Jeff Cobb’s departure from New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has been officially announced by the promotion, leading to the immediate vacation of the IWGP Tag Team Championships, which he held with Callum Newman.

NJPW confirmed the news on their website, stating, “New Japan Pro-Wrestling has come to terms with the departure of Jeff Cobb at his request. With Cobb one-half of the IWGP Tag team Champions, those titles have now been vacated.

Cobb’s final match in NJPW will take place in Korakuen Hall on April 19 against Hiroshi Tanahashi. New Japan Pro-Wrestling profoundly apologizes for the sudden nature of this news and joins fans in wishing Cobb the best in all his future endeavors.”

This announcement follows reports from Fightful last month indicating WWE’s strong interest in signing Cobb, with one source suggesting that he was already listed on WWE’s internal roster.

Cobb’s contract with NJPW had reportedly expired earlier in the year, yet he continued to perform for the Japanese promotion. Dave Meltzer of F4Wonline.com corroborated the likelihood of Cobb joining WWE, reporting that “Those in WWE have confirmed Cobb is starting soon, but the only other thing we were told is that he is not Randy Orton’s opponent at WrestleMania.”

While Cobb had established himself as a big star in the Japanese wrestling scene, Meltzer speculated that his age likely played a significant role in his decision, coupled with the considerably more financial opportunities presented by both WWE and AEW compared to NJPW.

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Cobb has been a mainstay in NJPW since 2017, during which time he achieved success, becoming a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion, a one-time NEVER Openweight Champion, and a one-time NJPW World Television Champion. His accolades extend beyond NJPW, as he previously held the Lucha Underground Championship under the moniker Matanza Cueto and the PWG World Championship. He also notably won PWG’s prestigious Battle of Los Angeles tournament in 2018.

Cobb is a former ROH Television Champion and represented Guam in amateur wrestling at the 2004 Summer Olympics, showcasing his diverse background in combat sports. His departure marks the end of a significant chapter in NJPW’s tag team division and signals a potentially exciting new phase in his career in WWE.

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