Katsuyori Shibata on New Three Musketeers: ‘We hate each other anyway’

Time to open the Forbidden Door for Katsuyori Shibata to face some of his old NJPW contemporaries?

Once upon a time, before he returned from a serious head injury that could have killed him and well before he became a fixture in AEW and ROH, Katsuyori Shibata was part of what New Japan Pro-Wrestling called “The New Three Musketeers.” Intended as the next generation of the original incarnation of The Three Musketeers (Keiji Muto, Masahiro Chono and Shinya Hashimoto), the trio included some names you might recognize: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Shinsuke Nakamura.

Perhaps it’s no surprise that since Shibata enjoyed the least professional success of the group (due in large part to a detour into MMA), The Wrestler doesn’t look back fondly on that part of his career. Or maybe it’s just part of his current, “I don’t like jokes” persona.

Either way, Shibata was asked about The New Three Musketeers by RJ City on the latest episode of “Hey! (EW)” and he didn’t hold back his irritation about the question.

Using his phone to translate, which is also part of his ongoing gimmick, Shibata said, “It’s nothing to do with me wrestling in AEW. We hate each other anyway.”

The bit for the whole interview is that City is flustered by Shibata’s responses, as you can see below.

Though they currently work for three different companies, Shibata, Tanahashi and Nakamura have come together on occasion, including for Antonio Inoki’s wake last fall.

Shibata hasn’t shared a ring with either of The New Three Musketeers since 2016, but given AEW’s close working relationship with NJPW, crossing paths with Tanahashi is something that could still happen. At least based on his exchange with City, it doesn’t sound like it would be a friendly reunion. Maybe something for Tony Khan and Rocky Romero to keep in their back pocket for the next Forbidden Door.

Rainmaker’s big decision: Would Kazuchika Okada fit best in WWE or AEW?

Both WWE and AEW have different strengths to offer Kazuchika Okada if he decides to make a career move in 2024.

Few things capture the imagination of pro wrestling fans like big stars migrating from one promotion to another. In just the last few months, we’ve seen it play those scenarios play out several times.

Jade Cargill was a big deal as a homegrown AEW star who signed with WWE. CM Punk made huge waves by returning to WWE, something long thought to be a pipe dream. And hardcore wrestling fans are salivating over the opportunity to see Will Ospreay in AEW on a regular basis beginning next year.

Yet in terms of his status within his current company, no wrestler who’s rumored to be considering a change is bigger than New Japan’s Kazuchika Okada. Since his return in 2012, the Rainmaker has become “the man” for NJPW, carrying the company on his back and accomplishing pretty much everything meaningful there is to achieve.

That’s also why it’s easy to believe reports, like the one in Sports Illustrated this week, that Okada is thinking hard about joining a top U.S. promotion once his contract expires next year. At 36 years old, if Okada wants to prove himself in North America while he’s still in his prime, this is the time.

Both WWE and AEW are said to have interest in Okada, and why wouldn’t they? When one of the best wrestlers in the world, one with a proven track record of fantastic in-ring performances and undeniable presence, is available, it’s not hard to daydream of ways to put his talents to use.

The question, then, is a simple one: Would WWE or AEW be a better fit for the Rainmaker? Let’s run through the pros and cons for each company. Note that because wrestler pay never really gets disclosed, we’re not going to include financial considerations, real as they may be, as the assumption is that both companies would pay Okada what he’s looking for if they want him enough.

Okada to WWE

Pros:

If Okada was to join WWE, he’d have the knowledge that someone almost as prominent as he was in New Japan blazed a trail for him. That would be Shinsuke Nakamura, someone who is said to still be close with Okada. Just like soccer players often help players from the same country settle in at new clubs, Nakamura would be a big help easing Okada’s transition.

There’s no question that the WWE style, while expanding somewhat toward longer matches now that Paul “Triple H” Levesque is at the creative helm, would mean less wear and tear on Okada’s body. And while both top U.S. companies have experience using managers as mouthpieces for talent who could use a boost on the microphone — which could be important since Okada isn’t a fluent English speaker — WWE has the best in the business in Paul Heyman.

Above all, WWE is simply the best in class in the wrestling industry. Its video packages and presentation are second to none, and Okada’s chances of becoming a star who transcends pro wrestling are optimized if he signs there. Almost every North American wrestler dreams of making it on the biggest possible stage, and if Okada has a similar motivation if and when he makes the jump, he’ll have a hard time passing up that opportunity.

