If you only have a passing familiarity with the name “Kris Wolf,” you probably know her as the weird wolf-themed wrestler based out of Japan. If you have more than a passing familiarity with her, there’s a strong chance that she’s one of your favorite wrestlers. And if you’re not familiar with her at all, well guess what? She’s probably about to become one of your favorite wrestlers.
We got a chance to sit down and talk with Kris last week, when she was in the United States for some big joint shows put on in Southern California by RISE Wrestling, AWS, and Wolf’s home promotion, World Wonder Ring Stardom. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find out firsthand how one goes about becoming a literal wolf.
This is just an excerpt from our half hour-plus interview with Wolf. You can listen to the entire thing on the With Spandex Podcast.
WITH SPANDEX: How do you explain Kris Wolf to people? Because you’re literally a wolf, and you like to eat children —
Kris Wolf: I like to eat everybody.
You’re an equal opportunity devourer.
Exactly.
But how do you explain Kris Wolf, honestly?
Kris is a feeling. It’s a feeling in your heart and in your gut. That was it. There’s nothing else.
I wanted to ask you about how you started your journey as a pro wrestler because you have sort of an unorthodox story, I think. You didn’t really come to it the way a lot of wrestlers come to pro wrestling. Take us through your journey.
Well, I was born of my mother.
Maybe fast forward a little bit.
Well, uh, I guess the general direction of that started when I first came to Japan. Like, I came to Japan to get over a broken relationship. I was gonna get married; didn’t work out. That sucked. I didn’t know what to do, so I went to visit my friend here in Japan, rented a bicycle and a tent, and cycled from Nagata to Hiroshima. Somewhere along there, I pieced myself together. I think it’s over, like, almost 2,000 kilometers, so that’s enough time to figure shit out. And I had that feeling of, like, “You know what? Doesn’t matter. I can do anything. I’m okay by myself.” And just keep going.
So I was like, “Well, f*ck being a photographer in America, I’m gonna stay in Japan.” And the easiest way to stay in Japan is to become an English teacher. So I did that. I taught English, this is the scary part, I taught English to elementary school kids and junior high school kids.
I thought you were gonna say the easiest way to stay in Japan is to become a wrestler.
That is the farthest from the truth. But I [taught] for about a year and a half, and decided, “Meh, not for me. I have all this energy still and I don’t feel like I’m being fulfilled. I don’t know what it is, but I’m missing something.” So I quit my job in Saga, Japan, which is like, in the middle of nowhere, down south. And I again cycled from Saga to Tokyo. That time, it took about 14 days. Traveling only by night, because during the day was far too hot in the summer. Anyways, fast-forwarding again. Too slow, Kris, too slow.
So what did you learn on those long bike rides?
I mean, again, it just reinforced that as long as you keep moving, you can get through anything. ‘Cause when you … between Saga and Tokyo, there’s like, so many f*cking mountains, and I was going on a fixed gear bike … Yeah, my legs were pumped. Which is probably why they’re massive now.
But it just further enforced in my mind that no matter how hard it gets, as long as you keep moving, you make distance from that spot that you started from. And I had taken a friend, who had no experience long-distance cycling, along with me. And she made it, you know. She was actually on my other bike. I don’t know why I was collecting bikes, but I was like, “Ha, this one’s nice. I can afford it now.” Whatever.
But I made it to Tokyo, and you know what, in order to stay in Tokyo, I got a job teaching English because it’s an expensive city. I did that for about six months, yeah, almost six months. And I decided again, “You know what? If I’m gonna do anything, I’m gonna really completely quit teaching English.” And I just did. I moved into a share house, living off of my savings. I found a YouTube job for teaching English. So if you see me on an English learning channel, that’s the other thing I did. I think that one got up to 40,000 subscribers.
Our bossman did not know how to monetize that shit, so we had to shut down. I mean, how do you … I don’t know, startups in Japan are kinda hard. Anyways, landing at the same time that I started doing this YouTube stuff, I found wrestling. Funnily enough, on YouTube.
