(NOAH/ALL JAPAN/NEW JAPAN) ALL TOGETHER 2, PRESS CONFERENCE

12th April 2023

Pro Wrestling DX

*Note: I have translated Kaito Kiyomiya's comments in full, and have summarized that of Chairman Sugabayashi, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kento Miyahara*

Chairman Sugabayashi (New Japan) opens the announcement thanking everyone for joining them today and for watching the live stream. He talks about how in 2020, daily life was disrupted by the pandemic and how at the height of the crisis, pro wrestling was forced to cancel events or hold events empty arena. He thanks the fans who have been incredibly helpful and co-operative to help pro wrestling get back to normal "one step at a time, despite the restrictions". As the governments restrictions on the pandemic have now eased, and it can be said that everyone is returning to their daily lives almost, with the feeling that they are now "restarting from the chaos", they will be holding ALL TOGETHER for the first time since February 2012 with again the same three promotions of New Japan, All Japan and Noah, "to send energy with the power of professional wrestling". The event will be held on June 9th 2023 at Ryogoku Kokugikan (aka Sumo Hall) starting at 18:00 JST, with the words of Antonio Inoki, who passed away last year, "If you have the spirit, you can do anything!" as a subtitle. The event will also have the feeling of remembrance for Inoki. He also mentions that the event is being organized by the ALL TOGETHER EXECUTIVE committee, and they are considering donating part of the profits to charity.

KAITO KIYOMIYA: This is Kaito Kiyomiya from Pro Wrestling Noah. When ALL TOGETHER was held for the first time, I was in the third year of Junior High School, so I have never experienced it. I came here with the ring staff who had experienced ALL TOGETHER before coming here today, and we talked about that time. At that time, all the ring staff from all three promotions got together, and so the setup was over in an instant. At that time, the staff also felt that they couldn't please the customers unless they enjoyed themselves. In fact, I recently thought that if the wrestlers weren't having fun, then the audience couldn't be entertained, so we agreed on that point. Of course, I don't think it's enough to just enjoy being a wrestler, and I'm trying to be second to none. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of scenery we can see in our first ALL TOGETHER, and what will be born after that. Let's have fun, together with all the fans. 

KENTO MIYAHARA says he is excited about the event where New Japan, Noah and All Japan come together. Pro Wrestling is now making a new start with people being able to cheer, which is what wrestlers want to wrestle in, and of course fans want to watch it with people cheering. He hopes that pro wrestling fans will be thrilled with the lineup that can only be seen on that day with New Japan, Noah and All Japan and above all he is excited and wants to express that pro wrestling is the best, then and now.

HIROSHI TANAHASHI introduces himself as "one of the best talents in 100 years of New Japan" and reflects that ten years have passed since the last ALL TOGETHER. First and foremost he wants pro wrestling fans to enjoy the event. He has an image that now each and every person is bringing back energy to their daily lives, and they are sharing it with their family, friends and colleagues, is a good energy that makes everyone better. He hopes that he can send more good energy, this time from the pro wrestling world. 

Q: Is there a wrestler you want to fight or team up with at the moment?

KIYOMIYA: Listening to the words of Miyahara and Tanahashi, who came to the press conference today and are sitting next to me, I am very interested.

MIYAHARA says he doesn't want to go into too much details about the match card now as it would be too much trouble. However, as the announcement is for June 9th, it gives fans two months to say what kind of cards they want to see, "who is teaming up with who and so on", he is very much looking forward to that part. 

TANAHASHI says he teamed up with Miyahara once for an All Japan event, and he is going to try again as he was disappointed he lost (to Miyahara's) energy and spirit. He says he wants to team up with Kiyomiya "and compete with "I am who I am". 

Q: What is your impression of each? 

KIYOMIYA: I think they are wrestlers who really lead their promotion, and I really want to absorb this kind of brightness and energy into myself. 

MIYAHARA describes Kiyomiya as "refreshing" as it is "unbelievably refreshing" that he is leading a group at his age, even more so when he thinks about when he himself was Kiyomiya's age. He doesn't think he had that. He described Tanahashi as, "the leader of the pro wrestling world", who is very respected. Teaming with him, fighting with and against him, he learned something new each time. Miyahara also reflects that Kiyomiya is in his twenties, he is in his thirties and Tanahashi is in his forties (a fact that Tanahashi says "Yes" to) and Miyahara says that he thinks it is interesting that the generations are different from the previous ALL TOGETHER. 

TANAHASHI tells Kiyomiya that he likes his visuals, and as Miyahara said he is only in his 20s, with good motions. Then he asks Miyahara how he is. MIYAHARA asks him if there is something wrong with his face?. TANAHASHI tells him that he has good visuals too, which he thinks is due to Miyahara's ability to transmit, and he can't fathom the bottom of the energy that he has as "the best wrestler". This is what keeps him interested in Miyahara, and he thinks that the fans also have expectations of how far Miyahara will go. Then he goes into some mathematics; an a+ between Kiyomiya and Miyahara, and an = between himself and Miyahara. Therefore, the formula stands true as Kiyomiya + Miyahara = Tanahashi. 

MIYAHARA said he doesn't quite understand. 

TANAHASHI replies that, "If you add the good parts of the two of you, you get Tanahashi"

MIYAHARA says, "Isn't a great combination the best? Give me a break. Please stop doing that kind of thing for a moment, because it's ALL TOGETHER"

TANAHASHI (who has been laughing) tells him that is how he reached his 40s. 

Q: There is the subtitle of, "If you have the spirit, you can do anything"? 

KIYOMIYA: I wasn't able to be directly involved after entering the industry, but as a pro wrestler and a top wrestler, he is a really vital part, and the unbreakable feeling and power that bounces back over and over again. I would like to show that kind of thing in my own way at this event as well. 

MIYAHARA says that Antonio Inoki was a great pro wrestler, and he thinks that everyone in Japan knows that, and you can do anything with the energy left behind by. But it's hard the more you become a pro wrestler to compete with that energy and to live up to those words. However, when he goes to the ring he pours his energy into it, in the hopes that it will give the viewers some of it, so he wants to wrestle with the most energy on the day of the event as well. 

TANAHASHI comments that he can imagine that Inoki would have definitely taken action during the pandemic. Since Inoki had such thoughts and actions, he wondered what he could do and as wrestlers, he wants them to catch up with that. 

Translated from Pro Wrestling DX 

Picture credit: Pro Wrestling DX