In a recent interview with NJPW, Tetsuya Naito revealed how much longer he plans to wrestle, noting that his in-ring career is winding down.
Naito, 41, won the NJPW G1 Climax 33 and will face the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On the attention given to the younger wrestlers in the G1: “There was a bit of jealousy, a bit of irritation there, definitely. My eyes were definitely drawn to that block, and hearing them talk their game made me more excited to see them. They definitely won the news cycle, but it is what it is.”
On beating Okada in the finals: “Singles title or not, he’s been the top guy for the last few years now, and the guy that the company has been pushing for a decade now. It’s funny, but I got a wave of nostalgia when we were heading into the final. We roomed together when he was a Young Lion, and we’d hop on my bike and go fishing together back in the day. All that came back to me- I guess that’s what facing him on this stage that’s so important to NJPW as a whole does to you.”
On being closer to the end of his career: “I said as much on the mic, but I hate the word ‘forever’. Time waits for no man, after all I heard that talk when I watched the match back on World. But to give the flip side to that comment, I was at Ryogoku as a fan when Chono [Masahiro Chono] won his last (in 2005), and backstage when Tanahashi [Hiroshi Tanahashi] won his last (2018). I think if you put Chono at 41 against Tanahashi at 41 and me at 41, I’m better than them, and I have more in the tank. Well, if you watch those other matches back, they’re a lot less mobile at that point than I am now, I reckon. I definitely feel I have a lot further to go yet. At the same time, I know my time is limited. I have knee troubles, eye troubles. The end of the line, that image of retirement that was so far away for so long is now coming into focus a little. But I think that’s just another reason to enjoy where I am as a wrestler and to live in the now, right now. I need to make the most of every moment. That’s not just in the ring, either. Being in the gym, it’s a big motivator for me to push harder, knowing I can’t afford to delay anything.”
