(日本語版はこちら)
As important as legacy is in the wrestling landscape, not everyone wants to be defined by what came before them. Although the young DRAGONGATE star and current Open the Brave Gate Champion ISHIN was touted as a “pro wrestling thoroughbred” from the day of his debut, expected to follow in the footsteps of his parents Ishinriki and Utako Hozumi, he prefers to be judged on his own merits. In his opinion, wrestlers should stand on their own two feet rather than rely on the fame of their predecessors, an idea he believes in to the point of shedding both his father’s last name and his mother’s legacy gimmick.
This perspective has brought him into conflict with fellow 2nd generation wrestler Mochizuki Junior many times. Considering Junior’s successes in DG to be entirely the result of his father’s interference, ISHIN resolved to prove himself superior, relentlessly hounding his young rival throughout August and September of 2022. After a failed Triangle Gate challenge against the Mochizuki family at Dangerous Gate, the feud seemed finally finished, with ISHIN even becoming a “trial member” of sorts to their faction, M3K, on his father’s request. However, ISHIN turned on M3K two months later in favor of heel faction Z-Brats, only deepening the grudge between the two competitors.
The decision has garnered him much success, most recently the Open the Brave Gate championship, which he hopes to revitalise with his matches. It has also garnered him a very motivated first challenger. At Dangerous Gate 2023, Mochizuki Junior will finally have his shot at revenge. But ISHIN does not intend to let him take it so easily.
Ahead of their match, Five Star Network’s Kay Quinn had the chance to interview ISHIN about his history with Mochizuki Junior, his goals as the Brave Gate champion and his experiences in Z-Brats.
Here is what he had to say:
You’ve talked about bringing excitement to the Brave Gate title scene. What are you planning to do towards that end?
It’s not like I don’t want to bring more excitement to it, but it’s difficult to do that on my own.
Mochizuki Jr. has challenged me for the belt, but it’s a challenge only possible because of his father helping him out.
It’s unlikely he came to challenge me by his own will.
There’s no one else aside from him who is showing any interest in the Brave Gate title.
And there’s no upward trend in sight for such an unappealing belt, so all I can do is elevate its prestige through my matches.
What makes the Open the Brave Gate championship special, in your opinion?
I’ve never considered the Brave Gate championship special and I’ve never said so, either.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the value of the belt has fallen below zero.
So it’ll be my challenge to raise its prestige with my title matches.
Who would you like to face for the title, within and without DG?
Mizuki Watase from Ganbare Pro Wrestling.
I wrestled him at the Tenryu Project show in Korakuen Hall last year in October. Back then, it ended in a draw after 15 minutes, and we couldn’t hash it out to the end.
Some time has passed since then. Watase has won the highest belt in Ganbare and I’ve become Brave Gate champion.
Regrettably, Watase has lost his belt, but one day I want to continue where we left off.
Won’t you book him for me in a DRAGONGATE ring, please?
Which international wrestlers would you especially like to face?
International, huh? Good question.
When it comes to wrestlers abroad, I only know the top stars in the top places, and if I gave you their names, they wouldn’t look at me or wrestle me, so I think I’ll give you not someone I want to face, but someone I admire.
That’s Kenny Omega and Jay White.
They’ve been superstars since I was in university.
At the time, they were mainly wrestling for NJPW, and really gave us amazing match after amazing match.
Kenny’s style was unconventional and flashy, and he wrestled without self-interest. That was incredible.
Jay White was an all-rounder and nowadays it’s easy to see, but his cunning genius was without equal.
There is a lot you can study in their matches.
I recommend everyone learn how a heel ought to be from them.
When you decided to become a wrestler, why did you choose DRAGONGATE in particular?
When I was little, I had the opportunity to watch DRAGONGATE matches live, and my mind was blown by the sheer speed of the back and forths in the ring.
I couldn’t believe that there was such a high-speed, acrobatic type of wrestling.
Up until that point, I had only seen bad, clichéd wrestling that was more on the dubious side than anything, and it was my first time coming across wrestling that was so showy and stylish. It took my heart by storm, and I decided I wanted to become a DRAGONGATE wrestler in the future.
Ahead of your King of Gate match against Minorita, you mentioned having a particular grudge against handsome men. What would you say to the fans claiming that you yourself fall into this category?
Everyone has their type, and I’m thankful for the people who say I’m handsome, but no matter how you turn it, from a general perspective, I’m ugly.
But, well, to the people who are so kind as to call me handsome, I want to express my gratitude.
However, I’m not good-looking by any means.
How would you say that you’ve changed since joining Z-Brats? What have you learned from the other members?
There truly are a lot of aspects one should learn from [Z-Brats].
Shun is a world-class magnificent wrestler, HYO’s beauty and brains come together to form the greatest heel, KAI has come from AJPW and WRESTLE-1, and it is an honor to fight in the same team alongside such accomplished wrestlers.
