Taiji Ishimori offers Lio Rush IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title match

Taiji Ishimori wants to get back in the ring with Lio Rush and offered him a shot at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title

Photo Courtesy: New Japan Pro-Wrestling

Lio Rush has an offer on the table from Ishimori.

Back on August 21st, NJPW STRONG held their ‘Fighting Spirit Unleashed’ taping in Los Angeles, California. It was at that taping that Taiji Ishimori defeated Alan Angels.

NJPW released a compilation of backstage promos from the taping and Ishimori, the reigning IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, called out Lio Rush. He offered to put the title on the line the next time he and Rush get in the ring together.

Alan Angels, you’re a fun one. I’ll give you that. But that’s about it. More important, it’s been a year since I’ve been on STRONG, give or take, and last time, I got worked over by you-know-who. Weird. Where did you disappear to Lio Rush? You want this, right? [Ishimori held up the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title] Because I’ll be back here again. How much longer are you planning on slacking off? Let’s do it with this on the line.

Rush and Ishimori last wrestled at the NJPW STRONG ‘Autumn Attack’ taping in Fall 2021. Rush was victorious in the match. Rush has been out of action since January of this year as he’s been recovering from injury. He appeared at the NJPW Capital Collision event in May.

Ishimori was a part of NJPW’s ‘Burning Spirit’ tour that wrapped up on 9/25. He had been involved in matches with KUSHIDA but KUSHIDA was diagnosed with hand, foot and mouth disease.

If the quote in this article is used, please credit the original source with an H/T to POST Wrestling for the transcription.

About Andrew Thompson 9658 Articles
A Washington D.C. native and graduate of Norfolk State University, Andrew Thompson has been covering wrestling since 2017.