Lio Rush will take Josh Alexander's place at IMPACT x NJPW Multiverse United.
IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander was set to face KENTA at the event, but he suffered a torn triceps. As a result, he was forced to relinquish the title and pulled from the card. In an update, NJPW and IMPACT announced that KUSHIDA will face Lio Rush at the Multiverse United event on March 30. Rush won the 2023 NJPW Super Junior Tag League, and he unsuccessfully challenged Hiromu Takahashi for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at the NJPW New Japan Cup Final event on March 21.
For KUSHIDA, the bout will be a chance to gain more momentum ahead of IMPACT Rebellion, where he will face Steve Maclin for the vacant IMPACT World Championship at IMPACT Rebellion.
From NJPW:
As reported by IMPACT Wrestling over the weekend, IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander has undergone surgery for a torn tricep, an injury that has necessitated him to vacate his title, and for his planned match with KUSHIDA at Multiverse United this Thursday March 30 to be canceled.
KUSHIDA will go on to compete for the vacated title against Steve Maclin at IMPACT’s Rebellion event on April 16. Before that though, he has an incredible replacement for Multiverse in the form of Lio Rush! After falling just short of the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship in an incredible bout with Hiromu Takahashi at the New Japan Cup final, Rush will look to bounce right back to top title contention, and could do just that Thursday. Or might it be KUSHIDA, for whom fate took away an IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship chance last autumn, rocketing himself to the front of the line for the winner of Robbie Eagles and Hiromu at Sakura Genesis? Find out live on FITE!
Multiverse United has been affected by other injuries as well. Will Ospreay was set to face Mike Bailey at the show, but he will be unable to compete due to a shoulder injury. Hiroshi Tanahashi will take his place in the match.
Likewise, Mickie James was scheduled to defend the IMPACT Knockouts World Championship in a four-way bout, but she was pulled from the card due to a broken rib. She will be replaced by Masha Slamovich, and the winner of the bout will face James and Jordynne Grace for the title at IMPACT Rebellion. If James is unable to compete, she will be forced to relinquish the gold, and the four-way winner and Grace will clash in a match for the vacant title.
The updated card for IMPACT x NJPW Multiverse United can be found here.