Cons:

Are we sure that Nakamura’s WWE tenure is one Okada will see as a blueprint for his own? Though Shinsuke has been around the main event scene at times and just had a world title shot against Seth Rollins at Payback (possibly not a coincidence, given WWE’s reported interest in Okada), he’s often been more of an upper midcard type, with a tendency to get lost in the shuffle for months at a time. Okada will rightfully expect more, but there are a lot of big players in WWE at the moment, especially with Punk back.

Even if each match is less strenuous on average, the WWE schedule remains a grueling one, and Okada would likely be working more dates overall than he ever has to this point. Does he want to do all the extra appearances and things that come with being a WWE Superstar?

Finally, there’s simply the big unknown. It’s reasonable to expect that more WWE fans know who Okada is than, say, a decade ago, but there are still tons of people who watch WWE and no other kinds of wrestling. The always online types will be excited about the Rainmaker’s arrival, and the company will do its best to make him seem like the top guy he is — announcers are certainly allowed to mention success in Japan on the air, for instance. Yet there’s always going to be the chance that Okada doesn’t have the impact he’d want or many would expect.

Okada to AEW

Pros:

There’s a comfort level AEW can offer that WWE simply can’t. The audience absolutely knows Okada, as he’s appeared on both weekly TV and pay-per-views in the past, along with both editions of the co-branded Forbidden Door cards with NJPW. A decent chunk of the locker room consists of people he’s been in the ring with at least once, and that’s not even counting Ospreay.

If Okada wants to keep doing the types of matches that rack up five-star ratings from Dave Meltzer, this is the company in which to do it. Tony Khan would certainly indulge the Rainmaker in some lengthy bouts, particularly on PPV where AEW is unafraid to go past the standard three-hour running time.

And if Okada’s end goal is becoming a world champ in a North American promotion, AEW is the place with a clearer path. Yes, there’s only one world title there as opposed to WWE’s two (or three, depending on how you feel about Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Championship, itself an amalgamation of two titles), and it’s sometimes been held for long periods of time. But even with the big names on AEW’s roster, it’s hard to picture Okada not having a place on a short list of serious contenders very soon after signing.

Cons:

AEW isn’t as hot as it was over the prior two years, so Okada would be joining at what is arguably its lowest point in its relatively short history. It’s possible that he would see that as an opportunity rather than a strike against it, and maybe an appeal to help it become the “in” thing in U.S. wrestling again would work. But it’s also possible Okada looks at AEW and sees a promotion that is simply not as attractive as it might have been at the beginning of 2023.

Familiar faces also could work both ways. Okada has already wrestled Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, Adam Cole, and the list goes on. He’s had tremendous battles with Jay White and Ospreay. Been there, done that. Fans would no doubt want to see him run it back, but is that what Okada wants? True dream matches pitting him against wrestlers he’s never faces before mostly lie elsewhere.


If Okada decides to make a move, the decision between WWE and AEW is going to come down to his own personal preferences, which is as it should be. AEW offers more familiarity, both with the talent and the fans, as well as a greater chance that he’ll be positioned as one of the top stars sooner rather than later.

In WWE, Okada would likely have to modify his style a bit but would reap potential benefits in terms of less physical strain and a much higher upside in terms of becoming a household name outside of wrestling fans. He could also satisfy the diehards with never before seen pairings, but at the risk of becoming just another cog in a very big wheel.

He could also very well decide neither company feels right and remain in NJPW. Whatever choice Okada makes could end up telling us a lot about him as a person, and it’s going to be fascinating no matter which road he ends up taking.

Mercedes Moné is training for her return … but to where?

Mercedes Moné is almost ready to return to the ring, but will it be with NJPW, AEW or somewhere else?

Mercedes Moné is almost ready to be back in a wrestling ring again. Source? Mercedes herself.

Moné posted a video to her official YouTube channel today titled “The countdown begins” and showing her working hard to get back in ring shape. The former Sasha Banks has been out of action since May, when she sustained an ankle injury facing Willow Nightingale at NJPW Strong Resurgence.

The big question now is where exactly Moné will pop up next when she’s ready for her next match. NJPW and STARDOM seemed hopeful they could keep her in the fold, with Rocky Romero telling WrestlePurists he expected to speak with her soon while adding that “I don’t know what she’s going to want to do when she comes back.”

There has been ongoing speculation that she might sign with AEW, to the point where she was a top guess for that company’s mystery signing at Full Gear that turned out to be Will Ospreay. Moné teased possibly showing up at Full Gear back in early October.

And in the “all things are possible” spirit that saw CM Punk make his recent return to WWE, some have wondered if a Sasha Banks reunion could be in the cards as well. With Paul “Triple H” Levesque at the creative helm, things have changed quite a bit since Banks and Naomi (now Trinity in Impact Wrestling) staged their well publicized walkout during the May 16, 2022 episode of WWE Raw.

