Kazumasa Yoshida States He Wants The BJW Tag Team Titles…. Maybe Finally Defend The BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title First?

By: Lewis Carlan

On June 27th, Big Japan Pro-Wrestling held its BJW Ueno Park Outdoor Stage Part 2 event with a four match card with only 75 fans in attendance.

One of the bouts featured the current BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion Kazumasa Yoshida taking on one half of the BJW Tag Team Champions Kazumi Kikuta. Yoshida defeated Kikuta in a little over ten minutes with a Tombstone Piledriver.

Following his victory, Yoshida stated during his post-match backstage interview that he wants the BJW Tag Team Titles and asked Kikuta if he accepted the challenge.

From Kazumasa Yoshida:

“”It’s been a while since our last victory. Kazumi Kikuta, you were a tag champion, weren’t you? I beat the champion himself. I’m actually gunning for the tag titles too. That belt ain’t a deathmatch belt. I want that belt. Whether I get a shot is up to you.” (Translated via Google Translate)

Yoshida openly stating that he has interest in pursuing the BJW Tag Titles is very questionable when he has yet to defend the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title that he won over two months ago. Yoshida hasn’t even nominated anyone for his first title defense and this has become a problem.

It doesn’t make sense for Yoshida to state that it’s up to Kikuta whether or not he gets a shot at the tag titles when he hasn’t given the slightest hint on who he will be defending the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title against first.

Yoshida won BJW’s top title on April 29th when he defeated Daimonji So at BJW Big Japan 31 Beyond The Survivor inside Yokohama Budokan. It’s now June 30th and fans are beginning to wonder if Yoshida will ever defend the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title.  

Rising star Koshiro Asakura questioned Yoshida’s sense of responsibility as champion following a tag team bout on May 31st. Asakura informed Yoshida that the title belt is not a piece of jewelry and winning it is not the end of the story. Koshiro Asakura is 100% correct but it seemed to go in one ear and out the other for Yoshida.

There are plenty of legitimate contenders that are worthy of an opportunity including Daichi Hashomoto, Hideyoshi Kamitani, Daimonji So, Yasufumi Nakanoue and Koshiro Asakura. Any of these names would love a crack at Yoshida and his title, so what’s the hold up? That is the burning question.

When one wins the top championship within a promotion, fans hope to see a fighting champion, one that will lead the promotion and attempt to bring it to new heights but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Yoshida up until now.

When Monthly Puroresu recently asked Yoshida how he planned on leading BJW as it’s top champion, he surprisingly stated “I haven’t really thought about it much. There are opponents I want to face, so I’d like to have matches with them if possible.” If possible? Yoshida is the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion and all he has to do is nominate someone, right? It shouldn’t be too hard.

So bottom line Yoshida, before you consider pursuing another title and hoping you are granted a shot for it, how about finally giving someone a shot at YOUR title after over two months. The fans are waiting.