KUSHIDA Re-Signs With NJPW - Promises To Finish His Career There
The six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion returned at New Japan Road.
Having departed NXT 2.0 and WWE, period, this past April, KUSHIDA has returned to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Not just that, but the hugely talented star has stated his intent to spend the rest of his career in NJPW.
Taking place earlier today, KUSHIDA resurfaced at New Japan Road. There, he confronted Taiji Ishimori after the Bullet Club man had successfully defended the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi.
KUSHIDA took a mic and announced that he's signed with NJPW and that he would see out his in-ring days with the promotion.
なんとKUSHIDA が新日本のリングに登場！https://t.co/Y6EUcCg14e#njroad pic.twitter.com/fqFUMgkoqU
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) June 21, 2022
Of course, KUSHIDA is no stranger to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title, having held that prize on six occasions during his initial nine-year NJPW run that came to an end when the Time Splitter signed with WWE in 2019. In fact, it was KUSHIDA who Ishimori defeated to win his first IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship back at Wrestle Kingdom 13, with Taiji nowadays in the midst of his third reign with that title.
Elsewhere during his previous New Japan run, KUSHIDA won the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Titles twice with Alex Shelley, won the Best of Super Juniors tournament in 2015 and 2017, won the Super J-Cup in 2016, and won the Super Jr. Tag Tournament with Shelley back in 2012.
KUSHIDA was announced as a WWE signee shortly before WrestleMania 35, and he'd spend three years on the NXT brand before opting to allow his contract to expire this April. The highlight of the 39-year-old's time in NXT was likely his 160-day run as Cruiserweight Champion, and he also put on some absolute bangers with Pete Dunne, Kyle O'Reilly and, in particular, against then-NXT Champion Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Vengeance Day.