April 1996

Interviewer: May 5th...I heard that you put your name out there to be Mitsuhiro Matsunaga's opponent at Kawasaki Stadium...is that true?

Kanemura: Yes. It hasn't been decided yet. No, even if it has been decided, but I really want to be his opponent on this day.

Interviewer: I'm guessing in response to Matsunaga's "indefinite rest declaration" that he made.

Kanemura: I didn't want to hear that kind of thing from Mr. Danger's mouth, but...he knows the best about his physical condition than anyone else, and even during W*ING, he was the one who continued to participate even when he was not feeling well. I don't know how long he will be absent for, but if Mr. Matsunaga is going to leave for good, that means that one of the legends of W*ING career is going to be over.

Interviewer: That's true. Starting with Balcony Dive, it was Mitsuhiro Matsunaga who always opened up the possibility of indies.

Kanemura: I want to show the world who Mitsuhiro Matsunaga was, what what was W*ING...I want to do it at Kawasaki Stadium to confirm it to everybody...in a big venue that W*ING couldn't reach...maybe this might be the last death match with Mr. Matsunaga. If the match can take place, I think I can make a new history of W*ING with Hosaka and Hido. Actually, I think that even Hido would like to fight with Mr. Matsunaga on the show as well... Oh, I was featured in Weekly Pro the other day as one of the six young wrestlers in FMW, but I am seriously aiming to be on the cover of the magazine one day.

Interviewer: In the feature you had the biggest resistance when discussion about the majors came up.

Kanemura: Well, I think that the theme of "against the majors" that the independents have is a problem that has been faced by various indies, but now it has come to the forefront as a problem for the entire industry. Because New Japan is trying to crush us now. Are we really going to overthrow New Japan? There is no way we can win, in terms of attendance. But if you think about the significance of the existence of independents, even if only 100 people gather at Kawasaki Stadium, if you can satisfy all 100 people, I think that's worth it.

Interviewer: But in Sapporo (on March 15, 1996), Mr. Onita said while pointing to you, "20,000 people cheering or 20,000 people booing are the same crowd of 20,000 people!!!"

Kanemura: I didn't think Hosaka and I would receive such words from Mr. Onita on that occasion. If it were Matsunaga and Pogo saying that to me, it would be one thing, but Onita-san is a rival. When I joined FMW, I had the thought "I can fight with Atsushi Onita!" but those words he said have stuck in my heart, and I don't know why I was so moved by them.

Interviewer: I think it's because you have something in common with Mr. Onita in terms of your love for the indies. When I saw the mic appeal at Korakuen on March 30th, I thought W*ING Kanemura had inherited Mr. Onita's genes more than anyone else in the new FMW.

Kanemura: On that note, Hayabusa doesn't get it!!! Let me tell you one thing: stop complaining and get your ass back in the death match ring. If you don't like it, you should go to the majors. Hayabusa's debut match was in the New Japan ring.

Interviewer: Oh, I see. I remember that his debut in Japan was at the "Super J-Cup" hosted by New Japan.

Kanemura: I'm also one of those who had the basics hammered into me at New Japan's dojo.

Interviewer: Oh? Really?! Why?

Kanemura: During the Pioneer Sensei era, I was taught by Mr. Ryuma Go at the New Japan dojo in the middle of the night. The basics of the basics, you know. I remember that Hase-san and others were still in the training camp at that time. Anyway, he was very strict. Of course, in terms of the quantity of training, they were no match for the New Japan people, but in terms of the "quality" of training, there wasn't much difference. I am really grateful to Mr. Go for giving me such a strict help. And if you ask me what I could have done after having gone through so much pain, becoming a pro wrestler, and getting into the W*ING ring, I couldn't have done anything. In the indies, there was no freedom to choose your own style. The only way for W*ING to survive in the world of professional wrestling was to run death matches. Back then, if I was told to do it with a girl, I had no choice but to do it. Does Hayabusa really understand the harshness of the indies? You should make Tanaka the ace, if you don't understand.

Interviewer: But Hayabusa is injured...

