Naito opens up about SANADA’s departure from LIJ.
SANADA advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 New Japan Cup this past Monday and to do so, he had to defeat Tetsuya Naito.
Naito and SANADA had been in Los Ingobernables de Japon together since 2016 and together, they’ve won the IWGP Tag Team Titles on one occasion. After SANADA bested Naito, he opted to leave L.I.J. and join up with Taichi, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, TAKA Michinoku and DOUKI.
Naito weighed in on SANADA’s exit from the group and said L.I.J. is hard to get into but easy to leave because he’ll never stop someone from exiting. He questioned SANADA’s thought process behind joining ‘Just Four Guys’ because he beat Taichi in the first round of the New Japan Cup. Naito then went on to compare SANADA and Shingo Takagi.
In the quarterfinals of the New Japan Cup, I lost to SANADA. I didn’t feel much change, but his last move was very strong. Los Ingobernables de Japon is a unit that is difficult to get into, but easy to get out of. Because I don’t hold back anyone who wants to leave. SANADA decided to leave Los Ingobernables de Japon. You can do whatever you want. But I wonder about what SANADA said, ‘There’s no point in staying with Naito since I’ve already beaten him.’ Because he is going to join the unit of Taichi, whom he beat in the first round of the New Japan Cup, right? Naito, beat him, so he won’t fight with me anymore. He beats Taichi, but they will fight together from now on. Isn’t that a bit contradictory? If SANADA thinks that he can’t be the top fighter in the same unit as Naito, then he will be the third or fourth fighter from now on, right? Because, look at a guy named Shingo Takagi. Ever since he joined Los Ingobernables de Japon, he has been involved in the title fights. In my opinion, a person who can shine can shine no matter where he goes. Those who don’t shine, don’t shine anywhere. That’s what I think. Cabrón!
This coming Tuesday, there is going to be a review of the New Japan Cup final on the POST Wrestling site, hosted by W.H. Park and John Pollock.
