NJPW’s Clark Connors Comments On Possible Jump To WWE

Clark Connors has been one of the fastest rising stars in New Japan Pro Wrestling over the past few years, and after his impromptu performance in the AEW All-Atlantic Championship match at AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door, fans can't help but wonder if the Cowboy will ever show up in WWE.

Speaking on "Talk Is Jericho," Connors said he grew up on WWE, so the thought of signing with them has been in the back of his mind, but for now he is happy with the way that New Japan has treated him. He wants to earn as money as possible and ultimately be the best wrestler that he can be.

Connors also said that he saw Forbidden Door as his opportunity to show American audiences that he is no longer a "young lion" — a reference to his time training in New Japan's Los Angeles dojo under the tutelage of Katsuyori Shibata. Connors faced Miro, PAC, and Malakai Black at Forbidden Door to determine the inaugural All-Atlantic Champion. Tomohiro Ishii was slated to be the original fourth man in the contest, but he suffered a knee injury and wasn't able to compete, leading to Connors being announced as his replacement. Connors put up a solid fight against the other men, but would be forced to tap out after PAC locked in his signature submission hold, the Brutalizer.

Connors has been with New Japan since 2018, starting in the dojo in Los Angeles. He would make his in-ring debut in September of that year, defeating Alex Coughlin in a dark match at NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Long Beach, California He would also compete in the Super-J Cup, placing second in 2019, and go on to win the Lion's Break Crown in 2020, after the pandemic hit.