Juice Robinson called a press conference today to respond to yesterday’s news that Jon Moxley was behind the videos that had targeted the IWGP US Champion and that he would make his first NJPW appearance in Ryogoku Sumo Hall on June 5. Robinson’s statement and responses to media questions are below.
Naoki Sugabayashi, NJPW Chairman
‘On June 5 at Ryogoku Sumo Hall, an IWGP United States Championship match will take place between Jon Moxley and Juice Robinson. This match joins the already announced lineup of Hiroshi Tanahashi versus Jay White and the finals of the Best of the Super Juniors tournament.’
Juice Robinson, IWGP United States Champion
‘I should have known that it was Jon Moxley the whole time. Hunched over the bar just like he was always hunched over the bar in Tampa years ago. We started in FCW on the same day, but he wasn’t Jon Moxley then, he was Dean Ambrose. I wasn’t Juice Robinson, I was CJ Parker. He taught me a lot about the business because he was a better wrestler than me.
Then Moxley went on to worldwide success, but CJ Parker stayed in Florida. He stayed in Florida so long that I had to drag myself out of Florida. I had to become Juice Robinson, a real wrestler. I took the IWGP United States Champion. Now, I’ve complained about my challengers before. I’ve said I needed a big challenge to elevate this belt. I wanted a big challenger, and now I have it. You’re what I want. But don’t think for a second that you’re showing up to pillage and get a paycheck. I will fight to the death to keep this championship. Just ask Cody. I Pulp Frictioned him through the mat and threw him out of the company.
People have already written me out of this match. The headline went out: ‘What does Jon Moxley have in store for Juice Robinson?’ That p***es me off. You think I won’t do what it takes to keep this? I fight with my heart and my heart is New Japan Pro Wrestling. Jon Moxley, what you have in store at Sumo Hall is a fight. I’m going to give it to you.’
Media questions
–Do you think Jon Moxley will adapt himself well to the style in New Japan, having based himself in the states for so long?
Robinson: I think he’s capable of fighting any style. This match, there won’t be many wrestling moves. It’s going to be a fight, a brawl. It doesn’t matter what mat and what continent he’s on, he will show up and fight.
–What record in ring did you and Moxley have in Florida?
Robinson: I just watched an old tag match with us there, a match I won. He did beat me in our one singles match, but he was more experienced, closer to his prime than I was at that point. Now we’re both in our prime. Regardless of what people think, this could go either way.
–What has changed the most about you in those intervening eight years, and since coming to NJPW?
Robinson: One word. Experience. When you’re 23 and you think you’re where you want to be, but you’re at the bottom of the barrel, that’s a pressure cooker, walking on eggshells. The last time I saw (Moxley) I was the equivalent of Yuya Uemura or Yota Tsuji in NJPW now. So think about that, and where they’ll be in 8 years, that gives you an idea.
–This might well be the biggest match of your career. Your thoughts?
Robinson: It’s the biggest. The biggest. He released that video 24 hours ago, and it got 1 million views already. People will subscribe to NJPW World, everyone will be watching, and everyone will think he’s going to beat me for that (US) title. I’m not going to let that happen. This is the biggest match of my career hands down
