Pro Wrestling Legend Masahiro Chono Praises NJPW Star Shota Umino, Passes STF To Umino

New Japan Pro-Wrestling legend Masahiro Chono gave high praise to current NJPW star Shota Umino ahead of the upcoming G1 Climax 33 tournament in which Umino is a participant for the first time in his career. In addition, Chono has passed the STF finisher on to Shota Umino after spending the day with Umino teaching him the art of applying the hold.

Chono commented on Shota Umino following teaching the 26 year old future superstar the STF:

Umino has such a tremendous upside. I want him to go as far as he can, up to and including the whole damn thing. He’s just come back from overseas, he’s young, he’s afraid of nothing. He should be out to take whatever he can. 

I’ve been on both sides of this so I know. A wrestler in his 30s is no match for a kid in his 20s who’s hungry enough. The kid’s 26 and he’s entering this level playing field- he should be doing all he can to level himself up. When you look at any other tour, you’re looking at one match or another, one guy or another being the main event, but in the G1, the brand, the tournament is the main event. So it’s up to every single one of those guys to make sure they stand out from anyone else and leave a lasting impression. If you aren’t hungry, it’s a hard tour. For me, it was always a hard tour anyway

Chono weighed in on the Umino’s key to surviving the G1 Climax 33 Tournament:

Really it’s about managing injury. A tour like this, injury is a given, but it’s how you handle it that’s key. I was hurt in every single G1 I did, and absolutely nobody gets to the final feeling fine. It’s all about keeping that injury under control, and managing that with the pressure of being on the big stage. Umino being young as he is, that’s a big benefit, and you add his skill and his fearlessness and that’s a big win. 

Shota Umino commented on Chono as well learning the STF submission hold.

As a kid, Chono was always my favourite of the Three Musketeers. I learned a lot from him today, and I’ve added a pretty powerful weapon that nobody else can say they have.

Shota Umino is in Block A of the G1 Climax 33 tournament which is set to kick off on July 15th. Umino is set to face Ren Narita in his debut G1 Climax match.

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