(NOAH) "Naomichi Marufuji must do his best here and now", Mutoh speaks! 4th May Ryogoku Kokugikan, the direction of Jake vs Marufuji

27th April 2023

Noah.co.jp

Prior to the "ABEMA presents MAJESTIC 2023" Ryogoku Kokugikan Tokyo event on Thursday May 4th, we asked the recently retired Keiji Mutoh, about this event. With Jake Lee and Naomichi Marufuji fighting for the GHC Heavyweight Championship, and Go Shiozaki's return match, what does the pro wrestling master, Keiji Mutoh, have to say about this event, which has a lineup of extremely important cards for Noah? 

Q: How are you spending your days now that you have retired? 

MUTOH: My life is surprisingly hectic, and I am still working like this today. Plus, I still have a daily routine of practice, which hasn't changed much since I was active. That's why I don't have much free time, or rather, I'm busy. It figures that like with the muscles I've built up over the years, that I'm a stingy person, which is the same as saving money, right? As I get older, my muscles start to wear out, but as I am stingy, I don't want to lose what I have worked so hard to cultivate. That's why I am working hard. Also, I like to eat and drink and so if I don't practice, then the alcohol won't taste as good, so my routine is the same. 

Q: It's been a while since you retired, but does your body still hurt after that?

MUTOH: It hurts. I trained my legs again today, and it hurts a bit, but I am sure it will hurt even if I don't do it. If I don't do it, then it will have a negative impact in the future, and on my hip joints too I am sure. After all, it is your muscles that protect you.

Q: Thank you. Now on to the main topic, the main event of the Ryogoku Kokugikan event on May 4th, will be the GHC Heavyweight Championship between Jake Lee (Champion) and Naomichi Marufuji (Challenger). When Marufuji announced himself as the challenger, some harsh comments were noticeable in the comments of the ABEMA broadcast. Please tell us your thoughts on that part. 

MUTOH: Marufuji is 43, I became GHC champion when I was 58. Becoming champion at 58, 43 is still a runny nosed kid from my point of view. I was probably 42-43 years old when I won the Triple Crown, and while I was in All Japan, I went to New Japan to win the IWGP, and so it figures that I don't want Maru-chan to use age as an excuse. I am sure that his movements naturally are different from when he was young, and as it doesn't work as he expected, he will fill in with various methodologies from his career to compensate. Marufuji is good at seizing the time to attack at once when he says "here!". I think he will be fine. But if he doesn't do his best here and now, then the young people won't grow up in a good way, or rather, I want him to be a strong wall. 

Q: I think you have a deep relationship with Jake Lee.

MUTOH: Yes, I went to scout him because he's a weightlifter. I even went to one of his weightlifting competitions to support him. His body was huge too, and it was even bigger than it is now. He has a physique that seems to move easier now, but if I had to comment on it, I would say that he was rather bulky in the past. However, for some reason, he quit All Japan and at the time he returned, I wasn't there anymore. It's because I haven't really caught up on what kind of hardships he has had and what kind of wrestler he has become now, that I don't really know much about him, but after defeating Kaito Kiyomiya and Katsuhiko Nakajima, I'm starting to think that he's starting to show his true ability. To a certain extent (with Noah), until I retired I was just frantic about myself and I didn't have much time to pay attention to others. Here, I am retired, and I just want to enjoy the matches. 

Q: Thank you. Then, are there any other matches that you are interested in at the Ryogoku Kokugikan event?

MUTOH: It figures that I am interested in the match between Shiozaki and Kiyomiya, Inamura, Katsuhiko, Soya and Kenoh. I went to America with Inamura. Inamura after all is sold in Noah's ring as a power fighter, but if he was in that space of WWE, he would be invisible and small. That's why he can't stay as he is now. Absolute addition. It's a strange story, but power fighters won't work if you go to America, so what else can he show? From now on, it will be his task to decide what he should devote himself to. Also, Kiyomiya lost to Okada and lost his belt. Everyone can't keep rising all the time, so it is all about that, but from my point of view, Kiyomiya has a lot of room to grow. There is absolutely that. He is still young, and I am sure that losing will fill up that room for growth. 

Q: This occasion will be Shiozaki's comeback match, but does that mean that you will be keeping an eye on the two youngsters? 

MUTOH: That's right, somehow interaction has been born since I became a member of Noah. Of course I have fought Shiozaki a lot, but there has been this gap (period of absence). How have things changed since he was absent? I'm interested in what's going on with him. 

Q: There is also the women's match on the event that day

MUTOH: Well, talking about women...next Sunday, I have to go to a talk about Fuwa-chan (laughs).

Q: Nevertheless, I feel that Noah's cards have become rich in variations.

MUTOH: Noah itself is also challenging itself in various things. It's not Kiyomiya now, you can't live in fear of failure. 

Q: "ALL TOGETHER" will also be held on June 9th.

MUTOH: As the title suggests, I'd like to see a show that really cheers up the viewers. It's not an interaction of pro wrestling culture, bit it might be a good thing for wrestlers to sometimes see various things like that, and interact with each other. I don't know if this is an exchange of skills or what, but maybe with this many promotions and this many wrestlers, it's going to be exciting, isn't it? Also, pro wrestling has a strong point in making people happy with pro wrestling's latent abilities. That's what I think, and when I was active I did it with that kind of intention. 

When I asked Mutoh about the 4th May Ryogoku Kokugikan event, the reply "Noah is challenging" came back. This is Marufuji's desire to "be a strong wall for young people", which also expresses the actual situation of Noah, which is becoming more and more young. Just as Jake Lee, a breath of fresh air, emerged after defeating Noah's young ace, Kaito Kiyomiya, the veteran wrestlers, Sugiura and Taniguchi, fanned the flames in the tag front. The success of the foreign wrestlers is also remarkable. Today's Noah is truly a rivalry, and I want you to look forward to the future of Noah, who will "challenge the current Noah" with all generations both inside and outside the ring.

Translated from Noah.co.jp

Picture credit Noah.co.jp