After months out of the ring, Jay White is back and has engaged in a war with former World Champion ‘Hangman’ Adam Page. On the most recent episode of AEW Collision, Jay White took to the mic to taunt Page, saying that he has always been ahead of the cowboy at every stage of their careers. White is confident he’ll do the same next month as he challenged White to a match at AEW Full Gear on November 23.
Later in the show, Tony Schiavone announced that the match had been made official. The legendary commentator added that Page will appear on the October 30, episode of Dynamite to address White and his challenge.
White and Page faced off at AEW WrestleDream earlier this month in a match that saw White get the win. Back in July, Page would get the win over White on Collision in what would be the Kiwi wrestler’s final match before a three-month hiatus due to injury.
AEW Full Gear 2024
AEW Full Gear 2024 will take place on November 23, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The show will be AEW’s sixth Full Gear pay-per-view and the second event of its kind in the Prudential Center.
The card for the show is as follows:
Jay White vs. ‘Hangman’ Adam Page
MJF Vs. Adam Cole or Roderick Strong (Whoever wins three matches first will get to face MJF)
Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from AEW Full Gear 2024 including breaking news and live results.
In an AEW digital exclusive, Jay White put Page on notice. He explained that he doesn’t care about a lot of things surrounding Page. However, ‘Switchblade’ cares about the fact that he was stopped in his tracks on his quest to become AEW World Champion. He said that he wants to be at the top of the industry. While Page has left a path of destruction, White has vowed to stop the former AEW World Champion. Here is what he said:
“…What I care about is that you were one of two men that knocked me off my path, my path to the AEW World Championship because that is where I belong. My path is leading me there where I belong, where I, the Catalyst of Professional Wrestling, am meant to be. That is at the top of this industry. The most elite of all, that is me, that is what I care about, Adam. I do not care about you and your family. No, but what has gotten into you recently?”
He added:
“Adam, you see, we’ve known each other for a long time. There’s been this change. We talk about paths, I talk about paths. You have left a path of destruction everywhere you go. You’ve quite literally left flames in your wake, and you know what, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, if it didn’t affect me, and you didn’t try to include the Bang Bang Gang in your carnage. But that’s perfect. Do you see how this works out? You see, I need you, and how perfect, look at the time that you present yourself to me. You give me this opportunity to stop this runaway train now known as ‘Cowboy Sh*t’ Hangman Adam Page. I’m the one, I’m the one that will stop you. You see, we can fight fire with fire, and we will see who burns.”
Ahead of his time off, Jay White had been enjoying his reign as one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions alongside Bullet Club Gold stablemates Austin and Colten Gunn. However, following his match against Hangman, White was written off of AEW television to recuperate from a foot injury. It is to be seen how things pan out for White.
‘Switchblade’ Jay White has returned to AEW TV after spending the last three months on the shelf due to a foot injury.
This week’s 5-year anniversary special of Dynamite featured a singles match between Hangman Adam Page and Juice Robinson.
The ending of the bout saw Robinson setting up for The Juice Is Loose but Page countered with a low blow. Hangman then connected with a Buckshot Lariat to pick up a pinfall victory.
The former AEW World Champion took off his cowboy buckle belt and started using it to choke Robinson out. This is when White’s music hit and he made his return.
Jay White took out Page from behind with a clothesline. He continued beating Page down before sending him crashing through a table at the ringside to end the segment.
The former IWGP World Champion last wrestled during the July 6 episode of AEW Collision. The Owen Cup semifinal match saw Page defeating White after using his belt, very similar to how he attacked Robinson tonight.
Prior to the injury, Jay White and The Gunns had held the AEW Trios Title. They were stripped of the championships by Christopher Daniels when they tried to invoke the Freebird rule to give Robinson a share of the title.
Jay White wasn’t the only big name that made a surprise appearance during tonight’s Dynamite. A former WWE star also made his long-awaited debut for the promotion during the show. You can check out more about it here.
AEW has a few key members of their roster on the shelf for one reason or another. This week on AEW Dynamite, the Death Triangle reunited for the first time in months.
The Bang Bang Gang, Jay White and the Gunns, have been enjoying their time in AEW as a heel faction. They needed a wheelbarrow to carry all of their gold to the ring. During the May 22 episode of AEW Dynamite, the trio took the ring.
