More Backstage Details on Jeff Cobb Leaving NJPW

– As previously reported, NJPW granted the request of Jeff Cobb to leave the company, as he’s rumored to be heading to WWE. As a result, Cobb and Callum Newman will vacate the IWGP Tag Team Championships. Cobb will then wrestle his last match in New Japan against Hiroshi Tanahashi on April 18. Dave Meltzer had more details on Cobb’s exit during today’s Wrestling Observer Radio.

This raises the question of why New Japan booked Cobb and Newman to win the tag titles on April 5 at Sakura Genesis. Rumors surfaced that WWE was interested in Cobb last month. According to Meltzer, Cobb’s tag title win was a “booking error.” he reported that New Japan officials didn’t know that Cobb was leaving and that he was no longer under contract.

Meltzer speculated that New Japan officials didn’t know exactly when Cobb was leaving. They initially put the belts on Cobb and Newman as a way to elevate Newman, but then Cobb decided to leave suddenly. Meltzer believes NJPW didn’t expect Cobb’s sudden exit, otherwise they would’ve have put the titles on him.

Also, Meltzer believes WWE wanted Jeff Cobb as early as “Sunday or Monday.”