(NEW JAPAN VS NOAH) Shingo Takagi and Katsuhiko Nakajima develop a war of words! Takagi "At first glance aren't they a "comedy unit", Nakajima "I want to make it my own way" - Full Interview.
Proresu-today
On Friday December 17th, the match cards for "WRESTLE KINGDOM 16" at the Yokohama Arena was announced at the New Japan Pro Wrestling office. The President of New Japan Takami Obari, Narihiro Takeda, the Director of CyberFight Co.,Ltd, Shinto Takagi and Katsuhiko Nakajima of Pro Wrestling Noah attended.
The contents of the press conference are as follows.
President Takami Obari (New Japan): Yesterday we announced the 4th and 5th January at Tokyo Dome, which marks the start of our 50th anniversary. Thank you very much for your great response. Today, we would like to announced the 8th January event. At the press conference the other day, I think there was the question of "Are you going to team up with Noah? Or are you going to fight?. Yokohama on the 8th January has decided to be a "Competitive Battle." As long as we are fighting, I would like the wrestlers of New Japan, who are carrying fan expectations worldwide, I want you to show a firm difference. Please look forward to this fight after the 4th January and the 5th January Tokyo Dome events. That is all from me.
Director Narihiro Takeda (CyberFight): Noah will be completely on board, and I think we will show spectacular matches in the situation that has been created, and so we will get on board. I believe that the event will give everyone "the power of pro wrestling".
Shingo Takagi: Hello, I am Shingo Takagi, the MVP of the 2021 Pro Wrestling Awards and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. To be honest, the 8th January was not really in my head. I was concentrating on the 4th and the 5th Tokyo Dome events, but when I came to the press conference and glanced at the cards and looked at them objectively even though Noah has merit, I am thinking "New Japan doesn't have that much merit." I asked the media to check about the number of Noah's customers, and New Japan doing the Tokyo Dome five times I think, including MetLife. I think that about five New Japan's and Noah's probably eighty were about the same, and since 80 of their and 5 of ours are equivalent, then this is a huge difference. That is why New Japan has no merit to that extent. Noah is tasty to say the least, and it's going to be great if they can attract New Japan fans, but if New Japan attracts Noah fans then 10 or 11 would only be about 10.5...However, I really like this new stimulation. Is this the Kongoh ten man match card? I have been looking at the Weekly Pro directory this week, but Kongoh...I thought when I saw that name they would be a Japanese style unit, but they are completely different. Their posing is a little cooler than I expected, it feels like Haoh and Nioh are being ridiculed, and I know something of Tadasuke. Tadasuke wears leather jackets and sunglasses. He has no fragments of the Japanese spirit*, right? That pose would be a hindrance if Manabu Soya was standing at the front, so at first glance aren't they a comedy unit?
Q: Still, Katsuhiko Nakajima, your opponent debuted in the same year and you have fought him in the past...
TAKAGI: Well, now he's the GHC Heavyweight champion, would you like me to call Nakajima "Katchan*?". I'm getting fired up steadily because I have Katchan Nakajima. Well, I've fought two singles matches with him in the past, and you will be able to tell if this 8th January Yokohama event ends with a dot or connections with a line by watching the match. That's all I want to say.
Katsuhiko Nakajima: I am Katsuhiko Nakajima of Pro Wrestling Noah. I want to fully enjoy the industry's number one, New Japan Pro Wrestling, 8th January Yokohama Arena event and finally make it Noah's way, no Kongoh's way, no my way. Please look forward to it.
Q & A
Q: Takagi said that this event only has merit for Noah. What about that?
NAKAJIMA: Well, what about it? I should accept it, right? But somehow I think I accept this because it is merit involved with Noah's momentum now. Well, they are the number one in the industry, but there is nothing in Noah now that isn't even first in the industry.
Q: Takagi, you have fought against Nakajima twice in the past and lost. What about that?
TAKAGI: It hurts and it's a big deal. That's right, I've done two singles and lost both times to this asshole. It was a secret a little while ago, but now it's exposed. Well, it can't be helped because it's easy to find it out when you look it up. Well, I think it's surprising that Katchan Nakajima admits to New Japan that the "best is New Japan". It's not the industry or the promotion, but the level of the wrestlers is different. It appears that Kongoh also uses red as their core, well we in L.I.J also comparatively cherish red, so in that sense this is not a "red battle", but I think it would be interesting to do something like a "Loser can't use red"...what was the question?
Q: How about the decision to wrestle Nakajima?
TAKAGI: Like I said, it depends on the match and whether it ends there or it continues. This is exactly what I was looking at in the Weekly Pro Directory. Surprisingly, I don't control this myself, but it says my past title history is GHC Junior Tag. I've never been to Noah* and speaking of the GHC Junior Tag, it's not that I'm not interested because of how it appears that I could only win the GHC Junior Tag, but the GHC Heavyweight...well, I'm looking forward to it.
Q: What about the success of the current GHC Heavyweight Champion, Katsuhiko Nakajima?
TAKAGI: I love pro wrestling and I watch the streams, and I think he does intense pro wrestling that conveys pain. We didn't eat from the same rice bowl, but I think that there are some common things in pro wrestling. Even in matches in the past, Katchan Nakajima's kicks were really painful and annoying. I think this may be the first time in ten years, but I want to recollect the feelings of that time, and I want him to devour me. I am going to multiply it and return it.
Q: Nakajima, you made your debut in 2004, the same as Takagi. How about that?
NAKAJIMA: There is nothing in particular.
Q: There was also the phrase "red battle" from Takagi, what about that point?
NALAJIMA: Fighting over red? That's not interesting, is it? Don't you want to provide something that the fans watching can enjoy more?
Q: This time it's a ten man tag, but who are you interested in other than Takagi?
NAKAJIMA: Hmmm...well, I think this match is a very exciting one between units, but it's strange to say that Takagi is the only one who made his debut during the same year, and he also has a heavyweight championship belt. I'm really looking forward to it. But you know, if you don't try it then you don't know, and Takagi has said that in the past twice he has never won, and meeting him for the first time in a while today I don't feel scared. I am really looking forward to what happens on the day.
Q: Have you seen Takagi's recent matches?
NAKAJIMA: Yes, a little. I have had a look.
Q: Takagi, regarding the order of the event, what are your wishes?
TAKAGI: Naturally, when the champions line up, it can only be in the main. So, I hear that Katchan has a title match on New Year's Day, and I have title matches on the 4th and 5th. I'm doing grandly at this press conference, so it wouldn't be cool unless I reached the 8th January as a champion. It would be stupid now to not know how terrifying I am, but then again, this year I have been told that I am a fluke and that I'm lucky. But I won the MVP, and the IWGP World Heavyweight, and if you say that you don't feel scared then that doesn't look cool. On the 8th January I will teach him all about fearing Shingo Takagi, right? Katchan Nakajima?
*Katchan: Noah fan nickname for Katsuhiko Nakajima (KENTA is often called "Kenchan", usually by Takashi Sugiura). It signifies that fans have watched him (and KENTA) grow up in Noah.
*Japanese spirit/Spirit of Wa: Another way of saying harmony, in that Tadasuke tends not to blend in but sticks out like a sore thumb. There is an old Japanese phrase that goes “The nail that sticks up, must be hammered down”, which is what Shingo is alluding to here.
*He and BXB Hulk won and lost the titles on DragonGate shows. They never defended them in Noah.
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