, and have been working hard for over 20 years. I came here because I dreamed of embracing this world. I am also grateful to my parents for giving me a sturdy body. 

Although there are restrictions on the admissions of spectators due to Coronavirus, it doesn't matter how it is transmitted, I want to deliver a message of frantic fighting. This is what I can do now."

(Interviewer, Shigeo Fujinami)

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