Jay “Switchblade” White has been known worldwide since his wrestling debut. His in-ring work, along with microphone skills, are some of the best in the business. With White now off the market and headed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), some may have forgotten his incredible work in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW). When it is all said and done, White was one of the greatest wrestlers to come out of NJPW.
Jay White Leaves Legacy Behind in NJPW
He made his pro wrestling debut in September 2013 before attending a 2014 NJPW tryout. Jay White made his NJPW debut on January 30, 2015, losing to Alex Shelley. His work ethic and determination earned him an opportunity and the rest is history. The titles he held, the duration he was there, the feuds, the Bullet Club faction, and the stories he told while there were legendary. He told stories on the mic and in the ring; keeping everyone guessing his next move. The athleticism, the in-ring work, and the way he presented himself were all in part to show the world he was the best and nobody else came close.
Jay White will go down as one of the more successful wrestlers in terms of wrestling outside the United States. He had such a following that it felt like something Hulkamania was in the 1980s and 1990s. He led the Bullet Club after joining them in 2018, not long after turning on his teammates in the CHAOS faction. After a short 2-year hiatus, White rejoined NJPW at Power Struggle, and was then known as “Switchblade”. White had many feuds and memorable matches in NJPW, but some of his best work was against Kenny Omega and Hiroshi Tanahashi. Those matches made Jay White who he is today and why he was the best in NJPW. His legacy there will carry on because he had such a hold on the fans, and they are interested in him.
Feuds and work ethic led to White holding many titles while in NJPW. The titles held were the the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, IWGP Intercontinental Championship, NEVER Openweight Championship, and the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. White was the fifth NJPW Triple Crown Champion and the first NJPW Grand Slam Champion.
Jay White lost a loser-leaves-town match to Hikuleo. White then followed that up by wrestling his last match in NJPW, a loss to Eddie Kingston at the Battle of the Valley, officially ending his run in the NJPW promotion. Since then, White has had stints in Ring of Honor (ROH), Impact Wrestling, Revolution Pro Wrestling, and AEW, where he recently signed a contract. White was one of the best in NJPW, but now he finds a new home in AEW, where he will be just as successful.
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