TEAM TOKORO Plus α 2nd
——What did you think of the first round?
Naoyuki Kotani (Kotani) Kanehara said I didn't have to force a win. If we get a draw, everyone would cover for the rest of the match. We wanted to win step by step to be able to fight in the finals.
Masakazu Imanari (Imanari) Who did I fight? Yes, Sagae! I always practice with him. The match was more serious than the practice. It was like, well, after all, he's strong. Sagae was really strong and was good, as always.
Daisuke Nakamura (Nakamura) Since we couldn't score an Ippon in the first round until my turn, I was thrilled to win one from Ito. It's been a long time since I scored an Ippon. The next fighter, Higuchi, is a grappling specialist, so he was really good, and the match was tough, but I did my best for the team. After all, QUINTET is so much fun. I wanted to see the Tokoro vs. Uno match, so I did my best.
——Didn't you want to face off against Uno？
Nakamura Of course, but Higuchi was good.
Hideo Tokoro (Tokoro) I didn't think I would be matched up against Uno like this, so that really motivated me. Everyone on the team said, "Take it easy, Tokoro!" and that gave me strength to push on. He (Uno) was really good and had me on defense until the very end.
——Did you think you could end the match without having to rely on Kanehara?
Tokoro Kanehara was right after me, so I thought I could enjoy the match a bit more, but I think I was too tense. He (Kanehara) said not to worry because he'd be there, but I I guess I went overboard a bit.
——What did you think of the final match?
Masanori Kanehara I have practiced with most of the members of TEAM CARPE DIEM in the past. They knew who would make an appearance, or rather, they knew that I was appearing first. When I thought about who I felt the best about when sparring, I realized that Hashimoto was the only one I hadn't sparred with. So I trained myself to think that Hashimoto would come out first, but it turned out to be Iwasaki. It was hard to win an Ippon from him. Since I hadn't done much (in the first round,), I wanted to win in the final match, but it was difficult to break his stronghold. Thanks to Kotani, the atmosphere in the locker room was pretty good too. He talked about his muscles, taking in glycogen, and pumping up.
Kotani When I was first asked to join the team by Tokoro, he said, "We will defeat team CARPE DIEM this time." So I wanted to put on a show for him, which went well, so I'm satisfied with that. Also, I'm glad I scored in the end, but since the weigh-in I've been talking a lot about how I've been into bodybuilding lately and all I've been talking about is muscles. If it didn't go so well, people would have thought I was into some weird religion.
Nakamura I was so tired in the first round. I wanted to get through for a win after seeing Kotani's skill in the match, but he was better. But still, Kotani gave me a lot of energy to keep going.
——Then it was good that Kotani was able to win in that situation, wasn't it?
Nakamura Yes, of course.
Kotani Nakamura won in the first round, so I had to give it my best shot.
Nakamura It's a great team indeed.
Imanari I wanted to score a point, but Hashimoto was too good. I had to play it safe. He was very good at positioning himself while I couldn't position myself well. I allowed him to attack, and we took turns in that, so I think it was okay.
Tokoro Actually, I didn't do anything...
——Tokoro, it was your long-awaited first victory. How did you feel when Imanari and Hashimoto ended their match?
Tokoro If Imanari couldn't win against Hashimoto, I definitely wouldn't have been able to win. So I was freaking out while Imanari was fighting Hashimoto.
Kanehara That's what we all thought. We didn't actually say it out loud, but everyone was hoping like, "Go Imanari, win for us!" (laughs). We were just watching the match, and Imanari says he was okay, but after all, Hashimoto was really good, and it's just that he couldn't escape. I was on pins and needles.
——Did you think we could not make it if Tokoro (the leader) had to fight?
Kanehara Absolutely!
Tokoro I thought so too. I was so relieved and happy about that.
——It's a long-awaited first victory for you two, Tokoro and Nakamura.
Tokoro It certainly is!
Nakamura Right. I always aim to win this (handmade champion medal,) but all QUINTET fighters are really good. But I always enjoy QUINTET matches. I had lots of fun.
——You won against CARPE DIEM. How does that feel?
Tokoro I am excited and proud of our victory. I'm glad because we won it together.
——Were you eager to win as a member of TEAM TOKORO this time?
Nakamura Well, I didn't know about the members well since I don't go training out with others a lot, but it was fun fighting and winning together with martial artists of the same generation.
——What's the most significant difference between the teams that couldn't win in the past and the team this time?
