NJPW President On If COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Will Impact Wrestle Kingdom

NJPW President Takami Obari has commented on the recently announced Japan travel restrictions, revealing how they will impact Wrestle Kingdom 16.

On Monday (November 29), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revealed that those from outside Japan would be banned from entering the country from midnight on November 30.

A number of wrestlers currently outside of Japan were pencilled in for the Wrestle Kingdom shows, including Will Ospreay, who was set to challenge for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on January 5.

Speaking with Tokyo Sports, NJPW President Takami Obari stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that wrestlers with visas to work with Japan will be able to re-enter the country, meaning that stars such as Ospreay can appear on the shows.

Obari said:

“Under the current rules, foreign wrestlers who are regularly (wrestling) are not expected to enter the country. I’ve heard that (regular foreign wrestlers) have visas to work in Japan, so they will be treated as re-entry. This has been confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. ” (translated from Japanese)

Shingo Takagi and Kazuchika Okada will do battle for the IWGP World Heavyweight title on Wrestle Kingdom night 1, with Ospreay set to challenge the victor on night 2.

Stating that he’ll be in the Tokyo Dome on January 5, Ospreay tweeted:

Shingo can’t stop me.
Okada can’t stop me.
Covid can’t stop me.

January 5th 2022, I’ll be there.

— ᵂⁱˡˡ ᴼˢᵖʳᵉᵃʸ • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) November 30, 2021

Night 3 of Wrestle Kingdom will be an inter-promotional event featuring talent from both NJPW and Pro Wrestling NOAH.

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• COVID-19
• Wrestle Kingdom
• NJPW
• Will Ospreay

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