SHO Says He Needs To ‘Catch Up’ To Hiromu Takahashi

In an interview with NJPW, SHO of Roppongi 3K spoke about the difference between himself and Hiromu Takahashi and his belief that he needs to ‘catch up’ to him. Here are highlights:

On Hiromu Takahashi: “It’s true, I said that I felt it was a night and day difference between him and me. He said that if I go out and say something like that then there would be no way I could beat him. But in the end that’s just what I really think. Maybe it’s wrong to feel the way I do, but…We’re about the same age, about the same level of experience, but he’s done that much more than me. I’ve never so much as challenged for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, and he’s won the thing three times. It isn’t a vague X factor thing, there’s a very clear gap between us. But I want to catch up to him. I need to catch up to him.”

On the difference between tags and singles: “Hmm, well in tag matches I don’t want to screw up and cost the team, so that gives me a weird sense of nervousness. Maybe that’s a lack of experience? I don’t know. But from the outside looking in, it always seems like LIJ gel together so well. So maybe the faction is the problem? Nah, CHAOS is great! But I do think that being in the corner with my senpai affects me mentally. You can’t exactly do what you want, or at least that’s how I feel, anyway.”

On what matches he wants to have: “I’d love to wrestle YOH and have the winner challenge Hiromu. I think everyone is looking for a way to get at Hiromu; me Despearado, YOH, Rocky… We already beat Rocky though.”