Tetsuya Naito breaks down his G1 Climax opposition
Tetsuya Naito has won the G1 Climax twice, in 2013 and 2017, sending him into two unsuccessful chases for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Tokyo Dome. He has never, until now, walked into the tournament of tournaments as champion, and now will seek to repeat the feat of Kensuke Sasaki in 2000, and his idol Keiji Muto in 1997: to win the G1 as IWGP Champion. In fact, he stands to double down on the history making; Come mid October, he may be the first in history to ever win the G1 as IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Champ. NJPW1972.com caught up with Naito to get his thoughts on the precipice of history.
(Interview conducted before September 20)
I make a great cover athlete. Ask Weekly Pro-Wrestling
–We’re going to talk about the G1 field in just a second, but first, let’s reflect a little bit on Jingu Stadium at the end of August. Having been in left field 21 years ago, seeing those fireworks from the ring must have felt pretty special.
Naito: Hey, I wanted to see those fireworks from the ring, just like all the fans did, but we had to get the picture in. So I had my back to them, heh.
–The ringside photographers were really rushing to get that shot.
Naito: Tranquilo, tranquilo. But I think I turn out to be a pretty good cover athlete for Weekly Pro-Wrestling, right? I think that’s a shot that will stick with people for a long time to come.
It’s something I haven’t experienced before
–As you’re well aware, it’s a very rare occurrence indeed for someone to win the G1 while an IWGP Champion. You are a double champion, of course. Does that make you even more motivated?
Naito: Well, it’s something I’ve never experienced before, to enter as champion. It puts a target on you. There are bound to be people who think that even if they don’t win the whole G1, beating me is motivation enough, right?
–They beat you and they have a good claim to challenge for one or both of those titles.
Naito: I’m an attractive opponent as it is! (laughs) That’s the mindset I’ve had for the last few years, so I wouldn’t say this year is all that different. But yeah, it’s a fresh experience, to carry the belts into these matches.
–What do you think about the IWGP jinx though? Only Muto in 1995 and Sasaki in 2000 have won as champion.
Naito: Well that’s how much of a target the champion wears into the G1. I’m looking forward to experiencing that, to seeing just how tough it is to go through the tournament like that. And nobody’s ever won the G1 as Intercontinental Champion, right?
–That’s true.
Naito: And obviously nobody as a double champion. I’m looking forward to that.
Five main events out of eight. What about the other three?
–So what are your thoughts on the lineup in B Block?
Naito: Well I think my biggest concern was that people would be entered in just to fill out the numbers, just because we have 20 wrestlers in every year of late.
–With the COVID situation, you were worried that would affect things.
Naito: Right. It was a bit of a concern that people would see that lineup and think ‘is this really a grade one tournament?’ But in the end we were able to get those names in from overseas, and we have a lineup that’s fitting I think.
–Incidentally you’re wrestling a lot of main events in this tour. The match order for the final B Block night in Ryogoku is still undetermined, but out of the other eight matches you have five main events.
Naito: Hmm. Well five main events out of eight just has me thinking what about the other three, you know? I want the line of thinking to be ‘it doesn’t matter who his opponent is, a Naito match has to be the main event’. So for me to have three matches that aren’t the main, that’s disappointing, honestly.
After three years apart I want to see what Tanahashi is like now. And I want him to hate what Tetsuya Naito is like now.
Watch Tetsuya Naito vs Hiroshi Tanahashi from night one of G1 Climax 30!
–How do you feel about facing Hiroshi Tanahashi first in Osaka?
Naito: Our first singles match in three years. I was always a Tanahashi fan back in the day, and our first singles match in so long, yeah that’s exciting. But Tanahashi himself said that he felt he was on the bubble, right?
–In his backstage comments on September 8, yes.
Naito: As a former Tanahashi fan, that hurts to hear. I’m the focal point now and he’s on the bubble. I know that people are talking about how he’s holding up physically. So I’m really happy to face him in the first match, no damage, no excuses. I want to see what Tanahashi is really like right now. And I want him to hate what Tetsuya Naito is like.
