JPN
The Ito Respect Army (RG), which is currently on a roll, has a powerful new ally. Ito RG, consisting of Maki Ito, Kian Furusawa, and Rian, held an open practice session at a studio in Tokyo on Monday, June 15th. This was their third intensive training session in preparation for their Artist of Stardom Championship match against champions Ami Sorei, Hina, and Lady C at "STARDOM THE CONVERSION 2026" on Saturday, June 20th (at the National Yoyogi Gymnasium No. 2 in Tokyo)
The day after the Korakuen Hall event, Ito called out Furusawa and Rian and immediately said, "We really want to meet 'that person' and unite our hearts. So this time, we have invited a senior idol from the original Ito RG," introducing El Desperado of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, who was invited as a special lecturer
The previous night, Desperado faced Mistico at New Japan Pro-Wrestling's Osaka-jo Hall event. He rushed over from Osaka at Ito's request. Ito explained that he called Desperado "to teach him the mindset of someone who is in the spotlight." His main purpose was for Desperado to act as a choreography instructor. Last July, Ito and Desperado formed a tag team. For their entrance in that match, the two performed choreography set to "Setsunairo," the theme song of the Ito Respect Army. This time, Ito has asked Desperado to directly instruct Furusawa and Rian
The training series with Ito RG began with a lecture, a regular feature of the show. Desperado explained his own interpretation of the essence of Ito's frequently stated phrase, "In pro wrestling, the entrance is 100% of the game."
"It's like saying you can't do anything without the basics. The audience comes to see pro wrestling. There are lots of exciting matches lined up. There are 5 matches a day, or even 10 matches in some tournaments, right? Can you remember all of them? It's impossible. So what kind of actions stick in people's memories? There are surprisingly a lot of amazing moves. But try dancing during your entrance. Everyone will definitely remember that," he emphasized
Ito also agreed, saying, "That's right! With pro wrestling, it's things other than the wrestling itself that stick in your memory!"
Desperado's passionate lecture continued: "If you do things half-heartedly out of embarrassment, it will lead to the worst possible outcome where no one is happy. Practice your techniques and practice for matches on your own. More than that, I think you'll leave a lasting impression on people if you develop your individuality through practice you can do alone. The premise is that the match has to be interesting, so you have to practice both."
As Furusawa and Rian listened intently, their eyes fixed on the spot like cram school students attending winter intensive courses before their actual entrance exams, Desperado encouraged them, saying, "Being in a team that has a 100% attendance rate means that the bar is set very high, as it's taken for granted that pro wrestling is entertaining, so please do your best." The three members of Ito RG's team then applauded with sparkling eyes
The four then began practicing the choreography. Ito said, "He can dance 'Setsunairo' 100%. Today, I'd like you all to learn his part. So please teach it to us," but then a problem arose... It turns out that last July, Desperado had entered the venue with the wrong part memorized
Therefore, he reportedly learned the routine by watching videos in the same waiting room as Andreza the Giant Panda, who was competing in the same tournament, and performed it almost entirely extemporaneously. This time, at Ito's request, he reviewed the routine by watching YouTube videos on the bullet train returning to Tokyo from Osaka
Desperado defended himself by saying, "It was a year ago! Of course I'd forget it!", but Ito lectured him, "You're an idol, aren't you? Is it okay for an idol to say they've easily forgotten the choreography for a song? It's not okay!"
Even Desperado, usually so confident, apologized, saying, "I'm sorry. Is it possible for you to teach me again from the beginning?" Ito, with a look of exasperation, could only hold his head in his hands and say, "What on earth did you come here for...?"
In the end, under Ito's guidance, the choreography training began with the song "Setsunairo" playing. However, since it had been a while since Ito had performed the choreography, there were moments when she made mistakes
Moreover, as the dance continued, Ito's expression gradually became more grim. It seemed he was not satisfied with Rian's movements, and he repeatedly questioned her, "Hey, are you motivated? Are you okay?"
She kept glancing at him, but finally her patience ran out. She suddenly stopped the song. "What's wrong, Rian? I sent you a video, didn't I? Did you watch it? Why haven't you memorized any of the choreography?" she demanded
But Rian retorted, "I did watch it! I watched it properly too, but I can't dance. It was sent to me yesterday, so I can't suddenly start dancing!"
This exchange continued until Rian finally snapped. "I'm going home today," she said, removing her red headband and leaving the rehearsal studio
Ito called out, "Are you running away? It's this weekend!" but Rian ignored him and went to the waiting room. I remember a similar scene from a previous training series, but oh well. The open practice was temporarily suspended, and the assembled reporters looked confused
Desperado tries to calm her down by saying, "You've come all this way to practice, so it's not like you'll be able to do it perfectly right away," but Ito won't back down. "But Desperado even memorized it on the bullet train. No matter how busy he is with work, he never makes excuses. Isn't that just what a professional should do? I invited you here because I see your potential. So I don't want you to be satisfied with the current situation," she insists
Nevertheless, Desperado desperately tried to persuade Ito, saying, "You're going to try for the title now, right? It would be a shame if you fell apart now," and finally Ito relented, saying, "I see. Maybe I went too far."
When Desperado pointed out, "You're not from the Showa era like us," Ito strongly emphasized, "I'm from the Heisei era!"
In the waiting room, Rian was in a completely dejected mood. In stark contrast to earlier, Ito spoke to her gently, saying, "I'm sorry, I said too much. You've only recently joined, so you're not used to this way of doing things yet," and "I have high hopes for Rian's future. That's why I don't want you to be satisfied with the current situation."
Then Rian's expression changed as well. "I also joined Ito RG and wanted to do pro wrestling properly together with everyone. So I want to be able to dance to the entrance music properly," she said positively, and they made up, apologizing to each other
This is a perfect example of how "after the rain, the ground hardens." Ito encouraged them, saying, "It's difficult, but once you get used to it, it's totally fine. Just dance casually and it will look good. It's all about your face, after all. A face that says, 'I can do it.' In dancing, your face is 100% of it." The four then resumed practicing, and they performed the choreography with such remarkable improvement that it was almost unrecognizable
Rian also showed off her rhythmic dance moves. Ito's voice was full of energy as she said, "That's right," "You can do whatever you want here," and "Yes, yes, yes."
After finishing the training session, Ito, with a satisfied expression on her face, declared, "That was great! You've gotten so much better! There's still room for improvement in each of us, but I think you're doing well. Now it's up to you to practice on your own. Let's definitely take the belt on June 20th. Let's show the super-serious Dream Train (Sorei, Hinami, and Lady) that our pro wrestling is the most entertaining!"
We asked Desperado to be our second at the Yoyogi showdown, but he couldn't because he had a New Japan Pro-Wrestling event in Kimitsu that day. Nevertheless, he promised to "send his spirit" to us
The four of them concluded by saying, "We will definitely take the belt on June 20th! Ito Respect Army, forever!"