Their attention soon shifted to Pac, and they began berating the British star. Unexpectedly, Pac appeared on the entrance ramp, but he was not alone. Penta and Fenix were by his side, reuniting the Death Triangle. The faction has been absent as a trio for quite some time.
Fenix’s injury had kept him from competing alongside his brother and their partner, Pac. Now, they are back together. It didn’t take long for the Bang Bang Gang to make it clear that they didn’t want to fight that night.
They instead challenged a match for the AEW Unified Tag Team Titles. This set up a match for this Saturday at Double or Nothing.
It's ON! Death Triangle challenges The Bang Bang Gang for the Unified Trios Championship THIS SUNDAY at Double or Nothing!
The Death Triangle held the AEW Trios Championship for 126 days before losing to The Elite. Their defeat came in an Escalera de la Muerte, which was the seventh and final match in a Best of Seven Series for the championship in January 2023.
Las Vegas will once again host AEW Double or Nothing on Sunday, May 26, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. You can find the card below.
Roderick Strong (c) vs. Will Ospreay – Singles match for the AEW International Championship
“Timeless” Toni Storm (c) (with Luther and Mariah May) vs. Serena Deeb – Singles match for the AEW Women’s World Championship
Adam Copeland (c) vs. Malakai Black – Barbed Wire Steel Cage match for the AEW TNT Championship
Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita – IWGP World Heavyweight Championship Eliminator match
Trent Beretta vs. Orange Cassidy – Singles match
Chris Jericho (c) (with Big Bill) vs. HOOK vs Katsuyori Shibata- FTW Rules match for the FTW Championship
Willow Nightingale (c) vs. Mercedes Moné – Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship
The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Jack Perry, Matthew Jackson, and Nicholas Jackson) vs. Team AEW (Bryan Danielson, Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood, and Darby Allin) – Anarchy in the Arena match
Swerve Strickland (c) (with Prince Nana) vs. Christian Cage (with Killswitch, Nick Wayne, and Mother Wayne) – Singles match for the AEW World Championship
All Elite Wrestling Fight Forever is still going strong after its official release last year. The game was released on June 29, 2023, on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, and Steam. Although AEW Fight Forever was met with mixed reviews universally, the company is still adding more content to appease fans.
On X/Twitter, AEW revealed that they have updated the game for free with new character skins and five music tracks. The company also announced that Stadium Stampede mode has been updated.
“As a thank you to the fans for making #AEW the fastest growing wrestling promotion of all-time, the new Elite Beats and Stampede Expansion is available to #AEWFightForever players starting today,” wrote AEW.
The timing of the update is interesting as the company will celebrate the anniversary of its first pay-per-view, AEW Double or Nothing, on May 25. This year, the annual AEW event will occur on May 26 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s unclear if the AEW Fight Forever will add more free content in connection to other milestone events for the company. However, AEW Fight Forever fans will appreciate the free additions to the game.
AEW Fight Forever Season Pass 4 DLC
Along with adding a free update, AEW has also announced that their fourth Season Pass is available for download today for $19.99 on social media. The game has added Samoa Joe, Jay White, and Adam Copeland to be playable for fans who purchased it. AEW Fight Forever Season Pass 4 also adds two arenas, 30 move sets, and a new tournament mode.
The new DLC is notable for wrestling fans as it will be the first game that Copeland will be involved in which isn’t WWE. The last game he was involved in was WWE 2K23 from the previous year.
There are still wrestlers that have yet to appear in the game. It’s possible AEW Fight Forever could add more DLC or a free update later this year. However, their latest update could be enough for now to enjoy.
AEW Dynasty packed a punch for ardent wrestling fans on Sunday night and per usual Max Caster strived to do the same with his words. However, this one was a little more dicey than others.
Max Caster, Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn were set to go up against Jay White and The Gunns on the Dynasty Zero Hour and naturally Caster would have his pre-macth rap ready to fire off. Caster thought he had his own verbal bullets for Bullet Club Gold, but his content this time around was a little more controversial than even his usual rhymes.
“Switchblade’s what I switch. I’ll fufill your fantasy and I’ll make you my b****. Yo this dude’s just making me sick. I’ll violate you so bad you’ll have to tell the legal team about the taste of my d***.”
