Nohoho posted this in the Atlantic North section
http://www.famitsu.com/game/news/1226685_1124.html
an interview prior to SBO about Justin Wong
it would be lovely if someone can translate and ill edit this post with the translation
EDIT: Thanks to Justmashu for translating most of the interview
I’m surprised that he wore that shirt.
^ Clearly he’s not taking the loss too hard. 
I can dig it.
Maybe they made him wear it.
OP said this was prior to SBO.
he’s probably talkin about the Evo2k4 loss
The “loss” I’m referring to is on his shirt.
That’s awesome, my buddy designed that shirt! Let’s go Justin!!!
Hehe, let’s see…some of the interesting things he says…
I’m not gonna translate everything, and I can’t guarantee it’s 100% accurate(it’s not)
but this is what I made out of it.
(I love the shirt he’s wearing, btw.)
Self Introduction:
Justin Wong, from New York, a member of Empire Arcadia
…
He says he isn’t too concerned about losing, mentioning losing to Yuuro(?) and Daigo.
They ask about Sagat’s counter ultra causing him to lose.
He answers that the HDTV they used had lag and his intended Dash Straight into Super didn’t work like he planned.
Guy: At EVO 09, you used Abel at first. Why? Didn’t you use Rufus in April?
Wong: In April, they only allowed us to use one character, so I chose Rufus. I really didn’t want to fight against Daigo’s Ryu with him. EVO allowed me to use more characters so I used Abel.
Guy: In Japan, they say Daigo is weak against Abel. Is that why you picked him?
Wong: No, I didn’t know that. I won 5-1 against China champion Poongko’s Ryu. That’s why.
…
He mentions that Boxer is very popular in America, and assumes it’s because he is a boxer. He says that Ryu is thought of as the most powerful.
Guy: I use Boxer as well. Can I have some advice?
Wong: Go crazy with low jabs. It’s good defensively as well as offensively, so it’s really useful.
Guy: Who is your favorite character?
Wong: Rufus. Because he’s like the stereotypical American fat guy! (laughs)
Guy: How do you spend your private life?
Wong: I go to school, and spend time with my girlfriend.
Guy: School!? How old are you?
Wong: 24 in November.
Guy: Wow! You’re young! Even though it feels like you’ve been around forever!
Wong: My first championship was at the age of 15 and I’ve been using the money from winning tournaments to help pay for school and living.
Guy: So you’re a pro gamer! What does your girlfriend think about your gaming?
Wong: Haha, she doesn’t like it that much. I tried to give her a Nintendo DS but that didn’t work out so good.
Guy: Hahaha! A hardcore gamer never changes! How many tournaments do you attend in a year?
Wong: About 50 in America, Europe, Australia…
Guy: So Umehara Daigo loves ramen. What does Justin Wong like?
Wong: Sushi, but I can’t eat fish I haven’t seen before. I like American sushi, like California Rolls.
Guy: How do you train? Us Japanese go to game centers and such…
Wong: I received a Street Fighter 4 arcade when I became the American champion, but I was happy with the Xbox 360 so I sold it. I just practice in training mode with many different characters. I’ve been practicing especially with Rufus since July. I usualy spend one or two hours a day practicing after my girlfriend goes to bed. I do go to arcades occasionally but there aren’t many skilled players there so it’s a little boring.
Guy: Do you not play online?
Wong: There is always lag online. I do occasionally have many friends come over to play at the house. When I’m staying in Japan, I spend all day in a gamecenter playing.
Guy: What other games do you play besides fighting games?
Wong: I always take a Nintendo DS with me outside, and I have tons of games at home to play casually. I love Guitar Hero, and even my girlfriend shows some interest with it.
Guy: What is the first game you played?
Wong: At the age of 5, I played Super Mario Brothers on the NES.
Guy: When did you become serious about fighting games?
Wong: When I was 12, I played Marvel vs. Capcom as my first fighting game, and when ‘2’ came out, my friends suggested I go to a tournament, so I did and won.
Guy: What are your top 3 games?
Wong: 1. Street Fighter IV, 2. Elite Beat Agents on the DS, and 3 is…the MMORPG called World of Warcraft. During the offseason, that’s all I play.
Guy: What are your top 3 fighting games?
Wong: SF4, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and Tekken 6. I became a Tekken 5 champion, but since Tekken 6 and SF4 came out at the same time, I had to pick a main game, and I picked SF4.
Guy: So you even play 3D fighting games!
Wong: I like 2D and 3D fighting games, but I hate fighting games that have a block button. (laughs)
Guy: So ‘Tatsunoko vs. Capcom’ is coming out soon in America. Are you going to play it when it does?
Wong: I’m planning on playing it with a partner, but probably not much. I don’t really know any Tatsunoko characters…
Guy: Haha, apparently a lot of Otakus in Japan are looking forward to it but its not uncommon for even Anime otakus to not know Tatsunoko characters.
Wong: And I don’t think the game is that bad, but I’m not fond of the engine.
Guy: Well, here’s a hard to ask question, but, how do you feel about the saying, “Let’s go Justin!!”? You’re even wearing the T-shirt today…
Wong: It’s just a game, so I don’t worry too much about it. I’m just amused at how big my own name has become.
(Could use some extra help translating that…lol)
Guy: Have you ever played to the audience?
Wong: At that time, I wasn’t aware of the audience, I just wondered what would happen if I launched a Super there. I didn’t expect every single attack to be parried, but that’s what hapened.
Guy: You play against Umehara Daigo quite often in world tournaments. What do you think of him?
Wong: I think he’s a great person but… I also think he’s like a robot. (laughs)
…(skipping stuff)
Guy: How long do you expect to keep competing?
Wong: I’d like to compete as long as the Street Fighter series continues.
Guy: Lastly, I noticed a lot of UFO Catcher(Claw vending machine) dolls yesterday. What is that?
Wong: When I came in July, I got addicted to one and spent like, 8,000 dollars on it.
Guy: …8,000 dollars? Not 8,000 yen?
Wong: 8,000 dollars. This time I’ve researched it and have only spent 30,000 yen! I also buy figures in Japan and decorate my home with them.
Guy: 30,000 yen is still pretty amazing. Thanks for your time today!
I’m surprised to hear he plays WoW
And him saying Daigo is a robot is
Lol, that interview makes hims seem like the complete polar opposite of Gootecks.
Wonder how much he sold the SF4 cab for? Also damn thats alot of money on those UFOCatcher Plushes. I thought me blowing 20 bucks on a crane game was bad lol.
-DJ-
That’s some hardcore catching.
Pun intended.
I wonder what kind of figs he owns.
Lol, I envy Justin in a way. The guy seems entirely innocent in his interviews, almost kid like, but he’s really sensible and smart at the same time. I’m not a big fan of his, but he has one of the more interesting personalities of most top players. In either case, it would be nice to be able to travel the world and make a living playing video games. I’ve been a corporate 9 to 5er for years, so it’s nice to see someone who can make a living based on his hobby and passion.
I’m surprised that shirt is becoming world-renowned… one of our local guys in Vancouver designed it before he went to Evo LOL.
Thanks for the read, guys. 
I believe it’s at the Game Galaxy Arcade in Nashville, TN. Dunno how much he sold it for.
Homina homina homina
This is a good side of Justin, he should be more public with it.
I hope he does better next time at SBO.
Thanks for the translation, justmashu.