My Path To Becoming a Pro Wrestler in Japan (Part 3)
January 19th, 2012. 7:05pm. I was walking around Shinjuku at night, completely lost.
Earlier, former New Japan Pro Wrestling legend and current SMASH wrestler Akira Nogami had invited me down to a SMASH show at Shinjuku Face. How little did I know, that 1 year, 1 month, and 9 days later, I would achieve my dreams of becoming a professional wrestler, debuting in this building.
What surprised me about the invite, was that Akira made me pay 4000 yen ($40) for a ticket. Why am I paying? I thought. Aren’t they wrestlers? Can’t they get me in for free? I was already learning about the Japanese wrestling industry. Pro Wrestlers outside the major 4 companies, have to sell tickets too. Most companies give you 10% back on what you sell, but SMASH and WNC were generous and often gave up to 20%.
Anyway, being lost, I arrived late but in time for the second match. That night Josh O’Brien, an American from Boston who was also a rookie in Tajiri’s group, would debut in the first match, against Akira. I missed it.
I got inside and went up to the 7th floor and purchased my ticket. Akira had told me he had saved me 1 ticket and to pay when I arrived. To this day, I still use that exact Japanese sentence he sent me by email, when I tell fans and friends who bought tickets through me, where to pick up their tickets. Thanks for that, Akira san.
I was enjoying the show, it was a mix of younger kids and some veteran talent, but the SMASH matches were clearly more than just “the spirit of the fight” that Noah and the other companies had put on. This show had some flair, and some story telling, and some comedy. It had mostly everything - and that is what Tajiri brings to the table. The current All Japan fans might not always be happy with how he books, but the man is a booking genius.
I distinctly remember watching two joshi (female) wrestlers, Tomoko Nakagawa and Kana (now Asuka in WWE), kick the absolute crap out of each other in the semi main event. Oh boy could those girls wrestle.
Tajiri wrestled in the main event and he won the match after green misting his opponent. This is “poison” that blinds your opponent. It is illegal and can only be done when the referee is not looking. Tajiri is an absolute master at it, and I’ve been trusted many times in his career to be the guy to help him get mist ready for matches for him.
After Tajiri’s main event match, I went to see Akira. He said “follow me, I’ll introduce you to Tajiri” and so I did. We walked to the backstage curtain and Akira made me wait outside. He disappeared backstage and returned a few minutes later, inviting me backstage. I walked less than a meter inside the curtain where I was met by Tajiri, his mouth and teeth still covered in green. In fact, it all happened so quickly (less than 20 seconds) that the goodbye music was still playing by the time the following took place;
Tajiri took one look at me (I had been hitting the gym hard, it was noticeable) and said;
“Can you speak Japanese?”
His mouth and teeth were covered with his poisonous mist.
I told him I could.
“Ok, you are welcome. Please come to training”.
And he was gone. He disappeared down the stairs.
Akira left me, saying he’d be in touch, and he also walked away. I left the backstage area, that little space 1 meter inside the curtain where Akira let me stand. The next time I would stand in that spot would be a few minutes before my professional wrestling debut on February 28th, 2013.
You are welcome? Please come to training?
That was it? I am in? That easy?
I had heard horror stories of the “tests” that Japanese pro wrestling companies make you take just to get a call back. Hundreds and hundreds of hindu squats, pushups, sit ups, anything and everything they can think of to make you break. They want you to run away and never come back, because the ones that do comeback, are mentally strong enough to make it as a pro wrestler. This aint dancing folks.
I got one foot in the door because I could speak fluent Japanese, and was also hitting the gym 4-5 days a week. Tajiri said it was ok, so who am I to question him?
I found out later that it was 33,000 yen a month to train ($300 USD).
So that’s why I was in! I thought. Great revenue for the company. Nonetheless, I accepted. I wanted this more than anything.
One week later, Akira emailed me;
“Thank you for coming last week. Unfortunately, SMASH is going to close down. I am sorry. We have other plans in the works, and Tajiri World will continue. I will let you know when I know more. Sorry”.
Just like that, my hopes were seemingly dead. He said they had plans, but he didn’t tell me what or when. I was devastated.
Please read Part 4 to see how I joined Wrestling New Classic (WNC).