Hiroshi Tanahashi Wants To Go To United States Once A Month

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, IWGP US Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi said that he thinks the belt means more defended in the US and wants to come to America once a month to do so. Here are highlights:

On being the IWGP US Champion: “I think the IWGP U.S. heavyweight championship is truly meaningful when it is defended in the U.S. I have a desire to go to the U.S. once a month. Sometimes, I’d even like it to be once a week.”

On his match with Lance Archer: “I’ve wrestled Lance Archer many times. Every time I wrestled him, I felt him evolving. He is a great wrestler. His power and speed are amazing, and the best thing about him is that he is smart. He’s always been a heel wrestler since he joined New Japan. But he is a handsome guy, and I want to see him wrestling as a babyface.”

On being in front of a vocal crowd again: “This was the first time in a year and a half that I was able to wrestle in front of a vocal crowd. It was a really exhilarating feeling, and it gave me a ton of extra strength. I was incredibly fired up. It was a fantastic environment to wrestle in.”