Anti Strong Style
I’ve always thought, “Pro-wrestling is not supposed to choose their viewers”. This is what I’ve learned through my experience from Lucha Libre in Mexico. From children to the elderly of all ages can enjoy and get excited when it comes to Lucha. The masked wreslters high in the air, the excited old woman cursing at Rudos (heels), and children running around the venue cheer and applaud brightening their eyes for the climax of the match.
“Pro-wrestling is mass entertainment. This is the original scenery of wrestling.”
We’re not some dining run by an opinionated old man, and should never be that way. We shouldn’t put our product in the audience’s face and rant, “This is how we do it! And you should appreciate it!” We should make it enjoyable for everyone.
But when I came back to Japan, everything was still the same, people claiming, “We’re going with strongstyle!” Punching each other in the face until either one coughs up blood, kicking someone in the face, taking things beyond the ring and resulting in title matches ending in a muddled way. Having the fans all going home with gloomy mood.
Would they ever want to come back for another show after what they’ve seen? How are the first-timers supposed to enjoy all of that?
And when I look around the venue with that in mind, I noticed that all the kids and female fans that once flooded the venue were all gone.
That’s why I decided that the first thing I'd do was get rid of Strong Style. I ventured to say, “Strong Style is only a word. It’s a curse.”
And around 2007, I removed the large portrait of NJPW’s founder Antonio Inoki from the dojo. My excuse was “Now that he’s not here anymore, why don’t we take it off already?” (Although it’s a common notion that “Tanahashi removed the portrait”, it was actually the manager of the dojo Kuniaki Kobayashi who had done it.)
My actions aroused severe criticism among the OBs and old fans.
“How dare he get rid of Strong Style.”
“Tanahashi does not deserve Strong Style.”
So I asked them back,
“What exactly is this ‘Strong Style’ that you speak of?”
No one was able to give me a clear answer for my question.
A little while ago, when I talked with Inoki for a magazine interview, I asked him in person
“What exactly is ‘Strong Style’? ”
Inoki answered
“It’s something that people around me brought up on their own.”
I responded, “I figured.”
Pro-wrestling is “Image industry” in a way. Inoki professed “Strong Style” to generate such a big boom, and created “Inoki believers”. My father and I both love Inoki. Now that I think about it, Inoki should have brought that Strong Style with him (when he left NJPW).
It is without a doubt that the image of “NJPW as strongest” helped gain popularity for the company. And even after the Strong Style has lost its magical power, people were clinging on to it.
That’s why I appealed, “We can’t go on like this.”
And in that same interview, Inoki also stated
“When are you going to stop scrambling for a pie that I made so long ago!?”
So I promptly answered,
“I’m going to bring a new pie on the table!”
Inoki grinned and replied,
“I like that. Let your seniors retire already!”
