Report: WWE Believe Kushida Is Returning To NJPW

After three years with WWE, Kushida exited the company this week after his contract expired. He has since been moved to the alumni section on WWE.com. 

There is no official word on Kushida's next destination but Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE believe The Time Splitter is heading back to New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

"He is done. His contract expired. It was not a secret that he wasn't gonna stay. I know in WWE the belief is that he starts with New Japan in June. So that's what they believe and it's probably the case. He signed a three-year deal and kinda wasted three years of his career I think," Meltzer said. 

Kushida previously performed for NJPW between 2010 and 2019 and he was a star of the promotion's junior heavyweight division. 

During his time in the company, he became a six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, and a two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion with Alex Shelley as The Time Splitters. The 38-year-old also won the 2015 and 2017 Best Of The Super Juniors tournaments, as well as the 2016 Super J-Cup.