(NOAH): "This promotion is not suitable for people with old fashioned mindsets" ~ Jun Akiyama post match promo (August 2000)

Weekly Pro

22nd August 2000 (Issue 991)

AKIYAMA: Today, Kobashi is still not in his best form, so was he really that bad? (Mentally) I don't feel as good as when I beat Misawa, but I still won, and it will go down in history as the inaugural match, so I'll fight with the feeling that it was a good one. But, I felt that he was not 100% strong, and his legs were unsteady during the match. It might not have been obvious to the view, but I won't lose to a wrestler with bad legs. 

Q: People were expecting something new, so did you feel a strong need to achieve it yourself?

AKIYAMA: If I don't win, I don't think anything new will come out. Misawa and the others will just keep winning like they always have. Just like always.

Q: In the end, you didn't even release your move even after the bell rang. 

AKIYAMA: That was just what it felt like 

Q: Rikio came charging at you? 

AKIYAMA: He is taught by Kobashi-san on a daily basis, so I guess he was upset. Well, it's a good thing. In return, I want him to be prepared for what happens when he attacks someone, but if he does it, he'll have to take some responsibility. But, well, it's good that he's acting on his own volition.   

Q: You aimed for a submission, rather than a pinfall at the end? 

AKIYAMA: I feel like "Give Up" is more of a complete victory. I personally feel like the loss is greater if I tap, than when I am pinned, so I think he feels the same. 

Q: Do you feel like winning is natural?

AKIYAMA: Yes. If I were to lose today to the condition (Kobashi-san) is in, I wouldn't know what I had been doing up until now, so we will fight when his knee is healed, and he is in perfect condition. 

Q: What do you want to do with Noah in the future?

AKIYAMA: For now, I need to be at the top. People with old-fashioned mindsets can't keep up with this environment. This production and the things everyone else is doing are just too much for them to use. I'm still in a state where I'm overwhelmed, but if I think about it more carefully, I'll be able to.

Q: Is there a specific card you'd like? 

AKIYAMA: To be honest, I don't really have anything I want to do that much. On the contrary, I want everyone to work hard so if they want to do it, then they can. The promotion is a little too small, so I feel like I want the young people in particular to do that more. 

Q: Are you saying they should be more assertive? 

AKIYAMA: I think Riki* is fine the way he is. Rather than being angry, I'm actually quite happy. He's not getting any younger, and he probably doesn't have much time to relax, so I'm happy that he himself did it. But if he turns against me, I'll show him who is boss. 

Q: Do you have any message for Kobashi?

AKIYAMA: How should I put it? I think he needs to shed some skin, or else he will continue to be the same as he is now. He certainly has a lot of strength, and he has been given the opportunity to use it to his advantage. I think that new fans will come, and I said that I wanted to show off the power of Kenta Kobashi, but I think that new things will come first.

Q: So you were hoping to do something different from your matches with Kobashi in your All Japan days? 

AKIYAMA: On the contrary, he has many more elements that attract the audience than I do, but the fact that he is the one who is being overwhelmed means that there is something lacking in him. I'm attacking his weaknesses so aggressively that the audience should be rooting for him more, but in the end, it was me who was the one taking the bait. It's not worth it unless he does more.

Notes

Riki: Noah's nickname for Takeshi Rikio. A picture blurb reads that when Akiyama was stomping Rikio after he had broken the hold, he told him "Its good you have made a name for yourself, but the next time you come at me, I want you to take responsibility for it."

Picture credits: Weekly Pro