"The only thing I'm thinking about right now is 'killing'."

When the fights over, I want everyone to know what real pro-wrestling is." Pride Fighting Championships interviews Ikuhisa Minowa in advance of his fight against Stefan Leko at the PRIDE 2004 SHOCKWAVE, on New Year's Eve.

Pride Fighting Championships: This will be your 2nd consecutive appearance in the New Year's Eve show. What does it mean to you to fight on New Year's Eve? Ikuhisa Minowa: I want to fight. Looking back on this year, I have always wanted to fight. I haven't produced good results this year and the contents (of my fights), in my opinion, haven't been what they should be so, I don't want the year to end like that. New Year's Eve will be my last chance for this year. I want to fight, no matter what. I want to bring in the New Year with good results, good content and a fight as I imagine a fight should be. Pride: What do you think about Stefan Leko as your opponent? Minowa: I would have been happy with anyone. I just wanted to fight. Pride: What do you think about Stefan Leko as your opponent? Minowa: I would have been happy with anyone. I just wanted to fight. Pride: There's a history of pro-wrestlers being beaten by K-1 fighters. Does that bother you? Minowa: I've thought about that. Real pro-wrestlers don't lose. Pride: Leko fought Naoya Ogawa. Do you compare yourself to Ogawa, as a pro-wrestler? Minowa: That was 6 months ago so I'm sure that Leko has really improved since then... but, the only thing I'm thinking about right now is 'killing'. I'm not thinking of who my opponent is, just killing. Pride: Why are you thinking about killing? Minowa: Because it's kill or be killed. Pride: Did you always feel this way? Minowa: Yes, but I think I'm at a critical point now. I've won and I have victories in the record book but what you say and what you do is not the same thing. My dream is to show what real pro-wrestling and real pro-wrestlers are, although there's a difference between saying I'm a real pro-wrestler and what I've actually done in my fights. I think that to reach that dream, I've got to keep killing the opponents put out in front of me. Pride: This will be a match-up of different styles. Minowa: I think that's really great. In that sense, he's a good opponent. Pride: What kind of fight do you want to have? Minowa: Real pro-wrestling. When the fights over, I want everyone to know what real pro-wrestling is. I guess you could say that I want the pro-wrestling that I imagine, and the pro-wrestling that the fans imagine, to come together. Pride: You asked (DSE President) Sakakibara at the press conference to put you in the first match, didn't you? Minowa: The first match is the best. I was in the first match last year and since the results weren't good, I'd like to have another chance. Also, I want to set the audience on fire from the beginning and when the event's over, I want everyone to say that my fight was the greatest, most exciting of them all.