The Future Of Strong: An Interview With Rising BJW Star Koshiro Asakura

By: Lewis Carlan

Ever since Koshiro Asakura made his debut for Big Japan Pro-Wrestling back in November 2024 in a series of exhibition bouts, he has been touted as a future star for the promotion.

Asakura, proved his potential almost immediately and was granted a BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship bout a few months into his career. While he lost to then champion Hideyoshi Kamitani, Asakura showed everyone that he is in fact the real deal.

After suffering a severe injury back in July 2025 that kept him out of action for 10 months, Asakura returned in May 2026 to continue his rise within BJW. Many fans have indicated that Asakura reminds them of BJW legends Yuji Okabayashi and Daisuke Sekimoto.

Asakura took on somewhat of a leadership role when he recently questioned Kazumasa Yoshida’s sense of responsibility as the current BJW World Strong Heavyweight champion.

Koshiro Asakura granted Monthly Puroresu an exclusive interview as we discussed a variety of different topics.

Here is the Monthly Puroresu interview with rising BJW star Koshiro Asakura:

Monthly Puroresu:
On May 31^st, you questioned BJW World Strong Heavyweight Champion Kazumasa Yoshida’s sense of responsibility as champion. What was your reasoning to say that to Yoshida?

Koshiro Asakura:
I believe that anyone who holds a title has a responsibility to enhance its value and raise its profile. This requires constantly generating buzz, defining the title’s direction, and consistently showcasing the next challenger. However, from my perspective, Yoshida hasn’t been doing that. It’s been over a month since he won the belt, and he hasn’t even decided on a challenger yet. Seeing that situation, I called him out on his lack of responsibility.

Monthly Puroresu:
Yoshida didn’t seem to appreciate those comments. What is the current relationship between you and Yoshida?

Koshiro Asakura:
I’m still early in my career and have just returned to the ring, so I think he’s annoyed at being told such cheeky things by a junior like me. We still talk outside of matches, but he might be speaking less than before.

Photo Credit: Big Japan Pro-Wrestling

Monthly Puroresu:
What led you to join Big Japan Pro-Wrestling back in 2024?

Koshiro Asakura:
I’ve always admired big, heavyweight wrestlers and wanted to become one myself. From my perspective, the matches in the BJW Strong Heavyweight division—featuring wrestlers like Sekimoto and Okabayashi—were incredibly exciting and represented my ideal style of wrestling, so I decided to join.

Monthly Puroresu:
Many have called you the future of BJW. Do you feel you are the future of BJW?

Koshiro Asakura:
I really feel that the fans have high expectations for me, and I believe that the kind of pro-wrestling I want to do is the same as what the fans want to see. However, I know my skills aren’t quite there yet, so I can’t go around calling myself “the future,” but please keep your expectations high.

Monthly Puroresu:
On July 27^th 2025, you suffered a torn ligament during a match with Ryota Hama that kept you out of action for 10 months. Did it occur during the bodyslam attempt? Was it tough being out for that long a period of time and how did you cope with it?

Koshiro Asakura:
I lost my balance the moment I lifted him for the body slam and injured my knee. The long hiatus was tough, but I was able to get through it thanks to the encouragement from the fans at the venue.

Photo Credit: BJW

Monthly Puroresu:
What was the recovery like during the 10 months and what was your feelings like when you stepped into the ring on May 10^th against Yasufumi Nakanoue after being out for so long?

Koshiro Asakura:
Knee rehab was a grueling repetition of very mundane tasks. If I stop rehab, my muscle strength drops immediately, so I’m still doing it consistently. When I faced Nakagami in my return match, my mind was filled with nerves and anxiety, but all of that vanished the moment we collided with a tackle right at the start.

Monthly Puroresu:
Shortly after the injury, you posted on X that giving up on pro-wrestling is not an option. What is it about pro-wrestling that you love so much?

Koshiro Asakura:
There are various reasons, but the main one is that when I imagine my future self, the image that gets my heart racing the most is that of a pro wrestler. I was a very timid boy when I was young, so I looked up to strong people, but rather than the aggressive strength of a boxer, I felt a sense of strength in the figure of a pro wrestler who takes his opponent’s moves head-on and gets back up time and time again. For me, a pro wrestler is a symbol of strength and the figure I admire most. Plus, once I decide to do something, I just can’t give up.

Monthly Puroresu:
What are your thoughts on the Yosomono faction lead by Daimonji So?