Kanemura: What the hell, everyone's injured!! I was injured, Hosaka was injured, and even Bad Nurse Nakamura was injured at one point in her career. Even Mr. Onita didn't take a day off until he became critically ill, and I don't remember Mr. Pogo ever taking a day off, except when he went missing (when he left for W*ING in 1991). That is why he is the King of the Death Match. But if Hayabusa returns on May 5th and takes over the leading role, it will screw Tanaka! Now, I'm having more fun wrestling than when I was in W*ING, and I'm living a very fulfilling life, and with us six (Kanemura, Hosaka, Hido, Tanaka, Nakagawa, and Kuroda), There is no other organization with such a young average age, right? I think there is a lot of potential in this group!

Interviewer: What will happen to the indies after May 6th?

Kanemura: You can say whatever you want with your mouth, but...people say that the indies are in its worst period right now, but as I said earlier, we are fulfilled in the ring, and although Editor-in-Chief Yamamoto wrote that "there will come a time when all the indies go bankrupt," I will not go down without a fight! When I came to Tokyo to become a wrestler eight years ago (1988), that was the year the indies were established. My life as a wrestler has always been with the indies, and I know the sour and sweet sides of the indies better than Tanaka and Hayabusa. And if I go down here, all of my years of experience will be negated, right? Isn't that right? I also want to ask the W*ING freaks through the magazine. What exactly do you want to see? Do you only want to see us do dangerous things and bleed? If you do, then W*ING will be over soon. If you criticize my comments about that, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to hate you guys.

Interviewer: .....

Kanemura: Because of the W*ING freaks, we were able to jump into the big world of FMW. Come to think of it, long ago Riki Choshu criticized me. When Mr. Matsunaga left W*ING, I got down on my knees bowed down to the audience. But at that time, there were W*ING freaks in Korakuen Hall who were worth it! If you remember how frustrated you were when W*ING was being bashed, now is the time to lend your strength to the indies! Not only W*ING freaks, but all indie fans should come to Kawasaki Stadium. It is the passion of indie fans that can stand up to the massive power of the majors!

Interviewer: That may be true. 30,000 people at Kawasaki Stadium are more passionate or powerful than 60,000 people at Tokyo Dome. It makes you feel the heat or the power.

Kanemura: If we don't get through this, if we don't make May 5th Kawasaki a success, the indies are really screwed... It doesn't matter if it's FMW or W*ING. We have to protect them together...so I want the fans to lend us their strength. If everyone gathers at Kawasaki Stadium and we can't put out something good... then I'll admit that I lost to the majors for the first time.

Postscript of the interview

The long absence of Matsunaga, whom Kanemura had looked up to as a big brother since his debut, came as quite a shock to Kanemura. Perhaps this would be the last time they would face each other...such a thought prompted Kanemura to request a change in the card. Kanemura has already lined up a tag-team match up with Nakamaki, which is one of the main attractions of the May 5th Kawasaki event. Matsunaga's opponent is "under negotiations", and if negotiations are concluded and Kanemura is announced as the opponent, then "King of Death Match" title would be removed from the card and the match title would become a "W*ING LEGEND Death Match," a match that would send out the "indie spirit" from Kawasaki Stadium to the majors. Regardless of the card, Kanemura's willingness to take on the majors is a symbol of May 5th Kawasaki, and I hope people will pay close attention to it!

September 1997

Interviewer: In response to Mr. Onita's statement, "If I lose at Kawasaki Stadium, I will never enter the ring again," you said, "I don't want that, and I don't believe it."

Kanemura: I don't think anyone would believe me if I said it would never go to the ring again if I lost. I don't think that's what's important. I'm betting on W*ING, which I've been sticking to since my debut. I asked Mr. Onita to bet something, and this is what he said... I wanted him to join W*ING if he lost, instead he just said he won't step in the ring again if he loses.

Interviewer: If Mr. Onita were to join W*ING, it would not only put an end to the abominable history of W*ING, but also put an end to the history of indie wrestling that was based on Atsushi Onita, wouldn't it?

Kanemura: Even though we tried, W*ING could never surpass the existence of Atsushi Onita. Then W*ING was fed a cold shoulder by Atsushi Onita when we arrived in FMW. I will change that history no matter what it takes. If you look at magazines, they say that the explosion matches are like Onita's garden, so there is no way he can lose, but I may be the one who knows the fear of explosions even more in a way. The big burn match I had in Nagoya (September 1, 1996)...I know the pain and fear of explosions that even Onita-san doesn't know.

Interviewer: Mr. Onita said that he would "destroy W*ING", but it won't be that easy.

