By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
Insight With Chris Van Vliet with guest Iyo Sky
Host: Chris Van Vliet
Podcast available via Podcasts.Apple.com
On winning at WrestleMania 41: “It meant so much to me, of course, also so much to Japanese people as well. Because for a long time Japanese wrestlers didn’t win at WrestleMania, even for women’s wrestling, Japanese wrestler, first time ever in WWE to win at WrestleMania. So I’m so honored, and even kind of unexpected. I walk in as a champion, walk out as a champion.”
On having a bad first match: “My debut match was awful, everything was so bad. I didn’t know anything about wrestling. I was 16 years old, high school student. At that time, I feel like I was just so embarrassed because my debut match was so bad, and maybe the audience was only 30 people, but I felt so embarrassed. So I thought I want to quit, but actually I was so frustrated as well. So maybe I have to become stronger. I have to get better to change their mind, because 30 people think Io Shirai is a bad wrestler. I want to change something like that, to become Io Shirai is not a bad wrestler. So that’s why I want to quit, but I should keep [going] until they are thinking, Io Shirai is not bad wrestler, and they just keep going, keep going, keep going. Then three years later, I become full enough to wrestle.”
On the moonsault trash can spot in WarGames: “Yes, totally [I practiced it]. Because in my head, I think of course I can do that. Yeah, put on the trash can and do the back flip. Feels easy, but actually it is such a dangerous move. I went to the WWE Performance Center, and they have a normal trash can. I took off the plastic bag and clean up myself, and make it a little bit cleaner, and I hope nobody was watching what I’m doing. I put on my head, and I did my own practice thing, and it worked. That was only from the top rope, but I made it, so that’s why I thought it should be fine from the cage. Make it double high.”
On the trash can dive: “I know I am crazy, that’s why I thought at that time, I won’t practice it. So I just think in my head, oh, maybe I can do that, because cross-body is my familiar move. Even putting on the trash can doesn’t make me nervous, or make me scared, or something like that. But actually, I was standing on the edge and tried to put my head in the trash can, and I realized at that time, oh my gosh, I can’t see anything. So I didn’t think about I would be blind. I just think about putting it on my head and jumping off. I didn’t think about my vision. And, of course, in the trash can it was so dark and I couldn’t see anything, and oh my gosh, I started to get scared. Wow, I might have to jump off from here. Oh my gosh. I can’t do that. Maybe I will get injured. One second, two seconds, you know, oh my gosh, I can’t. No, I have to just jump. So first time, I was so scared. But no, because camera is here, so show must go on. I have to jump off. I did it, and second time I was relaxed. I could do it because, yeah, I knew it.”
On having great chemistry with Rhea Ripley: “We are totally different people. She’s tall, she’s muscle, she’s so cool. I’m not as cool as Rhea Ripley, she’s super cool. I think [the great chemistry is because we are opposites], because she has muscle. I’m running fast. I’m so small, but I can flip, and she’s not much of a flipping wrestler, like so much the opposite. So that’s why I think we have great chemistry.”
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