Episode 111: First G1 Victory: 2007

July 21, 2026

In 2007, I stood at the pinnacle of the G1 CLIMAX for the very first time. It was a victory earned by defeating Yuji Nagata. It happened in my fifth year after entering the tournament for the first time back in 2002.

At that time, New Japan Pro-Wrestling was said to be in its "Dark Ages." Venues were rarely packed, and it was a genuinely grueling era for the company.

Back then, I had great looks (self-declared, of course) and was only 30 years old. My physical prime was still booming, but everywhere I went, I felt like I was completely "away" on hostile territory.

Old-school fans showered me with boos because my fighting style distanced itself from traditional "Strong Style." When I shouted my signature catchphrase, "I love you!", the crowd would sometimes yell back, "We DON'T love you!"

When will these boos ever stop? It felt like running at full speed through a maze with no exit.

My 2007 G1 victory was a crown seized right in the dead center of that "transition period."

It was a championship won in a strange, surreal atmosphere where boos and applause were tangled together.

In fact, it was during this exact G1 that the streak of sold-out crowds for the G1 CLIMAX finals was broken for the first time. Yet, on the mic at the end, this is what I said:

"In OUR generation, we are going to make pro wrestling EXPLODE again!"

I think that in that moment, I was searching for a phrase far stronger than just "we'll make it exciting," and that was the word that popped into my head instantly. Still... "Explode"?

Talk about a choice of words! (lol)