Photo Credit: BJW
By: Lewis Carlan
When “El Capitan” Leyton Buzzard made his debut for Big Japan Pro-Wrestling back in Aug. 2023, he had one goal in mind and that was to become the first Gaijin BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion. He had an opportunity back in Jan. 2024 against then champion Yuya Aoki but was unsuccessful in accomplishing his goal.
In March 2024, Buzzard suffered ACL and MCL injuries in a match against Michael Oku in England that required surgery. As a result, he was forced to miss over a year of in-ring action as he went through extensive rehabilitation.
Buzzard returned to the ring in April 2025 and returned to BJW in May 20025 to resume his pursuit of winning the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title now held by Daichi Hashimoto. Buzzard took his first step when he defeated So Daimonji on June 22 to become the first Gaijin to win the BJW Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2025 tournament. By winning the tournament, Buzzard earned a shot at the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship and will face Hashimoto on August 24th at the Toyoda Gosei Memorial Gymnasium.
Leyton Buzzard sat down with Monthly Puroresu for an exclusive interview as we discussed his upcoming BJW World Strong Championship match against Daichi Hashimoto, Being the first Gaijin BJW Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2025 tournament winner and a whole host of topics.
Monthly Puroresu:
You were the winner of the BJW Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2025 tournament and the first gaijin to accomplish this. How proud are you knowing when anyone ever thinks of the first Gaijin to win that tournament, they will think of you?
Leyton Buzzard:
It was the proudest moment of my career. My first tour was all about challenge. Challenge for all the titles except for the Deathmatch but coming up short every time. So to come back and win the Ikkitousen and make history doing it was very special to me.
Monthly Puroresu:
To win the BJW Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2025, you had an incredible match with So Daimonji. Was that match as difficult as expected and did you gain anymore respect for Daimonji following your win?
Leyton Buzzard:
Absolutely, Daimonji is one of the best in Japan right now and I have nothing but respect for him. We’ve been friends for a long time but we put that aside for the match as winning meant so much to both of us.
Monthly Puroresu:
You suffered ACL and MCL injuries in March 2024 that kept you out of action for numerous months. How gratifying was it to bounce back from that severe injury to win the BJW Ikkitousen Strong Climb 2025.
Leyton Buzzard:
Coming back from the knee injury was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. But whilst I was injured it was the thought of coming back to Japan that kept me going. So to come back and go straight into the Ikkitousen felt incredible and I knew I’d made the right choice.
Monthly Puroresu:
With your tournament win, you have earned a shot at the current BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship held by Daichi Hashimoto which is set for August 24th. Have you increased your training and preparation ahead of this opportunity?
Leyton Buzzard:
The training has definitely increased. I’ve put on 10kg since coming back to Japan to fight at Heavyweight so I’m doing lots of strength alongside my physio for me knee to keep it strong, after such a serious knee injury recovery never really stops so you have to stay on it all the time.
Image Credit: BJW
Monthly Puroresu:
What are your thoughts on Hashimoto and what kind of bout are you expecting from the champion?
Leyton Buzzard:
Hashimoto is one of the strongest champions I’ve ever seen in BJW. Since becoming champion no one has pinned or submitted him. It’s his 3rd reign with the title so he knows exactly what it takes to be champion. He hits hard and he doesn’t go down easy so I’m expecting a fight, maybe the hardest of my career.
Monthly Puroresu:
The last time you had a shot at the BJW World Strong Heavyweight title was back in Jan. 2024 against then champion Yuya Aoki and you fell short. In the 16 months that have passed since, what do you feel are the main differences between Jan 2024 Leyton Buzzard and July 2025 Leyton Buzzard?
Leyton Buzzard:
Physically I’m much stronger and bigger. But really I feel like I’m so much stronger mentally since then. Going through what I’ve been through the last year you have to be and I feel like that’s what’s gonna help the most with the match
Monthly Puroresu:
How important is it for you to become the first Gaijin BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion?
Leyton Buzzard:
It’s the reason I came back to Japan. I came so close against Aoki and I could feel something special in Korakuen Hall that night so I knew I had to come back and finish what I started.
Monthly Puroresu:
What is your current status with BJW? Are you under contract or still a freelancer? If a freelancer, would you like to sign full time with the promotion?
Leyton Buzzard:
Right now I’m technically working as a freelancer but with title match I’m only focusing on BJW at the moment. Last time I was here I got to work with other companies as well like Zero1, 2AW, Tenryu Project and DDT so that’s something il be looking at in the future but right now I’m just focused on BJW and the Championship.
Monthly Puroresu:
You debuted for BJW back in Aug 2023, what led to your debut with the promotion as you were mainly competing in the UK, Germany etc.
Leyton Buzzard:
My goal as a wrestler was always to come to Japan so I was trying to make that happen for years. I knew some people from Europe and had met some Japanese wrestlers over in Europe as well that wrestled for BJW, so I got in contact with BJW about coming over to Japan and thankfully they liked what they saw so got me my visa and took a chance of me for my first tour of Japan.
Monthly Puroresu:
Have we seen the last of Project Havoc? Or could we see a resurgence of the unit one day?
Leyton Buzzard:
We’ve seen the last of Project Havoc. The Korakuen Hall match with me and Daimonji was a poetic send off but we’re all at different places in our life now so it just wouldn’t work.
Monthly Puroresu:
Before you were a professional wrestler, you did a lot of acting, tell me about your life as an actor and how did you go from an actor to a professional wrestler? Has acting helped you at all to succeed as a pro wrestler?
Leyton Buzzard:
I was a professional actor from the age of 8-18. Working in theatre in the west end of London as well as national and international tours, film, TV and Video Games. It definitely helped a lot with wrestling especially with confidence and talking. Promos and talking in wrestling is so important so having that skill already when I started helped me a lot and was one of the things that got me noticed by companies early on.
Monthly Puroresu:
You have teamed with Channing Decker recently, I think you two have potential as a team, could you see this become a regular tag team and possibly pursue the BJW Tag Team Title down the line?
Leyton Buzzard:
It’s been great fun teaming with Channing Decker! We actually knew each other before this, when I did a tour of Canada in 2023 I wrestled for Deckers promotion Greektown Wrestling. I’m not sure how long he’s here for so I don’t know about the Tag Titles but if he’ back again in the future it would be great to team again!
Monthly Puroresu:
What are your final words for Daichi Hashimoto ahead of your BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship opportunity?
Leyton Buzzard:
Daichi’s faced some of the best in Japan, but he’s never faced anyone like me. I’ve travelled all over the world learning this game, doing everything in my power to be the best most complete wrestler I can be. I use styles from all over the world from everywhere and everyone I’ve wrestled and on August 24th that’s going to be my advantage. I’m going out there to make history and after everything I’ve been through this last year I will stop at nothing to become the first Gaijin in history to be BJW World STRONG Heavyweight Champion.
All Big Japan Pro-Wrestling matches can be seen on BJW Core subscription streaming service.
Date:
August 15, 2025
Category:
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