Quoted By:
Giulia talked about the dangers of pro-wrestling in her Shupro column this week, with a focus mostly on the Katsuhiko Nakajima-Tetsuya Endo slapping incident.
A few quotes.
>In matches, there have been several times when I was knocked unconscious. I had no memory of that part of the match, but when I looked at the video, I saw that I had taken a bump. I was in a daze, and then I got another good hit, which woke me up and got me fired up. This can happen anytime, not only when you are slapped. People will say it's dangerous, and I agree. But that's professional wrestling, and I believe that because I fight knowing that, [the viewer] can feel something. That is why I felt a strong sense of discomfort when I saw that KO and heard it called an accident. Wrestling is a fight and a fight can end in a KO. Especially if it was a rivalry match. [...] There is a phrase, "This too is pro wrestling." I think it is a good phrase to express the broadness of professional wrestling. When a match ends with a knockout and the audience is confused, I wanted to hear that phrase instead of "let's do proper pro wrestling." Some people may think, "pro wrestling is not how it used to be, huh?" The word "pro wrestling" itself is sometimes used [as a pejorative]. It is frustrating and annoying, but I think it is also true that there is a type of wrestling that cannot be helped if people think that way. However, there are people who do it knowing that it is dangerous and that they are prepared to do it. I don't think it is any different from any other martial art.
[...]
>So, there are pros and cons, but from the press conference, [Katsuhiko] Nakajima showed me the tension, the sense of desperation and the fear that is typical of a rivalry match, and I was numb and inspired. I felt that he had given me a boost even though I was watching it on video. [...] I think that is what professional wrestling is all about. It's what makes a pro wrestler cool and exciting.
