Multiple WWE Superstars have triumphed in their debut matches for NJPW.
Following on from his WWE release in September, Dolph Ziggler was free to explore the wider world of wrestling for the first time in his professional career as Nic Nemeth. Surprising fans at the start of the year, Nemeth and brother Ryan were seen walking through the Toky Dome at Wrestle Kingdom 18.
Entering just before the Tag Team Title match on January 4th, many expected the Nemeth brothers to confront the champions when all was said and done, but this would not be the case. Instead, Nic Nemeth confronted David Finlay, who defeated Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay to become the first-ever IWGP Global Champion. Nemeth and Finlay would get into an altercation after the bell, with the brawl continuing at the press conference later in the evening.
The title match was set for New Japan’s The New Beginning in Sapporo show on February 23rd, which would also be Nemeth’s debut match for the promotion. Ziggler would win the match after hitting the Danger Zone [Zig Zag] onto Finlay to win the match via pinfall and become the new champion. Finlay’s reign ended at 50 days with no successful title defences.
Another Ex-WWE Star Wins NJPW Gold
Nemeth was not the only former WWE star to make their presence felt at the event. Earlier in the evening, Matt Riddle faced Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW World Television Championship in what was Riddle’s debut as a singles star. Riddle would defeat the NJPW President via pinfall after hitting the BroDerek, also capturing his first championship in the promotion.
Night 2 of the event will see Nemeth team with Ryusuke Taguchi to take on Finlay and Gedo. Riddle will be a part of Kazuchika Okada’s final NJPW match as he teams with United Empire to face off against Chaos and Tanahasi in a ten-man tag team match.
In regards to Nic Nemeth, the new IWGP Global Champion revealed which top AEW star he wants to face.