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Jay White shocked the world when he made his AEW debut helping the Elite members Young Bucks and Adam Cole beat up Trent of the Best Friends. He would then battle the wrestler on this past week's AEW Rampage, opening the Forbidden Door from New Japan Pro Wrestling.
In recent years, White has established himself as a top star courtesy of his work in the Japanese promotion and leadership of the iconic Bullet Club faction.
Former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega appeared on the 18th February 2022 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio and had a lot to say about "Switchblade" Jay White, who recently made his debut in AEW.
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In the interview, former AEW World Champion Kenny Omega had nothing but heaps of praise for the Switchblade when he was asked about Jay White. He talks about his history with the younger wrestler and how proud he feels about his progress.
"I have always had a real good relationship with Jay White over the years. I have known him since he was the guy doing my laundry in New Japan and always supported his venture, his journey in professional wrestling and extremely proud for him to take sort of the opportunity that was before him and make it his own." Kenny said [39:02-39:24]
While Jay White is a bonafide star in Japan, he has barely wrestled in America, so far making sporadic appearances in IMPACT wrestling before his AEW debut. Here are 5 things you need to know about Jay White.
#5. How AEW's newest wrestler Jay White came up with the Switchblade gimmick
Before AEW, Jay White first started out in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as a young rookie. Upon completion of his training, NJPW started airing vignettes for his arrival, debuting a mysterious dark persona called Switchblade.
White became a heel with a grittier character to go along with the nickname and over the years, he added a lot more layers to the gimmick. Also known as Knife Pervert, White is renowned for his explicit yet incredible promos outside the ring. The Bullet Club star has a tendency to swear and cuss a lot during his matches, especially during his bouts in Japan, which adds to the unpredictable nature of the gimmick.
Here's hoping that AEW fans will get a full taste of the Switchblade gimmick unleashed.
#4. Before wrestling in AEW and New Japan, Jay White grew up in New Zealand
Jay White is currently the only New Zealander to wrestle in AEW. He grew up in Auckland, New Zealand. The NJPW star participated in many of the sports native to the country growing up, such as cricket and rugby.
An athlete from a young age, White was eventually going to channel his physical gifts in a more violent direction. There are not many local wrestling schools at his homeland, so White traveled to the UK to receive his training.
While there are not a lot of Kiwis wrestling in major promotions, White's career serves as an inspiration for other fellow citizens to follow in his footsteps.
#3. Winning free tickets to catch WrestleMania 27 live ignited Jay White's passion for wrestling
New Japan Pro Wrestling star Jay White recently appeared on Chris Van Vliet’s “INSIGHT” podcast recently and told the story of winning free tickets to WrestleMania 27 which lead to him wanting to become a wrestler:
“I think it was just being young and having that belief in myself. I actually won a competition on the radio for tickets and flights that were all paid for to go to WrestleMania. It was WrestleMania 27 in Atlanta and that got me back into wrestling. I thought if I was fortunate to win this, why not become a wrestler? From there, it kind of felt like it was meant to be, so I did everything I felt I needed to, but there was never a blueprint, it wasn’t a guarantee." said White.
The future IWGP Champion heard on the radio that there was a competition and the winner would go to WrestleMania, all paid for. He would go on to win the contest and experience the pageantry of a Mania' weekend in Atlanta, Georgia.
#2. Before becoming the Bullet Club leader, Jay White was part of the CHAOS faction with Okada
Jay White's current stablemates from The Elite would be wise to be careful around the Switchblade. He has a history of stabbing his friends in the back, judging from his past in New Japan. Japanese wrestler Okada initially recruited White to be part of his Chaos faction.
However, he would ultimately turn his back on the Rainmaker and CHAOS in late 2018, aligning with rival faction Bullet Club. He became the fourth official leader of the famous faction, following Prince Devitt, AJ Styles, and Kenny Omega. Switchblade's career has gone from strength to strength ever since, with Tokyo Dome main events and championships-a-plenty strengthening his position.
#1. Jay White feuded with current AEW stars Hangman Page and Kenny Omega in New Japan
It's ironic that before White became a Bullet Club leader, he feuded with current AEW stars Hangman Page and Kenny Omega, who were members of the stable before him. Now that he has stepped through the Forbidden Door, given White's history with Omega and the Young Bucks, it'll be fascinating to see what happens next.
Jay White and Kenny Omega had a fierce rivalry in NJPW. White succeeded Omega as the leader of the Bullet Club. Since then, Jay White has established himself as one of the top stars in the wrestling industry. With Omega primed to return from injury, we can't wait to see the potential clash between the former Bullet Club leaders.
