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Chono has the power to control NJPW now, you are against his system?
Chono, what is he doing? He's going to Noah.... What does he want to
do? NJPW IS THE BEST WRESTLING GROUP IN THE WORLD! Concentrate on that! Going to the second best organization Noah to prove something? That's proving nothing! Chono is on the top of the highest mountain, he's got to fight the guys coming for him, not to go to another league or to make a another promotion where he can escape. It's not going to happen anymore. Come fight the leader of INOKI DOJO. We have unfinished business, and I'm still upset about the lost against you. I want a revenge match if you're not scared. Let's get it on!
Nagata is the IWGP champion, what kind of impression do you have on
him?
A lot of things have to change in NJPW right now. It's all starting
right here in INOKI DOJO. Nagata came here a couple of month ago, and we worked out kicked his butt all over the place. He quit the work out early and didn't want to finish. That's fine, but he's our champion for NJPW. I lost a lot of respect for him when he came to
this dojo and couldn't finish our routine work out. What does he do now? He brings somebody who's very inexperienced, Josh Barnett, to fight him in his very first pro wrestling match. Tried to go over on his name value because he was an UFC champion. Josh doesn't even know the rules yet! He put him in a title match against him and acted like
it was a big deal after he won. Josh didn't know what he was doing... What's Nagata going to do next? He's going to keep the feud going because he knows it's easy. Everybody in NJPW has taken the easy road right now, and it's going to end. It'll end quickly.
Makai Club is also getting popular and has power now to change
directions of NJPW.
Makai Club is talking about how strong they are and they want to make their own title. Well, why don't they go after the one title, the prestigious title. Everybody wants their own title, then that makes no value. That'll create bunch of new groups with their own belt, and they keep it to themselves without fighting outsiders. Who's the real champion? It's ridiculous. There needs to be one champion and one title.
I think Mr. Hoshino came here, and we had a good report and relationship. I respect him because he's one of the old school who trained directly under Rikidozan. But if he thinks he's going to take over INOKI DOJO with his Makai Club, he's sadly mistaken. We'll kick Makai Club around; I trained Yasuda for his first shoot fight! Suddenly, Yasuda comes in here acting like the boss. He didn't even train when he came here; now he is looking down at the mat like he's somebody. He doesn't give any respect for anybody when he walks into the dojo. I'll take him on the mat and kick him around eight days a week! He's been chosen as the Makai Club leader, so act like the leader. He went out on Inoki Bom Ba Ye 2002
and embarrassed us. For that matter, Fujita embarrassed the Inoki Team as well. Fujita said he had no damage after the fight and wanted to have a big tournament. If he didn't have any damage after the fight, then he didn't try hard enough because he should have damages in a match against a guy like Mirko. Fujita played it safe, weak minds play
it safe. Fujita was the greatest spark for a minute with great abilities and intensity. He was like a gorilla, and nobody could stop him in the ring. But he lost his fire along the way.
Did you train with any other Inoki Team fighter?
Ogawa. I trained him for his first shoot fight. He came back and beat up Hashimoto to bring back the respect in wrestling, but where is he now?
How was he as a fighter?
He's ok, but he's full of it. These guys like to talk, sit back and act like they know, but when it comes time, he'll ask for too much money and back off. He buddies up with Mr. Inoki because Mr. Inoki can get him rich and famous. That maybe true, but once they get what they want, they walk away.
I was the one who trained them and stayed in the dojo. I'm the one who hasn't been given the opportunity, whether it's because I'm a "GAIJIN" (foreigner) or what, but my point is I'm still here and loyal to Mr. Inoki. Anyone who wants to battle, bring it on! Pride, UFC, K-1, Cage, NJPW or whatever alphabet soup you want to come up with. Just send me there, and I will battle for Mr. Inoki, I will go for free. I don't need to be paid because that's what I have in my heart. I'm not a coward or a chicken. I'm not using Mr. Inoki to get into a position and to leave him once I'm there. I want to carry down what Rikidozan passed down to Mr. Inoki and what Mr. Inoki is passing down to me. People try to call themselves the next Inoki, but I'll never call myself that. I'm an individual and never will repeat what has already been done. Mr. Inoki to me is like god, so I can't compare myself to him. I just have to be original. I'll always be below him as a student but always carry on his teaching to other fighters, be a professor of Inoki art of war.
I've gave Yasuda, Fujita, Ogawa the position above me because I'm younger and I did want to help them. I offered them everything I had so they could be at their best, but once when they got to where they were, they forgot about me.
I heard from Nakamura that you were extremely skilled on the ground.
I appreciate that, and coming from Nakamura is a great compliment.
He's a great warrior and a warrior of the future. Nakamura, in his first MMA match (Inoki BonBaYe 2002) gave everything and got caught. He got caught because of his inexperience, but he tried his best! He gave everything he had in the ring that night. That's honer, and he deserves respect. He holds a lot of NJPW's future, and NJPW needs to recognize that quickly. Nakamura, Yamamoto, Nagao, Tanahashi, Blue Wolf,
and Ryoto Machida; these guys are truly the future of NJPW. Those other guys don't deserve the respect they have right now. They took the easy road, it started to show.
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