Asuka: “I’m the type that needs to feel the nerves”
Popwire recently spoke to WWE Superstars the Kabuki Warriors (Kairi Sane and Asuka). Below are some highlights.
Asuka on being part of the Kabuki Warriors tag team: “Before Kairi came to SmackDown Live, I was feeling a little bit lonely because I was the only Japanese woman wrestler in the locker room. So I’m very happy to finally have Kairi around!”
Kairi Sane on being happy to team with Asuka: “I’m very happy too! Although we both came from Japan, we’ve never teamed before. I’ve been a fan of Asuka for a very long time, so it’s great to be able to work with her now. She’s given me a ton of advice. I like her passion, her strong style… and her smile! (Laughs)”
Kairi Sane on the pressure to perform in WWE and feeling nervous: “It is a lot of pressure, and I feel nervous before every match because I want to give it my best. There’s always a level of uncertainty, but once the match begins, that all goes away because I’m having so much fun! I love wrestling, and I feel that it is only through our enjoyment that the audience can enjoy themselves too. This allows us to wrestle as naturally as possible, so whether we win or lose, it’s important to remember to enjoy wrestling.”
Asuka on needing to feel nerves: “Honestly, the pressure helps because I’m the type that needs to feel the nerves to be at my best. Of course I cannot let it overwhelm me. But the pressure and a sense of nervousness helps me stay sharp during my matches.”
Kairi Sane on switching from acting to pro wrestling: “Oh, it was a pure coincidence! (Laughs) When I was younger, one of my passions was acting so I tried to pursue that. In one of the theatre productions I was involved in, I was cast as a professional wrestler – a heel character. Someone from STARDOM actually spotted me in that play and invited me to one of their events. That’s when I fell in love with the art of pro wrestling!”
Asuka on how she still owns a hair salon and her time as a game designer: “I’m still the owner of that hair salon! It’s called Another Heaven, and it’s located in Yokohama if you ever want to visit it. (Laughs) As for games, if you watch UpUpDownDown, you can tell I love video games. (Laughs). Yes, I used to write about video games, and I was a freelance designer for Nintendo DS. But unfortunately, I don’t have much time for design anymore. However, it may interest you to know that both of us actually designed our own costumes and ring gear! I’m happy that we still get express ourselves that way.”