Some of Max Caster’s freestyles have been really clever, but this is another one that’s in such bad taste. Where’s the judgement? #AEWDynastypic.twitter.com/eQ7iJ6MTg8
The line sure got a shocked reaction from the live St. Louis crowd, but it also got it’s own share of opinions from fans and critics online. The Wrestling Observer‘s Dave Meltzer mentioned how Caster’s call has the potency to put him in hot water with AEW, simply saying, “I think Max Caster may get in trouble.”
That Time When Max Caster Called Out Dom Mysterio & Rhea Ripley
This is far from the first time Caster’s lyrics has raised eyebrows. Earlier this year, he cross-cut a line about Dom Mysterio and Rhea Ripley when he was about to have a match with Ripley’s real-life fiance, Buddy Matthews. Ripley ended up commenting on the matter, noting that she and Dom are over in two different promotions.
“But I mean, good for me. It’s good for Dom. At the end of the day, it got us trending on Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it these days. It got us trending. And if that’s what you want to do in your match, get two other people in the opposite promotion that you are battling with trending? Then I feel like you did the wrong job because you put us over instead of yourself, so that was a mistake on their part.”
AEW pulled in Jay White after he took over NJPW. As leader of Bullet Club Gold, things looked like they were taking an interesting turn as the Bang Bang Scissor Gang broke up in violent fashion. Then White disappeared, but there is a reason for that.
Switchblade Jay White has been absent from recent live appearances on AEW Dynamite or Collision. Visa issues prevent Jay White from working in Canada, but he’s anticipated to return to action once the company resumes U.S. shows.
Jay White’s Absence Explained
Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that Jay White has been absent from live appearances on AEW Dynamite or Collision in recent weeks. They have featured him in pre-filmed videos alongside Bullet Club Gold.
The ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions have not appeared live since parting ways with Bang Bang Scissor Gang and attacking Billy Gunn. This situation is blamed on Visa issues, a typical problem with foreign talent as they attempt to navigate red tape.
“Switchblade” Jay White is currently unable to work in Canada due to visa issues. He is expected to return to action once the company resumes running shows in the United States.
What’s Next For Jay White
They are still hyping the feud between Bullet Club Gold against The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn. AEW will likely take care of that rivalry once Jay White is able to make his return.
As of this writing, Jay White does not have a match booked for AEW Dynasty on April 21. They have plenty of time before the St. Louis show goes down, so we will have to see how they work him into things.
SEScoops will have more on this story, and so many more, in the pro wrestling world. Please keep checking back throughout the day for more headlines!
AEW has a few stables going, but they don’t have as many as they used to. Now, after their Big Business Dynamite, it is apparent that they have one less faction on their roster, but the war is not over.
The Bang Bang Scissor Gang joined up as Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, and Billy Gunn joined Bullet Club Gold. Now, they are no longer together after Jay White betrayed the former AEW Trios Champions.
Bang Bang Scissor Gang Breakup
AEW recently disbanded the Bang Bang Scissor Gang, a stable that hadn’t been around for long, to set up a feud between its former members. The dissolution of the group was evident on the March 13 episode of AEW Dynamite when Jay White won a singles match against Darby Allin.
Following the match, White attempted to inflict more damage on Allin, prompting The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn to rush to the ring to intervene. This did not set too well with Switchblade.
Initially, White appeared to back off, allowing Caster and Bowens to assist Allin out of the ring. However, when Caster and Bowens left the ring, White suddenly attacked Billy Gunn with a chair, surprising the Boston fans in a big way.
Despite Caster and Bowens’ attempts to intervene, they were overpowered by Colten and Austin Gunn. This caused a beatdown for the babyfaces.
Bullet Club Gold is showing their true colors tonight!
The dramatic turn of events marked the end of the Bang Bang Scissor Gang’s run. The trio had joined forces on the January 20 episode of Collision. Currently, The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn still hold the AEW World Trios Championship, while Jay White & The Gunns retain the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team titles.
SEScoops will have more on this story as additional updates are made available. Odds are, fans have not heard the last of this story at all. The Acclaimed will not likely go after the Bullet Club Gold stable to turned on them.
Darby Allin walked into the AEW Revolution press conference not knowing that he already had a match lined up at Big Business in Boston on March 13.
Before Allin and Sting made an unexpected appearance at the Revolution media scrum, Tony Khan revealed that he already had plans in place for the daredevil Darby.
