Tama Tonga Deleted on New Japan’s Website, Is EVIL NEVER Openweight Champion?

Tama Tonga’s profile on njpw1972.com has been deleted, now showing EVIL as NEVER Openweight Champion

By: James Carlin

The NEVER Openweight Champion hasn’t been secretive about January being his last month with New Japan, stating after winning the title against Shingo Takagi at Wrestle Kingdom 18 that he wants to find work that is closer to home and his family. However, his profile has seemingly been removed before he is set to defend his title against House of Torture’s EVIL on January 20th in Nagoya.

It was at New Year Dash!! that EVIL cut the champion’s hair off and made his intentions clear of aiming for the NEVER Openweight championship. Now with Tonga’s profile on NJPW’s website mysteriously gone, it now displays EVIL as the champion despite never beating Tonga for the title.

ちゃんとタマのプロフィールは削除になってんな。タマがもうクビだってことは会社としての決定事項だな。名古屋の試合も来なくて良いぞ。ハッハッハ！ pic.twitter.com/MfaImoEiyJ

— EVIL (@151012EVIL) January 10, 2024

EVIL, in his SNS post, joked that the company has already fired the champion and that he doesn’t need to come to Nagoya to challenge for the belt because now he’s listed as the champion.

This wouldn’t mark the first time that EVIL has “held” a title without winning it, as last year he stole SANADA’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship and paraded it around until his former Los Ingobernables de Japon teammate retained the championship at Destruction in Ryogoku.

While EVIL looks to be becoming NEVER Openweight champion, his House of Torture stablemate Yoshinobu Kanemaru has hinted at his intentions to challenge El Desperado for the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight title – Desperado defeated Hiromu Takahashi at the Tokyo Dome last week to become the new champion.

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