Faceoff: An Interview With Katsuhiko Nakajima

On June 14th I was sitting at home, still in shock over Misawa’s passing. The only thing I could do was write, so I did.

I posted an ode to Misawa on a site that many of us used to write for, and in the process met Jason LeBlanc. I was a hockey writer on that site, however, Jason talked me into starting to write about Japan, be it coverage of events, profiles, anything was fair game.

Shortly after that, however, Jason, Ray Bogusz, and Mike Bessler decided to dive into the deep end of the IWC and they created Thewrestlingdaily.com. Jason asked me to write for it, and three months later, I end up having the opportunity to do one of the greatest, coolest things I have ever done:

Interviewing Katsuhiko Nakajima.

Nakajima, at 21 years of age, is already an almost six-year pro, which is fine, however, what’s most amazing is how good he is. You haven’t seen him in the TWD 50 yet, though he’s there—he’s very much there.

It is perfectly obvious by the world-class wrestler that he already is that he has had tremendous instruction from the likes of Riki Choshu, Kensuke Sasaki, his wife, Joshi legend Akira Hokuto, and Gen’ichiro Tenryu.

If my saying that isn’t enough, consider this: Both my current Japanese MOTY, and the match I have tied for second, are Nakajima matches (My MOTY is 6/22, Sasaki & Nakajima vs. Shoizaki & KENTA. My T-2 is KENTA vs. Nakajima, 3/1). 6/22 is so amazing that with six weeks left in the calendar year, I see virtually no way any match will surpass it. What’s more, it is better than anything from 2008.

But I digress. When I e-mailed Ring of Honor’s PR Director to ask if this interview would be possible, I was 50/50 on whether or not they would go for it, but I wasn’t sure that it would make it through the Japanese channels.

What I mean is, Nakajima wrestles for Sasaki and Hokuto’s Kensuke Office company, which is basically a small independent group who run spot shows, and are affiliated with Pro Wrestling NOAH (the number two company in Japan). Sasaki and Nakajima appear on virtually every NOAH card throughout the year, and as such, I basically (also) had to get permission from two Japanese companies to be able to do this.

I got the permission, and I got it fast.

So with the help of the guys over at DVDVR, I put together several pages of questions to ask Nakajima-san. Some were fun, some were interesting, and some were the hard-hitting journalist type.

When I got to the show, however, Murphy’s Law kicked in…of course. After introducing myself and my friend and cameraman, Rob, to Ring of Honor owner Cary Silkin and Vice President Syd Euck, they asked me the one question that almost brought down the interview altogether:

- Do you speak Japanese?

- Uh, no. Isn’t there a translator?

It turns out that after the show on Friday night, the translator flew back to Hawaii. So without a translator, we all immediately realized that an English-speaking reporter who knows maybe seven Japanese words, and a Japanese-speaking wrestler who knows probably 20 English words really wasn’t gonna work. So as Cary went off to tend to another matter (or perhaps this one, I’m not sure, he kinda vanished), Syd asked me if I still wanted to interview someone.

-          Yes, definitely.

-          Who would you like?

-          Well I’d love to talk to Delirious, but I know he doesn’t do interviews.

-          Well…how about Kenny Omega?

Omega is a Winnipeg-born wrestler who was challenging Austin Aires for the RoH World Title in the main event that night, and who also happens to wrestle for DDT in Japan. Getting the chance to talk to a totally cool guy who wrestles against Kota Ibushi, Dino, Muscle Sakai, and a freaking blow-up doll named Yoshihiko? Yes, I was in.

However, as my friend Rob and I took a look at the venue while the guys stretched, I saw Syd suddenly slowly leading Nakajima towards the door, and pointing at me. There was also someone behind them who was Japanese, but I didn’t really notice, as one thought and one thought only was going through my mind:

This interview is going to happen.

What follows is the interview in its entirety, a real treat given that almost nobody—and I do mean nobody—gets a chance to interview top Japanese talent if they’re not from Japan.

Puro Dude: Hajime mashite.

Nakajima: Hajime mashite.

