‘The Villain’ Marty Scurll has returned to New Japan Pro Wrestling in the United States as confirmed by Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
At the beginning of January 2021, news broke that Brit Scurll and Ring of Honor had parted ways following allegations pertaining to the #SpeakingOut movement which rocked professional wrestling in 2020. Not long after Scurll stepped away from the company, rumours began to run rife about where the Englishman would land next.
While Dave Meltzer stated that WWE was his most likely destination, Scurll has seemingly shunned America’s giants and re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling to be a part of their NJPW Strong television show which he has already filmed material for.
While it is unknown how many shows Scurll will appear on or how long he has signed himself to the company for, the former ROH World Heavyweight Champion was part of the January 22 tapings in Port Hueneme, California, where he taped an angle with Rocky Romero as confirmed by Emily Pratt of Fanbyte who said:
“The source said that while everyone working on NJPW Strong signs an NDA about the content of the tapings, there was no extra secrecy about Scurll’s involvement: “They weren’t trying to hide him.” The source says they were surprised by Scurll’s involvement, saying “I thought we were going to be the company that wasn’t booking these guys to get some buzz. They’re going to get buzz alright, but probably not the kind they’re looking for. And it just reeks of letting things slide because these people are all friends or whatever.” They added that “I really just think fans should know his involvement beforehand, so they can choose to tune in or not.”
His dealings with NJPW Strong are just the latest in the pair’s long history together with Marty Scurll having worked extensively with the promotion in the past, having reigned as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champion.
Credit for the interview: Fanbyte
h/t for the transcription: Wrestling Observer Newsletter