By: J. Curbelo
Last February, Yuji Nagata surprised the world by capturing the AJPW Triple Crown Championship. It’s not an easy road to be world champion at 54, but as “Blue Justice” often says, he will do his best. And he did today after successfully defending against Shuji Ishikawa.
Good morning.
Today, there will be a defense match for the Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship at the All Japan Pro Wrestling Ota Ward match.
My opponent is a tough opponent, but I will do my best
Yuji Nagata, the oldest player at 54 years old, will do his best today as well
— 永田裕志 (@nagata769) March 21, 2023
However, even more impressive is the fact that he’s performing at a main event level while cautiously dealing with pain. Nagata sustained a knee injury last November while competing in AJPW’s Real World Tag League with Yuma Anzai. While talking to NJPW media, Nagata opened up about needing to use a cane and balancing his health with his drive to entertain fans.
For now, his mindful approach is working, as he competed against Shuji Ishikawa’s intense offense. While the challenger put his opponent at risk multiple times, the champion managed to overcome him by using his wits to snatch key moves that favored his comeback. He finally got the win after a finishing combo, not without thanking Ishikawa for the challenge.
“I have fought many kinds of wrestlers,” claimed Nagata, “But I realize I haven’t fought all of them yet. However, winning against Ishikawa has encouraged me.”
稽古終わりに皆んなで永田裕志さんの応援に行ってきた‼️
熱い試合に興奮しすぎて、おもっきし永田コールしてましたわ🔥
かっこよすぎた！！！！！ベルト防衛、おめでとうございます‼️#永田裕志 #永田さん#全日本プロレス #ajpw pic.twitter.com/6VrkI2LJM5
— 廣山あみ (@hiroyamaami) March 21, 2023
Nagata was originally planning to participate in April 8th’s Champion Carnival but, likely due to his injury, decided to not participate. He is still open to defending the belt, and will welcome any challenger to come out of the tournament, “no matter who it is,” to come after him.
Date:
March 21, 2023
Category:
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