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What's the story?
Speaking to the official NJPW website, Jon Moxley discussed his upcoming participation in the G1 Climax and gave his thoughts on how Shinsuke Nakamura has fared in WWE so far.
In case you didn't know…
Jon Moxley, formerly known as Dean Ambrose in WWE, is preparing to compete in NJPW’s G1 Climax for the first time in his career.
The 2019 tournament, which will take place from July 5 to August 12, comprises 20 wrestlers from around the world, including Kenta (fka Hideo Itami), Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay.
Recent winners of the tournament include Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito and Kenny Omega, while Shinsuke Nakamura also triumphed in 2011 – five years before he signed with WWE and became a member of the NXT roster.
“The King of Strong Style” enjoyed initial success in WWE, following up his NXT Championship reign in 2016-17 with a Royal Rumble victory and WrestleMania 34 match against AJ Styles in 2018, but he has struggled for television time in recent months following the conclusion of his storyline with Rusev.
The heart of the matter
Asked about his transition from WWE to NJPW, Jon Moxley had this to say about the former NJPW stars who he spoke to before leaving WWE.
“Well, Shinsuke Nakamura is in WWE and doing very well. I never got to wrestle him sadly, but he heard that I was likely going over to be in the G1 and he was very pleased, said it was a great life experience. Karl Anderson, who I’ve actually been friends with since I was 18, since we’re both from Cincinnati. I asked him about the G1, a few others as well, and everybody was great and said ‘yeah, go for it’.”
Regarding Shinsuke Nakamura’s WWE career so far, Moxley added:
“I think he’s doing great there. Fans love him. It’s a different style, but he fits in well because he is charismatic, he is flamboyant. He can go, so whether it’s a New Japan ring or a WWE one he can do well anywhere.”
What's next?
Before he competes in the G1 Climax in July, Jon Moxley will face Joey Janela at AEW Fyter Fest on June 29. Shinsuke Nakamura, meanwhile, looks set to be involved in a rivalry with Intercontinental champion Finn Balor on SmackDown Live in the coming weeks.