First, Khan made it known that the AEW World Tag Team Championships would now be vacated after Sting and Darby defeated The Young Bucks to retain the gold and that a tournament would be held to determine the new champions.
Secondly, Tony Khan then made it known that Darby Allin would be a big match at Big Business as he’ll take on Switchblade Jay White in singles action.
Much to Tony Khan’s surprise, it was almost immediately after when Sting and Darby Allin showed up at the scrum. Tony told Darby that he just revealed his upcoming match, but Darby Allin had no clue who his opponent was. Sting and Allin addressed the media for about 15 minutes until Khan dropped the news to Allin that he’d be facing White. Despite having a stitched-up bloody back due to the insane ladder and glass spot, Allin was still eager to go one-on-one with Jay White.
Allin mentioned how he purposefully showed up to the scrum to show everyone that he was okay and doing fine after the insane bump he took. Sting jokingly noted that took his fair share of table crashes in his last match too, but showed appreciation to The Young Bucks and Darby Allin for the effort everyone gave.
With the round-robin format, there have been plenty of matches from the AEW Continental Classic, which fans will have no trouble finding. On YouTube, the AEW account has created a playlist of every match from the tournament in the order they took place. The playlist starts with the kick-off match between Swerve Strickland and Jay Lethal.
The final two videos are from this week’s Dynamite and see Jon Moxley Vs. Swerve Strickland Vs. Jay White in the Gold League finals and Eddie Kingston Vs. Bryan Danielson in the Blue League finals. The playlist also features weekly updates of the rankings as well as promos and segments connected to the Continental Classic.
Jay White became a free agent on February 28, and his wrestling future remains a mystery following reports he could be heading to WWE.
At NJPW’s The New Beginning event in Osaka, White lost a “Loser Leaves Japan” match to Hikuleo before losing to AEW’s Eddie Kingston at the Battle in the Valley pay-per-view event.
In January, there had been reports that stated AEW and WWE were interested in signing the top star. WWE felt they had a better chance of signing him. Since then, there has been speculation that he could show up at WrestleMania 39 in April or make his debut by showing up on the post-WrestleMania episode of Raw.
The Latest
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that while the circumstances seem to indicate he’s headed to WWE, there has yet to be any confirmation that would back it up.
Meltzer wrote, “If he is going to WWE, it’s not something well known within the company by many because multiple people who normally know haven’t heard his name mentioned.”
Meltzer previously reported that WWE was the favorite to sign White as if he was going to AEW, then NJPW wouldn’t have had him lose two “loser leaves” matches since they have a working relationship.
Longtime Bullet Club head honcho Jay White is officially a free agent.
January and February were not kind to ‘Switchblade’ in kayfabe. He kicked the year off by losing the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship back to long-running nemesis Kazuchika Okada. Then, at The New Beginning in Osaka, White was defeated by Hikuleo in a loser leaves Japan bout.
As if all that wasn’t enough, White’s loss to Eddie Kingston at Battle in the Valley had a loser leaves NJPW stipulation attached. To add both insult and injury to the matter, White’s post-match moment with the crowd was scuppered when David Finlay bludgeoned him with a shillelagh.
Now, the downfall of White story arc appears to be the conclusion for ‘Switchblade’s long run in NJPW. A recent tweet from Super-J Cast confirmed that his New Japan contract has expired and he is officially done with the company.
Per sources, Jay White’s contract with NJPW has expired and he is set to leave the company.
Despite appearing on AEW multiple times last year, rumors are pointing towards ‘Switchblade’ heading over to WWE.
A natural villain, White’s smarmy promos, over-the-top character work, and heel psychology would likely fit well in WWE. While he’s drawn some comparisons to Seth Rollins in recent years, White is a grittier, more grounded character, portraying a sociopathic ringmaster out to win by hook or by crook.
Interestingly, the official WWE on BT Sport Twitter account teased a Jay White appearance in the Royal Rumble. While that never materialized, the fact he’s getting name-dropped by official company pages has set the rumor mills ablaze this year.
Should ‘Switchblade’ pop up in WWE this year, he’d likely be a perfect heel foil for popular babyface acts such as Cody Rhodes, Drew McIntyre, and Kevin Owens.
“Nobody in WWE has confirmed Jay White coming in, but they are certainly the favorite. One would think if White was going to AEW, he’d be able to work big shows with New Japan and would continue to do so, but they wouldn’t do the loser leaves for good stipulation.”
