Episode 81: The Charm of the Juniors

May 29, 2026

I am writing this column on May 28th. The official league matches of the "BEST OF THE SUPER Jr. 33" are down to the home stretch.

Looking at Block A, the previous year’s tournament winner, Fujita, hasn't been able to stack up as many points as expected. My immediate thought is, "Yeah, everyone is definitely gunning for him." Well, I feel like I used to have a massive target on my back quite often, too (laughs).

That being said, when a grueling series of singles matches like this keeps going, you can't help but worry about the wrestlers' fatigue and physical condition. Especially since junior heavyweight wrestlers move so fast and fly through the air. Even though high-flying maneuvers successfully hit the opponent, the impact of the landing actually inflicts damage on the person who jumped, too.

During a match, your adrenaline is pumping so hard that you can keep moving right after taking flight. But once the match is over, you return to the hotel, and your body calms down, that's when you notice the anomalies: "Wait, my lower back hurts," or "I can't bend my knee."

If the injury is severe enough to make you question whether you can compete the next day, a decision is made based on the trainer’s assessment. However, as a rule, the word "absent" never crosses a wrestler's mind. They are likely thinking about only one thing: How can I make my body move tomorrow?

These consecutive matches cause damage to accumulate. Long bus rides are particularly brutal; even if you manage to sleep, your body remains in a seated position, causing you to stiffen up completely. The muscles along the back of the body are all interconnected. Since I naturally have a swayed back, my erector spinae muscles used to get stiff as a board. That symptom had its own unique quirks, and for me, the left erector muscle was always a nightmare. I had our trainer, Kanno-san, treat it, but a section of that left muscle had practically calcified or turned into a hard knot—it just kept feeling lumpy and clicked constantly. Arrgh!

Now, putting my own issues aside, the battles in the Junior tournament are fascinating. I feel that especially strongly this year. Among everyone, Kasai-san’s presence is on another level. While his use of ladders and such stirs up pros and cons, his matches against every single wrestler look incredibly fresh. Plus, Kasai-san is 51 years old—two years older than me... That's amazing! The furious efforts of veterans like Taguchi are also shining bright.

And above all, you have the rock-solid stability of Despe, Ishimori, and Robbie, combined with the massive room for growth shown by the foreign talent. In the midst of all this, even though Nagai is currently winless, he has a lot of guts—there's just something about him that fills you with anticipation. Don't give up until the very end!

Lastly, circling back to the topic, Kosei Fujita. His visuals, his fighting style, his taste in music... everything is just too good (maybe I’m being a bit biased)! I’m about to become a fan myself (laughs).

I pray that they all dash through to the very end without injuries—though I'm sure they have some—and finish strong.