Major Free Agent Potentially Joining WWE Or AEW Update

WWE/AEW

An update has emerged on the possibility of a departing NJPW star joining WWE or AEW following his contract expiring.

With it originally reported at the beginning of April that former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito was working as a free agent, NJPW has now officially shared a statement announcing that the two sides have agreed to not renew his contract with the company.

With WWE previously expressing interest in Naito, and Naito wrestling in major matches at previous AEW crossover shows, there has been some speculation about the Japanese star potentially joining one of these US-based companies.

Per Fightful Select, Naito is “also” not expected to come to AEW. This was immediately after the report pointed out that Naito claimed he wasn’t interested in joining WWE in 2018, indicating that he’s still not interested in signing with the company.

Per the report, Naito is expected to finish up with NJPW in early-May, and there’s an expectation that eventually he could return.

Tetsuya Naito was one of at least three NJPW talents WWE was reportedly interested in signing in 2018.

Naito previously stated that he was approached with a contract offer, which he turned down.

Naito was in action at the 2023 and 2024 AEW X NJPW Forbidden Door shows, notably winning the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from AEW’s Jon Moxley at last year’s event.

Naito and Hiromu Takahashi notably dropped the IWGP Tag Team Championship to Callum Newman and Jeff Cobb at the April 5 Sakura Genesis event.

This title has since been vacated, with Jeff Cobb’s departure from NJPW also announced.

You can read the latest update on Jeff Cobb’s status right 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!

• Tetsuya Naito
• NJPW
• AEW
• wwe

Share this article with friends