Q&A with Fergal Devitt part 2 *Q&A now added*

gimmick

As the title says. Fergal Devitt has agreed to answer our questions again.

Please post your questions here. Take a look at last years thread so as not to be repeating ourselves.

Peace out.

gimmick

And just for the record, I will not be asking him any banal questions regarding moving to America.

Bounty Hunter

to get the ball rolling and of the top of my head:

I am sure you have completed a lot of your goals in wrestling but is there any 1 overall long term aim you would love to achieve in wrestling?

I know outside of north american wrestling there is less emphasis placed on body size but do you see this being a hinderance to you in anyway and do you think that you will ever be able to go on to become a Heavyweight Champion?

Since the last time you did one of these boards.ie Q&As what or who from the world of Pro wrestling has stood out and impressed you the most?

We are going to intentionally hold back on asking you questions related to the potential of your wrestling in WWE/TNA some time down the road because 1)we dealt with that last time and 2)I'm sure your sick of such questions anytime you talk to "Western" journailists/fans. I do wonder however if you would be happy to spend your entire career in Asia?

Obviously yourself and Sheamus are the two most notable/succesful Irish wrestlers on the international scene (obvious from reading boards.ie PW anyway), but which other Irish wrestlers are you a fan of and could you potentially see going on to the same kind of success?

Wrestling in Japan do you think that the fans and even fellow wrestlers see you specifically as an Irish wrestler or simply as a western wrestler?

How were some of the big shocks / tragedies such as the Benoit incident or Randy Savages death recieved in Japan? Has there been similar changes to safety concerns as where made in America i.e outlawing of certain moves, concussion concerns, removal of intentional blood from matches etc

If you could equate yourself to any one wrestler of yesteryear (probably not a real word, however i spell it) who would it be and why did you choose this person to make the comparison with?

Last time you showed people another side to yourself talking about your GAA past and having friends who play for Wicklow for example. Do you get much of a chance to follow such sports these days?

One of the funniest moments in your last discussion with us was when you spoke about backstage stories such as Chad Allegra dropping one of the worst tasting farts you ever smelt right on Vals Venis's head. Have you got any other nuggets of comedic backstage gold you could share with us?

Last time we also asked you If you could wrestle anyone in the world past or present, who would it be? That time you named all American guys (HBK, Cena, Orton), but seing as you are not based in America I'd like to pose you the same question about Japanese wrestling.


might try and think of more later depending on the response from others here

parker kent

Ask him if he has the solution to Wicklow having a decent football team

jaykhunter

Can you take us through what it's like on a day off in Japan for Prince Devitt?

Do you have any pre-match rituals?

How long does a match generally take to put together?

Are there any fun Japanese phrases imparted on you by the wrestlers?

Your country is very proud of you! Best of luck in the future.

sliotor

With the tour in America west coast been very successful, is there any talk of bringing a tour to Europe preferably in the o2 in Dublin or even in London?
(Probably a stupid question but thought i would throw it out there.)

You have been asked before who was your favourite opponent but who has been you favourite big man opponent because we know you have had matches against the likes of strongman and giant Bernard.

Bounty Hunter

Some things are simply bigger than Wrestling. Can you tell us what it was like living and working in Japan after the Tsunami? Did it affect you personally and how have things in the country changed since that terrible tragedy?

waltersobchak

How do you feel about recognition such as making it so high up the list of this years PWI 500? Does stuff like that register and spur you on? Or is it more of a hindrance? You got to wrestle Bryan Danielson in the NWA Title qualifiers a few years back, how was it working with (arguably) the best wrestler in the world? And how would you feel a match between the 2 of you would be like now?

flahavaj

Very little I'd add to what been asked above.

One thing I've always been curious about is how much ar wrestlers "fans" of wrestling themselves? Does Fergal watch much wrestling in his spare time outside the company he world with himself? What about other wrestlers in the locker room? And do Japanese and American wrestlers differ in this aspect?

Gerard.C

Any chance of a show in Thailand? Tell him i even have a couch he can pan out on and he can bring Liger and the bais too

sliotor

I am suprised there has not been more activity in this thread considering it is not many wrestler on his level who agree to do it.

