Tama Tonga Reveals Why Michael Elgin Won't Be Going Back To NJPW

Fightful Select recently reported that it might be difficult for Michael Elgin to return to New Japan Pro-Wrestling. The former IWGP Intercontinental Champion reportedly told people in IMPACT Wrestling and those close to him that he chose to leave NJPW because Tama Tonga was unsafe when hitting him with a chair during the 2018 G1 Climax. Elgin also told people the seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion was only pushed in New Japan because Haku was his father. 

New Japan's side of the story was different, though, and several people told Fightful that Elgin was actually fired by the company and didn't decide to leave.  

Elgin has since addressed the report and said he left NJPW because he wanted to spend more time at home with his son. He did admit to saying the chair shots from Tonga were unsafe.

Tama Tonga addressed the situation on the latest edition of Tama's Island and gave his thoughts on why Michael Elgin won't be returning to New Japan. 

He said: "The real reason that dumbass idiot Michael Elgin ain't coming back to New Japan is because of his own damn stupid fault. This idiot, he was contracted with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, he was under contract. So, now our schedule was pretty busy. When contract season was coming up, he still had another year, but this dumbass went and told New Japan, 'Look, my son. I need to go home and spend more time – I can't do this schedule. I need to be home with my son.' 

"New Japan being the family business that they are said, 'Okay, we'll let you go.' Let go of his contract, he went home. Soon after that, he shows up on IMPACT. New Japan is blown away. What the f**k are you doing? And then from IMPACT, the following month ends up back in Japan working for All Japan. Boom! 

"Elgin you're the biggest f*****g idiot I've ever seen in my life, bro. You're a fucking idiot. It's your own damn fault. Why you telling everybody that I caused you that you won't come back to New Japan. No, you're your own reason why, man. You f****d that up yourself. How you gonna f*****g leave Japan because the schedule was too busy to come back to work in Japan for the rival company. You're a f*****g idiot. That's the truth."

After he and NJPW parted ways in March 2019, Elgin joined IMPACT Wrestling and spent much of his time in North America. He did return to Japan in August 2019, however, for a couple of Big Japan Pro-Wrestling shows. He then started working with Pro Wrestling NOAH, last wrestling for them in January 2020. He hasn't wrestled anywhere since June 2020 following allegations of sexual misconduct during the Speaking Out movement.  

Tonga also addressed Elgin's chair shot comments, stating: "Number one, I was just doing what I was told to do. And number two, the chair was plastic, Michael Elgin. The chair was plastic. And I'm a great worker, man. I take great pride in being a great worker and you can tell if you watched it, he was saying I was swinging like a wild man trying to hurt him and this and that. Nar man, most of the time if you saw, I put out his arm, held his arm up, I swung at his arm, I hit the damn mat, I was hitting the damn mat. 

"Michael Elgin you b***h ass acting like you've got some injury. Hold on, are you b******g to anybody? You had your arm taped already. Who hurt your arm before that? Are you b******g about that? Because it seems like every time you're about to lose you're all taped up somewhere, man. Every time you're about to take that fall you're all taped up somewhere. Some b******t tape job. Elgin, man, you're the biggest dumb idiot I’ve ever fr****n seen, man. 

"All this time, I've been standing up for you, man. I just was telling the boys two weeks ago that I miss you, man. I miss your stupid ass lying ass stories, bro. It was entertaining... And then I was telling Tama's islanders just last year when we were starting this, they were going in on your dumbass for whatever dumb s**t you've got going on on the outside. But I stuck up for you, I said, 'Look guys, he's really talented in the ring. I respect his work.' I was trying to keep it chill, man. 

"Then I find out, because I had already found out a year before that... I had to find out from some fans that Michael Elgin was talking shit about me. From fans! Fans approached me and told me that you were talking shit about me, that I hurt you, that I'm unsafe and I'm this and I'm that. I was like you know what? They're fans they don't know what they're talking about, so I just kept my mouth shut. Now, I've gotta read that s**t in the god damn news that you're talking s**t about me. Man, Elgin you son of a b***h dumb idiot you."