Yota Tsuji On His Past Excursion In The UK: “If I’m Honest, I Feel I Wasted My Time There”
New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Yota Tsuji is expected to be at the forefront of NJPW for the next 10-15 years as one of it’s top competitors.
Yota Tsuji debuted for NJPW back in April 2018 as a Young Lion. After paying his dues as a Young Lion, Tsuji left NJPW to begin his excursion and it was selected that he would complete his learning process in the UK. Tsuji debuted for RevPro in the UK in 2021 and spent nearly two years with the promotion. In addition, he spent many months in Mexico for CMLL while he was away on excursion.
In a recent interview conducted by Lyric Swinton for Monthly Puroresu, Yota Tsuji was asked about how his excursion to the UK shaped him as a wrestler:
I found my excursion to England difficult because I found it hard to adjust to the British style. If I’m honest, I feel I wasted my time there. Will Ospreay had said the same thing previously. My experience in England made me realize that I should make the most of what I’ve learned in the NJPW Dojo.
Whether I’m in England or Mexico, I have New Japan DNA in me. That’s where “Gene Blast” comes from, it’s taking that core DNA and making it explode.
New Japan have the potential to expand into South Asia, the Middle East and Europe. But I also feel New Japan lacks the promotional power of WWE and AEW, so like I said before, it’ll take cooperation between wrestlers and staff to make any expansion successful.
Yota Tsuji
Yota Tsuji was also asked if he feels any pressure in pulling NJPW into a new era being one of the companies top young stars:
I don’t feel any pressure. I just do the best I can at what I have to do. The result is that I’ll be the one to lead New Japan to a new era.
But it’s not only us wrestlers who have to aim for it. All of the New Japan staff need to come together alongside us and work for it. Wrestlers wrestle, and staff promote the matches and spread our wrestling to the world. We need to work together as a team to bring this new era into fruition.
Yota Tsuji
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