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As always, my annotations are in [], and additional explanations will be provided where I can.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Matsui
1/4 2013
Oh well!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Went to the Tôkyô Dome today.
[It was] what you’d expect from New Japan’s biggest wrestling event.
It was on a different scale.
Man, there were so many [people] there…
At least, where we are right now, I can’t imagine us having a show here in four years at all.
Ibushi appeared in the threeway match for the IWGP Junior [championship]!
Once again he put on a tremendous battle that you couldn’t look away from for even a second, surpassing [his match] from last year.
[…]
Sadly, he didn’t become a three time IWGP Junior champion.
Since Ibushi had an expression overflowing with fulfillment when he came back[stage], I’ve decided to wait for his next chance.
Either way, it was an incredible threeway [match]!
The picture is of the Golden Star, showing off the wound on his mouth from where he was cut after taking one of Low Ki’s foot stomps.
BBM
1/20 2013
Diamond Dust in Nagoya 2013
Kenny: “Shit, we lost.”
Ibushi: “Sorry.”
Kenny: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for disappointing all the fans. I have actually never lost to HARASHIMA in a normal wrestling match. This was the first time. So I kind of want to wrestle him [again], but first is Isami. A double title match. I wanted to say Triple Crown, but that’s not possible right now. Of course, we’re going to keep fighting. And this isn’t the end. I’m going to get better, and next week is Isami, I’m only going to think about that, and then after that I’m going to think about the next challenger. But right now that’s the most important thing. But I’m really sorry, everyone. We lost, but I felt the Golden☆Lovers from before. I’m so sorry.”
Ibushi: “If we train, we might catch up again. We’ll do this again. Next, we’ll do our best at Kôrakuen.”
Kenny: “Yes, we will.”
Matsui
1/23 2013
Press Conference!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
There was a press conference at Dropkick yesterday.
It seems that the double title match at Kôrakuen on 1/27 for the KO-D and EXTREME [championships] will be fought under normal wrestling rules, in accordance with Isami’s wishes.
As EXTREME champion, [Isami] could have gotten away with requesting the hardcore rules [for this match] that he so excels in, but the fact that he didn’t do so, and on the contrary, insisted on this [being fought under] normal rules, I think shows the amount of determination he has for this fight.
Both [wrestlers] spoke similarly about being thrilled for the championship bout.
Hope you look forward to it!
Matsui [excerpt]
1/27 2013
Kôrakuen!
(image: Matsui Yukinori)
Had our Kôrakuen show today at noon.
[The show’s on] 12/23, New Year’s Eve and 1/3 came right one after the other, and all of these were full houses, so I had heard that it could be difficult [to have a full house as well] today…
But a lot of fans came to today’s show too, and we were able to have a full house.
Thank you everyone for coming!
[…]
Ibushi vs Takeshita!
Ibushi gave us a truly interesting fight, neither relying on flashy high-flying [moves], nor on [pure] power.
[…]
Would I romanticize it too much if I said he tried to give Takeshita the [kind of] wrestling he learned in his youth by being crushed and broken?
[…]
After the match, Kenny called out HARASHIMA as the next contender!
It looks like HARASHIMA had planned to come forth as challenger anyway, and the KO-D title match was set for 2/17 in Kôrakuen.
It’s their first one-on-one since the semifinals of the KING OF DDT tournament last year!
I’m extremely excited about what kind of battle it’ll turn out to be!The picture shows Kenny, now the owner of two belts.
I’m looking forward to how he will defend the EXTREME [belt] as well from here on out!
BBM [excerpt]
1/27 2013
Sweet Dreams! 2013
[…]
Kenny: “Isami, Thank you for coming to DDT and having a match with me. Uhm, at the press conference I said that you look weak, but you aren’t weak, Isami. You were able to have a great match, and I think you’re the ace of Union.”
