Fred Rosser has had a successful run with NJPW, but this year he hopes to take it one step further by competing in the promotion’s grueling G1 Climax tournament.
The current reigning NJPW STRONG Openweight champion discussed this topic during a recent interview with the NJPW website, where he also touched on how much he’s enjoyed training at the NJPW Academy. Highlights from the interview can be found below, but the full interview can be found here.
On potentially competing in this year’s G1 Climax tournament:
Absolutely (there’s a chance I compete in Japan in 2023). Hopefully in the summertime, but in the meantime, I have to put my head down and keep working. Patience is a virtue, so we’ll see, but when it happens, you’ll know about it (laughs)… If Lawlor can do it, Mr. No Days Off can!
Talks coaching at the NJPW Academy:
For me, it (coaching at the NJPW Academy) means that I can have my cake and eat it too. I’m able to wrestle, and I’m able to coach as well… I’ve always loved getting every chance I’ve had to coach. Even before STRONG, I would give back in my free time and do seminars. I love this business, and I want to give back… There’s a saying, ‘You never see a U-HAUL behind a Hearse.’ You can’t take it with you, you know? But you can leave it better than what it was. Here in L.A., there are a lot of wrestling schools you can go to, and I encourage that, but NJPW Academy is something really special… Well, it’s a 12-week program, two sessions a week. That doesn’t give you all that the full time L.A. Dojo offers, but whether your goal is NXT, WWE, New Japan, or even if it’s just doing this for a hobby, we’re going to give you the tools to get there and then it’s up to you… I’m not looking to break you, I’m looking to make you. There’s room for everyone at the finish line… Well, first thing that people can expect if they sign up is that cleanliness is godliness for me. There’s a state-of-the-art facility here, it’s very clean, and we’ll keep it clean. But we’ll be doing a lot of the little things, a lot of the in between, the details. A lot of footwork, endurance, physical fitness, and a lot beyond the ring as well. We’ll be doing promo class for example.