Toa Henare always wanted to be part of New Japan.
Appearing on the Wilfred Watches Podcast, Henare discussed the fork in the road he came to while in Orlando in 2016.
"Before I came to the New Japan Dojo, I was actually in Orlando. The next day I was supposed to be in the Performance Center. I was waiting for that for a long time. Before that, I tried out for New Japan and they said no. For two years -- 2014 to 2016 -- I was waiting and there was no reply," said Henare. "Then I get to Florida and literally the day I land in Florida, (Bad Luck) Fale calls me and says there's a spot in the Dojo, but I have to get there ASAP. A few hours, I'm sitting in my room like, 'what do I do?' The Buschwackers invited me to the (Performance) Center. I decide, I send Fale the message, 'Book the limousine, I'm coming back.' I booked the ticket from Florida to California to New Zealand to Japan. And that was all the money I had left."
Henare made his NJPW debut in September 2016. An Achillies tendon injury suffered on February 21, 2017 kept him out of action for the majority of the year. He returned for the 2017 World Tag League, teaming with Togi Makabe. He is currently working the Road To Power Struggle tour for NJPW.