[News] EMPEROR'S CUP Eve Press Conference

The preliminary press conference for tomorrow's EMPEROR'S CUP tournament kick off wrapped up roughly half an hour ago. If you missed the live stream on the company's Niconico channel, we have gladly provided you with a completely unedited transcript of the proceedings! Please enjoy!

The live stream opened; somewhat awkwardly on an unassuming Eizou Hayakawa, who was to serve as the event's moderator and MC. Eizou's eyes reached up at the screen, before seemingly realizing they were in fact LIVE. Like a true pro, Eizou immediately shifted into his on-screen persona; exuding confidence and energy. With what appeared to be a script in front of him, Eizou began to speak.

Eizou Hayakawa: "Good afternoon! I am Eizou Hayakawa, Supervisor and PR Representative for Kingdom of Japan Pro-Wrestling. As we make final preparations for this important series, we would like to hold one final press conference to give the participants an opportunity to make a final public statement, in addition to answering any questions that may linger. We will be bringing in all sixteen participants momentarily. First however, I would like to introduce our esteemed CEO and Acting President, Mr. Shigesato Ishiyama. Welcome, Mr. Ishiyama!"

Mr. Ishiyama politely walked into the room; seeing somewhat embarrassed by his formal introduction. Behind him followed KJPW rookies Shinji Uchikawa and Tsutomu Nishioka, who brought in the very prize the sixteen men will be fighting for in addition to the Cup itself; the HEC Heavyweight Championship. Laid upon a lavish red, silk throw pillow, the belt shined with absolute magnificence. The front plate glowed with an immaculate finish, and free of tarnishes and scratches; showing the hard work, love, and craftsmanship that went into the creation of the belt. Across the center of the plate read "H E C," with "HONORED EMPEROR'S CROWN" emblazoned underneath with both acronym and full name superimposed over a silver etching of an elaborate castle with three towers. The left and right towards are symmetric; albeit shorter than the middle tower. Above the left and right tower is an elaborate, jewel encrusted representation of the western and eastern continents respectively, with the middle featuring a larger, defined etching of the KJPW emblem.

Hayakawa: "And now Mr. Ishiyama will give a brief statement."

Shigesato Ishiyama: "Thank you, Hayakawa-san. I've been making a bad habit of taking up the media's time lately, so I'll keep this brief! We're embarking on an exciting new era tomorrow, as we begin the three-event journey to crown the very first HEC Heavyweight Champion. We've done a lot of talking in the last couple weeks, but we've put even more effort into preparing for this series. It's pointless to grandstand, but I have a feeling it will be a very eventual series. Simply put, I hope everyone will enjoy it... Now, without further a due, I'd like to bring in all sixteen participants... We might have to make room..."

Apologetically, Mr. Ishiyama began to move the table forward with help from rookies Shinji Uchikawa and Tsutomu Nishioka; who largely did the work. With some added space provided for the competitors, Mr. Ishiyama nodded to Eizou Hayakawa, who began to introduce each wrestler one-by-one in order of the fight card, beginning with...

Hayakawa: "...ICHIRO, RIKI! ...versus... MIWA, YUICHI of ARMADA!"

Among polite applause, both men entered from opposite ends of the room; staring daggers through the others skull. The two faced off for the photographers, but immediately began butting heads and trading insults.

Riki Ichiro: "You think you're tough? You're garbage! I'll beat you in any single match! I'll whip you like a dog!"

Yuichi Miwa: "How's your head, Riki-kun!? Do you want it to happen again!? I'm going to crush you!"

Both men finally were separated by Uchikawa, Nishioka, and the added help of rookie Yutaka Awano. Both wrestlers took their positions accordingly; Ichiro on the left side, and Miwa on the right. After the hectic start, Ishiyama motioned to Hayakawa to continue...

Hayakawa: "...KAWAMURA, TETSUJI of MONSTER HEAD DUO ...versus... SEAN KING of SPIRIT International!"

Kawamura and King both entered from opposite doors once more, before taking a fighting pose side-by-side. Photographers were particularly enamored with King's intimidating size. Kawamura however tried his best to look unimpressed by continually propping up his Mohawk. This seemed to irritate King, who SHOVED Kawamura to the ground!

Sean King: "YOU BETTER TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! Tomorrow, I'm going to KILL YOU!"

Naturally, Kawamura jumped to his feet and charged at King, who watched amusingly as the rookies held Kawamura back on the order of Mr. Ishiyama. Tetsuji finally cooled off, and the two took took positions to the left and right of Ichiro and Miwa respectively.

