Jeff Cobb Pulled From Upcoming NJPW Shows

New Japan Pro-Wrestling is currently touring in New Zealand and Australia with its TAMASHII brand, but it appears one prominent talent has had to bow out of several scheduled shows over the next few days. The company announced today that Jeff Cobb will no longer be present for the company's November 11 show in Cristchurch, New Zealand, or November 13 in Sydney, Australia, citing "personal reasons" as the cause of his absence.

NJPW's TAMASHII brand was introduced back in September, and focuses on bringing some of the company's major talent to Australia and New Zealand while also showcasing some of the top stars from that region, similar to the way NJPW Strong operates in the United States. NJPW stars still slated to appear on the tour include KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, Aaron Solo, and more.

While Cobb reportedly had interest from both WWE and AEW during his time as a free agent, he signed a contract with NJPW back in 2020. Since then, and even before signing with NJPW, Cobb has held a prominent position in the company; he's competed in the G1 Climax tournament for four consecutive years, competed in the New Japan Cup, and has become a member of the United Empire faction led by fellow NJPW star Will Ospreay.

It's currently unclear what personal issues have forced Cobb to drop from the upcoming shows, but with only two dates canceled as a part of the announcement, it seems likely that Cobb will return to action for the company soon.