The second part of Tiger Hattori’s discussion with the Rainmaker!
Watch the video on NJPW World!
Going as hard as he does and not getting hurt? That’s talent.
–So do you two go out drinking much, normally?
Hattori: Okada doesn’t normally drink. I do, from time to time. But when he’s in the mood to drink, he can really put them away.
–So Okada, you don’t drink all that much?
Okada: Not so often. It depends on the company though (laughs). But when I’m with Tiger, I’m the designated driver, anyway.
–So what’s your drink, Tiger?
Hattori: Anything really, but mainly wine.
Okada: I remember when we first met in Mexico, you said you drank red wine, but they were out. I remember being all nervous and having to apologise to him.
–You must have still been a teenager back then.
Okada: I was 16. Had you gone back to NJPW at that point?
Hattori: Hm? In Florida?
Okada: No, this was Mexico! Don’t you remember?
Hattori: Of course I do!
Okada: Prove it. Where did we first meet?
Hattori: In the Toryumon Dojo. You were sitting back behind the counter…
Okada: It wasn’t the Dojo.
Hattori: It was the Dojo kitchen!
Okada: I’m telling you it wasn’t the Dojo!
Hattori: I definitely remember a counter. Ultimo Dragon’s house? You were sitting behind the counter…
Okada: I was a trainee, so I was standing.
Hattori: I remember!
Okada: I don’t think you do (laughs).
Hattori: Were you with NJPW at that point?
Okada: NO! (laughs)
–When you first came into NJPW around 2007, 2008, were you and Tiger in touch?
Okada: Back then he’d ride with CHAOS, which was a heel faction at the time, and I was a Young Lion. So we’d say hellos in the venue but that was about it.
–So it wasn’t until 2012 when you came back as the Rainmaker that this Okada and Hattori friendship got started?
Okada: Well, he looked after me when I went to Florida in 2010. But really it wasn’t until I started driving him to the venues that we became really close. He stopped coming on the tours, so I would drive him to the Tokyo events. I don’t know why I decided to drive him…
Hattori: You’re regretting making extra work for yourself now?
Okada: Oh, it’s no trouble at all. Actually, I do remember one thing: when I was a trainee, I went to Tiger’s house to make chanko nabe stew. I was on cooking duty in the Dojo that day, and he said ‘I’m having a party in my house, come over and make chanko’.
Hattori: I made you do that? I don’t remember (laughs). I do remember us meeting in New York.
Okada: When I was on excursion in Florida, I went up to see him in New York.
Hattori: And we met up in Florida too, didn’t we?
Okada: Yeah, we did.
Hattori: Ah, I remember it well.
Okada: You had to ask to make sure! I don’t think that’s remembering it well!
Hattori: Tama (Tonga) was there at the time as well.
–You introduced Okada to King Haku when he went on excursion, and he asked you to help his sons get going in Japan.
Okada: Tiger actually met Tanga Loa first. You introduced me to Haku and then the three of you went to dinner, right? I was tired so I stayed behind.
Hattori: Tama wasn’t around then?
Okada: he was in Puerto Rico.
Hattori: Ah yeah, that’s right. He had already debuted at that point.
–You’ve known Haku for a long time?
Hattori: Oh, I’ve known him since he was 19.
Okada: Really? Just like you knew Tomohiro Ishii at ’16’?
Hattori: He was definitely 19. We met in Hawaii; this was before he maried his wife. I stayed at his house.
Okada: I slept in Tama’s bed once. He was wrestling in Puerto Rico, and Haku told me ‘you can sleep here’. I was wondering who’s bed it was… (laughs)
Tiger lost his wallet once…
–So since it’s just us here, we can be honest with one another… What’s something that you would fix about one another?
Okada: Hmmm… I’d say I’d like him to stop getting his wallet out when he knws he’s not going to pay (laughs).
Hattori: Ah, yeah, that’s probably fair (laughs). I don’t think I’ve ever paid when I’ve been with Okada. I pay a lot when I’m with other people though…
Okada: Oh, here we go…(laughs)
Hattori: Hey man, I’m old school.
