KUSHIDA returns to NJPW at New Japan Road
Two months after departing WWE, KUSHIDA has returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling.
KUSHIDA made his return to NJPW by confronting IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori at Tuesday’s New Japan Road event in Tokyo. Ishimori had defeated Hiromu Takahashi in the main event of the show before being confronted by KUSHIDA.
KUSHIDA announced that he’s signed an NJPW contract and promised to spend the rest of his pro wrestling life in an NJPW ring.
KUSHIDA said that Ishimori may think he has no challengers left, but he’s wrong because KUSHIDA is back. Ishimori told KUSHIDA that he’ll need to prove himself before getting a title shot.
During his first stint with NJPW, KUSHIDA held the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship six times.
KUSHIDA left NJPW in January 2019 and officially joined WWE in April of that year. He was part of the NXT roster for three years until departing WWE when his contract expired this April.
KUSHIDA was a one-time NXT Cruiserweight Champion while with WWE.
Dave Meltzer reported after KUSHIDA’s WWE departure that he was expected to return to NJPW in June.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.