At WrestleKingdom 18 Tama Tonga captured the NEVER Openweight Championship for the fourth time in his career, defeating Shingo Takagi. Following the win he gave his post-match commentary, and an emotional Tonga revealed that January will be his final month with the promotion as he plans on leaving to be closer to his family.
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“During this magical moment in my career, you’d think I’d be elated, over the moon — just so happy. And I am, but damn I miss my family,” Tonga said. “I miss my wife, my kids. I just had my third baby a couple months ago. Leaving her and my two other kids at home with my wife has been very difficult for me. I love Japan, I love everything that I learned here, everyone that I met. Whether they were wrestlers, staff, journalists; I have connected with a lot of you.”
Tonga went on to talk about his own experiences growing up in a wrestler household and the strain it put on his family. He doesn’t want that to happen with his growing family and gives credit to his mom for being able to raise all four of her children. “I grew up in this life. My father was a wrestler and until now I finally realize how he felt. Leaving for work for months at a time while my mom took care of four of us by herself for months at a time. And man, did she do a hell of a job. But I feel for her, for basically being a single parent [during] my childhood. And I have the utmost respect for that. I see that happening now with my family [and] it hurts. This is very hard for me to say, and I just made up my mind today that this will be my last month with New Japan Pro Wrestling, I must find work closer to home to be with my family.”
The 41-year-old wrestler rose to stardom in NJPW in 2013 when he helped found the villainous Bullet Club stable with Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Karl Anderson, and Bad Luck Fale. During his time overseas, he became a four-time NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Champion and a seven-time IWGP Tag Team Champion.
In 2023 it was revealed WWE had a renewed interest in signing the star after an attempt to do so in 2016. In February of last year before his contract was set to expire, Tonga made his intentions clear. “I will be the best wrestler. It could be the ultimate legend of New Japan Pro Wrestling, or it could be WWE,” Tonga told Tokyo Sports. “Because WWE is knocking hard on my door. And I might say, ‘Hello.’”
With 2024 set to be an interesting year when it comes to the free agent market, several high profile names have said to be on WWE’s radar, including bringing back current TNA Knockouts World Champion Trinity (Naomi) and debuting former NWA World Women’s Champion Kamille. AEW is also dipping toes into the market for some female talent, including Deonna Purrazzo who just debuted on AEW Dynamite and Mercedes Moné who is reportedly set to debut with the company. Other free agents include Shawn Spears, Nic Nemeth, Ashley Sebera (Dana Brooke), Mustafa Ali, Shelton Benjamin, Emma, Riddick Moss, Mansoor, Mason Madden (Mace), Aliyah, Elias, Matt Riddle, and Top Dolla.
