Yuma Anzai's "Promise to Me"
Weekly Pro-Wrestling
No.2324, 2024/10/30 issue, p.25
"What are your bus travel troubles?"
☆I think you spend a lot of time travelling by bus when you're on tour, but do you always sit in the same seats?
Anzai:
Generally, it's like "This person sits here", and trainees always sit at the front. That way, they can give guidance and tell the driver things. I always used to sit there when I was at the bottom.
☆So, the best wrestlers sit at the back.
Anzai:
Hahahaha! The seats are in twos, and each wrestler gets two seats to themselves, but the trainees have to sit next to each other. I had to do that, too, but I don't know if travelling would have been better if I'd had a free seat next to me.
☆Unless you're told by a senior?
Anzai:
That's right. So, they'd say, "This seat's free, so you can sit here" or something. I thought it might be a bother to them, but they often said that.
☆The seniors are very kind. Are the trainees allowed to sleep on the bus?
Anzai:
When I was a trainee... For a start, I'm the kind of person who worries about what others think of them, so in any case, I thought I shouldn't sleep. I also worried about seniors trying to talk to me from behind, so I couldn't wear earphones, either. The first time I went on tour, I think it was in Nagoya, I thought I'd better not such my phone much either, so I just sat facing straight forward.
☆Was that a kind of training?
Anzai:
It really was (laughs). My phone's battery was at 100% when I left the dojo, and when we arrived in Nagoya, it was at about 94%, haha. After that, they told me it was OK if I slept on the bus, if we're on the highway. When we stop for meal breaks and stuff at service areas, a little before we stop, the trainees will say "We'll have a meal break shortly", but if we're on a straight part of the road, they'll wake up as soon as they lie down. That's what things are like even now. We have neck pillows nowadays, though.
☆Neck pillows?
Anzai:
If you get on the bus when wearing a neck pillow, people might think, "That guy's planning to get some sleep!". As a pro, you have to stay in good condition, and sleeping with a neck pillow might be good for you, but I really don't want anyone thinking I just want to sleep. So, even now, I don't wear a neck pillow... I know it would definitely be more comfortable if I did. When I sleep, I always get neck pain!
☆Do you think you'll start wearing one regularly in a few years?
Anzai:
I'll probably start wearing an eye mask or something (laughs). Basically, I think even putting my chair back might bother the person behind me, so I don't do it. Eh, but HAYATO-san is behind me. After matches, I'm really hyped up, so even if I'm tired, I can't sleep. I don't know if HAYATO-san is the same, but if one of us says he's bored, we say, "Well, do you wanna play a word-chain game?". We'll seriously play an "over five characters word-chain game" for about an hour (laughs).
☆So, you don't have a bad relationship?
Anzai:
Of course not! It kinda sucks when he wakes me up when I'm sleeping, though (dry laugh).
☆You don't like that much?
Anzai:
Not a big fan of it. When he notices I'm awake, he's like, "I'll sleep when I'm tired of playing", like he's a cat that's hard to please.
☆He's a very selfish senior, isn't he.
Anzai:
Hehehe. But, not putting the seat back is kind of a pain, so I learned how to lie across the two seats and use the booster seat as a kind of pillow.
☆Curled up like a cat.
Anzai:
Yeah! I finally found the courage to do that. Neck pillows are no good, but sleeping like that is OK (laugh).
☆Nah, isn't it better to put the seat back and use a neck pillow?
Anzai:
But, with the people making their debut in AJPW right now, in terms of my career, I'm still at the bottom. So, I'm still really worried about what others think of me.
Translated into English by Michelle @puroresueikaiwa
Please do not use without permission and credit.
