Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Jay White on NJPW, The Forbidden Door, His Favorite Matches, Betting On Yourself

Episode Date: December 9, 2021

Jay White (@JayWhiteNZ) is a professional wrestler currently signed to New Japan Pro Wrestling. He joins Chris Van Vliet at the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles to talk about his upcoming match with The Fallen Angel Christopher Daniels, growing up in New Zealand, how winning a trip to WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta made him want to become a pro wrestler, moving to England to go to wrestling school, getting signed by NJPW, working for Ring Of Honor, his favorite matches, the best advice he's ever received and much more! Save 20% on your first purchase at True Classic Tees with the code CVV20: https://trueclassictees.com/discount/CVV20 For more information on NJPW visit http://njpw1972.com If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. For more information about CVV and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Blaine! And here we go, my friends. Welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight. I'm CVV, Chris Van Fleet. Thank you so much for being back with us on this one. And oh yes. Oh, yes.

Feels so good to say another in person interview. I was actually invited to go to the New Japan Pro Wrestling Dojo in Los Angeles, where we were able to do this interview, sat down with Switchblade. Jay White and man, what a story of drive and determination and just being laser-focused on a goal. Or perhaps blind ignorance, as Jay calls it. But he's carved out a pretty incredible career for himself in both New Japan and Ring of Honor, and he's just 29 years old, so he's still really just getting started here. You can find him on social media.

He's at Jay White NZ. that's for New Zealand, Jay White NZ. If you're looking for me, you can find me at Chris Van Fleet. And when you check out this interview on YouTube, you'll see the incredibly comfortable t-shirt that I'm wearing from True Classic T's. I've pretty much been wearing their shirts. They're plain, very cool shirts in all of my interviews for the last, like, six-ish months. And yeah, they're really comfortable and they're super soft.

But the fit, the fit on these is what makes True. classic teas, so good. A little bit tighter around the arms and the shoulders, looser around the waist, kind of like a push-up bra for dudes because it accentuates your body in all the places that you want it accentuates. And it's not just T-shirts. They also have polo shirts with the same flattering fits, hoodies, underwear, and so much more. So use the code CVV-20. You'll get 20% off your first order at true classic teas.com. The link's also going to be in the show notes, but it's CVV20, and you'll get 20% off at true classic teas.com. So good and so soft. Our fan of the week is Jay Zeus 4. He says, woo, with four, three exclamation marks. This is awesome. You're the man.

Keep him coming. Well, thank you so much for. that Jay Zeus 4. Thank you for the review on Apple Podcasts. And don't worry, I will keep them coming. I read one review on every single episode of the show. So leave a few words on the Apple Podcast app. Tell me what you love about the show. Tell me why you're subscribed and why you listen to it. And I'll read one out here. I read one on every single episode. And just thank you so much for being on this ride with me. And let's get into this ride for today. Ladies and gentlemen, Switchblade Jay White

Look how sharply dressed you are I love this Yeah custom made Got switchblade in there as well So yeah You know just for you Just for me, thank you You I got dressed up

And it's just for you Chris This is my first time in the dojo So thank you so much for the invite Yeah of course Obviously they got a nice training facility Here in L.A We got gym equipment behind you And the authentic New Japan ring

Here behind you Yeah this is nice When you're around something like this Are you like I just gotta get inside there No, maybe if it was a few years ago, but now I've been doing it for a little bit. Not as long as some, but I'll, I'm a bit selective with when I get in the ring and that. Now it's like, all right, I'm going to get in the ring when we're going to have a match.

Exactly, yeah. It's very much work to me now. It's not something as much of a hobby anymore, obviously. So, yeah, when I get in there, it's all business. So, yeah, very selective with when and where. So wrestling's pretty much been, I mean, you talk about you haven't done as long as some other people, but this is pretty much your life, and it has been for a long time. Yeah, it has been. It kind of took over it since I left New Zealand. I left New Zealand in 2012.

I didn't start training until the beginning of 2013. But since then, it really has kind of consumed my life since then. And in great ways, obviously. It's afforded me a lot of opportunities and done all right with it over the last seven to eight years. That's a bit of an understatement. Yeah. Done all right with it, I guess. And again, I've been pretty fortunate. Well, you can say fortunate or if it's just down to skill that, hey, managed to a, quite a bit in that short amount of time. Yeah, how much of it, in your opinion, is luck and how much is it just working your ass off? It's both, I think you're going to require some luck in terms of meeting the right people and just being in the right place at the right time, but also it's arguable whether that really is luck or not, because it's up to you to put yourself in those positions

anyway. That's kind of advice. I always give younger guys if they ever ask for it. It's how you've just got to put yourself in the position to have a chance. You can't go there expecting it. But if you don't, you've got to be in it to win it. You know, as the cliche and saying goes. So you've just got to kind of put yourself in all those situations as a trainee in wrestling specifically, go in the shows, whether you're going to be on the show or not. Just go there. You may have a chance and opportunity, which I get back in the day. You may meet the right people. And yeah, you just got to put yourself in that position. That mantra of always bring your gear, which wrestlers always say, I feel like that also like applies to life to just always be prepared.

Yeah, yeah. No, a lot of it crosses over. All those lessons and stuff that we have in wrestling, a lot of that stuff crosses over. Because, yeah, you've got to be prepared for any opportunity, especially if you're trying to do something like wrestling or just try to work towards any sort of goal that's going to require a lot of time and effort.

