IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Tetsuya Naito has opened up about winning the Tokyo Sports MVP and Best Bout 2020 Awards.
Here are the highlights.
Being named MVP: “To be honest, as soon as I did what I did in the Tokyo Dome on January 4 & 5, I had assumed that this award was coming,” Naito said. “But after the Tokyo Dome, thanks to the pandemic, the match I had wanted with Hiromu Takahashi for a decade didn’t take place. From there, this year took a rather different form to what I had expected. Then again, things not exactly going to plan, that’s pretty much on brand for Tetsuya Naito.”
Getting Match of the Year: “Everybody has their own taste. Some people might think my match with Okada was the clear winner, and some might have a very different idea. It’s a difficult call to make, and this decision will certainly raise a lot of debate. But thinking back on the matches I’ve had this year, the (Okada match) certainly is one that stays with me,” Naito admitted. “I think a few years from now when I look back on my career, this is definitely a match that will leap out as an important one, and I’m happy it got chosen.”