(NOAH) In the challenge of the N-1 "The enemy is myself"; Interview with Keiji Mutoh who will participate in a league for the first time in 12 years.
Noah.co.jp
Keiji Mutoh will be one of the "special features" in Noah's biggest league match of the year, the N-1 VICTORY 2021. It will be the first time in 12 years since the 2009 All Japan Champion's Carnival, that he has participated in a single league. This year he won the GHC Heavyweight Championship, and walked an interesting defense road. At the Saitama Super Arena in June, the moonsault ban was shockingly lifted and the strong impression of the topic was discussed. He also has decided to participate in the N-1 which is a singles league. I asked the genus, who continues to "challenge" himself at the age of 58 about his current feelings.
Q: First of all, what is your current conditions for the N-1 where the singles will come one after the other?
MUTOH: It's just normal, when you are old enough to know better, it's unlikely that you will be in good shape.
Q: First of all, what are your frank thoughts about participating in the N-1?
MUTOH: In a sense, it's a "challenge" for me. Compared to the GHC championship, league matches are really troublesome for me. I don't think I have appeared in league battles for a long time.
Q: This will be the first time since Champion Carnival in 2009
MUTOH: Right? Because it's a long run in the league battle, I know how difficult it is to win. That's why it's really a challenge
Q: For the past few years a Keiji Mutoh single match itself has been special, but since the beginning of this year there have been continuous GHC title matches, and now its the league matches
MUTOH: Well, after fighting for the GHC and gaining confidence in myself, what should I do next? There was something called the N-1 there. It's really a challenge to myself, isn't it?
Q: You went step by step to participate?
MUTOH: Yes, as long as there is such an event and if I am still active, I think it is the nature of a wrestler to want to challenge
Q: You have won both the G1 and the Champions Carnival, but what is important in once again fighting in the league?
MUTOH: I really wish I could visualize the whole thing, but there really isn't such an allowance now. Moreover, the first one is a match with Sugiura. It's not a championship, but I don't think there will be a next one unless I concentrate on this Sugiura match. Anyway, I think it's an accumulation of one by one.
Q: From your perspective, what is your impression of Takashi Sugiura?
MUTOH: Right now he's a mystery, and I am wondering if he is going to be the wrestler who is going to make me feel the most momentum in Noah.
Q: The type is quite different?
MUTOH: Well, we don't know each other so well, and so I am looking forward to it.
Q: Nonetheless, isn't this going to be a match to win rather than just experiencing Takashi Sugiura in the league match?
MUTOH: That's right. I think the first is the most tense.
Q: You described the GHC match of "Shiozaki vs Sugiura" at the end of last year as "aerobic wrestling", but will it be such a match?
MUTOH: I don't think it's time for the advantages and disadvantages of pro wrestling. It's important to know how to carve into the customers mind, and I think it doesn't matter whether its aerobic or anaerobic. Maybe even 1 minute will be a match I am able to communicate.
Q: However, Sugiura says "Keiji Mutoh? A new entry who has started this year? It's a Boston Crab or instant defeat"
MUTOH: Oh...I'm a new entry (laughs) I want to have a fresh fight in a fresh match like a trainee (laughs)
Q: What kind of match do you want to have, and how do you want to win?
MUTOH: I haven't imagined to that extent yet. However, on the contrary assuming that there is the case of doing it by chance.
Q: Since there are only three official matches, if you lose even one, one match will be a big fall back and one match will be a important league match.
MUTOH: Yes. The scary thing is failure. It's a series of battles, and so I am worried as to whether in myself I can continue to concentrate. Right now, I can make cheerful comments like this because I haven't done a match, but when it starts I might run out of momentum. This has been the case for a long time in league matches, and not just when things are going well. Isn't that dreadful in league matches?
Q: With each match new injuries may happen, and you are getting more tired than you expected...
MUTOH: Yeah. However, even so the G1 and Champion Carnival that I did were more consecutive battles and this time the days are a little more far apart, so I think there is a margin.
Q: Others in the same A block are Kaito Kiyomiya and Manabu Soya
MUTOH: I have experienced this kind of league match many times, but generally stars are born in leagues like this. The guy who emerges, is the star, the one who shines then. Well, it's a young guy. It was at that first G1 CLIMAX that we, "The Three Musketeers" came into the world with a bang. It's the reason why we won the G1 and got a lot of attention, and in that sense, Kiyomiya is terrifying. Is it that all the conditions are met?
Q: You haven't lost the two singles with Kiyomiya, though?
MUTOH: Well, I won't know until the match
Q: If there is a demon in the league, it will be someone unknowingly setting it up (rough)
MUTOH: True, and since the fans are watching it in a series of matches, more and more emotions are transferred. The stage will be set up naturally. However, it might be difficult to do that because of corona. The heat is difficult to convey, isn't it?
Q: How do you think you can make a demon work for you? (rough, question does not translate)
MUTOH: Well, I think this is a chance for Kiyomiya. I am in a position to fight him if you look at it normally
Q: What about Manabu Soya?
MUTOH: Yeah, so what I just said can be about Soya. He may be in a stagnation situation in Noah now, but he has the ability and experience, and so he will explode at a chance. There is a possibility that he will grow as the N-1 expands, so he can't cut corners.
Q: What opponent would you like to face in the finals, or who are you interested in another block?
MUTOH: I don't really know who else has entered (laughs)
Q: Well...the members are really great this year, such as Masakatsu Funaki and Kazuyuki Fujita...
MUTOH: Fujita and myself, I wouldn't want to do that...
Q: Kazushi Sakuraba...
MUTOH: Sakuraba seems to be unpleasant
Q: Which wrestlers are you interested in?
MUTOH: On second thought, I am interested in Fujita and Funaki
Q: You said that you didn't want to do it with Fujita a few seconds ago...
MUTOH: I don't want to fight Funaki, and I don't want to fight Fujita. However, if it is a league match then I will have to do it if it comes up. The match that the wrestler does not want to do, is a match that the customer wants to see. That's about it.
Q: I see. How you would you like to wrestle in the final in a M's alliance showdown with Funaki, Masaaki Mochizuki or Masato Tanaka?
MUTOH: That's right. I want to have an "emphasis" on the M's alliance as it is the same unit
Q: If the final is an M's alliance confrontation, the following GHC match will be M's alliance
MUTOH: It's also a yes to color everything M's alliance
Q: What is your reaction so far as M's alliance?
MUTOH: Since starting up I have been wearing the belt, and now Marufuji is wearing it. I feel like individually I am playing an active role, but I have a desire to do something together.
Q: Do you want to play and active part in the N-1 as an individual, and increase the momentum as a unit?
MUTOH: Yeah, I used to do what in a unit called BATT, M's alliance is close to that. There are also DRAGON GATE and ZERO1 wrestlers, and due to schedule reasons gathering together makes it difficult to do.
Q: Summarizing the story so far, what kind of N-1 do you want to make again?
MUTOH: Well, it's a challenge for myself. For me, the enemies are not Fujita, Funaki or Sugiura. The enemy is myself, Keiji Mutoh.
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