Yeah, you just got to be prepared. When you think about New Zealand and you think about pro wrestling, correct me if I'm wrong, but is it just the Bushwhackers? And myself in Falae. Yeah. Yeah. But before you guys, it was just the Bushwackers, right? Yeah, to be honest, I mean, you have guys like, I think there's John Guerrilla.

That may be going back even further than the Bushwhackers. But yeah, it's probably those are the best, those are the most well-known New Zealand wresters, I'd say, since before us, I guess. Hey, even now, probably they may be even still more well-known. For now, perhaps. Yeah, exactly. But, no, New Zealand hasn't ever really been much of a wrestling hot spot in terms of, producing wrestlers and stuff. They're very much focused on rugby down there.

So, yeah, I think before us, probably was just the bushwackers. So when you're growing up there and you've got this dream to be a pro wrestler, and the blueprint really isn't there with people who have done this before you, what makes you think, yeah, I can accomplish that? I think it's just young and kind of, I don't know, I just had this belief in myself. And for me, I don't know if I've said this story a few times, I actually won a competition on the radio. tickets, flights,

hotel, all paid for to go to WrestleMania. So I actually won that when I was, I think, 18 and I just finished school and stuff. Which WrestleMania was it? It was the one in Atlanta. 27?

27. Okay, yeah, yeah. 27. So, well, actually, I won that and that kind of got me back into it. It made me think, well, you know, if I was as fortunate to win this competition, to go here, it's like, why not? Why can't I? it's crazy that I won this to come here

so it's really that crazy for me to think that I can become a wrestler and so then from there it kind of I just decided in my mind that that's what I was going to do and it was meant to be so to say and yeah just kind of did everything that I felt like I needed to but I also didn't know

it was going to work out like you said there's never been a real blueprint for it for me I just thought that I knew and I guess I was right about that I had to get out New Zealand for it there was no wrestling scene in New Zealand obviously the states would be choice number one, but I couldn't, I didn't know the visa situation, I'd be able to work, but I could live and work in England and the UK. And so the way I thought about it, and again, I had no knowledge of the

independent scene at all. Just in my mind was, hey, if you want to make it, states is number one choice. And then UK's kind of little brother to it in terms of opportunities. So I just kind of went with it and worked out from there. Was that your first trip ever to the U.S.? Yeah, yeah. That was first and only time I'd been to the U.S. was to go to that in Atlanta. Okay, so set up this radio contest.

Did you have to call in and do something? Yeah, so I was, I'd actually, out of school, I went straight into the New Zealand Army. I actually got in as an officer, but I did like the pre-training, and then I left before I completed that. So I didn't know what I was doing, got a job, basically laboring for a friend's, of a friend's father he had a construction company and stuff so I was working on site there and I heard them on the radio there they'd say hey

we're going to do a competition and the winner's going to go to WrestleMania before they've been a friend all paid for and so I had to cool up and then they would give you a debate and then it would be you and then one other person and they would just tell you if you're for or against it and you just had to on the spot

try to win that debate and the topic they gave us was that chickflicks were the best thing in the world or something and they just said to you hey you're for it me being for it and then this person's against it go and so we had to have some sort of debate and i managed to do this i managed to talk about how on the back of shopping receipts back in new zealand they always have some vouchers on it and i mentioned uh you know like blockbuster like the video DVD store yeah our one was called video easy and i said hey yeah you can get the the super dockets

from the back of the grocery store and you can go there checkflits if you're having a date you can and buy one, get one free DVD. And so they appreciated my sales pitch, I guess, for Video Easy and throwing them in there. And so they said, yep, you win the debate. They put me in a drawer. So then they do this over two weeks multiple times a day with many people, multiple winners. Everyone goes into the drawer. And then a couple weeks later, I'm sat there.

About eight in the morning, I know they're going to do the draw to see who's the winner. I was like, oh, I'm just going to pause real quick, guys. I'll be back. Go and sit next to the radio with my phone. I hear them dialing the number. like beep, beep, beep, beep, because it was quiet. And then as you hear it, cool on the radio, same time my phone starts vibrating cool. And then obviously I shot up and couldn't believe it.

It started like yelling, like, no way. Answer the phone and I can hear them on there. And yeah, so, yeah, it was pretty crazy. And little did you know that it was your promo abilities that was going to win you this contest. I guess so. It worked out for me then. It's been working out for me since as well. So, yeah, come full circle that way.

But you were a wrestling fan leading up to this already. Yeah, I'd watch it when I was younger, like a lot of people. And then I think I started watching. in 2004 was when I first I watched. So later than a lot of people, but like I said, wrestling was never a big thing back in New Zealand. I probably watched through 2004, 5, 6, and I want to say, I want to say it was probably mid or early 2007.

I kind of phased out watching it, getting into those mid teenage years. You start doing other things. Sure. And so yeah, so I kind of didn't keep up for it for a couple of years and then come to this position and win that opportunity on the radio go to WrestleMania and then just decided on my mind like, okay, yeah, I'm going to get back into this. So you're sitting there at 70-ish thousand people at WrestleMania.

Something like that, yeah. The main event was the Miz. And Sina. And Sina with the Rock. Rock was the host, yeah. And the Rock ended up coming in. And they also had Snooky on that show, which is I remember because me and my friend, we loved it.

We're enjoying it. And everybody else, they didn't like her, but we're like, ah, yeah, no, she's great. This is awesome. That was right. Yeah, and the Rock came in. And it set up WrestleMania 28 from there. Yeah, I believe so.

