NJPW - News, Results & Sonstiges

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Kenny Omega im Interview mit "Gong Magazine":
(Transkript via chris charlton)

Über den G1-Climax und das Finale

"I've never experienced a series like it. It's the thoughest tournament & the most dangerous. There is nothing like it in Canada or America. It's also very different to BOSJ. That is a though tournament for sure, but the G1 is so much more physical. The first couple of matches I wasn't feeling it, but after the Elgin Match I was really exhausted. It's though because I was thinking: 'if I keep up the pace can I make it to the end in one piece?' My plan was obviously to win this matches, but also have the best match in each venue & be the MVP of the tournament. That's a though three goals to reach. Plus the night before the finals .. with Naito - I think we had the best match of the whole series. So I had the best match of the whole G1 as well. A part of me thought I should be satisfied with that and then 'right, just win tomorrow', but then I just felt more & more like: 'no I need an awesome final as well'. I'm always pushing boundaries, but if I can find new ways to find them, well then that's what I should do. The G1 does crazy things to your body. For me, if I didn't have a match, I'd just fall asleep right away - wherever, whenever. So in Yamagata I was facing Nakajima and I really wanted to do some prep - research him before the match .. but I fell asleep. Asleep on the way to Yamagta and woke up to: 'last stop Sendai!'. Luckily I'm always early, so it wasn't a problem. The thing was, I thought I'd get right back on the Shinkansen & there wasn't one, 'oh shit!'. Luckily there was a normal JR-train that got me there in time. But as soon as I got on that one, I fell asleep then too! Yamagata was the last stop so the stadion staff woke me 'huh? am I in Tokyo?'."

Über die 5* Matches und die Differenz zu WWE

"They were both really special. I think before then, my match with Elgin was up there as a match of the year candidate and lots of fans, foreign fans too, thought the same. Then Okada & Ishii went out there & were just awesome. I thought: 'ah, they outdid us', but then there were still chances left. So with who? Naito? But then the day before Okada and Tanahashi had the draw and raised the stakes again. For a wrestler there is obviously pride involved. People are noticing you, for me to have MOTY, it says that people hold my original style in high esteem. But it isn't just for me, but Japanese wrestling at large. There are a lot of fans who think WWE is the top of the pile. Obviously their pyro, music, production is the best. But from where I stand, in ring it isn't the best. It's fun to watch such a high budget production, but they use that to hide a lot of weaknesses."

Gedanken zu Bullet Club

"Bullet Club was in a very though spot before the G1. Everybody left, popularity was waning. It was important to use the final to remind people of the history of the group. If I went to WWE, there's a lot to do there, but my biggest dreams and goals are in Japan. So when I talked to the fans I wanted to say: 'yeah .. I'm a heel, but I'm not planning on leaving'."

Seine Meinung und Gedanken zu Kota Ibushi

"There are precious few people that can change the face of pro wrestling. It may even just be the two of us. So I'm going to stay here in New Japan, doing my best & waiting for him. I was chasing Ibushi for 8 years and finally outgrew him. I hope that's inspiration for him, right? It's not like I could go to WWE and be a junior, there's no point in that. For him to go there, be a junior in WWE, isn't that embarrassing? I can do so much more here in NJ. I wanted to know why he left. I still don't know. Why he went to WWE or wrestled Ikemen Jiro in Wrestle-1. Something's wrong with his head, he changed. He might never come back .. I really don't know. If he did and we meet each other again after so long? No idea what would happen."

AJ Styles als 'Starthilfe'

"As long as AJ was there, I woldn't have had a chance to go heavyweight. BC needed a junior guy. So AJ was the "leader" and I was the junior. So if he was still here, that chance wouldn't come round to me. Thing was, at that time I weighed more than him away. He might have had more of a storied career than me, but in Japan, I'm capable of far more than him. So when he left it was a big chance for me, to show what I'm really capable of in NJPW."

Vertragsverhandlungen mit WWE

"They got in touch with me three times last year. This year I've heard HHH wants me, but I haven't talked with him directly. Even if I did, I wouldn't be going anywhere."

Wie fühlt man sich als G1-Gewinner?

"There is a lot more responsibility now, to be a main eventer. From here I'll wrestle YOSHI-HASHI at the main of another show. If you would have said Yoshi-HASHI being in a main event last year - nobody would believe you. So there is a big responsibility, to get that match over & sell tickets. As G1-winner you have to think about business more .. not just wrestle for yourself, but for the company and Japanese wrestling in general."

Persönlicher Vergleich mit Okada, Match bei WK11

"Okada is a good champion. He is still young and in peak shape, the perfect athlete. But then again I'm faster, stronger. There is no comparison there. He is tall, popular and he has the backing of the company. I think it'd be an interesting match. I definitely have a strong mental image of beating him. Real life and image training are different things though. I've beem planning this out for a while now & it is not something I really want to say since it's not very heelish .., but I'm flying my parents out from Canada for WK11. My dad retired in April and that is my present to him."

Sein zu Hause in Canada, Pläne für die Zukunft

"I have a home in Canada but I spend most of my time in Japan. I actually like doing the back and forth, the flight gives me a chance to reset. In June I bought a house in Canada for training purpose, still working on it. Maybe holding some training camps there in the future. The hardest part about being in Japan is the mindset that American wrestling is the be all end all. And my job is to elevate Jap. wrestling and make sure it gets the recognition it deserves. The image that WWE is the best wrestling in the world is just that, an image .. and one I want to change. Honestly there isn't a single guy on their roster that's better than me."