Kushida Making His MLW Debut in September

“I am ready to take on anyone”

Kushida is coming to Major League Wrestling.

The longtime star of New Japan Pro-Wrestling will make his debut at MLW’s Fury Road live special on September 3 when he wrestles Tony Deppen in a middleweight division bout.

“I am excited to be wrestle in MLW for the first time,” says Kushida, who has also played important roles throughout his career in NXT and Impact Wrestling. “I hear there are a lot of great wrestlers there, and I look forward to fighting them.”

Fury Road airs live on FITE+ from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia. There is an AEW pay-per-view that same night, but the MLW special will end before AEW begins.

Kushida’s arrival also marks the beginning of a crossover between MLW and New Japan. More arrivals from New Japan will be arriving in the coming months, starting with Kushida.

A six-time junior heavyweight champion in NJPW, Kushida stood out as a junior heavyweight in Japan. But he still hungers for a run as world champion, which is now a possibility for him in MLW.

“I am ready to take on anyone,” says Kushida. “I’m ready to fight for the championship.”