It is widely expected that WWE will be going after some New Japan Pro Wrestling stars when their contracts expire later this year. However, what isn’t being talked about is that NJPW has interest in WWE stars who have their contracts coming up.
On today’s Wrestling Observer Radio, a reader asked Dave Meltzer about the possibility of AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura going back to NJPW. Styles and Nakamura signed 3-year deals and they will be up in a few months. Styles seems to be happy in WWE and it would be unlikely that he would take a deal to go back to NJPW. Meltzer said that he wouldn’t be shocked if Nakamura went back there but his family lives with him in Florida and he is in a pretty good spot and he is able to work a toned down style. New Japan does want him back so you can’t rule anything out especially because they are in expansion mode and they are willing to spend money to get a top name like Nakamura.
“It wouldn’t completely shock me. I know they do want him back,” Meltzer said about Nakamura. “There will attempts [and] for all those guys. Gallows and Anderson, if they wanna go back there, they can go back there. They’re kind of treading water [in WWE]. Who knows how that’s gonna go.” He added, “I don’t anticipate anyone going back there [but] you just don’t know how people feel and what people want out of life.”
We’ll see how things play out in a few months when WWE makes a play to get The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes. If WWE signs any of those guys then you can expect NJPW to counter with a strong offer to get a current WWE star.
