IYO SKY Says Wrestlemania 41 Was the Greatest Moment Of Her Life

In an interview with the Japan Times, IYO SKY spoke about retaining her Women’s World title at Wrestlemania 41, calling it the greatest moment of her life. IYO will team with Rhea Ripley, one of her opponents at that event, tomorrow morning at Crown Jewel against Asuka and Kairi Sane. Here are highlights:

On her rise in WWE: “I’ve been able to get to where I am today by gradually building up my time, from NXT to my time as a heel to my time in Damage CTRL. It’s all thanks to the people who supported me throughout that time.”

On how WWE differs from Japanese wrestling: “Japanese professional wrestling is more like a ‘sports broadcast,’ so wrestlers only need to concentrate on the match. But WWE is a TV program, so the match and drama need to be conveyed to viewers through the camera. To do this, while fighting opponents during a match, wrestlers do countless other things simultaneously — all in English. It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s completely different from a match in Japan.”

On Wrestlemania 41: “I’m apparently the first Japanese woman to win at WrestleMania. And since it was also a defense of WWE’s most prestigious title, it was definitely the greatest moment of my life. Not just the result but also being with the best wrestlers in Bianca and Rhea. I was able to take on the best stage, the best performers, the best match, and make the most of history.”

On a possible team with Stephanie Vaquer: “Stephanie is an incredible wrestler, not only skilled in South American style but also with ample experience wrestling in Japan. We matched well, so it was fun to wrestle her. In the WWE women’s division, there are several wrestlers, like Bianca and Rhea, who I feel can help us improve each time we wrestle — and she is definitely one of them. I think we could do some interesting things if we teamed up someday.”