Words from the Warriors

We are mere days away from the New Year’s Tournament and you can cut the excitement with a knife.  Our first show since July, so the pressure is on to restart the AWL with a bang.  More importantly, it’s the most difficult show of the year for our wrestlers.  The winner of the New Year’s Tournament must win 4 matches in one night!  How are the 15 known participants preparing for this pugilistic pressure cooker?  Well, I asked them and here’s how they responded:

Ganba: (Translated from the original Japanese)

                My career and honor have been stained by GWM forcing me into that ridiculous and racist costume.  Though I admit Luke had it much worse.  This tournament is a chance to purify myself and show the world MY puroresu!  I’ve climbed the mountain twice before, I know I can do it again.

Hassan:

                I’ve basically been out of wrestling for the last 6 months.  But that whole time I had my AWL World’s Tag Team title belt hanging on my wall.  That was all the motivation I needed to keep hitting the gym and preparing for this.  For the return of the AWL.  Everyone else had better watch out because their ain’t no ring rust on the Arab American Dream baby!

Tiger Mask II: (Translated from the original Japanese)

                Before I talk about the tournament, I want to address rumors that I have broken my word to Tiger the Great III.  I promised him a GWM Title Match if he agreed to Final Wars.  But I never said that title match would take place that night.  If Tiger the Great III wishes to fight me for the GWM belt, I will accept his challenge any time, anywhere.  But with GWM disbanded, that belt isn’t worth much, is it?  Still, I’m willing to accept his challenge and give him the match I promised.

                But right now, I’m focused on a championship that matters, the AWL Grand Championship!  At the New Year’s Tournament, the Tiger Style will be on full display!

               

Sammy Nix:

                Feels weird to be answering questions from you again Ryu.  But a good kinda weird, ya know?  As for the tournament, the game plan hasn’t changed.  Last year, nobody had an answer to the Chimera-plex.  This year, nothin’s gonna change.  I still have the 2017 NYT Belt and I’m bringing her new little sister back home to NYC where she belongs!

Dr. Jigoku: (Speaking on behalf of Project Tetsu)

                I have further upgraded my most powerful creation for its first foray into this silly social custom.  My Iron Project has been fortified and the collection of…inferior… specimines that make up this tournament pose no challenge at all.  We shall prove ourselves…SUPERIOR!

Wyvern: (Translated from Japanese)

Man, oh man is it good to be back!  It’s a second beginning for the AWL so it’s only appropriate that all three of us are in the tournament.  Speaking of which, Matt, good to have you back buddy.  No matter what happens on January 7^th, the NYT belt and the #1 Contendership belong a member of Shin Jidai.

Chiba Akagi: (Translated from Japanese)

                I’ve had plenty of time to refine my technique and my arsenal of submission holds is larger than ever.  Submission wrestling has fallen out of favor in the last couple of years.  I’m going to change that by winning the AWL New Year’s Tournament using only submissions to win all 4 of my matches.  Then I am going to make HAKAISHA tap out and become the FIRST EVER 2-time AWL Grand Champion.

                But since I’ve got you here, I want to send a message to Hifumi Ryuji.  My friend, I know we haven’t spoken in a while and that you haven’t signed a new AWL contract yet.  Please do.  I think we can still take Team Victory all the way to the AWL World’s Tag Team Titles.  Please call the Commissioner.

                That’s all.

Azteckaizer Neo: (Translated from Japanese)

                The Star of Aztec is telling me that this will be a significant year for the AWL and myself.  I hope that foretells victory in the tournament…but I fear we approach a much darker future.

Okada: (Translated from Japanese)

                I have three things to say:

                1!  New Japan is my home and I represent our traditions proudly as champion.

                2!  I love the Animated Wrestling League.  This is some of the best competition in the world.

                3!  The New Year’s Tournament will be perfect practice for my Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Naito.  If I can go the distance here, I can outlast that lazy bastard any day of the week.

                So, Animated Wrestling League, on January 7^th, we are going to make it rain!

*Editor’s note: The New Year’s Tournament will be taped before Wrestle Kingdom 12.

Lee Masters:

                You know, it’s been a difficult year for me and Sammy.  We haven’t held the tag titles in a while and we’ve held those belts so many times that ya know, it’s sometimes hard to see where there is left to go.  This tournament is exactly what we both need to get the competitive juices flowing.

Erupticon Solar: (Translated from Spanish)

                I’m ready to go, I don’t want to wait until January 7^th, I want to fight right now!  This year, my hero Jushin Thunder Liger fought in his last Best of the Super Jr.’s Tournament.  I’m going to honor him and his legacy by winning my first AWL New Year’s Tournament.  

Big Jerry:

                All right, I must admit, I’m not very good at this singles stuff.  But I’m gonna give it a proper try all right?  We’ll just see what happens.  I’m the biggest bloke in the tournament, I recon that’s gotta count for something, right?

Estralla Dorada: (Translated from Spanish)

The heavens align to allow me the chance to fulfill my destiny and claim my rightful place as the greatest luchador of all time.  Defeating the Rainmaker is only the first step.  Not even the IWGP Champion can survive The Heat Death of the Universe!

               

Matt Classic Jr.:

                A couple of months ago I saw my career flash before my eyes.  That damned ring rope nearly scrambled my brains.  But dad always told me you have to get right back into the ring.  (He wasn’t much for metaphors.)  The New Year’s Tournament is my time to shine.

                Once the tournament is over, Shin Jidai is back to full strength and back where we belong.  The two of us that don’t win the tournament are coming for the tag team titles and we’re going to be the first trio in AWL history to hold ALL the gold!

Ma-Ji-Ku: (Translated from Spanish)

                It may sound strange, but I love this!  Walking into the fire with no idea what’s going to meet me on the other side.  It gets my blood pumping.  Warms this warrior’s heart.  Makes me want to fight!

                A lot of people have been asking if this is my last tournament or if I’m going to retire soon.  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  Wrestling is what I love and I’m going to keep doing it until I can’t do it anymore.

                So, whoever you are mystery man, I’ll be waiting for you on January 7^th in the AWL Arena.  You step onto MY battlefield.  You face the Warrior of Light and it’s my time to shine!