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NOV.26.2020

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Ruler with an Iron Fist: Great-O-Khan Interviewed (2/2)

Great-O-Khan on his plans for NJPW domination

Together with Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan and THE EMPIRE have been a force to be reckoned with in World Tag League thus far. Before the league kicked off, we spoke to the imposing fresh returnee with grand plans for the future. 

Read part one here!

Watch World Tag League 2020 live and on demand with NJPW World! December 6 & 11 with LIVE English commentary! 

THE EMPIRE is an alliance. We will never be beneath anyone again

— To get us started, I want to go back to your return a little here…

O-Khan: We said before! It was not a return for us, it was an invasion!

–My apologies. But for many wrestlers coming into NJPW, the question becomes what faction to join, with hontai, CHAOS, BULLET CLUB, Los Ingobernables De Japon and Suzuki-Gun. You obviously went a different path with THE EMPIRE. Was one of the other groups ever a consideration for you?

O-Khan: Ha! Why would you presume we would think as superficially as those other wrestlers? We had no plans on being in any other system. For one thing, with us and Ospreay, there is no ranking, no pecking order.

–You’re on even footing in THE EMPIRE?

O-Khan: We are an alliance. We will never be beneath anyone, ever again. For us to even consider something so humiliating!

–Understood. So all in all, being on the ground floor in THE EMPIRE was the right fit for you.

O-Khan: Hehehe. With us as part of it, THE EMPIRE will rule New Japan before long. Of course it was ideal.

There are peasants who think seeing our entrance entitles them to an opinion

–You have a very strong amateur wrestling backbone as well as MMA experience. That would lead many to assume you would be a very orthodox wrestler, but on your excursion?

O-Khan: Hm? What are you trying to say here?

–Well, it’s been quite a dramatic shift. What was the thinking behind your new style and appearance?

O-Khan: Oh? Well, let me ask you something, you imbecile. Since you appear to know, what exactly is ‘orthodox’ supposed to mean? What makes someone ‘unorthodox’?

–You feel those labels don’t suffice.

O-Khan: First of all, when we were in the amateur wrestling world, we didn’t even know what pro-wrestling was. Why did we choose NJPW then? Because there were no opponents in amateur wrestling left for us to beat. We turned pro to take on new competition.

–And so you made your debut, and now your re-appearance here.

O-Khan: So now these ‘people’ see us and say. ‘Oh, what a wild character’, ‘oh he looks like a 1980s era wrestler’. What a load of drivel. All we know is our style, our way! To hell with ‘orthodox’!

–You don’t care for the comments at all.

O-Khan: Well, these peasants that take one look at an entrance and believe that entitles them to an opinion, yes, that’s irritating. More than irritating! They should kiss our hand before we crush their skulls! Ignorant fools!

–About that entrance; it’s certainly unique.

O-Khan: Every single step, every element of our entrance has meaning! Maybe if you morons used an ounce of your tiny brain power you might be able to understand! Of course, we might be doing everything at a level far too high for you to understand.

My Mongolian Chop isn’t even remotely similar to Tenzan’s

–But, if I may, you do remind a lot of people of an older style of wrestlers. Recently, younger wrestlers have tended to be more clean cut types…

O-Khan: Who cares?! If wrestlers want to cater to what the idiots want to see, then fine. But can those phonies trying to pass themselves off as good little boys really call themselves pro-wrestlers?

–You don’t hold yourself to that standard.

O-Khan: Go out in the street and show them our picture next to these pretty boys’. Ask the people on the street who they think is a pro-wrestler. The answer is obvious! Not one of those identical looking morons can ever make people understand what professional wrestling is about.

–In ring, your Mongolian Chop has had a lot of impact on your opponents and the fans.

O-Khan: Hmm, we have been pleased with how well the move has worked for us.

–Hiroyoshi Tenzan has been famous for that move in the past…

O-Khan: Huh? You’re supposed to work for this company, and yet you have such a dim witted view of this business? You can surely see that the angle of our hands makes for a completely different maneuver!

–The hand angle.

O-Khan: Completely different to Tenzan’s!

–My apologies.

O-Khan: Even daring to compare our superior Mongolian Chop to Tenzan’s makes our stomach turn! The way we jump, that makes the move infinitely more impactful! And our yell. That is not just a strange comic voice! That is true karate breathing, the explosion of energy! It is a Mongolian Chop that shows exactly how effective our backbone and training is! To even suggest it could be similar to Tenzan’s!

–Nevertheless, Tenzan has been using his Mongolian Chop for 30 years. Many people would be interested in the two of you facing off one on one.

O-Khan: Heheh. We will control and dominate everything that happens inside that ring, and all that step inside it. Whether a Young Lion, or a washed up has been, all are prey to us. But certainly Tenzan would be a fun legacy to crush.

–Your karate pump kick has been another very valuable move for you.

O-Khan: We keep telling you, we have no interest in what professional wrestling was before. We have no interest in taking other wrestler’s moves, or watching what they do. We take our backbone, our training, and put it to use in the ring, all to lead to our finish.

–So everything you do is to get to the Eliminator.

O-Khan: Well that is our true genius wrestling sense at play. Bow down to the Dominator, Great-O-Khan! Hahaha!

–With that kick, and the reverse delayed suplex you’ve been using, you certainly stand out.

O-Khan: Oh, finally, you seem to be understanding. Perhaps you can serve underneath us one day.

–Uh, thank you. Do you have any other moves in mind that we’re yet to see?

O-Khan: Of course! If you would take the time to take on look at what we did in the UK, you will see that we have barely shown one fifth of what we can do in the ring, and piece by piece we are building that arsenal in World Tag League.

Similar? To EVIL? Ridiculous

–With talk of empires and kings, I wanted to get us to the King of Darkness, EVIL. Is he someone that you have your eye on as well?

O-Khan: Hm. We have seen comments on social media saying that we and he are similar. Similar? What in the world makes us similar?

–Well, again, you both stand apart from other wrestlers. You’re similar in that attitude, perhaps…

O-Khan: You think the same? What kind of moron are you? To tell the truth though, we find him interesting at least.

–Oh you do?

O-Khan: He had the conviction to turn the back on his own brothers, all to become champion, and he made good on his promises. There might be something of us in him… Perhaps the King of Darkness could be a part of our Empire, heheheh.

–That’s a lot of respect on EVIL.

O-Khan: But we still haven’t experienced his strength as yet. We look forward to meeting in World Tag League. But we aren’t in the least bit similar! Don’t try and deny our uniqueness!

–You face one another on November 30. 

O-Khan: Well then, the imbeciles in Korakuen Hall will have something to look forward to. 

From here, we take every league, every tournament, every title!

–After World Tag League, we get well and truly on the road to Wrestle Kingdom. Your thoughts on that event.

O-Khan: You know how much we have achieved in amateur wrestling and in mixed martial arts?

–You’re a six time world champion and have won ten different championships a total of 23 different times across multiple disciplines, so I hear.

O-Khan: The same goes for New Japan Pro-Wrestling. From here, we take every league, every tournament, every title! It starts with World tag League, and then the IWGP Tag Team Championships! The real road to domination begins in 2021! Haha!

 

 

 

 

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