Kanemura: I think Onita-san is a man who revolutionized the world of professional wrestling. For example, if you go to a local area, even people who don't know much about pro wrestling know the names of Mr. Inoki and Mr. Baba. Mr. Onita has become such a presence, too. Onita received a lot of criticism because of the death matches, but it didn't matter, did it? The fans followed him. That's a great thing. I respect him, but...now he is just an enemy that I have to defeat in order to protect W*ING. I've given up on the extra respect.

Interviewer: You are going to have to overcome Atsushi Onita, but the Kawasaki match has turned out to be a dangerous death match as you hoped. The most dangerous death match in FMW history.

Kanemura: I'm actually scared of death matches now. I was so nervous when I did the exploding barbed death match with Tanaka in Shiodome. I was so scared that I almost puked. The same was true when I got badly burned in a fire death match. At that time, I wasn't afraid of anything. But when I started working at FMW, I became very nervous... especially in the past one or two years.

Interviewer: What caused that change of mind?

Kanemura: Well...what I thought to myself was that I had become quite defensive, because during my W*ING days, I was working hard without thinking about the future.

Interviewer: Isn't that the result of thinking more deeply about wrestling rather than being on the defensive? Since coming to FMW, Kanemura's fights have focused on getting the crowd excited with technical offense and defense, rather than recklessly getting the crowd excited. So the less reckless you've become, the more scared you've become of death matches.

Kanemura: Maybe so, but to change history, I have to overcome that fear. That's why I told Onita-san to prepare the most dangerous death match. Watch, because I will make September 28th the anniversary of the Indie Revolution.

Interviewer: You want to make Kawasaki known for being Kanemura's W*ING.

Kanemura: Yes! After the match I want to place the W*ING flag in the ring.

Interviewer: Also, I wanted to ask you this...what do you think of the recent fan reaction at Korakuen? You've been getting a lot of harsh comments like, "Kanemura, you're all talk, aren't you?"

Kanemura: I know that there are more and more people saying that, and the W*ING fans are aware of it. The W*ING freaks' view of Kanemura has also changed. And I think the general public's viewpoints started to change after I got involved with the Fuyuki Army. I used to feel I had make the audience roar with excitement at Korakuen and put on a good match, but now I don't have that sense of fulfillment.

Interviewer: Fuyuki's army and W*ING did not mesh well together. Kanemura is the kind of person who raises his spirits and wrestles with all his heart, but I think your feelings were spinning in the face of Fuyuki's dexterity and toughness. It's undeniable that some fans began to criticize, saying, "This is a super indie? It's no big deal."

Kanemura: Well, I guess the fans may feel that we are not doing anything after all the big talk, but if they don't like it, they are free to go ahead and say what you want. I'm not happy if I'm criticized out of hand when I'm trying to do something about the problem by accepting it head-on.

Interviewer: That's why you bit at the critical voices at Korakuen, saying, "Shut up!" But that turned the fans completely against you, and the booing got louder and louder.

Kanemura: Anyone who wants to boo can do it. I can't worry about that.

Interviewer: Maybe I carried too much weight with my super indie statement.

Kanemura: I don't really feel that.

Interviewer: After FMW was reborn, FMW fans must have seen Kanemura as a comrade like Hayabusa and Tanaka, and they supported him because he put his body on the line and showed fights that promoted the indie scene, just like them. He had built a relationship of trust with them, but... Kanemura was impatient that the wheels had gone haywire. The fans became skeptical, wondering if he was just talking. It is a vicious cycle that has led to the current situation.

Kanemura: I am always going to be defiant. I am always going to go as hard as I can, as long as I can, and when I am done you can just throw my body in the river.

December 16, 2000

Interviewer: First of all, I would like to ask you about the Tanaka match at the Yokohama Bunka Gym.

Kanemura: I was really happy. We had been doing a lot of singles matches. I think the last time I won was when we did the exploding barbed wire match. I haven't won in a couple of years since then.

Interviewer: And you won the hardcore championship, which is your specialty.

Kanemura: Tanaka has formed a great presence before I knew it, he won the ECW title. When I was in the U.S., I was in the ECW ring with Tanaka, and I saw him, I thought, "Oh, that's amazing," but at the same time, I felt jealousy. I challenged Tanaka's ECW twice in the U.S., but I couldn't beat him then either. I was happy to finally win in Japan.