Yeah, they did that. Was it, like, it's a spectacle, right? For anybody who hasn't been to WrestleMania, it's a spectacle. It's a Super Bowl. Of course, it was crazy. Walking into that stadium, it was in the Georgia Dome, I believe, yeah, walking in there and just seeing it open up, as nothing they've ever seen before.

Sports events I've been to in New Zealand, whether it's like cricket or rugby. I'm not even sure the exact number, but it's no more than 20,000 for the most part. So then walking into an arena like that and seeing something that size, I've never seen it before. So was it at the start of the show where you're like, I think I can do this, or was it at the end where you're like, that was amazing?

Honestly, the moment I actually remember, it wasn't the show itself. It was the Hall of Fame ceremony and listened to Short Michaels because I saw him get inducted. So that was pretty cool. And it was just listening to him talk and stuff. And I don't know, I just kind of tick something clicked in my head. Why can't I do this? Why not me? And it went from there.

But the thing is, you took a huge leap of faith. Like you said, there wasn't a lot of wrestling. There wasn't a big wrestling scene in New Zealand. Huge leap of faith to move to another country. do another continent to try to figure things out. Honestly, it's almost like I was too dumb to know better, too young and dumb to know any better. I just had this kind of stupid belief in myself where I really, really believe that it was meant to be because it was so crazy to me that I would win after these years of not being into it to then win

the competition on the radio. It really just kind of in my head, oh, no, this is meant to be. So, well, this is what I have to go and do now. And so it just kind of did everything from that. And yeah, it was really like a young and dumb belief. Whereas now I'd probably be like, oh shit, that's not possible. That's a bit crazy. This is a bit extreme.

But I'm glad that I did that when I did. It's like young ignorance. Pretty much. Yeah, no, it really is. Yeah, and I didn't tell anybody about it at the time either. I didn't tell my parents that's what I was trying to do. When I left New Zealand, even my, the friend that I went and lived with in a place called Guernsey is an English channel between England and France.

I lived there for 10 months before I then moved to England. Never told them that that's what I was doing. I just went to England and started from scratch, found a day. training school. I didn't tell anybody. Did you know anyone there? No, no, I didn't know anyone there. I just found a training school. I'd got in contact with them. I stayed at the backpackers for about a week. And within that week, I organized, I found a place to live. So I'd be sharing a student house with a few other people. This backpackers, I think I was sharing a room with three other guys. Like a hostel?

Pretty much. That's exactly what it was. It's exactly what it was. And then I found a place, managed to pay three months rent. upfront and so it wasn't the best place to live but got me somewhere to start whilst it started training for resting and yeah didn't know anybody there but the first time I told anybody from I guess my real life before people that knew me before getting to England was when I was about to debut I just called my mum and said oh yeah so this is what I'm actually about to do tonight and this is the whole thing I'll be doing what they think you were doing in England but they just thought I was hey he's just traveling he's just going to go out there and get some experience and

stuff and go travel the world a little bit but yeah I knew I was going to have to tell somebody at some point. So yeah, I didn't want, I didn't want to tell them that until I, like, kind of got into it or I actually started doing it. You wouldn't want to start training and then it all turned to shit. I'm like, oh, well, yeah, no, that I told you about, that thing I told you about, not doing it anymore. So, yeah, that's how it started. But what I love about this story is there's so many people that want to do something that seems impossible. Yeah. And they think of all the reasons why they can't do it. You did the exact opposite. You looked at all the reasons why it was possible. Yeah, it's a weird one to think back. on, to be honest, because it really was just, I just, I remember there was just times I just had to kind of motivate them, just convinced myself that it was possible. I just kept telling myself that

yeah, there's going to be obstacles. I wasn't a big guy at all. You know, that just wasn't an issue to me. I just figured I would find a way around it. That's kind of how I was with anything. There was going to be obstacles whether it's travel, it's different countries and things like that. And I just remember telling myself that so long as you don't tell yourself no, then you just keep finding a way around what's put in front of you, then you'll get there in the end. Oh, I love that so much. Yeah, as simple as it is.

That really is how I was thinking about things back then. Who was the J. White character back then? Who was I back then? He's just a young kid just trying to figure out what to do with his life in the world, and then just with a silly dream that doesn't seem too possible. And what was the first, like in your first match, what was your character? Oh, I see. which,

first match, it was myself versus a guy called Gino Giuseppe, which is, that was his, that was his name. And I actually,

he was very Italian. Yeah, he was. There we go. I'm glad then, because he was an Italian guy, so I'm glad that, I'm glad that,

that name very much showed that he was Italian. But I had a singles match with him, which led into a tag match later that night. So my debut actually had two matches, and I actually fell off the top rope

leading at the end of the tag match, climb up to do a, crossbody and I start stumbling a full forward but luckily I landed on my feet so I could jump up up. And luckily you fell forward. Like that I went forward and I could jump back up real quick and so I could do the crossbody and manage that I think we actually

got the victory there so that was nice but the character is he's just young wrestler just trying to just trying to learn how to wrestle just trying to have these opportunities trying to get as many matches and as much experience as he can and yeah just nice young respectful guy so a bit different

to nowadays. A little bit different. chiseled veteran now. When did you really start to feel like, okay, I'm getting the hang of this? Honestly, I picked it up pretty quick. I remember when my first training session, I said I've never done this before, and he's like, you haven't trained anywhere else,

so they found it hard to believe that I hadn't done that anywhere. You were natural. Yeah, really was, but not trying to, you know, big myself up too much, but I was just, I just managed to pick up. I could see stuff on TV. I could see running ropes on TV, and I just knew how to do that.