Puro Dude: Hokuto Akira, I understand she is a great cook, and has cookbooks out. You can be honest with me because she probably won’t see this…is she really that good of a cook?

Nakajima: Hokuto yes, has two cookbooks. Great cook, yes.

(Akira Hokuto is the wife of Kensuke Sasaki, Nakajima’s mentor. It’s amazing how much smoother something can look in print than when done in real life. This was my epic failure of an attempt to ask an icebreaker question. I had one more, but I’m pretty sure Syd would’ve ended the interview right there. So right into the wrestling I went.)

Puro Dude: How were you discovered?

Nakajima: Choshu was friends with my Karate teacher.

Puro Dude: Why did you decide to try MMA at such a young age?

Nakajima: They say “You try cage match?” I say “Yes.”

Puro Dude: How do you feel about your performance in that MMA fight?

Nakajima: Not enough training. Match good because I won.

(It was obvious by his eyes how serious he was about the fact that he didn’t feel prepared enough to have that fight after the fact. At 14 years old, how could he be. The bout took place during a Choshu-run World Japan show. Nakajima destroyed the guy in a little over 1:30. Yes I’ve seen it, and yes I felt bad for the guy he wrecked.)

Puro Dude: Do you want to fight in MMA again?

Nakajima: Yes!

(It was around this still-early point in the interview that the masked El Generico made his way over, said hello to Nakajima and shook his hand. EG asked Nakajima if they were okay for time, and while Nakajima could have ended the interview with full cause right there, he told Generico that they were fine for time, and Generico went back to warm up.)

Puro Dude: What has it been like to have Sasaki Kensuke as your mentor, your trainer?

Nakajima: Anytime we eat, train, it’s at Kensuke’s house. Eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, we eat together, as family. (The relationship between Nakajima and the Sasaki family has often been compared to that of Nakajima being an adopted son.)

Puro Dude: What it was like getting to wrestle Jushin “Thunder” Liger at the Tokyo Dome during your rookie year in 2004?

Nakajima: Very nervous. Liger very strong. Next time…I win!

Puro Dude: Who chops harder: Sasaki, Kobashi, or Go Shiozaki?

Nakajima: Sasaki! Kensuke chop…Kobashi chop different style. Sasaki heavy. Kobashi, pain. Shoizaki hurt too.

(Kobashi does more rapid-fire chops, short and fast. The red chests and welts are proof that they hurt. Sasaki’s chop is akin to an Albert Pujols home run swing.)

Puro Dude: The Super J-Cup is coming up next month. Do you want to fight in it?

Nakajima: New Japan. Big problem, politics – New Japan tournament. If not New Japan, yes. Next time, I fight.

Puro Dude: You weigh 95 kilos, you’re only a few kilos away from being a Heavyweight. Do you want to fight as a Heavyweight in the future?

Nakajima: I weigh 103 KG. When I train, I drop to 95 KG. (Puro Dude’s note: Wow!) No Heavyweight, hope to be top of the Juniors.

(100 KG/220 lbs. is the minimum weight for a Heavyweight wrestler in Japan.)

Puro Dude: Tonight, you are fighting for Ring of Honor. How do you feel about the opportunity to come to Canada and the United States of America to fight for Ring of Honor?

Nakajima: Thank you very much Ring of Honor, because good opportunity, big chance.

Puro Dude: Who are you closest to in the NOAH locker room?

Nakajima: Marifuji, I hang out with him all the time. Shoizaki sometimes too. Shoizaki calls me drunk at 2 AM and wakes me up.

Puro Dude: What kind of training do you do to prepare to wrestle?

Nakajima: Shadow box, jump rope, that kind of stuff

Puro Dude: Hindu squats, how many have you done at one time?

Nakajima: 1000. I do 500 every day, sometimes 1000.

(Hindu squats are thousands of years old, and are used to develop tremendous muscular endurance, and of course strength as well. When they were first created, the other part of their use was to measure the conditioning of your legs and overall cardiovascular shape. To be able to do 500 Hindus is to be considered in world-class shape. The 1000 is the standard for entrance into most Pro Wrestling Dojos in Japan.)

