Former UFC Champion Reportedly Has Meeting With New Japan Pro Wrestling
The two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Cain Velasquez reportedly had an informal meeting with New Japan Pro Wrestling officials, per Wrestling Inc.
The news was originally broken by ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, who tweeted out that the UFC star was spotted at last night’s Super J-Cup event in San Francisco, California.
“Sources said he’ll be having an informal meeting with NJPW officials. Velasquez is signed on for two more Lucha Libre AAA matches, but several other wrestling promotions have interest, per sources.”
Despite being a newcomer to the world of sports entertainment, the UFC star has already made a name for himself. If he does sign to NJPW, he’ll join what is arguably the most respected wrestling promotion on the planet. On top of that, his star power will help NJPW continue to establish a foothold in the United States and foreign territories.
At the same time, he might join another promotion. With All Elite Wrestling making its way to TNT this fall, coupled with the fact AEW also has a working relationship with AAA, don’t be surprised if Velasquez shows up in their promotion in the near future.
Velasquez made his pro wrestling debut earlier this month, teaming up with Cody Rhodes and Psycho Clown in a winning effort against Texano Jr., Taurus and Killer Kross at AAA TripleMania XXVII.
He will be returning to in-ring action next month when AAA heads to Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater on September 15. After that show, he’s scheduled to appear at another event at The Forum in Inglewood, California on October 13.
Following his devastating loss in the UFC to Francis Ngannou back in February, speculation has suggested that Velasquez is planning on calling it a day on his octagon career. However, he is still technically a part of the UFC roster and allegedly plans to fight again at a later date.
Cain Velasquez is a man in demand on the wrestling scene, and he had a meeting with NJPW over the weekend. #CainVelasquez #NJPW https://t.co/ikJMAaKQEE pic.twitter.com/QepQptJWgl
— 411 Wrestling (@411wrestling) August 25, 2019
As noted by PlanetMMA, his coach, Javier Mendez, dismissed claims that the former champ was retired from mixed-martial arts, claiming that the prize fighter hasn’t mentioned anything of the sort.
“He hasn’t said anything. All I hear from him is he can’t wait to get back in.”
The former champ may have a point to prove in the UFC. Even though he was dominated in his last fight, the bout was shrouded in controversy afterwards due to Ngannou supposedly using an illegal strike against him. Both fighters currently have the exact same MMA record (14-3-0), so another showdown could be on the cards at a later date.