It’s a good place for it.
Yeah. Oh man, YouTube has a pretty big thing in my life, doesn’t it? So my friend mentioned becoming a pro wrestler and I was like, “What? What is that? Let me just investigate this.” I looked up “Joshi puroresu” on YouTube and up came some Stardom videos. One of the first videos I saw was Yoshiko versus Natsuki Taiyo and then after that Kairi Hojo versus Act Yasukawa. And, you know, just all of these people. And I couldn’t help but think, “God, how are they still alive? This is a job? Can I … What?”
So I did further investigation, found the main website, which is all in Japanese. Sent a terribly translated by Google message to the administrator, and it was just like, “How do I become a pro wrestler? My name’s Kris. Thanks.” And they’re like, “Well, first please come to a show and meet with the promoter, and you can learn more there.”
Went to a show, saw it live, was on the edge of my seat the entire time, like, “Please don’t die.” And it was even more decided in my mind that, “God, I wanna do this.” So, when he asked me, “Are you sure you wanna go through with this?” And I was like, “Yes.” “Well, you can start training with us and if or when we think you’re ready, you can take a test. And if you pass that test, then you become a pro wrestler.” And I’m like, “Sweet, let’s do it.” And that began my journey with that.
For six months or so, I was straining with Stardom with Fuka [Kakimoto], who trains all of the green girls. And yeah, six months in, they offered me the test. I said yes. Three days before my test, I got hit by a car door on my way to work.
Oh no.
I know. I know.
Like, somebody opened a car door on you while you were on your bike?
Yeah. The taxi. Didn’t pull over to the side and was just like … I never get mad, but I remembered that day, I was screaming, “I HAVE A TEST.” And he was just like, “I don’t understand English. I’m so sorry.” And I’m trying to calm down, because I know it’s not helping me, but I have to go to the hospital. And like, my face is swollen for a bit, but no major scars.
I had also, actually, gotten hit by a car door at the same place in my face when I was living in San Francisco, so I was just like, “Well.”
So what about your personality just as a human being made your friends be like, “Hey, you should be a pro wrestler?”
I don’t know. I didn’t think about that. ‘Cause I was telling them that I wanted something that was stimulating. Something physically stimulating, too, because I felt so bored just teaching. And a lot of them said to be a personal trainer, or to be a stuntman. And then someone was like, “Yeah, what about pro wrestling?” I think maybe … I don’t know. Maybe it’s ’cause I make a lot of faces and I like to make big noises, so.
How familiar were you with pro wrestling at that point?
Not so much. Like, I kinda had a taste of it with Hulk Hogan and Rick Flair from when I was a little kid. And then quickly shooed away from the TV ’cause I wasn’t really allowed to watch TV. It was a very controlled environment for me. So, all I knew is there was a man in a dress, and I thought that was neat.
So what sent you to Japan? I know you had a bad relationship and you sort of went, but did you have a sort of basic interest in Japan growing up?
In Japan? I did. I liked watching anime. I like watching Japanese movies, and a couple of series. But I never really thought about coming to Japan. It just was always that far-away place where weird shit happened. The only thing that you’re really exposed to online at the time when I was in high school was like, the “Yatta” video with those naked guys and the leaves on their groins and it’s like … You just think everyone’s a cosplayer in Japan, but you land here and no one’s doing that shit and you’re like, “Where are the 40-year-old men in schoolgirl costumes? I don’t understand?”
This is like an actual functioning country with human beings in it.
Yeah. Oh my goodness, it’s so normal. I mean, it’s also pretty weird, but it’s, you know. It’s a mix of both.
I want you to, if you can, if you don’t mind pulling the curtain back. I wanna know how you went from training and being a green girl to becoming a wolf. Like, what was the process? Did you come up with the whole concept? What was that development like?
