IWGP Junior Heavyweight Number 1 Contender Named

Taiji Ishimori has emerged as the new number 1 contender to the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. The Bullet Club member attacked current Champion KUSHIDA with a crutch following his tag team bout loss. Ishimori was using the crutch due to his previously diagnosed ankle injury on November 1st.

NJPW confirmed via their English language site NJPW1972.com on 11/01 that “Taiji Ishimori will not participate in the event in Shizuoka at the Twin Messe Shizuoka South Building today. Thursday November 1st, due to a left ankle injury. This happened during the event in Nagano on October 31st.”

After the attack Ishimori cut a short promo. He confirmed that he was next in line for an IWGP Junior Heavyweight title shot.

The Bullet Club member was revealed as the new BONE SOLDIER earlier this year. He has been setting the Junior division on fire ever since. Ishimori has also competed in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors tournament, he gained 5 wins and 2 loses in the tournament and advanced to the finals. Taiji came up short in the BOSJ as he lost to Hiromu Takahashi in the final.