AEW's partnerships with other major promotions continue to open new avenues for wrestling talent around the world. The latest to benefit is NJPW's Gabe Kidd, whose controversial, expletive-laden rants have gotten the attention of the wrestling community lately.
Gabe Kidd has worked his way to the top of New Japan Pro-Wrestling. While many were dismissive of the British star just a year ago, Kidd's passion and drive have been on display for all to see, and it resulted in a major match against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Dynasty on January 5, which the latter won.
Many fans now wonder whether Kidd could lead NJPW into the future as its top star. However, according to Fightful Select, he hasn't signed a new deal with the Japanese promotion. Moreover, he's reportedly been impressing AEW lately, which is a turnaround from how the company viewed him last year.
Kidd recently competed in his first match for the company, but the report notes that his deal with All Elite Wrestling is still per appearance, with no word on whether he'll end up in Tony Khan's promotion.
Gabe Kidd reps NJPW in explicit rant against AEW
Despite having competed for All Elite Wrestling, Gabe Kidd has made it known that he's not a fan of Tony Khan's promotion.
Following his win over The Butcher on the February 22 episode of Collision, the British star made an appearance on Hey! EW, where he went off on the Jacksonville-based promotion and claimed that NJPW is actually where the best wrestle:
"F**k AEW. F**k everyone who works here, f**k the staff backstage, f**k the people who set up the stage, the catering staff, f**k the makeup girls, and f**k the makeup guy as well. F**k the rest of you and everyone else on this platform. [...] Any wrestler on this platform - NJPW is the best wrestling in the world," he said.
While some fans may worry that Kidd will follow in the footsteps of Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada, it seems that he's made New Japan Pro-Wrestling his home for the time being.