NJPW Champion Threatens The Rock, Invites Him to New Japan
NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Gabe Kidd wants a piece of The Final Boss.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's return to wrestling has rippled across the entire industry. This past February, The Rock confronted then-Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns in a standoff that kicked off a two-month run inside the squared circle, one that saw The Rock morph into a new heel persona known as The Final Boss. This shift represented The Rock's first turn to the dark side in over two decades and was championed by fans as being the best version of the Brahma Bull yet. As a result, everyone wants a piece, including a top talent in the land of the rising sun.
NJPW's Gabe Kidd Calls Out The Rock
The Brahma Bull-et Club?
Speaking to WRESTHINGS, NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion Gabe Kidd called out The Rock, inviting him to compete in some "real wrestling" over in New Japan.
"Hey, f--k The Rock as well. I'll beat the s--t out of The Rock," Kidd said. "I'll slap the s--t out of The Rock, little part-timer. You want some real wrestling, come to New Japan."
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To the casual fan, Kidd's comments may be seen as punching up right now, but in a couple of years, his threats could look warranted.
Despite being just 27 years old, Kidd has been wrestling for well over a decade. He made waves on the British independent scene throughout the 2010s, finding success in WhatCulture Pro Wrestling. There, Kidd captured the WCPW Internet Championship by defeating current WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and surging TNA star Joe Hendry in a triple threat match.
Kidd's career took a massive turn when he ventured to the Far East in 2020 to join New Japan Pro Wrestling's Young Lion training program. It would take three years before Kidd found his identity in New Japan, but once he did, it became all systems go. Kidd joined Bullet Club in June 2023, debuting a new sector of the historic faction called "Bullet Club War Dogs." Alongside fellow blossoming stars like Drilla Moloney and leader David Finlay, Kidd has helped bring Bullet Club back to the prestige it had when under the leadership of AJ Styles and Kenny Omega.
Today, Kidd reigns as NJPW STRONG Openweight Champion, a title he captured when he defeated Eddie Kingston last month.