I suppose another q for him might be something around the fact he held the junior title for 364 days. which is some achievment and did he anticapate when he got it that he would be let hold the title for that long.

Bounty Hunter

Gerard.C wrote: »

Any chance of a show in ThailandShanghai? Tell him i even have a couchspare room he can pan out on and he can bring Liger and the bais too

.

rovert

Id have loads of questions as I've followed him for years. But the thing with Devitt I find he is too down to earth and not a showbizy Pro Wrestler, brother. Nor is a Foley or Bret Hart who could tell the date and details of every match and how great it was. Far from dull but he's an ordinary Irish lad who instead of playing football with his mates he wrestlers ****+ matches in Japan. Who has the craic with Karl Anderson, Giant Bernard and the lads & then goes back home until the next tour.

waltersobchak

rovert wrote: »

Id have loads of questions as I've followed him for years. But the thing with Devitt I find he is too down to earth and not a showbizy Pro Wrestler, brother. Nor is a Foley or Bret Hart who could tell the date and details of every match and how great it was. Far from dull but he's an ordinary Irish lad who instead of playing football with his mates he wrestlers ****+ matches in Japan. Who has the craic with Karl Anderson, Giant Bernard and the lads & then goes back home until the next tour.

Is that a question or observation?

rovert

waltersobchak wrote: »

Is that a question or observation?

Observation I guess, I just wish would attach more significance to his accomplishments and matches that's all. Not looking for him to turn into RVD or anything tho.

Ask him about what he thought of this year's Best of Super Juniors compared to last year's?

Ask him what was it like to be ringside for this year's final:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmsqu0YH8o

The closing minutes and post match was exceptional.

How does he think this years tournament could be topped?

waltersobchak

rovert wrote: »

Observation I guess, I just wish would attach more significance to his accomplishments and matches that's all. Not looking for him to turn into RVD or anything tho.

I think that's why were all so endeared to him, because(and especially after the last Q&A) he seems like such a down to earth, regular guy, who happens to also be Irish, and possibly the best junior heavyweight in world..

glenjamin

Dear Mr. Devitt,

How come there are around 10 times as many 145 buses that go from Bray than there are 84s?? I mean how many people live in Kilmac??

Yours sincerely

glenjamin.




P.S. Bray is a kip

FFPW Office

Bray is the home of Irish Wrestling... :rolleyes:

rovert

Fergie's birthday is today.

At least that is what Isabella of Isabella and Miranda fame tells me.

gimmick

Gonna wrap this up Thursday, so if you have any questions etc, now is the time.

thanks

Dancor

Do you keep journals/diaries and do you see yourself writing an autobiography, like so many wrestlers seem to do these days, when your career slows down (in many years to come hopefully)

jaykhunter

(If you haven't stopped taking questions)

What is your schedule generally like? How many days a month do you wrestle; and how many days travelling?

gimmick

Due to an horrendously heavy stag, I will only put this together tomorrow or wednesday. My everything is shaking.

gimmick

Is Japanese life still treating you well? Would you say you have adapted well to a completely different culture and are you happy enough to stay your entire career with Japan as your base?

Japan is treating me brilliant, as far as life goes out there I love it, I’m 100% settled, obviously i miss home if I’m there for long spells, but in general I’m very happy. It was a very different culture to adjust too but I’m probably more relaxed and at home over there now than I am in Ireland.
For the moment I’m happy staying there, but you never know what will happen or how ill be feeling in a year or so…?

It was a question I asked you last year along the lines of what was the dojo like – Just to further that one – how many hours a day were you in there? And what was a typical day? Did it get easier after a while, or did the trainers continue ramping up the training? If you were to give advise to a young Irish guy who had just been accepted to start training in the dojo, what would it be?

We would normally train for about 4 to 4 and a half hours a day Monday to Saturday. Like any sort of training, as your body adjusts to strain, you become accustomed to it. It’s doesn't become easier, its becomes normal through repetition - it becomes habit.

Obviously the trainers will change things up to keep it challenging and interesting, but at that point it’s not so much a physical test any more but a mental test to see who has the guts to carry on when others a folding around them. This is what is sometimes described as Japanese fighting spirit. Or in Irish terms, having the guts and the balls to carry on when your body is steaming at you to quit.

