Jushin Liger recently spoke with Sports Illustrated, here are the highlights…
On what he enjoyed during the “Monday Night Wars”: “I already knew some of the wrestlers from WCW. Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero worked in New Japan Pro Wrestling, so they knew the style very well. I wasn’t great in WCW, but my opponents were. Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero were three of the greatest wrestlers of all time. I really fell in love with wrestling when I wrestled with Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko. We were young, hungry, and created so many memories. When I look back on those memories, I still feel my heart beat faster. Those were my happiest days in wrestling.”
On wrestling Tyler Breeze at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn, but not staying with WWE and who he admires in WWE: “I was too old to stay with WWE. I wanted my spot to go to a younger wrestler. I watch a little of WWE. I wrestled Chris Jericho in Japan. He is very, very good. That is no joke. He is a very good wrestler and I respect him. I watch Chris Jericho to learn for my own matches. He has great conditioning, he can wrestle every day. Jericho is great and everyone is so professional in WWE. Any wrestler should wrestle there if they have the chance.”
On working for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla and who the greatest Super Junior in the world is right now: “It is true that wrestling in Japan is very different than wrestling in New York or Chicago or Los Angles. But one part is the same: I feel the crowd in the ring. That is how I start every match, by feeling out the crowd. I respect the PWG company. I’ve wrestled in many different countries and for many different companies, and PWG is special. It’s the wrestlers and the crowd. The crowd makes the event so exciting. It’s those fans that I think of when I train to continue to wrestle. And the answer to your last question is Kushida. He is great in the ring and conducts himself outside the ring like a champion.”