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2 WWE Stars Debut For Japanese Promotion

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Sep 23, 2025 10:30 EDT
WWE logo over Tavion Heights Charlie Dempsey

2 current WWE stars have made their debut for a Japanese promotion.

WWE has turned over a new leaf over the past year, as the company that previously excluded all others has learned how to play nice and partner up with a few select promotions.

WWE and TNA have been in a partnership that has seen several NXT stars capture TNA gold and also saw Joe Hendry compete at WrestleMania 41 while still the TNA World Champion.

It was at WrestleMania that WWE announced it had acquired Mexican promotion AAA. A lot of attention has been paid to AAA over the past few months, with several top WWE stars now appearing on AAA shows, including the recent Worlds Collide that saw Dominik Mysterio capture the AAA Mega Championship.

One partnership that is less talked about is the one WWE has carved out with Japanese promotion, Pro-Wrestling NOAH. That collaboration has seen the giant Omos capture the GHC Tag Team Championship with Fife’s finest, Jack Morris. Tavion Heights and Josh Briggs took part in NOAH’s N-1 Victory Tournament in 2024, while Yoshiki Inamura has moved the other way, leaving NOAH behind for a successful stint in NXT.

2 WWE Stars Set For Matches In NOAH

Now, Pro-Wrestling NOAH has welcomed two new WWE talents, with Charlie Dempsey and Harlem Lewis appearing at the N1 Finals. Dempsey noted that they will have at least two matches in NOAH, with the first of those coming on October 4th, where they will face each other. Dempsey and Lewis will then team up at Wrestle Odyssey event in Ryogoku Sumo Hall. Dempsey indicated he’d have a third match at Korakuen Hall, but no date was given for that.

Charlie Dempsey announced at NXT Homecoming that he’d be heading to Japan for a month. Harlem Lewis has not appeared on NXT proper yet, but has been featured on the second season of WWE LFG and has competed on Level Up.