Any promotion would benefit from having Moné on its roster, so it really comes down to what she wants to do now that she’s healthy again. Maybe, like she did today, she’ll provide the next big hint herself.

Report: ‘More talk of late’ for Kazuchika Okada to WWE

Nothing appears imminent, but don’t give up on the idea of the Rainmaker in WWE.

For fans of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, it’s probably hard to imagine Kazuchika Okada anywhere but there. Yet for WWE enthusiasts, there’s renewed hope that maybe the Rainmaker will make his way to North America in the not too distant future.

According to Dave Meltzer’s latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter (subscription required), WWE has had interest in Okada “for years.” But he has also heard “renewed interest” recently and explained why perhaps the timing and WWE’s recent booking of a friend might help sell a move to Okada.

The pitch is that he’s now 36 and he’s close with Nakamura and Nakamura has worked years in WWE and it’s far easier on his body. The idea is that WWE is the one thing Okada has never done and he’s done everything he can do in New Japan. One person who buzzed us about the renewed interest in Okada said that one of the reasons Nakamura is getting a renewed push is to show Okada that this regime is not going to treat Japanese like the stereotypical children-like role (although Tozawa is still playing that role) because Vince does that with people who don’t speak fluent English, but this is a new regime.

He’s not wrong about Shinsuke Nakamura. After spending quite some time as a glorified mid-carder, Nakamura has been the beneficiary of a concerted effort to refocus on him as a dangerous, unpredictable title threat, and had a heck of a championship match against Seth Rollins at Payback.

Might that, plus the idea that Okada has little left to accomplish in NJPW, be enough to sway him to make a move? He has seemed to genuinely enjoy wrestling in front of North American audiences during his appearances with AEW (who, one would think, would also be interested in signing him).

WWE is so hot right now that it doesn’t need anyone from the outside to bolster its business, but it’s also enjoying a creative renaissance under Paul “Triple H” Levesque that suggests it would find a way to present Okada like a big star. It’s a fascinating idea that will stay that way until it either happens or goes down as one of the big “what if” questions of this era of pro wrestling.

Tetsuya Naito wants to return ‘as soon as possible’ following eye surgery

Naito should be well recovered in time for his big Wrestle Kingdom showdown with Sanada.

Tetsuya Naito is scheduled for one of the biggest matches of his career, and certainly one that may define the late stages of that career, when he faces Sanada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship on Jan. 4 at Wrestle Kingdom 18. Yet the LIJ leader would prefer not to wait that long to step back in the ring.

The issue is that Naito is recovering from eye surgery that he recently had to fix a long-term issue with his right eye. It’s the third surgery he’s had since 2019.

Naito was released from the hospital today, and told Tokyo Sports that he didn’t foresee having any problems living his daily life while he recuperates. He did say he’d need probably two weeks off before he started working out strenuously again.

As for getting back to active competition, Naito made it clear he’d prefer if that happened sooner rather than later (h/t Fightful for the translation).

I don’t want to take too much time off, and it’s sad and frustrating not to have my name on the card. I would like to return to competition as soon as possible.

The 41-year-old Naito has been IWGP Heavyweight Champion and IWGP Intercontinental Champion on multiple occasions (including one reign while holding both titles), but has never held the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship created by the unification of those two titles.

He’s also headlined several previous editions of Wrestle Kingdom, though there is a feeling that this may be his last chance to do so. The good thing for New Japan fans is that it doesn’t sound like his eye surgery will prevent him from returning ahead of his intriguing matchup with his former teammate at the Tokyo Dome.

Will Ospreay calls AEW All In ‘the coolest thing’ he’s ever done

Might his All In experience convince Will Ospreay that signing with AEW is the right move going forward?

AEW went to Wembley Stadium in London earlier this year for the return of All In, marking one of the biggest pro wrestling shows in terms of attendance ever. It wasn’t without controversy, but the show still made waves as Tony Khan’s company never tested the waters as greatly as that massive sports venue.

For Will Ospreay, All In was a chance to entertain a huge crowd of his home country fans, as he defeated Chris Jericho. It wasn’t the Aerial Assassin’s first experience performing for a large audience; he had previously worked on Wrestle Kingdom shows for New Japan Pro Wrestling, among other events, but this surpassed them all.

Several months past All In, Ospreay recalled his experience working the show. He told ComicBook.com that although he was scared, performing there was “the coolest thing” he’s ever done.