I played a bunch of sports when I was younger, so I think the coordination was there from the start, which helped me be able to pick up these things pretty quickly. So, yeah, that's kind of how that came about. And then, like, a series of, like, knowing somebody who knew somebody, that led you to New Japan. Yeah, exactly. So I met Fergal, DeVitt, Prince, DeVette, Finn Beller,

however we want to, whatever name we want to give him. I met him about a year into it. So I started 2013, January, and then we brought him over to do some of our shows, I want to say February 2014, so almost exactly a year after I debuted, he came to do some of our shows. And I think the way that he puts it, because he didn't really see me wrestle that much at all. I don't think it wasn't that that impressed him.

It was the fact that I was doing all the other jobs and everything. I was there building the ring and stuff. I think I actually, he's got a bit of memory than me, obviously. I think I had like a broken thumb or something at the time because I heard there was some video I saw recently of him saying he remembers just seeing this guy with a cast on his hand and doing all the jobs and stuff and that's what he's told me since is that

because I yeah, I could tell that you wanted it basically and you would fit him with the New Japan system. So he then went and spoke to the right people I think, mentioned me to Bad Luck Fale seeing as he was a fellow Kiwi, spoke to the right people, me and Fale got in touch and then from there they got me out there on

I landed in Japan January 1st, 2015. But it's enough to get an intro. It's enough to be able to have the door like a jar for you. But you've got to do the rest from there. Oh, of course, yeah. They can get you a spot on a chance. But of course, that's where the work really starts. Nothing's even started at that point.

It's just day after day you've just got to give you a rule, especially when you're in the dojo and the actual physical training of it as well, the culture shock of just being over there, different language, different lifestyle and all that. So, yeah, it's a lot of hard work from there. And dojo's tough. Yeah, not everybody makes it through. and it's like that for a reason. But if you make it out the other side,

it's definitely worth it. But if we're looking at your career, it's like New Zealand to then England to then another huge step to now Japan. How's your Japanese, by the way? It's a little rusty. I've been there in a little bit. But my Japanese would kind of,

if there'd be times or I'd study it and it'd be great, and then I'd slack off and it'd come down. Who would kind of took you under their wing and said, all right, I'll kind of translate for you. When I was first, I was in the dojo with show and yo. and so they didn't re-speak any English either. They didn't speak in English, I didn't speak any Japanese. So it was a little bit tricky to start off with,

a lot of hand gestures and all that. How are you learning? Honestly, when I first got there, couldn't communicate with the other guys in the dojo at all. It would just be, we'd try to find items, or you'd go on your phone to try and translate things or anything like that. Find a picture of something ahead. This is what I'm trying to do.

Wow. But luckily, some of the, older guys, obviously, because they'd travel around, they'd know some English. So there would always be at least somebody that would know some sort of broken English, most of the time anyway. But then show and you know, they started to learn a bit of English. I started to learn a bit of Japanese and you kind of find out your own ways to communicate with each other. And then who were some of the wrestlers who were kind of in the position that you were, who spoke English and didn't know a lot of Japanese? I mean, well, when I got there, it was, me and Cody Hall got there at pretty much the same time.

I know David Finley came. I want to say in April, so about four months after us. But then you had guys that were there on the tours, like Carl Anderson, obviously Badlake Falae, Tamantongo, all those guys were there.

You had Bobby Fish and Carla Riley. Bad like Files fluent in Japanese, so he was helpful with it at times. But in terms of the other foreigner guys in the dojo was just me, Cody Hall, and then eventually David Finley, and then even later, Juice Robinson. And what do you think was the match

that really, put you on the new Japan radar. Back then? Yeah. Like kind of the one where it's like, all right, this is a new guy, as a foreigner, and then they went, oh, okay, he can go. You know what?

It might have been as a young boy, because obviously they'll be looking for different things as a young boy compared to if you were like a main roster guy. So honestly, my first one, because I was very fortunate that my first match that my debut match was the singles against Alex Shelley. So I was going to have a better opportunity

than most to be able to showcase yourself. I didn't wrestle the New Japan style one little bit, to be honest, I didn't even know what it was. I still wrestled very similar to match to what I would do at a show in England and like a town show in England. So there was obviously things that I did that. They probably weren't a fan of, but they were also aware that that's no big deal. We can change that. The most important stuff, I think they could see that that was there. And I think it very much worked in my favor that that first match was against the guy that Alex Shelley.

rather than against another young boy. Right. It did give me a much bigger opportunity. So I think they, I mean, I don't know for sure, but I think from there that that was probably Gabe was a good sign for them. And then actually another one, other than the debut, was my first singles match against Taguchi.

That was in Corrican Hall. And I remember that one got, had a really good response after it, I think from fans and like the office alike. And then you take that. knowledge and is it ring of honor that kind of says hey we like what you're doing or was the other way around honestly i'm not sure i just got told that yeah we're going to send you to ring of honor so whether it's them saying to ring of honor hey do you do you want j for a bit or whether they're

asking them or if it's ring of on asking them yeah yeah i would say it's probably be a little bit of both and say hey we're looking to send jr away would you guys be interested and i'm assuming i'm hoping that they obviously said yeah yeah um yeah i just get told hey this is where we're going to send you right and then another move right and then it's to the u.s exactly So we've gone, I actually went New Zealand, then a place little island called Guernsey, then England, then Japan, now U.S., and I started off in New Jersey there for about just under a month for our first couple of RO8 shows. Then I would go back and forth to England a bit because I had some big breaks.