Hayakawa: "...KESSIN, CHIKAO ...versus... SEKISHIMA, MAMORU of MONSTER HEAD DUO!"

Two of KJPW's largest wrestlers entered the room; naturally glaring down the other. Showing no sign of intimidation from either man, Chikao and Mamoru stood face-to-face. After a subtle nod to acknowledge the other, the two took their positions behind Mr. Ishiyama, with the other competitors without further incident.

Hayakawa: "...TANAMURA, KENJI of ARMADA ...versus... GAKUSHA, KATSUMI of SPIRIT International!"

Both men walked into the room instantly striking a contrast to the other as Tanamura entered with a polite bow, before shaking hands with Mr. Ishiyama. Gakusha on the other hand walked in with an arrogant strut. Tanamura offered a handshake to his opponent, causing Gakusha to lean forward and gaze at Tanamura's extended hand as if it was a moldy piece of bread, before whipping his blond hair back and taking his position behind Mr. Ishiyama. Tanamura smiled, and followed suite.

Hayakawa: "...TAKU ...versus... SAKAI, HARUMI of ARMADA!"

TAKU and Sakai entered the room and faced off without much incident. TAKU somewhat broke the monotony by pounding his chest and stretching his arms out. Sakai was clearly not intimidated. With the back wall lined with wrestlers, TAKU and Sakai began a new line, standing in front of Riki Ichiro and Yuichi Miwa respectively.

Hayakawa: "...TANIGUCHI, GO ...versus... HIGUCHI, YUJIRO!"

Sans Mamoru Sekishima, two of KJPW's tallest wrestlers entered the room. While looking focused, Go simply could not help himself by lessening the levity of the situation by assuming a comical pose opposite Yujiro, who didn't seem amused. The two took their positions besides TAKU and Sakai respectively.

Hayakawa: "...YOSHIDA, MASAFUJI ...versus... EBISAWA, SEIJI of SPIRIT International!"

Yoshida and Ebisawa entered the room before facing off. Ebisawa appeared with a cocky grin to him, while Yoshida remained uncharacteristically stoic. After some photographs, both men lined up behind Mr. Ishiyama with the other competitors.

Hayakawa: "...FUKUDA, NAOKI! ...versus... FUJITA, KAZUMA!!"

Amidst loud applause, Fukuda and Fujita entered the room, with each commanding an immense level of respect and credibility. While no ill will exists between teacher and student, both men faced off knowing full-well what was on the line. The two would even make noticeable glances to the HEC Heavyweight Championship on the table. In a moment that somewhat took everyone by surprise, Fujita held out his "Lariat" arm before pointing at his bicep; all while staring Naoki down. The move was a clearly planned photo-op by Fujita. Not wanting to be shown up, Naoki struck his own "Mastodon" pose by extending both his fists outward. The photographers naturally ate this up, and filled the room with shuttering lenses and digital camera snaps. The two finally took their places directly behind Mr. Ishiyama, who briefly took over once again.

Ishiyama: "...Pro-Wrestling is certainly a dynamic sport. You never know what's going to happen when you have so many larger-than-life fighters in one room. I know tempers are always flaring, but I thank the competitors for doing their best to remain professional... Now, we will briefly hear comments from each of the competitors. Hayakawa-san, if you please!"

Hayakawa: "We'll first hear Riki Ichiro and Yuichi Miwa; the competitors of the first tournament match. Ichiro-senshu?"

Ichiro: "I'm Riki Ichiro, WWA National Heavyweight Champion. Sometimes my temper gets the better of me, but I'm proud, and honored to be apart of this tournament. I've worked incredibly hard to get to where I am now, and I'm ready to finally make my name known nationally. I respect a lot of the wrestlers in this tournament... But nothing will stop me... Especially this piece of trash..."

Referencing his first round opponent, Hayakawa took the opportunity to defer to Yuichi Miwa for comments. With an amused grin on his face, Miwa was happy to oblige.

Miwa: "This piece of trash regularly beat your ass when we were training in (Kazuma) Fujita's dojo! Is that why you're acting so brave, Riki-kun?"

Ichiro: "--You bastard--!!"

Ichiro's hot-blood got the better of him as he lunged after Miwa, only to be held back. Mr. Ishiyama nervously motioned to Eizou Hayakawa to continue...

Hayakawa: "...Now, we will hear from Tetsuji Kawamura and Sean King. Kawamura-senshu, please start!"

