Quoted By:
--You held the white belt for one year and four months, achieving the most consecutive defenses of the title, 15 times. Is there any match that stands out in your memory?
>Kamitani: When I faced Shirakawa Mina, who is currently active in AEW, I kneed her in the face during the finishing move of the Phoenix Splash, causing an injury. I still can't forget that. Professional wrestling and injuries go hand in hand, but that time, I broke Shirakawa's tooth through my own mistake, leaving her covered in blood and forcing her to miss the match.
>Of course, I was worried about Shirakawa, but more than anything, the fact that I had injured Shirakawa with my signature move made me think, "I'll never be able to use it again," and it felt like everything I had built up up until that point had ended. My confidence in myself was shaken in an instant.
-And you don't use the Phoenix Splash?
>Kamitani: I only used it once during my rematch with Shirakawa at Yokohama Arena, and then I sealed it away.
>That move, where you spin off the corner post, would cause considerable damage not only to your opponent but also to your own body. I had been feeling discomfort in my shoulder since before the Yokohama Arena match, and when I went to the hospital after the match, the doctor told me, "Two of the three ligaments in your shoulder are torn." Because of that, I put it on hold. However, even if I can't use the Phoenix Splash, I'm confident that I can still impress people in other ways. I still have a lot of things I want to do.
Saya has been wrestling with torn ligaments for the past two years
