(NOAH) "Donmai, Donmai" ~ Mitsuharu Misawa's diary ~ 28th December 2007

Cheers!

 Noah's 2007 season ended with a show at Differ Ariake on the 24th. Thank you for your support this year. Misawa. 

 Looking back, the year has flown by in the blink of an eye, but looking back, it was indeed a year of many events. I couldn't write about everything that happened, but I think you'll enjoy it to some extent if you read the back issues, including not only my diary but also those of other wrestlers. I look forward to your continued support of the site next year. 

 I'd like to answer Shio's question right away. "The top three news stories of the year"...is it okay to answer them in no particular order? 

 First of all, I was able to defend the GHC this year. I defended the title against many wrestlers, but my match against KENTA in New York was one of the most memorable matches for me. I never thought I would be able to fight for the GHC overseas. Of course, that was one of my goals when I created GHC, so I've been working hard to make it a reality, and I'm very happy that I was able to make it happen.

 And the second one is, of course, Kobashi's comeback match. Thank you to everyone who supported him at the Budokan, and to everyone who couldn't make it to the venue but still supported him. And, if I may be a little biased, I'd like to give a big round of applause to the wrestlers who worked even harder during Kobashi's absence (I don't need any applause...). I also want to thank everyone who continued to support him during his absence. I think Kobashi is under a lot of pressure, both during his absence and now. I can't take that pressure from him, but I owe it to the wrestlers who worked hard every day, and the fans who supported him for him to be able to return with peace of mind. Around the time of Kobashi's return, four wrestlers (Ricky, Hashi, Sugiura and Rikioh) were absent. We apologize for the inconvenience for the fans who were looking forward to their matches, but they are each working hard to return as soon as possible. We ask for your continued understanding and support. 

 Well, the third news is, of course, Ippei's "breakthrough". Ippei is often teased in the other wrestlers diaries, so I think everyone is a little skeptical and that story is mostly untrue, and everyone is writing with a lot of restraint*. The real thing is much more amazing, (although I am unsure if "amazing" is the right word). So, Ippei...at the very end, at SEM on the 23rd, he performed a move in the match (which you can read about on the website), but I will talk about it here, about what happened before and after. He tried to imitate my favorite move, but failed, and those who saw it for the first time, probably think that is how it is done. The move is supposed to be a flip over the top rope, so you spin over, stand on the apron, and then do a backflip back into the ring, but twisting your shoulder puts a lot of strain on it, so I stopped doing it a few years ago when I hurt my shoulder. A few months before SEM, I told Ippei, "Use it if you can". Apparently he had been secretly practicing for several months for that day...and it was a spectacular failure! Those who have seen it will understand, but it ended up being a very half-assed scene. So, what was funny was that when Ippei returned to the ring, he returned to his "natural" face even during the match and looked at me on the apron with his eyes saying "I did it!" When I saw that face, I couldn't help but laugh too, and at first I tried to hide it by laughing a little, but before I knew it, I was laughing out loud...Ippei seems to be aiming for a serious route, so it's really strange...

 Well, it was a nice to have a break at the end of the year, and teasing of Ippei continued at the Christmas show on the 24th. Kotaro is a genius!...As for his imitation of Ippei...it was a shame that he used his own shoes, but it was better than Ippei imitating himself(?). 

 There may be more if I think back on it carefully, but these are the three news stories that immediately came to mind. I will write about the interesting things that happened at the end-of-year drinking party in next year's diary as much as possible. 

 My next question for Hirayanagi is....in keeping with the new year, what are your goals for 2008? Please let me know.

 And so(?) this year is coming to an end. Every day I've been struggling with various choices, and it feels like the year has ended before I knew it, but I believe that the accumulation of these frantic days is the most important thing. I would like to cherish every day so that next year will also be a fulfilling one*. What kind of year has this been for you all? I hope that 2008 will be a good year for everyone. 

 This is the last message, but thank you very much for your support this year.

 Pro Wrestling Noah, the wrestlers and all the staff will continue to do our best to make 2008 an enjoyable year for everyone. Thank you for your continued support.

See you next year!

Misawa  

Notes

Ippei story: Probably a convoluted version of what happens next. 

2008: Sadly, 2008 would be just the build up to June 2009, when Misawa's physical condition started to take a nosedive.