Interviewer: You and Tanaka will continue to fight, right?

Kanemura: The last win was just one win. It's not over yet. So I think we will fight until one of us retires.

Interviewer: In that match, for the first time in a long time on the FMW mats, a barbed wire bat also made an appearance. What was the true meaning behind it?

Kanemura: It doesn't really have a deep meaning. I had been thinking that I would eventually take out a fire bat or a barbed wire bat at some point. But it wasn't like I was going back to W*ING or anything. It was just something I always had in mind, and it just happened to be in Yokohama.

Interviewer: It's been a long time since you mentioned W*ING. Did that comment have any meaning?

Kanemura: That was just a joke, so it doesn't have a deep meaning. W*ING is completely non-existent, and now I've changed my ring name to "Kintaro Kanemura" and I'm doing my current style. I just have to try not to forget how I felt back then.

Interviewer: You said that from now on, in parallel with such feelings, you will also show the part of comedy, which is your forte.

Kanemura: I will do my best (laughs). I said I was going to abandon comedy, but that was a great story, too.

Interviewer: On a different note, about the hardcore belt you hold, I think it's safe to say that it's already synonymous with Kanemura.

Kanemura: Well, Hosaka and Sasaki won the hardcore tag team belts, but I am not conscious of being hardcore. I think it's fine to just be my normal self, and I think it's fine to say that I am a synonym for "hardcore."

Interviewer: I think that hardcore style and death matches are the same. Do you believe hardcore and death matches are the same thing?!

Kanemura: I agree with you. It's just difficult.  If we do things as normal without thinking of them as hardcore, then Hosaka and Sasaki are just out there spinning  around out of control. On the contrary, I do it without worrying about it.

Interviewer: What do you think about Mammoth Sasaki? He has been growing remarkably lately, and challenged you to a hardcore singles for the first time recently, didn't he?

Kanemura: But he's no match for me, not yet. He has a lot of ability, though. I've been doing this style of fighting since my debut. I think he's already reached the point with his skill that he can beat anybody at any time though. I think he is a fighter who will carry the future of FMW on his shoulders. But when it comes to a test, I can't lose either, and there are some things I can't back down from and can't compromise on.

Interviewer: After the championship with Mammoth, you also said, "Hardcore is also difficult."

Kanemura: In that match, I felt I went a little too much on the brutal side. The basic concept of wrestling is wrestling. The chairs and tables should not play the leading role. I think the main actor is the wrestler and the wrestling.

Interviewer: In the midst of all this, Hayabusa will be sidelined for six months.

Kanemura: I think that after Atsushi Onita is gone, the head of FMW will be Hayabusa and Fuyuki. So, Hayabusa's disappearance is a negative for the company. I could tell from the matches that he was not in good condition, well, he is not the only one who is injured. But six months is a long time, and I think he felt it was a desperate decision for him to miss the matches.

Interviewer: Is it painful for Hayabusa to be absent?

Kanemura: I think the level of competition will improve as the wrestlers who are in poor condition leave. The rise of Sasaki is another example of that.

Interviewer: There are many wrestlers who have asserted themselves, notably Kuroda, saying that now with Hayabusa out of the picture, they have a chance.

Kanemura: There's no need to say there's a chance. Then it would be like saying, "You've been held back all this time." So it doesn't matter if it's a chance because he is gone or not. There are always equal chances. But now that I think about it calmly, I am now teaming with Kuroda, I can now get the best out of him now.

Interviewer: In Yokohama, Gannosuke also retired.

Kanemura: He's an idiot. He really has a brain the size of a cat. He said it on his own. I don't think a wrestler should say they will "retire." Well, he must have said it on the spur of the moment, betting on his retirement. I don't know how he feels now, but I would be happy if he came back regardless of the company's intention. I'd like to team up with him again. I feel more comfortable teaming up with him than fighting him.

Interviewer: He also teamed with H for a certain amount of time.

Kanemura: He lost everything when he teamed up with H, didn't he? He was completely eaten up by H's character. A wrestler who takes away from his tag team partner is no good, Gannosuke.

Interviewer: Are there any episodes about the two of you that you can say now?

Kanemura: Truly, I got along very well with him. We had a little trouble, and we even got into a fistfight, but we made up soon after. I called him an idiot, but I still miss him, because he is not on the tour. Well, I am worried about him.

