After an eight-year stint behind NJPW‘s English commentary table, Kevin Kelly seems poised to step away from the booth.
In a tweet sent today, Kevin Kelly confirmed his plans to step away from NJPW commentary duties.
The tweet was in response to a fan asking Kelly his status with New Japan Pro Wrestling now that he is the full-time commentator for AEW Collision alongside Nigel McGuinness.
Kelly didn’t leave any room for confusion when he boldly announced his intention to wrap up duties for NJPW.
“I am at some point soon but I’ll leave it to New Japan to announce it or not. I plan on calling Destruction at Ryogoku and Wrestle Kingdom/ New Year Dash”
Kevin Kelly’s tweet suggests that the last events he intends to call are Wrestle Kingdom and its follow-up New Year Dash. These are traditionally two of New Japan’s biggest shows of the year, with Wrestle Kingdom acting as the pay-off for long-standing rivalries, and New Year Dash aimed at kicking off new ones.
Kelly followed up the tweet with an explanation for why he decided to step away from New Japan.
“My wife of 32 years said she doesn’t want to be alone anymore so that’s why I made the decision.”
His upcoming exit will undoubtedly leave a big hole in New Japan’s English product. Kevin Kelly has called NJPW action for English fans since 2015, covering huge events such as the Kenny Omega / Kazuchika Okada series, the debut of Chris Jericho in NJPW, and the rise of Will Ospreay.
New Japan Pro Wrestling have yet to make an official announcement regarding Kelly’s exit, but now that the announcer has made his intentions public, it can surely not be far off. Walker Stewart would later be revealed as Kevin Kelly’s replacement for NJPW’s English Commentary Team.
Is Kevin Kelly Back On AEW Collision?
After taking an extended break to call NJPW’s annual G1 Climax tournament, Kevin Kelly has returned to AEW Collision. His chair was previously filled by Ring of Honor announcer Ian Riccaboni, who called the show alongside Nigel McGuiness during Kelly’s absence.