(NOAH) As a face ~ Eita interview
1st January 2025 (Issue no 2334)
Eita calls himself the "Face of Noah Junior" and joined the promotion in May. But this year he's focused on the junior tag team division. He personally described it as "a really frustrating year."
Next year, he intends to truly become the "Face of Noah Junior."
In this interview, we asked about his relationship with champion Daga and the future of Noah Junior.
Q: When did you become close?
EITA: I think it was after I rose through the ranks at Japones del Mar with DOUKI and the others, passed the AAA tryouts, and started competing there. Daga had joined Perros del Mar first, and then I joined him. At the time, Daga was the AAA World Cruiserweight Champion, and an incredible wrestler who could do anything. I think we became close enough to talk every now and then during our AAA days.
Q: Speaking of DOUKI, next year at New Japan's Tokyo Dome on January 4th, DOUKI will be challenging El Desperado as the IWGP Junior Champion. Isn't that a very emotional experience?
EITA: Yes. DOUKI and I were best friends during our time in Mexico, and we almost always wrestled together, so there were so many things we went through that I can't even begin to describe them all here. Seeing him shining brightly in New Japan now is inspiring. When we were in Mexico, El Desperado came from New Japan and suddenly made it to Arena Mexico as a top CMLL wrestler. While we were having dinner, he said he was "having a hard time," and I thought he was kidding me. I was touring Mexico on a low fee. I'd like to ask DOUKI how he felt at the time, but I was very conscious of Desperado. It's interesting that more than 10 years have passed since then, and we're both preparing for big New Year's shows in Japan.
Q: Going back to the topic, does that mean you became close with Daga after he came to Japan with DRAGONGATE in November 2018?
EITA: Yes. I invited him to join the evil unit R.E.D. We often went out to eat together. Daga himself is a great wrestler, but he was unlucky at the time. PAC had just started wrestling regularly, so he ended up being overshadowed. I think Daga would have liked to have been in the main event as well, but with PAC there at the same time, it was inevitable that he would be overshadowed. To be honest, he wasn't able to show his true potential in DRAGONGATE I think that must have been very frustrating for him. That's probably one of the reasons why I called him to come to Noah in February last year, because I thought he could be more highly regarded in Japan as well.
Q: You called him, but Daga betrayed you three months later in May of the same year?
EITA: I guess Daga used me to connect with Noah, and then I was no longed needed.
Q: In June he became the GHC Junior Tag Team Champion, and in November he became the GHC Junior Champion, quickly rising to the top of the Noah Junior division.
EITA: As expected. So, last year on January 2nd at Ariake Arena, I challenged him for the GHC Junior Championship and lost. It's embarrassing to say it myself, but I ended up using him as a stepping stone. I think I let him get too cocky. Looking back, I wonder why I called him to Noah. My plan was for him to support me in becoming the face of NOAH Junior. But he had no intention of doing that from the start, and he didn't care about repaying my kindness; he just wanted to be the top, which is typical of a foreigner. Looking at his performance this year, Daga might have been the face of Noah Junior.
Q: As a result, this year has been a disappointing one for you.
EITA: Basically, I was in the junior tag team division. In June, I became GHC junior tag champion with Shuji Kondo, but lost the belts in September when I was defeated by the "Blonde Couple" HAYATA & YO-HEY. Since then, I've been the lucky charm for Shuhei Taniguchi. I joined Noah in May, and I've made some waves, but not really achieved anything, so its been a frustrating year. It feels like I've been doing things for someone else, for Noah.
Q: But 2025 will be different.
Q: In your match on November 17th in Nagoya, you showed your true colors by using Numero Uno (a modified armlock). You also announced your challenge to Daga, who had defeated DragonBane to defend the GHC Junior Championship.
EITA: I was willing to challenge whoever won, but Daga is more suitable for me. By using Numero Uno, I think I was able to show Noah fans that I can win matches with moves other than the Imperial Uno. I couldn't miss this opportunity, so I used it at this time to reminisce about the time I was at the top of DRAGONGATE.
Q: Why haven't you used arm attacks in Noah up until now?