Dave Meltzer.
AEW Interest
While WWE is the favorite, they aren’t the only promotion that would benefit from White’s talents.
During a recent interview with the In the Kliq, AEW President and CEO Tony Khan said that he “loved” having White compete as part of last year’s AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door event.
Khan added that he would also love to have White compete for AEW again, or either against AEW in another crossover Supershow.
At New Japan’s “New Beginning”show last weekend in Osaka, Jay White was defeated by Hikuleo in a “Loser Leaves Japan” match. On February 18, White was scheduled to face Eddie Kingston.
A few days prior to “Battle in the Valley”, Kingston issued a challenge to his opponent: if Kingston won, White couldn’t compete in any NJPW ring. “The Switchblade” accepted this stipulation and added one of his own. If he defeated Kingston, Kingston could never compete in New Japan or against any New Japan talent again.
After a hard-hitting affair, Kingston hit White with a Northern Lights Driver and pinned him. “The Mad King” left the ring and motioned for his music to be cut (it wasn’t) and tried to get the fans to start a “Thank you Jay” chant. As he was about to address the crowd, White was laid out by David Finlay. Finlay said “Fuck your era!” and said he was coming for everything White had.
As 'Thank you @JayWhiteNZ' chants ring through the San Jose Civic
White started in the NJPW dojo in 2015. After Gedo turned on Kazuchika Okda four years ago, they pushed White to the moon. He is a Grand Slam champion, holding the IWGP United States Championship, IWGP Intercontinental Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NEVER Openweight Championship, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Of course, he also single-handedly sold out both Madison Square Garden and the United Center.
Where does a wrestler of this caliber go? WWE has interest in “The Last Rock and Roller”. While they are confident that they could land him, “that is hardly guaranteed at this point in time” according to Fightful.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, White stated “So much is possible. Impact, AEW, WWE—we’ll see.”
Should the leader of the Bullet Club head to AEW, he could continue his feud with Kingston. In IMPACT, he could reunite with Bullet Club brethren, Ace Austin and Chris Bey. KENTA is also in the IMPACT Zone from time to time.
New Japan Pro Wrestling held its event, Battle in the Valley, on Feb. 18 at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California.
One of the featured matches was IWGP Women’s Champion Kairi defending her title against Mercedes Monè. The event marked Monè’s first wrestling match since leaving the WWE. Another match on the card was Jay White vs. Eddie Kingston in a Loser Leaves NJPW match. It’s rumored that White could leave the company when his contract expires.
NJPW: Battle in the Valley aired live on FITE TV for $19.99 at 10 PM ET/ 7 PM PT. Fans who missed the event can watch it on replay with an NJPW World subscription.
NJPW Battle In The Valley Results
Alex Coughlin def. JR Kratos
David Finlay def. Bobby Fish
Kushida, Volador Jr., Kevin Knight & The DKC def. Máscara Dorada, Josh Alexander, Adrian Quest & Rocky Romero
KENTA def. (C) Fred Rosser- Strong Openweight Championship match
(C) The Motor City Machine Guns(Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) def. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson and Royce Issacs)- Strong Openweight Tag Team Championship match
Eddie Kingston def. Jay White- Loser Leaves NJPW match
Tom Lawler def. Homicide- Filthy Rules Fight match
(C) Zack Sabre Jr def. Clark Connors- NJPW World TV Championship match
Mercedes Monè def. (C) Kairi- IWGP Women’s Championship match
C) Kazuchika Okada def. Hiroshi Tanahashi- IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match
NJPW Battle in The Valley Highlights
Eddie Kingston def. Jay White- Loser Leaves NJPW match
Jay White came up short in the recent Loser Leaves Japan match, and the New Zealand-born wrestler is keeping true to his word.
At NJPW New Beginning in Osaka, White lost to Hikuleo, taking a pinfall defeat to his opponent following a chokeslam.
White had agreed to the stipulation at New Japan’s New Year Sash event the previous month.
Moving Day
According to the latest report from Fightful Select, White is looking to make a “move back” over to the United States.
White joined the NJPW dojo in 2015 and has been with the company ever since, and has held both the IWGP and IWGP World Heavyweight Championships.
While the stipulation said he must leave Japan, there has been speculation that he could remain with New Japan as part of the America-based New Japan Strong.