Well, I think … not I think. How it was is … my test was approaching, that’s what it was. My test was approaching, and what that consists of is however long they decide to test your endurance to bumps and techniques and stuff. Pushups, situps, that’s all in the endurance stuff. And then chain wrestling and then sparring. And then you have to give a speech about why you wanna be a pro wrestler. So I did all of that stuff.
Towards the end where I was sparring with Mayu [Iwatani], I had pinned her. And I let out this … I was on top of her and her legs were up, and I was letting out this celebratory howl for some reason. Like, it literally just came … I was like, “Awooooooo.” And everyone is just staring at me like, “What. Why?” And you know, then I gave my little speech in my shitty Japanese on why I wanna be a pro wrestler. Like, “I wanna be stronger.” Something. And they passed me.
And [Stardom owner] Rossy [Ogawa] was like, “So what’s your wrestling name?” And I’m just like, “Kris Wolf.” It’s the first thing that comes to my head. Rossy was like, “Okay. I get it. The Black Wolf, sure. Whatever.” Yeah, I don’t know where it came from.
So you’ve been living as a wolf for several years now. What was it like to turn on GLOW, turn on a Netflix show and see someone living as a wolf as a pro wrestler?
I loved it. I loved that character so much. I love that wolf. I can relate to some things, I think. I have a really acute sense of smell, which is my downfall sometimes because some humans are really stinky. But I like her portrayal. No, but human scents are great.
So you’ve done a ton of stuff at Stardom. I wanted to ask you about … you know, Io Shirai for a while, it seemed that she might not be staying with Stardom. Now she’s back. Kairi [Hojo] went away. Was there some fear at Stardom when it seemed like, “Oh no, our best and biggest people might be leaving?”
I mean, yeah there was concern for sure, but Rossy’s been doing this for 20-something years. That dude is cool as f*ck. I think he definitely felt tension, but he was just already thinking about how to keep going. Where do you go from here, what stories to pull? And, you know, he does it. So respect to the old man in the house.
Were you like, “Give me the ball?”
“Give it to me.” No, I don’t know. I don’t even know what my place is there or anywhere, really, so.
What’s your general reaction from fans in the U.S. now?
Titillated.
You seem like you’re a big deal now.
That’s exciting. My friend said that some of her friends knew about me, and I thought that was really neat … I mean, like, I get people who enjoy my character and stuff, but I don’t really get the same kind of support [as a lot of big independent wrestlers]. I do have some Japanese fans and stuff. They get excited when I’m in the show. You know, they howl and things, and they shout my name. But as far as the real support, it’s a small community in Japan and then my foreign audience is the one that really, you know, cheers me on and supports me. Sends me boxes to smash. Asks if I’m okay, take care of my head and all that.
How do you take care of your head, as a pro wrestler?
Not very well. I tried. I try, but …
What’s your advice for someone who’s dealt with that kind of stuff? I know you mentioned taking a trip to a foreign land and biking around in the middle of the night and really taking huge steps to take care of yourself. So what do you do, just in general? I mean, I know you get hit in the head for a living, kinda, but how do you keep your brain okay doing that?
It took a while to learn this, but I try not to drink so much? And I mean, I do, but not right after matches, maybe just one drink. But I also try to sleep more. And by more, it’s at least five to six hours instead of four to five hours. I go to little bathhouses, and I try to get massages as often as I can. And I’m trying to do yoga, because I’m stiff as f*ck.
You’ve been established in Japan. Now you’re doing more and more shows over here in the United States. Was there ever any discussion about you being part of the Mae Young classic? Because I know a lot of your contemporaries were in it.
Well, so, I had some friends that suggested that I put in an application beforehand or contact someone and … I’m really bad at organizing my life, and contacting people in general. Basically, I took some steps to apply, and then didn’t really completely follow through. So I mean, I don’t know if I even had a chance, to be honest. But if there is another tournament, I will try harder.
