WWE raiding NJPW of many top stars (UPDATE: Kenny Omega received 3 offers in 2015)

[Never]

AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura and multiple members of the Bullet Club have ‘given notice’ to New Japan Pro Wrestling that they’re done with the company, according to an exclusive report by former WWE writer Court Bauer over at MLW Radio.

While in theory you can give notice without leaving for sure, he made it clear that they’re done with NJPW. While he didn’t say so, one would think they’re leaving to bolster the NXT touring roster in WWE, but obviously that’s mostly conjecture.

The key here is likely what Styles and Nakamura are being paid. Nakamura was making excellent money as one of NJPW’s top natives and Styles was probably making the most money of any American freelancer the last two years. The question is what exactly the trade-off would be: Styles needs some security in the event his back problems shelve him for an extended period of time, while there may be some allure of being an American/western star for Nakamura.

As for Styles’ friends in the Bullet Club, Bauer didn’t name any names, which is interesting because the Talk’n Shop podcast with Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Rocky Romero is part of Bauer’s MLW Radio. That’s simultaneously an indicator to the truth of this (besides that Bauer’s had a strong track record when he’s broken big stories) and a possible hint as to who else is leaving, one would think.

NJPW has done annual contracts up in January seemingly since the beginning of time. In the past, rumors of talent leaving before January have usually been deemed false because of the timeline.

According to Dave Meltzer, WWE has gone after several New Japan Pro Wrestling talents including AJ Styles, Karl Anderson, Doc Gallows, and Shinsuke Nakamura. This comes as a bad time for NJPW as they just held their Wrestle Kingdom 10 event and was planning out things for the year. Meltzer reports that WWE was trying to keep this story quiet but he has confirmation from several sources.

Styles has not been under contract. Others under contract have their deals expire at the end of January.

The impression is that Styles will not be working any more Ring of Honor dates. Nakamura will probably not be leaving NJPW right away.

Stay tuned for further details on this breaking story.

This is insane if accurate. AJ Styles leaving isn't a huge shock, but Shinsuke Nakamura blows my mind.

Click to read more...

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I don't know how to feel about this.

NXT is still gonna be a beast of a show, and have even more fire power now, and it probably opens the door for Samoa Joe to go up to the main roster depending on when everyone jumps over, but then you think of the competition aspect of it all.

If they stay in NXT, they'll be fine... but if they're up on the main roster they'll be wasted, no doubt.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

tfw NXT is gonna have like...40 of the top-50 WWE matches of the year in 2016.

 

[Kimi]

This is insane if accurate. AJ Styles leaving isn't a huge shock, but Shinsuke Nakamura blows my mind.

The WWE have been said to been chasing Nakamura for a long time. I know they've had talks in the past, but I don't think he's been close to going to WWE before even if the door is always left open. And yeah, AJ and the others are not a big shock. They all talk openly about having talks with the WWE, and that they'll sign if the deal is the right. I can only assume that the correct amount of dollars was handed to them this time round.

 

[Never]

I imagine there would have to be some callups from NXT to make room for all these guys, assuming that's where they all go at first. AJ Styles seems like too big a name to be in NXT for very long, if at all.

I worry that if Nakamura went to WWE and was called up to the main roster, Vince would give him some stupid gimmick like a sushi chef or something.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Why would they be chasing Gallows again? He didn't do much in WWE the first time around, as one of Punk's lackeys.

 

[Kimi]

tfw NXT is gonna have like...40 of the top-50 WWE matches of the year in 2016.

ikr. It's totally insane how much talent there could be. But NXT does have the unfair advantage in that half the the main roster is crippled for a good chunk of the year xD.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

ikr. It's totally insane how much talent there could be. But NXT does have the unfair advantage in that half the the main roster is crippled for a good chunk of the year xD.

If they continue to raid NJPW, or the indies in general, in 2016, I wonder if they'd look at growing NXT to two hours. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that either, but there would be so much talent down there at once.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Honestly, NXT might have to expand to two hours. How can you be this saturated with talent and be able to adequately feature it in one hour a week?

Even if Zayn and Joe are on the main roster after WM, you've still got Hideo coming back from injury and James Storm waiting in the wings. And then you're adding these guys? Unless they're graduating a large group of guys I can't see how they have enough time to showcase all of them.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

I imagine there would have to be some callups from NXT to make room for all these guys, assuming that's where they all go at first. AJ Styles seems like too big a name to be in NXT for very long, if at all.

I worry that if Nakamura went to WWE and was called up to the main roster, Vince would give him some stupid gimmick like a sushi chef or something.

