Tama Tonga Explains Why He’s Been Absent From AEW/NJPW Crossover, ‘Other Guys Are Doing The Leg Work’

Tama Tonga comments on New Japan Pro Wrestling working with other promotions.

As it currently stands, New Japan Pro Wrestling has working relationships with All Elite Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, IMPACT Wrestling, Pro Wrestling NOAH, and CMLL. The company has often celebrated working with other promotions, as it allows them to bring in new fans and create dream matches on seemingly a weekly basis.

In a new interview with Fightful, Tama Tonga said that he likes the fact that NJPW plays nice with everybody.

“That’s what I like, New Japan working well with others. We’ve always been team players and I love that face that, they know, coming to the States, this is not their territory. We like to play nice with everybody, just like when they come to Japan, hit us up, we’ll play nice with everybody. We’re good dudes, right? New Japan is good guys.It’s a great time. With everything that is happening in wrestling nowadays, it’s a great time to have [partnerships]. It’s a perfect time, especially with New Japan coming to this new market in America, why not have as many partnerships as you can to introduce yourself to a new market?”

NJPW and AEW started a tradition in 2022, as they created the annual Forbidden Door pay-per-view. Thus far, the event has taken place every year in June.

Notably, Tama Tonga has been absent from both of those events, despite having history with a large portion of the AEW roster. Tonga went on to comment on this, noting that guys like Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre Jr. love the crossover.

“It is obvious. The focus with me has always been New Japan to America. We have other guys ahead of me, doing the leg work, like Will Ospreay and Zack Sabre. These guys, they love the crossover. Everybody knows that I’m a New Japan guy and I’ve always been committed to New Japan first and foremost, but here we are. This is a new stage, we’re doing new things. I don’t want to give out too much, but there is definitely a future there. We don’t want to shoot all our bullets all at once. New Japan plays the long game. So do I.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Tonga stated that all members of Bullet Club should come together for a group hug. Fans can learn more by clicking here.

Tonga is set to defend the NEVER Openweight Championship against Shingo Takagi at NJPW STRONG’s upcoming Fighting Spirit Unleashed show in Las Vegas, Nevada. That show will emunate from Sam’s Town Live on Saturday, October 28.

Fans can see Fightful’s full interview with Tama Tonga in the video linked above.