Buddy Matthews fka Buddy Murphy set to make his NJPW debut months after WWE release

Buddy Matthews, formerly known as Buddy Murphy in WWE, is on his way to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

During the recent New Japan Showdown taping in Philadelphia, fans noted the arrival of the former WWE star. The announcement was made via a video in the arena, hyping up the upcoming debut of the former Buddy Murphy.

The former WWE Cruiserweight Champion will be making his promotional debut at the Battle In The Valley event, which is scheduled to take place in San Jose, California on November 13.

NJPW has confirmed the upcoming debut of Buddy Matthews via social media. The promotion posted the following video:

The announcement was further confirmed by fans in attendance:

When and why did Buddy Matthews fka Buddy Murphy leave WWE?

Buddy Murphy was one of the most established superstars of WWE. However, on June 2, 2021, Murphy was released by WWE due to budget cuts.

He first started in WWE back in 2013 when he signed a developmental contract with the company. Initially, Buddy Murphy was tagging along with Wesley Blake but transitioned as a singles star when he moved up to the main roster.

During his initial run, Buddy was in the Cruiserweight Division of 205 Live. He is a former NXT Tag Team Champion and a one-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

However, it was on the main roster with Seth Rollins, when Murphy found the most success. While he was part of Rollins' faction The Authors of Pain, Buddy established himself as a top attraction on WWE RAW. He even won the RAW Tag Team Championships with Rollins.

Now that Murphy is set to debut on NJPW, it remains to be seen what's in store for him in the new promotion.