EITA: I guess its because up until recently, there were a lot of Noah wrestlers using arm attacks. In my case, I use a Mexican-style jab, so I think it's a little different from Noah. I wanted to impress upon champion Daga, and the audience, that I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve.
Q: What are your thoughts on the current Noah Juniors?
EITA: I think I'm trying to lead by example, but everyone seems quiet. Everyone lacks individuality and just becomes a part of the crowd. They're trying to work harder at press conferences and social media, but the matches are what really matter. Noah Junior wrestlers tend to become invisible if they don't have a specific theme, but I always try to make my presence felt and leave something behind in every match. For example, there was the "N Innovation Tournament" in October and November. No matter how good my match was there, if I lost my theme and couldn't make my presence felt afterwards, it just meant my opponent was amazing. To put it simply, anyone can have a good match with DragonBane. Even in singles matches or 10-man tags with other wrestlers, you have to show your individuality. By steadily earning the trust of fans with each match, you can build expectations and support. If you just go through the motions, everyone will just be like everyone else. Playing safe matches won't leave a lasting impression.
Q: That's a harsh opinion.
EITA: I hate wrestlers who just go through the motions. Should I just go for it and do whatever I want, even in the first half of the match?
Q: What do you think of Daga now?
EITA: Honestly, I'm tired of seeing his style. I'm like, enough is enough. Has Noah Jr. changed since Daga had the belt? He is just a strong champion who has overwhelmed challengers one after another. If he had done something else, I would understand, but he is just holding on to the belt and defending it. It's time to take it away.
Q: At Daga's request, the match will be a sixty minute best-of-three
EITA: In a best-of-three match, I can't afford to lose because of my mentality. I have to remember how I fought during my time in Mexico. I'll also need endurance. I think Daga is probably aiming for a straight two-round win, so how can I overcome that?
Q: It's going to be a very difficult fight.
EITA: There's a lot of psychological warfare involved. The one who loses a point feels depressed, while the one who wins it feels more relaxed. There are quite a few cases where the match ends with two points in a row. But even if you lose a point, if you can bring it to an even score in the second, you can gain momentum and go into the third and decisive point. I don't know how the audience will see it, but for me it's the culmination of my relationship with Daga for over ten years. He said it too, but I want us to go all out and push ourselves to the limit. If I win, I'll become the GHC Junior Champion and become the true face of Noah Junior.
Q: Incidentally, Miyawaki recently declared that he would be the "Face of Noah" and "the face of Noah Junior."
EITA: Right (laughs). I know. I'd say it if it was worth mentioning, but he just doesn't have any personality. He's been in the wrestling business for seven years, has been on two overseas excursions, and yet he's still saying the same things I'm saying. It just made me realize he has no real thoughts about pro wrestling. He's NoahBorn, so he could have said it when he was younger, but now that I've started using it, he's copying me...it's so annoying, that I'm not going to have anythimg to do with him. Things like that are self-destructive, and honestly, I feel like it's too late now. He's like the junior version of Shuhei Taniguchi. I don't even need to bother with him.
Q: Aren't you going a little too far...?
EITA: From my perspective, Owada (Yuu) and Odashima (Daiki). they fight every match, bringing the audience to their feet with their emotions. That's already a big difference. If I become champion, I'll create a new Noah Junior with those two. The same goes for RATELS (with the exception of Yuto Kikuchi), but the Noah Juniors are all pretty advanced in terms of both their careers and their ages. I'm still on the younger side, in my early 30s (laughs). I'm still on the young side, in my early thirties (laughs), and I was originally in a different promotion, so I want to pass on a lot of information to the wrestlers who only know
Noah.
Q: If that plan comes to fruition, Noah Juniors will change considerably.
EITA: If we don't get serious about reforming things starting next year, Noah Jr. will become synonymous with Mexicans (laughs). No matter how good a wrestler is, if they just play it safe every match, they'll just be building their careers with temperament, and before you know it, they'll be quite old. I don't want that to happen. If you try to wrestle coolly, the audience won't find it interesting. It's best for a wrestler to just show off. I'm going to convey that to Owada and Odashima, who still have no real talent, and make Noah Jr even more interesting starting next year. That's why I need to take the GHC Junior Championship from Daga.
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