|
by Masami Kisaragi, November 18th, 1998 
[I didn't know what to expect when I met April Shimoda for an interview in
a little hotel restaurant deep within the bustling Tokyo metropolis.
She has somewhat of a cult following here, this young woman called
"Coldfire": a Hawaiian -born import who in three years has become
the hottest underground star in puroresu, holding the Angel Pro Women's
Championship for over a year. Along with impressive victories, she's
managed to rack up some rather sundry urban legends - namely, that she has an
outrageously inflated ego and a genuine propensity for vicious
behavior.][Well, I soon discovered just how much truth there is in gossip; upon meeting and chatting with her for several minutes, I found April Shimoda to be a very down-to-Earth, honest-to-goodness nice person: straightforward, sincere, and (by her own admission) "excessively Japanese" - though she betrays her origin every now and again. And although we were *supposed* to talk about her skyrocketing puroresu career, at times she seemed more concerned with her brother's upcoming wedding and which scholarships to apply for. All in all, just your average warm-blooded American girl, who adores action movies, Japanese culture, and collecting CD's:] ["Dream Theater has got to be the best band in the world," she gushes. "I'm officially operating on twenty-seven hour days - three more hours of listening to the new double live album!"] [Having just entered Japan's thriving RINGST*RS promotion and signing a *huge* contract with the IEWA, "Coldfire Fever" certainly seems to be catching. Ms. Shimoda had a lot on her mind when I spoke with her; in fact, with all the answers asked and answered on that day, I could probably write a second article!] Masami Kisaragi: Rumor has it you entered puroresu because of a discipline problem. Is that true? April Shimoda: Yes. I was born in Hawaii, and at the age of about eleven my parents sent me to live with an aunt in Sapporo. They figured it would "straighten me out." (laughs) Little did they know, my aunt ran a puroresu school; the rest of the story you can pretty much guess. Masami: Were you always interested in puroresu, or were you forced into it? April: Nothing short of divine intervention could have forced me into it; that's how strong-willed I was. I made the decision to enter on my own. I certainly knew it was out there, having two older brothers who watched it on TV all the time. There wasn't really a great appeal, until my aunt started taking me to matches. Before I knew it, I was hooked. Masami: Do your parents know of your profession? April: Oh yeah, they think it's great. I purchased the Angel Pro belt and gave it to them as an anniversary present; my mother shows it to everyone who visits. Masami: What made you decide to leave Angel Pro for the "big leagues?" April: Basically, I felt I had outlasted my usefulness. After losing the title, I had no desire to win it back, which I took to be a sign of waning interest. To use an old saying, I wanted to move on to greener pastures, and figured I had a shot of becoming successful in some of the larger promotions. Masami: Are you afraid of getting lost in the shuffle, especially in a fed like the IEWA which has a huge women's division? April: Not really. I'm confident enough about my own skills that I believe can get over without too much of a problem. Masami: Which do you prefer to be, a face or a heel? And is that a reflection of your own personality? April: That's a good question. I don't consider myself a bad person, but my problems with the establishment are well-documented; in my own opinion, it's not a very good way to measure who I am. To answer your question, I think it depends on the promotion and the current situation within that promotion: for instance, in RINGST*RS and Japan in general I'm a little more cocky and heelish; whereas I'm a near-perfect face in the IEWA. Personality-wise, that's probably closest to the real me. It's fun to play the heel from time to time: it's interesting to observe the crowd's reaction to what you say and do. Masami: How is your relationship with the establishment now? April: (chuckles) Better. Actually, very good: the IEWA executives are among some of the nicest, most sincere people in this sport; and anyone in RINGST*RS will tell you, it's just like a family. Everyone has been great to work with, and I feel really good with the way things are. Masami: With puroresu becoming fashionable in America, it must be a good time to be a Japanese wrestler. April: It definitely is. For a while, it was almost impossible to find work outside of Japan if you were Japanese; the Americans liked sending their wrestlers here, but they didn't particularly care to take any in exchange. Fortunately it's different now, and I'm grateful for it. The career opportunities are virtually limitless. Masami: Who are some of the women you idolize? April: Hmmm, hard to say - there's so many. Diamond Kenyuki is such an influential force in the world of women's wrestling, and her presence is incredible. Misae Suzuki is hands down the best face around, and a true champion; she's probably the single best wrestler of our generation. And Hitomi Yasuda is just as important when it comes to bridging the gap between puroresu and mainstream fighting. I have tremendous respect for all three of them. I'm also a big fan of the Victory sisters, and I *adore* the Wild Knights. (laughs) People think it's weird, but they're a lot like me, believe it or not. Masami: You must get asked this question a lot. Who would you like to meet in the ring? April: I'd be lying if I said the temptation to fight Diamond Kenyuki or Misae Suzuki didn't exist, because it definitely does; and to a lesser degree, everyone in RINGST*RS - Erin Solie, Holly Volley, Keiko Sakura - is so solid and talented it'd be an honor just to wrestle any of them! Sorry, that probably didn't answer anything. (laughs) The IEWA has a tremendous roster, and it's even harder to pick out prospective opponents there; but if I must, I'd say Amy Devlin or Rae Storm. As for a dream match, I'd love to be able to face the world champion, Jessica Starbird, even without the gold on the line. I think that has the potential to be a great, great match. Currently, though, I'm working with Keiko Sakura in RINGST*RS; we're confident some good stuff will come out of it. Keiko's a fantastic talent. Masami: What are your immediate goals in puroresu? April: Right now, to establish myself. The ultimate prize, of course, is the world title, and the ST*R Crown would be a fulfillment of everything I've worked for in puroresu. Realistically, though, I'm not prepared for it right now, so I'll bide my time till the day when I feel I've finally earned a chance to face that challenge. It's an attainable goal - I don't think it's presumptuous of me to say that. However, I will soon be making a title run for the IEWA Skyweight Championship. That's probably my most immediate goal. Masami: You certainly have the ability to pull it off. April: (smiles) I hope so. Masami: Doumo arigato, April-san. Good luck with your career. April: Dou itajimashite. Shinji na sai. [If you'd like more information about April, visit her new website at by clicking here] 
 |