{"id":11331,"date":"2017-12-28T11:20:25","date_gmt":"2017-12-28T16:20:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=11331"},"modified":"2017-12-30T11:33:58","modified_gmt":"2017-12-30T16:33:58","slug":"switchblade-jay-white-njpw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2017\/12\/28\/switchblade-jay-white-njpw\/","title":{"rendered":"#NewJapanWeek Switchblade: Jay White is NJPW&#8217;s Next Breakout Star"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SWITCHBLADE is JAY WHITE\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Wbh6bN5lpI4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Jay<\/strong> <strong>White<\/strong> receives the biggest match of his career on January 4 when he challenges <strong>Hiroshi<\/strong> <strong>Tanahashi<\/strong> for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at <em><strong>Wrestle Kingdom 12.<\/strong><\/em> 2017 was a turning point for White after going on excursion from <strong>New<\/strong> <strong>Japan<\/strong> <strong>Pro<\/strong> <strong>Wrestling<\/strong> in June of 2016. The world got to see what the man from New Zealand had to offer outside of being a Young Lion. The fire and intensity shown this year set up the persona change into \u201c<strong>Switchblade<\/strong>.\u201d Hiroshi Tanahashi defended his championship against Kota Ibushi at <em><strong>NJPW Power Struggle<\/strong><\/em> and that\u2019s when White showed his true colors, emerging in a leather jacket on his return and leaving \u201cThe Ace\u201d on his back in the ring. If there\u2019s one thing White needed to work on was developing his character and now that he\u2019s done that, he needs to really deliver in the ring in a big match.<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CfVcpM5g8qg<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ring<\/strong> <strong>Of<\/strong> <strong>Honor<\/strong> <strong>Wrestling<\/strong> and <strong>Rev<\/strong> <strong>Pro<\/strong> in the UK presented the best of Jay White this year, including a thrilling match on Pay Per View with <strong>Will<\/strong> <strong>Ospreay<\/strong> at ROH War Of The Worlds in May. NJPW officials must have really opened their eyes to the obvious experience and momentum gained from excellent matches with <strong>Jay<\/strong> <strong>Briscoe<\/strong>, <strong>Punishment<\/strong> <strong>Martinez<\/strong>, <strong>Adam<\/strong> <strong>Cole<\/strong> and <strong>Christopher<\/strong> <strong>Daniels<\/strong> because now the weight is all on the shoulders of \u201cSwitchblade.\u201d White went undefeated in Rev Pro, even defeating fellow Kiwi competitor Travis Banks. The Blade Runner (a swinging STO) is a major new key in the arsenal that could be hit suddenly at any time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11379\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11379\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11379\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/12\/jay-white-switchblade-1024x767.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11379\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: NJPW<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Social media has been a fantastic way for wrestlers to promote themselves and White has done just that after already sending a message to the IWGP Intercontinental champion. White&#8217;s character is cryptic so far but his silent-but-deadly approach says more than a long promo ever could. White posted himself standing over Tanahashi with the Championships with the caption: Do you feel like a champion? This is a match Tanahashi could retain because nothing great in life is predictable but the torch looks to be passed here for the fate of NJPW\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_11378\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-11378\" style=\"width: 500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11378\" src=\"https:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2017\/12\/8a9fd58b5edb540e6b0975bdc9ef6ef2-e1514477735697.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-11378\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">As a Young Lion, early in his New Japan career (Photo: NJPW)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>At 198 pounds and only 24 years old, the future is bright but the future is also now for the man that was a Young Lion just 2 years ago. White has blown past fellow Young Lion\u00a0<strong>David<\/strong> <strong>Finlay<\/strong> as the future top star, now it\u2019s his time to pull the trigger. After being signed to NJPW in 2014, White had a somewhat bland look and ring-style but he has improved so much in between the ropes that he may hold the second most prestigious title in NJPW at the biggest show of the year. Future title defenses against <strong>Trent<\/strong> <strong>Baretta<\/strong>, <strong>Kota<\/strong> <strong>Ibushi<\/strong> and <strong>Tomohiro<\/strong> <strong>Ishii<\/strong> would be main event caliber matches and would go a long way to establishing a new future \u201cAce\u201d of the company. Jay White has never won a championship to date in his 5 year career.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Do you feel like a Champion? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UuwVHabTgN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/UuwVHabTgN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Switchblade Jay White (@JayWhiteNZ) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JayWhiteNZ\/status\/942924520850993152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">December 19, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Miss a day of <strong>#NewJapanWeek<\/strong>? You can catch up below!<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h5>12.22.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/22\/new-japan-week-preview-history-njpw\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Preview: The History of NJPW<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.25.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/25\/wrestle-kingdom-12-preview-1-4-18\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Preview: Wrestle Kingdom 12 (1\/4\/2018)<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.26.2017:<strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/26\/tetsuya-naito-stardust-genius-to-ingobernable\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tetsuya Naito: Stardust Champion to Ingobernable<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.27.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/27\/newjapanweek-the-record-breaker-kazuchika-okada\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Record Breaker: Kazuchika Okada<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.27.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/27\/newjapanweek-lionheart-chris-jerichos-return-to-japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lionheart: Chris Jericho&#8217;s Return to Japan<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.27.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/27\/newjapanweek-takeshi-puroresu-gundan-last-laugh\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Takeshi Puroresu Gundan and The Last Laugh<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.28.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/28\/switchblade-jay-white-njpw\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Switchblade: Jay White is NJPW&#8217;s Next Breakout Star<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.28.2017:<strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/28\/newjapanweek-ace-under-pressure-hiroshi-tanahashi\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ace Under Pressure: Hiroshi Tanahashi<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.29.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/29\/is-katsuya-kitamura-the-new-future-or-the-exception\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Katsuya Kitamura: The Future of New Japan<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.29.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/29\/kenny-omega-from-golden-lover-to-bullet-club-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kenny Omega: From Golden Love to Being The Elite<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.30.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/30\/njpw-young-lions\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lion&#8217;s Gate: The Young Lions of NJPW<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>12.30.2017: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/30\/gang-warfare-los-ingobernables-de-japon\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gang Warfare: Los Ingobernables de Japon<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<h5>BONUS: <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2017\/12\/20\/jericho-vs-naito-next-list\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Could Jericho vs. Naito Be Next on The List?<\/a><\/strong><\/h5>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jay White receives the biggest match of his career on January 4 when he challenges Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP Intercontinental Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12. 2017 was a turning point for White after going on excursion from New Japan Pro Wrestling in June of 2016. The world got to see what the man from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2001,"featured_media":11380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,13,14],"tags":[84,236,1699,1029,560,181,170,385,631,1293,1773,1889,628,1134,101,1673],"class_list":["post-11331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-international","category-njpw","tag-adam-cole","tag-christopher-daniels","tag-david-finlay","tag-hiroshi-tanahashi","tag-jay-briscoe","tag-jay-white","tag-kota-ibushi","tag-new-japan-pro-wrestling","tag-punishment-martinez","tag-rev-pro","tag-ring-of-honor-wrestling","tag-switchblade","tag-tomohiro-ishii","tag-trent-baretta","tag-will-ospreay","tag-wrestle-kingdom-12"],"modified_by":"Jamie Greer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2001"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}