Major Worldwide Star Returns To NJPW, Attacks Tetsuya Naito
The returning heel unmasked following an LIJ tag team victory.
May 4, 2018
A global wrestling star has returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling, attacking Tetsuya Naito from the crowd on night two of Wrestling Dontaku 2018.
The masked assailant struck after a 5-on-5 tag team match between Los Ingobernables de Japon (Naito's stable) and Suzuki-gun. LIJ were victorious, with Naito himself picking up the pinfall over Yoshinobu Kanemaru, before being blindsided on his way from the arena.
The returnee dragged Naito back to ringside, before revealing himself to be none other than Chris Jericho.
Y2J then hit the Codebreaker on Naito and drew blood with a shot from the ring bell. Naito was rendered a bloody mess, but refused help and walked to the back unassisted.
Jericho was last in NJPW at New Year Dash 2018, attacking Naito and kickstarting their feud. Despite this, nothing seemed to come of the storyline, as Y2J returned to WWE and proclaimed on social media that he was unlikely to return to New Japan.
This original attack on Naito came one day after Jericho's landmark match with Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12, a bout rated five-stars by Dave Meltzer, and the culmination of Y2J's unthinkable defection from WWE.
Fans of NJPW will be incredibly excited to see Jericho back in the fold, especially now that this feud could well lead to a title shot for Naito's IWGP Intercontinental Championship.
This incident will also further Y2J's reputation of being a master of the shock return, often utilising Twitter to mislead fans and keep his actions a surprise. Although many news sources had speculated that Jericho's NJPW return was on the horizon, it still must be considered a move that has shocked (and delighted) many.