–The old convention of the senpai treating the kohai.
Okada: Except for me, Hattori’s gone beyond just being a senpai.
–He’s so far up there that he’s in a different bracket?
Okada: Not poking fun either. He’s in a different stage, one where I should be treating him.
Hattori: It’s true, I never even think of paying with Okada.
Okada: I remember once, he lost his wallet, so I lent him some money to get by with. And..
Hattori: Oh yeah. I never did pay you back.
Okada: Great, now you’re stealing my stories and my money.
–Well, let’s hear the full story.
Okada: I lent him this money, but eventually, I don’t know if he got the wallet itself back or not, but he got the money back. Anyway, he didn’t pay me back. So I brought it up to him, and he said ‘I already paid you back’.
‘No you didn’t’
‘You’re trying to scam me!’
Anyway, eventually he said he’d pay the money back. You did pay me back in the end, right?
Hattori: I believe I did.
Okada: I don’t think so.
Hattori: For sure? I did pay you back.
Okada: It was 2 million Yen!
Hattori: I never borrowed that much!
Okada: (laughs )
–So is there anything that you’d like to fix about Okada?
Hattori: Not really. I’d just like him to stay healthy, and to be able to carry NJPW forward for at least another ten years, help raise up a generation underneath.
–You’ve talked about Okada’s drive to become a top star before.
Hattori: He was absolutely determined to make it. You see a lot of people in this business stop where they are and get complacent. But Okada has a different level of pride. He’s defintiely more old-school than you’d think.
–He has an older mentality?
Hattori: There are times when he gives the younger guys a real dressing down. He can be pretty scary, right?
Okada: I do talk to some of them. They have a lot of work to do besides training as well, but when they’re doing all that without even running a comb through their hair in the morning, I do give them a talking to. They have to go out in front of the public at the end of the day.
Hattori: That’s the way you were brought up right?
Okada: I don’t know about that, it’s the nature of the business. I went into Toryumon at 15, and then I was always the youngest one, always right at the bottom. Even when new people came in, they were older than me. So I had to mature.
‘I need to study English’ ‘You need to study Japanese’
–Tiger, you’ve retired as a referee, but you’ll still be working as an overseas co-ordinator for the next year.
Hattori: i’ll be helping with the overseas events this year and then I want to step completely away. I’ve been thinking about going to carpentry school.
–You like DIY.
Hattori: And I keep forgetting my English. I really need to study.
Okada: You need to study Japanese first.
Hattori: My Japanese sucks, too. (laughs)But I do want to study.
Okada: What would you do with it if you studied? You’re kind of up there.
Hattori: I mean, I guess I don’t have that much time in front of me. But you know, while I’m still alive. (laughs)
–Are you going to keep moving between Japan and New York?
Hattori: Well, I think it’ll be like it is now. I like them both. But whichever is easier.
Okada: And which is easier?
Hattori: Oh, Japan. It’s only me here. Plus, there’s less ‘I’m walking here!’, less honking at you to get a move on.
–Your heart’s with New York though?
Hattori: Oh yeah. I mean I’ve been there such a long time in total. I first went to America in 1969.
Okada: I can’t even figure out how long ago that was (laughs)
Hattori: Like, 44 years…
Okada: It’s 51. 51. I did the math in my head.
Hattori: Over half a century ago. I remember it was 360 Yen to the Dollar when I first went. A lot’s changed.
–Final thoughts?
Okada: Well, I hope you enjoy your retirement, and enjoy your second life. I hope you’ll come to the matches every now and then, too: I can always pick you up.
Hattori: Thank you.
Okada: You said before you want me to stay healthy and injury free, and I hope you stay well, too.
Hattori: You stay healthy, don’t get hurt, and be the standard that everybody looks up to. Keep leading the way. We’re all good if Okada is here.
Okada: Who knows? I might quit and become a carpenter (laughs)
Hattori: We could build boats together!
Okada: And go sailing to the Goto Islands!
