As he is set to do a lot of work with the WWE this summer, Chris Jericho will face-off against one of NXT’s most popular superstars, Finn Balor during the company’s scheduled tour of Japan, as the company announced.
Jericho, 44, announced that he will be working with WWE this summer and wrestle on a litany of live events, while not making any appearances on television or pay-per-view during that run. Therefore, it allows the “Ayatollah of Rock N’ Rolla” to compete against some of the top wrestlers on the roster without any added pressure of storylines or time constraints.
This match vs. Balor on July 4 will be an extra special treat for Japanese fans because of both men and their illustrious history wrestling in the country. The veteran Jericho cut his teeth in Japan during the earlier part of his career, wrestling against the likes of Ultimo Dragon and other Japanese wrestling icons.
As for Balor, the formerly known “Prince Devitt” during his run on the independent circuit was considered one of the top names in New Japan Pro Wrestling during his run in the company. Among his classic matches with some of the biggest names on the indies, Balor was also a member of the Bullet Club, the biggest stable of wrestlers on the circuit.
Originally, the WWE had the formerly known “KENTA” and currently known Hideo Itami scheduled to be a focal point of the Japanese tour, considering he is from Japan and was considered a top guy in the country for several years. However, a shoulder injury that he suffered recently put him on the shelf for an expected six-to-eight months, meaning we likely will see Itami in action until the end of the year, at the earliest.
In addition to the scheduled Balor vs. Jericho match, the company added the NXT champion Kevin Owens, formerly known as “Kevin Steen,” to the tour and he will be appearing on the July 3 show. The NXT brand is riddled with the injuries as in addition to Itami, Sami Zayn is currently injured with a shoulder ailment and his future is uncertain as well.
Other matches scheduled for the show are John Cena and Dolph Ziggler vs. Rusev and Barrett and another tag team match featuring Tyson Kidd and Cesaro going up against the New Day.
Jericho’s summer is quickly filling up with wrestling live events, this Finn Balor match, hosting Tough Enough , Fozzy gigs, and his award winning podcast. Jericho will not be the recipient of a lot of free time.
[Images via WWE]