They are showing the world their way of life, not with words, but with how they carry themselves, and since there isn’t a group of men around who are greater than they are, I have been absorbing whatever I can from them.
In Z-Brats group pictures, the members often stand far apart from each other. Why is that?
We respect each other, but we’re not really looking at each other as best buddies.
It’d be foolish to be chummy like the other teams are.
Each of us spurs the others on as we turn our eyes towards higher goals.
It’s quite unnecessary to play happy friends for that.
What do you think about the leadership situation within the faction? Is KAI the leader? Is it Shun Skywalker?
Such a concept doesn’t exist within Z-Brats.
We’re a team untethered by fixed notions, so no one has the role of leader and no one has the role of underling.
But I know we function as a team, no matter who the leader is.
Do you have any particular hopes or goals for the development of the faction going forward?
Winning all the championships, of course.
We’ll prove that Z-Brats is the best team in DRAGONGATE.
For that purpose the belts are absolutely necessary.
The day when we hold all the championships will come soon.
How did it feel when Mochizuki and your father decided on you becoming a trial member of M3K? Did your feelings change over the course of the trial?
I originally had no intention whatsoever to join M3K.
Why would I so happily agree to join a loser team such as theirs?
They’re idiots.
I was only a trial member and just waiting for the best time to leave. My feelings never changed one bit.
I joined in order to make them taste the greatest defeat.
What was it like to be in the same faction with Susumu Mochizuki, who you admired when you were a fan?
I may have admired him when I was a fan, but once I became a pro wrestler and made my debut for DRAGONGATE, he became someone I had to surpass. I didn’t feel anything in particular when I joined his faction.
I was prepared to do whatever it took to climb the ranks of DRAGONGATE by myself and reach the top.
I didn’t have time to think about whether someone was on my team or not.
At Gate of Destiny 2022, you turned against M3K and joined Z-Brats. How and when did that plan first take form?
When I lost in my challenge for the Triangle Gate.
If I had readily joined their team after such a humiliating loss, it would’ve been the end for me as a wrestler.
That day, when I lost, was the day I made the plan to turn on them.
I consulted with the members of Z-Brats and we discussed when the best time would be for me to betray M3K, and decided it would be the Ôsaka show on November 6th, so I became Masked Z and turned on them at that time.
It was a straight-forward plan.
What did betraying M3K feel like for you?
Nothing in particular changed for me.
All I had been thinking about was: “I will make them taste the bitterest, foulest defeat.”
It felt good to betray them.
I could look upon their disappointed and humiliated faces.
You might say the difference between them and me is already evident by me telling you about that old story.
They can’t measure up to a guy like me anymore.
After that match, you continued wearing your Masked Z mask during entrances. What did that mask mean to you?
Well, for a while I wore it to tell people that Masked Z was me.
Apart from that it has no special meaning.
What do you think of Mochizuki Junior’s improvement since then?
Improvement? He has done no such thing.
He won his debut match thanks to his father, he won the Triangle Gate belt with the support of his father, and since he lost the championship, he’s achieved absolutely nothing and dallied around, only to get injured.
The only improvement happening is that he is steadily losing his appeal.
A guy like that doesn’t look like he’s improving to me.
To be honest with you, I have no clue at all why his challenge for my belt was approved.
What do you see as the central difference between you and him?
Take a look at our matches. The difference is right there.
Look at everything, our personalities, our appearances, the precision of our moves, our prowess. Doesn’t take a genius.
How are you preparing for your match against him at Dangerous Gate?
I’m not preparing.
Me beating Mochizuki is already a settled matter.
Just watch the match, then you’ll get it.
You have made clear that making your own name is very important to you. Going forward, what do you want people to think of when they hear the name ISHIN?
This is going to take some time, of course, but I want to become the face of DRAGONGATE.
I need to become synonymous with DRAGONGATE itself and I want to make DRAGONGATE into a promotion that can compete with any other one.
Well, I can sit here all day and talk about it, but you’re going to check out what I’m up to from now on, I’m sure.
DRAGONGATE is only going to get more and more interesting.
Our deepest gratitude to ISHIN (@ishin_1027) for answering our questions so quickly and thoroughly and to Ho Ho Lun (@hoholun719) for assisting us in arranging this interview on such short notice!
The Japanese-to-English translation of this interview was handled by Joe (@thefeelite). Our thanks to him for his excellent work.
Anyone interested in seeing Dangerous Gate on August 20th, as well as the rest of ISHIN’s work, for themselves can do so on DRAGONGATE Network. Please consider signing up! New fans can watch the preceding show on August 13th for free before making a decision.
Those who want more context before watching may also check out our Dangerous Gate Preview, releasing on August 11th!
For additional DRAGONGATE content, check out the Five Star Network’s Dramatic Dream Dragons podcast and have a look at the puroresu features section of the site!