NJPW star and current IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA spoke with Rolling Stone Japan about a wide range of topics, including his thoughts on the Three Musketeers and how he finds that generation to lack any sex appeal. Highlights from the interview can be found below.
How the younger generation, specifically the Three Musketeers, lack sex appeal:
I have high expectations for the Three Musketeers… I really have high expectations for them. They are the future of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Yes, that’s right (I am going to show the difference between them & I). That generation still lacks sex appeal. Well, it can’t be helped in terms of their careers. I feel there is a difference. I feel that sex appeal is more important than how well they play the game. It’s more about attracting attention. I think that’s why there are no popular guys in that generation.
On ‘Just 5 Guys’ and how comfortable they are growing as a faction:
We (Just 5 Guys) don’t get to spend much time together in private, but they are very kind. I guess you could call them tsundere. When I get to know them well, they are kind to me. He (Taichi) gets angry if there are fans who don’t behave properly, and in fact, he is a well-meaning person. Yes, we are (comfortable as a unit). But I don’t like to be too comfortable. I also don’t like to lose tension. I don’t like to lose the sense of tension.
SANADA will be returning to IMPACT next month for their Emergence event. You can read about that here.