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.
【動画メッセージが緊急到着！】
“新USヘビー級王者”棚橋弘至が、埼玉・メットライフドームの試合に言及！なんと次期挑戦者に飯伏幸太を指名!!
詳細記事はコチラ
⇒https://t.co/g0pNkEIw4z#njpw #njwgs pic.twitter.com/V7GN9purMO— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) August 18, 2021
【緊急公開！】動画で“返答”メッセージが到着！
IWGP USヘビー級王者・棚橋弘至から、逆指名を受けた飯伏幸太がその心境を語る…！
YouTube動画はコチラ！
⇒https://t.co/wzdskSViZa#njpw #njwgs pic.twitter.com/yT0MHnnERI— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) August 18, 2021
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.
