(BIG JAPAN) "There are many answers" ~ Interview with Takuya Nomura
January 2020
Q: Why did you make the challenge?
NOMURA: Abe (Fuminori) was nominated by Aoki (Yuya) to challenge for the BJW junior, and nobody came out in response to Daichi's invitation. Hideyoshi Kamitani was about to go up, but Abe said he really hesiated. Also, I remember when Daichi was champion before, after a tag match ended at Radiant or somewhere, I approached him without a microphone and said, "please let me challenge for the belt".
Q: It wasn't done in a way that the audience knew about it?
NOMURA: Not transmitted? I didn't do it in the end, but I wanted to do it when I was champion and was more confident. From the end of the year there was a feeling that I was "doing pro-wrestling strongly".
Q: In 2016 when you debuted, Daichi joined Big Japan, have you had an admiration for him since around that time?
NOMURA: Like ZERO1, I liked and watched IGF, I had a special feeling for it. Suzuki was also in IGF wasn't he? Before becoming a wrestler it was "IGF'S pro wrestling is amazing. There is something extraordinary about their matches" (rough). I was worried about Daichi.
Q: What do you feel is Daichi's strength?
NOMURA: I think that that ZERO-1 and IGF are two promotions who are "a little different from other professional wrestling." He feels tougher, isn't that the strength from going from place to place? He worked with Fujita (Kazuyuki), Naoya Ogawa and Jerome Le Banner. I watched him fight single matches with very strong people, and I thought that as he didn't have their strength, it was like bloodlust. (Next part does not translate, but I think he says something like each time I thought he was going to fall down, he didn't)
Q: Bloodlust?
NOMURA: When the match first starts, Daichi immediately went to the middle of the ring. I didn't want to be knocked down too, but I was young and being turned round and round, you just fall. Daichi is cool because he can see the strike coming, and I think being cool is also an advantage. When I get intense, I will fight with "WOW", Daichi however is guarded as usual, and very calm. Slaps and strikes are normally guarded, and his kicks are guarded and connect. Isn't he an exciting wrestler? Thinking about myself I don't know how to acquire excitement, but I think Daichi is one of those wrestlers.
Q: Looking beyond the belt
NOMURA: Yes. First of all, don't fall. I think that having a strong heart is the most important thing.
NOMURA: What about it? It might just be the way I am thinking of doing things. My opponent always wins. He draws out the best of me. I am trying to win, but I have a feeling that to my opponent "win and take it all" is a creed. We have had singles matches about 78 times, and I have never won, and so I want to win the title match as a culmination of that.
Q: You have a win over Sekimoto in a tag, and you also won the pre-match against Okabayashi. Do you have a state of mind that is completely different now?
NOMURA: It is completely different. I'm confident. In the very long pre-match with Okabayashi and I thought to myself, "I wonder if I'm not growing". Having the title match with Okabayashi was really big for me I think. I think I went up in my own eyes.
Q: It was around this time that the Dragon Suplex began to take root in your finish. Why was this?
NOMURA: I guess it started when Suzuki (Hideki) said, "You should use it". I guess he doesn't remember (laughs). I said "Hmm" at first, but in Fujiwara Gumi* there was a match between Masakatsu Funaki and Ken Shamrock, there was a match where Shamrock wins with a Dragon Suplex. I prefer the term "Full Nelson Suplex", and so as the move made sense to me, I got advice from Suzuki and tried it.
Q: So that's the reason. By the way, Daichi said you "haven't made it". How about that?
NOMURA: Originally, I didn't want to a puroresu which has a bad style. I don't want to wrestle along the lines of, "I will win if I do this."
Q: You don't want to repeat similar actions.
NOMURA: Yes. There were a lot of solutions once, but now there is the Dragon Suplex which has caused various fuss (laughs), and usually I thought "What is the finish?". I guess I couldn't make a finish and not use it. However, it was great to find there was a dragon hold that is easy to show to the customers. Of course, there is the other Nomura, but I am confident.
Q: Of course, you have other weapons...
NOMURA: Yes, yes. So I am confident.
Q: It was also decided that you would enter as a combatant with 20 wonderful members*. You are in D block, the same as All Japan's Jake Lee.
NOMURA: Jake Lee, I'm scared. Immediately after debut when I had a couple of matches against All Japan, we did a couple of tags. "Big" I remember. I don't really remember it, but I am looking forward to it now. The type of wrestler I hate the most is the one that is big and fast. I will do my best.
Q: How do you feel about participating in "Strong Climb" like this?
NOMURA: I am nervous. There are a lot of amazing wrestlers, so I wonder if I can make my own mark. Even if just one person who is watching says, "by the way, the Nomura's match was good too...", I want to have that as well as the result which is the most important, but once I get in the ring, I am no longer nervous.
Q: I see. Finally, please tell us of your resolve for the title match and Ikki Tousen.
NOMURA: I will take the belt from Daichi, and win Ikki Tousen, and I will take the tag with Abe. Abe has been saying "Asia, Asia" constantly, so we will aim for the Asian tag belt. We will prove to Big Japan that this year is the year of the Astronauts.
Picture credit: Weekly Pro
* Big Japan's Strong Climb
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