(NOAH) Go Shiozaki "Regaining the GHC and spreading Noah's fight to the world" (Road To The 1st January Nippon Budokan Championship Match)
Pro Wrestling Today
Pro Wrestling Noah will hold their Nippon Budokan event, "ABEMA presents NOAH THE NEW YEAR 2022" on New Year January 1st. We interviewed Go Shiozaki who has been absent long term in 2021 due to injury, about his enthusiasm in challenging Katsuhiko Nakajima for the GHC Heavyweight Championship as soon as possible after he returned. Shiozaki talked about his absence period, his thoughts on the match against Katsuhiko Nakajima at The Nippon Budokan, his thoughts on the GHC Heavyweight belt and his goals for 2022.
Looking back on period of absence.
Q: Looking back on your absence, how did you spend your time after surgery?
SHIOZAKI: After the surgery, I couldn't do anything more than I expected. For one or two months after the operation, I put the cushion between my body and the arm brace and so it was fixed to absorb movement.
Q: Did it hurt even if you moved just a little?
SHIOZAKI: It was a painful jolt if I moved my body. It hurt and I couldn't do anything for about two months.
Q: Two months after the operation, I think it may have been difficult for you to regain your feelings after worrying about your condition, how was it?
SHIOZAKI: By then I was already impatient. "Can I just return?" I was impatient. At that time I had the opportunity to go to Kobashi's gym. When I met Kobashi and we got into a conversation such as "How are you doing?", it was "Well, don't rush" and "You have to rest now, but you can't help it. When you rest it becomes an active rest, and then you can train as hard as you can". So, "If you do it in a hurry, then it's the worst thing to do as it will get worse again". I mean, that's normal. When I said, "I came over to see you again because I had painful thoughts", he was very persuasive. After I had listened I thought, "Oh, lets take a rest". Something like that makes it much easier when impatient somehow.
Q: Did news come in of Noah's matches while you were resting? Or did you shut it down?
SHIOZAKI: Well, if I touched in with Twitter or even looked at various things, it definitely came up.
Q: It came in
SHIOZAKI: Yes. That's about it.
Q: You didn't get too deeply involved and only skimmed the surface, you felt only that "Oh, it's like this now"
SHIOZAKI: Yes, by diving in deeper I would have been impatient again. I was trying not to rush and be impatient anymore.
Q: I think the rehabilitation period was pretty tough, but how was it?
SHIOZAKI: My arm had been in a fixed position for a long time, and as I hadn't been able to move it, my body gradually forgot how to. Therefore, even with the rehabilitation machines it wouldn't move and I couldn't move it.
Q: I mean if you forget about how it functions, and since you were wearing an arm brace so much, the arm itself becomes thinner.
SHIOZAKI: It has become thinner
Q: It happened to me in the past, and my arm became very thin.
SHIOZAKI: It was to the extent that I said, "Wow, is this okay?" I was already very anxious.
Q: From then on you trained before returning, and what you have lifted up until now, you could not lift immediately? How did you do that?
SHIOZAKI: If it's done gradually, then the heavier things will arise. But, what do you call it when training? Feeling tired. If you don't feel tired when you do weights, you feel tired when you are training. That's why I trained with a slight shift change method which is why I didn't have a hard time with heavy, as I tried to use lighter weights on muscles for a smaller man.
Q: I think that there is a part of Pro Wrestlers that they enjoy practicing and getting tired, I think there was something like you were saving the pain so as not to exceed that dead zone.
SHIOZAKI: Even when I was training during the rehabilitation period, it shouldn't be 100%. I was worried about how to manage it.
Q: Did the support around you help?
SHIOZAKI: When I saw the tweets of fans saying "How is Shiozaki" and "But there is no Shiozaki", I thought I would be impatient but on the contrary it calmed me down.
Q: Did it give you a sense of where you belong?
SHIOZAKI: It felt good to be able to confirm that there were people waiting for me, I think it was because of that I was able to return safely without being impatient.
Q: What is your current recovery rare?
SHIOZAKI: My recovery is said to be 100%. From here my situation will increase from 100% to 120%, 150% and 200%.
Enthusiasm for the match against Katsuhiko Nakajima.
Q: In your return match for the first time in nine months, a 35 minute battle took place. How was that?
SHIOZAKI: I had a match for the first time in nine months, and I was surprised that I thought this way and as I said in the comments, "Noah is amazing. Pro wrestling is amazing". It's not a strange position from a wrestlers point of view, but it's made a deep impression in my body. Each blow, each throw, each submission and so on, each technique I felt in me was "I'm doing amazing wrestling". I was able to realize once again the greatness of pro wrestling, and the greatness of pro wrestlers.
