Kenta Wants to Get His Hands on Jon Moxley in New Japan

KENTA, formerly known as Hideo Itami from his time in WWE, debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling [...]

By Connor Casey

KENTA, formerly known as Hideo Itami from his time in WWE, debuted for New Japan Pro Wrestling over the weekend when he appeared at the Dominion event in Osaka, Japan. He quickly announced that he'd be competing in the G1 Climax tournament starting in July, joining another former WWE star in Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose).

KENTA appeared on New Japan's English podcast this week, where he revealed he's chomping at the bit to get his hands on Moxley.

"I want to have match with him cause now I'm not just stupid 'Hideo Itami' — now I'm KENTA. I want to fight him as KENTA," he said. "I want to kick his ass, yeah."

Shedding the identity of Itami was part of why he wound up signing with New Japan.

"Let's say now New Japan goes worldwide," he said. "I want to show my wrestling to the world as KENTA, not Hideo Itami. I want to show my wrestling to the world and if so New Japan goes worldwide — U.S. or U.K. — everybody knows what New Japan [is] so I decide New Japan."

Moxley competed for the first time in a New Japan ring days before Dominion when he defeated Juice Robinson to win the IWGP United States Championship at the Best of Super Juniors 26 tournament final. He opened Dominion with a squash match victory, then announced himself for the G1.

"I bring a message from Cincinnati, Ohio. Jon Moxley, international purveyor of violence, gentleman and all around sick son of a b—, Jon Moxley wants in the G1," Moxley said.

Meanwhile over in the United States, Moxley will begin his multi-year exclusive contract with AEW starting this fall once the television deal with TNT starts. He's currently booked for the Fyter Fest on June 29 against Joey Janela and All Out on Aug. 31 against Kenny Omega.

Moxley made his AEW debut back at Double or Nothing in late May. The crowd erupted as he walked his way through the crowd and attacked both Omega and Chris Jericho after their main event bout.

"... It was very surreal, it was a great feeling, probably the best feeling of my career," Moxley said in a radio interviews days after his debut. "It was the inverse of being uncomfortable in your own shoes, your so comfortable your almost not used to it. I had to get my bearings a little bit. It's like putting on a well fitting pair of pants. Definitely the highlight of my career thus far."

H/T WrestleZone

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