(NOAH) "Kazushi Sakuraba has a high IQ for professional wrestling" - interview with Katsuhiko Nakajima
BBM Sports/Yahoo Japan
As the opening of Noah's annual single event, "The N-1 VICTORY" is approaching at Korakuen Hall on September 12th. Katsuhiko Nakajima, the champion of the previous year has been named as a candidate for the championship this year as well. With the final official match of the N-1 C block being on the 26th September against Kazushi Sakuraba at Korakuen, what is Nakajima thinking about?
Q: This year there are four wrestlers per block, the weight of one point is different and you said, "This year, I will wrestle a match that is more focused on the content that last year and leave good results". That means that with A,B and D blocks you need to win an indirect match.
NAKAJIMA: This year's N-1 isn't just Noah, there are many other promotions and big name freelancers. I think the level is pretty high. There are only those who are worth defeating. Every official match will be an exciting match, not to mention my own, no one can be careless about even one match. All the N-1s will be tough league matches and in that situation I also want to win with the content. Well, for the people who are watching it will be fun, but for the people who are who are doing it, it will be out of the ordinary (sarcastic smile)
Q: If you combine three league matches, two finals matches and then the GHC Heavyweight Championship after that, there will be six severe single matches occurring.
NAKAJIMA: I have to face it with a state of mind like Koshien*
Q: Who aee the 16 wrestlers you are interested in?
NAKAJIMA: Kendo Kashin, who won entry by beating King Tany, he's coming out. Recently, I've been fighting the Sugiura Army quite a bit, and there has been a lot of tense feeling in the matches.
Q: At the moment it's not only the Sugiura Army, a lot of industry legends are gathering in the Sugiura Army
NAKAJIMA: I had a match against Masakatsu Funaki for the first time at Korakuen Hall on the 6th August. I was nervous, but this is a stimulus that can't be seen anywhere else, and a stimuli that wrestlers can't experience anywhere else. There is a lot of excitement in Noah now that you can't experience anywhere else as a wrestler. It's fun to do, and I want to make it even more interesting.
Q: Do you want to get more involved with Funaki?
NAKAJIMA: Of course. In the current Noah it will happen soon. We might fight in the N-1 finals.
Q: In the sense of legends in the block, there is Kazushi Sakuraba. You fought him in the GHC Tag Team Championship in March this year...
NAKAJIMA: He's completely different from then. I don't really know how to say this, but his wrestling is getting better. Really awesome. As he is said to be the IQ wrestler, his IQ of professional wrestling is also high.
Q: He has also started doing Mongolian chops
NAKAJIMA: I was able to avoid them, but I can avoid everything (laughs).
Q: The part I am interested in, is that you will challenge Sakuraba for offense and defense in the ground position, right?
NAKAJIMA: I like to enter the ring of the opponent. That often fails, so I made the proper adjustments.
Q: In the case of Sakuraba, hits and misses can be determined in any situation (rough)
NAKAJIMA: He's exceptional. The Sugiura Army is exceptional. The flow of the match can easily be changed in one go. Kazuyuki Fujita is strikes, Kazushi Sakuraba is joint technique. Even Kendo Kashin brings an atmosphere to the match. The legends are grouped together, but there are differences between them, and how should each one be dealt with as a wrestler? Until now the type that fights like that wasn't at Noah. Noah now has a stimulus that I have never felt before. Moreover, everyone can still take action
Q: Certainly, there is no legend in Noah who has matches only for name value
NAKAJIMA: That's right. That's why it's very good. Everyone has a chance in the Noah ring right now, and it is no wonder that young people to legends appear.
Q: You haven't talked about it too much so far, but how do you feel about Keiji Mutoh?
NAKAJIMA: Nothing really much. I haven't come into contact that much.
Q: Since Mutoh became a Noah wrestler, you had two matches, in Korakuen on April 18th and on August 6th
NAKAJIMA: I can't say it as well as Kenoh, so no comment (laughs), but it's not just Keiji Mutoh. The M's alliance and the Sugiura Army have belts.
*Japanese High School Baseball Championship, which also takes the form of a league with 49 teams competing in total.
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