【Takeshi Masada Interview, August 14th Debut!】Masada: I’m going to leave an impact in the ring so the DDT fans will remember me.

At the August 14^th Road to PETER PAN 2022 in KORAKUEN ~Let Your Voices Be Heard~ show in Korakuen Hall, debuting against Mr. DDT HARASHIMA himself will be Takeshi Masada. After 3 months of training, he will be making the fastest debut in DDT history and we speak to him about what to expect.



――What kind of kid were you in Junior and Middle School?
Masada: In Junior school I was pretty tall and amongst the tallest in my school so they often called me “Lanky pants”. In middle school I was in the Basketball club but I couldn’t do push-ups.

――When did you first got interested in Wrestling?
Masada: It was around 2^nd year of middle school. My brother was watching a video of Kota Ibushi and he showed it to me. I thought “that was pretty interesting”. I only knew about Show era wrestling and that it was pretty scary but seeing him (Ibushi), it came as quite a shock.

――Is your brother a wrestling fan?
Masada: Not then, but when he saw that video of Ibushi he immediately became a fan, and so did I. My mom also became a fan at that time.

――Did you immediately wanted to become a wrestler after becoming a fan?
Masada: I did. Me and a classmate did pretend wrestling, and we did wrestling moves on the new teacher who just joined the school. (laughs)

――Why did you start Shorinji Kempo in High School?
Masada: I wanted to join the Wrestling club but we didn’t have one. So by way of relation in martial arts I chose Shorinji Kempo. The advisor was World #1 in a tournament before as well. He taught us properly and I felt I did my training properly too. I decided to join the Shorinji Kempo club in University too but my desire to become a wrestler was stronger so I decided to quit. At that time the DDT Teen Project was taking place and I decided to apply. But due to COVID-19, communications fell flat. But I didn’t want to give up so I went to the DDT Osaka show and spoke with Oishi and told him what I felt. Thanks to that, I took a sabbatical from University and joined DDT.

――You moved to Tokyo in May by joining DDT, what are your impressions of Tokyo?
Masada: A concrete jungle. I want to enjoy nature more at the start so I often went to the park. (laughs) I’m still not used to the normal Tokyo dialect by the way. (laughs)

――What did you feel debuting in just 3 months?
Masada: I thought it was a joke. I never thought I’d be able to debut that fast. I was nervous at first, but also a little happy at the same time.

――When you heard HARASHIMA was your opponent…?
Masada: I was shocked beyond belief….I thought it be a close senior who’s still newer but to think I’ll be facing HARASHIMA straight away…I was surprised, and I felt unsure of myself. But then I though “I’ll have to go all out then!”

――What about “The fastest debutant of the promotion”?
Masada: I was never an honours student in school so I was a little taken aback. (laughs)

――What was your family’s reaction?
Masada: My mom thought I was joking. (laughs) She didn’t believe it until the official announcement at Korakuen. My friends are all cheering for me and hoping I’ll come back with a victory.

――Your feelings as your debut draws closer?
Masada: I still feel pressure but I’m very determined to do what I need to do. To be able to go against someone such as HARASHIMA…I -have- to win. What a big win it’ll be. My family and friends will be coming down to support so I can’t show my weak side to them.

――You haven’t debuted yet but what are your future plans at the moment?
Masada: To do a Street Wrestling show at my hometown. Return to University and run a Street Wrestling show there. I think it’d be amazing if I could do that.

――Lastly a message to the fans watching at Korakuen Hall and across the world on WRESTLE UNIVERSE.
Masada: I’ll do my best against HARASHIMA so please give me all of your support. Please remember my name and face. My aim to be remembered by the fans of DDT after all. In order to do so, I’ll do my best to leave an impact in the ring.