Semi, main event press conferences see representatives from all three companies speak
A special public press conference ahead of All Together Again saw participants from AJPW, NJPW and NOAH give their final thoughts ahead of June 9’s semi and main events.
First to take the microphone were combatants in the junior heavyweight six man tag team match Friday, which will see IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi and AJPW World Junior Heavyweight Champion Atsuki Aoyagi along with AMAKUSA opposite GHC Junior Heavyweight Champion HAYATA, Rising Hayato of AJPW and NJPW’s Master Wato.
HAYATA was blunt in his comments, saying that in his mind ‘everyone’s an enemy’, while the flamboyant Rising Hayato was more eager to bask in the limelight. Taking a luxurious pose on the stage, he promised to ‘show the world that Rising Hayato is the coolest of anyone on this All Together event’. Master Wato meanwhile promised to represent as the Best of the Super Junior, saying ‘I look forward to tangling with AMAKUSA, Aoyagi and Hiromu, and winning’.
The opposing side was rather more extensive in their comments, AMAKUSA using characteristically luxurious language and old fashioned Japanese to talk about his excitement for ‘wrestling upon this grand stage that hath been bequested me’. Aoyagi talked about his pride at competing alongside the champions gathered, while Hiromu brought up competing in the first All Together. ‘I was in a battle royal, and got thrown out in 30 seconds’ he rued, before expressing his excitement and mission to ensure fans who remembered the original events will be blown away by this one.
In post match questioning, each wrestler was asked if there was a particular member of the match they were gunning for, a question that had AMAKUSA use his trademark response that it was a ‘foolish question to ask’. Hayato would state that he wanted to take Hiromu on however, and on being pressed by the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, stated that it was because ‘You’re the flashiest of everyone here, and the loudest. Flashy, I like. Loud, I’m not a fan’. Quipping that ‘if you take loud away from me, i got nothing,’ Hiromu closed proceedings with some tense stares exchanged.
The main event press conference saw thoughts from Kenoh, Yuma Aoyagi and Kazuchika Okada opposite Hiroshi Tanahashi, Kaito Kiyomiya and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Kenoh would reflect on the fact that the last All Together main event winners were Suwama, Takeshi Morishima and Tanahashi. Saying that ‘we can’t leave the clock stopped forever,’ Kenoh took credit for forcing a changing of the guard in AJPW by beating Suwama, and that he ushered in a new generation in NOAH as well. Slamming Tanahashi for being ‘the only old fart still here,’ Kenoh said that he planned on defeating the Ace Friday night.
Aoyagi would half jokingly admit that ‘on paper, we probably won’t have the best teamwork, but I think we can get this done,’. Okada would say that the All Together events are about organizations and fans coming together to rally against difficult times, and suggested to Kiyomiya ‘let’s enjoy things tomorrow. Let’s get along. i made you taste despair last time, so this time, don’t come at me, OK?’. Showing similar disrespect to Miyahara and Aoyagi both, apologising for forgetting both men’s names as he admitted he didn’t watch the product, Okada was coolly drawing the ire of the other participants.
That included Kiyomiya who admitted that he felt emotional in the face of Okada, and after ‘two strikes’ in a pair of direct losses, he felt he needed to beat Okada Friday or ‘there might not be another chance’. The ever colourful Miyahara made refrence to the Antonio Inoki subtitle of ‘If you have the energy, you can do anything! And who has the most energy of anyone here?’ prompting the crowd to yell ‘Kaito!’.
Tanahashi would take umbridge at Kenoh’s comments about the guard being changed, saying ‘the fact I’m still here after the last All Toegther main events isn’t my fault for being chosen, it’s the fault of people not being able to replace me’. That prompted Kenoh to bite back ‘that sounds like a NJPW problem. I came in and changed the guard in AJPW when I beat Suwama twice, and Morishima… let’s leave that be. But I’ll put you down tomorrow if nobody else in NJPW will’.
The heavyweights left the stage, but Miyahara would call his team back for one last discussion with the crowd. Revealing that Tanahashi had texted Miyahara (but not Kiyomiya) suggesting that they all wear matching suits to the press conference, Miyahara had prepared a tailored suit, only for the Ace to leave his own suit at the Dojo and wear a sports jacket and a Tshirt. Apologies duly delivered and fences seemingly mended, the three refocused on the next day’s main event.
