NJPW: 3 dream matches for Jon Moxley in New Japan

It’s official – Jon Moxley will debut on June 5th in Ryogoku on the final night of the Best of the Super Juniors. Juice Robinson and the IWGP US Title may be in his sights for now, but what else could be in store for Moxley once he steps foot in New Japan?

For weeks, a mysterious video has plagued Juice Robinson. Playing to live audiences after his matches, the short clip featured an unknown person sitting at a bar drinking with fellow patrons. After carving an hourglass into the bar top, the individual leaves with a broken bottle in one hand and a knife in the other.

Before wrapping up, the words “Time’s Up” display on the screen before revealing a date of June 5, 2019. With the target of the video being Robinson, questions began to circulate as to who could be behind the videos. A returning David Finlay? A debuting Chris Brookes? Someone else entirely?

It didn’t seem as though anyone had Jon Moxley pegged as a serious contender for the spot.

On May 26 in Chiba, Robinson finally had enough. After seeing the video once more while on commentary, he claimed to have an idea of who was behind the videos before hastily leaving his post prior to the main event. A clearly frustrated Robinson had enough of almost a full month of teases leading up to June 5th.

Now, just days after Moxley made his massive debut at AEW’s Double Or Nothing, it has been revealed that the previously nameless figure in the videos taunting Robinson was, in fact, Jon Moxley.

Many were unsure of what Moxley’s future would be after departing WWE. Would he take some time off to recharge before returning to the ring? Would he retire completely?

Moxley has responded with an emphatic “NO” by staking his claim in two of the biggest wrestling companies in the world over the span of a long weekend.

The question then turns to what Moxley will do with his time in New Japan and who else will be on his radar. It’s easy to pick out some dream matches when a new face arrives in NJPW. Of course, it’d be fun to see Moxley get in the ring with Tanahashi and Okada, so we’ll skip those speculative bouts for now.

Let’s dive a little deeper and discuss 3 matches that may not come to everybody’s minds immediately but probably should.