With the NJPW G1 Climax 33 scheduled to begin in two days, NJPW World released an interview with Yota Tsuji who will be participating in his first ever G1 Climax tournament. Yota Tsuji discussed a number of topics during the interview including G1 and his excursion away from NJPW.
He was asked about his opponent on opening night, Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Kaito Kiyomiya and confronting him at a June 22 NOAH show. Tsuji didn’t hold back with his response:
I figured that my first match being with a NOAH guy, I should reach across the hall here, maybe create a little buzz around this. But in the end, it was hardly anything to write home about. So yeah, based on that interaction? He’s an idiot with no sense of the wrestling business.
NJPW World asked Tsuji if he was expecting a reaction from Kiyomiya on June 22 during the confrontation and remained harsh in his answer:
I was expecting some reaction from him. I bought a ticket and showed up. Unannounced, sure. But if the roles were reversed, I would do something. Here’s your opponent on your turf, sitting in the front row? Come on man, what a waste.
He keeps talking SANADA this, SANADA that, I’ve no interest in you, blah blah. Before it was all Okada this, Okada that, and now the moment he’s in with SANADA, that’s where he’s looking. He’s got seven guys on his schedule, seven chances, seven singles matches, and he’s out here saying ‘I’m only interested in SANADA’. F***ing idiot.
Tsuji was also asked about his experience being on excursion in the UK, being in Portsmouth and how the wrestling was there:
I went to England first. Everyone thinks of London when they think of England, but I was two hours south of there, in Portsmouth.
The best Japanese comparison would be Misakiguchi I guess, being a port city two hours from anything bigger. I’d wake up, train, eat, watch Netflix, train again, and that would be my day.
Well, it’s different there, because not many British pro-wrestlers are full time pros. A handful are, but the rest have day jobs and wrestle at the weekends. so there was proper training on Wednesday evenings, but the rest was free practice.
When the topic of if Los Ingobernables de Japon, who Tsuji is a faction member of, seemed to match his international style, Tsuji had an interesting response:
Yeah. This is the best place for me to express my style of pro-wrestling. Naito’s said that himself- that LIJ is a collection of individuals, there’s freedom there. With that freedom though? Don’t get it twisted- I’m more than ready to beat Naito and Takagi when I have to.
Tsuji confirmed that he isn’t best friends with other members of LIJ:
Put it this way- when I came out in Fukuoka on May 3, I came out to attack the champion. If Hiromu had won the belt, he’d be in SANADA’s place.
When asked who would want to face in the G1 Climax 33 finals should he get there, Tsuji named one man:
Naito. I have to show I’m better than him, and right now I think there’s no match in NJPW more attractive than Naito vs Tsuji.
To conclude the interview Tsuji gave his final thoughts:
This is my chance to make Yota Tsuji a worldwide name, so that’s what I’m gonna do. Are you ready? Because G1, and NJPW is gonna get a whole lot more interesting!
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