Kota Ibushi accepts Hiroshi Tanahashi’s IWGP U.S. Title challenge

Kota Ibushi accepted the challenge and he and Tanahashi will meet at NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in September

Photo Courtesy: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Ibushi accepts the challenge.

Over the weekend at New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Resurgence event, Hiroshi Tanahashi officially won every active championship in New Japan when he captured the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title. Tanahashi bested Lance Archer in the main event of the show.

As New Japan is inching close to their Wrestle Grand Slam show[s] at MetLife Dome in September, the company pushed out a video message from Tanahashi and he issued a challenge to Kota Ibushi for Wrestle Grand Slam. Ibushi accepted the challenge. Ibushi has not wrestled since early July.

Ibushi had been diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia. New Japan previously announced that he was dealing with the side effects after receiving his COVID-19 vaccination shot. Ibushi’s illness was not connected to him receiving the shot.

The IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi is scheduled to defend the title inside MetLife Dome against EVIL. Both Shingo and BUSHI recently tested positive for COVID-19.

About Andrew Thompson 9591 Articles
A Washington D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, Andrew Thompson has been covering wrestling since 2017.