Former AEW World Champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman made a surprise appearance via video during New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Road to King of Pro Wrestling event at Korakuen Hall on October 7, issuing a direct challenge to 2026 G1 Climax winner Ryohei Oiwa.
Despite years of publicly dismissing NJPW and criticizing Japanese wrestling, MJF sent a recorded message targeting Oiwa ahead of his scheduled IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match against Yota Tsuji on October 12.
During the broadcast, MJF took shots at NJPW’s corporate standing while singling out “The Grip” as the promotion’s top remaining talent.
“Oiwa. Are you a chubby little child? In my opinion, yes. However, also in my opinion, I believe you’re the best New Japan has to offer,” MJF stated. “So if I end you, I’m one step closer to locking the Forbidden Door, to ending New Japan Pro Wrestling, to ending Japanese wrestling fandom as a whole, because let’s face it, it’s a blight on our society.”
Friedman escalated the confrontation by asserting ownership over his signature “Triple B” belt, maintaining that he remains the legitimate AEW World Champion over current titleholder Will Ospreay. He also took aim at Oiwa’s usage of the headlock during his G1 Climax finals victory over Yuya Uemura, claiming superior mastery over the maneuver.
“I want to prove New Japan isn’t a real company. I want to prove I’m the master of the headlock. But most of all, I want to upset Puro Twitter,” MJF added.
Following the event, Oiwa responded to the video message on X, stating that his immediate focus remains solely on challenging Yota Tsuji for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at King of Pro-Wrestling.
“Read the room! You spent forever shitting on New Japan, but that ain’t the case now, right? All I’m watching now is Yota Tsuji! I’ll think about it after he wins the IWGP,” Oiwa wrote.
MJF fired back shortly after, expressing a preference for the match to take place on American soil. The confrontation marks MJF’s first major program involvement since competing in the Casino Gauntlet match at AEW All In: London.
MJF will be challenging Yota Tsuji for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on October 17 at NJPW King of Pro Wrestling 2026.
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