Lio Rush Challenges NJPW Star To Championship Match

New Japan Pro-Wrestling held their New Beginning in Osaka event on February 11, and it was an eventful night when all was said and done. Hikuleo beat Jay White in a "Loser Leaves Japan" match, while Kazuchika Okada successfully defended the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Shingo Takagi in the main event. Lio Rush also returned to storylines as he is setting his sights on another championship.

After Los Ingobernables de Japon won an eight-man tag team bout, Rush appeared on the screen to call out IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi. Rush stated that he had waited a long time to face Takahashi and was ready to do what his partner YOH was "unsuccessful in doing" by taking the title from him. Takahashi accepted the challenge but remained paranoid throughout the night that Rush was waiting backstage to ambush him.

No date has been set for the match as of this writing, however it may not take place on February 18 at NJPW's Battle in the Valley event in San Jose, California. 10 matches in total have already been booked, but it could still be added in the coming days. That event will feature Mercedes Moné's NJPW in-ring debut as she challenges KAIRI for the IWGP Women's Championship. The card will also include the likes of Okada, White, Eddie Kingston, Josh Alexander, Motor City Machine Guns, Fred Rosser, and more.

Rush has not competed for NJPW since Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4 when he and YOH came up short in challenging Francesco Akira and TJP for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship. Rush suffered facial injuries in the bout, which put him out of action for a couple of weeks. He has since returned to in-ring competition and most recently took part in GCW's J-Cup tournament.