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The wrestling world is still talking about Wednesday night's episodeof AEW Dynamite, where New Japan Pro-Wrestling's KENTA made a surprise appearance and attacked IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley. In a recent interview, Rocky Romero explained that the collaboration between the two companies stems from Moxley.
Romero is one of the most well-known figures in NJPW, both in the ring and behind the scenes. He's an eight-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion. He also has a lot of influence backstage with New Japan. Jon Moxley is a top star with AEW, and he is the reignng IWGP United States Champion, but the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented him from defending it.
As the relationship between AEW and New Japan begins, Rocky Romero sat down with the Wrestling Perspective Podcast to talk about how this teamwork happened. Romero stated that Jon Moxley is the main reason for the crossover.
"The idea of the whole thing, it really goes down to KENTA and Moxley, and how Moxley is basically the centrepiece of all this. He really is. As much as you want to say Kenny [Omega] is, but I really feel like Mox is because IMPACT even coming to AEW was to work with Moxley. Obviously, alongside Kenny. Then KENTA coming to AEW, showing up on Dynamite, really for one reason and one reason only, and that because Moxley is the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion.
This thing kind of got put together, you know, we got the okay from Moxley to come to New Japan Strong which is every Friday night... That's kinda where it all started, not knowing that KENTA was going to be on AEW. That came kind of later and quickly got put together. Everybody seemed to be excited to work together because they knew it was going to be, promotion wise, it's going to be f***ing mega huge because nobody was expecting it."
"The relationship with New Japan and AEW hasn't been a good one" - Rocky Romero describes the previous relationship between the two companies
While it seems like AEW and NJPW are finally on the same page, Romero reminded everyone that the relationship between these two companies hasn't been great in the past. To be fair, AEW stars have still worked NJPW shows, but the partnership had been limited otherwise.
"The relationship with New Japan and AEW hasn't been a good one, even though Tony Khan has been very cool with letting Jericho bring the AEW title at last year's Wrestle Kingdom and little things like that. I mean, it just wasn't really a great situation when the [Young] Bucks and Kenny and Cody [Rhodes] left New Japan." (H/t to Fightful)
Romero also seemingly confirms reports from last week that the pandemic led to NJPW changing the way it does business. This progression paved the way for a relationship between the two companies.
