Juice Robinson has been stripped of the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship.
NJPW announced the news on June 10, the same day Robinson announced that he wouldn’t be making his scheduled title defense at NJPW Dominion on June 12 due to acute appendicitis. The show will still feature a title match; Will Ospreay and SANADA, Robinson’s scheduled opponents, will clash for the vacant championship.
The official announcement, courtesy of NJPW’s official website, is as follows:
On Friday June 9, New Japan Pro-Wrestling was in receipt of a video from Juice Robinson, in which he stated that he would not be present for his IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship three way match at Dominion.
In fact, Robinson had initially agreed to the championship match Sunday in Osaka Jo Hall. Having now reneged on this agreement and refusing to attend in Osaka, NJPW is hereby stripping Robinson of his champion status and is demanding the return of the championship belt currently in his possession.
As a result of the championship vacancy, the previously scheduled IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship three way is now a singles match that will determine a new champion.
The card change is as follows:
9th Match- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Three Way
Juice Robinson vs SANADA vs Will Ospreay ->
9th Match- IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
SANADA vs Will Ospreay
New Japan Pro-Wrestling apologizes to fans who were looking forward to seeing Juice wrestle, as well as for the confusion and inconvenience caused.
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