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APR.23.2022

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Class of ’22: Ryohei Oiwa Interviewed

Oiwa speaks before his first NJPW victory

Ryohei Oiwa started the Golden Fight Series in a major way this week, securing his first career singles win over Kosei Fujita. Being the first of his class to get a singles victory in a NJPW ring means the conversation around the current crop of Young Lions has changed, at least for a time, to focus on the Nagoya native. Before he picked up that major first win, we spoke to Oiwa about his career to date. 

I’m the biggest of the three of us, I want to make use of that

 

–So, since this is your first official interview, tell us about yourself.

Oiwa: I’m Ryohei Oiwa, and I debuted on August 24! I like sweets- I love my desserts- I’m a big sneaker head in my spare time, and I’m big into my appearance, I buy a lot of cosmetics. 

–You have the sweets part in common with Togi Makabe then. 

Oiwa: Makabe-san found out that I like my sweets as well, so he’s good enough to share with me.

–What are your thoughts on your career to date?

Oiwa: It’s gone by really fast. I’ve been so busy that it’s really struck me ‘wow, seven months already’. Obviously I’m competing with two other Young Lions, and I haven’t gotten my first win yet (interview conducted before April 18) so that’s top priority for me. 

–What do you think is your unique selling point over the other two Young Lions?

Oiwa: Well, I’m bigger than the other two, I think, so I want to make best use of that, use my strength. I’ve also got more amateur wrestling experience than the other two, so I want to be able to use that foundation in the ring for sure.

 

–And what’s your opinion of those other two Young Lions?  

Oiwa: Nakashima’s very strong willed, and he’s able to rely on that MMA background, so he has some tough submissions. The injury he had has made him hungry to bounce back, I think. There’s a lot to respect about him. 

–And Fujita?

Oiwa: Well, he came straight in out of high school. Now we’re obviously in the same position together, but I’m not sure I would be able to last in this kind of environment and live this kind of life when I was 19. I definitely respect the hell out of him for doing what he’s done, and continues to do.

I spent four years in college getting ready for New Japan

 

–What motivated you to become a pro-wrestler?

Oiwa: I was in sixth grade, right before starting junior high, and I saw (Hiroshi) Tanahashi wrestle (Satoshi) Kojima in the Tokyo Dome on TV. That was the first match I saw, and then I started to look for more and more online. 

–When did you really decide that the business was for you?

Oiwa: I’d say ninth grade. Up to then I was watching as a fan, but then it started to become more me thinking about how I could become a wrestler myself. That’s when I started getting into amateur wrestling. 

–So you wrestled through high school; did you think about trying out as soon as you graduated?

Oiwa: I did want to. But I talked about it with my parents and they suggested I try out after college, so I wrestled through college as well and then tried out. 

 

–You passed the tryout on your first try. Were you confident heading into that tryout?

Oiwa: I was. I’d heard bits and pieces about the test, and so I spent my college years not just wrestling, but doing a lot of squats and stuff. I really spent the entire time in college getting ready for NJPW. 

–How has Dojo life treated you over the last year or so?

Oiwa: I stayed in a dorm when I was in college, so I was kinda used to that part, but the sheer amount we train is what’s really remarkable.

–You’re rooming with Fujita, correct?

Oiwa: Yeah, but I can’t say there’s any drama or anything. To be honest, with training, or being on the road, we’re both so tired, we just get in that room and sleep. So there’s no treading on each other’s toes.

–Might you know something about him we don’t, as a person?

Oiwa: I had no idea, but he’s really into bikes. You know you have those bikers revving their engines up around town? We were both in the bath and could hear these guys outside. I just thought they were annoying, but he was talking about how cool they were. (laughs) 

I want to be a power guy, but find my own style through that

 

–And what’s it like being on the road?

Oiwa: One of the things about the pandemic has been that we aren’t able to go out in all of these towns and eat the local foods. I’ve heard a lot from the other wrestlers about doing that before COVID, so I definitely want to try some local cuisine once everything’s settled down a bit more.

–Right now you’re working as Hiroyoshi Tenzan’s assistant, albeit while he’s injured right now. What’s he like?

Oiwa: I’m really grateful to be working for him. After my matches he isn’t afraid to give some harsh advice, and tell me where I’m going wrong, but at the Dojo he’s always looking out for me, and when we’re on the road, he’ll treat me to food at the service stations and whatnot.

–What kind of advice does he give?

 Oiwa: His go to phrase is ‘NJPW matches are about emotion!’. He’s helped me understand it isn’t about moves, but about feelings and wills clashing with one another. 

–Do you have any idea of what kind of wrestler you’d like to become? 

Oiwa: Hmm, I don’t have a particular person I want to emulate, but I do want to be a power guy. I’ve always liked the hosses, heh.

–It seems you have a lot of respect for Satoshi Kojima.

Oiwa: I’m not saying ‘I want to be just like him!’ But I do really dig his style. I like the idea of being a power guy but bringing in my own kind of wrestling, whatever that may become. 

I wanted to be in Fujita’s spot

 

–What are your immediate goals?

Oiwa: Right away? Beat Fujita and Nakashima.

–On his podcast, Hiroshi Tanahashi said ‘Oiwa has a ton of upside, but I wonder if he’s too nice to succeed’. Any thoughts?

Oiwa: That’s something that my amateur coach kept telling me through college, that I was too nice and I needed to show some hunger. I’m trying to work on that, but I guess I still need to do more. Obviously, the ring isn’t the place to make friends, so I’m going to keep that in mind.

–Fujita has been given some pretty big opportunities of late- he got a singles match in the NJPW vs NOAH card in Yokohama on January 8, and then represented NJPW in the Korakuen Hall 60th Anniversary Event. How did that make you feel?

Oiwa: That really sucked for me. Obviously being able to represent the company is a big deal. I was seconding Fujita in Yokohama Arena, and wanting to be in his spot the whole time. 

–Any message for the fansd? What do you want them to see when they watch Ryohei Oiwa going forward?

Oiwa: I want them to see my kind of wrestling, my own moves, and most importantly me as the winner. So to win and keep winning I’ll be putting in all the work I can!

 

 

 

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