Jeff Cobb adds even more mystery to his next move. This time by claiming he has retired. Just a few days after playing in what was billed as the NJPW final match on April 18th, Cobb joined social media on April 30th, dropping an inexplicable message that immediately sparked speculation.
“16 years have been a long time at work, I’m happy retirement… I have a wave that will take me to my next destination.” Cobb wrote, sharing a photo of himself, standing by the water, of a calm beach. He closed the post with lyrics with more plot: “Wave Can I walk in your water until I grab your waves🎶?”
Some fans wonder whether the timing and tone of the post is over or if this “retirement” is over or if it’s a gentle one before the next chapter. With rumors of WWE heated up in recent weeks and Cobb’s NJPW deal officially behind him, many have read this as a careful language teaser rather than a breakup.
Just before WWE SmackDown on April 18th, Cobb tweeted “Well then, now, forever ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️”– Direct play with WWE’s trademark slogan. The tweet included a photo of a cobb in the NJPW ring, with heart and arrow emojis pointing directly to the new Japanese logo. It seemed like respect, but I felt the message was intentionally layered.
He also filmed a jab at the rumor factory on April 15th and made a joke. “Yes, it’s 100% true that Lucha Underground fame Monster Matanza Cueto actually saw my match from his cell and stole it to use on the El Rey network.”
Despite the “retirement” post, many believe that Cobb is simply leaving NJPW and preparing for something bigger in WWE. Dave Meltzer recently reported that WWE wanted Cobb “on Sunday or Monday” around WrestleMania 41, but that never happened.
Jeff Cobb may take place in New Japan, but don’t count him from professional wrestling yet. His latest post feels more like a pivot than a goodbye.