Since our last Q&A you have had, by anyone standards, a pretty incredible year, but is there one overall longterm goal you want to achieve in wrestling?

I don't really set individual goals for myself, you get out exactly what you put in. So my aim is to keep working and training at the highest level i can and that will determine how i continue.

What is your schedule generally like? How many days a month do you wrestle; and how many days traveling?

Well, I’m sure you can easily find the list of NJPW dates online so that will answer that question, i just turn up and do my job, traveling is part of it. Obviously I travel back and forth for Japan to Ireland a lot, it take about a day each way. And then there is traveling within Japan which is deceptively big, but again, im traveling around the world doing something I love so why would it bothers me.

To add to that, how do you spend your downtime?

I get home for most of our downtime, normally about a week at the end of a 3-4 week tour. Im very easily pleased, I’ll go to the gym, have a dip in the sea, watch the football, catch up with my family and pals at home, a few beers here and there. I’ve gotten into hill walking recently too, it’s a nice break from the hustle of the big cities.

In Japan, are you seen as “Irish” or as you seen primarily as a “westerner”?

I don't actually know. I would imagine at the start I was just another westerner, but I think by now most people know me as Irish.

Has there been any development in pro wrestling recently which has excited or disappointed you?

Yes, EASY! What excited me is more people pay for tickets to NJPW shows this year. I was also happy to go to USA this year with NJPW, hopefully we will be doing more touring next year….

How do you feel about recognition such as making it so high up the list of this years PWI 500? Does stuff like that register and spur you on? Or is it more of a hindrance?

I couldn't give a flying fiddlers **** about pwi 500. However if Nakamura and Tanahashi are not no.1 and no.2 then its surely rubbish. Let me tell you a little secret, no wrestler with half a clue goes out to the ring trying to impress magazine writers. We are going out to perform and entertain for the people that are spending their money for tickets to see us. The most important thing is that those fans go home happy, and if by some sheer chance you happen to impress a magazine writer too then thats a bonus.

How much are wrestlers "fans" of wrestling themselves? Do you watch much wrestling in your spare time outside the company you work with? What about other wrestlers in the locker room? And do Japanese and American wrestlers differ in this aspect?

Every wrestler was I’m sure at one stage was a huge fan, why else would they get into it?? And although some people may claim to not be anymore, for wrestlers to continue doing what they do they have to love it.
I watch a lot of wrestling, I would say I’m my life i have probably watched more wrestling than just about anyone on the planet. I will have an open mind to watch anything and hopefully learn something from it at the same time. I still love going to live shows too, sitting down the back and watching how people react to what going on in the ring. It takes me back to my childhood, As far as Japanese and American lads being different, maybe…. i don't know, i can only judge myself.

When you won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship did you anticipate you would hold the title for so long? How did it feel when you were told that such faith was put in you to hold such a prestigious title given some of the guys who held it previously?

You should never assume anything. Especially in this business. I was once told by Andre Baker -'If someone tells you it’s raining outside, you better go outside and check'! I never looked back at the past and i never looked forward, I just enjoyed every moment as they happened. I know there is a lot of history surrounding the Title, but I would never considered myself in the same league as those guys.

What did you make of this years BOSJ tournament?

I thought this years tournament was top to bottom maybe the best one we have done. Although personally for me it was a disaster injury wise. I got an infected and burst buras sac ( elbow ) in the first match. I was in hospital every morning for the entire tournament on a IV drip and antibiotics getting the fluid and infection drained so i could wrestle that night. Obviously I had to work around that which lead to me doing some more stuff outside the ring. And then in the final group match I’m throe my MCL against Kanemoto half way through but managed to finish the match. 2 days later I had 4 injections in my knee before the semi final against Taguchi, which I lost, and then again the following week for the title against Ibushi.

Do you have any pre-match rituals?

I piss about 400 times before every match. If there is no toilet near to the entrance i sometimes take a water bottle with me to relive myself :-)
Ill chew gum too, which for the most part i manage to keep for the entire match. There is probably a 100 little things i do without noticing as well and I don't want to start reveling all my little OCD moments.

How long does a match generally take to put together?

