Jay White Says He’ll Dedicate His NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 Win to Antonio Inoki

Jay White is defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Kindom 17, and he says that the event will be emotional after Antonio Inoki’s passing. White spoke with Fightful for a new interview and talked about the show, which will see White and Okada do battle once again with the title on the line. You cna check out the highlights below:

At Wrestle Kingdom 17, reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White meets a familiar foe in the main event. With White’s title on the line, Kazuchika Okada will once again vie for the championship after dropping it to White at NJPW Dominion on June 12. Ahead of the high-stakes bout, White spoke with Sean Ross Sapp of “Fightful” about the range of emotions expected at the show, following the passing of Antonio Inoki.

On the emotions surrounding the event: “This will be an emotionally charged event, let alone match, not for myself, but for Okada. You’ve got to think, he’s the one that’s channeling that [legacy of Inoki]. This is a big match, I see that objectively, but for me, emotionally, it’s just another match. It’s just another step in what I do, it’s just another box to tick, especially with Okada.”

On being able to capitalize on those emotions to win:“We’re going to see Switchblade having fun whilst everybody else is emotional. I’m going to dedicate my victory in my way. Not in New Japan’s way, not in Okada’s way. I’m going to do things my way and I’m going to dedicate that to Antonio Inoki.”