Kota Ibushi explains how he plans on leaving both Hiroshi Tanahashi and Jay White’s historic achievements in the dust

In less than 24 hours, Kota Ibushi will challenge Hiroshi Tanahashi for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. Ahead of the match, Ibushi told njpw1972 that he is ready to put both Tanahashi and Jay White’s historic achievement of becoming Grand Slam Champions to dust by capturing the IWGP US Title.

Much like White and Tanahashi, Kota Ibushi has also won every single top championship in New Japan Pro Wrestling, except the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship.

However, the one advantage that Ibushi has over White and Tanahashi is that he has previously won the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Title. A title that is missing from both White and Tanahashi’s list of achievements.

With a victory at the MetLife Dome, Kota Ibushi has the chance to pretty much surpass both The Ace and Switchblade in one go.

Interviewer: To talk about the US belt itself, recently Jay White won the NEVER Openweight Championship to complete what he called a ‘grand slam’. Tanahashi then matches that task, or beat it if you count his tag title victories. Here you have a chance to leave both in the dust.

Ibushi: Definitely, if you count my junior heavyweight title wins.

Kota Ibushi will be hoping to win the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship for the first time

At Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome, Kota Ibushi will be hoping to capture the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship by beating Hiroshi Tanahashi. The match will be The Golden Star’s first big match in months, as he was suffering from aspiration pneumonia.

Due to his illness, Kota Ibushi was forced to withdraw from his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match against Shingo Takagi. But, Ibushi will hope to get gold around his waist once again by taking out his former tag team partner in what promises to be another historic event for NJPW.

Meanwhile, Tanahashi is headed into Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome on the back of a big win at NJPW Resurgence. At the Resurgence show, The Ace defeated Lance Archer in the main event to win the IWGP US Heavyweight Title for the first time.

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