NJPW's Tama Tonga BURIES "F***ing Idiot" Michael Elgin
Bullet Club's Tama Tonga blasts back at Michael Elgin following NJPW departure comments.
Tama Tonga has ripped former NJPW roster-mate Michael Elgin a new one on a recent episode of his Tama's Island podcast, doing so in response Elgin's comments on a Fightful Select report citing sources claiming 'Big Mike' left New Japan after the Bullet Club man's unsafe chairshots led to him suffering arm injuries.
Elgin has gone into detail on the situation on Twitter. He claimed to have left NJPW in April 2019 so that he could focus on his family life and clarified the "unsafe" comment, stating that he'd had to see a doctor for tricep and elbow issues thrice since the incident.
Tama wasn't so gentle with his words (h/t Wrestlezone for the transcription):-
“The real reason that dumbass idiot Michael Elgin ain’t coming back to New Japan is because it’s his own stupid fault. This idiot he was contracted with [NJPW]. Our schedule was pretty busy. When contract season was coming up, he still had another year. This dumbass went and told New Japan, ‘Look, my son. I gotta spend more time. I can’t do this schedule. I gotta be home with my son.’ New Japan, being the family company they are, let go of his contract and he went home. Soon after that he shows up at IMPACT. New Japan is blown away, ‘what the f— are you doing.’ The following month [Elgin] winds back in Japan working for All Japan. Elgin you are the biggest f—ing idiot I’ve ever seen in my life, bro.”
Alongside brother Tanga Loa, Tonga is now technically the most decorated IWGP Tag Team Champion in NJPW history, having won the straps for a record seventh time at Wrestle Kingdom 15 earlier this month. Elgin, meanwhile, hasn't wrestled since June 2020, having been cut loose from Impact Wrestling after his implication in the #SpeakingOut movement.
Elgin's 2019 NJPW departure was originally described as a mutually-agreed parting of ways.