Episode 92: The Valley Opportunity
June 18, 2026
The Osaka-jo Hall event has come to a close, and our next major series on the horizon is the "G1 CLIMAX." ...However, turning a blind eye during this down period between big series is strictly forbidden.
You need to pay particularly close attention to the heavyweight wrestlers who are entered in the G1. Speaking from my own experience, the period right before a monumental tournament is the ultimate opportunity to skyrocket the fans' anticipation.
Exactly how a wrestler chooses to build up that anticipation varies from person to person. Whether it's showing off a mindset of "Man, they are incredibly fired up~" or displaying a physique that makes people think, "Wow, their body is in absolute peak condition~," there are all kinds of approaches. If a wrestler is secretly brewing a brand-new move to debut for the first time during the G1, it adds even more anticipation.
The most vital thing is to consistently exceed the expectations of our regular viewers, even if it's just little by little.
Yes. Because I was among the very first to realize this mechanism (laughs), I used to do everything I could think of—like making subtle changes to my ring gear from match to match or changing up my hairstyle specifically for big shows. Granted, it cost me a pretty penny, though.
In the first place, why are we so desperate to raise 【anticipation】? First, as a baseline premise, being expected to deliver by others brings pressure, but it is also a deeply joyful thing. On top of that, it's because 【High Anticipation = A Mountain of Cheers】.
Every year back in my active days, when the summer approached, I would drop a little bit of weight to give my muscles a sharper definition, and I used to boast to reporters during interviews, "My 'G1 Body' is officially complete for this year!" ...Well, right now, my "President Body" is fully complete, though.
Now, which wrestler will be the first to catch onto this 【mechanism of expectation】? I mean, it would be fastest if I just went ahead and told the roster myself... but I'm not gonna (laughs).
I really want to leverage these kinds of insights from my wrestling days and apply them to my management style as President. If that's the case, it means I should be communicating to the fans exactly what to look out for during this pre-G1 tour to make it interesting, right? And look at that—I’m already writing about it right now (mission accomplished).
In both professional wrestling and business, the person who doesn't slack off during the preparation phase is the one who wins. Please look forward to our next short series!