TJPW sprung another contract signing on us, so there was one last thing to translate before November 27 after all ! I ended up actually really loving this one! I think this might be one of my favorite things I’ve translated this year?
Unfortunately Raku had to pull out of the tag title match due to testing positive for covid, so Pom stepped up to fill in for her! The benefit of having a polycule… They did a contract signing for the new team configuration, and it was great! Lots of good stuff here! I got it done fast because I was pretty invested in it .
Here’s the official transcript, and here’s the video. Arai started us off:
Arai: “This will be our third defense, and I’m nervous because I’m still not used to this, but I want to show the strength I’ve gained from my previous defenses and use it to beat Yuki-san and Pom-san and defend my belt. The two of us are going to work together and do our best so that we can celebrate New Years Eve with these belts.”
In this next part, Akai’s first sentence gave me a bit of trouble: “一緒に京都大会に凱旋してメインを締めくくったあとに挑戦表明されて決定して、その時とカードはいろいろあって変わってしまったんですけど、挑戦者には変わりないので意識はまったく変わってないです.”
As did her last sentence: “ぽむ選手もこういう形で挑戦者になった以上はハプニング、アクシデントを味方につけるのがプロレスラーだと思うので、この状況の2人がプロレスラーとしての芯を見せてくれるのか楽しみにしています.”
Akai: “After the main event of our triumphant return show in Kyoto, the challengers declared their intent and the match was set. The card has changed since then, but the impression I get from the challengers hasn’t changed at all. Concerning Aino, I’ve been watching her now and then since her debut, but lately, when I watch her wrestle on Wrestle Universe, I feel like her ‘Burning’ catchphrase applied more to her old self than the present. I don’t feel like she’s as much of a threat when I watch her recent matches. Since she became a challenger in this way, I think Pom is someone who makes use of unforeseen events and accidents, so I’m looking forward to seeing the two of them show us what’s at their core as pro wrestlers.”
Yuki: “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to challenge with Raku, who declared our intent to challenge in the first place, but challenging for a belt just isn’t something you can do at any time, so I didn’t want to let the opportunity I had with Raku go to waste. So when I thought about Raku’s regret that she couldn’t be here, as well as my own feelings, I had to challenge now. And because Pom stepped up, we can challenge together with Raku’s feelings!” (Pom starts crying) “I’m grateful to Pom, and I’m also grateful to Akai-san and Yuki-chan for accepting our challenge. So, with the power of Raku, Pom, and Yuki, we will beat the champions! Please watch us!”
This next part from Pom honestly floored me. Most of it was also a very long, rambly sentence, haha, which I had a bit of trouble with! I think I got there? “すごく仲良しなんですけど、ユキさんはユキさんはぽむと仲良しで組んでて、うちが一緒にいっていいのかなって悩んでくれたと思うし、らくさんもぽむのことを考えてくれたりしたと思うし、ぽむは2人がそうやってぽむのことを考えてくれたりして、ベルトに挑戦しますってなって2人が巻いているところを見たかったし、ここにらくさんにいて欲しかったんですよ.”
Pom: (crying) “I know that Raku-san and Yuki-san were working hard together to challenge. We’re very good friends, but I think Yuki-san was worried about whether it was okay for us team together as close friends, and I think Raku-san was also thinking about me, and I was also thinking about the two of them, and I’m challenging for the belt that I wanted to see the two of them win, and I wanted Raku-san to be here! But since I’m here instead of her, I want to win the belt and divide it into three parts so that we can all wear it.” (crying) “That’s what I regret the most, that Raku-san isn’t here!” (crying) “I can’t say anything, so I have no choice but to do it, together with Yuki-san, and with Raku-san.” (crying)
Yuki: “Yeah, let’s do it together. Divide them into three parts?”
Pom: “Yes! I’m good at cutting cakes!” (crying) “I think I can do a good job.”
Yuki: “How about we stand back-to-back and wrap the belts around all of us that way?”
Pom: “No, no! I’ll split them neatly into three. So that we’ll all be equal.” (crying)
I’m usually of the opinion that most wrestling companies have too many belts, but this made me honestly wish that TJPW had trios titles so that the 三角関係 could win them without having to cut the tag belts into three…
After that, Pom says… another long sentence that gave me trouble, haha! She said: “今までそういう機会がなくて、まだまだデビューしたばかりだからという年数にどこか甘えていたみたいなところがあったと思うんですけど、こういうチャンスも実力のうちと思うので、4周年にもなるし、ぽむちゃんも大人のレスラーだよというところを見せなさいと神様に言われたのかなと思った気がしたので、このチャンスを掴みたいと思います.”
Interviewer: “Pom, you’re challenging for a belt for the first time in your career, right?”
Pom: “Well, it’s my fourth anniversary. I hadn’t had an opportunity like this up until now, and in some respects I was taking advantage of the fact that it had only been a couple years since I debuted, but I think this chance is within my abilities. It’s my fourth anniversary, and I feel like God told me to show that I’m a grown-up wrestler, so I want to seize this opportunity.”
