Tom Lawlor is proud of the work he has done on NJPW STRONG, and he appreciates the way he has been associated with the brand as it has continued to grow.
Lawlor has been a prominent member of NJPW STRONG since it launched in 2020. “Filthy Tom” was the inaugural NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, and he had a lengthy run with the title until Fred Rosser dethroned him earlier this year.
In an interview with Scott Edwards for Fightful, Lawlor was asked whether he feels a sense of pride in the brand’s growth and the feeling that everyone wants to compete there. He made it clear that he’s proud of his run with NJPW STRONG and the way it has evolved.
“Absolutely. Being a part of New Japan, whether it’s overseas in Japan or here in the USA is a big deal to me. So to that, I’m proud to say that I’ve been a part of New Japan Strong since the very beginning is another thing that I’m very proud of. I don’t take the fact that I was the first and for a long time the only champion in New Japan Strong history, lately is another thing I, once again, am very proud of. I put in a lot of work and effort into that title. I held it very, very close to my heart. I think it was the best work that I’ve done inside the professional wrestling ring bar none.
“It’s something I would love to be associated with, for the rest of my career, I’m happy to hear that you bring that up and you say, ‘You helped create a brand here in the USA.’ Because there are interchangeable wrestlers to a certain degree with New Japan and Strong. You have guys going back and forth and you’re gonna have guys going back and forth even more now the borders have opened up a little bit. I’m sure we’ll talk about it a little more, but when I was overseas in Japan, one of the things that made me the happiest would be when I’d have fans come up and say, ‘Hey, I watched New Japan Strong every week. I’m here to support you. I’ve been watching you in the G1 for the past month, but I watch you on New Japan Strong every week and we want to see the rest of Team Filthy over here. We want to see you here all the time.’ That really makes me feel awesome as a professional.”
In the same interview, Lawlor discussed his goals and stated that he wants to compete at Wrestle Kingdom.
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