In a bombshell announcement that could only be made on social media, AEW President Tony Khan revealed that New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) powerhouse Tomohiro Ishii will be setting up camp in AEW for the rest of summer 2024. Following the July 10 “AEW Dynamite,” Khan took to X (formerly Twitter) to break the news:
“It’s so great having @njpwglobal all-time legend Tomohiro Ishii here in AEW on Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite TONIGHT! We love having Ishii here + now he’s going to stay here in @AEW with us for the rest of summer 2024! AEW is on fire right now! Thank you all + God bless you all!”
Ishii, known as the Stone Pitbull, has been a force to reckon with in recent AEW action. He recently clashed in the Zero Hour portion of the Forbidden Door pay-per-view and took part in the latest “Dynamite” episode’s Global Glory Four Way match. Despite a ferocious effort, Ishii came up short, with PAC taking the win and a shot at the International Championship.
So, why is Ishii gracing AEW with his presence for an extended stint? It turns out, he’s taking a break from the grueling NJPW G1 Climax tournament, which kicks off on July 20. Ishii, a staple in every G1 since 2013, is sitting this one out to preserve his battle-hardened body. NJPW decided it was best for Ishii to skip this year’s brutal schedule, where each participant wrestles nine singles matches in a tight timeframe.
In an unprecedented move, NJPW also granted a similar break to company President Hiroshi Tanahashi, who will miss the G1 for the first time since 2001. While fans might miss seeing Ishii in the G1 ring, they can rejoice at the chance to watch him tear it up in AEW for the next few months. Summer 2024 just got a whole lot hotter!