Q: How did you feel when you returned to the ring for the first match in nine months?
SHIOZAKI: When I got in the ring and saw the audience, I was calm. Until I get in the ring, I am really not calm.
Q: Is that different from your usual self as in totally different?
SHIOZAKI: Yes.
Q: Shaking with excitement?
SHIOZAKI: Isn't is the case that I am heading into a fight? I can only see the ring step by step, and I'm nervous, aren't I? But while I tell myself, "I can't do anything if I'm so nervous", I couldn't control it because it is pro wrestling and the return match in Noah's ring. What is this? Is it joy or impatience? Well it is joy. I thought "I am finally back, and can have a match"
Q: Katsuhiko Nakajima says he didn't feel you in the first match of your return. But he said he felt you in the second match. From the first match to the second, where you took the pin from the GHC champion yourself. Did you feel in yourself any different between the two?
SHIOZAKI: What I thought about the return match in Nagoya was comparatively big, wasn't it? I think that was because I thought that I could finally return and had a strong feeling of fighting back. In the end, I am the next challenger and I have to give the impression of being the person who is challenging for the GHC title. On reflection, that is relatively small.
Q: Regarding the second match, do you mean that this was when Shiozaki bought it all out?
SHIOZAKI: Yes, because the pre-match of the title match, which is to challenge Katsuhiko Nakajima, is a title match for me. The matches aren't about title matches anymore, I think of them as title matches when I wrestle them.
Q: It feels like battle mode has been switched on.
SHIOZAKI: From here on, I will not waver anymore.
Q: Do you feel that you have regained your intuition of the match?
SHIOZAKI: Match sense? Well, I don't know if it will emerge somewhere, but I don't think its like the match sense hasn't returned yet.
Q: More and more, you don't worry about that.
SHIOZAKI: I think that's my pro wrestling
Q: On January 1st 2022, the Nippon Budokan event will be held on New Year's Day and finally you will challenge Katsuhiko Nakajima. You made a statement that the GHC belonged to you, but how is it in reality? Now, Katsuhiko Nakajima is making defenses and repelling the strongest challengers as he walks the champions road, but what is your enthusiasm for that?
SHIOZAKI: The return match and the match at Korakuen yesterday were won, and more than ever before I feel like fighting a match in the manner of a champion, and I think it will be a champion-like match. But, the same is true for when I say I am Noah, and that the GHC and Noah are all me. I don't want to lose.
Q: There was the Nakajima who was your partner at the time, and the Nakajima now, has become quite aggressive I think. Do you feel the difference in fighting style?
SHIOZAKI: Well, his fight style is completely different. However, because of his personality he hates to lose, and I also hate to lose. The more we interact with each other, the more we burn each other, so not in only the title match but in the pre matches too, I think it's going to get even more intense.
Q: You are synonymous with chops. Nakajima kicks. I think that the simplicity of pro wrestling with chops and kicks is the easiest weapon to convey. It is going to be a lot of fun to see you on New Year's Day.
SHIOZAKI: It will be an event suitable for the beginning of 2022, and I think you will deliver a suitable match for everyone.
Q: I wonder if it feels different because to win at New Year is to get off to a start, or lose and cut off the start...
SHIOZAKI: It's New Year's Day, so I think that's the case.
Q: The winner is of course happy...
SHIOZAKI: I am happy I can do this, I will win in 2022 with joy (rough, does not translate well)
Q: Please do your best to win
Feelings for the GHC Heavyweight
Q: You mentioned earlier that the "GHC is me", and you have had four title reigns so far. I think that the emotion of becoming champion is different depending on the time, but what about the feeling that the "GHC is me".
SHIOZAKI: When I first held it, it was the day after Misawa died, and at that time I couldn't afford to think about what the GHC Heavyweight Champion was and what it should be. I couldn't afford to think about it. I feel like I was desperate to be a champion. Go Shiozaki the champion from two years ago* to last year took it for granted that he was carrying the GHC and Noah. I think I have to win the title match on New Years Day in order to call myself "I am Noah".
Goals for 2022.
Q: Finally, what are your goals for 2022?
SHIOZAKI: I want to spread Noah's fight to the world, not only the pro wrestling world in Japan where I compete, but to the earth and to the universe.
Q: That's huge
SHIOZAKI: With that feeling, I want to spread my wings wide and fly to fight.
Q: I think Go Shiozaki can realize such a fight. Pro Wrestling TODAY supports you.
SHIOZAKI: Thank you.
*He's jumped ahead to 2022 already
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