Then I would do some Rev Pro over in England as well. And then once I came back to the States from England, so like late 2016, and then leading into 2017, I ended up living with Alex Shelley for a while there and was in Michigan for a fair bit. And the funny thing is when you're living on the East Coast of the year, US. Your flight to England and your flight to L.A. is like the same distance. Yeah. Yeah. That's a good point. Six-ish hours. Yes. That's always a weird thing to me as well as getting used to having a flight in the same country still be six hours or so as well. It's different to anywhere else. So you're living

with Alex Shelley. How much of that do you just absorb from him? As much as I can. Yeah, he was a very influential person in my career in terms of just learning, especially at the shows as well for Ring of Honor. because we would often be teaming. So just being able to learn from him when he's in that leadership role and also stuff where it's at home if it's talking about wrestling or if it's watching anything or if it's just things that I'm,

ideas I'm coming up if I'd always ask his opinion and deferred his judgment because that guy knows what he's talking about. Oh, yeah. So often he would give me a piece of advice for a desired outcome and you do what he says and that exact outcome will happen

exactly how you wanted to as well. So yeah, He knows this stuff. The United States Soccer Federation present the U.S. Soccer Podcast. My name is David Goss, and I'm joined by my co-host, Megan Clemenberg. And now we're giving people an inside look at the World Cup. Times ticking. I think you can feel the intensity.

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that you do that's because of Alex. I'm not sure. I might not even be able to name it because there's probably stuff that's more of like a subconscious or like automatic things. Because the way that I wrestle nowadays is probably not too similar to, I wouldn't say it's similar to him, but I'm sure that there would be certain things that I can't even pick off myself. So I don't know if others be able to pick it off. It just innately made you a all around better wrestling. So, yeah, I think so it's more of, it would be the things that people don't see. I think it's more of the stuff in the mind and when it comes to risking that he kind of imprinted on me more than in terms of actual physical move. Yeah.

So then now you're living in Florida. Yeah, so yeah, I was in Michigan for a little bit and then we now moved up to Florida. So I've been there for almost two years and I love it there. I can't take those winters down in Michigan for about six months and however long. So I need to be close to some water and then some sunshine. Look, I'm from Canada. I get it. I know what cold feels like.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, it's not really what the environment I prefer to be in. And there's so many other workers that live in Florida. Yeah, there's a lot of wrestlers down there. That's kind of how I ended up there. I was trying to find out where to move to from there. Other people's recommendations. And a bunch of people spoke highly of Tampa.

I know Tiger Hitori. He was there years and years and years ago. And every time I see him now, he still asked about the exact area, even though it's the same conversation I've had with him time and time again. but yeah he was someone that said yeah it's a great area as well amongst other people so what would you say is the new japan match now that everyone talks about or asks you about uh russle kingdom? there's a few of them yeah i was that's the first one i was going to go to because it's also i guess

it's the most recent one of the most recent ones i guess wrestle kingdom this year uh would be would be a common one that people go to um the other one often get is obviously Madison square Garden and then also the Cal Palace against Juice Robertson for multiple reasons that one. Obviously there's a bit of drama there at that show but I'd say those three but I'd say probably wrestling

kingdom this year would probably be the main one. Oh and the G1 final from 2019 so I think G1 29 final. It is a dream for so many wrestlers to wrestle in the Tokyo Dome. Yeah. What's it like to go there for the first time?

First time going there So yeah 2015 I got to watch the show before having to start to do the jobs there And seeing that for the first time Was Honestly at the time I didn't know too much about New Japan Despite the fact that it's got there

I didn't do enough of research at all But then so then just seeing that From such like a beginning stage Being so unprepared And then seeing that It kind of took your breath away even more than if you had been prepared If that makes sense

So it was just Almost like you had no expectations Honestly really did And it was just really was just or inspiring I think the big difference for me Was experiencing that crowd in person All I'd really seen of the crowds Would be the stuff on TV

So many WWB crowds So then go in there And that Japanese crowd And just you can feel the difference And how they're feeling about What's going on in front of them Yeah And then when you work there for the first time

What's that What's it like when your music hits there The Tokyo Dome, especially. It's, yeah, every time that I'm going to walk out there, I make sure to tell myself to just take a moment when you're up on the stage, just take it in because it comes around once a year, well, now twice for some people, but just to take it in because I'm aware that those moments

are the things that you'll look back on and appreciate, and you're not always going to be aware of that in the moment. So I try to always take a moment, look, stand up on the stage. I think most years I've been fortunate to have, a big pyro and flames flying up next to me. So it's pretty cool to stand on the stage and just kind of take in the ramp down of the ring and obviously the crowd as well. So that's pretty cool.

And then once you get in there, it's just like getting in the ring any other time for me to be honest. The only difference, kind of the main difference going on as matches were going on is the crowd noise often takes a second to get to you. So it kind of comes at like different times and things like that. and the way it just echoes around, it really does just overwhelm you, the noise in there.