How long is a piece of string?

Do you keep journals/diaries and do you see yourself writing an autobiography, like so many wrestlers seem to do these days, when your career slows down (in many years to come hopefully)?

I don't, but I should, because i have the worst memory imaginable. To be honest, I cant ever see myself writing a book that many people would be interest in anyway….

Do you have any funny backstage stories you can leave us in on?

No, None what so ever. Nothing funny happens back stage.

How did the Apollo55 tag team come about? Are yourself and Taguchi friends outside the ring?

It just kind of happened, i had been tagging with Minoru for a few years when he left the company and while he was more of a cool heel, i was still kind of considered a young boy- babyface. I think the office noticed the similarities both me and Taguchi shared and the put us together. They asked us to come up with a name and that was my idea. We are friendly, we have a common understanding that we don't take much stuff to seriously. With my limited Japanese and his limited english we get on alright!

As a tag team can you tell us what matches you competed in which completely blew you away? I like re watching your series with the Machine Guns which were all pretty awesome, and your match this years Vs Omega and Ibushi is up there as one of the most innovative and fast moving tags I have ever seen.

Honestly, all those opponents you mentioned are fantastic, but on a personal level I am much more impressed with the matches we had with Jado and Gedo or Taka and Taichi. People don't remember what moves they seen at a wrestling show, what they remember is the emotions they felt.

Would a match with anyone in America, tag or otherwise, appeal to you now, and if so, who and why?

I know he is retired but HBK by a mile. In my opinion simply the greatest ever.

Any fun Japanese sayings which you have learned you wish to pass on?

E-tie = ouch

Finally, Japan is in the aftermath of a horrendous natural disaster. What was those few days like, and how has “life gone on” since? We can only comment from TV shots, but it looked absolutely terrifying.

Obviously it was a scary time for everyone in Japan, We are used to having quakes and there had been quite a few the days prior so on that occasion i thought it was nothing more than the normal. However it clearly wasn't, the rumbling grew, stuff was starting to fall off the shelves and then the shelves themselves were falling over….it was at that point i could hear the other lads running out of the house. I still thought they were over reacting but decided to pick up my cutoff tea and follow them out. It was when i go outside that things started to really rock, cars were bouncing up and down, telephone poles swaying side to side, we were finding it hard to keep our balance. It lasted about 5 minutes in total with more shocks about every hour for the next week or so. People were afraid, but that is their home, there is nowhere to run to safety!! thankfully were we were in Tokyo we escaped the destruction that was caused by the exulting tsunami and within a few days people were back on their feet and trying to get back to normal.

gimmick

Must say, I enjoyed that read. His answer to the PWI question made me yelp.

Thanks again to Fergal Devitt for taking time out for this.

rovert

Really enjoyed it and passed on the link on to people who would too.

D2D

Fair play gimmick for setting this up again and to Mr Devitt for taking the time to answer the questions

flahavaj

Excellent stuff gimmick fair play to you for setting it up. I marked for his PWI answer as well. He comes across as a wise head on young shulders who doesn't stand much for bullsh*t.

Horsebox9000

God damn it I wish I was a member when you could submit questions. Have 1 or 2 myself for him.

Good read, thanks for that.

Justin Ternet

There is always a face to face Q and A with Fergal after his seminars at the Fight Factory. Coincidentally there is a two day seminar this weekend so all you have to do is get beat up for two days and you can ask what you like after that.

Horsebox9000

Give me two years to get in shape yeah?

Moist Bread

You're a great lad for doing this Gimmick. It's really great to see what a humble and down to earth guy he is. In the business for all the right reasons.

rovert

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/102-japan/21777-qaa-with-new-japan-star-prince-devitt

This is offically news :pac:

Thanks gimmick.

flahavaj

rovert wrote: »

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/102-japan/21777-qaa-with-new-japan-star-prince-devitt

This is offically news :pac:

Thanks gimmick.

Wow, nice one. Good publicity for the site too.

Diabhal Beag

Maith an fear gimmick

gimmick

Time to let this one drift off.

Dancor

rovert wrote: »

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/102-japan/21777-qaa-with-new-japan-star-prince-devitt

This is offically news :pac:

Thanks gimmick.