GM Amon: “Kenny, congratulations on defending for the first time and winning the EXTREME championship. It was a wonderful, tough battle. Your next title match will be on 2/17 in Kôrakuen. It will be for the KO-D title.”
Kenny: “Are we doing this? Okay then. HARASHIMA. Are you here?”
HARASHIMA: “I had planned on stepping forward [as challenger] even if you hadn’t called me out. I appreciate the thought. Thank you.”
Kenny: “The other day, the Golden Lovers lost [to you]. You are the best wrestler [here] so I want to fight you. And also, you have never won against me in a singles match, right? So I think it won’t just be a challenge for the KO-D [belt], but a challenge for yourself.”
HARASHIMA: “You’re right, I think I lost three times [against you].”
Kenny: “I think it was probably more [times than that].”
HARASHIMA: “It was about three times? Anyway, I’m going to win our title match in February, so good luck…”
Kenny: “I’m always lucky, but I want to defeat you in a real big match, in a DDT main event. Do your worst.”
HARASHIMA: “Me too. Do your worst.”
GM Amon: “So it’s decided! On 2/17 at the Kôrakuen show, it’s going to be the champion Kenny Omega versus the challenger, HARASHIMA!”
Kenny: “Also, today was special. I’m a big gamer. I’m really happy Capcom, ROCK-MEN created a song for me. And since everyone wants to stand in a ring once in their lives, please ROCK-MEN, put on your Megaman helmets and stand with me in the ring. Thank you very much. Are you going to say something?”
After ROCK-MEN congratulated [Kenny] on his victory, the [show] approached its ending after he [called out,] “Music, start!”
[…]
Kenny: “I haven’t fought skinny guys like Isami lately. Everything considered, it was a different experience. The double titles [were on the line], Isami is skinny, and I have never fought a hardcore fighter. To put something else out there, I have never fought someone from Union. Today was perhaps a bit awkward, I was maybe a bit out of my element, but I fought someone I have never fought before. That confused me. It wasn’t like there was any pressure. [I was careful] so I could get a safe victory.
For example, psychopaths like Isami feel no pain. That’s why I didn’t want to give him time to rest. Even if he could endure [the pain], if I broke his bones, he would be done for.”
(You said it was a lot of fun [fighting] Isami.)
“There are a lot of different people. Some could never like their work, some don’t love it. But I’m able to have fun doing what I do because I love my work. So it feels great to be able to get into the ring with guys like Isami who enjoy this.
But in this world there are also guys who want to steal my spotlight. There are guys, not just from Japan but from all around the world, who want to take my spot. What makes this difficult is that it’s not just about having fun, but having to make these shows a success, having to find your own place in history. It’s rare to hold double titles, so I was able to get a nice start.”
(What have you planned for the EXTREME [title]?)
“You can decide the rules [of the matches] yourself, right? These two belts are like night and day, so it looks like I can have some fun with the rules. I have shown you a lot of different sides of myself. I’ll show you that I’m an all-round player. And you’re gonna have no choice but to keep your eyes on me and these two belts. I’ll show you what I can do one by one.
The match against Ibushi has been the best match of my life, but all everyone remembers is Ibushi standing tall in the end. It’s a wonderful memory for me, but I think for the people watching, what stayed [in their memory] is that Ibushi won. That’s why I let Generico encourage me to have a match with him, and I also had a crazy fight with Isami. I want to show that I got what it takes to be here.”
(HARASHIMA will be your next opponent.)
“Of course I remember what [I] said in the ring, and no matter when I’m fighting HARASHIMA, I’m always giving it 100%. And he also barely won. The DDT fans know this, but I have never lost [against] him in a singles match. For me, you could say that it was only appropriate that I lost. I have no confidence that I’m smarter or tougher than HARASHIMA. So this time I want to get a sound victory over him.”
D Panpa
1/29 2013
1/27 Ibushi vs Takeshita
(image: D Panpa)
[…]
It felt like Ibushi was drilling the experience he once had made of [his opponent being an insurmountable] wall into Takeshita.
