By: Sonal Lad
The New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo system is one of the toughest and strictest in the industry. Yet, it has created stars over the years, and one Young Lion who will undoubtedly be a top star soon is Ryohei Oiwa.
As is the case for many Young Lions, Oiwa was in amateur wrestling for three years in high school before securing a place in the New Japan dojo in December 2020. After entering the dojo in April 2021, he made his debut four months later. On August 24, he had his first match against fellow young lion Kosei Fujita in a match.
Credit: NJPW1972
It was the start of his partnership and rivalry with fellow Young Lion Fujita and it was the basis of his first few months. They spent many matches going to time-limit draws and trying to outdo each other in their bouts.
宮原選手、野村選手、井上選手、安齋選手ありがとうございました！
初めてのリング、初めての相手、全てが刺激的
この一回で終わらせたくない。#全日本プロレス #ajpw#新日本プロレス #njpw #闘魂 pic.twitter.com/xoRugNXdcS— 大岩陵平 Ryohei Oiwa (@njpw_ryoheioiwa) October 2, 2022
Like Fujita, Oiwa also captured the hearts of fans when he was involved in NJPW WORLD TV Championship Tournament.
With Zack Sabre Jr continuing to showcase his hatred for EVIL, ZSJ knew that the House of Torture member would be up to no good during their match. Anticipating a pre-match beatdown, Oiwa distracted the House of Torture members by pretending to be the Submission Special to allow Zack to get the advantage.
ザックセイバーJr.Jr.です。 pic.twitter.com/vuvP3FdJ9B
— 大岩陵平 Ryohei Oiwa (@njpw_ryoheioiwa) November 5, 2022
After helping ZSJ, it seemed like Oiwa was becoming a favorite for both fans and the British wrestler. Yet, while Oiwa also helped out Zack Sabre Jr, it wasn’t surprising that he was disappointed when Zack Sabre Jr picked Fujita to join TMDK.
With Oiwa missing out on a chance to join TMDK, he seems extra determined to showcase his skills. In particular, during the first New Beginning tour, he made sure to target Fujita and prove that he should’ve been chosen instead.
Oiwa is definitely going to be even more motivated and will be out to make an even bigger impact in the coming months.
Date:
January 23, 2023
Category:
The Midcard