More AEW stars to appear for NJPW: Three wrestlers who could soon compete in Japan

AEW/NJPW

AEW and NJPW have had a working relationship since 2021 which has seen talent move in both directions for crossover appearances.

With Will Ospreay currently holding the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship with the United Empire, and Konosuke Takeshita holding joint contracts with AEW, NJPW and DDT-Pro, there are some familiar faces we’re seeing across both companies.

Claudio Castagnoli recently wrestled in Japan for the first time since January 2025, losing to Shingo Takagi at NJPW Destruction in Kobe.

With rumors swirling about other crossover appearances, here are three more AEW-contracted stars who could soon also wrestle for NJPW in Japan.

Jon Moxley

After defeating Claudio Castagnoli at NJPW Destruction in Kobe, Shingo Takagi has his eyes on another Death Riders member.

Following his victory, Takagi called out Jon Moxley for a match in Japan, taking to Twitter to write:

MOX! Come all the way to Japan to see me!

Jon Moxley hasn’t wrestled for NJPW in Japan since defending the IWGP World Heavyweight Title against EVIL (now Naraku in WWE) at Dominion 2024, with the AEW star dropping the title to Tetsuya Naito at Forbidden Door in New York later that month.

With Moxley also previously reigning with the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship, it’d be fun to see the current iteration of Jon Moxley back in a NJPW ring.

Nick Wayne

After finishing his run in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, Nick Wayne noted that he was hopeful that one day he’d be back one day. 

Wayne scored eight points in the 2025 tournament, then finished with ten points in block action this year. His NJPW appearances have seen him score victories over the likes of Ryusuke Taguchi, Robbie X, El Desperado and SHO over the years.

With Wayne previously proving himself in front of Japanese audiences, a return to the Land of the Rising Sun feels inevitable for the former ROH TV Champion.

It’d be fun to see Nick Wayne return for a run which isn’t just for a Best of the Super Juniors tournament, perhaps challenging for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title at another point in the year.

Adam Copeland

Ahead of competing in Arena Mexico on August 5, Adam Copeland took to social media to remind fans of his list of famous arenas where he still wants to wrestle.

Copeland has since been able to tick off Arena Mexico with Grand Slam Mexico, Wembley Stadium with All In London, and Maple Leaf Gardens with MLP Northern Rising, leaving the Tokyo Dome as his final “white whale” venue.

With NJPW set to host Wrestle Kingdom 21 from the Tokyo Dome, there has been a lot of speculation about the former AEW World Tag Team Champion competing at the January 4, 2027 event.

As Adam Copeland approaches the end of his career, it’d be a bittersweet moment to see him complete his wrestling arena bucket list at NJPW’s biggest show of the year.

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• Crossover
• AEW
• NJPW

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