Kaito Kiyomiya Finds His Smile

Kaito Kiyomiya Finds His Smile

By: J. Curbelo

After weeks of emotional turmoil and borderline harassment from his challenger Jake Lee, Kaito Kiyomiya has found a new resolution to redeem himself and prove to everyone that he is a worthy champion. Kiyomiya’s overwhelming loss to Kazuchika Okada at Keiji Muto’s retirement show last month sent him on a downward spiral that left him vulnerable to constant attacks by the #1 contender to the GHC Heavyweight title.

READ: Jake Lee Claims Kaito as Champion Jeopardizes the Business

The champion was still able to turn his unsuccessful performance into a learning experience, as he realized that Okada was on another level, “When I was entering the ring, I was only looking at Okada Kazuchika, but I think Okada was looking at the entire Tokyo Dome. I really learned a lot from him,” reflected Kaito. However, for Jake Lee that single loss was the definitive sign of a need for change.

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武藤敬司引退、これからは俺について来い！「何回でも立ち上がればいい。めげてられない。絶対に這い上がるよ」3.19横浜GHCヘビー清宮海斗vsジェイク・リーはABEMA無料https://t.co/tZDvVV4HuC

清宮「何回躓こうがまた立ち上がればいい。休むわけにはいかない！」#noah_ghc pic.twitter.com/sF6htiyNLr

— プロレスリング・ノア ｜PROWRESTLING NOAH (@noah_ghc) March 8, 2023

As we’ve been reporting, Lee has spent the past few weeks trying to ger under Kiyomiya’s skin, but now it’s more clear than ever than he hasn’t allowed his rival’s comments to affect him. “No matter how many times I stumble, I have to get back up again. What am I going to do if I stop here?” asked Kaito, who not only ignored Lee’s intentions of hurting him, but also thanked him for his words as if they were encouraging.

“I am partly thankful to Jake for making me reconsider some things,” Kiyomiya told NOAH, “Jake, I’m sorry that I had you worried about me. Let’s have a great match in Yokohama! I’ll make my comeback right there,” asserted the champion, who most definitely is in high spirits once again. Kiyomiya will defend his title on March 19th’s Great Voyage in Yokohama Budokan, one week from Sunday.