(NOAH) Funky Kato is dazed about Keiji Mutoh's retirement, the final opponent is "not Okada"
31st August 2022
Note: This was a two part interview, but I decided not to do part 2 as he only mentioned Muta's upcoming match tagging with NOSAWA Rongai and O-Khan against Kongoh, talked about O-Khan, Atsushi Onita and Stardom more than he did Muta.
Funky Kato (43) of "Funky Monkey Babies" is known as the most enthusiastic pro wrestling fan in music. He grew up watching pro wrestling cartoons and TV shows from his childhood. He was fascinated by Keiji Mutoh (59, Noah), who triumphantly returned from overseas in the 1990s, and he became completely absorbed in pro-wrestling. In the first part of this interview, he talks about Mutoh, who will be leaving the ring next spring. As a big Mutoh freak, what does he think about the retirement announcement that shocked the world? And what is his hope for the "final chapter" of the pro wrestling master?
Q: On June 12th, Mutoh announced he will be retiring next spring. How did you feel when you heard?
FUNKY KATO: To be honest, I have been feeling down since that day, because I can't imagine pro wrestling without Mutoh. When pro wrestling was pressured by MMA and it was difficult, Mutoh said "Pro Wrestling is amazing. Pro Wrestling is LOVE". That made me think that it's okay for us to love pro wrestling, and we should be proud of it. He has saved and entertained in all kinds of cases for a long time, and to be honest I still cannot accept his retirement.
Q: I see
FUNKY KATO: But on the other hand, even though he is in pain from his hip joint, retiring in a state where he can barely walk is a bit of relief, although it is complicated. When I co-starred with him, I saw Mutoh climbing the stairs by himself, but at the speed at which he climbed the stairs was three times slower than I imagined. It is true that it is secretly associated with knee pain and damaged parts.
Q: Who do you think would be the best final opponent?
FUNKY KATO: I haven't come to a conclusion yet. I would like to say Chono (Masahiro), but he is in even worse shape that Mutoh is. Personally, I don't think it will be Okada-san (Kazuchika). He was candidate in the "Pro Wrestling General Election" (TV Asahi) and he was also in Tenryu's (Genichiro) retirement match, but Mutoh and Okada don't have a storyline at the moment. I would like to see Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Q: Why choose Tanahashi?
FUNKY KATO: He used to be his attendant, so I would like to see them stand side by side in a tag team, rather than face each other in a match. But if I see that, I might cry a little...Tanahashi is the same as Mutoh, he saved pro wrestling during the difficult times, and he is like the cornerstone of current pro wrestling. Those two tagging might make me tear up the most. It's dangerous, and I feel like crying just by imagining it.
Q: What influence did Mutoh have on you?
FUNKY KATO: It's not directly related to the song, but basically I have been living by matching the chronology of Mutoh's life to my actual age. For example, Mutoh was 46 years old when he won the MVP (for the 4th time at the Pro Wrestling Grand Prix), and he was at his peak then as well. I am 43 years old now, so I am going to have to achieve a big goal in about 3 years.
Q: Will Mutoh continue to watch pro wrestling after he retires?
FUNKY KATO: Honestly, I think the heat will cool down just a little. I am a fan of the products of Mutoh's pro wrestling. Even so, I don't force myself to keep at a distance, but I don't force myself to lean forward, so I am thinking that I will continue to support them in a natural way. I am looking forward to seeing whether there will be a wrestler who will move my heart will appear, and how it grows. I want to be stirred.
Q: Who is the wrestler you are looking forward to?
FUNKY KATO: If it were Noah, it would be Kiyomiya (Kaito)! At the end of last year, I had the opportunity to have dinner with Mutoh, and he praised him saying, "Kiyomiya is good". I have never heard anything like that from Mutoh's mouth.
Q: How can Noah get excited?
FUNKY KATO: Recently, Kenoh and Kiyomiya have started a YouTube with promotions of things other than matches, I guess "if dust piles up, it becomes a mountain". It's just like when Tanahashi gave up his days off and went around small radio stations all over the country. It's the same for the music industry. Another thing, I sang the theme song at Noah's Nippon Budokan event on New Year's Day this year, and quite a few of my fans came. In fact, when I saw pro wrestling in real life, I thought "this is so powerful". It's about creating opportunities starting small and steadily.
Q: The number of pro wrestling fans has increased among your own fans?
KATO: Do you mean that we will enjoy it together? But there are quite a few people who have quit being my fans and become pro wrestling fans. I can't take it anymore (laughs). I think I will do my best not to lose to pro wrestling.
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