Jay White is gearing up for a high-stakes bout next month at Wrestle Kindom 17. On January 4, the “Switchblade” takes on the G1 Climax winner Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship in the main event. This will mark the two’s first singles matchup since June 12th at NJPW Dominion, where White won the title from Okada.
Elsewhere on the card, KAIRI will defend her IWGP Women’s Championship against Tam Nakano. This will be her first defense since winning the inaugural title last month at NJPW x Stardom Historic X-Over.
Whoever wins this matchup will reportedly make the championship’s United States debut, with the subsequent title defense slated for San Jose, California in February. Before that debut happens though, another likely debut has recently stirred up major discussion in the professional wrestling world.
“I think she would make a great Bullet Club member.”
Jay White on Sasha Banks
“The Boss” Headed To Japan?
Former SmackDown and Raw Women’s Champion Sasha Banks will reportedly make an appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17. With this news, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White expressed his thoughts on “The Boss” appearing at the Tokyo Dome next month. “She’s great,” he told Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful. “Big star, that would be another big thing that happened then, I guess.”
“Everyone is wanting to come over and return to Wrestle Kingdom led by the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, huh? You got Kenny [Omega] finally returning, maybe Sasha Banks, KAIRI coming back as well. I guess that would be cool,” I said. “I haven’t met the woman myself, but if I do, I’ll say hello.”
White is also a long-standing member of one of NJPW’s most popular factions, the Bullet Club. When discussing whether Banks would be a good fit for the group, White seemed open to the idea. “I think she would make a great Bullet Club member,” he added, “hence why I said I would say ‘hello.’”
