Kento Miyahara and Ryuki Honda Face Off at Press Conference Ahead of Their AJPW Triple Crown Title Showdown

By: Lewis Carlan

On Oct. 2nd, All Japan Pro-Wrestling held a press conference for its upcoming “RAISING AN ARMY MEMORIAL SERIES 2026” tour which celebrates the 54th year of the promotion.

The highly anticipated match that will close out the tour on Oct. 22 will see the current AJPW Triple Crown Champion Kento Miyahara making his 10th defense of the title as he faces the Royal Road Tournament winner Ryuki Honda.

Photo Credit: All Japan Pro-Wrestling

Champion and challenger came face to face during the press conference as they engaged in a verbal battle while discussing the upcoming championship bout.

Honda spoke first as he gave his opening comments which was followed by Miyahara’s opening statement.

From Ryuki Honda:

“I was able to win the Royal Road Tournament this time. It’s been a full eight years into my career, and while it may have taken a little too long in the current All Japan Pro Wrestling, I’m incredibly happy to finally win my first title as Ryuki Honda. And it’s been decided that on October 22, I’ll challenge Kento Miyahara for the Triple Crown. Of course, I want to take the belt from Kento Miyahara in one shot. I believe professional wrestling is a reflection of my own life, so on October 22 at Korakuen Hall, I will stake my entire life on challenging Kento Miyahara for his Triple Crown.”

Photo Credit: All Japan Pro-Wrestling

From Kento Miyahara:

“I am Kento Miyahara, the 76th All Japan Pro Wrestling Triple Crown Heavyweight Champion. My next challenger is Ryuki Honda. He has conquered the Royal Road Tournament and is coming to challenge me at the perfect moment. This summer, in the ring, I declared that the era of All Japan Pro-Wrestling’s two top stars had arrived. Isn’t Ryuki Honda the one who’s probably least thrilled by that statement? When he announced his challenge, Ryuki Honda said he would ‘create a new era,’ but All Japan Pro-Wrestling has already entered a new era. What Ryuki Honda will show and what he will say in such an era—it all comes down to October 22. I’m looking forward to it. And on this day, All Japan Pro Wrestling celebrates its 54th anniversary. All Japan Pro Wrestling has gone through many different eras. But it has always remained true to its roots, presenting the world with bright, fun, and intense pro wrestling. And thanks to all the fans who have supported us through each and every one of those eras, we’re able to celebrate this 54th anniversary. That’s exactly why I want even those of you who used to watch All Japan Pro Wrestling back in the day to come to the arena on this day and experience it firsthand. And finally, on this day, I’ll be challenging Kento Miyahara’s V10 tie record. The V10 tie record and the 54th anniversary—the stage is set for the absolute perfect scenario. I’m a superstar, so the more perfect the circumstances, the more I’ll shine. So, Ryuki Honda—you’re going to face a superstar like me. I’m looking forward to it. And I intend to achieve my 10th consecutive victory and show all our fans what lies beyond that on the ring on October 22.”

Photo Credit: All Japan Pro-Wrestling

Honda was asked how he viewed the situation of challenging Miyahara and offered this response:

From Ryuki Honda:

“Personally, during the championship match (January 2022), the champion at the time got injured; another time, I was handpicked by the champion; and to top it all off, I even stole some sweets—there were all sorts of things that happened. But the fact that I’ve finally seized this opportunity on my own is absolutely huge. I think there’s real value in riding this momentum to take the Triple Crown belt from Kento Miyahara. Another reason is that the Triple Crown is my dream. I absolutely want to win it.”

Last year, Miyahara was the winner of the Royal Road Tournament and challenged for the Triple Crown Title then held by Jun Saito. Miyahara was questioned how he felt about the role reversal this year. He was also asked if he felt any difference being compare to Honda of the past.

From Kento Miyahara:

“I said at the press conference that I was aiming for a second consecutive title, but to be honest, I’d forgotten that I’d won last year. I guess that’s how intense my year has been. I’m not the type to look back on the past, so the fact that I forgot about winning a year ago probably means that what I’ve done since then has been more important to me. So I’m not really worrying about that stuff. Right now, I’m completely focused on my match against Ryuki Honda on October 22nd. Last year—and maybe even September—is all in the past for me. I’m not really interested in it anymore. I’ve sensed his [Ryuki Honda] momentum for several years now, but this is the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, something every wrestler aims for, so you can’t win it with momentum alone, and the public won’t recognize it based on momentum alone either. We’re talking about an incredibly high level here, so I don’t think momentum alone is enough. And since I’ve declared the arrival of my era as one of the two top aces, I think October 22 will turn out completely differently depending on how he manages to hang on.”

Honda answered how strong his desire is to take the Triple Crown Title from Miyahara on Oct. 22nd:

From Ryuki Honda:

“After all, I’ve experienced firsthand and understand better than anyone that Kento Miyahara has always been at the forefront of All Japan Pro Wrestling and of course, he still is. And in my first Triple Crown title match, I got absolutely crushed by him, and at that time, Kento Miyahara told me, ‘Crawl your way back up, no matter what it takes.’ I’ve remembered those words ever since. It’s been over four years now, it’s taken an incredibly long time but I’ve seized this opportunity myself, so right now, I’m brimming with confidence.”

Miyahara will be looking to tie the record for the most AJPW Tripe Crown Titles which stands at ten and held by both Miyahara himself and Toshiaki Kawada.

Ryuki Honda defeated Kento Miyahara in the second round of the 2026 AJPW Royal Road Tournament on his way to winning the entire competition. Honda hopes he can ride his massive wave of momentum all the way to Oct. 22nd and dethrone Miyahara for the coveted AJPW Triple Crown Championship.