The would be IWGP World Heavyweight Champion speaks
EVIL is not the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. That despite the fact he holds the belt, has carried it to ringside for the start of the Road to Destruction tour, and even has a phony commemorative Tshirt in circulation. The King of Darkness has much to answer for- we tried to get some answers in this interview.
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If he wants more humiliation I’m happy to give it to him
-So, you’re still carrying IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA’s belt after you took it from him August 13 in Ryogoku.
EVIL: Are you high? The champion is the one that holds the belt. You heard (ring announcer) Abe make the announcement.
-Abe was ‘coerced’ into reading a prepared statement purporting to be from the IWGP Championship committee that read ‘SANADA is not a worthy champion, and therefore hereby relinquishes his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship belt. Henceforth, EVIL shall be recognised as the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion’. There was no official announcement afterward though, and all material for Destruction in Ryogoku on October 9 has SANADA as the champion.
EVIL: I’m sure he pulled some strings to politic all that, make sure the announcement didn’t get out there. Typical of him to be so cowardly. All the same, the fact is I have the belt, and I’m the champion.
-What we can’t dispute is that you did pin SANADA to eliminate him from the G1. You could just have made a straightforward challenge?
EVIL: I should challenge? You really are simple, aren’t you. SANADA doesn’t have the ability or the dignity of a champion. If there’s a crime here it’s that a guy as weak as that should be a champion. New Japan Pro-Wrestling realised what a terrible spot they’re in and handed the title over to a proper champion in myself . I mean come on, the belt looks a lot better on me, right?
-To stay on the G1 a little, you were insistent on calling yourself ‘Mister G1’ for the last part of the tournament.
EVIL: The G1 finished with me holding the IWGP World Heavyweight title. That proves the point. Nobody deserves that label of Mister G1 more than me. Tetsuya Naito might have won the the tournament, but that’s only because he didn’t face me.
-After the loss at the G1, and after being humiliated in Ryogoku at the final, SANADA will be all the more motivated for revenge come October 9.
EVIL: Hm, the former champion exercising the old rematch clause. If he wants more humiliation, I’ll be happy to give it to him.
-SANADA left LIJ, won the New Japan Cup and took the top title, which is a very similar path to the one you had in 2020.
EVIL: Don’t lump me in with those rotten apples.
-My apologies. You said before of SANADA moving from LIJ to Just 5 Guys that ‘rotten meat (Taichi) picked up rotten fruit (SANADA). But you’re saying that you stopped any forward momentum SANADA had.
EVIL: SANADA was just taking the easiest fights he could. He had no hope