Jay White was a recent guest on Chris Jericho’s Talk is Jericho podcast. The recording took place a day after New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13. The two discussed how special it is to wrestle in the Tokyo Dome and what it means for New Japan. White also spoke on the long-form storytelling of New Japan and how it can make matches better.
On his match against Kazuchika Okada being his best in NJPW
“I think it could’ve been. It helps being in there with a guy like [Kazuchika] Okada of course, which usually has to go without being said. It was fun and I think what adds to that as well, is with such a long buildup for it. Almost a year, I guess, and a bit more intensely over the last couple of months. So that helps make it that much better without doing as much.”
On long-form storytelling in NJPW
“I think he does. I also think he has an idea for it and then he also reacts to stuff. If something changes and it may be against what he originally thought, he would just play it by ear and change it. I think that’s one of the differences. The long-form storytelling. Stuff lasts a bit longer down here and they normally pay off. Obviously you guys [Chris Jericho and Tetsuya Naito], and me and Okada as well. Kenny [Omega] and [Hiroshi] Tanahashi even. That goes back to the start of 2016 at least. When [Shinsuke] Nakamura was leaving and that was when Kenny, Kenny was the guy that came up and kind of replaced him as that main top guy. He had that first big match which was against Tanahashi for the [Intercontinental] title at the time. So it all comes back around and it all just makes it better for the show, the story and the fans as well.”
On what wrestling in the Tokyo Dome means for NJPW
“It is awesome. Especially like you said, you’ve done [WrestleManias] and stuff, you’ve done a lot of those bigger arenas, but for us over here it’s starting to get bigger. But the difference between the [Tokyo] Dome and other arenas, it’s huge. It’s three times as big as the other big shows we do. So when it finally comes around once a year, and I think they’re planning on doing two next year so that’ll be interesting, but by the time it comes around it’s very special. Everyone works towards it.”
