New Japan Pro Wrestling has already announced five big matches for Wrestle Kingdom 13, but the competitors for the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships at the Tokyo Dome are yet to be determined. The winners of the upcoming annual World Tag League heavyweight tag team tournament will earn a title shot on the show.
Given the Young Bucks‘ popularity, move to the heavyweight division earlier this year, regular appearances on Wrestle Kingdom cards, and storyline rivalry with tag champs the Guerrillas of Destiny, it’s easy to see how the Jackson brothers could be some fans’ picks to win the tournament. However, Nick Jackson revealed on Twitter that he and his brother will not be competing because 1) they’re “too busy,” and 2) NJPW would not pay them the amount of money they would want for that amount of work.
https://twitter.com/NickJacksonYB/status/1059487062724763648
This is the latest of several recent significant statements by The Young Bucks and their Elite stablemates on social media and in interviews, which have included leaving the Bullet Club, Cody Rhodes repeatedly hinting (both seriously and jokingly) at a return to WWE, and a rumored new promotion with Chris Jericho that was refuted by Y2J but seemingly supported by Jim Ross.
This also comes in the shadow of reports by Dave Meltzer that certain NJPW talent is “unhappy” with how the company is being run, company president Harold Meij denying this report, and certain wrestlers denying it and attributing the source of the report to the Elite. (These last two paragraphs should all be taken with the huge grain of salt that all of these wrestling industry people have been known to work/kayfabe on social media and in interviews/announcements that may initially appear to be legit.)
At the time of writing, the World Tag League lineup has yet to be announced, but we know from promos that Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma) and Killer Elite Squad (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) will participate, along with (per English commentary) the Best Friends (Chuckie T and Beretta) and the team of Juice Robinson and David Finlay, plus current division champions the G.o.D. (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa.)
