White Confession 2025: Ren Ayabe, AJPW (English)

English translation

White Day Last Minute Plans

"White Confession 2025"

Weekly Pro-Wrestling

No.2346, 2025/3/26 issue, p.83

Ren Ayabe (AJPW)

"I'm not picky about my partner's height, but a girl who's taller than me... but, up until now, I've never met one"

My first love was when I was in the lower grades of elementary school. She was reserved rather than lively, and she wore glasses. When I think about the people I've liked up until now, and this girl was like that, too, I'd have to say that mild-mannered girls are my type.

For example, when I was a student, rather than girls who were really into their sports clubs, I liked girls who were into liberal arts, who spent their days off at home, reading comics, watching anime, playing video games and stuff, that kind of homebody type is good. When I don't have any plans, I usually stay at home.

I've never been popular with girls, so I've only had one girlfriend. That was when I was at university. I think it was hard when I got into wrestling, and it was kinda difficult for us to go out... that sort of thing. So, there wasn't any heartbreak. 

But, kinda recently... two or three years ago. There was someone I thought I liked, so I told them how I felt, and although we met a few times after that, I didn't get a response from them, and we drifted apart. They weren't interested in wrestling at all.

People ask me about height all the time, but even though I'm two metres tall, it's not like I'm only into tall people. On the other hand, if they're very short, we'd look weird together. I'm not picky about my partner's height, but I'd be surprised if I met a girl who's taller than me. But, up until now, I've never met one.

Translated into English by Michelle @puroresueikaiwa

Please do not use without permission and credit.

Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me", part 6 (English)

English translation

Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me" (part 6)

Weekly Pro-Wrestling

No.2326, 2024/11/13 issue, p.20

How do you deal with your juniors?

☆You seem happy.

Anzai:

I finally became a senior!

☆Nagao made his debut, so you finally have your first junior.

Anzai:

At last. I made my debut and entered AJPW, but the others quit within three days or so...

☆It's such an intense world.

Anzai:

Going into the dojo with just a dream, spacing out and hoping you can make it, you have to learn to endure that. I had to face it head-on and I had my spirit broken once, but it's all about if you can put in the effort or not. Saying that, Nagao's really tried his best so far.

☆How do you deal with your juniors?

Anzai:

Getting angry with someone and giving them a warning are different things, aren't they? I decided a long time ago not to get unreasonably angry, but if Nagao doesn't know something and it puts him at a disadvantage, I have to have a go at him.

☆Puts him at a disadvantage?

Anzai:

For example, his etiquette. This is something that's important even before he makes his debut, right? If Nagao does something rude, people might think badly of him, and if he makes his debut in AJPW like that, people might think our standards have dropped. When you've just started out in wrestling, you could say it's natural that you can't do something, but on the other hand, it's not like you can't do amazing wrestling like Aoyagi-san or Miyahara-san from your debut match.

☆Like you?

Anzai:

Nah, nah. Especially at times like that, people have to be likeable.

I've said this a few times, but there are no machines in wrestling. Your opponent is a human, the referee who makes the decisions is a human, and the people who buy our merch are also human. The people who make the cards are also human, and the people who make the merch are human. In places where machines aren't involved, if people don't like you, you're finished. So, if you have people telling you over and over what to do right from when you start, if you just do those things, in the future, you'll be able to start wrestling.

☆But, almost nobody is liked by everyone...

Anzai:

But, that's the most important thing. There are lots of things I'm inexperienced in, but I want to teach the things that I do know. All the seniors have their strong points, and they're happy to learn new things. If Nagao is disliked by people, he won't be able to learn these things. If that happens, he won't be able to grow as a wrestler, and if the newer wrestlers don't grow, then the quality of AJPW will go down. You have to build upon a good foundation. For example, if you can't do a dropkick one day, you can work on it for a month until you can do it, so I often say you have to be someone who isn't disliked... I've just been talking about a load of serious stuff, though (*strained laugh*)

☆It's really different when you become a senior, right?

Anzai:

Hahahaha! At school and university, I didn't know how to close the gap between myself and my juniors, so I don't know what Nagao thinks of me. Maybe there's a chance he doesn't like me, but...

☆It's very interesting, isn't it.

