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Lance Archer Compares the Style of NJPW to the Story-Oriented Product of WWE, Discusses His Time Teaming With Davey Boy Smith Jr. and the Team Going Their Separate Ways

December 27, 2019 | Posted by Jeffrey Harris
Lance Archer Will Ospreay G1 Climax Night 1 Image Credit: AXS TV/NJPW/TV Asahi

– Speaking with Jeffrey Harris for the 411 Interview Podcast, IWGP US champion Lance Archer discussed the NJPW style of wrestling compared to the more mainstream WWE style. You can check out highlights from that part of the discussion, as well as the full podcast, below:

Lance Archer on the New Japan style of wrestling: “I agree in that sense that I think the good combination that exists in New Japan, it’s one of those things that more and more people around the world are getting to see. But it’s a simple story. It’s very sport oriented. There’s a lot of who’s the champion, who’s the challenger. We’re talking about the G1, every man for themselves, and we’re all gunning for one spot because ultimately that one spot leads to the main event of the Tokyo Dome. So, it’s a very simple story, a very sports-oriented story that people can follow. And then, there’s not a lot of restrictions, and people are allowed to be who they want to be and how they are as far as a character base, and an emotional base and things like that. Whereas, and I’m not talking bad about any company, but if you want to compare things to WWE, it’s extremely story-oriented. The wrestling seems to be a second wave to everything that’s produced. The story’s the main point, whereas there are some other independents and things like that that are just — that is only about the wrestling. It’s only about the athleticism, and the spots, and the moments in that sense.”

“I think New Japan does a good job of combining those two things. We have good, solid, simple, strong stories, but then we have amazing, fast-paced, athletic 2019 wrestling that are combined together. And I think those two combinations of things creates a very conducive company for the now and future of this business.”

Lance Archer on what he thought of Davey Boy Smith Jr. as a tag team partner: “Like you said, I think the accolades speak for themselves. And I think the fact that we were such a big, strong, dominant hybrid version of a big man team, with his technical skills and catch wrestling background and things of that nature, and you had my intensity and brute force and attack version, whatever you want to call it, that combination, especially as big as we were, worked really well together. Like I said, the accolades, three-time heavyweight IWGP, two-time NOAH GHC, two-time NWA World tag team champions, that helps speak for itself. So, Smith and I were extremely different people, as far as outside the ring, but we always got along, since we understood that the more conducive we were together inside the ring, the more successful the team would be. And it worked really well for a really long time.”

Lance Archer on the team going their separate ways: “Everything runs its course, and it was just a situation where he decided he wanted to go do something else. Now, like I said, he’s doing extremely well at MLW. Opportunities have been presented, and I’ve done, like I said, my part in every way that I possibly could to capitalize on those opportunities in New Japan. And right now, I think we’re both being very successful as singles competitors. It wasn’t a situation where anything negative happened between he and I. There was never a breakup of him and I. It was just a business decisions were made, and we went our different ways. That’s all.”

In the full interview, Archer discusses his Texas Deathmatch with Jon Moxley at Wrestle Kingdom 14, his successful singles run over 2019, his runs in TNA and WWE, working with Vince Russo, his match with Abyss at TNA Sacrifice 2005, his “Murder Hawk Monster” gimmick, why now is the hottest time in the wrestling industry and more.

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0:00: Introduction
0:23: On how he’s feeling heading into his match with Moxley and the Texas Deathmatch stipulation
2:10: On winning the title after Moxley was stripped of the title, if he’s been looking forward to facing Moxley
4:25: On his success in 2019 and how he feels about his breakout singles run in NJPW
6:45: On NJPW losing the Elite to AEW and if he felt pressure to step up and fill the void
10:54: On whether 2019 felt like a clean slate for him
12:00: On his run in the G1 Climax, his match with Will Ospreay to open the tournament and how the night felt to him
16:17: On the difference in NJPW’s promo and storytelling style as opposed to that of WWE and other companies
19:12: On his tag team run with Davey Boy Smith Jr. as Killer Elite Squad, how they ended up paired together and Davey Boy’s NJPW departure
22:12: On his big takeaway from his time in TNA, what he learned from that time
25:00: On if the TNA locker room was as chaotic as reported, working with Vince Russo and Dixie Carter
29:18: On his time in WWE, working with trainers in developmental, his run being cut short
31:45: On his match with Abyss at Sacrifice in 2005 being his favorite TNA memory
33:31: On how his Murder Hawk Monster gimmick came about and his intent around it
35:02: On using the emotions that come from having a chip on his shoulder to fuel his drive
36:29: On today being the hottest time in professional wrestling with so many options of what and where to watch
40:13: On his message for Moxley ahead of their Wrestle Kingdom match and his match with Juice Robinson the next night
42:48: On his message for fans and where to find him on social media

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