Episode 66: Presi-Talk & Autobiographies
April 28, 2026
After my retirement, we launched a new content series on NJPW World called 【Presi-Talk】. I serve as the MC, inviting a different wrestler each time to sit down and chat.
The lineup has been incredible so far: Yota Tsuji for the 1st episode, Shota Umino for the 2nd, and Hirooki Goto for the 3rd. And this time... our guest was Taiji Ishimori.
Ishimori-san began competing in NJPW full-time around 2018. With his speed, technique, rough style, and those rock-hard "six-pack" abs, he is a truly magnificent athlete.
I had a strong feeling that this episode would have a completely different flavor from the previous ones. Why? Because ever since he joined NJPW, Ishimori-san has consistently been on the "anti-establishment" side (Bullet Club).
People might think I’m just using my position as President to "do whatever I want" with the guest list. (Well... I am). But that’s not quite it! This episode was released right as the junior heavyweight festival, 【BEST OF THE SUPER Jr.】, was about to kick off. Talk about great booking!
To jump to the conclusion: the talk was a huge success. He spoke about his life before becoming a wrestler, his career so far, and his vision for the future.
The content was, above all else, stoic. I truly felt his high level of professionalism. I wish I could "brew tea from the dirt under his fingernails" (a Japanese idiom for learning from someone's greatness). It really made me realize that his experiences across various promotions have shaped the Ishimori-san we see today. You absolutely have to watch it.
Near the end, I asked him, "Tell me how to get abs like yours!" ...But the result? His training routine and diet were so extreme that they were completely useless as a reference for me. Noooooo!
While we might seem like we have nothing in common at first glance, we actually tagged together when we were younger and even won a tournament! (We beat the Shinsuke Nakamura & Ryusuke Taguchi pair in the finals).
When I brought up those days, he looked a bit embarrassed, but the "Tanahashi & Ishimori" tag team was actually quite interesting. That was around 2004, so about 22 years ago (wait, the math... let's say a long time ago!). I was around 27, and Ishimori-san was in his teens. Back then, I was a young "Ikemen" (pretty boy) and Ishimori-san had a very cute, boyish face.
Time has changed us both, hasn't it? Ishimori-san has become a rugged, handsome, and tough-looking man. And as for Tanahashi... Well, as you all know, my "width" has evolved.
Oh, Ishimori-san... please teach me how to train. But please, no "super-intense" routines!!