I just so badly need to see you wrestle Nikki Cross.
Oh my God, yes.
Tell us about Kairi Hojo. Or Kairi Sane, whichever one you wanna tell us about.
I love Kairi. She was one of my favorite people. I love f*cking with her, too. I would steal her phone regularly and take selfies of my face. Like, 20 to 30 pictures. So even as she’s deleting them, she would have to see it.
What’s it like to wrestle her?
It’s fun. It’s a lot of fun, actually. She’s really open to trying different things and she wants to lift you up as she wants to lift herself and she wants to have a good story and a good performance, you know. And I think that’s why everyone can enjoy working with her ’cause it’s not just about one person, it’s about the entire experience. And I love that. I love being part of that. So I think when we did have chances to work with each other, which were pretty rare, it was fun, ’cause we played on both of our characters.
Did you ever have a chance to go sailing with her?
No, but every time I was on a boat and she wasn’t, I’d take a picture of myself and send it to her. Be like, “Hey. Miss you.”
So how do you prep promos for Japanese audiences? Because I know generally, English speaking wrestlers in Japan will keep it very simple, very straightforward, but yours being so unique, how do you communicate that?
I don’t prep because all of my promos are for myself and no audience whatsoever. Because the Japanese audience isn’t gonna understand what I’m saying. None of the innuendos are gonna come across and …
That’s why you use the middle finger so much.
Aw, man, I love getting away with it. I mean, sometimes I get told not to use it, so I stop for a while.
And a lot of crotch chopping as well. Like, crotch chopping into the middle finger.
I feel like I am just showing the most beautiful thing in the world and letting light shine from it. My crotch.
Since you came to wrestling late, who’s your favorite when you started ,and who’s your favorite now?
My favorite when I started is Natsuki Taiyo. She’s still brilliant and I love the way she moves. I mean, I still can’t fathom how she does half the things she does and I’m trying to reach that point, but I don’t know how long she’s been wrestling. Like, 12 years? That’s gonna take a while. I don’t know if I’m gonna live that long. Already an old woman. [My favorite wrestler] now … it’s hard because I’ve been watching a lot of old British wrestling.
I just … I’m trying to watch as much as I can because there’s so many different worlds. I’ve been watching more world of sport, some more lucha. I really like Clive Myers. He’s just cool …
That’s a really hip answer.
Hip? That’s me. I’m so hip. Yeah, sorry. I guess I don’t have a favorite yet. I’m still learning a lot, always.
We talked about Nikki Cross. Is there anyone else that you’re just dying to wrestle or would love to wrestle someday that you haven’t?
Heidi Lovelace? Ruby Riott.
Have you wrestled Asuka? Kana?
No, I haven’t.
Do you think you’re ready for her?
I mean, if I wear a helmet, yes.
Since you’ve been in a Joshi ring for a while, and Joshi is known for being very high impact, hard hitting. What’s the most painful thing you’ve ever experienced in the ring?
I don’t know. I don’t remember. I just have flashes in my head of, “Oh, that hurt.” [inaudible 00:30:45] dropkicks when I’m at the rope, that’s probably one of the first times that I felt, like, there’s such pain in my chest and in my gut that I thought, “This is it. This is where my career ends, isn’t it?” Yeah. And I felt it for days afterwards. There was that. Maybe those dropkicks to the head or … what else? So many things. I feel like anything from Nanae [Takahashi] was definitely memorable and painful. Maybe not so much memorable ’cause I can’t have something specific …
I think you’re the first person I’ve ever talked to who knows what the Kairi Hojo elbow looks like from underneath. Is it terrifying?
It’s beautiful. You know, have you ever seen her earlier matches? It’s still beautiful, but it’s unrefined. And then now, it’s just perfect.
You can keep in touch with Kris Wolf on Twitter and on YouTube. You can listen to our full interview with Kris Wolf on McMahonsplaining episode 16 below.
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