Kota Ibushi (38), the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental two-crown champion, won a fierce battle with Jay White (28), who holds a certificate of challenge, and succeeded in defending for the first time.
He was defeated by a suspicion in November last year and suffered from a fateful opponent who was robbed of his title, but in the end he decided on a special move, Kamigoe, and put an end to the battle that lasted 48 minutes and 5 seconds. He defended the belt he stole from Tetsuya Naito (38) on the 4th of the previous day after a deadly battle, and finally became a “god.”
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Ibushi has finally reached the realm of “God.” Naito’s thoughts on the belt, a grudge against White who was robbed of his title due to “losing the foul”, and thanks to the fans. With various thoughts, Kamigoe was torn into the face. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been in serious professional wrestling since the 5th grade of elementary school. I finally understood the weight of this belt,” he said.
On the 4th, the day before he took the two-crown throne, he fought Naito for more than 30 minutes. In the midst of exhaustion, I was intensively attacked by my injured right leg. The light movement lurked in the shadow, but only the feeling was connected to the belt. In the middle of the game, White was held down with his foot on the rope, as he did when he lost the “suspicion decision” last November. The referee is watching the crisis of 3 counts this time and avoids the fall. He overcame the pinch many times and fought the longest 48 minutes and 5 seconds of the main Tokyo Dome tournament.
Has a steel heart that is not affected by adversity. At the same tournament in January last year, he lost to the then champion Okada. The tournament has been postponed from March due to the corona wreck. Although it was held without spectators in June, he kept his normal feeling, saying, “I didn’t feel any discomfort at all.” Experienced walking around various groups and performing with a few spectators on the street. “I was different while some players couldn’t show their strength. Some people looked through the screen. I did it without degrading the quality,” he says.
The tough body continues to evolve. There was a time when he was drinking and eating, but from four years ago, he studied nutrition and restricted his diet. By calorie calculation, the way muscles are attached has also changed. Although he weighs 93 kg, he is a junior, but “it is attractive to be able to beat a player who weighs 120 kg even if he weighs 70 kg.” On this day as well, I faced the 100-kilogram white without hesitation.
In the absence of Tanahashi, Okada, and Naito, who have lived up the main part of Tokyo Dome, the Tokyo Dome was closed with a dignified battle. After the victory, SANADA requested a match and said, “I want to play more matches. Let’s do it anytime.” In the future, I will set my sights on Okada’s 12th defense record of the IWGP title and am enthusiastic that I will aim for 13th. In addition, “I think my voice has increased,” he said, proposing the unification of the two-crown belt, and the new champion is greedy.
38 years old who boasted that he would live up to 150 years old. How far will it continue to evolve after reaching the realm of “God”? The growth margin seems to be infinite.[Yosuke Matsukuma]
○… Ibushi is also interested in activities for the development of the professional wrestling world. From 2016 until 19 when he rejoined New Japan, he set up a private office “Ibushi Pro-wrestling Research Institute”. I learned the secret by visiting WWE in the US. In the future, he said, “I want to build an Ibushi professional wrestling factory. The research is over. From now on, I want to build things (players) and send them out.”
◆ Kota Ibushi Born in Kagoshima Prefecture on May 21, 1982 (Showa 57). Debuted in professional wrestling at DDT in July 2004. First entry in New Japan in 2009. Won the IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship in 2011. In addition to DDT in 2013, joined New Japan. In 2016, both groups left the group and became free. April 19 Rejoined New Japan. Takes the IWGP Intercontinental Championship from Naito in April. February 20 IWGP Tag Team Championship. 19th and 20th year G1 climax consecutive championship. The unit to which he belongs is the main unit. 181 cm, 93 kg.
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