Tetsuya Naito emerged victorious in his third G1 Climax tournament, securing his triumph by overcoming Kazuchika Okada in the finals this past weekend.

This achievement has now ensured his opportunity to challenge IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA at Wrestle Kingdom 18. During the press conference held after the event. Naito shared his thoughts on this remarkable feat. 

“Here we are, one day removed from the G1 final. I’m beaten up, but the worst part is a lack of sleep. Saturday, Ryogoku. Sunday, Ryogoku. Today, press conference. That’s three days in a row I’ve had to wake up in the morning. Thank you to the NJPW office for the wake up calls. Thanks to your incessant telephone calls, I was able to get myself out of bed. This is my third win, first in six years. Everybody in this tournament is in it to win it, so I’m obviously happy to win. For me, I’ve always associated the G1 final with the middle of summer and with Ryogoku, so to have that final in Ryogoku, in mid summer, and of course to have the fans cheering as well, to have that big chant of ‘De Ja Pon!’ felt damn great. I think I had a pretty good summer.”

When reflecting on the uniqueness of this victory, Naito expressed, “That’s a thinker… What with my injuries, and my age as well, I didn’t have, don’t have many more chances left. That’s what I had in mind. I didn’t have the luxury of thinking there’s always next year, or the next year, or five years after that. So I had a lot more on the line I think, and more than my other two wins, I felt that I had to win this time.”

Regarding his lack of holding the IWGP World Heavyweight title, Naito shared, "Absolutely. My focus has always been on pursuing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, rather than the World Heavyweight Championship. In fact, I was initially opposed to the creation of the World Heavyweight belt. So, if we were to compare the significance of headlining the Tokyo Dome event versus holding the world title, the Dome takes precedence by a wide margin, while the title ranks lower on the scale. However, this perspective is valid for the present moment. Should I clinch the title at the Tokyo Dome, my perception might shift, and its importance could grow on me. I can only truly comprehend this once I attain the championship. Yet, my current drive is centered around securing the spotlight as the main event at the Tokyo Dome."

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— Ben Jordan Kerin Aug 14, 2023 01:50PM