New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to North America this weekend for Fighting Spirit Unleashed, and former IWGP Champion Kazuchika Okada gave an interview prior to the show on NJPW’s website. The conversation focused on his role as ambassador for the company, seeing the Japanese scene grow in America, and they talked about Cody Rhodes and All In.
On wrestling Cody Rhodes:
Like I expected, he was great. I don’t know how much came from his dad and how much he developed by himself, but he’s obviously very charismatic, and more than that, he isn’t excessively flashy. Some fans see guys who do flashy moves and might think ‘this guys a great wrestler,’ or ‘that guys tough’, but without big showy moves, he’s able to get the fans to know he’s really tough. He’s so fundamentally sound, too. A really good wrestler.
Being the Japanese face of the company:
I’m going to show you how we do it in New Japan Pro Wrestling. That’s what you get whenever I wrestle, whoever’s in the ring with me. At All In, I came in intending to represent NJPW as only I can. And when you think of a Japanese representative for NJPW, I’m really the only one for that job. Not Tanahashi, not Naito. I am the face of NJPW. I’m going to take that responsibility seriously, and I’m going to tear it up in the Walter Pyramid.
His All In experience:
It was awesome. Of course, it was great to have a match in front of about 12,000 people, and it was amazing to think ‘Wow, Cody and the Bucks were able to put all this together.’ It was a great card, I had a good match, it all showed the power of pro wrestling I think. For them to have their little YouTube channel, start Being The Elite, and have it grow into that, get that many people in the building, that’s amazing. I really felt that we saw new potential in professional wrestling. Really great.
There’s much more that Okada talks about in the full interview, so be sure to check it out.
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