According to reports, “Switchblade” Jay White is leaving NJPW.
White’s NJPW contract is set to expire soon, according to a new report from Fightful Select, and he is expected to leave the company.
It’s believed that both WWE and AEW are interested in signing White, and WWE sources are confident that they will. However, this is far from official, as sources from multiple companies have stated that they can’t officially contact White until his NJPW contract expires, and there’s no guarantee he’ll leave NJPW until that happens.
As previously stated, White will face Hikuleo in a “Loser Leaves Japan” match on Saturday, February 11 at NJPW’s The Beginning In Osaka event. WWE has also expressed interest in Hikuleo, casting doubt on the outcome of the match.
There is a widespread belief among NJPW talent that White wishes to remain in the United States for the time being.
WWE officials reportedly heavily recruited White at one point, which he confirmed in interviews, and the recruiting has only accelerated. While under contract to NJPW, White has worked for AEW and Impact Wrestling. He stated that he was never approached by AEW prior to 2021, but he has since enjoyed his experiences there.
White was previously reported to be under contract to NJPW until 2025, with AEW showing interest. In subsequent interviews, White has stated that “them approaching me and some contract I was on, both things 100% false.”
Last Wednesday, White lost the IWGP World Heavyweight Title to Kazuchika Okada at NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 17, ending his first reign with the strap. He is also a one-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion, a one-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion, a one-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion, and a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion. White was the NJPW’s fifth Triple Crown winner and their first Grand Slam winner.
In November, White spoke with NBC Sports Boston about possibly leaving NJPW. He said, “I mean, every option’s always on the table anywhere, though. You can never say never with anything. I could say I’ll never leave I could say, ‘Oh, definitely will.’ I don’t even know tomorrow. But I also don’t try to think too far ahead with that stuff, because you have no control over it anyway. So I just try to control what I can in my immediate future. So will I leave? Maybe. Will I stay? Who knows? Maybe, you can never know, I don’t even know.”