Personally, it was close to a Best Bout [level] match for me, because I like this kind of extreme and laser-guided offense.
I’m [thinking] that maybe, Takagi is thinking about having the main event of the Dome show be Ibushi vs Takeshita. So I couldn’t miss this fight. In the future it should be a splendid match-up as well.
[…]
Ibushi Kôta
You unveiled a lot of moves for the first time.
“I did them for the first time [in this match], but I was doing them when I was play-wrestling. Like I thought, [Takeshita’s] abilities other than his physical ability are amazing. The strength of his trunk, or the body he had coming into [wrestling] is amazing. “However, he’s not fully using [his body] for wrestling; he’s not using more than 20% [of it]. If he makes full use of that, if he attunes his body 100% to wrestling, then he’ll be unhinged.”
Other wrestlers didn’t think that way about you?
“It feels like it’s different than it was when I was a rookie.”
You didn’t think you would be pushed this far?
“I didn’t, and it felt like, even though there was no leeway for him, that he had leeway [to push me]. I think it might have been that athletic ability [of his] that doesn’t have wrestling fully instilled in it [yet], I think it was that part [of Takeshita] that [got me].
You brought on a brutal offense.
“On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do that if Takeshita hadn’t been [my opponent].”
[What was] that powerbomb where you gathered [Takeshita] up and threw him behind you?
“That’s a finisher [I developed at] OPG. It doesn’t have a name, though1.”
Have you never let a rookie spar with you so far?
“I didn’t plan on allowing a rookie to practice on me. We just fought normally one on one.”
Are you aware of the fact that you have [helped] raise him?
“I didn’t [do so] voluntarily, we just came to [do that]. I don’t have a talent [for raising others], so I hope he will grow up [by himself].”
What should Takeshita do to fully use that remaining 80%?
“[It comes with] experience, or getting used to it. One way or another, there is a lot [to consider], like pacing yourself like this there, and such. Once he has understood all that, he’s going to be amazing.”
Did you yourself feel this way when you were a rookie?
“I pretended to put out 100%, but looking at it now, my body was worn out. My movements turned into [those I did during] play-wrestling.”
Takeshita Kônosuke
“To be honest, I got the impression that I couldn’t do anything at all. I saw Ibushi being successful in the Best of the Super Jr, I wanted to overcome him, and so I sent DDT my resumé. I joined DDT and faced [Ibushi] for the first time, and I couldn’t do anything, but I think I might have gotten a little closer [to his level]. I think today, I crept closer just a little bit to that far-away goal of mine.”
Do you feel like you saw the gap between you and Ibushi?
“I realized how many miles, how many hundred of miles, I’m still away from [reaching] my goal that’s somewhere I couldn’t see at all before, but today was good.”
In what aspects are you outmatched by Ibushi?
“When it comes to Ibushi, his flashy moves probably stand out, but I was rattled by his determination to win, him fighting with his emotions.”
Ibushi said you didn’t use your abilities to their fullest.
“He might be [right]. I can move however I want when it comes to track and field. In wrestling, you have the ropes, the fans, and in that you have to display your own strength. As I’m inexperienced in wrestling in that regard, I still haven’t demonstrated my own power, I think. Right now all I can do is exert myself with what I do have.”
Does wrestling have more restrictions than track and field?
“[It does] because you’re coming into actual physical contact, you’re fighting people. In track and field it’s you alone, and in this aspect, you have the movements of the opponent [in wrestling], so I think I still haven’t put myself out there.”
What’s your next goal?
“I think that Ibushi is the perfect wrestler, and even though I’m inexperienced, I want to level up, get better, and fight him one more time, no matter where.”
1 Sadly, it indeed never received a name. The move is a powerbomb facebuster, and transitions into a Phoenix Plex-like bridge after the opponent hits the mat.
完璧だった。 