Former WWE Superstar makes surprise return and challenges Bullet Club's Taiji Ishimori
Kushida is back in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and has challenged Taiji Ishimori.
At a recent New Japan Road show, the former WWE Superstar made his return to the promotion he departed in 2019. In the show's main event, Ishimori successfully defended the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against Hiromu Takahashi.
After winning the Best of the Super Junior 29 tournament, The Ticking Timebomb earned himself a title shot. Post-match, Ishimori was confronted by Kushida. The former WWE star announced that he had re-signed with NJPW and was going to compete in a New Japan ring for the rest of his life.
Watch Kushida's return to NJPW in the following clip:
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NEW JAPAN ROAD後楽園大会‼️
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「新日本プロレスに復帰します‼️」
なんとKUSHIDAが新日本のリングに登場⌚️✨
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This past April, it was reported that Kushida was no longer with WWE and had been removed from the company's active roster page. During his time with the company, Kushida won the WWE NXT Cruiserweight Championship once.
He primarily worked in the 205-pound division but eventually went on to form a tag team with Ikemen Jiro in the final stages of his stint. The duo were together known as Jacket Time and feuded against The Diamond Mine on NXT 2.0.
How did Taiji Ishimori respond to Kushida's return?
In response to Kushida's return, Ishimori claimed that The Time Splitter simply couldn't challenge for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship after returning.
During their in-ring face-off, The Bone Soldier asked the former WWE Superstar to prove his worth after the G1 Climax and earn himself a title shot in the process.
Kushida is a former six-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion and a two-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. He was regarded as the ace of the junior heavyweight division and shared the ring with the likes of Will Ospreay, Kyle O'Reilly, Kenny Omega, and other prominent names in NJPW.
KUSHIDA: You're so good there are no challengers left? Wrong. I'm here!
Ishimori: Wait a second. You can't just come out here and challenge. After the G1, you prove yourself worthy in the next tour, then let's do it!
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Meanwhile, Ishimori is currently in his third reign as the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion. The Bullet Club member won the title by beating El Desperado at NJPW Wrestling Dontaku 2022.