SANADA provides an update ahead of his return to the ring.
Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion SANADA has not wrestled since April, as he missed the Dontaku series and All Together, and he underwent a medical appraisal. NJPW has announced that SANADA has been cleared, and he will be in action at All Together Sapporo.
Speaking with NJPW's website, SANADA was asked to comment on how he was feeling.
"I’m finally back in my best shape. All this year, from January 4 in the Tokyo Dome when I hurt my neck against Tetsuya Naito, I’ve not been where I wanted to be physically, but with this time off I’ve gotten there," SANADA said.
The interviewer noted that SANADA was seemingly looking to get back to the top, and he replied by noting that he could not come back as the same SANADA. He stated that he wanted to remind everyone that strength and ability wins championships.
"To do that I know I can’t come back as the same old SANADA. Last year I think there was a lot more I could have done to shine as champion. I know recently there’s a lot of talk about new gen this, next gen that. But I want to remind everyone that it’s strength and ability that wins championships," SANADA said.
Speaking of titles, SANADA was also asked to comment on the creation of the IWGP Global Heavyweight Championship. The title was created after David Finlay smashed the IWGP United States and United Kingdom Titles. SANADA noted that the history attached to the gold was something to build from.
"The Global title is too new to really have an opinion on it. But when you’re taking an established title and destroying it to form a new one, then it’s hard to get emotionally attached to it. But that history is something to build from here on out. If a former World Champion like myself held the Global title too, well that gives it a lot of significance in my book," SANADA said.
Fightful will have coverage of All Together Sapporo once it airs on June 15.
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