Tokoro The fighters' physical conditions change day by day, so it's hard to say. But today was the day to win for us. Everything went well, meaning I didn't have to fight in the end... That may have been a reason too.
——So, what was the reason for victory this time?
Tokoro Kanehara came up with a lot of strategies and tactics this time and we stuck to them.
Nakamura The fighting order for the final match was perfect too.
Kanehara It was good, wasn't it? We decided it to be in the order of age. I was the very first to fight. When we talked about our plans for the first match, everyone said they'd wanted someone else to decide. We couldn't come up with a conclusion because no one wanted to be the leader. All of the fighters in our team are one of a kind, so we decided to fight the championships in the order of age. Imanari is older than Tokoro, but we decided that the leader goes last, and the remaining members go from the youngest. This was a perfect decision. I think our leader Tokoro is a lucky person.
Kotani Think about the pressure if the leaders had to fight against each other. I definitely don't want to become one.
Kanehara If Tokoro went first, and Imanari went later, that would have been a huge disadvantage. We won because it was the other way around. If it were the real order of age, we wouldn't have been able to win. (laughs)
——So, did Kanehara play a big part in deciding the strategies?
Nakamura Of course. I heard our cornerman shouting during my match.
——You held out well in the second round of the finals (Kotani vs. Shiraki) while avoiding a Shido. What were you thinking while you were fighting?
Kotani Yes, that was Kanehara's instruction. He told me exactly what to do.
Kanehara I could see he didn't want to fight.
Kotani I didn't want to come to the match in the first place because I hurt my foot. I wish I could have fought in a better condition.
TEAM CARPE DIEM
——What did you think of the first round?
Masahiro Iwasaki (Iwasaki) I knew Grant Bogdanove was a skilled young fighter, so the plan was for me to stop him in the beginning.I think it went well, but he was really good. I think he will be even better in the future. He is a prospective and talented fighter. He is a power fighter, so I thought it'd a good idea to stop him then and there. I didn't want him to gain momentum in the very first match.
Tomoshige Sera（Sera）I have known Uchishiba since the Summer Olympics held in Athens in 2004. I was lucky that I had a chance to fight him. I must say he had a strong core, just like a barrel. He put lots of pressure on me, and his response was quick too. The way he slipped out using his physical strength was just unusual. A powerful Olympic medalist he is. His passes were quite scary, as he looked down on me from above. His kumite was quite fierce as well. It was rather like punching. I wanted to score a point from him, but that was a difficult deal. That was a bit disappointing for me.
Daisuke Shiraki (Shiraki) It was my second time fighting Omigawa this time around. Since there was a difference between our weights, we fought for four minutes. Of course, I wanted to win, but Omigawa just responded instantly and neatly rounded up the fight. When I decided to take a low position, he tried to armlock me (arm locking is one of his favorites). Since there were only 15 seconds left, I decided to keep myself in that position until the end. If I had more than four minutes, I think I had a good chance to win a point. I wasn't able to reach out quite enough but had the feeling that I was getting into a good position.
Masaki Takeura(Takeura) I knew that Ito was an agile fighter, being able to jump on others and score points while moving around. In the first four minutes, I wanted to score a point from him, but then realized that I should draw and leave it to Hashimoto. So with that in mind, I went for feints. I'm good at submission escapes and neck techniques, so I did those while playing it loosely, trying to avoid a Shido so that I could pass it it on to Hashimoto.
Tomoyuki Hashimoto(Hashimoto) I was hoping everyone would win so that I wouldn't have to fight in the first round. I mainly do Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where we have to wear judo uniforms. However, the leader of TEAM WOLF was a top athlete in the jiu-jitsu world, about two classes above than me, so that was quite a tough match. Since I weighed less than him, I thought I wouldn't have a chance to win. He was good at upper positions, but I tried to bring on some pressure on the ankles. I was able to take him from the upper side, pass the guards, and get him into a triangle choke. I was fortunate to show that kind of performance with a top athlete at this QUINTET match. Those who know judo would have enjoyed it. I'm happy that I won.
——What did you think of the final match?
Iwasaki Kanehara didn't fight in the first match, so I knew I had to stop him. I was aware of his fighting style and ability, so I decided to go first. Yes, I was the stopper, I had to take that role this time. We know each other very well, so we shared the atmosphere at first. I wanted him to make a move, but he had the same expression on his face. We are both good at defense, so it took some time to start the match. However, this time, my role was to stop him, so waiting was not much of a problem for me. I was careful not to get a Shido, made moves on my side a bit, and it ended in a draw. I think I was able to play my part.
