Tetsuya Naito comments on KENTA's attack and losing his moment at Wrestle Kingdom
Tetsuya Naito was the biggest winner from Wrestle Kingdom 14. He won the IWGP Intercontinental Championship on the first night from Jay White before going on to face IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada on Day 2 in the Double Gold Dash. Naito beat Okada in the historic main-event to become the first person in history to hold both the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at the same time. During Naito's post-match promo, he was attacked by KENTA fka Hideo Itami.
In a recent interview, Naito opened up on his thoughts about KENTA and the attack:
You have to give him credit for turning the focus to himself. I said this at the press conference, but as a wrestler, I have to respect what he was able to do, completely wrecking the ending to that weekend. Look, there were probably a ton of guys in the back who were cursing me out behind my back after I won. Plenty of people who would want to do what KENTA did, but he was the one that ran out and did it. Esepcially after he lost the NEVER Championship, just jumping me like that took a lot of balls.
KENTA's attack at Wrestle Kingdom instantly made him the most hated man in the Tokyo Dome. Naito was also asked about how LIJ fans felt that KENTA had stolen his moment. Here's what Naito said:
I get who they feel, I do. For me, as a wrestler, I can just say ‘ah, OK, I’ll get my moment next year instead’. But to the fans in that building that night, they might not know if they can come next year. I’ve spoken before about the importance of now, of showing who I am right at this moment. To the fans who understand that, what KENTA did was…[unforgivable]. But in wrestling it’s all or nothing. Indifference is the worst reaction that can be; he might have been booed by over 30,000 people, but KENTA made that happen. He did get those fans in chorus, against him.
Check out footage from KENTA's attack at Wrestle Kingdom below:
You can check out the full interview with Tetsuya Naito HERE.