Everyone talks about that Japanese crowd being different, and it is, right? And when you watch it, it's clearly different from an American crowd or a British crowd. What's the words you would use to describe it? Yeah, what is the best one? I know how to go,

how to explain it, but to sum it up, it's, okay, two words. It is true emotion from that crowd. So they have really, feeling when they're watching these shows and they're watching the wrestling as opposed to over here for and not all the time but I think compared to US crowds US crowds their reactions and feelings and such aren't as authentic or genuine or true as they are in Japan when

the crowd's reacting to the shows I think that's the main difference is it because the crowd here wants to feel like they're so educated they want to feel like they know what's going on and you've spoken about there so many times. Like everybody in the crowd here has read all the dirt sheets before going there. Which is odd to me because for me, if I try to think back of when I was just a wrestling fan watching it, the things I'm a fan of and things that made me love wrestling the first place, I wouldn't be able to experience them if I'm trying to find out all that other stuff, to be honest. As a fan, I want to be surprised.

I want to be shocked. If I'm going to watch a movie, I don't go into it and try to find out anything about, like, like what's the story of the movie beforehand because that affects the whole purpose. So, yeah, it's a pet fever mind that it's almost like a lot of wrestling fans, they make it, it could be more enjoyable for them, but they almost make it not as enjoyable

because they almost like they love it too much, they can't be patient and wait for it. Yeah, I've touched on that a bit, but that, yeah, that is because they try to find, almost want to know too much, and they ruin it for themselves to an extent. It's interesting, because if we were to go see a Marvel movie and you told me a big character

I was going to die, you would have ruined the entire experience for me. But if we're going to see a wrestling show tonight, and I go, oh, actually, this guy's contract is up tomorrow. So he's probably going to lose because of that. It just feels like, I don't know. To me, it defeats the whole purpose of what I've gone to watch it in the first space,

because you want to have that emotional connection to it. In my view, that's how you get sucked into it, and that's how you're going to enjoy it the most is if you can be connected to it. If you try to find out things like that, you're not going to have as much of a strong connection to it. You're not going to enjoy it as much. And you also, you have a different approach

because you weren't watching wrestling when you were four and five and six years old. You came into it and really developed a appreciation for it as someone who was actually in there doing it. Yeah, that is a good point. Yeah, I think, I don't know, I don't know how that plays out in terms of my style and stuff compared to other guys, to be honest.

But, yeah, maybe it's because when I really started watching, maybe was at an older age. I don't know. I'm not sure how he plays into it or how it's going to, yeah. I saw you on Saturday at the LA comic convention. You did a signing there. And I'm sure you heard this a lot, but people were like, oh, he looks a lot leaner.

Like, what's the reaction to this? I mean, yeah, I just try to get leaner over time, I guess there was those points where when I went away on excursion, I was trying to put on size. And to be honest, at the time, I didn't realize how I was, I guess I didn't have the right idea of, an accurate idea, rather, of how I was,

looking and so then I there was a point I think I want to say late 2018 I kind of like for us it now you're going to lean out a bit I just feel comfortable at a bit of a lighter weight sometimes as well yeah it's just part of training as well

and that's the biggest thing is like what makes you feel the best yeah exactly especially being in there like I injured my hamstring in I think mid 2018 as well and I would get a few more aches and not that I was like big big but I think compared to what my frame is used to

and the weight I was used to carrying around. It was a little bit extra, especially trying to wrestle on such a hard schedule as well. Yeah, I was talking to Will Osprey about this recently. Oh, yeah. He's put on a ton of size, right? It's a good example, yeah. And he's like, there's a lot of things I can't do

or can't do as quickly as I could two years ago. Yeah, exactly. And then that obviously can make that, that could make it a bit more dangerous for him if he doesn't, you know, if he's not smart about what he can and can't do with ease and without hurting himself. Yeah.

Yeah, that's a big part of it. For people who haven't checked out New Japan's strong, yet and you absolutely should because it's amazing. How would you describe this? Because it's American wrestling, but it's also Japanese wrestling. Yeah, it is a good blend of it. I think also you're going to get

what you want out in New Japan. You're going to get that from New Japan, strong, I believe. And you are going to get that little accent of U.S. stuff on top of it as well. And since having the crowds back, it's made all the difference as well.

Obviously, for the live shows, then I'm sure just for people watching it, going from having no fans there to then having fans there that have been dying to get out here for a long time. It just makes the whole thing so much more enjoyable for the fans watching again on New Japan World or in person.

And I think people are seeing that, and now they're coming to the shows because they're seeing that atmosphere there as well. Yeah. Yeah, the crowd's just been getting bigger and bigger since we started having them back starting in August. And hopefully this Thursday in Hollywood, it'll be no different.

We'll just keep getting more and more people. Keep the momentum going. and it's something I've said a couple times now, so I guess I'll keep saying every chance they get. New Japan's strong. The way I see it going, I can see us becoming. My goal, I want to make us the main piece of New Japan progressing. And the stuff that's happening in Japan at the moment,

that can be the side piece because I think we've truly got the potential here to really do something with this. And it's exciting. It's the new hot thing. We've got momentum, so we're just going to keep rolling with it. Yeah, and with the recent news about Ring of Honor, I feel like that's a great slot for New Japan. New Japan's strong to just slide right into.

That is a good point that I haven't actually thought about it specifically, to be honest. But now that you mention it, that is a very good idea. Unfortunately, stuff's happened with Ring of Honor. So there's almost like, yeah, another little open slot as well. I think also fans have just been dying for New Japan to put on what made them like New Japan in the first place. So I think this is a good opportunity for us to do that. Yeah, and as we sit here right now, talk about Thursday's show in Hollywood, and it's Christopher Daniels making his return to New

Japan against Jay White. The young Christopher Daniels, and I'd have said this again as well. You know, people call him the fallen angel. Recently, I'm calling him the fallen, forgotten, failing angel, Christopher Daniels, because career is kind of, I mean, I guess it could be coming to an end or something, but I'm just going to try to give him another opportunity to see if he can spark something, see if he can revive it and get it going again and get his name out there, because you know, a guy like him, he just needs one opportunity, and maybe he can get his career going to do this. I don't know, maybe he can teach you a thing or two in the ring.