Interviewer: Have you heard from him since?

Kanemura: There has been none. Gan-chan, I will wait for you in nirvana. I believe Gannosuke will understand that.

Interviewer: Finally, what are your goals for the 21st century?

Kanemura: The entertainment part is all about having the customers enjoy themselves and leave. So, in that sense, I would like to further improve the entertainment aspect of my work. In the past, I used to say it was for W*ING, but people change from their old ideas. So the best thing is for the customers to go home happy. With that as my goal, I also want to continue to defend my hardcore belt. I have defended my belt against many wrestlers, but there are only a limited number of hardcore wrestlers in FMW. That's why I'd like to work with someone from an outside company.

Interviewer: Will it be Big Japan?

Kanemura: (Ryuji) Yamakawa and (Shadow) WX treat me well, and they are real good friends of mine. FMW is important to me, but I would like to move up a bit. Last time I was in Big Japan at the Yokohama Bunka Gym  I fought against CZW, I was gouged by a lawn mower, and it was painful, but it was a pleasant pain. We used to do death matches and FMW, but Big Japan has something that FMW doesn't have now. So, if the company would allow it, I would like to compete with outside fighters for the belt.

Interviewer: Do you have any goals within FMW?

Kanemura: I still don't have a clear picture of myself in FMW, so for now I'm focusing on hardcore and comedy, and I'm sure I'll find another theme if I keep doing that. In the next two years, I would like to own my own restaurant while wrestling. A stylish shot bar style izakaya.

Interviewer: Are you serious?

Kanemura: Yes.

Interviewer: Yasuyuki Kaneko

July 2007

Interviewer: Kanemura, you've been doing death match/hardcore style matches for a long time. It must be tougher now than before, with the accumulated damage.

Kanemura: I wonder. Right now, both my shoulder acromioclavicular joints and my left ankle... I don't rest, so it's no good.

Interviewer: You really don't rest. You're not in a position where you have to keep fighting matches like that anymore.

Kanemura: I have a kind of pride as a pro wrestler. A pro never rests. If I go in and it's a really hopeless match, it's probably better not to go in, but even then I can still move. For big matches, I used to get anesthesia to go in. That means I can go in if I get anesthesia, right? But compared to the old me, I've cut back on the number of matches, even now.

Interviewer: Certainly, until a few years ago, you were fighting in a ring somewhere almost every day. WEW, Big Japan, DDT...

Kanemura: Now, aside from Apache, Big Japan and Hustle are the only ones I make sure to go to. Well, I guess I chose this style. If I'm going to complain about the pain and the difficulty after choosing it myself, then I should probably quit.

Interviewer: How many years have you been wrestling since your debut?

Kanemura: About 18 years. I'm 38 this year.

Interviewer: 18 years in this style is probably the longest tenure in the industry. I imagine the physical damage would be different between 18 years in a normal style and 18 years of doing death matches/hardcore wrestling since your debut, even if the number of years is the same.

Kanemura: Yeah. I think my death match career ended when I lost to Ryuji Ito (August 24, 2003, when I lost the BJW Death Match Heavyweight Championship), but I continued with hardcore wrestling after that. Now that you mention it, I might have faced the pain of death matches and hardcore wrestling the longest.

Interviewer: At the end of that career, you came to lead your own organization, Apache Pro Wrestling Army.

Kanemura: Well, we still have a lot of room to improve, but we're able to perform at Korakuen Hall almost every month, and we're attracting passionate fans, right? I think that's a good thing. Even if I perform in other promotions, there's a Kintaro Kanemura that you can only see at Apache's venues. That's why I think the fans support us.

Interviewer: What is that?

Kanemura: Against the majors. I always keep that feeling in mind, but other promotions rarely face majors. Lately, everyone says there's no difference between majors and indie promotions. But in reality, there is, even now. How many independent wrestlers can make a living and have fun just by wrestling? Major league wrestlers can make a living just by wrestling without having to do part-time jobs. People say it's the difference in company size, but a difference is a difference, isn't it?

Interviewer: The view that there's no difference between majors and indie promotions is based on the reality that indie wrestlers are now active on the major league mat, and promotions that were considered indie are increasing their audience numbers and getting featured in specialized magazines. I think that's where it comes from.

