From Olympic gold to NJPW gold. Aaron Wolf made a thunderous professional wrestling debut at Wrestle Kingdom 20, defeating EVIL to capture the NEVER Openweight Championship.
The Judo gold medalist, whose signing was announced back in June, proved he was a quick study in the squared circle. The match was far from a fair fight, as the House of Torture employed their signature underhanded tactics. Wolf had powder thrown in his face and was even put through a table by Bad Luck Fale. However, the Olympian’s resilience shone through.
When the numbers game became too much, unlikely allies emerged. YOH, Toru Yano, and Master Wato rushed to the ring to even the odds, brawling with members of House of Torture. Capitalizing on the chaos, Wolf showcased his legitimate combat sports background, tossing multiple interlopers with judo throws.
The finish came when Wolf locked EVIL in a triangle choke. Despite the House of Torture leader’s attempts to escape, Wolf cinched the hold in tight. EVIL refused to tap but eventually passed out, forcing the referee to stop the match and award the victory—and the title—to the rookie.
The win caps a storyline that began in October when Wolf made the save for Boltin Oleg, prompting EVIL to spray-paint the title belt and mockingly claim it as his own “gold medal.” Wolf has now reclaimed the prestige of the championship and silenced the doubters in his very first outing.
In other title news from the event, the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships also changed hands. The team of Zack Sabre Jr., Ryohei Oiwa, and Hartley Jackson emerged victorious in the pre-show Ranbo, eliminating Bishimon and Boltin Oleg to start their reign.
Aaron Wolf is scheduled to appear at tomorrow’s New Year Dash event at the Ota City General Gymnasium. It is expected that the House of Torture will not take this loss lightly, and Wolf may find himself defending his newly won championship sooner rather than later. Fans will be eager to see if the Judo star can maintain his momentum against the rest of the NJPW roster.