Well, he hasn't done the things that I've done, though. So if you've got to look at our accolades, I guess this could be up for debate, but, I mean, if you're debating me, we're obviously going to lose, as we've already learned. This is true. Yeah, exactly. And if we're going to compare accolades, you know,

single-handly sold up Madison Square Guard and first of a Grand Slam champion, you know the drill. So, you know what, maybe I'm going to teach Christopher Daniels a thing or two, or three or four. Interesting, because his age begins with a five now, which is crazy.

He's hit that already? Yeah. Wow. I haven't even hit the threes yet. He's found the fountain of youth, though. Yeah, you know, you know,

we'll see how he feels after Thursday and see if he feels his age a bit more after that. What's the one match in New Japan that you haven't had yet? Who's the opponent? Is there one? I don't,

I think I've probably had a thing I've mixed up with most of the guys. What about New Japan's strong? New Japan's strong? There's no one there that I'm really after at this point is because the thing is is that everybody's after me there, which makes sense, of course. They're going to want to make names of that.

You're on the list for a lot of people. Exactly. And that's what, you know, that's why I've opened the door up to New Japan's Chong and I've put this open challenge out. Then you've got guys like young Christopher Daniels that are stepping up to, stepping up to that challenge. So maybe there'll be another guy from Sean that wants to step up to it. Maybe there is a guy that is just coming from Ring of Honor or maybe it's another AEW or

an impact guy. You never know. Well, the forbidden door seems to be open now. They're forbidden door, but I can sit. I've got my own open door and open challenge here. So, hey, I don't know if we'll go through their door, if people will come through our one, we'll see, I guess. I mean, it could be possible.

We could see you on an episode of Impact one day. You could, exactly. We could see you on an episode of Dynamite or Rampage. Exactly. We'll just have to wait and see, and people will see if that'll happen again, and then he just stop asking me about when I'm doing that, because, again, like we just touched on,

one, why would you want to know in the first base anyway? Secondly, do you think I'm really going to actually tell you? And then even if I do tell you, do you think I'm telling you the truth? If I tell you that I'm going to be there this Wednesday, do you think, are you going to believe me? If I tell you, no, I'm not going to be there this Wednesday. How do you know I'm telling the truth? So, yeah, that question gets me going to go and as you can tell. I'm sure.

Well, you get asked that in every interview, I'm sure. Exactly, exactly. Every single time, every interview, every signing, every appearances, when are we going to see here? Are you going to do this? Are you going to do this? I'm not fucking going to tell you, am I? And then it's who's going to be joining the Bullet Club next? Exactly.

It's always something like that. Always ask me what I'm going to be doing. No, I keep my plans close to the chest. I'm not going to tell everybody about it because otherwise they're probably not going to work as well, are they? How much did Bullet Club change your career path? I'm not sure about changed it, but I think it, I'd say I definitely helped it once it started going in a certain direction.

And what I mean by that is in terms that may not have changed is because in my mind, whether it was with Bullet Club or not, I was going to do what I've done. So maybe it's sped it up a little bit? I think so definitely because you can't deny what comes with being with Bullet Club. You know, the guys that have come through Bullet Club, the guys that have been tied to Bullet Club, so then to have your name kind of put in that same sentence and stuff,

that's obviously always going to help you. So, yeah, there's a lot of eyes always on Bullet Club, so don't be wrong. I definitely spit it up. It's some iconic merchandise now. Of course. That's always the good side to it as well. You've got a pretty standard, easy template to start with.

So there's always an easy starting point there, and people love collecting the Bullockl Club stuff. So that's always nice. It's like the new NWO T-shirt. Really is, yeah. Yeah. Really is. Someone was there, actually at Comic Con the other day, someone, I heard someone say something

about that. They obviously weren't familiar with it, but they were familiar with the NWO and they make it draw on the comparisons there as well. Like, I think seriously, like whether you were a WCW fan or not, you thought the a UO shirt was cool. Right, yeah, I guess so. And then that's kind of what Bullet Club's become now. You see it everywhere, and I'm sure it's not going to change.

This might be a difficult one, but career highlight for you. It might be like a parent choosing their favorite child, but... Yeah, what is it? That's a hard one. I really don't have one that comes to the top of my head. It was pretty cool when I first got to go back and wrestle in New Zealand. Yeah, the show itself may not have been the biggest thing, but it was cool being able to wrestle there

in front of my family and stuff. And I actually did that show was in a building where I used to work as like event staff for like concerts and stuff. So then we did that show. So that was pretty cool. But I don't think you can really top beat in Tanahashi for the heavyweight championship.

And then beating him again for the never championship and completing the Grand Slam. But yeah, we'll go with that Osaka victory, I think, for the heavy ball. I think that'd be the one that a lot of people. Yeah, yeah, there's not, it's, it's probably the obvious one, but it's the obvious one for a reason. Yeah. Who do you want another match with right now?

