Summary

Callum Newman said he originally expected to enter NJPW as a junior heavyweight before his path changed toward the heavyweight division.

Speaking ahead of his first IWGP Heavyweight Championship defense against Shingo Takagi at Wrestling Dontaku on May 4, Newman looked back on arriving in the promotion with Best of the Super Juniors in mind. Instead, he said his United Empire stablemates pushed him toward adding size and preparing for heavyweight competition.

That background adds another layer to Newman's current spot at the top of the card. His rise to the IWGP Heavyweight title already turned heads across the wrestling world, including when Will Ospreay reacted to Callum Newman's IWGP Heavyweight title win.

Quote from Callum Newman

"I think it was just getting bullied by everyone. I joined thinking I was gonna be a junior. I was supposed to be doing Best of the Super Juniors. That was always my dream. But then, everybody in (United) Empire was like, 'No, you're too big, so, better put on weight.' So I just went to the gym and ate."

How it frames Newman's title defense against Shingo Takagi

Newman's comments make his Wrestling Dontaku defense against Shingo Takagi feel even bigger, because the reigning IWGP Heavyweight Champion is now carrying a role he did not originally picture for himself when he joined NJPW.

It also underlines how quickly Newman's ceiling changed once NJPW and United Empire saw him as a heavyweight prospect instead of a junior. With a first defense coming immediately after his title win, that shift is now being tested at the highest level.

Sources

Callum Newman while speaking on the Midnight Kingdom podcast