(NOAH) "Why did you start using "Kinniku Buster" in pro wrestling? Mohammed Yone, "I wanted a special move to say "This is who I am"

23rd July 2022

Buzzfeed

"NEC Networks & System Integration Corp presents Shigeki Maruyama MOVING SATURDAY", is a program where professional golfer, Shigeki Maruyama, works as the personality. The broadcast on Saturday, July 9th, was broadcast with professional wrestler, Mohammed Yone as a guest. 

◆ A pro wrestler, whose trademark is "Afro"

MARUYAMA: First of all, I would like to briefly introduce your profile. Mohammed Yone also known as "Mr Afro". Your hairstyle is amazing!

YONE: I haven't set it much today

MARUYAMA: Eh? I want to show this to everyone. I have never seen such beautiful afro hair.

YONE: At the time of the match, I set it properly

MARUYAMA: Really? Is that so?

YONE: Yes. There is a comb exclusively for afro, so if I set it with that, it will be about 10cm larger.

MARUYAMA: By the way, do you maintain your hair once a month absolutely?

YONE: About once every two months.

MARUYAMA: Still...

YONE: I always have a hair dryer, so it's pretty easy

MARUYAMA: How long have you had an afro?

YONE: About 20 years of history with an afro.

MARUYAMA: You maintain that volume of hair well, it is amazing. Usually, there are people who can't use an afro, right?

YONE: I was told by the beautician that "it is durable for a lifetime"

MARUYAMA: You made your pro wrestling debut in 1995. After that, you joined Pro Wrestling Noah, which was launched by Mitsuharu Misawa, and became the GHC Tag Team Championship and the GHC Hardcore. You are 185cm tall and weighs 110kg, and your specialty is the Kinniku Buster. Why did you try to use "Kinniku Buster" from "Kinnikuman"*, the hero's special move?

YONE: Ultimately, all wrestlers want a special move. I had the opportunity to meet the authors, Yudetamago, and when I reported that I was using the Kinniku Buster, I was told "Yes, I know." At that moment I thought it was "official" (laughs), after that said "Official approval". 

MARUYAMA: You looked closely

YONE: Thank you. I wanted a special move that said, "This is who I am"

MARUYAMA: It has been a captivating technique for a long time

YONE: First in that quest, the same was true for the Afro. Speaking of Yone, it's been 20 years since I broke in, "that Afro wrestler".

MARUYAMA: Where did the name Mohammed come from? 

YONE: Mohammed is from professional boxer, Mohammed Ali, who fought with Antonio Inoki in a match with two different styles. His boxing style of "Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee", and his famous tough talking before matches. 

MARUYAMA: Mohammed Ali was amazing, wasn't he?

YONE: Ultimately, that is why I have to do it as hard as I can, because it will come back.

MARUYAMA: So, when you stand in the ring, is it always with tough talk? 

YONE: Not really (strained laugh)

MARUYAMA: HAHAHAHA! It is not (laughs)

YONE: I'm pretty humble (laughs)

MARUYAMA: So, your ring name is Mohammed Yone.

◆ After graduating from High School, you entered the world of pro wrestling...

MARUYAMA: Has it been 27 years since you made your debut as a teenager? 

YONE: Yes. After graduating from High School, I asked applied to train in wrestling

MARUYAMA: I think you could have gone into various fields with that physique

YONE: When I thought about becoming a pro wrestler, I weighed only 60kg

MARUYAMA: What!?

YONE: At that time I was very skinny

MARUYAMA: Where your muscles rippling?

YONE: No, I had no exercise experience at all.

MARUYAMA: Hey, hey, hey...it was terrible experience (strained laugh)

YONE: People around me asked, "Why did you become a pro wrestler?" I was skinny and had a body shape like a model, but my face didn't look like one, so I asked myself "What should I do?"

MARUYAMA: Did you want to do pro wrestling since you were a kid?

YONE: Yes, that's right. I loved pro wrestling and watched it as I was influenced by my older brother, but I never thought I would do it. 

MARUYAMA: Well, that's right. You had a model body shape.

YONE: Until then I hadn't worked that hard before, so I wanted to try my best once. 

MARUYAMA: Did your seniors get angry at you, "Why can't you do anything?"

YONE: I was angry that I couldn't do anything, but on the contrary I was a blank canvass, and so I said "I am easy to teach and worth teaching."

MARUYAMA: You absorbed like a sponge. As with golf it's difficult to teach after developing bad habits. It may be better to know nothing at all.

YONE: That's right

MARUYAMA: That is why it is amazing to go into the world of pro wrestling. When I was a kid, I was crazy about Antonio Inoki, but is it hard to say that you have become super rich in pro wrestling?

YONE: True. When I was little, I read a manga called "Pro Wrestler Superstar Series of Biographies", and the wrestlers there were amazing.

MARUYAMA: Yes?

YONE: I had the image of eating steak every day and riding in foreign cars (laughs) "I'll make money by myself"

MARUYAMA: How did you get into pro wrestling from High School and gain 60kg? 

YONE: I had no choice but to eat. Every meal, even if I didn't go, I ate so much that I was hungry just by looking ahead. 

MARUYAMA: So, training? 

YONE: Yes. Since I was young, I have had a good metabolism, and there were so many seniors to wait on I didn't get fat at all. 

MARUYAMA: I see

YONE: It is like when the number of juniors increases by just one, weight increases by 5kg, and so little by little doing less it is said that you will gain weight.

MARUYAMA: As the number of young people increases, it gets a little easier (laughs) When you walk (in the city) with that afro, everyone notices it, right? 

YONE: Even if I try to disguise myself, I don't have a hat to wear (strained laugh)

MARUYAMA: You don't have a hat to tuck away the afro (laughs) It's a problem, even if I am wearing a mask, you are going to be exposed by your hairstyle.

YONE: That's right (bitter smile)

Translated from Buzzfeed

Picture credit: Buzzfeed