Sera I don't want to talk much about my match, but I admit I lost this time. My position was not so bad, I was better off than Kotani, but he was good at slipping out at crucial moments. I don't remember precisely how he came in, but I was not expecting a triangle choke from below. The triangle choke determined the match. I tried to slip out, but his leg was tightly attached to my neck, so it wasn't easy to come out of that. He controlled the flow of the game. I feed bad that I couldn't help the team win the championship.
Shiraki Kotani was tired from his previous match. I thought it was challenging to win an Ippon, so I decided to go with less Shidos. That didn't go quite well and it ended in a draw, so I honestly don't think I was able to play my part.
Takeura I knew it was our last chance to win. Before the match, Iwasaki told me to give it all I had, which helped me move on. Since I had nothing to lose, I went on a roll and got quite a few techniques in on him. I thought the knee lock was quite good since I heard a nice pop from his knee, but he just didn't give up. I thought I could get his neck in the latter half, but my arms were worn out. I couldn't quite win a point, and the match ended in a draw. (When the match ended) I thought I had to leave it to Hashimoto. Same as before (laughs,) I had to trust Hashimoto and have him win two fighters. I thought Hashimoto could do it, so I left the next match in his hands.
Hashimoto I wanted to win the championship without fighting this time, but I had to fight Imanari and we also had to stick to the submission-only rules, which Imanori is really good at. He has such a strong defense when it comes to scoring a point, but I fought aggressively to beat him so that we could win this match as a team. Usually, I fight in matches where I only have to score more points than the opponent, so I practice my positions a lot. But I don't get to practice scoring points, so I felt a bit deficient in losing to Imanari. I think Imanari is one of the top grappling fighters in Japan, but I'm glad I was able to give a top fighter like him a run for his money, although I lost. It was good in this respect, even though it's a bit disappointing that we lost.
——You were under the pressure to win four consecutive championships this time.
Iwasaki Of course, I fell the pressure since I was chosen to fight this time. We, as a team, trust each other, and although we lost, it's not anyone's fault. We looked into everything, such as our team's balance, and decided how to fight, and the results just turned out to be like this. In the first QUINTET match (QUINTET FNT), when Roberto Satoshi Souza made an appearance as a member of TEAM HALEO, we all thought they would win. But it's all about the strengths as a team. Sera played an active part in our victory at that time. So our loss isn't anybody's fault this time. Of course, we do feel the pressure, and if we didn't win this time, everyone will expect us to win next time, and we won't be ruled out as a possible winner, but we five fight as a team and will continue to do so.
——What is different between QUINTET and what you usually do?
Hashimoto My main focus is jiu-jitsu. I wear a judo uniform most of the time. However, fighting without a judo uniform (NO-GI) is entirely different. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, I didn't have a chance to fight in a judo uniform for about two months, but I learned a lot from the grappling matches during that period. I was able to use the many things I learned in the match today. The most significant difference is that we can't use any heel techniques. Heel techniques are only done by top athletes in the jiu-jitsu world and are a type of submission. I think it's easier to score points with a heel technique. I'm used to using heel techniques, so that's quite different. It's a kind of foot lock, but it's a powerful technique. There are many kinds of foot locks, such as knee bars and using the Achilles tendon, and we can use those from the upper and lower positions and use heel techniques, so you can add some pressure using your heels and lock them down. There are many ways to do it.
TEAM ONEHUNDRED
——What did you think of the matches?
Kohei Yasumi I fought against Kotani, but he was really stiff. I tried multiple approaches, but I had no chance against him. He didn't leave me any openings. That was the problem before I even tried to get him into a turtle position and I knew he'd probably resist, but it ended being worse. I can't do anything if he gets into my armpits. I tried to give myself a chance by getting down intentionally, but I could do nothing because I had to use both hands. So it was a bit tough. I did my best, but I think I'm still not good enough. If there is a difference in kumite, I can't win because it falls in the technique's gray area. If I had more points, I would have been in a different situation. If I'm blocked like that, they won't step into my range, so there's nothing I can do about it. I knew this and that I'd need to overcome this obstacle, but that's the limit of my skills.
