DOUKI finishes his thoughts on the tournament lineup
After making steady improvements across his BOSJ entries, DOUKI has already met his previous career best of three wins and six points only halfway through the tournament. Yet unsatisfied with mere incremental improvement, DOUKI wants to make the finals, and could well do just that. We spoke to Japones Del Mal about the remainder of his campaign.
(Interview conducted before tournament start)
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TJP carries every match he’s in. He’s a true veteran
–You face TJP on May 26 in Korakuen Hall (interview conducted before tournament start). Your thoughts on TJP?
DOUKI: I’ve crossed paths with him in the US before. As much as it annoys me to admit, he was a real superstar over there. This is his first BOSJ in 11 years, right?
–That’s right, his second entry and first since 2011.
DOUKI: That shows the career he’s had.
–What are your thoughts on him as a wrestler?
DOUKI: If he isn’t the most experienced guy in the tournament he has to be right up there. That means he’s a real veteran. He carries every match he’s in, chooses his moves perfectly, dictates the pace. He can be flashy if he wants to as well. He’s a tough one.
–What are your thoughts on him as part of United Empire?
DOUKI: I guess they didn’t have a junior before… the thing for me is I don’t get what kind of a group they are. I know who Will Ospreay is as a wrestler, same for Cobb and O-Khan, but as a group together…
–You don’t get a sense of a team identity?
DOUKI: They’re good wrestlers together with some cool double teams and stuff. But apart from having a lot of foreign wrestlers, I don’t really see who they’re trying to be together. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s different about TJP since he joined.
At the request of DOUKI, his pre-tournament comments on El Desperado have been redacted
I want to be the pride of Mexico City, and the pride of everyone who hates CMLL
–Your penultimate match in Ota will be with Titan.
DOUKI: I get that people will see me with my background in Mexico, Titan being who he is, and expect a lucha libre style battle. In my mind? Nah.
–Really?
DOUKI: When I was in Mexico, I was working on the indies. Titan was in CMLL, the big leagues. I’ll be completely honest; I don’t like the CMLL guys one bit.
–There’s nobody you have any respect for?
DOUKI: Of course guys like Ultimo Guerrero or Negro Casas deserve respect. But their young guys? I hate them all. This match is about carrying the pride of lucha libre, or Mexico City and the pride of everyone who hates CMLL into this match and crushing Titan.
–So no good thoughts of Titan as a wrestler.
DOUKI: Well I will say that the CMLL guys have a stronger foundation than most indie wrestlers in Mexico. They bump well, they’re big guys, but what they do in the ring isn’t all that much different from 20, 30 more years ago. They don’t push the envelope, but perhaps Titan does more than anyone else, and he’s real good at switching gears. Out of those guys over there, he is special.
I hate him. I think he’s a good wrestler. I just hate him.
–Your final league match will be against Master Wato on May 31.
DOUKI: I had him last in last year’s BOSJ as well. I’ve said it before; I hate him. I hate everything about him. His stupid costume, his bad hair, his face, his dorky pose, his moves, everything.
–You hate him as a human being, but as a wrestler?
DOUKI: Mi hermano said the same thing, but he has all the physical tools. Good size, great build, powerful, strong. Athletic. I just hate him.
–You challenged Wato and Taguchi for the junior tag titles at Dontaku.
DOUKI: I was thinking the whole time that I would beat him for us to become champions, but we weren’t involved in the result. So that still doesn’t sit well with me. I want singles revenge.
–I see.
DOUKI: I said this back at last years BOSJ, but I think the two of us really need to become a marquee match. This should be, should be a final level match. I’m not saying that I want to lift the two of us up together and get that matchup over, I’m saying that’s what needs to be done. Not that I know what his mindset is though.
–You’re saying that you need to be part of a newer generation? You aren’t stisfied with the way things stand right now?
DOUKI: Of course. Obviously I’m not satisfied to just be where I am right now, and just having Ishimori, Hiromu and Desperado at the top the whole time is no fun right? I mean, maybe Robbie might break in there, but I think we need to shake things up, and I think with what we have domestically, me and Wato have to be up there.
I despise Hiromu, so beating him means the most.
–It’s a very strong lineup this year; who would you like to face in the final?
DOUKI: Hiromu. Obviously. I said the same thing last year, he’s the guy who a win over would mean the most in the world to me. I don’t mean that in terms of putting him on a pedestal, or saying I’m beneath him and want to overtake. I’m saying I despise him and I want to make it clear I’m better.
–So it’s a personal thing for you.
DOUKI: I started hating him when he was in Mexico at the same time I was on the indies, and I saw him from outside looking in. I hated him then, and that time was part of who I am now.
–Who do you think would give Hiromu most trouble in A Block?
DOUKI: I think Unc (Yoshinobu Kanemaru) is obviously the best guy in that block. I really think he’s the best wrestler in the world, and tagging with him, and facing him last year really drove that home.
–What do you think makes him so good?
DOUKI: This sounds a bit hokey, but he has maxed out stats across the board. His speed, his conditioning, how he paces a match, it’s all great with Unc. So it really should be him at the top, but then the champion Ishimori is in there too; it really could be anyone.
–Any final thoughts?
DOUKI: For the juniors this is obviously the most important time of the year, the most important tour. So it means a lot for me to be in the hunt. I think no matter what I do there are always people that think I’m Taichi’s hanger-on, or Desperado’s lackey. This is where I write a narrative for myself. I’ve wrestled five out of my nine opponents before, but lost to most of them. So I can rewrite the past and start something new with the four I haven’t wrestled before. And even though everyone thinks it, everyone believes it and everyone says it, I’ll be the one to win.
