(NOAH) 30th October, the 3rd retirement road at the Ariake Arena event! We get to know Keiji Mutoh's true feelings ahead of his fight with New Japan Pro Wrestling, and his long-awaited reunion with his beloved pupil, Hiroshi Tanahashi!

Proresu Today

26th October 2022

What does Keiji Mutoh think about these three wrestlers, who have been supporting the ring since Mutoh left his former home, New Japan? And how will he feel about his reunion in the ring with his beloved pupil, Hiroshi Tanahashi? 

Q: Your opponents for the third round of the retirement road will be Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Please tell us your impressions of these three wrestlers. 

MUTOH: I had Tanahashi as an attendant when he was young. When I said I was quitting this way of life from New Japan, I invited him "Would you like to join me on my journey?" He turned me down. Well, pro wrestling is a sport where you have to show your way of life, and that is where we parted ways. I have had a lot of experiences since then, and I've reached where I am today. Tanahashi has also protected New Japan, and is now said to be the ace, so I want to make it a fight that hits that way of life and this way of life. Makabe is my junior. He worked as Riki Choshu's attendant for a long time. About three years before Choshu's retirement match, I remember having matches with him, and at that time, Makabe cut ties with him. He is a powerful wrestler, but next to me is a young wrestler named Inamura, and this guys power is amazing. Please enjoy this power of Inamura's. Honma was also an attendant during the All Japan era. He's an interesting guy, however, I don't really understand what he is saying. I'm afraid that communication won't work when Honma is there.

Q: Tanahashi said in an interview, "I don't want to give you honors, because we are going to have a match."

MUTOH: Pro Wrestler Keiji Mutoh was born and raised in New Japan Pro Wrestling. I want to stand in the New Japan Pro Wrestling ring one last time before I retire, and so I have to ask Tanahashi to judge whether or not it is okay for me to enter that ring through this fight. In pro wrestling, you have to start from a point and turn it into a line, so I want to show a strong Keiji Mutoh. 

Q: On the 30th October, will the future development change depending on the Ariake event? 

MUTOH: Well, as I said earlier, the origin of pro wrestling is that you have to make a line from a point. 

Q: Do you think that you stand out from New Japan Pro Wrestling? 

MUTOH: People have different sensibilities as to how they should be conspicuous or inconspicuous. As someone who stands out, I want to show my way of life. I am the one who is pulling back, and I don't know when Tanahashi will retire, but from now on he will have to show his juniors an example. After all, I have to leave my work behind. I don't want to say it, but at the age of 58 (2021 Tokyo Sports Pro Wrestling Grand Prix), I won "Best Bout". Among hundreds of wrestlers. Standing out like that is aesthetic. At the press conference I was told that it would be nice of Mutoh calls flew from the Ariake event on the 30th, but I'm a devil, maybe I want to have a match where boos fly. I'm a jerk, so maybe I'll try something like that. 

Q: Do you have an image of what kind of match you want to show? 

MUTOH: No, I don't think so. Well, it's one of the few matches left. It was the same with the match the other day (25th September in Nagoya), but it's about using all the power you have. I don't want to have any regrets. 

Q: Tanahashi said that he was always nervous when he was your attendant. Did you feel that? 

MUTOH: I felt the tension...I felt that they were making an effort. In 2000 he had a match with me, and nowadays he is like the ace and a signboard of New Japan, but there was a time when he really struggled after I quit. In that situation, after he fought against me, and after he beat me, he grew rapidly and has been making efforts to to this day. He had the practice bug, and the one thing that was a little different from me was that I have a bigger body than Tanahashi, and he is a little smaller, so he really practiced to make up for that. It wasn't just practice, he was also cornering such parts as nutrition. That is why I think that today's Tanahashi exists. 

Translated from proresu-today

Picture credit: proresu-today