Other than young Christopher Daniels. Yeah, I mean, I can't look past the young guy like that, so I don't want to get too ahead of myself. Who's another match right now? I'd like to see you in Will Osprey again. Man, we'll see if he can get the, if you can get that belt, maybe that'll be the easiest way for me to to run a back with Will. He's spending plenty of time over here on Strong. So if he can go and get that belt,

I know he's already got one on him. If you can go get the other one, and then they can join belts together again, but that's already the same belt. It's confusing, I know, but maybe he can bring that over to Strong and, hey, maybe we can do that here. And then at the same time, hey,

maybe I still owe Abushi after last, earlier this year as well. That just sounds like a whole bunch of great matches coming up there. Yeah, it could be. could be, but we'll see. I've got to hopefully get past young Christopher this week first, so we'll see how that goes. I wish you the best of, actually, I'll seriously. I'm going to need that. I love Christopher Daniels. Actually, that's going to be a very difficult match for you. You can support him. It's okay. He's going to need a little support he can get. It's fine. I won't take it to the law. I've really enjoyed this. Thank you so much. You're taking the time to do this.

No, thank you. It hasn't been actually too much wrestling talk for the most part, although it's about wrestling, but also different as usual. So I appreciate that. But I also think your story, whether someone wants to be a pro wrestler, or whatever it is. They want to be a musician, a painter, whatever. They want to chase their dream. Your story is so inspiring. Thank you. Yeah, I can see that from an objective standpoint.

It's difficult for me to say that sometimes because it's myself that I'm talking about. But I've also got no problem being able to look and go, yeah, I can see how that would be inspiring. It's a good example for people as well. Yeah, there's a lot of people that just look at the obstacles in the way. And I love that you look at them as just like, yeah, that's just, I got to get past that. Yeah. Past the next one. And then just keep going from there.

It really was as simple as that. I decided it in my head that it was, that's what I almost pretty much had to do. It's not that I just wanted to. I just decided that was I was meant to do what I had to do. So it didn't really matter because as long as I found a way, I just believe that I'd find a way around it. Who in your career, it doesn't need to be in wrestling. It could be someone outside of wrestling, but who's been the most inspirational for you?

You know, I don't have an easy answer for that either. I've never had, actually, you know what, nowadays more recently, it is pretty inspiration to me is Russell Westbrook and his tagline, why not? Because that's something that that's very much, not just saying that now, that's how I looked at it back then. It was why not me? I'm watching them

when Shaw Michaels talk about his Hall of Fame induction. I was like, why can't I do this? Why not me? So then once I decided that every time, any time I was kind of the gym or this and that and just kind of amper myself up on my head, I would say, why not me? Why can't it be me? As long as I get around these obstacles, why not me?

And so back to the original question. Russell Westbrook, I think, is somebody that I kind of look up to in that aspect seeing that that's his tagline as well. Yeah, I always say if somebody out there is doing the thing that you want to do, that just means it's possible for you to do it as well. They just might be further along in the journey. Exactly. Everybody's going to start somewhere.

Yeah. And it's, yeah, if you're going to compare yourself to other people's stories or journeys, you know, a lot of the time they're in your position at one point or maybe even a harder position at one point and they still made it. So, yeah. You seem so appreciative of everything that's come along the way, which leads me to my final question I asked us in every interview. I start and end every day with gratitude.

I say out loud three things that I'm grateful for. What are three things that you're grateful for right now, Jay White? Custom suits so they fit nicely as well. Grateful for them. I'm grateful on behalf of the entire wrestling world that I met Prince David, Philgithvenela, so that he could help deliver me to the wrestling world. Man, what a hand. So I'm grateful on behalf of everybody for that.

They're grateful to you for that. Yeah, and I'm grateful for Tanahashi, just being there when I need him too so I can beat him and just to take those championships from him and him being there so I have these opportunities for me to make these moments for myself. Man, those are three great things to be grateful for you. There we go, exactly. And I'm going to have a fourth one in, your luscious locks. Exactly. I'm grateful that I'll still got them as well.

So hopefully, you know, touch with that's not changing anytime soon. Jay White, this has been great. Thank you so much. No worries, man. Thank you very much. Appreciate it. Thank you. Well, there we go.

Switchplay, Jay White. Big thank you to him for the conversation. And also for inviting me into the New Japan Dojo in Los Angeles. What a great facility. And thank you to you for always being with us. You know, Jay White has made one appearance in Impact Wrestling. Hmm. Do you think we'll be seeing him go through that forbidden door anytime soon? Hmm. Share this episode with a friend. Take a screenshot. Let us know that you're listening. Tag Jay. He's at Jay White and Z. Tag me at Chris Fanfleet.

And I'll leave you with a quote that I loved from Johnny Gargano's farewell speech earlier this week. In fact, I loved it so much that I tweeted it out. Johnny and I go way back to when I was living in Cleveland. So we go back more than 10 years. and I'm just so excited to see what's next for him, wherever that is and whatever he happens to be doing. But I think the next thing you'll be seeing him do is become a dad, which is like just a few months away now. So a pre-congratz to him and Candace on that. And the quote was,

you will never fail if you bet on yourself. How good is that? And how true is that? Be great. Be grateful, my friends. We'll see you on the next one. some more insight. Jim Rome takes on sports. Why? Because I have a job to do.

With rapid fire takes. So I don't want to hear from you lava pigs on this notion today. No idea what you're talking about. You're complaining more than you like to breathe air. It's like you get up in the morning only to complain and cry and moan on social media about things that you don't even understand. He's the spitfire of sports smack. Take advantage of it. Get up in here.

The Jim Rome Show podcast. What's your beef? on your favorite platform. You've been warned.