The legendary wrestling figure Jushin Liger is going to retire at Wrestle Kingdom 14. This will conclude his 35 years in professional wrestling, and ensure he has wrestled in 5 different decades. He spoke with Rolling Stone Japan recently about his career and what he intends to do in retirement from in ring action.
Jushin Liger To Continue Working In The NJPW Dojo
Once Liger brings his career to its end, he will not be finished with New Japan. He intends to keep helping to train the next generation of stars for the company. Between Katsuyori Shibata handling trainees in the LA Dojo and Liger handling the traditional NJPW dojo, the future is bright for up and coming talent in the company. They are already producing some of the best wrestlers of the next generation, like Karl Fredericks & Shota Umino who are two of their top prospects.
He loves working in the dojo, noting that there is a special “Liger” room in the dojo where he stays and collects kaiju figurines. Liger likely wouldn’t want to leave for that reason alone, but also wants to continue supporting the future of NJPW.
He Will Remain Masked In Retirement
While he didn’t always wrestle under his legendary mask, it has become a vital part of his image. He is rarely seen without it, and he won’t be taking it off for public appearances now that he’s retired. This means that there is no chance of him passing the gimmick on, which is a very understandable choice. It’s unlike the Tiger Mask gimmick, which is on it’s fourth wearer. The Jushin Liger gimmick is tied to one legendary performer, and that’s how it will stay. There are plenty of capable wrestlers who could do it justice, but the shoes are much too big to fill.
On Being Major Injury Free In His Career
Liger is fortunate to have wrestled for 30 years without serious injury. Thanks his mom for giving birth to a strong body, and him having great luck. Considering he wrestled upwards to 150 matches a year in his prime, and NJPW having a hard hitting style, he must have had luck to never have a major injury in his career. He regularly reminds fellow wrestlers when they prepare to enter the ring to “don’t just get hurt”. “No matter how hard you practice, injuries takes everything in an instant”. Easier said than done, but if he pulled it off, many others can.
Liger is going to have two final matches in 2020, an 8 man tag on January 4th with some of his greatest friends and rivals, and a final tag on January 5th where he teams with his oldest rival against Hiromu Takahashi & Ryu Lee.
What are some of your favorite moments of Ligers legendary career? Let us know in the comment section down below. Stay informed on all NJPW news as their biggest show comes closer and closer right here on The Overtimer.
