KUSHIDA Confirms NJPW Contract, Talks MLW Summer Of The Beasts & More [Exclusive]

With a career spanning over two decades, KUSHIDA might be one of the most respected and technically proficient wrestlers in the world today.

Coming to New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2007, the former six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion has put on countless memorable encounters and achieved so much in the pro wrestling world.

After leaving the company in 2019 to venture over to the United States working for WWE, KUSHIDA is now back in NJPW and has confirmed that he has a contract with the promotion, which gives him the chance to wrestle for multiple promotions around the world.

"Yes I have a New Japan contract, just one," KUSHIDA told The Takedown On SI. "But New Japan and MLW have a good relationship, so New Japan send me to MLW right now."

"And I can wrestle all over the world, so if CMLL wanted me and New Japan accept, I can go. New Japan send me to CMLL and MLW."

KUSHIDA will be returning to Major League Wrestling at the upcoming Summer of the Beasts event tonight in New York.

"The Time Splitter" explained that MLW is different from other promotions that he has had the privilege of working for.

"MLW is very unique company from CMLL, from New Japan Pro Wrestling. There are so many talented wrestlers. I'm so excited to fight for them," KUSHIDA said.

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

"Yeah MLW has so many nice and talented, very strong wrestlers. For example, Matt Riddle. My most interested wrestler is Matt Riddle. Some day, I want to wrestle with him."

When bringing up Matt Riddle, KUSHIDA was able to discuss his match and opponent at the Summer of the Beasts show, KENTA. Both men have shared history in Japan and for NJPW.

"KENTA-san's career is former All Japan Pro Wrestling and NOAH wrestler. NOAH is a hard hitting style, you know. From the wrestlers is very hard hitting, it's dangerous," KUSHIDA stated. "But Matt Riddle has MMA technique. Two different hard hitting styles, so very interesting with their styles."

"I don't have advice (for Riddle), just KENTA is dangerous. Japanese wrestlers are very dangerous."

MLW Summer of the Beasts event will take place from Melrose Ballroom in Queens. The city is a place that KUSHIDA is familiar with from different parts of his career.

"New York City, almost 10 years ago, I wrestled in Ring of Honor against Jay Lethal. One of the best matches of my career. That is my best moment in New York City."

KUSHIDA is coming off the heels of the long Best of Super Juniors tournament in Japan that saw an entire tour that spanned over two weeks in Japan.

Best of Super Juniors 32 marked KUSHIDA's 12th appearance in the tournament and having a few weeks to think since the end of the tournament helped to put things in perspective.

"It's my opinion, Best of Super Juniors symbol is Jushin Thunder Liger, you know. But he was retired. Right now, another New Japan junior stars, El Desperado and Hiromu Takahashi. And this year's winner is called Kosei Fujita. He has super potential," KUSHIDA said.

"His technique is very unique. He get the technique from Zack Sabre Jr. His mentor is Zack Sabre Jr., so right now, maybe I think he's not too much famous. But every hardcore wrestling fan maybe soon get to hear his name. Oh he's good, he's awesome."

KUSHIDA vs Kosei Fujita was brilliant.

Everything about it.

This is the feeling.#njpw #櫛田 #kushida #tmdk #bosj32 #藤田晃生 @njpwglobal @njpw1972 pic.twitter.com/yLEFipGmx3
— Pep S. Caro ペップ・S・カロ (@ElPep23) May 17, 2025

On the Best of Super Juniors 32 winner Kosei Fujita, KUSHIDA reflected on their matchup during the tournament where both men removed their boots to have a grappling style bout.

"So that style can't do it in United States TV show. It's style of match that New Japan can do it, that grappling match, deathmatch, high flying match. So many various matches Best of Super Juniors has,"

"So it's a honor to join as a member of this year's Best of Super Juniors. I take off the shoes and bare foot style is very interesting for me too. If we get the chance, I want to do that again. Maybe future against Matt Riddle, we can do that. It's cool."

Scoring a win over the eventual victor of the entire tournament now puts KUSHIDA in line for an even bigger opportunity if things work out for "The Young Punk."

Fujita will challenge El Desperado for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship on the July 6 NJPW Soul event. If the challenge wins, KUSHIDA may be next to get a shot at the gold.

July 6!

New Japan Soul comes to a close with Kosei Fujita gunning for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title and much more!

Tickets available worldwide in English!https://t.co/eRt6rYrRMe

Or watch LIVE in English on @njpwworld!#njpw #njsoul pic.twitter.com/iqbYxf5GQK
— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) June 25, 2025

"Of course, of course. I pray, 'please Fujita get the title.' I want to wrestle again, rematch with Kosei Fujita," KUSHIDA joked.

"For example, Wrestle Kingdom or King of Pro Wrestling I don't know where, but I don't care I will wrestle with him. So England, UK, Australia, United States, Japan, I want to wrestle with him all over the world."

KUSHIDA has experience wrestling all around the world, including in Mexico. Most recently, he competed in the country during the MLW vs. CMLL shows at Arena Mexico. This allowed him to reflect on the start of his career over there.

"I went to CMLL out in Mexico to become a professional wrestler on my own in 2005 because that's how I started my career."

"Okumura-san told me that getting to Arena Mexico is the final destination for many luchadores and fighting in the main event realer than winning the lottery. It's lucky, it's good experience."

"In Japan, Japanese culture have sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling is like very traditional for us. It's like I feel lucha libre is the same as sumo. So many Mexicans have pride for lucha libre, so good experience that I can touch there."

Despite lucha libre being something he is very familiar with, KUSHIDA remarked that he still takes pride in the Japanese style of pro wrestling.

"Yeah I like United States TV style and CMLL lucha libre style. And pro wrestling have so many styles, but one of my favorites is Japanese wrestling," KUSHIDA stated. "Japanese wrestling is not TV, so just live show, live audience. And in this package, I can do dojo techniques."

"I teach in Los Angeles at New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo. We have wrestling class that I teach every day of just dojo techniques, so not TV style match. I enjoy so many different wrestling styles."

"So me and Kosei Fujita match is one of the very Japanese style wrestling. So I want to do wrestling matches that aren't so similar. So I want to do both."

When speaking about teaching at the New Japan dojo in Los Angeles, KUSHIDA was reminded of one of his former students who eventually became his tag team partner in the Intergalactic Jet Setters duo, Kevin Knight.

Earlier this year, Knight revealed in an interview with The Takedown On SI that he had signed a dual contract with both New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Elite Wrestling.

KUSHIDA joked that Knight heading to AEW reminded him that his tag team partners usually leave him like Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin of The Motor City Machine Guns.

"My tag partner has always left from me. For example, Motor City Machine Guns Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin. I signed with TNA because they signed with TNA. I joined, but they leave to WWE (laughs)," KUSHIDA said.

"And now Kevin Knight too. Kevin Knight come to New Japan, then soon to AEW, but he has two contracts. But good. I'm very proud, it's a honor for me."

"Vision for pro wrestling, most important thing in pro wrestling is get the money. Yeah it's true. It's small just one ring for him because he's Jet. Now in AEW, his partner is Speedball Mike Bailey. Good tag team. Someday in the future, I want to join with them."

KUSHIDA will go one-on-one with Diego Hill in a singles match this Thursday, June 26 at MLW Summer of the Beasts from the Melrose Ballroom in New York City. The show will air live on Major League Wrestling's YouTube channel.

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