📺 https://t.co/2R4sZMhAtq#ajpw #WWE #WWENXT #ajpwtv pic.twitter.com/bTw8q6roA8

— 全日本プロレス/alljapan (@alljapan_pw) January 3, 2024

Champion and challenger left it all in the ring just days removed from Nakajima’s title defense against Kento Miyahara on December 31, with Dempsey dubbed the “Ace of NXT” by the ring announcer. After the match, Nakajima was confronted by Shotaro Ashino, who’s been out with a fractured left forearm since May 2023. He has an outstanding shot at the Triple Crown, having won the Champion Carnival Tournament when Yuji Nagata was champion last year. Nakajima won the title in November from Yuma Aoyagi, who has similarly been announced in an inter-promotional match of late, and had won the title from Nagata in July. 

Back in WWE, Dempsey has been wrestling on the “NXT” brand as part of the No Quarter Catch Crew alongside Damon Kemp, Myles Borne, and Drew Gulak. He challenged for his first title in the company back in December in a three-way match with North American Champion Dragon Lee and Joe Coffey, but was equally unsuccessful as his AJPW excursion.