Episode 141: A Suit Theory from the Man Who Didn't Want to Wear One

August 28, 2026

One of the reasons I became a professional wrestler was because "I wouldn't have to wear a suit."

Head to work every day in the same outfit—to my 18-year-old self back then, that somehow felt unbearable cramped and stifling. In the ring, you can expose your true self in just a pair of tights. I thought that was the absolute coolest thing ever.

And yet, look at what happened when the lid was opened. Today, as Representative Director, I wear a suit every single day and head to the office. Press conferences, media coverage for title matches, shareholder meetings... Phew.

If I told my younger self from back then, he definitely wouldn't believe it.

In the middle of all this, every time I see active wrestler Yota Tsuji in a suit, I'm deeply impressed. Whether at match venues or in his private life, he wears them truly smartly.

From his choice of jacket, color palettes, down to the way he pulls off his shirt collar, he knows exactly how to present himself. It projects a quiet strength that is completely different from the intensity of his matches.

Actually, in the world of professional sports, quite a few organizations establish a "dress code" for travel and official appearances.

I hear that in major overseas leagues as well, there are examples where wearing a jacket is mandatory for athletes. Being neatly dressed is likely seen as an expression of self-awareness as an athlete and a high consciousness of being in a position where you are watched.

Tsuji's style is the very epitome of that high consciousness. Because he is top-tier not just in his strength in the ring, but down to his deportment outside the ring, I think the title of IWGP World Heavyweight Champion suits him so well.

For pro wrestlers, the higher up the ladder you stand, the longer the "time spent being watched" outside the ring becomes. How you face that time might just be what determines your stature as a wrestler.

The me of the past thought that "suit = the polar opposite of freedom." But now, I think differently. A suit is a mirror reflecting how you want to be seen and how you want to exist.

Looking at Tsuji makes me realize that formal attire is just as much a "means of expressing oneself" as fighting in the ring. I feel like telling him from back then that he doesn't have to run away from suits.

Now then, tomorrow I'll slip my arms into a suit once again and give my duties as President my absolute all. The suit I was supposed to have run away from is now my combat gear. You truly never know what will happen in life, do you?

P.S. I have 5 suit sets that I can't wear unless I lose weight!