Puro Dude: What is your favourite match?

Nakajima: Philadelphia, title match with Bryan Danielson.

(RoH’s Glory by Honor VII, GHC Jr. Heavyweight Title Match during Danielson’s last GHC Jr. Title reign.)

Puro Dude: Suzuki Minoru, I heard that you have sparred and rolled with him. Can you tell me what it was like to spar with a legendary fighter such as Suzuki?

Nakajima: All Japan tour, every day train together. Suzuki, myself, and Taiyo Kea.

Puro Dude: I’d like to ask you your thoughts about certain people, if that’s okay.

Nakajima: Yes.

Puro Dude: Choshu

Nakajima: I wrestle thanks to Choshu.

Puro Dude: KENTA

Nakajima: No like—same style. KENTA is MMA, I am Karate. Karate better.

(As in, he doesn’t like wrestling KENTA because they wrestle the same style, but Nakajima, like most all Karate practitioners—and all practitioners of one primary style—believes that his style is superior. This had nothing to do with KENTA the person.)

Puro Dude: Tenryu

Nakajima: Wrestling father—Sasaki. Wrestling uncle—Tenryu.

Puro Dude: You wrestled Misawa in two singles matches last year, including the Budokan in December. What was it like to wrestle Misawa in the Budokan? (Singles matches are a big deal in Japan because they are primarily saved for important events/feuds. Wrestling Misawa in not one, but two singles matches, without even feuding with him, including their last big event of the year in the Nippon Budokan, was a huge deal.)

Nakajima (looks at Ryu): Hakata, Hakata…

Puro Dude: Hakata Star Lanes

Nakajima (smiles): Hakata Star Lanes, yes. Hakata Star Lanes best, Budokan bad.

Puro Dude: Why?

Nakajima: Hakata Star Lanes, Misawa good. Budokan, Misawa bad. (As in, Misawa was in good physical health during the July match at HSL, but was in bad health during the Budokan match).

Addendum

After the 25 minute interview, I asked Nakajima if we could take a picture together. He was happy to, and I also asked if we could do it in fighting stance. Again, he agreed.

I’ll level with you guys: I’ve had enough sports and life experiences in my time in this life that nothing (not female-related at least) intimidates me anymore. There are certain things that once you’ve done them, that panic button simply isn’t there for anything else. So that being said, when Nakajima realized that I wasn’t smiling in my stance, he went to that place, that place where all top-level athletes go that makes them so great, and his eyes…my gosh I will never forget that look, and that feeling when he looked at me with a look that said “Your head, it will be over there when I’m done with you.”

After three seconds of that, I had to look away and crack a joke to everyone about how intense his look was. I looked back in time to get the picture that accompanies this article, and of course I thanked both Nakajima-san and his interpreter Ryu for their willingness to do this interview.

My immediate post-interview thoughts were summed up by Syd when he repeatedly said to me “Isn’t he just the nicest kid? He has no ego at all.”

I say this not as a fan, but rather as a human being: Katsuhiko Nakajima is one of the nicest people I have ever met.

After the interview, Syd mentioned that Ryu was Ryu Nakata, and I knew the name, but after everything that had just happened, couldn’t immediately place it.

Ryu Nakata is a part-owner of NOAH, and as a top executive handles everything to do with the operations’ aspect of the company, such as procuring sponsors. Nakata was Misawa’s right-hand man when it came to all of that work, and now it is in Nakata’s hands.

Of course the second Syd mentioned that Nakata was one of the bosses in NOAH, I remember all of this. I then expressed to Syd in so many words that I was happy to have not realized who our interpreter was until after the interview. That is a powerful man right there.

Syd graciously offered Rob and I the opportunity to wait in the building (as opposed to going out into the cold) until the doors opened, and we could go to our seats. While we waited, Cary came over to talk to us. But first, he had to deal with a hotel staffer who didn’t seem to grasp both fundamental spelling, and functional hearing. Cary was a far more patient man than many others in his position would have been.

