New Japan: KENTA must defeat Jon Moxley

KENTA has become the top contender to Jon Moxley’s title and it is time for someone else to hold IWGP US title

One of the more interesting reemergence to watch of late is that of KENTA. Since leaving last year, KENTA has returned to New Japan and been a stalwart in that organization. His current run has him sitting as the number one contender to the IWGP United States title currently held by Jon Moxley. With looking at the current state of both New Japan and All Elite Wrestling, it is time for Moxley to drop that United States title and KENTA is the one to get the job done.

During the last few years New Japan has consistently looked for a way to expand into North America, mainly the United States. Television deals with Axis TV and opening dojos on the West Coast were the first steps in those developments. Unfortunately, the current state of the world in a global pandemic has limited this expansion. But New Japan knows that there will be a time when they can pursue that goal once again. Having a champion on top that American fans will recognize will help with this process and that is an area where KENTA helps.

The North American fanbase that is already interested in New Japan follows the promotion closely. They are the group that stays up or wakes up early in the morning to watch their events throughout the year. They are the same people that were excited when KENTA was signed to WWE back in 2014 and upset with the lackadaisical run he had with the promotion. With the good booking that he is seeing in New Japan today with the audience that wants to see him used in such a way, there is a strong opportunity for New Japan to hitch their North American expansion to his back.

Taking that title from Jon Moxley

But he must get the belt off Moxley. The former Dean Ambrose is running the show in AEW where he is the promotion’s world champion. He is well-booked, and it is hard to see a situation in which he would lose a match during this current run. There is no telling when he will be able to step back into the New Japan ring as well. In some ways, he could be “stripped” of the title, setting up a go-to match in the future, but New Japan would have already stripped him at this point. It is clear they are looking for the opportunity to get him back in their ring to put over someone that is on their roster.

If there’s any concern about Moxley taking a clean loss, KENTA has the Bullet Club in his corner and they are always down to cause some shenanigans.

KENTA is coming off his New Japan Cup tournament victory. He went through Karl Fredericks, Jeff Cobb, and David Finlay in the final, making him the top contender to Moxley’s title. At the end of Friday’s show, it was clear that Cobb and KENTA have unfinished business, but most should expect KENTA to keep that briefcase in his grasp.

New Japan is ready to push into the North American market to show wrestling fans here that their content is just as good, if not better than what is offered by the top two promotions in this country. KENTA could be the man to help push for that development and to get there he must take that IWGP United States title from Moxley.