Published: 3 minutes ago by Sanchez Taylor | Last Updated: 2 seconds ago by Sanchez Taylor
Sanchez has over six years of pro-wrestling news writing experience, covering the biggest news stories in WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA Wrestling and more. He has personally interviewed a number of top stars, producing exclusive content with the likes of AEW's Swerve Strickland and WWE's Nick Aldis.
AEW/NJPW
NJPW has officially announced the return of AEW star Claudio Castagnoli, who is set for a one-on-one match at an upcoming event in Kobe.
NJPW Destruction in Kobe will take place on September 27, at the Kobe World Memorial Hall.
The company has confirmed that AEW’s Claudio Castagnoli will be in action on this show, against former IWGP Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi.
NJPW shared the following preview for the bout:
Destruction in Kobe on September 27 has received a massive addition with the official announcement of a special singles match between Shingo Takagi and AEW and the Death Riders’ Claudio Castagnoli.
Reflecting on dissatisfaction for his G1 Climax 36 performance, Shingo Takagi decided that a run of bad luck and middling results had begun back in June when a tag team match for himself and Drilla Moloney against PAC and Claudio on AEW’s Collision program ended with Castagnoli scooping the pin on the Dragon. Takagi determined that the best way for him to move forward would be to face Claudio in Shingo’s adopted home town of Kobe.
Castagnoli replied to Shingo’s challenge with a video message airing in Korakuen Hall this week. Claudio said that he would ‘gladly’ come to ‘teach you another lesson,’ but warned that ‘you’re going to get another two years of bad luck’ as a result. What happens when these two powerful hard hitters collide for the first time ever one on one? Find out LIVE in English on NJPW World Sunday September 27!
While he has competed in several other NJPW-adjacent matches, Castagnoli has only competed at a NJPW-produced show in Japan on two occasions so far.
Castagnoli, Jon Moxley and Shota Umino unsuccessfully challenged Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii and Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Championship at Dominion 2023.
Following this, Castagnoli was the Death Rider representative who Jon Moxley sent to face Shota Umino at NJPW’s Wrestle Dynasty crossover show in January 2025, with Umino ultimately being victorious.
Castagnoli’s first match as an AEW star took place at the 2022 AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door event, with the former “Cesaro” defeating Zack Sabre Jr in his first match following his WWE exit.
The Death Riders faction member also competed at the 2023 and 2025 Forbidden Door events, teaming with the Blackpool Combat Club, Shota Umino and Konosuke Takeshita against the Young Bucks, Adam Page, Eddie Kingston and Tomohiro Ishii at the former event. At the latter, Castagnoli was part of the 10-man Lights Out Steel Cage match which closed the show.
Castagnoli also lost a Winner Takes All match involving NJPW gold at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam 2023, dropping the ROH World Title to NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston.
Destruction in Kobe will be a big show, with Jeff Cobb set for action against Callum Newman, after recently betraying his former teammate during his return to the company.
For Cobb’s first comments on his NJPW return following his WWE departure, click here.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
mailing list