Tetsuji Kawamura: "I am Tetsuji Kawamura of MONSTER HEAD DUO... Tomorrow, I'm going to fight Sean King... His deathmatch reputation doesn't scare me. When you are MONSTER HEAD, you're not afraid of anything! He can push me around today, but he'll feel my true power in Korakuen!"

Hayakawa: "Now we will hear from Sean King! PLEASE, MISTER KING!"

King: "I said it before, and I'll say it again... It's an honor to be back in Japan, and an even bigger honor to be competing in this tournament among the best wrestlers in the world. I'm here thanks to my GOOD FRIENDS SPIRIT International. Mr. Ebisawa, Mr. Gakusha, Mr. Shino, thank you!"

Ebisawa, Gakusha, along with the accompanying Shino Hiriyama all gave themselves a nice round of applause...

King: "...But what pisses me off more than anything... is when some PUNK comes in here and disrespects me--"

Kawamura: --PUNK? I'm MONSTER HEAD, you idiot! You'll see tomorrow!"

Briefly incensed, King seemed to calm himself down to prevent further incident... Anxiously, Eizou Hayakawa tried to continue...

Hayakawa: "And now we'll hear from Chikao Kessin and Mamoru Sekishima. Please begin, Kessin-senshu!"

Chikao Kessin: "My name is Chikao Kessin. I am a Pro-Wrestler, but I carry the Soul of the Sumo with me still. Mamoru's size is very impressive, and its actually a shame he never tested himself inside the Dohyou. But alas, nothing can can surpass the strength of a Sumo; ESPECIALLY on the eve of the Basho. I've yet to have my breakout singles performance, but this will be my time."

Hayakawa: "And now comments from Mamoru Sekishima. Sekishima-senshu, if you please..."

Mamoru Sekishima: "Osu! I'm Mamoru Sekishima of MONSTER HEAD DUO. I've been told big things are expected of me from this tournament, so I will do my best to live up to those expectations... Regarding Kessin, I look to him in a lot of ways as my senpai, but we understand each other. He knows that I am working hard to break out. And unfortunately, tomorrow I will have to beat him to do that."

Almost looking proud, Chikao shot Mamoru a nod of acknowledgment.

Hayakawa: "Next, we will hear from Kenji Tanamura and Katsumi Gakusha. Tanamura-senshu, the floor is yours."

Kenji Tanamura: "I am Kenji Tanamura of ARMADA... I understand that there is some natural resentment towards me among many of the wrestlers on the roster, but its my intention to more than earn my keep. ARMADA is a faction, but we are still KJPW wrestlers through and through... I've competed in several high-stake tournaments, and have even been victorious on a few occasions. However, everything I've accomplished before is an afterthought to me now. While the road for some people are finishing up, mine is only just beginning. At 36 years old, this is a turning point in not just my career, but my life. I'm going to show you the true strength of a martial artist, and lead by example and win the EMPEROR'S CUP, and become HEC Heavyweight Champion. Thank you very much!"

Tanamura politely handed the microphone to one of the rookies, who relayed it to Katsumi Gakusha, who appeared somewhat stunned by Tanamura's formality and politeness...

Katsumi Gakusha: "...If you listen to what this guy is saying, you'd feel as if this was a campaign rally. Hey, Tanamura! You're not trying to acquire popularity votes! Tomorrow, I'm going to expose you and your supposed 'martial arts' skills! I've watched all of your fights in preparation, and I'm not entirely convinced of their legitimacy. How much did you pay Karlson Goold to let you armbar him? Hmm? FUJITA! Did you bribe that Canadian!?"

Gakusha's blatant disrespect catches even Fujita off guard, who can't help but jerk his head in reaction. However, the ever dignified Fujita collected himself. Tanamura on the other hand seemed content to simply let Gakusha keep talking...

Gakusha: "Tomorrow, In this completely legitimate pro-wrestling bout, I'm going to beat you soundly! How are you going to feel when your 'jiu jitsu' and 'kickboxing' is ineffective against my MUCH more practical game plan of rope work and elegant style. Regardless, he'll be soundly beaten just like everyone else facing SPIRIT International. Naturally, the Cup and Belt will belong to us."

Hayakawa: "And now, we will hear from TAKU and Harumi Sakai... TAKU-senshu, please take the microphone..."