White will compete for New Japan this weekend at Battle in the Valley, where he will take on AEW’s Eddie Kingston.
WWE Interest
White has proven himself in New Japan for years, so it is hardly surprising that WWE has shown interest in the wrestler.
Fightful’s report adds that WWE felt confident that they could get White to join the company, but now “that hardly is guaranteed at this point” in time.
Different sources in WWE have stated that everything related to the possibility of him coming to WWE is “being kept very quiet.”
Contrary to what some may believe, White’s name was never discussed for the WWE Men’s Royal Rumble match, despite an official WWE tweet teasing his involvement.
NJPW told Fightful that they believe White’s contract will expire sometime between Battle in the Valley (February 18) and WrestleMania 39 (April 1.)
New Japan Pro Wrestling held its event The New Beginning in Osaka, on Feb. 11 at the Edion Arena Osaka in Osaka, Japan.
The event had the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defend his title against Shingo Takagi. Okada’s match also marks the first title defense of his current reign. Another match on the card will have Jay White against Hikuleo in a Loser Leaves Japan match. Both wrestlers are rumored to be leaving NJPW, with the possibility of entering free agency.
The New Beginning in Osaka aired live on NJPW World. Fans can watch the event on video on demand by subscribing to NJPW World for $9.99.
If you would like more results for this week’s events in wrestling, please check back on our results section.
Another New Japan Pro Wrestling talent could be leaving the company soon.
NJPW is dealing with an interesting situation due to several of their talents’ contracts possibly expiring soon. On Jan. 8, reports circulated that one of their current champions could leave in the next few weeks. However, one of NJPW’s top stars could soon leave the company.
Spoiler Warning Ahead on NJPW Free Agent
Fightful Select has reported that the “Switchblade” Jay White contract will end soon, and he’s also not expected to re-sign with NJPW. While it’s unclear where he could end up, WWE is interested in signing White. The company is rumored to be interested in signing other NJPW talent in Tama Tonga and Hikuleo.
“…Switchblade Jay White’s contract is up relatively soon and is expected to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling, per those in the company. Those that we’ve spoken to believe both WWE and All Elite Wrestling are interested in getting the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, however, WWE sources seemed confident they would land him,” said the report.
While they report that White is expected to leave, it adds that it’s not official and that no wrestling company could approach White until his contract is finished. The length of his contract has always remained a mystery, as he’s debunked rumors about his contract status.
(WWE)
What’s Next For Jay White?
White will face Hikuleo in a loser leaves Japan match in Osaka, Japan, on Feb. 11. He’s also on the poster for NJPW Battle in the Valley at the San Jose Civic in San Jose, California, on Feb. 18. It doesn’t seem like White could be done in the next month, but his situation could change. It’s unclear exactly when his contract with NJPW could end.
For now, wrestling fans are left to wait to see if one of NJPW’s top stars becomes a free agent.
Six months after their Dominion showdown, Kazuchika Okada has finally gotten the better of Jay White.
Wrestle Kingdom 17 marks Okada’s first win over ‘Switchblade’ in almost four years. In that time, White picked up a 2020 G1 Climax win over ‘The Rainmaker’ as well as taking the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship off of him last year.
Okada vanquished his long-running foil with a Rainmaker at the 33-minute mark of the bout. This marks the second consecutive Wrestle Kingdom closed out with ‘The Rainmaker’ on top. Last year, he won back-to-back main events over then-champion Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay.
Tonight’s match was especially notable for White’s unpleasant, mouth-foaming selling of Okada’s Money clip submission hold. ‘The Rainmaker’ also kicked out of the highly-protected Blade Runner finisher.
Kazuchika Okada victorious at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
Kazuchika Okada’s First Challenger Revealed
Following his win, Kazuchika Okada was confronted by none other than the man he beat at last year’s January 4 event: Shingo Takagi.
Takagi was relegated to the prelims at this year’s Tokyo Dome extravaganza. There, he was one of the winners of the annual New Japan Ranbo. The KOPW 2022 Champion ultimately made his presence felt on the main card when he confronted the new champ after the main event.
The popular Los Ingobernables de Japon member made clear his intention to regain the gold he lost to Okada last year.
