Tetsuya Naito Says He's "Superior In Every Single Way" To Chris Jericho
Tetsuya Naito spoke with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated's Extra Mustard on Chris Jericho, the his recent title win, and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Here are some of the highlights:
Winning the IWGP Intercontinental Championship and what he wants to do with it:
"You know, Minoru Suzuki likes to call himself the 'King of Professional Wrestling,' but there's no star that shines brighter than Tetsuya Naito. The Intercontinental title isn't on a king, it's on the brightest star in the sky once more. But my feelings toward the championship haven't changed. It's an unnecessary belt and an unnecessary title. My goal is to do away with it."
Getting a win over Chris Jericho:
"As a wrestler, I'm superior to him in every single way. The only place he might have me beat is in name recognition. He's a global superstar. So by beating Jericho, the name Tetsuya Naito, and Los Ingobernables de Japon, becomes even more of a worldwide household name. And that business he pulled in Fukuoka? That was just plain rude. I need him to understand that you can't do that and expect to get away unharmed."
Winning back the IWGP Heavyweight Championship:
"There are a lot of championships in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Of those, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship is number one, the most important. That's the truth. But it's also the truth that right now, Tetsuya Naito is more important, has more worth than the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. So I'm not worried. That title will find its way to me in due course. It's only natural."
Naito also discussed more on Jericho and what US fans can expect when they see him. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.