Kanemura: Even if that's the case for me, it's not over at all. This will never change. Because it's against the majors, I have no intention of participating in the "Pro Wrestling Summit."

Interviewer: You sealed away the "indie" aspect after the "Indie Summit."

Kanemura: I'm very particular about it. I grew up in the independent scene, after all. I'm not going to seal it away. If other independents do that, then I'll monopolize the "indie" title.

Interviewer: You recently defeated Togi Makabe of New Japan Pro-Wrestling to reclaim the WEW Championship, right? That was unthinkable back when FMW existed. Defeating a major league wrestler, especially one who would be challenging for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in just a few days, was considered impossible back then.

Kanemura: I think that's the result of my dedication to the independent scene. Of course, beating Makabe doesn't mean the end of my rivalry with the majors. But do you think that victory would have had any value if I, who had abandoned the independent scene, had won? I don't think the audience would have been so enthusiastic. That wasn't just my effort. I think there are fans who continue to be committed to the independent scene. Their feelings became the energy. I think Apache is the only one in the current pro-wrestling world who has that kind of spirit.

Interviewer: Many organizations and wrestlers categorized as independent seem to want to break away from the "indie" label. They see that as a step up.

Kanemura: It's up to each individual whether they choose to seal it away or discard it. It's up to each person. But I myself am extremely attached to it. I won't let the word "indie" die out in this industry. I don't want to lose the place where I grew up. I know myself that if that disappears, Kintaro Kanemura's reason for existence will disappear. Certainly, I think I've already been evaluated as someone who can succeed in the major leagues, but that's not the end of it.

Interviewer: Is that your attachment to what has continued from W*ING and FMW?

Kanemura: That's part of it, but I don't really think about that time anymore. My current start in pro wrestling, in a sense, began after FMW went bankrupt.

Interviewer: From there? Is that because looking back on the past is painful?

Kanemura: That's part of it, but I don't have any attachment to W*ING or FMW now. I probably did at the time, but especially not to FMW. If there is anything, it's the connections between individuals. Masato Tanaka, Kuroda... they were my rivals back then, so I've been saying since then that I would have matches that wouldn't lose to the majors, regarding fighting against guys like them.

Interviewer: Many fans who have been watching since then probably see the current Kintaro Kanemura as carrying on the legacy of W*ING and FMW, and having a strong commitment to the indie scene.

Kanemura: That's not true. I'm saying it's not true right here, so please change your perspective.

Interviewer: You've stated that the past is the past and that "the bankruptcy of FMW was the real start." What motivates you to keep going?

Kanemura: I'm completely immersed in it now, so I couldn't do any other job. It's not a job I could do if I thought about what I'd do after retirement. I'm a self-destructive type, so I'll spend all the money I earned while I was active. I'll think about my life after that from there.

Interviewer: Are you still a big spender?

Kanemura: I lost 1.5 million yen playing pachinko in the three months from June to August last year.

Interviewer: Why do you waste money like that?

Kanemura: It's not wasteful! I just get excited.

Interviewer: So, you haven't yet done everything you wanted to do in professional wrestling?

Kanemura: What I want to do...it's simply to stand in the ring. I've decided that I'll do it until I'm 42. Mr. Fuyuki tried to stand in the ring without giving up, and Fuyuki, who passed away, was 42, so I feel like I have to continue until then.

Interviewer: So, no matter what you do, Mr. Fuyuki's presence is involved?

Kanemura: That's something within my own feelings, and I don't want to rely on the boss's name. I don't want to mention his name lightly. Of course, he's a source of emotional support. But I don't think it's right to mention the boss's name all the time. I also feel that I have to protect the family he left behind. When I say protect them, I mean things like resolving things within my capabilities when something happens, or going out to eat with them, things like that.

Interviewer: But your atmosphere is becoming more and more like Mr. Fuyuki's, isn't it?

Kanemura: Really? No, I'm not consciously trying to be like him at all.

Interviewer: Huh? Don't people around you say that? Your hairstyle probably changes from day to day, but your demeanor is exactly like Fuyuki's.

Kanemura: No, they don't. Well, I'm happy to hear that. However, there's a crucial difference between us. The boss was a man of common sense. It's impossible to get close to that, hehe.