Wrestle Kingdom 17 then rounded out on a fitting tribute to the late Antonio Inoki. The founder of NJPW, Inoki passed away in October last year. This year’s Tokyo Dome show, and particularly its main event, marked the promotion’s tribute to its original ace. It’s fitting then, that current leading man Kazuchika Okada was the one to close out the show.
Kazuchika Okada has made his thoughts on Jay White abundantly clear ahead of their IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom 17.
At the January 4 event (the first time since 2019 Wrestle Kingdom will be a one-night show) the two will face off in a rematch from their Dominion 6.12 in Osaka-jo Hall collision.
At Dominion, White pinned Okada to win the title in a 36-minute main event to begin his first reign as World Heavyweight Champion.
Embarrassed
Okada earned his rematch against the New Zealand-born wrestler with a victory in the G1 Climax, becoming a four-time winner and a back-to-back winner.
Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Okada spoke about White and his attitude as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
“I find Jay White’s attitude embarrassing, to be honest. It’s a disgrace to have him representing New Japan Pro-Wrestling as our top champion, and that’s why I have to show just how great an Okada title match is at the Tokyo Dome—and to end that era of his.”
Kazuchika Okada.
Okada added that he will have his work cut out for him, as White has emerged victorious in four of their last five matches.
Forbidden Door
Okada’s most recent title opportunity against White came at the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door crossover event in June of this year.
That match also saw Adam Cole and ‘Hangman’ Adam Page involved but it was White who won the fatal four-way.
Speaking about his relationship with AEW, Okada had plenty of praise for Tony Khan’s first foray into wrestling.
“There are places where they win out over NJPW, and areas where New Japan is superior as well. I think both sides came away with something to learn and work on, and I’d love to have another event with those lessons learned.”
Okada also expressed his hope that the next Forbidden Door event will happen in his homeland.
“Last time was in the U.S., so let’s have it in Japan next time.”
Kazuchika Okada.
While Okada hopes for a Japan show, Tony Khan has ruled out any future Forbidden Door shows going outside North America.
The main event is set for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year.
NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17 is scheduled for Wednesday, January 4, 2023 from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. New Japan’s flagship show returns to a single-night format after several years of taking place over 2 nights.
As expected, the main event of WK17 will see IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White defending against Kazuchika Okada, winner of the G1 CLIMAX 32 tournament.
Wrestle Kingdom 17 will be dedicated to Japanese wrestling legend Antonio Inoki, who passed away last week.
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
The bout was made official during the closing segment of Monday’s NJPW Declaration of Power, where White successfully defended his title against Tama Tonga. During a post-match promo, Okada came out and had a stare-down in the ring.
Okada is considered one of the greatest wrestlers of this generation, but some will consider him an underdog going into this bout. The Rainmaker holds a 1-4 record against Switchblade in their five battles.
Jay White has been pulled from upcoming New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) events.
NJPW made an official announcement, revealing that White has been removed from the promotion’s upcoming shows on August 9 and 10. White is apparently suffering from “heat stroke like symptoms” and his removal is a precautionary matter.
“Jay White, who was scheduled to wrestle in Hiroshima Sun Plaza Hall this evening, has been affected by heat stroke like symptoms and as a result will be removed from August 9 and 10 cards due to an abundance of caution.
“As an additional precautionary measure, White has undertaken COVID antigen testing, which has returned negative.
“We apologise to fans who were looking forward to seeing White wrestle, and appreciate your understanding.”
White has been competing for NJPW for the past several years, making a name for himself as the head of The Bullet Club. He currently reigns as the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.
(WWE)
He’s also won several other titles during his time with NJPW; including the IWGP Heavyweight Title, IWGP United States Heavyweight Title, and many more. White recently began making appearances for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) back in February.
He was able to retain his IWGP World Heavyweight Title at the AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view (PPV) in June.
Jay White had the deck stacked against him in storyline when he defended the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada, Hangman Adam Page, and Adam Cole in a fatal 4-way bout at the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event.
The match saw White and Cole work together early. Page went for a moonsault, but Cole kicked him in the face. Okada with a crossbody over the barricade to Cole and White. Page missed the buckshot lariat then hit dead eye to White then hit the buckshot for 2 as Okada broke it up. Okada with an elbow drop to Cole off the top rope. Cole with superkicks to Okada and Page. White pinned Cole in a clunky finish as Cole avoided the rainmaker by Okada and fell down. Post-match, the medical staff checked on Cole.