Toshiyasu Sagae I had a match with Imanari, who I train with all the time and is also my master. If I won, I would have had a chance to defeat my master, but he was hard to beat. I wasn't able to be as aggressive as I wanted to be, and I was attacked more often than not, so I felt that I still had a long way to go. I don't often get the chance to fight against Imanari in a serious match, so although the team lost today, I was thrilled to be able to fight against him. Thank you very much.
Kenichi Ito I knew he was my least favorite fighter, so I lost to him as I had predicted. I was hoping to bring the match to a draw and win, so I feel disappointed that I was defeated like that.
Shoki Higuchi I think I had the greatest opportunity to win in today's match, and I'm disappointed that I couldn't win. The momentum was in their favor, and I wanted to flip it over to our side. I was able to get into a good position, but in the interview, I said that my strength was to go for it without worrying about the counter-attack, but during the match, I did think that if I failed, I would be in an ugly position. I want to refine my technique and do better next time.
Caol Uno I'll talk about Tokoro later, but I'm so grateful that I was able to fight in this team with Sagae, Yasumi, Ito, and Higuchi. Thank you so much. The outcome was a bit disappointing, but we all practiced hard and talked to each other, and we made a great team, and it was a lot of fun preparing for the match, too. Also, Kitaoka, who was my cornerman, was a big part of this fight, and it wasn't just me that felt comfortable with him around. Everyone helped boost the momentum, and even though we lost, I think that aspect was excellent. As for the fight with Tokoro, I had a feeling that I would match with him today. It was fun. It was fun fighting against him. It was like a rotation, the offense and defense switched sides, and it was a fight that was only made possible with Tokoro. I couldn't score an Ippon, but even though it turned out to be a draw, I hope the audience could tell that we were having fun, and I also hope that people who watched our fight on FIGHT PASS could tell that we were fighting hard.
TEAM WOLF
——What did you think of the matches?
Grant Bogdanove I'm disappointed that it was a draw. I am into the standing techniques right now, so if I had gotten into ground techniques more, the result might have been different. I'm not satisfied, and I will practice harder.
Masato Uchishiba (Uchishiba) Yes, first of all, I am extremely pleased I got a chance to fight with Sera. Well, I was hoping beat him and pass the baton to the next fighter, but unfortunately, I couldn't do that. I'll have to practice harder.
——What is your impression of Sera?
Masato Uchishiba Well, Morito was stronger. I lost the match with Morito because it ended in a draw, but I got Morito into a triangle choke before the match, so I recognized that Sera's techniques were not so challenging. I was not able to counter and show my strengths, so I need to reflect on that.
——Did you have a specific technique you wanted to try?
Uchishiba To be honest, I couldn't get to that point.
Seiichiro Ito Last time I fought with a bigger fighter, and the time was short, but this time I was up against a fighter of the same size. I wanted to take advantage and lead the match to the next person, but I couldn't win, and I think that was the reason for the team's loss. I waited too long initially, so if I had kept on attacking, I would have been able to win.
Michihiro Omigawa Well, in the end, I got an armbar, but if I could choose between four minutes and eight minutes in the beginning, I would have selected four minutes because I wanted to concentrate on a short period. I should have chosen five minutes because eight minutes was too tough (laughs). But I guess when you're in a fight, you have to give your best shot. I had the finals in mind, but I couldn't win there, and I think that's one of the reasons why TEAM WOLF lost.
Shinji Morito (Morito) Hashimoto was amazingly strong. I'm based in Hiroshima, and this time, thanks to many people, I was invited to join the team, and I was even given the role of leader. But as it turned out, I couldn't fulfill my part, which left me with many regrets, and I feel sorry for my teammates. I will prepare myself for the next round and come back again.
——What is your impression of Hashimoto?
Morito We're in different weight classes, so of course, this was my first time in this kind of situation, and even though there's more than a 10kg difference in our weights, the fight was more than close, so I think the only reason I lost was because I wasn't good enough. I will try to fight better next time.
——How was TEAM WOLF, Omigawa?
Omigawa We were a great team. Everyone was passionate. Some of us came from other parts of Japan, and Uchi (Uchishiba) came all the way from Kumamoto for this fight. I was delighted that we were able to come together as a team and fight together. I think everyone did a great job. I guess I had wanted to have more fun, but I think that's what fighting is all about. I would love to join forces with everyone again sometime.
——I think it's been a while since you competed in front of an audience. How was it?
