KUSHIDA:
LEGEND OF THE FUTURE
By Jasmine Olan
For nearly a decade, he has been the heart of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s junior heavyweight division. Known for his incredible talent and love of Back To The Future, the Time Splitter KUSHIDA has become one of the promotion’s most decorated juniors. Over the years, his beautifully crafted mix of high flying and submission based mat wrestling have had fans and critics alike viewing him as the heir apparent to junior legend, Jyushin Thunder Liger Throughout his storied career, KUSHIDA has held the prestigious IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship six times and won the Best Of The Super Juniors tournament twice. Now after eight years with New Japan Pro Wrestling, the Time Splitter is moving on to a new chapter in his career. Within those eight years, he managed to make an impact on the international wrestling scene in a way that few others ever have.
KUSHIDA became a full time member of the NJPW roster in early 2011 and went on to become one of the most vital parts of its junior division. He has even been touted as the Ace of that division. It has been in New Japan that KUSHIDA has been part of many of the company’s greatest junior rivalries. His feuds with the likes of Will Ospreay and Hiromu Takahashi were a welcome shot in the arm for NJPW’s junior heavyweight division during a time when it needed that. Before that, his matches against Ricochet and Prince Devitt helped put the wrestling world on notice. He also formed a critically acclaimed partnership with Alex Shelley as the Time Splitters which resulted in two successful runs as IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions. His run in New Japan Pro Wrestling would see KUSHIDA accomplish everything a wrestler can accomplish in his weight class there.
As the Ace of his division, KUSHIDA has carried the banner for his weight class with honor and great pride during good times and difficult times. He has also proven himself as one of the promotion’s most loyal stars. As a “thank you” for that loyalty, KUSHIDA’s NJPW farewell match will be against his long time friend, The Ace Of The Universe Hiroshi Tanahashi. This match will no doubt be great and be one of this year’s most emotional moments as the two have been like family for several years. Their longtime friendship can be seen in the many Instagram pictures they have posted of each other asleep on the New Japan tour bus. Those posts have been a source of great laughs for NJPW fans for years.
The closing of this chapter in his career will mark the beginning of a brand new adventure for the Time Splitter that will lead to even greater success. Who will step up and become the next Junior Ace remains to be seen. Whoever it is will have some very tough shoes to fill. Counted among the best of his generation, KUSHIDA is without question destined to become a legend of the future.