Interviewer: Well, I suppose it's impossible. By the way, as someone who's been doing pro wrestling since the '90s, what do you think of pro wrestling today?

Kanemura: I'm just doing what was done to me. I got beaten up by Tenryu and Kawada the other day, but because that happened to me, I did the same thing to Makabe. But many of the guys in the indie scene today haven't had that kind of experience. That's why I say, "If you're going to kick me in the face, kick me with all your might!" If I kick with all my might, they should do the same. I'm proud to say this, but I think I'm the only guy in the indie scene who can punch Genichiro Tenryu in the face. Instead, you get double the payback. Conversely, if you don't go, you'll get killed even more, right? So, I'll go for it. Well, I'm thinking of going to "Sushi Shimada" next time. Isn't that how pro wrestling is passed down? You can't learn the harshness and pain of pro wrestling without experiencing it.

Interviewer: Realistically, there's no interest in that kind of thing?

Kanemura: Well, I think I was lucky with the times. I was able to experience that kind of pro wrestling firsthand. In the last seven or eight years, I've faced the Destroyer (Shinya Hashimoto), Tenryu, Kawada, Riki Choshu, Makabe, Tenzan... well, Tenzan was the least impressive, though. Also, I'd like to touch on Nagata. I made fun of him in the newspaper, but it was just brushed aside. If things had been a little different, I might not have faced the Destroyer and it would have been over, and if I had the same career as the young guys today, I might not have faced Tenryu either. If you take that kind of attitude as a wrestler, I think everything will become too casual.

Interviewer: Too casual, you say?

Kanemura: The distance between wrestlers and fans has become far too short, and the unapproachable quality that wrestlers originally had has disappeared, hasn't it? I think there are some people like that among our own, too, but exchanging tickets using personal email addresses... Of course, we have to sell tickets, but I don't think that kind of approach is right. Exchanging emails is just being down-to-earth, isn't it? What's the point of professional wrestlers becoming down-to-earth?

Interviewer: By "life-size," you mean not physical size, but attitude, right?

Kanemura: That's right. Well, if that makes me old-fashioned, maybe that's true...

Interviewer: So Kintaro Kanemura is already becoming an old-fashioned person?

Kanemura: Whether it's old-fashioned or not, you can't do it without that kind of policy, that kind of pride. I won't force anyone to stop. There's no end to it if I keep telling them. It's a matter of individual attitude, isn't it?

Interviewer: Are there times when you think the past was a better era?

Kanemura: I think the past was better in the sense that there are no longer people I can drink with.

Interviewer: Speaking of alcohol...

Kanemura: Young people don't drink anymore. I mean, even when they eat fried chicken, they take the batter off before eating it. Tatsuhito Takaiwa said the same thing. "What's the point of taking the batter off when eating fried chicken! Right?" It's the same with what happens in the ring, but those are the kinds of things that catch your eye. Now that we're in that kind of era, I feel like I've become an old-fashioned person. I'm now neighbors with Kohei Sato, and we go out drinking almost every night. But I'm still training, too. You probably won't believe this, but when I have time, I go to the Big Japan Pro-Wrestling dojo in Yokohama. My coach is Daisuke Sekimoto, and I do joint training during the day and weight training at night.

Interviewer: I've heard that you continue to stay at the Big Japan dojo because it's comfortable and you can use the younger wrestlers there.

Kanemura: That's not it! It's to extend my career as a wrestler a little longer. Well, it's the obvious thing to do, isn't it? I just haven't been doing the obvious things until now. But I think I'm doing more ring training than anyone else. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to move with so many injuries.

Interviewer: As someone who's been watching you for a long time, it's hard to imagine that Kintaro Kanemura, who used to do whatever he wanted, is now in his current position, carrying the weight of the organization and leading people.

Kanemura: That's true. Even though I'm the youngest, I was trashed by my older juniors after only a short career, and then when I trashed those older juniors in an interview with Weekly Pro Wrestling, I was given the nickname "Bomb Man." I still do things my own way, that hasn't changed. It just happened naturally. FMW went bankrupt, and the boss passed away...

Interviewer: Did you feel like you had to take charge as things unfolded?

Kanemura: When the boss passed away, Misawa-san called me and told me, "You have to be strong." That's part of it.

Interviewer: You're the type of person who stubbornly follows what the people who influenced you say, aren't you, Kanemura-san?

