10 Hysterical Times Wrestlers FORCED Each Other To Break Character

1. The Sublime Master Thief Steals Professionalism

CM Punk Paul Heyman Thumb
NJPW

When AEW fans pine for Tony Khan to treat his many tournaments with the reverence shown by New Japan Pro Wrestling towards its annual G1 Climax, this probably isn’t quite what they have in mind - but it was still a sensational moment for which you don’t require the translation to appreciate. 

As is tradition, to create a sense of sporting occasion around the tournament, NJPW held a press conference ahead of the 2017 edition. The idea is for wrestlers to express their winning credentials, talk a bit of trash, and plant seeds for narrative purposes. 

Toru Yano did precisely that, but in his own, distinct way. 

He said - thank you to Reddit user PRIDE_NEVER_DIES for the translation - that he was apologetic for entering the room as a 39 year-old man with no make-up on. He asked the media to film in portrait to better conceal the middle-age spread. 

With an incredibly sincere delivery that belied his mischievous persona, he guaranteed victory. How could he be so sure? Why, the biggest cheat in the promotion is constitutionally incapable of telling a lie, of course. 

As Heavyweight Champion Ace Kazuchika Okada absolutely lost it, Yano, who probably did all this purely to pop his incorrigible goofball of a CHAOS mate, closed by saying that he will be taking a large dose of an as-yet-unapproved drug and “try his best”.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!