Anzai:

Ahaha. Then there's what my seniors did for me. For example, when times were tough, they'd treat me to meals, they congratulated me when I made my debut, things like that. To repay them, I'm going to pass the baton to my juniors. If Nagao could go on to do that, too, that would be good. 

☆I wonder what kind of wrestler Nagao will become?

Anzai:

I wonder. If he can grit his teeth during the hard times and keep training hard, I think he'll be able to face up to anything. I think he'll be fine, but as you can see, he has a cute face, doesn't he? He looks like he doesn't have any fighting spirit (*laughs*).

☆Are you going to teach him how to be cute and devious?

Anzai:

Hahaha! It feels like maybe he can beat me at that (*laughs*).

Translated into English by Michelle @puroresueikaiwa

Please do not use without permission and credit.

Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me", part 13 (English)

English translation

Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me" (part 13)

Weekly Pro-Wrestling

No. 2342, 2025/2/26 issue, p.11

What does Valentine's Day mean to you?

☆When you think of February, what do you think about?

Anzai:

Setsubun?

☆I see.

Anzai:

Haha, it's Valentine's Day, right?

☆We know you like sweet things, but how about chocolate?

Anzai:

I really like it.

☆You're probably not hurting for chocolate at this time of year.

Anzai:

Hahahaha! February has an image of being a "sweet month".

☆When was the first time you received Valentine's chocolates?

Anzai:

Maybe in kindergarten... I remember receiving chocolate and giving some in return when I was an elementary school student. But, it wasn't with the intent of saying "I like you" or anything like that, though.

☆When did you become aware that you were getting lots of chocolates?

Anzai:

When I was in the upper grades of elementary school, I started getting lots of chocolates, so my heart started racing whenever I looked in my shoe rack or whenever I opened my desk drawer, like in a manga.

☆Even though you knew they'd be in there?

Anzai:

Haha, there were some strict teachers in my elementary school, and they'd tell us we weren't allowed to have chocolate. So, when school finished, just as I was thinking, "No chocolates this year, huh...", there'd be people saying, "Come here after school", and they'd say, "This isn't obligation chocolate" while handing over the chocolates. That left a big impression on me. When I was in the sixth year of elementary school, I had a lot of friends of the opposite sex, so I got a lot of "friend chocolate", which made me really happy.

☆What was your record?

Anzai: 

Maybe around sixteen?

☆Did you get more chocolates than your friends?

Anzai:

Yeah. I got a lot of chocolates in those days.

☆So, you didn't get chocolates from your mother because nobody gave you any?

Anzai:

Hahahaha! I got a lot of chocolates when I was a student. Now, I receive chocolates from fans, so Valentine's Day is a happy day for me.

☆You get more chocolates from fans, right?

Anzai:

Yeah. If I have a match close to Valentine's Day, I can get a lot of chocolates then, but every year, I say, "The whole of February is Valentine's Day". But, I'm happy to get chocolates in March, too, hehe.

☆How do you give something back for the presents you get?

Anzai:

What I can do is give back through my wrestling. I always eat all my chocolates with gratitude.

☆You can eat all of them?! What if you passed some on to (Taishin) Nagao or something...?

Anzai:

Never!

☆Incidentally, who is the most popular in All Japan?

Anzai:

Apart from me?

☆Yeah.

Anzai:

Hmmm... who, I wonder? Atsuki-san... Miyahara-san... Nah, at the moment, it's the Saito Brothers. Things sent to the dojo or the office are sent to the wrestlers, last Valentine's Day, there were so many sweets and beers.

☆Rei's favourite beer and Jun's favourite sweet things. Of course, you got more, didn't you?

Anzai:

Well, yeah...

☆You were very quiet just now.

Anzai:

Because it's not about numbers! Valentine's Day is about feelings.

☆You suddenly care more about feelings than numbers...

Anzai:

In terms of numbers, I lose to the Saito Brothers (*strained laugh*).

☆I see. You were unrivaled on Valentine's Day when you were a child, but now you've had your first taste of defeat...

Anzai:

That's probably it...

☆You couldn't take the Triple Crown from Jun, and now you're losing to him at Valentine's Day, too...

Anzai:

Ahhh... But, I'm really looking forward to Valentine's Day! I really like white chocolate and things like that!

Translated into English by Michelle @puroresueikaiwa

Please do not use without permission and credit.