Oh man, I was scared. I just remember feeling like I’ve done it now. The maximum I’ve ever performed in front of was 40,000 at [NJPW] Wrestle Kingdom. This was twice as many. I was worried that my stuff was going to get lost, or not as big of a reaction as what it could get. Maybe I’m not the guy that they really want in this position. Maybe it should have gone to someone else. That’s all going through my mind. The moment the music was playing, just that bit of the piano, I could just feel my heart coming out of my chest. So flipping scared. Family’s here. Everyone is here just wanting to just enjoy wrestling in England, wrestling of this caliber and stage.

Going out and hearing people sing my song… man. I literally heard people screaming it and then pointing up to the sky and when the fireworks were going off. Just watching it, it felt like two minutes. It felt like everything was going in slow motion. Then to get in the ring and the bell rung and then just 80,000 people do the olé! chants. Oh man, it was just the coolest thing. It was the coolest thing I’ve ever done.

Ospreay was able to soak up as much of the night as possible, performing at Wembley Stadium in front of his loved ones. But if he signs with AEW, he’ll have the chance to work that same venue again with All In returning to London in August 2024.

An alternative for Ospreay is joining WWE next year — a tantalizing move that would give him constant opportunities to work big stadium shows. Whether he goes to WWE or not, though, opportunities are fruitful for him to dazzle in front of large audiences.

Zack Sabre Jr. wants Bryan Danielson again: ‘We have to run it back’

ZSJ says he and the American Dragon still haven’t determined who’s the best technical wrestler.

There’s little doubt that Zack Sabre Jr. and Bryan Danielson are two of the very best technical wrestlers on that planet. But as for who is the best among them, we still don’t have a definitive answer.

AEW WrestleDream was supposed to settle that debate, as the two men squared off in what Tony Khan without hyperbole (for once, his critics might say) billed as a dream match. Sabre, always quick with a turn of phrase, dubbed it “Submissions in Seattle.”

Danielson won that encounter in front of his hometown fans, which should have ended things between them. Yet ZSJ protested, saying the American Dragon needed to resort to strikes and not holds to win.

Because of that, Sabre told NJPW1972.com he would like to face Danielson again, something that both NJPW and AEW fans would likely love to see.

I can acknowledge Bryan Danielson somewhat graciously, but I’m still furious that our bout in Seattle did nothing to settle the matter of who is the best technical wrestler in the world is. Only that he’s a scoundrel that resorted to a strike because he knew he couldn’t match the tekkers. So there’s no doubt we have to run it back when the time is right.

While ZSJ has generally been a heel in New Japan, he does give credit where he feels it’s due. And he offered some high praise for Danielson during the interview as well, noting that they have history that dates back years.

I bought the first Ring of Honor tape back in the day, so I don’t think there’s another American wrestler who’s had such an influence on me, directly and indirectly.

The question now would be when they might be able to do battle again. Danielson is currently recovering from surgery to repair a broken orbital bone, but AEW expects he could be back before the end of 2023.

Wrestle Kingdom is looming in January as a possibility, but recent events in AEW hinted toward a Danielson vs. Kazuchika Okada at that show if Bryan is healthy in time. Looking further down the road, WrestleDream has already been confirmed for a 2024 return, while Forbidden Door is expected to be on the schedule as well.

Whenever it happens, fans will be the real winners. And maybe this time no one will be a “scoundrel” and we’ll finally have the “Sabre or Danielson” question answered once and for all.

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Will Ospreay says relocating to US, joining WWE ‘on the table’

Will Ospreay to WWE, AEW or Impact sounds more possible than ever in 2024.

With all due respect to MJF, the hottest free agent in pro wrestling in the months ahead may be Will Ospreay.

Widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers on the planet, the 30-year-old Englishman has called New Japan Pro-Wrestling his home since 2016 while continuing to compete in other promotions as well. U.S. fans who may have been unaware of his NJPW work have had a chance to see him a handful of times on AEW shows within the past 18 months.

Ospreay’s contract with NJPW will be up in February, and he’s said there’s still a chance he could re-sign there. He’s also gone on the record as saying he didn’t want to live in the U.S., narrowing his choices down to Japan or England.

But in a new interview with Metro this week, Ospreay broadened his stance on where he could call home thanks to support from his partner. That, in turn, led the outlet to ask him if he would consider the biggest possible move: to WWE.

Ospreay didn’t rule it out.

I mean, we have spoke about it more. I’m now open to the idea of stretching myself out that little bit more.

As age has become more apparent to me and my body is hurting more and more, I’m open to all avenues. I’ve had a lot of talks with my friends about this, and I have spoke to the missus.

Although we’ve spent so much money on our new kitchen, we are open to the idea of relocating to the United States.