Uchishiba First of all, I'm grateful for this tournament, and I'd like to thank my senior Omigawa for inviting me today. I'd also like to express my appreciation to all the team members who fought with me.
——I saw that you tweeted your thoughts about your family on Twitter. Do you have any special feelings?
Uchishiba I've been doing things the same way for a long time, so no matter what people think, whether it's been a decade since my last match or not, I'm doing it for my family. Even if we are separated, we should try our best at what we can do now so that each of us can keep on going. Whether it's my job, QUINTET, or grappling, I always do things with the same mindset.
——Are you interested in fighting in QUINTET in the future as well?
Uchishiba My boss, the owner of the hot spring Tsurunoyu Onsen, told me to keep working hard until I get the hang of my job. He told me that if I can become good enough, there will be a second and third chance to compete, so I will return to work grateful for the opportunity given to me. I've been practicing for this match, and my senior Omigawa arranged a training place for me in Kyushu, and my judo friends, who had been apart for a long time, provided a place to practice for me as well. So I would like to get good at balancing doing all of them - judo, grappling, and jiu-jitsu.
——What do you find fascinating about jiu-jitsu and grappling as a sport?
Uchishiba To be honest, I didn't know this kind of world existed ten years ago. Still, people like Mr.Yamada from Albanka and my senior Omigawa had been inviting me from about two years ago, not because of my feelings or anything, but because they wanted me to try it anyway. That's how I joined this world. I feel that this is where you can fight with your heart, not just with your technique.
Omigawa Can I have the last word? After this fight, I realized, or maybe I knew it but realized it again, that we can only live once, and it's important to live it without regrets. I was thinking about that while I was fighting. I did lose, but I am now thinking about what I should do next time. That's how we become stronger and tougher. Thank you all so much. I think I learned that from everyone.
Special Single Match
Igor "Fatninja" Tanabe Haisam is a powerful fighter, and he is always on guard, so I'm glad I got a foot lock in. I couldn't imagine what would happen after that, so I'm happy about that. (Was the finishing move something you were planning to do?) No, it wasn't. It's a move I use a lot in practice, so I thought I didn't want to let it go when it happened. I'm glad I was able to win this time. Of course, I can't say it's settled. I'm not going to win every time I fight Haisam, but I'm glad I won this time around. (Do you have any future goals? ) I didn't' want to compete in the Single Match this time. I wanted to participate in the tournament as a member of TEAM IGLOO, but unfortunately, I couldn't, so my goal in QUINTET is to fight as a team. I want to fight in a match that would decide the strongest team in Japan. After all, we can't decide without TEAM IGLOO's presence, so let's bring them out and determine who is the best in Japan!
Haisam "Giraffe" Rida I have no idea what to say. I'm so disappointed. (Was it a move you weren't expecting?) Yes, while I was defending, I fell, and he got on top of me. So I really couldn't pull myself out. My defense was terrible, and Igor was so fast. (What was your plan?) I knew Igor was going to attack from underneath, so I tried to attack from the top. I knew he was going to move like that, so I wanted to attack him from above, but he pushed me to the ground and pinned me. Sorry it ended the way it did.
Special Iron Man Match
Kazushi Sakuraba (Sakuraba) The main event today was the team tournament, so we had to give the team fighters a break. I didn't think that the match between Haisam and Igor would end so fast. We're old guys, and I figured we'd have to stick to the rules and fight out for eight minutes. I was dead for the last two minutes. Sugiura is from the Greco-Roman world, so his upper body is extremely strong. Well, I, too, was the second-place winner in a Greco-Roman tournament in high school.
Takashi Sugiura (Sugiura) High school, right?
Sakuraba Yeah, I'm only as good as a high school student (laughs). Sorry about that.
Sugiura First, there is a sense of tension on the mat, isn't there? It's different from professional wrestling in that there is a sense of tension. The mat is spacious, but there's nowhere to hide. The fact that I had eight minutes was a benefit to me. I would be embarrassed if I lost right away, and in that sense, I knew I just had to hang in there for eight minutes.
Sakuraba You didn't get a point, but you were shouting, "Leg lock! Leg lock!"
Sugiura I did win that one.
Sakuraba No, you didn't!
Sugiura That was a close one. The referee was about to give it to me. The referee mistakenly was about to call an Ippon win.
Sakuraba That's right. When I told the referee that there was no leg lock, he said, "Oh!" (Laughs).
Sugiura That was a foul. There was no leg lock, but he took it. I was hoping a little that he would give some consideration for tomorrow's title match.
