AEW: Three New Japan Pro-Wrestling Stars Who Could Be This Week's Surprise Arrival

By Connor Casey

AEW Dynamite will feature a surprise debuting star this week as they take on Private Party's Isiah Kassidy for a spot in the Face of the Revolution Ladder Match at next month's Revolution pay-per-view. Tony Khan has been promoting the new signing for a little over a week, writing last Friday, "The big announcement for Wednesday's Dynamite that we referenced on #AEWRampage (a free agent debut) and the person walking through the Forbidden Door are one and the same. They're walking in the door, signing a contract, and then slamming the door shut Wednesday on #AEWDynamite!" 

There have already been reports the signing could be Keith Lee, given the 90-day "No Compete" clause in his WWE contract expired last week. But Khan's usage of the Forbidden Door also invokes AEW's working relationship with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, which saw the likes of KENTA, Satoshi Kojima and Minoru Suzuki compete on AEW programming last year. Three big names from the promotion have since popped up as possible options. 

First up there's Tama Tonga, one of the founding members of Bullet Club and a seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion as a member of the Guerrillas of Destiny alongside Tanga Loa. Tonga announced on Twitter this week that he's been a free agent since the end of January.

Then there's Will Ospreay, a former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and Wrestle Kingdom main eventer. Ospreay was at a RevPro event in the UK this past weekend and called out Jon Moxley, seemingly teasing a feud between the two leading up to New Japan's Windy City Riot event on April 16. It's unlikely that Ospreay will sign any sort of exclusive deal with AEW (he signed a long-term extension last year) but there's always a possibility that their feud could spill over into AEW a la Moxley's program with KENTA. 

Finally, there's Jay White, another former IWGP Heavyweight Champion and prominent member of the Bullet Club faction. White has been working exclusively in the United States since making a surprise appearance at Impact Wrestling's Slammiversary last July, splitting time between Impact and NJPW Strong. White hasn't teased being the surprise arrival and by every indication is still under contract with New Japan, but Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer stated on the latest Wrestling Observer Radio that White's name keeps popping up. 

Who do you think the surprise star will be? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments and stay tuned for live coverage of AEW Dynamite this Wednesday!

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