WWE NXT Talent To Challenge For AJPW Triple Crown Championship In January

By Max Everett
Triple Crown Champion Katsuhiko Nakajima posing Katsuhiko Nakajima/X, formerly known as Twitter

WWE will send an "NXT" star to battle for All Japan Pro Wrestling's prestigious Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship in January. AJPW has been teasing a mystery challenger for the Triple Crown Title at the New Year Giant Series event in January, and in a clip posted to its X, formerly known as Twitter, account, it was confirmed that the wrestler will hail from WWE's "NXT" brand. The video features AJPW President Tsuyoki Fukuda on the phone with a WWE representative to make the request, but the challenger's identity wasn't revealed. 

"You have [a] good superstar for us? What? Submission assassin? Killer catch style? Great. Thank you, thank you, my pleasure. [I] appreciate your support this time. Please say thanks to your boss in WWE," said Fukuda.

There are a number of would-be suitors on WWE's "NXT" roster. The likes of Ilja Dragunov or Tyler Bate could fit the billing of a catch-style wrestler and a potentially worthy challenger for the title once held by the Stan Hansen and Kenta Kobashi. Katsuhiko Nakajima is the current champion, but he will have to fend off Kento Miyahara ahead of New Year Giant Series at AJPW's December 31 event. Nakajima won the title in November from Yuma Aoyagi. New Year Giant Series will take place at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo. This won't be the first time WWE has worked with a Japanese promotion under Paul "Triple H" Levesque's leadership. Earlier this year, Shinsuke Nakamura wrestled The Great Muta — Keiji Mutoh — in his final match for Pro Wrestling NOAH. The Great Muta was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

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