KUSHIDA’s IMPACT Wrestling Debut Opponent Confirmed
'The Time Splitter' will meet his match in his impending IMPACT debut.
KUSHIDA will battle Rich Swann when he debuts for IMPACT Wrestling.
This was confirmed through the Anthem-helmed promotion's official Twitter account. They posted a graphic for their weekend Derby City Rumble tapings, establishing KUSHIDA vs. Swann for night one (Friday, 15 July) of the double-header:-
BREAKING: KUSHIDA will face Rich Swann in his IMPACT debut THIS FRIDAY at Old Forester’s Paristown Hall in Louisville, KY!
AdvertisementGet tickets and be there live: https://t.co/IQZ1hLHgOr pic.twitter.com/HJZFEz1T02
— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) July 11, 2022
KUSHIDA was announced last week to be debuting with IMPACT Wrestling. He'll mark the latest in a series of NJPW-contracted performers to appear in the IMPACT Zone, following on from Jay White, Satoshi Kojima, and Tomohiro Ishii.
The news came mere weeks after 'The Time Splitter' resurfaced in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He'd returned to the promotion after a three-and-a-half-year absence, confronting Taiji Ishimori, the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, on New Japan's 21 June card. KUSHIDA is expected to be a major player in the junior heavyweight division moving forward, much like he was before leaving.
He had originally left the promotion in early 2019 to join WWE, with his signing being made official over WrestleMania weekend in 2019. The 39-year-old was a featured attraction on the then-black-and-gold brand for a period, ultimately securing the NXT Cruiserweight Championship from Santos Escobar in April 2021. He held the title for 161 days.