(NOAH) "Some people say that the era of the Four Heavenly Kings was amazing", but..." Tokyo 03 Toyomoto speaks passionately about the current charm of Pro Wrestling Noah!

4th December 2022

Tokyo FM + 

"BAR in the radio" "TOKYO SPEAKEASY" is broadcast on TOKYO FM from Monday to Thursday at 1:00am. The guest with Akinaga Toyomoto from Tokyo 03 on Tuesday, November 15th was Kenoh from Pro Wrestling Noah. 

"It is the most fun when you are in the middle of a resurgence" 

(Toyomoto)

KENOH: You haven't been to the venue lately, have you? 

TOYOMOTO: Lately, I have been only able to watch videos, but Noah is really interesting!

KENOH: You've been telling me this for a long time that Noah is interesting. 

TOYOMOTO:  Yes, I have been saying that

KENOH: But, what is the reason for that? 

TOYOMOTO: What is the reason?

KENOH: I hear you, but just saying "Noah is interesting", doesn't that change depending on who hears it? If someone from New Japan were to ask the same question, wouldn't you say, "It's New Japan!?"

TOYOMOTO: No (laughs) Because I genuinely think that Noah is interesting. Noah is a promotion with a long history that was created by (Mitsuharu) Misawa, but it was about 7 or 8 years ago, wasn't it? Wasn't there a crisis to the extent that it might not survive? 

KENOH: Yes

TOYOMOTO: But it has gradually revived from there

KENOH: It's kind of in the middle of a comeback (right now)

TOYOMOTO: Yes. Besides, isn't it actually the most fun when you are in the middle of a revival? 

KENOH: That's true. 

TOYOMOTO: Also Kenoh, you often say "Among all the pro-wrestling promotions out there, New Japan is the strongest era". It is certainly the strongest. The shows are on a huge scale, there are many affiliated wrestlers and the matches are so polished, or rather perfected, so that not only people who are familiar with pro wrestling, but also people who don't understand it all can enjoy watching, and I have the impression that it has a wide range of audience. 

KENOH: Yes

TOYOMOTO: But, Noah is still in the middle of rising from there, and the reception is still narrow. However, from the perception of people who have loved pro wrestling for a long time, I think it's really interesting. First of all there is Keiji Mutoh, and then there is Kazuyuki Fujita, Kendo Kashin and Masakatsu Funaki who are all affiliated with the promotion, but you say they are all in their 50's (laughs).

KENOH: Some people really call that "interesting", but I can't see the future unless young people play an active role. Isn't that the case with baseball too? Even if there are only veterans (star players), I don't think the team will thrive unless the kids in their teens and their twenties play an active role. I think it's the same with pro wrestling.

TOYOMOTO: This is my personal opinion, but Sakuraba and Fujita in particular are kind of scary, like "If I do this seriously, I can kill you"

KENOH: Murderous intent, or rather, "Finish with one blow"

TOYOMOTO: I get the feeling that they are fighting all the time while giving off that kind of monstrous feeling. However, I think the composition in which the younger generation confronts these kind of people is really irresistible, and it's exciting to watch!

KENOH: Yes, but I have been doing that composition for the last couple of years, so I think I have to change that too. 

TOYOMOTO: That's why it's about time for Kenoh or Kiyomiya to rise to the next level

KENOH: Thank you. A story that builds up from the bottom, is something that is very attractive, isn't it? I really think that if the younger generation sees that kind of pro wrestling story, we can go one step further. 

TOYOMOTO: I agree. I think everyone will enjoy it more if they see it that way. 

KENOH: Don't you enjoy stories like that in pro wrestling? It may be important to make a match interesting just by quality alone, but there is also the human drama. 

TOYOMOTO: Certainly. But the quality of Noah's own matches hasn't declined at all (from the old days). There are some people who say, "The old era of the Four Kings of Pro Wrestling was amazing", but even now you can watch matches that are at a level comparable to that era, and the techniques have advanced even further. I used to watch it, but now I feel like I want the people who have lost a connection with that, to see those parts properly. 

KENOH: Well, Keiji Mutoh will be retiring soon, so I hope that the generation who watched Keiji Mutoh's fights when he was young and became enthusiastic, will watch our matches again and do the same. 

TOYOMOTO: There is no doubt that Noah is interesting.

KENOH: Thank you. 

Note: The Four Heavenly Kings of Wrestling, (also known as "The Four Pillars" or "The Four Pillars of Wrestling"), were Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Akira Taue and Toshiaki Kawada. Never a unit but somehow a team and always rivals (Misawa, Kawada and Kobashi especially, not so much Taue), they were given the name of "The Four Heavenly Kings" or "The Four Pillars" by Giant Baba during their All Japan days. See "History of Noah" for more information. Ironically, all four would finish up their careers in Noah in some form (even Toshiaki Kawada, who wrestled his final match to date ironically in New Japan, but had spent the majority of time in Noah prior to that). 

Translated from News.audee.jp

Picture credit: News.audee.jp