Kevin Knight On Unfinished Business In NJPW, Partnership With KUSHIDA & His Pro Wrestling Journey (Exclusive)

Learning from legendary names in the business, Kevin Knight has received valuable training in his journey in pro wrestling that is second to none.

Recently signing with A ll Elite Wrestling, while re-signing with New Japan Pro Wrestling, "The Jet" is ready to use the teachings of Buddy Wayne and Katsuyori Shibata to skyrocket straight to the top of the industry.

Knight has spent the last six years garnering experience that has prepared him for whatever is next in his career. To Kevin, a lot of that started with learning the fundamentals from his trainers.

"So back in the Buddy Wayne Academy, working with Nick Wayne back in the day as well, fellow AEW competitor... he taught the fundamentals, the head trainer there taught the fundamentals," Knight told The Takedown on SI.

"And that was a big transitional step to get into the LA dojo because Katsuyori Shibata, we teach fundamentals, going over basic things, basic movements. So it was kind of an easier transition there from the Buddy Wayne Academy to the LA dojo. And when I got to the LA dojo, I had no experience or knew nothing about New Japan."

Knight's athletic background from playing football helped him have the confidence to make the decision to give NJPW a chance when he became a student at the famed LA dojo under the teachings of Japanese legend and AEW star Katsuyori Shibata.

"A few other people that I trained with at the Buddy Wayne Academy said that they hired athletes and I was like, 'ok you know I come from a football background, so let me go ahead and see what it's about.' So I had no idea what a young lion was, I had no idea what the dojo lifestyle was like, so I was in for it, you know what I mean (laughs)."

Entering as a relative rookie in the business during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Knight considers being taught by Shibata a privilege and a blessing that he has benefitted from.

"Not to mention it was during the pandemic, so there wasn't too much really to do except train, so getting that tutelage under Katsuyori Shibata was such a blessing."

MORE: Kevin Knight Talks Signing With Both AEW & NJPW, WWE Interest & Best of Super Juniors Tournament (Exclusive)

"You know he doesn't speak much English, so everything that he taught us was like literally basic fundamentals, he hammered that in, intensity, using your voice and that stuff carried me throughout my career. And it over-prepared me for my first couple of tours in Japan."

Shibata's lessons have not gone to waste on Knight as he went on to win gold in NJPW and recently made his AEW pay-per-view debut.

Facing off with Will Ospreay in the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Quarterfinal, "The Jet" had a showstealing performance in the opening match at AEW Dynasty against one of the best wrestlers in the world.

Kevin Knight and Will Ospreay at Dynasty | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

"I think by my second tour in Japan, me and KUSHIDA won the tag team titles, so I feel like, and I was the first out of the LA dojo to win a title, so I feel like not only with my hard work and work ethic, I just feel like Katsuyori Shibata prepared for, over-prepared for what's to come," Knight said. "And now in my second match in AEW, I'm on the opener on the pay-per-view with one of the best in the world (Will Ospreay)."

"I feel like just being over-prepared by my trainers and just coming from my background just put in place, and I bided my time man. People may think this is an overnight success or this is happening like that (snaps fingers), but this has been years in the making of grinding. Definitely not an easy road."

Most of Knight's success in New Japan Pro Wrestling has come alongside another Japanese legend in KUSHIDA. Known as "The Intergalactic Jet Setters," Knight and KUSHIDA are former two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.

Their bond was created from time spent training together at the New Japan LA dojo, where KUSHIDA came to work with the students after returning to the promotion in 2022.

"I think it started late 2022, KUSHIDA had just got back with New Japan and he came to the dojo to train with us and I think he just saw how I move and just my spirit and everything, and he just picked me. He's like, 'I want him, I want him to be my partner, is there anything we can do, whether it be we're working with each other, working against each other.'"

After receiving the stamp of approval from a former six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, KUSHIDA opened the door for Knight to make his debut in Japan for NJPW.

"And it just so happened that the Super Junior Tag League was just around the corner, so boom, the beginning of the tour I was still a young lion, you know what I mean, still learning up under his tutelage, still it was clap-only crowds at the time, so I was still getting used to not only being in Japan, but just that type of style."

"And not even til our second tour when we won the belts was there full stadiums, so I can get the full New Japan experience."

Working alongside KUSHIDA, Knight has been able to get even more beneficial assistance in his progression of his career. "The Jet" thinks he has been able to get information in every opportunity teaming with the former WWE star.

"So throughout those tours, KUSHIDA would give me little tidbits, don't do this, do this here, you know just give me little nuggets of information and that's when we were doing IMPACT at the time as well, so all of those reps didn't go to waste."

"He's such a great mind, he has such a great mind in wrestling, so I'm just so blessed to have that as a friend, as a partner, so I hope we continue that success."

Kevin Knight and Jay White on AEW Collision | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

While "The Intergalatic Jet Setters" will have more opportunities to team with one another after Knight announced he signed a dual contract with both NJPW and AEW, they will have to fend for themselves in the upcoming Best of Super Juniors 32 tournament.

Starting on May 10, Knight and KUSHIDA will compete in the 20-man two block round-robin tournament to determine the number one contender for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship.

While a possible showdown between the two tag team partners could potentially be on the docket, Knight has his eyes on two former rivals of his friend in Hiromu Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori.

"I'm waiting for the blocks to come out, I'm waiting for the blocks to come out and I'm waiting to test my spirit up against Hiromu Takahashi," Knight said. "You know he's a multi-time Best of Super Juniors winner, a multi-time IWGP champion as well as Taiji Ishimori. Those two I haven't really had the chance to work against, so I really want to test, those are kind of the standard of Japanese junior heavyweight wrestling."

【『BEST OF THE SUPER Jr.32』出場メンバーが決定！】
　今年は20選手がエントリー！
・DDTからMAO！AEWからニック・ウェインが初出場！
・ドラゴン・ダイヤ、ニンジャ・マックが2年連続出場！
・CMLL選手枠は1名!!

詳細https://t.co/cJrKttj8ek #BOSJ32 pic.twitter.com/eXMOk6LLLV
— 新日本プロレスリング株式会社 (@njpw1972) April 5, 2025

Despite not being as experienced as the two junior heavyweight stalwarts, "The Jet" feels like this is his year to prove how much he has improved and show his worth against the very best of the division.

"I feel like I can test my wits against them and really just show them how much I've grown. I think I've only been in the ring once with Ishimori in a tag match and we kind of got in there a little bit, but he really needs to feel this time around."

Ahead of the Best of Super Juniors 32 tournament, "The Intergalactic Jet Setters" are set to challenge World Class Wrecking Crew's Royce Issacs and Jorel Nelson for the STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships at NJPW Windy City Riot.

MORE: New Japan Pro Wrestling Announces Full Schedule For G1 Climax 35

In their first crack at tag team title gold outside of the junior division, the two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion is ready for "The Jet Setters" to continue their success.

"This Friday, at the Windy City Riot, you know we coming for those tag titles, STRONG Openweight, so we moving up from the junior heavyweight to the openweight."

NJPW Windy City Riot takes place from Chicago, Illinois on Friday, April 11 at 8 p.m. Eastern. The show will be available live on njpwworld.com.

You can watch this entire conversation with Kevin Knight discussing his signing with both AEW and NJPW as well as his AEW Dynasty bout with Will Ospreay at The Takedown on SI YouTube channel.

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