NJPW’s Youngest Lion gives his first interview
After Yuto Nakashima and Ryohei Oiwa both delivered their first interviews, it’s the turn of Kosei Fujita. Fujita was the first to secure singles victory in his class, after picking up the W at Korakuen Hall’s 60th Anniversary; before that first win, we spoke about his motivations for the future, and reasons to join New Japan Pro-Wrestling.
Interview conducted early April
Check out Nakashima’s interview!
It’s the toughest dorm in Japan. But I’m fine with that
–So, here we go with your first ever interview! First of all, can you introduce yourself?
Fujita: Well, my name’s Kosei Fujita. My favourite foods are fruit and monja yaki (thin fried savory pancake). Um, I like music, watching MMA, and motorbikes, but I don’t have a bike of my own. I do have my license though.
–What kind of bikes do you like?
Fujita: I like American bikes. Those really big ones.
–OK. So you’re seven months into your career now, how would you sum up your career to date?
Fujita: It’s been a really frantic few months. So it’s really gone by in a flash.
–You debuted after just four months in the Dojo.
Fujita: I only heard I was debuting two weeks beforehand, so I don’t think I was all that ready, but I did all I could in those two weeks. In the end, I didn’t win, but I feel I was able to put myself out there, you know.
–Four months is a very short time from entry to debut, as far as NJPW is concerned.
Fujita: I’m happy to hear it. I think that’s definitely something to be proud of.
–How’s the Dojo life treating you?
Fujita: Obviously the training itself is tough, but I think it’s the toughest dorm in Japan as well (laughs). But that’s fine with me, it’s all part of becoming a wrestler and it isn’t something I would complain about.
I was confident I’d get in first try
–So you’re rooming with Ryohei Oiwa. How is that?
Fujita: Well, I think we’ve been having one another’s backs since we came through the tryouts, so there’s no problems there.
–You both have amateur wrestling backgrounds. When did you start wrestling?
Fujita: Right from high school. Just to get into pro-wrestling, really (laughs).
–I see. So the plan was to wrestle through high school, and then join NJPW when you graduated.
Fujita: Yeah. I got sent the papers while I was in school, applied, and then moved to Tokyo and the Dojo when I passed the tryout.
–And you passed the test on your first try.
Fujita: Just about, heh.
–Yuto Nakashima took four attempts, so it’s quite the achievement to do it on your first try.
Fujita: Well, I feel I did all I needed to do to prepare beforehand. So I was fairly confident I’d make it in.
My coach knew SHO…
–You mentioned you had to move to Tokyo…
Fujita: From Ehime, yeah.
–Both SHO and Yuya Uemura are from the area.
Fujita: My high school coach actually knew him, and he came to my school for practice before. He’s a different guy now. Back then was while he was still in Roppongi 3K. He was a nice guy, taught me a lot.
–So it must have been a big shock to see the change he underwent.
Fujita: It really was. I thought that after I debuted I might get a chance to tag with him, but now he’s a completely different human being.
–Did you ever have any contact with Uemura?
Fujita: Not at all. By the time I was debuting, he was over to America, so we really missed one another.
–Right now, you’re working as the attendant to Togi Makabe and Yuji Nagata. How is that experience?
Fujita: They look out for me outside the ring, and give me all the guidance I need inside it. So I’m really grateful to them.
I was so happy to get that chance
–Seven months in, what would you say is your unique selling point?
Fujita: I think I put more emotion into everything I do than the others. So I think out of the three of us, my matches are the most violent.
–What skills do you have that Oiwa and Nakashima don’t?
Fujita: I think I’m more expressive. Nakashima is a bit more strike based, but me and Oiwa have the same amateur backgrounds, so I want to appeal more and express more where our moves overlap.
–At 19 you’re the youngest on the roster.
Fujita: Recently I got to wrestle Yuji Nagata in a singles match- it was the youngest in NJPW vs the oldest! Obviously outside the ring there is a pecking order, but when the bell rings, age and seniority isn’t a factor at all.
–January 8 in Yokohama, you were able to wrestle NOAH’s Yasutaka Yano. How did it feel to represent the company like that?
Fujita: I had said in my backstage comments that I wanted to be involved; I don’t know whether that’s what put things into action, but either way I was so happy to get that chance. I would have been much happier if I’d have won…
–You then represented NJPW against AJPW’s rookie Inoue in the Korakuen Hall anniversary event (interview conducted before April 16)
Fujita: Yeah. I’m really, truly grateful. I think whether they class it as a friendly or not, I don’t think of any of my matches that way, and all my seniors always say that I have to treat the opening match like it’s the main event. So it becomes my responsibility to show everyone from match one what NJPW is all about.
As soon as I heard him speak, I was obsessed by Minoru Suzuki
–Do you have any goals in mind for the future?
Fujita: I know I’m still on the small side, but I want to be a heavyweight. At the same time, I want the chance to be in Best of the Super Jr. as well- and even though everyone will say that a Young Lion can’t do it, I’d be looking to win and get myself out there as much as possible. So I’ll put that out there, even though the BoSJ lineup isn’t announced yet.
–So that said, what kind of wrestler do you think you want to become?
Fujita: I was able to be in a six man tag match with Tomohiro Ishii recently, and I love that hard hitting style.
–Is there a particular wrestler you look up to?
Fujita: When I got into the business, that kind of thinking went away for me, but when I was growing up, I looked up to Minoru Suzuki.
–And why is that?
Fujita: At first, it wasn’t his style, but what he said. It was just after the big earthquake in 2011, he had a match with Takashi Sugiura at a NOAH card. As soon as I heard him speak, I was obsessed with him.
–What did he say?
Fujita: I remember Sugiura saying something like it not being enough for wrestling to give people courage. They need food, water, medical supplies, and when things got better, wrestling would be there for them. Suzuki got really mad at that. He said ‘if you don’t believe in pro-wrestling, what do you believe in? Pro-wrestling fans who are suffering right now need pro-wrestling just as much as any food and water!’. Ever since he said that I was really absorbed by everything about Suzuki.
–Oh, so more as a human being than as a wrestler.
Fujita: Right. But then I started watching his matches more closely, and like I said, I love that straight forward, hard hitting approach, so.
–So you’re a believer in that ‘pro-wrestling power’.
Fujita: Absolutely. That’s why I work as hard as I do.
–Any final message for the fans?
Fujita: To be honest, I haven’t had the luxury of thinking much about the fans up to now, but I’m doing my all to separate myself from the other Young Lions, and to be there for them going forward!
