AEW star and former IWGP United States champion Lance Archer recently appeared on the 1023 XLC show to discuss his participation in the upcoming NJPW G1 Climax tournament. Th Murderhawk Monster says it is an honor for him to return to NJPW, where he competed between 2011-2015, as well as 2017-present. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
How honored he is to be returning to NJPW and competing in the G1 Climax:
“I mean, it’s amazing for me because like you said, my history there — to have that connection between the two companies, to be representing AEW and to be the only one representing AEW in the G1 Climax. New Japan is celebrating their 50th year in wrestling right now. And that’s such an amazing and rich history. The G1 Climax, for anyone that doesn’t know, is a tournament that blows pretty much every other tournament that can and does exist in wrestling out of the water. It is amazing every single year. And to be part of it again is, I’m extremely honored.”
How he was involved in the 2019 G1 Climax, and how important that year’s tournament was for him:
“I was part of 2019’s G1 CLimax, a lot of people got to see Will Ospreay and I in a match that was live on AXS TV in the states in 2019. It was done in the American Airlines Center in Dallas Texas, it the first G1 [event] outside of Japan. So a lot of people got their first experience with the G1 in 2019. The last couple of years have been muted because of the pandemic and thinks like that, and there restrictions, but now the restrictions are starting to lift, they are allowing visas for new wrestlers. And it’s opened the door for me to go over there and do that. To represent AEW, but also to have the history I’ve had with New Japan Pro Wrestling, it was a perfect fit. I’m extremely honored and ready to go kick some ass.”
(H/T and transcribed by 411 Mania)
