Champion and challenger face off at public contract signing
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April 30 saw a public contract signing for May 1’s Dontaku event kick off with Taiji Ishimori and El Desperado making their IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match official for the Fukuoka PayPay Dome. Though an administrative error means the physical title belt was late to the party, prompting champion Desperado to complain that ‘nobody will know what this whole deal is for here,’ the title did make it to the desk, and comments were passed.
Challenger, Taiji Ishimori:
After the prelim matches, I have to say, the champion has style, he’s got a good voice, and he chooses his words well. He has all that I don’t possess, and when we’ve faced one another before, he’s beaten me more than the other way around. But even when I’ve lost, I’ve been able to create openings for myself. My opponent said that he would find a weakness in me to exploit, but I have no weaknesses to find. How did he put it? ‘Human chess?’ That’s exactly what this is. One mistake can end your night with me and him. That’s what you’re going to get tomorrow. A match that’s completely unpredictable, one that can end at any point, but one that will end with me as champion.
Champion, El Desperado:
I had a lot of fun in these prelims. I’ve learned a lot in a lot of different places. I’ve taken that all in, and I’ve thrown that at him, but he’s been able to throw just as much back at me. You can look all over the world, and you won’t find anyone as good as that guy is at this stuff. That makes me a lucky guy, to be a champion and have challengers as good as this. Before Ishimori stepped up to challenge, I wanted someone from outside NJPW. I talked about Daisuke Sasaki, Chris Brookes, YO-HEY, El Lindaman, T-Hawk, CIMA. Guys where just bringing their names up would cause a buzz. But wrestling Ishimori through this tour in all the prelims I remembered just how fun it is to wrestle him. He’s the best. And he’s right, he really doesn’t have any weaknesses. Like he said, when I beat him, it was always when he’d set the table. And then he’d try and tap into his evil side, and since he isn’t as used to that, I would capitalise and win.
See, I’m a much worse individual than he is. Every match I wrestle is with that in mind. When it comes to being bad, well sorry, I’m just better at it. If you don’t have a weakness, well I’ll just have to make one. It wouldn’t be the first time. Sorry, but I’m winning tomorrow.
