Former WWE Star In Action At NJPW Wrestle Kingdom

A new match has been announced for NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 featuring a former WWE star in action at the event this coming January.

IWGP US Title shot briefcase holder KENTA, who was with WWE for five years in 2014-2019, has accepted the challenge of Juice Robinson for a match with the briefcase on the line.

NJPW writes:

The penultimate matches of 2020 took place in Korakuen Hall on December 22, with SHO, Kota Ibushi and Juice Robinson facing off against KENTA, Jay White and Gedo in the main event.

Standing on ceremony, KENTA showed Juice the contract that lies inside his restored IWGP US Heavyweight Championship Right to Challenge briefcase; a briefcase Robinson has challenged for, and that KENTA is reluctant to defend with Jon Moxley still pointedly absent.

The wait angered Ibushi though, and still furious at the end of their bout at Power Struggle, Ibushi wanted a piece of the Switchblade. When White wouldn’t offer that puiece up, Gedo was stuck in a very painful position, brutally worked over by all three of his opponents, before KENTA entered the match unbidden, and BULLET CLUB took control on the floor.

A backcracker from SHO to Gedo still wasn’t enough for a hot tag, as White cut off the CHAOS junior, but a suplex brougth Ibushi in to face his potential January 5 opponent. Ibushi flew in at his nemesis, but the January 5 contract holder was skilfull as ever in putting on the brakes. A hair pull led to a tag to KENTA, who struck with kicks to Ibushi before looking for Game Over on Robinson, Juice made the ropes though, and was only fired up by a KENTA boot in the corner, charging in with a Cannonball.

At the 15 minute mark, Gedo found himself legal and at the mercy of SHO’s furious kicks. A Complete Shot gave Gedo time and distance to look for his brass knux, but the referee and then Ibushi quickly defused both Gedo and a charging White. Gedo fell to a SHO lariat and looked for Shock Arrow, but was saved by a snap sleeper suplex by the returning Jay.

Another suplex scored on Ibushi, before Bladerunner scored on SHO, giving Jay White yet another victory on the road to the Tokyo Dome.

Post match, KENTA struck Robinson with the IWGP US briefcase before accepting Juice’s challenge for Wrestle Kingdom, stating that the hate he received from the fans on January 5 motivated his whole 2020, and he’ll gladly battle both Juice and a hostile crowd to start 2021. Jay White wanted to make his own statement, but was cut off by an incensed Ibushi; the fact remained though that with the Switchblade once again victorious, he’ll be a hard man to beat January 5 on night two of Wrestle Kingdom.

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