New Japan Pro-Wrestling has released part two of their sit-down interview with new IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Jon Moxley, who won the title earlier this month from Juice Robinson, at Dominion.
During the interview Moxley talks about his participation in the upcoming G1 Climax tournament, what he hopes to gain from it, and discusses what drew him to New Japan as a promotion. He also mentions wanting to get in the ring with Minoru Suzuki, advice he received from Shinsuke Nakamura prior to leaving WWE, and more.
ON MINORU SUZUKI WANTING TO WRESTLE HIM:
Interesting news to me. I would love nothing more than to share a ring with him. He snaps my arm, cool, it was an honour. I snap his, and I’ve snapped the arm of the great Minoru Suzuki. So either way it’s a good result for me and the fans. That idea, it’s just two dudes who… I feel I understand him. The pleasure he gets out of inflicting pain, and the pleasure he gets out of being in wars. I saw him at WrestleMania weekend live and in person at an independent show. It was a wild 20 minute brawl with sweat flying everywhere and I loved it. I’m a big fan of his.
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Maybe sometime this summer we can spend some time together and have him show me a few tricks of the trade to take with me back to America. I’ve got an open mind.
ON WHAT DREW HIM TO NEW JAPAN ‘ACE’ HIROSHI TANAHASHI:
The match that hooked me on him, and NJPW was probably him and Suzuki in 2012. I remember watching that match a hundred times. No rope work, just in the middle of the ring. Back when I was young, before New Japan World, I’d watch these crappy quality old VHS tapes. Super J-Cup, Muta and all that, but Suzuki and Tanahashi is what attracted me to modern New Japan.
ON ADVICE THAT NAKAMURA GAVE HIM ABOUT COMPETING IN THE G1:
Well, Shinsuke Nakamura is in WWE and doing very well. I never got to wrestle him sadly, but he heard that I was likely going over to be in the G1 and he was very pleased, said it was a great life experience. Karl Anderson, who I’ve actually been friends with since I was 18, since we’re both from Cincinnati. I asked him about the G1, a few others as well, and everybody was great and said ‘yeah, go for it’.
ON HIS THOUGHTS GOING INTO THE G1:
I’ve watched a lot of matches from it. Lots of great matches, grueling fights. I’ve heard it’s the toughest, most grueling, most challenging tournament in all of sports. It’s a meat grinder, four weeks of hell. It’s got a hell of a reputation as being the toughest thing you can do as a professional wrestler. That’s intriguing to me as a fan, and it’s intriguing to me as a wrestler.
Whenever I step in that ring, I’m going to work my ass off. The thing I definitely bring to the table is fight and maximum effort. Over the coming weeks and months I plan on learning new things, and hopefully putting them to use in the ring. The only thing I can promise is that I will put my life on the line and give maximum effort because I have such respect for these fans.