Sakuraba When he said the hand-to-hand posture was okay, you tried to fight in that position.
Sugiura I was listening to that.
Sakuraba I guess this might be one way of doing it. If you are a Greco-Roman or judo fighter, these rules could be advantageous. I come from a wrestling background, so I wrestle in freestyle and Greco-Roman style, but that ground technique was in freestyle, and if like today, you use only the upper half of your body, and you can score a takedown with your legs, but can't do leg locks, I think judo fighters and Greco-Roman wrestlers would be very strong. That's possible, isn't it?
Sugiura However, I felt that I could move better without using my legs. My legs don't get caught. I used to think that if I make a bad move, my legs would be caught, so I wouldn't move. I think I can move better this way.
Sakuraba I see QUINTET as a bit more of a judo side of NO-GI style in judo, but with leg techniques. Maybe it's like a Greco-Roman styled QUINTET. I think I'll change the name a little, but I think it would be interesting. I was actually trying to do a suplex, but it was impossible. So I pulled in. I was going to jump at him with a front neck lock, but he knows everything about me, so he drew his jaw back, and I thought, damn it!
Sugiura I can react better with my upper body. I don't really practice my lower body, so my responses are pretty slow.
Sakuraba You say you don't practice, but we do practice together during our off days. We both know each other's moves, so we talk as we practice.
Sugiura You said, "two minutes left" during our fight.
Sakuraba I meant, "Let's hang in there for another two minutes."
Sugiura He said, "Two more minutes," while attacking me from the underside, so I was thinking like, "then stop attacking me."
Sakuraba That's my way of putting on some pressure. You've got two minutes left, so you've got to move. Younger fighters can't do that, but when you're older and have some experience, you can talk while you're fighting.
——Do you think you might fight in QUINTET in the future if the Greco-Roman rules are introduced?
Sugiura I'd rather not answer. If I say anything, I think it will be decided for me (laughs).
Sakuraba I hope you will join.
Sugiura This time, it was decided before I even replied. The representative of the event came to Korakuen and said, "Please join," and I was like, "What?" (laughs). I didn't even say yes. But I was thankfully able to enjoy myself. I'm happy that I came.
Sakuraba To tell you the truth, I invited you at first.
Sugiura I was reluctant.
Sakuraba It just so happened that Kashin (Kendo Kashin) was also there, so I asked Kashin to come. And then Sugiura said, "I will come if it's Greco-Roman." I was like, Whoa! And then the Greco-Roman style was included in the roster.
——So, you have a title match tomorrow (for NOAH). Do you feel like you've bonded?
Sugiura I think so.
Sakuraba What? Really?
Sugiura I'm pretty sure we're bonded now. Tomorrow is just another day at the office (laughs).
——How do you feel about the fact that you were able to do a QUINTET tournament during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Sakuraba I've been able to think about many things over the past year, and in a way, it has turned out to be a very positive experience. For example, I learned that if I put a fighter in a riskier position, he would attack more so that he would not get a Shido, so it gave me a chance to think of various criteria for judging single-match fights, so I guess it was a good year. I also got to advertise on YouTube during this period.
Message from Kazushi Sakuraba, producer of Quintet
I don't have anything in particular to say, but I thought the team tournament match was impressive. TEAM TOKORO won, right? They won without me. (Do you think your desire to win has become stronger too?) Well, a little bit. Honestly speaking, it's too demanding for a 50-year-old man. I do want to fight, but I think it would be pretty tough. I matched with Sugiura this time, and since we had to rest the fighters, we had to do eight minutes under the exhibition Ironman rules. I thought that TEAM CARPE DIEM would win, but they, unfortunately, weren't able to get 4 straight wins, but I still though they were a very skilled team. You have to think about the order of the matches and so on. Well, I believe Daisuke (Daisuke Nakamura) was the MVP of TEAM TOKORO. Kotani in the final match was good as well. Well, I don't accept the fact that the leader (Tokoro) played only one match. Hideo Tokoro, you know. What the hell is he doing? (laughs)When I told him to buy everyone a drink, Kanehara said, "I'm sorry, I only fought one match too." You can't blame him for that. (What did you think of Uchishiba's match?) I thought it was quite exciting because he moved around a lot. After the match, I talked to him, and I told him that I thought he would become stronger if he had more techniques to win. But what matters more is Hideo Tokoro, who only had one fight.