Interviewer: “Aino, how do you feel about Akai’s comment that she ‘doesn’t feel ‘Burning’’ from you?”
Yuki: “It’s really frustrating to be told that, but I don’t think my fighting style has changed, and I’m always doing my absolute best. But to be honest, there’s a part of me that feels like I don’t know what’s the best way for me to move forward right now. Part of me feels like I have to change something. I’ve never fought Akai-san. I’ve thought, ‘she’s a wrestler who’s strong and beautiful and attractive and gorgeous,’ and ‘I want to fight her someday’, but after she won the tag belts with Yuki-chan, it felt like this ‘gorgeous squared’ strongest tag team suddenly burst into existence. I think being gorgeous gives you the power to attract people, and it’s a power that is far away from me. So I’m thrilled to be able to fight opponents like that while I’m searching for what I’m lacking at the moment.”
I wasn’t quite sure how to translate the interviewer’s next question: “愛野選手はぽむ選手の気持ちを聞いて.”
I also think I figured out Yuki’s response, but the long sentence at the end was tough: “今までもぽむと組むことも結構あったので、やりやすいパートナーではあるんですけど、突拍子もないこととかしだした時に私は放置していたというか、自分もついていくことを諦めていたんですけど、今回、2人で挑戦するので、そういうところに自分も対応できるように頑張って、力を合わせて闘いたいなと思います.”
Interviewer: “You listened to Pom’s feelings.”
Yuki: “Pom is someone who’s always doing outrageous things. That’s one of her good qualities, and it’s a part of her that I really love. I’ve teamed up with Pom quite a bit, so we’re easy partners, but when she’d start to do something crazy, I’d leave her alone, or rather I wouldn’t play along. But this time, since the two of us are challenging together, I’m going to try my best to respond to her and fight together.”
In Akai’s next response, I mostly had trouble with the tense and plurals/singulars and all of that . She said: “私は会見でもすごい緊張して始まる前に震えていたんですけど、リング上でのマイクの後や、会見後にプレッシャーに圧し潰され泣いたりとかはしていたんですけど、カメラの前でそこまで感情を出せたことがなかったので、いい度胸して十分強いと思います.”
Interviewer: “To the champions, you saw the team of challengers be moved to tears.”
Akai: “I’ve been so nervous at an interview that I was shaking before it started. I’ve cried after cutting a promo in the ring and after interviews when the pressure has gotten to me. But I’ve never been able to show that much emotion in front of a camera, so I think she has some nerve and plenty of strength. I can’t express myself that way, so she seems to have a very strong core.”
I wasn’t quite sure about Arai’s response here: “ぽむさんはよく闘うことが多くて、いつも追い詰められて怖いなと思ったんですけど、今日泣いている姿を見てもっと怖くなりました.”
Arai: “Pom has fought me a lot, and I thought she was scary because she always corners me, but after seeing her crying today, I’m even more afraid. She’s a little scary…”
Pom: “Huh?”
Akai: “We’re scared.”
Then Yuki says, “威嚇が成功した。ポケモンでそういうのあるから.” I’m guessing she’s talking about the new pokemon games, but I haven’t played them and wasn’t exactly sure what she was referring to, haha.
Yuki: “Your intimidation worked. There’s something like that in Pokemon.”
Interviewer: “Compared to the previously arranged opponents, will this team be easier to fight? Or will they be harder?”
Akai: “I was a bit wary of Raku because I’m not good at her kind of tempo, but Pom spilled her heart out today, and I think that’s phenomenal. So I’m not sure… but we’re champions, so we just have to accept their challenge and drive them back, and that’s how we build up our strength. What do you think?”
Arai: “Our opponent has changed, but what we do hasn’t.”
Akai: “Being challenged is the same either way, huh?”
Arai: “We will do our best at our own pace, just as we have been!”
And that’s it!
There’s so much I loved about this interview. I thought Akai’s point about Yuki not really embodying her “Burning” catchphrase lately was interesting, and that Yuki acknowledged that she’s sort of looking for a new direction (especially after her sister left…).
It was also really amazing how Pom crying basically completely changed Akai’s mind on her. I love it in wrestling when wrestlers cry, and I love it even more when that, specifically, is the thing that impresses a vet (I’ve already talked about Jun Akiyama with Kaito Kiyomiya in 2021… ). Pom’s tears seemed to touch Akai here in a similar way that Kaito’s tears touched Jun back then. It seemed that Akai ended up more impressed with Pom than she did with Yuki!
The reason for Pom’s tears honestly floored me. Especially since this is her first title shot since she debuted, and we just passed her own debut anniversary, which are both pretty big deals! But despite all of that, her only concern is for Raku, and she’s really upset to be getting the title shot instead of her. She’s remarkably selfless.
There’s kind of a blend of genuine emotion here as well as some humor, which is very TJPW, haha. Pom used to always say on her birthday that she was turning 3 years old, and she sort of references here immaturity here.
But yeah, I thought they did a great job setting up this match with very real stakes despite the last-minute change. I’m not… especially optimistic for Pom and Yuki’s chances, but I will be cheering for them regardless!!