–Taichi was particularly harsh toward Tanahashi during the Summer Struggle tour.
Naito: It was sad to hear all of that. You’re out of shape, you can’t go any more, all that. And when you see the interactions he had with Ibushi, that was sad to see as well. But it’s inevitable, at the end of the day. You know, I think now there’s a clear gap between the two of us. When I faced him in the Tokyo Dome (in 2017, watch here!) and bowed after that match, I think that was where our positions swapped. He’s only gone downhill since.
–I see.
Naito: You know, whether he believes it or not, I wanted to hear more positive talk from Tanahashi. There are still a lot of fans who expect the old Ace.
–Well that shows in him being in that opening main event with you.
Naito: That’s how established he is, that’s how many expectations there are of him. People expect to see the true Ace. Will they? Or will they see me giving him a dose of reality?
Zack might be the hardest guy to wrestle in the entire G1
–On September 24 in Hokkaido, you face Zack Sabre Jr. You’ve said before that you find it tough to wrestle him.
Naito: If you put me on the spot, yeah, I’d say I find it tough. A few years ago in the New Japan Cup, I had no answer for him at all (watch here!). I think he might be the hardest guy to wrestle in the B Block. Maybe the whole G1.
–You’re not relishing the thought of facing him second?
Naito: I’m not relishing the thought of facing him, period.
–Are you happier to get the match out of the way do you think?
Naito: Yeah, maybe. I’m the type to eat my vegetables first (laughs). You know, with the diverse roster that we have, there really isn’t anybody like him. So there’s a bit of me that’s excited to face someone different.
Goto has so much potential, but he’s become just a guy
–On September 29 in Korakuen, you face Hirooki Goto. He was one of your first opponents in NJPW after you joined Los Ingobernables. What are your thoughts on him of late?
Naito: I think he’s great. I’ve always thought he’s been great. Every single move he has has so much impact, so much forcefulness. There’s all this potential in him, but he’s become just a guy. If he’s around or not, do things really change all that much?
–Harsh words.
Naito: He failed his way into CHAOS after he faced me. He should have become Captain Kuwana like I suggested. He might have been better off. He’s just been fading further into the background ever since.
–You teased him with a mask in the leadup to your matches back then.
Naito: But I’ll always remember the match I had with him in Sendai, non title. I lost, and man he was so tough.
–That was your first singles match together, I believe. February 2011 (watch now!)
Naito: It was a fun match. He’s a tough guy, but he just feels like such a waste. So I’m looking forward to this match but I don’t think he’ll have me in any trouble.
He doesn’t seem to be in any rush. He should be
–So to round up our look at the first half of your campaign, you against SANADA on October 1. You said you were looking forward to this one.
Naito: Out of this year’s lineup, he’s the guy I wanted to face the most. Plus, even though he isn’t from Nagaoka, SANADA is a Niigata boy so this is his home arena. So all the stars are lining up for this to be really exciting.
–Last year SANADA got into a rivalry with Kazuchika Okada, and it seemed like he was advancing in status, but he hasn’t put results together.
Naito: I think if he can just get something big, he’ll get right to the top, you know? After January 5, everybody but him held gold in LIJ. I had two titles. A while later, Shingo had both NEVER titles. EVIL, that was what it was, but he went on to win the New Japan Cup and beat me for both titles. SANADA doesn’t seem to be in any rush at the moment, but he should be.
–He always seems to go at his own pace.
Naito: It’s weird right? (laughs) But that said, he goes at his own pace, and he always seems to be so confident. That confidence is scary, that level of self belief. It really makes me think if he can pull off something big, he’ll be right at the top of the pile in an instant.
–To get into that match itself, does he have you worried as an opponent?
Naito: It’s certainly a match to bring attention to. For the whole of the G1, for him as an individual, for us as LIJ. I’m at the head of this group right now, and I plan on showing SANADA, Nagaoka and the whole world watching online that I always will be.
