SHO On The Cancellation of Best of the Super Juniors Tour, Wanting to Face YOH

SHO spoke with NJPW for a new interview discussing the junior heavyweight division, a potential match against his tag team partner YOH and more. Highlights are below:

On the cancellation of the Best of the Super Juniors tour: “Well, when the tournament finished last year I was picking myself up thinking ‘next year I’ll get it done!’ So when this year was cancelled it was like ‘you’ve gotta be kidding…’ But these are the times we’re in … There’s nothing we could do about it, but I do hope it’s a postponement and we can still do this later in the year. I’m a Junior Tag Team Champion now, so singles opportunities aren’t as common for me, I think. I really want an opportunity like BoSJ.”

On last year’s Super Juniors finalists moving up to heavyweight afterward: “Well, if they’re over 100kg, then what can you do about that? To me that’s fine. The difference between junior heavyweight and heavyweight is just that number on the scale. It’s a weight distinction, and that’s all. ‘Stronger and weaker’ doesn’t factor into it for me.”

On Shingo Takagi becoming NEVER Openweight Champion: “I don’t know if he was ever under 100kg (laughs). It’s great that he went on to become NEVER Openweight Champion, but the beauty of that title is that the usual framework, all the rules go out of the window. You can challenge if you’re 150kg, and you can challenge if you’re 70. I’ve always liked the idea of openweight matches, and when you have the title on that guy, well it’s a perfect storm for me.”

On El Phantasmo and El Desperado both expressing interest in the title: “That’s a good thing, right? It means that the belt has a certain value to it, and there’s a value to Shingo as champion. I think specifically though, Takagi having won it having started as a junior heavyweight is a bit of a motivator to guys like Phantasmo and Desperado. ”

On wanting to face YOH: “I think the guy I want to fight the most right now is the guy I’m teaming with. We wrestled so much as Young Lions and never since. We grew a lot in those matches, but since we came back we’ve never faced off. YOH is most fired up when he’s opposite me. I feel the same … I think I can have a kind of match with YOH that I couldn’t have with anyone else. We’ve been tied together all this time, it really is a special connection that we have. I think he’d probably be my opponent in my retirement match. And vice versa for that matter.”