Yota Tsuji on Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Retirement Match, Wanting To Defend IWGP Global Title Against Andrade El Idolo or Gabe Kidd Overseas, Other Names Considered for Unbound Co. Faction, Backstage Talk with Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom 20, & More

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s NJPW1972.com held a recent interview with IWGP Global Heavyweight and IWGP Heavyweight Champions Yota Tsuji as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Tsuji’s thoughts about his reaction to Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement match against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kingdom 20 earlier this month.

“I hit the showers when I got to the back and I was icing my neck while I checked it out. Tanahashi’s incredible. Those cheers at that volume from that many people without stopping, it just hit home how much he means to wrestling. Tanahashi that day was like the ultimate final form of a pro-wrestler. And you know, the match was great. Some emotion just boiled over toward the end there (laughs).”

Tsuji also gave his thoughts about his IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship against Gabe Kidd or Andrade El Idolo to take place overseas.

“I’d like to do it overseas. If it happens to be Andrade then it’s a new international name to me to face, and if it’s Gabe then it will be a chance to show the best of NJPW to a foreign audience, so it’ll be cool either way.”

Tsuji also gave his thoughts about several names that were considered for his new faction in NJPW before the name “Unbound Company” was decided on for its official name. Unbound Company currently features Tsuji, David Finlay, Drilla Moloney, Clark Connors, Daiki Nagai, Gabe Kidd, Gedo, Hiromu Takahashi, Knockout Brothers (OSKAR & Yuto-Ice), Robbie X, Shingo Takagi, Taiji Ishimori, and Titán as official members.

“We each suggested ideas. I wanted Unbound in the name to carry over from Ingobernable and L.I.J., and in the end, we had a vote and went with Unbound Co. But there were a few other ideas. Like going with the Ts in Tsuji, Takahashi and Takagi and calling it T-Blaze. Dizzy Dogma was another one. But as we were talking about names, the War Dogs members came in and talked about wanting in on something new. From BULLET CLUB came the company concept and then we went with Unbound Co.”

Tsuji also gave his thoughts about him having a conversation with Will Ospreay backstage at Wrestle Kingdom 20 and how his match with Ospreay for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship at Destruction in Kobe 2023 was a turning point for his wrestling career.

“That match was a real turning point in my career, I’m grateful to him for that. We actually spoke briefly backstage in the Tokyo Dome, he congratulated me on the belts and the match. We’d both like to again some time, so with this United Empire stuff… we’ll see.”

Tsuji also gave his thoughts about Konosuke Takeshita wearing an armband in reference to Shinsuke Nakamura during their match for the IWGP Global Heavyweight and IWGP Heavyweight Championships at Wrestle Kingdom 20.

“When I saw it, I had this impulse to take it off him, but that would have been disrespectful to (Shinsuke) Nakamura and (Hiroshi) Tanahashi both. It just goes to show how much that night meant to so many people.”

Tsuji also gave his thoughts about his praise of NJPW’s Young Lions developmental system and his belief that NJPW is nothing without its Young Lions talents.

“It was louder than any Tokyo Dome crowd I’ve experienced up to now. It made me happy to be a NJPW wrestler, and at the same time, I felt, this is what NJPW really is, what it should be. Daiki Nagai was seconding me, and when I handed my entrance gown to him, I told him we have to make it like this next year and the year after that. That was an important moment. NJPW is nothing without its Young Lions, and all of them have to have a clear eye on the future to come.”