“It’s a long time. Everyone will have reset in a way,” former IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White said near the beginning of his two-part Switch On interview series with the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) website. “Well, I might not have much of a choice in what happens when we come back.”
Diving deeper into a possible conspiracy against himself, White would detail why he feels he is currently at a disadvantage with NJPW returning to action in a few days.
So it could be that when matches return, or when wrestlers are trying to get involved in championship situations, making their case to the company before matches get made, the Japanese wrestlers are going to have an unfair advantage because they’re in the country, while guys like me have to deal with travel restrictions.
“All I’ll say is that once the championships are in reach again, then you can be damn sure I know I’m first in line,” Switchblade confidently said when detailing his claim on IWGP Intercontinental and IWGP Heavyweight ‘Double Championship.’
Switchblade would then detail how the extended time off will alter their recovery after entering the ring for the first time in months.
Gym shape and ring shape are two very different things. I remember when I was first starting out, after the first day I rained in a ring, I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow the next morning. I think guys will feel it in their neck muscles. Maybe in the ring during the matches adrenaline will carry you through, but people will be a lot more sore the day afterward.
“I only rely on myself. Whether there’s fans there or not, it makes no difference to me. If anything it’ll help me in the ring because that fan support isn’t there for my opponents,” White said during a brief discussion on whether or not he would be affected by the possibility of wrestling in an empty arena.
Also, during the interview, Switchblade attempted to keep the list short of who should receive an opportunity at the ‘Double Championship’ and who should only challenge Naito for one of the titles. He would take several shots at new rival Hirooki Goto, claiming he shouldn’t be able to challenge for both championships.
“In that case, yes it was the right decision, just because of how the match came about. Naito had made history by becoming the first double champion on January 5, but who was everybody talking about after that night?” Switchblade said about KENTA receiving a shot at the ‘Double Championship’ during The New Beginning in Osaka.
He would go on to say that he still feels that Naito shouldn’t have been included in the Double Gold Dash tournament during Wrestle Kingdom 14.
