Kana officially signed her WWE contract on Monday and WWE released a press release on the signing late last night, which has already been posted on the site. Kana spoke with Brian Fritz of SportingNews.com about the signing. Here are the highlights.
First of all, congratulations on your signing with WWE. Why is now the right time for you in your career to make this decision?
I have been in this business for 10 years and have accomplished almost everything there is to accomplish. I was looking for a new challenge and when the opportunity came up with WWE, the timing just felt right.
Have you always thought about coming to the WWE, or is this something you entertained more recently before it came together?
Even though I was in Japan the majority of my career, I was always captivated by the allure of WWE and their worldwide appeal. There is no bigger stage in sports entertainment, so it has always been in the back of my mind.
We’ve seen the women in NXT become a focal point of the group with Charlotte, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and now champion Bayley. What are your thoughts about those women and female wrestling in NXT?
It has been very inspirational watching the Divas Revolution unfold over the past year or so. They are great competitors, and I am looking forward to getting in the ring with all of them eventually.
You were ringside last month at the NXT: TakeOver show in Brooklyn. What are your impressions of being their live and of NXT as a whole?
The energy in the building was absolutely amazing and like nothing I have ever experienced before. I felt like I was at a live concert. Experiencing that only reassured me that I made the right decision and I can’t want to get in the ring and compete.
What is your relationship with Triple H (Paul Levesque) and what did he say to you about joining the company and how he envisions you fitting in?
He has been my favorite WWE Superstar of all time, so it has been amazing to interact with him and get his feedback. He told me he was expecting a lot from me, and I want to make him proud.
I mentioned some of the talented women in the company. Is there any one or two in particular you look forward to getting in the ring with and why?
After witnessing Bayley win the NXT Divas Championship at NXT: TakeOver in Brooklyn, I knew she was somebody I would want to compete with. I want to be Divas Champion, so she is an obvious answer. I also have a tremendous amount of respect for Charlotte, and would love to get in the ring with her eventually also.
You obviously have a lot of experience wrestling in Japan, but also wrestling for some independent groups in the United States. How much do you think that will help in your transition in coming to the U.S.?
Having already experienced American crowds I think will definitely help me with the transition. No matter where the crowd is, it is always about getting some sort of reaction, and I don’t think I will have any problem with that.
You can read the entire interview here.
