NJPW star Jeff Cobb has had talks with WWE

NJPW star Jeff Cobb could soon be leaving Japan for a new destination.

On Thursday, Fightful reported that WWE has its eyes on signing Cobb — with one source claiming that he is already on the internal WWE roster. Cobb’s NJPW contract expired earlier this year, but he is still competing for the promotion at the moment.

Dave Meltzer confirmed in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE and Cobb have had talks about him joining the company:

“Sean Sapp reported that Jeff Cobb is coming in [to WWE]. His New Japan deal expired at the end of January but he is currently in Japan for the New Japan Cup,” Meltzer wrote. “He’s been living for a while in Fukuoka, Japan, but at 42, it was also known that he sensed this was perhaps his last chance to make the kind of money WWE & AEW pay. He did turn down AEW several years back because he was happy in New Japan, so happy that he ended up moving there. The only thing we have heard from WWE at press time is that there have been talks, but no confirmation of a deal. Cobb is booked for the 4/11 New Japan show in Chicago.”

Amid the speculation about his status, Cobb defeated Tetsuya Naito on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of New Japan Cup 2025. He referenced the rumors about his future during a post-match promo, saying that everyone on the internet expected Naito to win. Cobb also posted a tweet before the match playing on the WWE rumors:

Cobb’s next New Japan Cup match is against Shota Umino this Saturday. The tournament finals are happening on March 20 with the winner receiving an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship shot against Hirooki Goto in the main event of Sakura Genesis on April 5.

Cobb, who competed for Guam as an amateur wrestler in the 2004 Olympics, has been a pro wrestler since 2009. He made his NJPW debut in 2017 and is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion and NJPW World Television Champion. He’s starred for Lucha Underground, ROH, and PWG in the past as well.