In what is a really neat bit of news, Shinsuke Nakamura will be wrestling a legend early in 2023. Plus, despite some buzz to the contrary, is Jon Moxley not done with GCW?
Shinsuke Nakamura Wrestling A Legend
In plain and simple words, Shinsuke Nakamura will be wrestling a Japanese legend in the near future.
For context:
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA VS GREAT MUTA pic.twitter.com/MTBEliuf4w
— Shinsuke Nakamura (@ShinsukeN) October 30, 2022
This match, per the poster Nakamura geeked out over, will kick off the New Year in style.
It will be one of the Great Muta’s final matches, as the legendary superstar announced earlier that he is retiring from in-ring activities.
The bigger deal, of course, is that WWE does not often do such things. While the company does have, and has had, agreements with other promotions…this is big.
We’ve seen some smaller indy promotions link up with WWE, for example.
More recently, we did see the company play nice with IMPACT, sort of, as Mickie James was in the Royal Rumble-title belt and all.
As a kid, I do remember a WrestleMania-level match or two where some notable Japanese teams came over and worked a match, but having a WWE Superstar go the other way?
It’s big, and I have to think it indicates the change in leadership. Maybe a sign of things to come?
Or, it is entirely possible all this is, is a one-off favor granted by Hunter to Nakamura.
After all, working with Muta has to be a dream come true, and doing so on his farewell tour is also a high honor.
If it benefits WWE in other ways, all the better. No matter what, it’s a pretty cool move, and should be a good match to start January with.
Moxley Not Done With GCW?
While signs pointed to things being concluded, could Jon Moxley not be done with GCW?
The company has been known for some particularly brutal matches, and more and more fans are pointing out that things are just too unsafe.
As in, the risks and dangers are not worth it, especially with all we know in 2022 about concussions and CTE.
Jon Moxley has spent time in GCW, and was a former world champion for the promotion.
It had been reported that Tony Khan was moving to restrict AEW stars from appearing in GCW. That was said to include language in Moxley’s new contract forbidding it.
However, on a recent speaking appearance, the GCW owner feels that GCW fans have not seen the last of Moxley in his promotion.
He feels like he will not get to bring in Moxley as often, but he will be in.
Contractual language might say otherwise, but it would seem based on comments, that the promotion feels that Moxley is not done with GCW.
Considering the punishment that he has endured, and the types of matches GCW has been known for?
If I am Moxley, I am staying away. The risks would seem to far outweigh any benefits, and that’s without considering any legal entanglements.
