WWE didn't want Fred Rosser wearing his New Japan Pro Wrestling jacket while filming a WWE docu-special.
In 2010, Rosser (then Darren Young) was announced as one of the contestants on the first season of NXT. After the conclusion of the season, he and the other rookies began appearing on Raw, wreaking havoc under the name of The Nexus.
Ten years later, WWE was filming an episode of Untold on the group and had Rosser, now a member of the New Japan roster, back to speak about his experience.
Appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Rosser shared that he was asked to take the jacket off but eventually sold the production crew on him leaving it on.
“The last time I wore this jacket was this past May with WWE. I was doing a Nexus uncut/uncensored documentary, they invited me and I said sure no problem. I came in with my New Japan jacket on, and before we started the producer said ‘Do you mind if you take off the New Japan jacket?’ So I’m like ‘So you are asking me to take it off? I hope not!’ I knew they were going to say it, so I said ‘Look I worked hard to get this jacket, and you guys have just inducted Jushin Liger into the Hall of Fame. This is supposed to be uncut and uncensored.’ Not only did I say that I said ‘I just talked to John Laurinaitis, because he reached out to me about maybe doing a collaboration between New Japan and WWE. So let me just be me, this is supposed to be an uncut/uncensored Nexus documentary. Let me just be proud of this jacket. Then the producer said ‘No problem, you sold me on it.’”
Today, I proudly wore my New Japan track jacket during the filming of @WWE’s Network Docs: Untold Nexus because I wanted to represent the best hour of pure professional wrestling on the planet #NJPWStrong @njpwworld -- @njpw1972 @njpwglobal @NJPWofAmerica #blockthehate #wwenexus pic.twitter.com/6UGobTD5yd
— nodaysoff FRED ROSSER III (@realfredrosser) May 4, 2021
Rosser continued on, recalling a conversation with John Laurinaitis in which he told him about a possible partnership between WWE and NJPW. Rosser said the following:
“At the time when John Laurinaitis took over talent relations he reached out to old talent that he had hired, just seeing how things were. I said ‘Hey John, everything is going great. I’m with New Japan and doing my thing.’ And he goes [impersonates John Laurinaitis] ‘Yeah, you know, I did a run in All Japan.’ I told him that I watched his stuff and then he said about a possible partnership with New Japan and WWE. I said that’s great and that was that. Who knows what that relationship could have been, but that’s what he had told me. But never say never, bucket list for me is Daniel Bryan. We did original NXT and we trained together, but come to New Japan Strong. It’s a new show with New Japan and work me, put us on the map. That’s my challenge to Daniel Bryan. That forbidden door is so wide open.”
During a recent interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Rosser explained how much New Japan means to him and details of why his recent promo against Team Filthy was so visceral and came from the heart. Learn more here.
Fightful has regular coverage of New Japan STRONG every week in our results section.
