Major AEW star explains difference between American and Japanese wrestling (Exclusive)
AEW has had a fruitful partnership with NJPW, which brought about the Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Lance Archer recently expressed the difference between working in both countries and their wrestling style.
Fans might be familiar with Archer's tenure in WWE and TNA, but the star is a well-traveled veteran. Across his 19-year career, the 46-year-old has gone toe-to-toe with stars in numerous wrestling promotions.
Speaking to Sportskeeda's Bill Apter in an exclusive interview, The Murderhawk Monster detailed the impact of US wrestling styles on the rest of the world and how it differs from Japan's Strong Style.
"I think I’ve adopted the Japanese Strong Style very well. [When asked about what it is]. Strong Style just means the competition. It’s more a straightforward - the fight that is pro wrestling. I think the Westernized style that is in the US now has infiltrated all over the world, so it’s been adapted everywhere it’s gone, but Japanese wrestling traditionally has that Strong Style where the guys step in the ring, they’re called fighters, they’re competing against each other, they hit each other hard, [and] I love that." (01:07 onward)
Check out the full interview below:
Lance Archer recently called out Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson after hearing that The People's Champ could potentially be at an XFL game he was planning to attend.
Missed out on last night's AEW Dynamite? Catch up with the results right here.
The AEW star also explained his long history with NJPW
All Elite Wrestling fans are likely very familiar with Lance Archer's tenure in Japan, where he even joined the Suzuki Gun faction alongside Minoru Suzuki. The star's most recent title was the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship, which he eventually lost to Hiroshi Tanahashi in 2021.
Lance Archer vs Hiroshi Tanahashi #njpwresurgence #njpw #lancearcher #hiroshitanahashi https://t.co/Ve8b6JNnIj
Earlier in the same interview, Archer recalled his history with NJPW and his return to the promotion after 2020.
“I started with New Japan Pro Wrestling back in 2011, and competed with them on the regular until January 2020. Then signed on with AEW, the world went nuts, and then I actually got to go back to Japan last summer for the first time [since] competed in the G1 Climax, also competed in the World Tag League last year.” (00:28 onward).
The Murderhawk Monster has been competing outside of AEW for the past few months, but it's still unclear when he'll regularly return to the promotion.
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