Right then Puro-heads… After last week and the talk of NJPW’s future something big has happened… Several things in fact…
Brock first of all made his first NJPW appearances since becoming the champion and downed both Manabu Nakanishi and Yuji Nagata in successive days… Then he signed the documents that proclaimed the new main event of the Tokyo Dome official… Lesnar will face Shinsuke Nakamura instead of Fujita at the dome in a huge match for the Supernova and his third successive Dome main event (a new record)…
But somebody isn’t happy with ‘The Pain’ and his jaunt across to the east… Especially since he made it clear that he wanted to become as of February a permanent NJPW roster member and sign a full time contract with them. And that somebody? Well none other then Vincent K. McMahon…
You see when Brock left the WWE in 2004 the night of Wrestlemania XX he signed a contract that allowed his contract release so long as the budding superstar did not wrestle or work in a MMA company for 10 whole years… That’s right, no Lesnar anywhere in a ring or cage or anything until 2014… Brock went and sucked at football and couldn’t even get into the Viking’s squad after two attempts and then he disappeared off the radar….
That is until this January when he announced he and Rena Mero (Sable to you WWF Attitude fans) where engaged and where to be married on the NJPW’s then owner, Antonio Inoki, pacific island of Palau… He also promised to be ring side for the January 4th Tokyo Dome show but not to go near the ring…
Brock says he told Shane McMahon he was going… Brock says the McMahon’s knew he would be on TV but only as a guest of NJPW, not as a potent ional superstar… So he went on and what did McMahon and the WWE legal eagles do? Try and sue Lesnar and NJPW…
So the whole Brock and NJPW idea disappeared and it seemed that Brock may even go back to the WWE as he turned up for a series of talks at the companies offices for a series of talks with top WWE management back in the summer. But they broke down with the McMahon’s and Lesnar both saying that the other party where making unrealistic and unworthy offers…
So then came the bombshell… Lesnar appeared in a NJPW ring and challenged both Chono and Fujita to a match. The match in question? The proposed Fujita/Chono match for the IWGP title… Brock was added, Brock won and now a whole lot of crap has now been let loose again in the legal arena…
Put simply, Lesnar and his legal team believe that the clause in the contract he signed to be released is in conflict with Connecticut employment law. He should be allowed to work where he pleases as in a sense the clause is not legally binding as it is not built on any contract stipulation made in Congress or in statute…
Also in Lesnar’s and NJPW defence they have re-named his moves, changed his ring attire and entrance music, hasn’t mentioned anything about the WWE at all when interviewed by the press and even when former rival Giant ’A-Train’ Bernard came to NJPW and challenged him no mention was made by the company of their WWE past.
But the WWE’s legal beef? Simple really, Lesnar they say has signed a legally binding contract and cannot wrestle until 2014. They understand his right to appeal but are offended that he wrestled before the appeal finalised its decision and that he is STILL wrestling and proclaiming himself as a NJPW wrestler.
Also it seems that the WWE wants into the Japanese market even more then ever now. It was rumoured they where potentially one of the companies that wanted Inoki’s shares before YUKES snatched them up. They are aggressively taking people from Japanese promotions like Jamal from AJPW and also they are planning more big arena tours.
So a person of Lesnar’s reputation and prestige, which they helped build, as part of an organisation over there can only be seen as a bump in this road for them. They want it gone, especially since he had the cheek it seems to snub a return as well.
As it stands now Lesnar is planning on defending his title come hell, high water or legal banning when NJPW hit’s the Dome on the 4th. The WWE on the other hand has swung it so that the very day before, at 10am no less, there will be a hearing in which the arguments will be put forth by themselves to obtain a temporary restraining order preventing Brock Lesnar from continuing to make appearances for New Japan Pro Wrestling or anyone else for that matter. Each side (Lesnar and the WWE) will have two hours each to present their case and then the judge will decide on the ultimate fate of NJPW’s biggest show of 2006 which even this early could be make or break.
As for the situation aside from the legal dispute?
If Lesnar can become a fully fledged NJPW wrestler and head of the regular army then it will be a huge boost for the company. Put it this way…
He is a NCAA champion, a two time Big 10 champion, the final ever King Of The Ring, won a Royal Rumble, he’s the second youngest ever WWE world champion, a three time WWE champion as well and he has headlined a Summerslam and a Wrestlemania, both of which sold out and where successful on PPV…
It’s why NJPW want him and why the WWE is loathes to let him go fully. So is the pain over before it has truly begun? Well until January 3rd at around 4pm EST I can’t tell you…
So until then Puro-heads I think I’ll leave you wondering….
Robert ‘Evil Gringo’ Heard