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.

Yuma Anzai's "Promise To Me", part 11 (English)

English translation


Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me" (part 11)


Weekly Pro-Wrestling

No.2338, 2025/1/29 issue, p.33


How Do Pro-Wrestlers Welcome the New Year?


☆How did you see in the New Year after the Yoyogi show on New Year's Eve?


Anzai: 

After every match, I take a rest. I don't get that sluggish new year feeling at all, but after the match, I think about giving my body a rest. I didn't watch Kohaku or anything. But, I did  all kinds of things with my friend from university...


☆All kinds of things.


Anzai:

Yeah (laughs). He said he didn't want to spend the new year by himself, so I rushed back to Gunma and we saw in the new year together. I did the first shrine visit of the new year, too, and I'm sure prayed to have an exciting time with pro-wrestling with no injuries, but... (wry smile)


☆You suddenly started bleeding a lot at Korakuen Hall on January 3rd. Was that the first time you bled that much?


Anzai:

I looked at the footage again, and Ashino-san and I were throwing elbows, and we were really laying into each other. Then, I lowered my face, and when I did that, I think Ashino-san accidentally hit me with his elbow. 


☆How did it feel to be fighting while you were bleeding like that for the first time?


Anzai:

I was shaking for a little while. I thought my forehead felt warm, then I realised I was bleeding. But, I didn't know how big the cut was or how much I was bleeding, and I had a rush of adrenaline, so it didn't hurt or anything. So, I didn't realise how much blood was coming  out, but when it got into my eyes, it felt like I was under water, in a daze. It was difficult to see.


☆How was the cut?


Anzai:

At the hospital, I said I didn't want a scar, and they told me staples would be good for that, and I got five staples.


☆You're aiming to become an actor/pro-wrestler, so you can't have a scar on your face, right?


Anzai:

Hahaha, I think it's best to think about the future. It'll be fine whether I have a scar or not. I'm fighting every day, so I'm not holding anything against Ashino-san. If anything, I feel bad that my bleeding so much became such a big part of that match...


☆How long did you have to keep the staples in?


Anzai:

They were scheduled to be taken out on the 10th, but I had a feeling they'd leave a scar...


☆It won't interfere with your next match, will it?


Anzai:

I should be able to fight with no problems from the Fan Appreciation Day (January 18th in Shinjuku)!


☆At the moment, you have to hide it with your fringe.


Anzai:

Yeah. It's like this (*lifts fringe*).


☆Aahh, what a handsome cut...


Anzai:

Hahahaha! But, I was able to win and leave the ring by myself, so my injury wasn't that big of a deal. It was like that before with my knee, too, so if I'm able to go back by myself, I don't count it as an injury. I'm appreciative of the people who worry about me, and I feel bad about it, but don't worry about it, I want to have another singles match with Ashino-san someday.


☆Maybe you won't bleed so much next time.


Anzai:

If bleeding helps me win, I'll bleed as much as I need to!


☆But, when you came out later on to make your challenge for the Triple Crown, everyone was worried because you had all those bandages wrapped around you.


Anzai:

Hahahaha! Now that I think about it, I'd had so many bandages wrapped around me, I didn't really know what kind of condition I was in. When I saw the photos afterwards on social media, I had so many bandages it looked like I couldn't see.


☆Anyway, the main thing is that you're OK, but that was an unexpected start to 2025 for you.


Anzai:

I didn't see that coming, either. It's going to be a thorny path again this year, it's definitely going to be rough (wry smile).




Translated into English by Michelle @puroresueikaiwa


Please do not use without permission and credit.