White became the champion when he beat Okada at the NJPW Dominion event earlier this month. White originally won the IWGP Heavyweight Title in 2019 from Hiroshi Tanahashi and held it for 54 days before losing it to Okada.
On the June 22 episode of Dynamite, Page worked a match against Silas Young with Cole on commentary. White interrupted and said that he would not be defending the title against Cole or Page. Both Page and White attacked Page. Cole seemingly considered attacking White, then Okada ran in to make the surprise save for Page.
What are your thoughts on Jay White retaining the World Heavyweight Title? Was this the right call by AEW officials? Sound off in the comment section.
Jay White is reportedly done with IMPACT Wrestling.
PWInsider reports that White has finished up with the promotion. It’s said that, due to his busy schedule with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), there’s no way to use White consistently on IMPACT TV.
This is similar to the reason why Jonah departed from IMPACT as well. IMPACT would reportedly love to have White back when they can, however, he doesn’t have anything scheduled for them at the moment, and isn’t expected to any time soon.
White joins other names, such as W. Morrisey, aka the former Big Cass in WWE, to have recently left IMPACT. White was brought into IMPACT last July as part of the promotion’s working agreement with NJPW.
He confronted Kenny Omega, Don Callis, Doc Gallows, and Karl Anderson at Slammiversary. White then teamed up with Chris Bey and eventually recruited him into The Bullet Club.
White’s last IMPACT matchup took place on March 15 at the IMPACT TV tapings, where he worked a tag team match alongside Bey, against The Briscoes (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe).
Now back in Japan, White actually worked today’s Best of the Super Juniors Finals. He and Doc Gallows, Gedo, and Taiji Ishimori were defeated by Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano, Jado & Tama Tonga.
He’s currently slated to challenge IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada for the World Title at NJPW Dominion on June 12th.
Jay White admits he was a bit surprised by the reaction he received from the AEW audience when he crossed through the ‘forbidden door.’
White has found much success during his time in NJPW. Early in his career, he had strong showings in Ring of Honor. More recently, Jay White has become a mainstay in IMPACT Wrestling. Since the presence of The Bullet Club has increased in IMPACT, White has aided in the presentation of the current version of the faction.
Jay White Talks About His AEW Debut
Jay made his first appearance in AEW on the February 9 episode of AEW Dynamite. White helped out The Elite by attacking Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero in the production lot.
He wrestled his first AEW match the following week on the February 18 episode of AEW Rampage. He would go on to defeat Trent Beretta.
White appeared on Busted Open Radio, and talked about the reaction to his unexpected, unannounced AEW appearance. The Bullet Club leader said, “It did a little bit. It doesn’t surprise me in the sense that, I know my own worth, but it did in the sense that I had no idea what the reaction would be to a bigger, more mainstream audience. Whether they love me from the start or not, that doesn’t bother me because I know over time people are going to realize my ability, that’s how it’s been from the start.”
He continued, “When I back to New Japan, people thought I was put in a position I shouldn’t have been, people can argue about that all day, but what you can’t argue is that where I’m at now, I was right about that. In terms of that reaction, it was a little surprise, but in a good way. I had nothing to go off in terms of gauging what an audience that size whether they would know me or how they would feel about it.”
We have not seen Jay White appear in AEW since he defeated Trent.
IMPACT Sacrifice
White is scheduled to take on Alex Shelley at IMPACT Sacrifice.
IMPACT Sacrifice Matches
Countdown to Sacrifice: Rich Swann & Willie Mack vs. The OGK (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven)
Countdown to Sacrifice: Lady Frost vs. Gisele Shaw
Jay White vs. Alex Shelley
IMPACT Knockouts Tag Team Championship: The IInspiration (Cassie Lee & Jessica McKay) (c) vs. The Influence (Tenille Dashwood & Madison Rayne)
IMPACT X-Division Championship: Trey Miguel (c) vs. Jake Something
Rhino vs. Eddie Edwards
IMPACT World Championship: Moose (c) vs. Heath
JONAH vs. PCO
IMPACT Tag Team Championship: The Good Brothers (c) vs. Violent By Design
IMPACT Knockouts Championship: Mickie James (c) vs. Tasha Steelz
Open Challenge for either the AAA Reina de Reinas Championship or the ROH Women’s World Championship: Deonna Purrazzo (c) vs. TBA
