Rocky Romero – “Relationship Between NJPW And AEW Hasn’t Been A Good One”

Rocky Romero of New Japan Pro-Wrestling has discussed the relationship between that company and All Elite Wrestling, and how it has not been good.

A former IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Romero currently provides commentary on NJPW World as well as working in NJPW’s office. Speaking to the Wrestling Perspective podcast, Romero talked about KENTA’s shocking appearance on AEW Dynamite.

Romero explained:

“The idea of the whole thing. It really goes down to KENTA and Moxley, and how Moxley is basically the centerpiece 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’s because Moxley is the IWGP US Heavyweight Champion.”

Romero then elaborated on how quickly the appearance of KENTA on AEW’s Wednesday night show was put together:

“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.”

Rocky Romero then spoke on the relationship between AEW and NJPW as a whole and how it has been a frosty one up until now:

“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 WrestleKingdom 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.”

Jon Moxley and KENTA will clash at New Beginning USA on February the 26th. KENTA will be cashing in his title shot for Moxley’s IWGP US Championship that he received from winning the New Japan Cup USA in August 2020.

Rocky Romero is also a host of the Talk’n Shop podcast with the Good Brothers, Karl Anderson, and Doc Gallows. That duo has played a big part in the story of the relationship of the three companies involved so far.

Credit: Wrestling Perspective

h/t Fightful for the transcription