One of the dream matches that was to involve Brock Lesnar was cancelled due to some contractual issues. It is not a secret that Brock Lesnar began his professional wrestling career back in the year 2000 and, after a very brief time, he was able to become an overwhelming presence and a World Champion. He quit WWE in 2004 and moved to MMA. He then signed with UFC in 2008, leaving in 2011, only to come back to the wrestling company the next year.
Brock Lesnar’s forgotten NJPW Run and the Visa Issue that ended it
However, one experience in his career life that is normally ignored was the short time he wrestled in Japan immediately after quitting WWE permanently. He began his life in NJPW in 2005 and became a winner of the IWGP Heavyweight title in his first appearance against Kazuyuki Fujita and Masahiro Chono. Brock Lesnar has been able to defend his title several times, but in 2006, he lost it due to visa issues. This not only prevented him from going back to Japan and defending the title but also disappointed the NJPW great Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Tanahashi Reflects on the Cancelled IWGP Title Match
In a recent blog post for Tokyo Sports, the NJPW wrestler disclosed that he gave up the U-30 title in July 2006 after obtaining a chance at the IWGP Heavyweight title. He pointed out that even though the U-30 was a stepping stone for him, he would not require it if he was going for the IWGP. As luck would have it, Brock Lesnar’s itinerary was cancelled since he could not get a visa because of a contract dispute. Hiroshi confessed that he was very low when he received the news and was afraid of the fans’ reaction.
“However, despite arriving in Hokkaido with such determination in mind, Lesnar’s visit to Japan was canceled due to contractual issues that prevented him from obtaining a visa. When I heard that at the Kushiro tournament two days before the title match, I lost my soul for a moment. There was a lot of pressure, and it was really hard to disapprove the fans who wrote so many messages on the big flag.”
Tanahashi Reflects on Unexpected Title Victory
A new champion was decided through a tournament, and Hiroshi Tanahashi emerged as the winner after defeating Giant Bernard in the finals, thus becoming the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion. In one and the same blog post, Tanahashi admitted that the tournament was a last-minute decision, and he had to swiftly transfer his attention from the Brock Lesnar cancellation to that. Yet, he stated that he would do his very best. Hiroshi about that he does not have any regrets regarding not facing The Beast Incarnate; he acknowledged that it was a test, but it was something he had to go through in order to develop as a person.
“I have no regrets about not being able to fight Lesnar. I knew it was a challenge, but I thought it was something I needed to grow as a person. It happened before I was calling myself an ‘ace,’ but I thought an ace was someone who could do something even in situations where everyone else had given up, someone who would pave the way.”
