The “Forbidden Door” is once again being kicked wide open. A legend of the industry against one, if not the hottest wrestler in the business as we speak. They will battle it out for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. The war of the words has been kicked to high gear. As May 12th inches closer, the time for talking is just about up. These two will inflict unimaginable damage to one another and will do whatever it takes to assert dominance and hoist up the gold at the end of the night. This is a can’t-miss dream match of epic proportions for both fans of All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. The present and future star heads toward a collision course against a living legend of this business. Wednesday is the day and AEW is the place for this momentous battle. Let’s take a deeper look at how this colossal matchup been titleholder Jon Moxley and challenger Yuji Nagata came to be.
NJPWSTRONGご視聴頂きましてありがとうございました。
皆様に一つ質問があります。
今回新調したガウンですが、いかがだったでしょうか？#NJPWSTRONG#永田裕志#ニューガウン#新日本プロレス pic.twitter.com/3aBM3mmk9q— 永田裕志 (@nagata769) May 8, 2021
Blue Justice: Yuji Nagata
Yuji Nagata is a true icon of not only Japanese wrestling but wrestling as a whole. He has succeeded at every level he has competed in and competed at a high level for decades. Nagata has accolades that you could hold up against the best of them. He is a two-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, holding the title for a combined total of 570 days across two title reigns, making him one of the longest-reigning champions in the title’s illustrious lineage. Additionally, he has won the G1 Climax in 2001 as well as the IWGP Tag Team Championship and NEVER Openweight Championship just to list a few of his accomplishments. He is one of the most dangerous men ever to step into the squared circle. Nagata’s bread and butter is his ruthlessness and submission ability, not to mention his lethal takedowns due to his amateur wrestling background. This no-nonsense style led him to numerous championships.
“Blue Justice” is second to none to most wrestlers and a true master of the game. It didn’t matter if he was an excursion to the United States to battle a fellow legend in Ultimo Dragon on the grand stage of World Championship Wrestling or trying his hand in another environment of All Japan Pro Wrestling. Nagata has, without a shadow of a doubt, succeeded.
Nagata has seen it all and done it all. He’s not about to let, in his own words, a “snot-nosed punk” call him out like that. To Nagata, crimes like that don’t go unnoticed or unpunished. This man demands respect and will do whatever it takes to get it. Yuji Nagata is 53 years old, trains every day, and claims that he wants to wrestle until the ripe old age of 70. Nagata is not slowing down anytime soon and Mox might be in for a rude awakening come Wednesday night.
The Death Rider: Jon Moxley
Since defecting from the company in Stamford, Jon Moxley has been the hottest commodity in the landscape of professional wrestling. He has gone anywhere and everywhere. He fought everyone he wanted to and, for the most part, came out on top each time. Moxley has proven he is the paradigm shift that this industry needed to kick start another boom period for the business. He’s a former AEW World Champion as well as the current IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Being the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion means much to Mox and he has fought and beaten any challenger who came his way.
Moxley is not afraid of anyone and now he is here to take on a new challenge head-on. “The Death Rider” is out to slay a legend in his quest to becoming the best, cementing his already prestigious name in the annals of professional wrestling lore. He laid down the challenge and did not like how his challenger responded. Which added more fuel to the fire. But nonetheless, Mox is in a fighting mood come AEW Dynamite. Nagata might be one of the best ever, but he will go up against the best wrestler in the world right now. The legend will be in for the fight of his life. Knowing Moxley, he does not care who stands in his way and he is out to defeat and victimize another opponent who dares stand toe to toe with him.
#AEWDynamite Wed, May 12, 2021 LIVE @dailysplace, #YujiNagata returns to @tntdrama for the 1st time in nearly 23 years to challenge @JonMoxley for the @njpwglobal U.S. Championship.
Tickets are on sale now at https://t.co/UN1cNiJJrQ pic.twitter.com/YYkDluq0ie— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 8, 2021
Past vs. Present: Jon Moxley vs. Yuji Nagata for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
It’s “Blue Justice” vs. “The Death Rider” for the first time ever one on one. Yuji Nagata will be making his return to the TNT Network, last appearing on WCW television almost 23 years ago. Nagata has never held the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship and he wants to pry away the gold from Moxley by any means necessary. Some might see this as the legend’s swan song; his last shot at glory before riding off into the sunset. For Nagata, this title is not a token. It’s hardware to add to his already impressive collection of accolades he has accumulated through the years, as evidenced by the events of the previous edition of NJPW Strong.
Nagata made a statement in a big way by locking Moxley in the Nagata Lock after their tag team match, teaming with Ren Narita against Moxley and Chris Dickinson. It took over five men to pry Nagata off Moxley and break the devastating hold. It just goes to show that someone could extend their prime when everybody is expecting them to be at the tail end of their journey.
“The Death Rider” will not take this laying down. He has been through adversity once before and this isn’t any different. Animosity and unpredictability are what fuels the champion and he is not about to back down from any conflict. He thrives in these kinds of situations. Moxley may be down, but you can bet your bottom dollar he is not out. Will Yuji Nagata claim another notch on his belt and add to his already legendary resume or will Jon Moxley once again prove why he is indeed the best this business has to offer? Find out this Wednesday on a wild episode of AEW Dynamite.
Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TNT and AEW Dark: Elevation (Monday nights) and AEW: Dark (Tuesday nights) at 7 PM ET on YouTube.
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