TAKU: "I am the Rampaging Choujin, TAKU. The importance of this Cup has been emphasized, but it cannot be overstated. Like others, this tournament is a break out opportunity for me. I've primarily been a tag wrestler, and before that I was a Jr. Heavyweight pretending to be Kinnikuman. I'm sick of pretending! I made some rash choices recently, and I apologize if I've upset anyone... However, nothing will stop me from winning this. I've worked too hard, and too long to simply let this opportunity slip from my grasp! While I recognize Harumi Sakai's courage and spirit, his power level cannot compare to mine. He will be crushed, and I will be one step closer to fulfilling my destiny!"

TAKU's passion made the words even more convincing, leaving a brief moment of resonance among the reporters. Many in fact met the end with some short applause. However, it was Sakai's turn to speak...

Harumi Sakai: "Yo! I am Harumi Sakai of ARMADA. My demeanor is generally playful, so... It's hard for me to put on a mean face like TAKU! However, you can question how serious I am taking this, but the fact is I will be within mere moments of beating him at anytime. Please remember that, TAKU-san. GOOD LUCK!"

Sakai's oddly cheerful words seemed to, at least on the surface, force TAKU to garner some respect for Sakai as he let out a nodding chuckle.

Hayakawa: "Let's now hear from Go Taniguchi and Yujiro Higuchi. Taniguchi-senshu, if you please!"

Taniguchi: "Of course, Eizou-tan!"

Hayakawa: "...Go... That... That isn't very professional..."

Taniguchi: "Ah, of course Hayakawa-tan!"

Succumbing to his own laughter and embarrassment, Hayakawa buried his head and motioned to Go to continue.

Taniguchi: "I am Go! Though my last name is Taniguchi, so maybe I should refer to myself as 'Go Taniguchi.' I used to be a comedy wrestler named 'Hisai Tomagotchi,' but motivated by my best friend, TAKU, I chose to become a serious wrestler many years ago. It's been a difficult struggle, but I feel I have grown into quite the credible, serious wrestler. Now, I'm recognized by children and asked to play checkers with them only some of the time. Of course, because I am a serious wrestler, I win every time; regardless of their age. In fact, when writing about me, please refer to me as 'Go Taniguchi, School Child Killer--!!"

Ishiyama: "--ABSOLUTELY NOT!""

Ishiyama threw his arms up in an "X" pose for added emphasis.

Taniguchi: "Eh? Too controversial? I've defeated adults too!"

Ishiyama: "TANIGUCHI-SAN! Please stick to the topic..."

Taniguchi: "Of course, of course... ... ... ... ...CEO-tan... What would that be... again...?"

Unable to take anymore, Yujiro Higuchi's booming voice shot across the room.

Yujiro Higuchi: "I've had ENOUGH OF THIS SILLINESS! Go! I have respect for you, but PLEASE! Take this seriously! If you don't, you're going to find yourself in a lot of pain tomorrow... I've been compared to you a lot, because of our sizes... But when I see a side-show variety show like THIS, that starts to feel like an insult! I don't want to fight a comedian! I want to fight a WRESTLER! And I'll destroy you in no time to find that fight! Understand that, Go Taniguchi!"

Higuchi's outburst seemed to catch everyone off guard, leaving a bit of an awkward tension for Hayakawa to work though. His words seemed to leave an impression with Go however, who had a stern look wash over him.

Hayakawa: "...Now, we will hear from Masafuji Yoshida and Seiji Ebisawa. Yoshida-senshu, please!"

Masafuji Yoshida: "Good afternoon... I'm used to not taking things so seriously like Go... However, unlike Go, I'm taking this tournament very seriously. Like others have stated before me, this tournament is a break out opportunity for most of us, who have never had the privilege of holding a singles belt. To add onto that, the fact that this is the first EMPEROR'S CUP makes it even more important, because the winner will likely become the Ace of KJPW. I'd be naive if I didn't know I was a long shot to win... But I of course plan to use this as motivation. I may have never been a professional Sumo, but I've inherited the Sumo Spirit through my friend Kessin! And even if I am not destined to win the Cup, I will do everything in my power to keep it from being won by an outsider, such as Seiji Ebisawa... He cannot be allowed to advance. I will stop him at any cost!"

With an ear-to-ear smirk, Ebisawa took the microphone, ready to respond.

Seiji Ebisawa: "I am the leader of SPIRIT International, Seiji Ebisawa. We are proud to be involved with this prestigious tournament. It's always satisfying to be acknowledged as a vital necessity to the prosperity of Pro-Wrestling in our great country. Thankfully, Mr. Ishiyama was gracious enough to afford our high, but deserved salary, along with giving us the right to bring in outside wrestlers to represent SPIRIT International... We would like to personally express our thanks..."

