At Dominion this past weekend, Claudio Castagnoli got to compete for NJPW for the first time ever.
Castagnoli made his NJPW debut by teaming with Jon Moxley & Shota Umino against Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomohiro Ishii. Though his team didn't win the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team titles, the match was still a highlight for Castagnoli.
“I was very focused, and because of that, I was very much in the moment,” Castagnoli told Sports Illustrated. “I always want to be in the moment from the second I step out into the arena in order to be the best I can be. Standing in the ring with Tanahashi to start my first match in NJPW is definitely a moment to remember for me.”
Castagnoli experienced a flight delay while traveling to Dominion, but he was still able to make the show. The NEVER Six-Man title match was changed from the seventh match on the card to the eighth due to Castagnoli's travel issues.
Also in his interview with Sports Illustrated, Castagnoli reflected on performing his giant swing on Okada at Dominion. Castagnoli called it one of his top swings.
“Swinging Okada, somebody I’ve known for a long time, in Japan, in my first match in NJPW, that is definitely a top swing,” Castagnoli said. “Mox said it yesterday — we have our visas and we’ll be back.”
Castagnoli and Moxley are part of the Blackpool Combat Club in AEW. At Dominion, a video played where their stablemate Bryan Danielson issued a challenge to Okada.
“I can’t wait for that match,” Castagnoli said about Danielson vs. Okada. “I’m totally up for a match, too.”
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Castagnoli told Sports Illustrated that being in AEW and being part of the Blackpool Combat Club is something that just feels right.
“Joining AEW just felt right, and being in the BCC just feels right,” Castagnoli said. “Yesterday, when I stepped in a NJPW ring, it just felt right. We in the BCC are having fun and that authenticity translates. You can’t fake passion, and I feel it’s the thing that the BCC is built on.”
Castagnoli is the current ROH World Champion. He's held the title since December 2022.
Though Dominion was his official NJPW debut, Castagnoli did wrestle at AEW & NJPW's Forbidden Door pay-per-view last year. The two companies are again joining forces for a Forbidden Door PPV later this month (Sunday, June 25). This year's Forbidden Door is being held in Toronto.