Kanemura: I also follow what Pogo-san told me. To be bold no matter what. Spending money, drinking alcohol, eating food, everything should be bold. It's just become natural for me now.

Interviewer: And you put that into practice even with pachinko?

Kanemura: The reason I'm always broke no matter how much I earn is because I'm following Pogo-san's teachings. So, when Kohei comes over with that voice of his saying, "Let's go for a drink!", and I say, "I don't have any money right now," he says, "You got some money from the last match!", so I retort, "If you have a problem with that, take it to the pachinko parlor!". In those cases, Kohei treats me to drinks.

Interviewer: Are you no longer trying to master comedy like you used to do on TNR?

Kanemura: That won't be possible unless all the members are together. At that time, I was focusing on comedy.

Interviewer: You left behind famous quotes such as "Don't underestimate comedy!" and "If you take comedy away from us, what's left?"

Kanemura: I was thinking of stories every day. I happened to meet Ken-san (the interviewer) at Denny's where he was interviewing Kiyoshi Tamura.

Interviewer: Yes, there was. "My name is Kanemura, and I've been a fan of Tamura-san for a long time!'' you said with a nonchalant look.

Kanemura: The other day, Tamura-san came to Sakata's girlfriend Eiko Koike's birthday party, and we talked about that.

Interviewer: I don't think there's ever been a time in the history of Japanese professional wrestling where there was so much confusion.

Kanemura: If we had continued like that, we would have collapsed within five years. You guys, get your act together! That's it. The other day, I had drinks with New Japan's referee Tayama, and his apartment was the same as Jado's. So, I dropped him off in the middle of the night, and when I was yelling at the entrance of the apartment building, ``Die, you evildoer!'', referee Tayama said, ``Please stop!'' He must have been asleep since it was midnight, he didn't come out.

Interviewer: There's nothing more annoying than that. I think it's because I'm in the position where I'm now carrying the burden that I need to let off steam.

Kanemura: I'm venting my feelings about things other than professional wrestling. When Misawa-san gave Boss his retirement match, Boss said, ``I did whatever I wanted,'' and I agree with him. I think he has had a fulfilling professional wrestling life.

Interviewer: I think it must have been difficult due to injuries and illness. There's also the mental thing.

Kanemura: It's true that there were a lot of difficult things that happened, but I think it was still fulfilling. Don't force yourself to say it, just be honest. There were times when I thought, ``Why am I the only one who continues to experience such sadness?'' But it's not just me; it's the same for all the people who followed the boss and the king of destruction.

Interviewer: I'm honestly glad that you can still say that you're fulfilled even though you've been through so much.

Kanemura: It will continue to be the same as before. I think it's a shame that I don't make some changes in my personal life. My liver numbers...Also, I wish I had someone who could properly manage my money. Even if I don't want to remarry, I need a steady girlfriend like that.

Interviewer: Wouldn't it be okay to marry someone like that?

Kanemura: No...my marriage failed once. If something like that were to come out, it would just fade out.

Interviewer: That's a tough part.

Kanemura: There are many difficult things.

Interviewer: What are your thoughts on Apache's future in the ring?

Kanemura: Right now, Hido is out of action because he's unwell. He betrayed us and went to Erogappa (Takashi Sasaki), but when I contacted him the other day, he seemed to be doing well. His weight has mostly returned, and he's no longer in a life-threatening condition, so he said he wants to compete again soon. I'd like him to go on a rampage. If he chooses Erogappa again then, I'll put an end to him.

Interviewer: So, do you have any requests for Weekly Pro Wrestling magazine or Weekly Pro Wrestling Mobile?

Kanemura: Should I say the same things I said in Samurai?

Interviewer: Please don't do that.

Kanemura: Well... with Gong gone and Fight gone, Weekly Pro Wrestling is the only one covering pro wrestling, but I think the media should convey the fun, intensity, and unique aspects of pro wrestling that only this genre can offer. I think there are things that can only be done now that there's only one magazine. For those of you watching on your mobile devices, we really hope you'll spread the word about pro wrestling among your friends. That's the only way to spread it, right? Pro wrestlers can only put on good matches in the ring, so the rest is up to the connections between fans. I think true "liking" something means wanting to spread it to more of your friends if it's something you love. We just put on matches that will make those people proudly say, "Pro wrestling is fun, you should check it out."