We talked for about 10 minutes, and really, he didn’t have to hang out with us at all. He very much went out of his way to shoot the breeze with us about old-time wrestling up in Montreal though; a very enjoyable bonus on the evening.

The show itself was great. The Nakajima vs. El Generico bout was a great mix of hard-hitting and high-flying action. At one point, Nakajima pasted Generico in the corner with no less than seven of the nastiest roundhouse kicks you’ve ever seen. Rob and I marveled at the sound of his foot crashing against Generico’s thin chest.

By the end of the match, both wrestlers were legitimately banged up. During a Michinoku Driver by Generico, he didn’t let go of Nakajima’s legs when he drove him to the mat, and Nakajima landed on the top of his shoulder blades/back of his neck. I jumped out of my seat upon impact, because it looked that nasty. And it was, as after kicking out of the pin attempt, Nakajima immediately rolled over clutching his neck.

Nakajima also injured his foot/ankle when he jumped off the top turnbuckle and drove Generico’s head into the mat. At the end of the Nakajima victory, he could barely walk to the back, and Colt Cabana came out from the back to join Kevin Steen (Generico’s “second” and tag team partner) in checking on Generico, who had an ACL brace on his knee from a recent surgery (not ACL surgery), and helped him to the back.

During the Omega-Aries main event, I noticed Nakajima-san badly limping behind the crowd while going to the merchandise table, where he was going to sign autographs for fans at the end of the show. I went over to say Hi and ask how he was doing.

Nakajima-san gave me a huge smile that makes me smile even as I type this. He told me and motioned that he was “sore all over,” and you could really see it in his face. I think even the most layman of fan could see that the Nakajima vs. Generico bout was only rivaled by the Roderick Strong vs. Tyler Black match in terms of sheer physicality.

I again thanked Nakajima for the opportunity to interview him, and I sincerely hope that I never forget him smiling at me while he shook my hand and said “Thank you for the interview.” Also, I of course thanked Ryu Nakata again too!

It was this level of genuine kindness that I referenced earlier, and it’s why I couldn’t bring myself to ask Nakajima the “hard-hitting” questions about Misawa’s death. You know, all the power to those higher-ups in the journalism industry who can ask people probing questions about the worst times in their life, but I wasn’t about to ask this young man to relive a tragedy that so greatly affected a nation that over 28,000 people attended Misawa’s public (funeral) ceremony. This is TWD, not TMZ.

On our way out, Rob and I went to thank Cary, who was standing 15 feet in front of the doors so that everyone had to pass through him to leave (how many owners would do that?). I stuck my hand out to shake hands with him, and Cary took it and pulled me in and gave me a hug.

Ring of Honor: the apex of First Class. From the moment Rob and I entered the building to the moment we left, Cary and Syd treated us like gold. They didn’t have to make the effort that they did. They could’ve done the minimal with us and brushed us off once I had my story. From Syd making sure I had everything I needed before Nakajima went to warm up (and that was just under 30 minutes before the doors opened, so Nakajima needed to go), to Cary asking me to come back next time they were in Toronto (and I will), Ring of Honor treated us to an incredible experience, one that even my concussion-addled brain will never forget.

My sincerest thanks to Cary, Syd, and Mike from Ring of Honor for the opportunity to conduct this interview and their tremendous hospitality; to Kenny Omega, who no doubt will be on the TWD 50 next year, and who hung around for the first few questions to make sure it went well and I didn’t need to interview him instead; to the guys over at DVDVR for the great questions (special thanks to Gordi for teaching me how to greet Nakajima in Japanese and spelling it phonetically for me); to Jason, Ray, Mike, and Adam for the opportunity to write for such a fantastic site; to Kensuke Office and Pro Wrestling NOAH for allowing me time with one of their brightest stars; and of course; Ryu Nakata and Katsuhiko Nakajima, for being patient with my talking too fast with so many questions, and for being such gentlemen and genuinely nice people.

I conducted that interview as a reporter, however, I will always remember it as a fan. And when anyone asks me why I watch Puroresu and in general, Pro Wrestling, I will point to this night and say “That’s why.”

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