El Phantasmo and Hikuleo talk to Fightful (Patreon)

Wrestle Kingdom 18 is almost upon us. Fightful Select caught up with New Japan Strong’s Openweight Tag Team Champions, The Guerillas of Destiny’s Hikuleo and El Phantasmo (ELP) for an exclusive interview.

Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp spoke with Hikuleo and ELP before their upcoming Tag Team Championship match against Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI.

Sean mentioned they recently faced Goto and YOSHI-HASHI at NJPW’s World Tag League 2023 - Tag 16. When asked how they were feeling physically, ELP says he’s in more pain than he was after both the Super Juniors and the G1. Hikuelo said he was feeling f---ed up.

ELP told us that he nor Hikuelo ever expected to be paired up together. ELP mentioned he was under the assumption he would be teaming with Gueillas of Destiny (G.O.D.). ELP ssid  how  looked at Hikuelo when he realized they were officially added to the G.O.D. stable at the G1 Climax 33. ELP also mentioned that nobody told them they would be added to G.O.D.; that was how they found out.

Sean spoke about the Bullet Club and mentioned how the stable has changed over the years. ELP says he loves it and mentions the different subgroups and said he likes the different iterations of Bullet Club.

ELP told us they could’ve done something cool with himself, Kenta, and Ishimori as a baby face group. He told Fightful it was close to happening but believes plans changed at the last minute.

Sean mentioned to ELP that when he spoke to Hikuleo in a previous interview, he brought up former members of Bullet Club. Sean asked if ELP considered Scott D’Amore part of Bullet Club. ELP said, “Just as much as Jeff Jarrett was and Frankie Kazarian.”

Sean asked about NJPW working with various promotions. ELP said it’s all because of “The Goat” Rocky Romero. ELP added that Romero should be a full-time employee for the entire wrestling business and work for every company.

ELP told us he is excited about their upcoming match at the Tokyo Dome. He mentioned the restrictions and restraints because of some of the pressure backstage. ELP told Fightful they won’t want to go too long because they want to respect the main event. ELP said, “Sanada and Naito are selling tickets, not us.”

Sean asked Hikuleo who had hit him the hardest in his career. Hikuelo named Gabriel Kidd and Bad Luck Fale. Hikuelo said, “Every time I face Gabe, I’m like shit, here come those stupid-ass forearms.” ELP would share a story about Gabriel Kidd legitimately choking him out when they faced War Dogs at NJPW’s Destruction In Ryogoku this past October.

ELP said Gabriel “was on the turnbuckle and leaned back. I don't remember anything before that. I remember someone grabbing my balls, and I was like, what the f--- is going on? Someone's grabbing my balls, and I'm looking around, and it's silent. I'm just looking around this building. I just felt like thousands of people were staring at me, and I'm like, what the f--- is going on?”

The former RevPro Undisputed British Cruiserweight Champion said Gabe picked him for the Doomsday Device. He remembered looking down and seeing Gabe and said he had no idea if he was dreaming or was in a match. ELP noted, “It was the most surreal feeling I've ever had in my life.”

Hikuleo added that if you watch the match when ELP is on top of Coughlin’s shoulders, you can see ELP snap out of it.

ELP said one of his career highlights was hitting Christopher Daniels with the BME (Best Moonsault Ever).

When discussing this month’s NJPW World Tag League matches, Hikuelo said he was surprised by how fast the team of Monstersauce (Lance Archer and Alex Zayne) clicked. Hikuelo added that they were a team put together on such short notice. Hikuelo noted that he would like to face them again. He also said that he is still learning and enjoys talking with Archer. ELP would also tell Fightful that he loves wrestling Archer.

Hikuelo said the Pro Wrestling landscape is the most fun that it’s been since he started in 2005. He also added that he would like to see Mustafa Ali in New Japan.

Wrestle Kingdom will be on January 4th and can be watched on the NJPW World app.