HYAN Discusses Joining NJPW and Her Upcoming Title Match with Giulia

In a recent Fightful interview, NJPW’s HYAN shared some details about finding out she would be working with NJPW. She also shared her thoughts about her impending match against Giulia for the NJPW STRONG Women’s title and how she’s been preparing for their confrontation. You can find a few highlights and watch the complete interview below.

On learning she would be joining NJPW: “I was in England. RevPro has a very good relationship with New Japan. It was one or two nights before the Copper Box show. Andy Q texted me, sent me a screenshot of Rocky [Rocky Romero] asking him, ‘Tell me about HYAN.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ Andy was like, ‘I would expect you to get a message from Rocky soon.’ ‘Thank you so much.’ ‘You don’t even know what I told him. I could have buried you.’ ‘I’m pretty sure you didn’t. Thank you.’ After, he told me, ‘I put you over so hard. I said all these great things about you.’ I said, ‘Cool, Andy. You should say them to my face.’ The day of the Cooper Box, I was getting ready, and I get a message from Rocky, ‘Are you available for this date?’ ‘Yes, I am. I will be available for that date.’”

On her prior goals of working with the promotion: “This has been a dream of mine to be at New Japan. This shirt [wearing a NJPW shirt], I got it at the New Japan shop in Tokyo. This is what I wanted for a really long time. Surprisingly enough, the wrestling part is the easy part. Getting here was the hard part. The wrestling part, when we’re in the ring, that’s where I’m going to be at peace and I can show the world what I can do.”

On preparing for her match with Giulia: “I’ve definitely been studying Giulia. There is not a single move of hers that I do not know. I’m very prepared for this upcoming match. She is one of the best. I can’t take that away from her. The Japanese women are used to working women of a similar stature, and they tend to be a little smaller. I don’t think she’s prepared for the power and what I bring to the ring. I’ve been studying her, I hope she’s been studying me. Everything that she brings to me, I’ll have an answer for.”