WWE Interested in Signing Champion from New Japan Pro Wrestling

Tama Tonga just recently captured the NJPW Never Openweight Championship, but his days with the promotion may be coming to an end if WWE can help it.

WWE has internally expressed interest in bringing Tonga into the fold, Fightful Select reports.

Word traveled through the locker room at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event earlier this week, but there is no confirmation if Tonga is interested.

Ironically, Tonga faced WWE’s own Karl Anderson at Wrestle Kingdom, dethroning the Machine Gun to start his second reign as Never Openweight Champion.

Sources in New Japan told Fightful that Tonga’s contract with the promotion is set to expire within “a matter of weeks.”

Beginning his training in 2008, Tonga would join NJPW in 2010 and is a founding member of the Bullet Club.

The 40-year-old is a seven-time IWGP World Tag Team Champion with his brother Tanga Loa, which makes sense considering he was trained by the Dudley Boyz.

After winning the ROH World Tag Titles at G1 Supercard, Tonga became the third man to have won a title in ROH, NJPW, and CMLL, behind Rocky Romero and Matt Taven.

Tama Tonga is on WWE’s radar as their next potential signing, but his brother may soon be calling himself a WWE Superstar.

It was reported earlier this week that WWE is also interested in Tonga’s brother Hikuleo but there is no confirmation as to whether talks have taken place.

WWE is said to have been interested in Hikuleo for months, and intermediaries have been used to express interest.

This is the same strategy as the Dragon Lee situation, as Finn Balor was the first to initiate contact with Lee regarding joining WWE.

Dragon Lee announced last month that he had signed a deal with WWE and relinquished his newly-won AAA World Tag Team Championship.