Juice Robinson Reveals New NJPW Contract And How The Bullet Club Factored Into His Decision
Juice Robinson has signed a new contract with NJPW.
Robinson recently spoke with Sports Illustrated's Justin Barrasso and revealed that the new deal runs into 2023. His previous contract expired earlier this year.
"I'm keeping the details private, but I'm here where I am supposed to be," Robinson said. "I don't want to work somewhere else. I was about to, and I was ready to, but I didn't want to. New Japan is where I belong."
Robinson recently turned heel and joined The Bullet Club, attacking new IWGP United States Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi earlier this month at NJPW's Dontaku. It was noted that Robinson's new contract extension was contingent upon changing from babyface to heel.
"If I was going to stay with New Japan, I needed to do it my way," Robinson revealed. "That's what you're going to see. That's what you're going to hear. I now have the license to do this the way I want."
Robinson commented on what to expect now that he has joined The Bullet Club.
"You're about to see the real Juice," Robinson said. "I'm not cast in a new role or playing a part. You're about to see the truest version of myself, and I don't give a fuck if people have a problem with it."
It was noted how during the COVID-19 pandemic, Juice has craved an opportunity to unleash more of his magnetic personality, and the chance to join The Bullet Club appealed to him largely due to the number of babyfaces he can now wrestle, beginning with Tanahashi. He added that the perception that The Bullet Club had grown stale also resonated with him as he believes he will bring new energy to the group.
"Forget about Moderna or Pfizer, I'm going to start calling myself 'The Booster,'" Robinson said. "I'm the shot in the arm that Bullet Club needs. Bullet Club fits perfectly for me. It's a band of pirates, and I've wanted to be part of it since the day I stepped foot in New Japan. It took a long time for it to finally happen, but I'm going to make this electric."
Robinson will compete in a Fatal 4 Way for Tanahashi's title this weekend at NJPW's Capital Collision event in Washington, DC, along with Jon Moxley and RevPro British Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay.
"I'm supremely confident that I'm going to win this match," Robinson said. "I'm a two-time IWGP United States champion. It's not like that's a scrub title. Moxley's had that belt. Kenny Omega's had that belt. Cody Rhodes had that belt. Jay White had that belt. Tanahashi has that belt, at least for now. I'm shooting for my three-peat. When we step into the nation's capital, you're not going to see Day-One Juice or happy-to-be-here Juice. I'm not smiling just to be on a card at Korakuen Hall. I'm fucking coming for people."
On a related note, it was reported last month how Juice appeared on Wrestling Observer Live and said he was leaving NJPW as he no longer had the urge to wrestle. Juice spoke with the NJPW website in a new interview released today, and said he never planned on retiring.
"Not that I owe anyone any explanation, but I was never going to retire," he told the NJPW website today. "That was just me lying to a bunch of gullible idiots. People believe that if they read something on the internet it has to be true. So all I had to say is make sure it landed on the internet, and everybody believed it, hook line and sinker."
Juice was also asked about possibly working the AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door event on June 26 if he were to win the IWGP United States Title this weekend.
"I don't give a rat's ass about AEW. Next question," he responded.
Stay tuned for more on Juice.