After nearly ten years with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the former six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion will be saying goodbye to the promotion very soon.
Word is that KUSHIDA will be WWE bound soon as reports surfaced in December that the company had interest in the New Japan veteran and while the former IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion hasn’t confirmed the reports, he’s yet to actively deny them.
However, it appears that one of the reasons that KUSHIDA decided to leave the promotion is due to the way he was being booked.
According to a report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, KUSHIDA wanted to go heel early last year and join the Bullet Club; however, Gedo wanted him to stay in his place. Meltzer makes note that his booking wasn’t the only driving factor behind leaving the company, though the wrestling journalist didn’t elaborate on what else forced KUSHIDA's decision.
The former IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion will wrestle his final match with the promotion on January 29th against Hiroshi Tanahashi.