Peatzilla | MP
By: Lewis Carlan
Kosuke Sato made his Big Japan Pro-Wrestling debut back in Feb. 2019 when he faced Kazumi Kikuta in an exhibition bout that ended in a draw.
Since his debut, Sato spent a number of years rising in the ranks of BJW as he steadily improved as a competitor. When he felt he was ready, Sato made numerous challenges in an attempt to win a championship as a BJW wrestler.
Over the past few years, Sato was unsuccessful in his bids to win the BJW Jr Heavyweight Championship and the Yokohama Shopping Street 6-Man Tag Team Championship with various different partners.
Kosuke Sato ended his six year title drought on May 5th 2025 when he defeated Ikuto Hidaka to win the BJW Jr Heavyweight Championship, which is the first title he has ever held.
Since becoming the top Jr Heavyweight in BJW, he has made four successful title defenses including a thriller against Jacob Crane.
Kosuke Sato granted an exclusive interview to Monthly Puroresu as we discussed various topics.
Here is the Monthly Puroresu interview with BJW Jr Heavyweight Champion Kosuke Sato:
(Please note, this interview was conducted prior to Kosuke Sato’s title defense against Takato Nakano)
Monthly Puroresu:
How are you handling the responsibility of being the face of the BJW Jr Heavyweight Division?
Kosuke Sato:
I feel the responsibility is huge. But I don’t see it as a burden. I express my way of life through the fights where the belt is on the line.
Monthly Puroresu:
How did it feel to become the BJW Jr Heavyweight Champion in May 2025 after competing for 6 years and being unsuccessful in numerous title opportunities?
Kosuke Sato:
The tough times were much longer, but I learned that as long as you don’t stop challenging, you can eventually grasp something. I felt happiness, relief, excitement for what begins now, and fear of being the one everyone targets. A lot of emotions came up.
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Monthly Puroresu:
On Nov. 25th, you suffered a defeat in a tag match to Tatsuhiko Yoshino in three minutes. You called it the biggest stain on your career. Why do you feel this way and does Yoshino deserve a shot at your title now?
Kosuke Sato:
My mind went completely blank. Yoshino is one of the people who built the Junior belt, but in recent years he’s mostly been showing his butt. Whether he deserves a title shot or not, the responsibility lies with me for performing the way I did.
Monthly Puroresu:
How much momentum do you feel you have lost with the defeat at the hands of Yoshino?
Kosuke Sato:
I probably did lose some momentum, but I’m not too worried about it. Right now I just want to focus on my match with Nakano.
Monthly Puroresu:
How will this affect the title defense against Takato Nakano? What will happen on Dec. 30th at Korakuen Hall?
Kosuke Sato:
Nakano saw me at my worst in that 11/25 match. But I’m not like the champions before me. I show not only strength but weakness too—and someone who can show their weakness is the strongest. So it won’t affect the match with Nakano at all. On 12/30 I’ll enter as champion, and everyone will see the Juniors putting on a festival-like show.
Photo Credit: BJW
Monthly Puroresu:
What are your thoughts of Takato Nakano as a challenger to your title?
Kosuke Sato:
We’ve been aiming to be pro wrestlers together since we were about 17 or 18. A lot of emotions come up, but I want to bring my current self straight at him.
Monthly Puroresu:
As the BJW Jr Heavyweight Champion, you have a huge target on your back as every junior wants your title. How do you prepare mentally & physically knowing that you are a target of many competitors.
Kosuke Sato:
Being the one everyone is aiming at creates tension. Mentally and physically, I’m desperately trying not to leave any openings. Even so, I focus on living each day as usual. I’m not very skillful, so I just keep doing things steadily.
Photo Credit: BJW
Monthly Puroresu:
Where do you feel you rank among past BJW Jr Heavyweight Champions?
Kosuke Sato:
Unlike past champions, I’m someone who couldn’t come this far on pro-wrestling strength alone. I crawled up here with everyone’s help—together with everyone.
Monthly Puroresu:
What led you to pursue a career as a pro-wrestler? Who were some of your influences?
Kosuke Sato:
Simply because I thought it was cool. Pro wrestling helped me a lot during tough times, so now it’s my turn to give back and reach out to people who feel like I once did. I do have someone who influenced me, but I’ve never said who. Maybe someday, when the time is right.
Monthly Puroresu:
You debuted back on Feb. 8th 2019 in an exhibition against Kazumi Kikuta. How do you feel you have matured as a pro-wrestler since your debut back in 2019?
Kosuke Sato:
So much has happened that I even forgot my exhibition debut was with Kikuta. Honestly, I don’t know how much I’ve grown. I’ve just been desperate from debut until now. But wearing the belt probably means I’ve gotten at least a little stronger.
Image Credit: BJW
Monthly Puroresu:
How do you feel you compare to Jr Heavyweight’s in other promotions such as HAYATA, Atsuki Aoyagi, Rising HAYATO etc.
Kosuke Sato:
I think BJW’s junior division was built together with wrestlers from other promotions and freelancers. Honestly, I don’t really think about other promotions. I don’t want to lose, but this isn’t the time to be looking elsewhere.
Monthly Puroresu:
In your first title defense you had a terrific match against Jacob Crane, what were your thoughts on that successful defense against Crane.
Kosuke Sato:
The fear of fighting Jacob outweighed the pressure of a first defense. He’s incredibly technical, so it was a tough match, just as expected. That’s why it was such a meaningful first defense. It gave me confidence to move forward as champion. I’d love to wrestle him again.
Monthly Puroresu:
Your most recent defense was against Brahman Kei. How do you prepare for such a match knowing you are going to be facing someone with an unorthodox style and going to be outnumbered with Brahman Shu being in Kei’s corner?
Kosuke Sato:
Honestly, until the day of the match, I had no idea how to prepare. It was basically 1 vs 2 and definitely not a normal match. I’m glad I managed to win, but I don’t want to fight them again for a while.
Monthly Puroresu:
What steps could be taken to get more eyes on BJW. The goal is to get 1,000 fans into Korakuen Hall, do you think that will be accomplished?
Kosuke Sato:
There was a time when BJW consistently drew over 1,000. It’s hard to explain, but everything—especially in the ring—is different now, and not in a good way. But with steady effort, the 1,000-fan goal is reachable. I’ll keep working toward it too.
Monthly Puroresu:
Which competitor would you say poses the biggest threat to your BJW Jr Heavyweight Title?
Kosuke Sato:
Embarrassing as it is, myself. It’s a fight with myself. How far the Junior division can break through depends entirely on my own effort.
Monthly Puroresu:
With 2025 coming to and end, would you say you are satisfied with this year as a pro-wrestler?
Kosuke Sato:
I’m not satisfied. It was a dense year—I won the title—but 2025 was full of things to reflect on. I want to believe I grew from it, and I want to stay true to my wrestling.
Monthly Puroresu:
What are you goals for 2026 and beyond?
Kosuke Sato:
To make the BJW Junior division even more attractive. By doing so, I want BJW to gain more excitement and recognition, and I want all of us to return to a big stage. I truly believe we can do it.
Monthly Puroresu would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling for facilitating this interview with Kosuke Sato and providing the English text translation.
Date:
December 14, 2025
