Great Sanada Update
Seiya Sanada, 27, who was released early from his TNA contract last month, will not be returning to Japan. It’s being reported that the former X-Division champion was caught between TNA and Wrestle-1, as originally he was on loan from the promotion as a deal worked out where Wrestle-1 would book TNA talents in Japan. This did happen for awhile, which is why they ended up running Bound for Glory in Tokyo last year, but due to budget cuts and having to scale back their product, Wrestle-1 stopped having TNA guys come over and the relationship fizzled, with Sanada’s release coming as a result.
He will be working with Jeff Jarrett’s GFW in some capacity, and it’s being said there’s some interest in a possible WWE tryout.
AJ Styles/GFW Update
With two months until the first television taping in Las Vegas, AJ Styles will likely not be a part of Global Force Wrestling when it launches later this year. That came as a surprise to many of the talents and others within the industry, as the feeling since Styles left TNA and Jeff Jarrett announced a new project, has been that the two would end up doing business together again.
According to the Wrestling Observer, sources close to AJ noted that it just came down to business, and that the two sides don’t have the same priorities at the moment. Styles is the current reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion and the leader of the Bullet Club for New Japan Pro Wrestling, while maintaining a fairly regular role with Ring of Honor as well as a steady independent schedule.
Jarrett has a relationship with New Japan, as it was GFW that brought Wrestle Kingdom to U.S. PPV earlier this year and he’s appeared at a number of shows. Many had thought AJ was a lock to be one of the top stars of the promotion when it finally hit television, but that will not be the case, at least not for its initial run.
