Current NJPW Champion LEAVING This Month
NJPW's NEVER Openweight Champion announced his impending departure after Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Tama Tonga is to leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling after January, ending a 14-year association with the puroresu market leaders.
The reigning NEVER Openweight Champion made these claims in post-match comments mere minutes after defeating Shingo Takagi at yesterday's Wrestle Kingdom 18 event. Per Tama himself, he wants to be closer to his family, whom he misses whenever he travels to Japan (though he loves the country). Tonga is happy with where his wrestling career is, though it's difficult for him to leave home.
As recounted by Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Issa, who was present for the comments:
This is Tama Tonga’s last month with #njpw He wants to find work closer to home as he misses his family and leaving them at home is not something he wants to continue to do (as this was his childhood) He loves Japan, this company and every wrestler #njwk18
As elated as Tama is with the current state of his career, he misses his family and finds it difficult to leave them home. He loves Japan, has the utmost respect for the company and wrestlers… having grown up in this life, he finally understood how his father felt…
But it is time to be home with his family‼️
The son of the legendary Haku, Tonga has been with NJPW since 2010, when he first travelled to Japan. Though he is perhaps best known for his time with Bullet Club as a foundational member of the game-changing stable, he has more recently been working as a babyface, clocking up multiple reigns as NEVER Openweight Champion.
WWE's reported interest in Tonga was a familiar story throughout 2023, so it'll be interesting to see if this leads to anything.