Koshiro Asakura:
I don’t have a very good impression of them. I really hate that half-hearted attitude where it’s unclear whether they’re heels or faces. They’ve made clearly hostile remarks toward our faction. They also resort to dirty tactics during matches. On top of that, I can’t forgive the two members from Okami (Daichi Hashimoto & Hideyoshi Kamitani) who joined them, nor can I tolerate Daimonji’s long mic speeches where he panders to the crowd.

Photo Credit: @dadadadancho

Monthly Puroresu:
Is there a specific pro-wrestler that you mold your style after?

Koshiro Asakura:
I try to watch a wide range of heavyweight matches. Among them, I often imitate the moves of Daisuke Sekimoto and Yuji Okabayashi.

Monthly Puroresu:
What is your favorite thing to do when you aren’t in the ring competing?

Koshiro Asakura:
I like reading manga, and I often read while listening to my favorite music at full volume. Reading while listening to music helps me get more emotionally invested in the manga’s story and relieves stress.

Monthly Puroresu:
Back on April 1^st 2025, you challenged Hideyoshi Kamitani for the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Title which was your first time challenging for that coveted belt. What do you remember about that bout and is the BJW World Strong Heavyweight title the ultimate goal for you?

Koshiro Asakura:
Since it was a title match just two months after my debut, my mind was completely focused on giving it my all. In the end, the match clearly showed the gap in our abilities, but I believe I gained a lot of valuable experience from it. I realized that you can’t grow unless you challenge yourself in situations that are beyond your current capabilities. I learned that it’s important to take on more challenges to keep growing. I see the BJW World Strong Heavyweight Championship as both a goal and a starting point. As I mentioned in the first question, being a champion comes with responsibilities. I have a vision for the kind of pro-wrestling I want to showcase while holding the belt, so I don’t think winning the title is the end of the story.

Monthly Puroresu:
At the Shopping Street Pro-Wrestling event on June 6^th, you had many of the kids in attendance cheering for you especially when you powered up with the milk. How does it make you feel when kids in attendance cheer and look up to you? Do you consider yourself a role model?

Koshiro Asakura:
Kids tell us exactly what they think, straight to the point. Their pure, innocent support gives me strength, and I’m very happy if it made them happy. Also, if more kids start drinking milk because of me, that would make me the happiest.

Photo Credit: BJW

Monthly Puroresu:
Did you really drink over 300 litres of milk this year? Why do you love milk so much and do you have a favorite brand or type of milk?

Koshiro Asakura:
Starting this year, I’ve been keeping track of how much milk I drink. Looking at my notes and doing the math, I had already exceeded 300 liters by May. Shigeru Seki, who lives with me, always watches me drink milk up close, so I think he can attest to the fact that I’ve drunk 300 liters. I don’t really know why I like it. I’ve just been drinking it ever since I was little. I even think it would be great if all the water in the world turned into milk. My favorite milk is Sagotani Milk, which is produced at a local farm in my hometown.

Monthly Puroresu:
You went shopping recently at Alpha Note and met their cute mascot Kii-chan. Did you enjoy shopping there and what do you have to say about little Kii-chan?

Koshiro Asakura:
Alpha Note is a stationery store in Roppongi that has always supported BJW. They have a wide variety of stationery, and I was able to buy exactly what I wanted, so I was very satisfied. Kii-chan, the shop’s mascot dog, was wary of me at first, but as we spent time together, she must have warmed up to me—by the end, she was even coming over to hug me, which was so cute. I’d love to go back and see her again.

Photo Credit: Big Japan Pro-Wrestling/Alpha Note

Monthly Puroresu:
What do feel you need to do to get to the next level of your career?

Koshiro Asakura:
I want to go through with the “Six-Match Series” that I’ve been proposing since before my return. Of course, I’m planning to face all heavyweight opponents who are ranked higher than me. As I mentioned earlier, I believe you can’t grow unless you challenge yourself beyond your current limits, so this six-match series will be crucial.

Monthly Puroresu:
Where do you see yourself in five years?

Koshiro Asakura:
As the BJW-recognized World Strong Heavyweight Champion, of course! I’m going to bring back the rugged, authentic heavyweight battles to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Fans can watch BJW content on the promotion’s official YouTube channel and BJW Core.

Monthly Puroresu would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Big Japan Pro-Wrestling for facilitating this interview with Koshiro Asakura.