Current NJPW Champion Rejected WWE Earlier This Year
They decided to stay with NJPW.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling star HENARE had to take a few months away from in-ring competition after suffering a head wound during the bloody United Empire vs. Bullet Club War Dogs cage match at The New Beginning in Osaka.
A head wound so bad that it had Will Ospreay fearing for HENARE's life, by the way.
According to Jeff Cobb, the current NEVER Openweight Champion received a WWE offer while he was convalescing. Speaking about his G1 Climax opponent with Tokyo Sports, Cobb said:
"I heard that you had a good offer from WWE. But you went to the New Japan office with your WWE contract in hand and said to the president, 'I want to stay here'. You're not the only one who wants to stay and change this industry. I feel the same way. It takes a lot of guts to tell that indiscriminate organisation, 'Don't mess with me', and to stay in the best organisation in the world and prove yourself against the best wrestlers. I respect you. The fight is over. Let's go find a good kava bar."
Cobb himself previously turned down a WWE deal in order to stay with NJPW.
Written by Lewis Howse
Features journalist for Cultaholic.com and script writer for the Cultaholic YouTube Channel.