It was always about money for AJ. I doubt he cares about going to the main roster these days because of the extensive travel. He is nearly 40 years old and has 3 young children. If the money is right, I doubt he'd care about going to the main roster.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's the highest paid NXT superstar by a large margin.

Honestly, NXT might have to expand to two hours. How can you be this saturated with talent and be able to adequately feature it in one hour a week?

Even if Zayn and Joe are on the main roster after WM, you've still got Hideo coming back from injury and James Storm waiting in the wings. And then you're adding these guys? Unless they're graduating a large group of guys I can't see how they have enough time to showcase all of them.

Yep. Call up Zayn and Joe, which seems inevitable (Joe at the Rumble, Zayn after Wrestlemania, and even Enzo & Cass after Wrestlemania) and you still have: Balor, Crews, Corbin, Itami, Storm (if he signs an exclusive deal), Jordan, Gable, Rhyno, Dillinger, The Mechanics, The Vaudevillains, Bayley, Asuka, Emma, Nia Jax, and then add in Nakamura, Styles, Anderson and Gallows.

How do you fit that in an hour? You can't.

 

[Kimi]

If they continue to raid NJPW, or the indies in general, in 2016, I wonder if they'd look at growing NXT to two hours. I'm not sure how I'd feel about that either, but there would be so much talent down there at once.

I don't think 2 hours would be a good idea, at that point it's starting to get really long. Part of the reason NXT works so well is that it's only an hour so it's very easy to watch, and they really need to make sure it doesn't become a drag like Raw. Maybe 1h30 would still be alright.

 

[M.C.G. 31]

Yeah, an hour and a half on the network would be the sweet spot for sure to feature the talents properly.

I anticipate every second episode would feature at least one ***1/2 battle that I'd have to add to my list.

 

[TribalPhoenix]

My main question is if this means they start pulling up existing NXT talent to the main roster to cover for the gaping holes?

 

[Morozov]

Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sweet

 

[Account Terminated]

I am so ****ing excited for this. God damn.

 

[jbell886]

Source: F4WOnline

In an update from earlier, WWE has reportedly signed New Japan Pro Wrestling stars AJ Styles, Doc Gallows, Karl Anderson and current IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura. The group reportedly informed NJPW booker Gedo that they were finishing up before WrestleKingdom 10 this morning.

No word yet on when the four will begin work with WWE but Nakamura apparently is not leaving early as he will most likely drop his title before leaving.

Anderson was reportedly also in talks with TNA and close to signing but the WWE deal came through instead. Anderson, Gallows and Nakamura are expected to honor their Ring of Honor dates for February and AJ is likely done with ROH going forward.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Doesn't this essentially mean that the Bullet Club will come to the WWE as the Balor Club because Bullet isn't PG?

 

[GarbageGoal]

Why would they be chasing Gallows again? He didn't do much in WWE the first time around, as one of Punk's lackeys.

They missed the boat on Gallows and so did TNA. Guy is someone they should covet, a big man who can work.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

it's about ****ing time, bullet club is money and if WWE doesn't **** it up they can be a premiere act.

aj and nakamura are arguably two of the top 5 talents in the world, this is long overdue plz let them be themselves.

 

[SladeWilson23]

Sweet. Can we rehash the Styles vs Joe TNA rivalry?

 

[GKJ]

Honestly, NXT might have to expand to two hours. How can you be this saturated with talent and be able to adequately feature it in one hour a week?

Even if Zayn and Joe are on the main roster after WM, you've still got Hideo coming back from injury and James Storm waiting in the wings. And then you're adding these guys? Unless they're graduating a large group of guys I can't see how they have enough time to showcase all of them.

Small potatoes in the grand scheme, but James Storm went back to TNA already.

 

[Mark Messier]

They missed the boat on Gallows and so did TNA. Guy is someone they should covet, a big man who can work.

He was so good as Festus.

 

[GKJ]

If they keep Gallows in his Bullet Club persona (and in the Bullet Club), he should be alright. Not unheard of to find new life as part of a faction.


If this goes through, I'm interested in seeing where this leaves Finn Balor.

 

[bruins309]

If this goes through, I'm interested in seeing where this leaves Finn Balor.

I'm wondering if this is like when Wade, James and Bosh conspired to join the Heat together and Balor wants to be in NXT to work with these guys and go to the main roster along with them....perhaps as a stable. Though I think Finn is more money as a babyface and stables = heels.

Cesaro vs Nakamura, please. Mania 33? Pretty please?

 

[Morozov]

Looking forward to this forum turning into a bunch of Bullet Club marks

Assuming they actually go down that path.