He went on to tease a potential matchup with Seth Rollins, which would no doubt get many fans salivating stateside.

But “open to all avenues” could mean Impact Wrestling, a company Ospreay has said he’s also talking to and could use him as the big hook for its recently announced rebranding as TNA in 2024. One would assume Tony Khan is courting him for AEW as well.

That said, it’s hard to argue against the idea that Ospreay joining WWE would be the most intriguing possibility for next year. And for the first time, he’s making it sound like it could actually happen.

Could Adam Copeland wrestle in the NJPW G1 Climax? He’d like to

Adam Copeland in the G1 Climax? It’s not as crazy as it may have once sounded.

It’s pretty clear by now that Adam Copeland wasn’t willing to just ride off into the sunset as a part-time performer in WWE. Though he may be approaching the end of his career, he wants to go out as a full-timer in AEW, and has talked up the number of never-before-seen matchups he’d like to see come together.

Could some of those come against talent from New Japan Pro-Wrestling? It’s certainly on the table given the close working relationship between AEW and NJPW, and competing at the Tokyo Dome is something that is apparently on Copeland’s bucket list.

He spoke about that in a little more detail during a recent appearance on The Batleeground podcast (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

That’s pretty exciting and a by-product of coming here is, ‘oh wait, hold on a second, Tokyo Dome.’ That’s on the checklist.

Copeland said some of those dream scenarios simply weren’t possible after his initial retirement in 2011, but now that he’s in AEW, “I can get them done, and that’s pretty fun.”

Something else he thinks might be “pretty fun”? Entering the G1 Climax tournament. While grueling, with tough matches several times a week during July and August, it’s a prestigious event that would allow Copeland to step in the ring with the widest number of New Japan stars possible thanks to its round robin format and tendency to feature eliminated competitors in multi-man tag matches.

Eddie Kingston famously had the G1 on his personal wrestling bucket list until he got an opportunity to compete in the tournament this year. Copeland referenced Kingston’s stay in Japan to participate when asked about his own thoughts on entering the G1.

We’d have to carve out some time, I guess. Eddie [Eddie Kingston] did it this year, so it’s a possibility.

For now, Copeland has his hands full with the talent in AEW, particularly old friend Christian Cage. He said this week he wouldn’t fight Cage, but you know how that goes. Just know that if Copeland is truly considering a G1 run, he’s definitely not easing into retirement any time soon.

Tony Khan isn’t buying NJPW, but something is going to happen at AEW WrestleDream (we think)

Is AEW buying NJPW? Doesn’t look like it, but there remains some mystery surrounding AEW WrestleDream.

Every AEW media call with Tony Khan on the week of a pay-per-view starts with a similar disclaimer from the company’s PR reps: Please try to keep the questions about the upcoming show, and no two-part questions. Inevitably, however, there are some queries that kind of, sort of skirt the first part, and ahead of WrestleDream, there were some involving a rumor that’s kind of a doozy: that Khan was looking to or perhaps already had purchased New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Wild? Yes. Completely born from unreliable internet sources? Naturally. But just plausible enough, especially with the promotion of WrestleDream promising to “end a chapter in wrestling history and begin a new era in AEW” (with Khan narrating the ads himself, no less), that it was worth asking about?

Definitely.

So Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp did just that early in this week’s call. Khan never outright said “no, I’m not buying NJPW” in so many words, which some people have zeroed in on, but he did seem bemused by the rumor and how or why it started.

“I think it’s really good that we created a lot of speculation around WrestleDream, but I’m a little surprised as to how that speculation picked up,” Khan said in response to Sapp. “Specifically, the transactional nature of it, because we have such a great partnership right now, and we’re doing such great things with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. So I was a little … I was a little surprised to see that.”

That wasn’t quite the end of it. Asked later in the call if he would care to debunk the rumor completely by clarifying what he meant by “a new era in AEW,” Khan said he wasn’t going to do that.

“I definitely have no intention of clarifying what I meant by those comments, I want people to order the pay-per-view,” Khan said, laughing. “I think the internet kind of ran away with the speculation based on … I don’t know what, honestly. I’d love for somebody to go back and look who was the first person to say that, and we can track back where the speculation came from. Because certainly, I don’t know if that particular aspect of it is very credible.”

In his four years of running AEW, Khan has proven to be extremely media savvy and a master of not really answering questions while sounding like he is — not unlike the top football or basketball coaches. With that in mind, his answers make it sound like something is going down at WrestleDream, but not AEW buying NJPW. Probably.

It’s definitely intriguing, and that was probably the point of it all from Khan’s perspective. AEW WrestleDream goes down Sunday, Oct. 1 from Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

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