Not buying any of Ebisawa's pretense, Yoshida was quick to call him out.

Yoshida: "Quit promoting your stupid brand! Everything you say is garbage, and nobody is believing any of it!"

Ebisawa: "Yoshida-kun, are you upset? Are you nervous about losing tomorrow? It's okay. Everyone is used to you losing now. How long have you been wrestling? It's been over ten years, right? Nobody will think less of you after I beat you. You failed in Sumo, and you will fail in Pro-Wrestling. It's OK though, because we expect this. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Yoshida-kun?"

Very clearly hitting a sore spot, Yoshida mustered all of his strength to not go after Ebisawa, who grinned; knowing full well what he was doing.

Hayakawa: "And finally, we will hear comments from Naoki Fukuda and Kazuma Fujita! Fukuda-senshu, please start us off!"

Naoki Fukuda: "I am Naoki Fukuda. Like everyone, I am proud to be apart of this tournament. I believe everyone in this Cup brings a legitimate threat to the table, and that lends to the severity of my game plan. However, I truly think I have the toughest opponent in this tournament. Kazuma Fujita is a name that even people who don't follow sports know. He's likely the first face people think of when they think of a "Pro-Wrestler." It's easy to say he's simply a man, or that he's not what he used to be... But Kazuma Fujita is always capable of pulling out a miracle. I watched Fujita fight, AND DEFEAT the likes of Keiji Takano, Yoshikazu Kanda, and Jason Ramsey. No matter how far behind Fujita fell, he silenced anyone that doubted him becoming the image of Burning Spirit we all aspire to be. I'm not going to make the mistake of underestimating the Strongest Pro-Wrestler of the New Millennium. I have all of the respect in the world for the man who trained me. I respect the name and legacy Kazuma Fujita brings. Most importantly though, I respect the man himself, as he has been a father-figure for most of my adult life... However, please don't mistake respect for weakness... In fact, while all of what I said is true, I plan on ECLIPSING the image of Kazuma Fujita, and it begins with beating the man himself. I'm going to make a DEEP IMPACT in Korakuen, and defeat Kazuma Fujita soundly. And if I beat Fujita... I can beat anyone. The Cup and Belt will be mine!"

Taking a minute to ponder his thoughts, Fujita finally was handed the microphone and spoke with a hearty, but determined smile on his face.

Kazuma Fujita: "Naoki-kun--No... Fukuda is very kind in saying all of those things about me. Whether they're accurate or not, I'm not sure... But I've worked hard match-by-match to get to this point. Professional Wrestling is my life, and thus my life is Professional Wrestling. Even after stepping away from the ring for some time, the feel of the mat, and the bounce of the ropes feel natural to me again. My past accomplishments are vast, but it would be naive of me not to acknowledge that I am not what I used to be... And certainly, my looming retirement certainly doesn't do anything to sway that fact. However, I want to emphasize the following: While my retirement road will begin later this year, I have NO IMMEDIATE PLANS to leave the ring! And by that, I am stating that I intend to give MORE than '300%' as I typically say! Naoki is correct! Tomorrow, I intend on walking into Korakuen Hall as the Kazuma Fujita everyone acknowledges as the Strongest Pro-Wrestler of the New Millennium, and delivering that miracle Fukuda speaks about. I want to be the HERO everyone looks up to... One last time! I am thankful to hear that we're completely sold out for tomorrow's event, because I want to show something truly special in the hall. From what Fukuda said, he is clearly taking this match seriously. It would be disrespectful to not do the same. But remember Naoki-kun... If you ease up on me, I will capitalize and defeat you without hesitation. That is what it means to be a Pro-Wrestler."

With that, Mr. Ishiyama briefly took over the microphone....

Ishiyama: "After hearing comments from all sixteen of our participants, that is going to conclude today's press event. As always, we're greatly appreciative to both fans and press alike for their interest and support. If you are unable to purchase a ticket and attend live, we hope you tune into FIGHTING TV Samurai tomorrow night to watch the edited broadcast! While limited, tickets are still available for the final card of the series on 03/15! We hope to see you there as well! Thank you very much!"

The press conference quickly wrapped up amidst a polite round of applause. The sixteen men slowly filed out of the room one-by-one without much incident. After the room was largely cleared out, Mr. Ishiyama could still be seen making small talk with some reporters. As the video stream seemed to be nearing its end time, a LOUD COMMOTION could be heard from the outside. Caught off guard, Mr. Ishiyama darted from his seat and rushed out the door. The stream finally cut off in the middle of the confusion...