The Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga declared a new state of emergency (due to rising COVID infections) in Tokyo that begins on July 12 and runs through August 22. NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam in the Tokyo Dome is scheduled for July 25, but may yet again be postponed.

The first show was scheduled for May 29, but was also postponed due to an earlier state of emergency extension.

NJPW has yet to comment on the status of Wrestle Grand Slam, which features IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi vs. Kota Ibushi.

In other NJPW event news, this year’s G1 Climax 31 dates have been announced. The company’s biggest tournament of the year will begin on September 18 in Osaka and finish on October 21.

19 events in total have been scheduled. The winner of the round-robin tournament typically faces the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion at Wrestle Kingdom in January.

The G1 usually runs in July/August, but the Tokyo Olympics have pushed it to the fall over the last two years. Kota Ibushi defeated SANADA in last year’s finals.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced NJPW Strong will have its first matches ever in front of a live audience on Monday, August 16.

NJPW announced the Fighting Spirits Unleashed 2021 series will see fans welcomed to the Thunder Studio in Long Beach, California.

Nine matches are planned to take place at the event. Limited tickets will be on sale, Wednesday, June 30 at 10 AM PDT.

Wrestlers that are scheduled for the event include NEVER Openweight Champion Jay White, STRONG Openweight Champion ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor, Juice Robinson, Lio Rush, Shota Umino, Ren Narita, Fred Rosser, and Karl Fredericks.

NJPW Strong premiered in August 2020 on NJPW World and FITE.

Below is NJPW’s full announcement:

After announcing the return of US fans to matches for the ‘Resurgence’ event, New Japan Pro-Wrestling today announced the ‘Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021’ series. The series will see fans welcomed to Thunder Studio in Long Beach for the ‘NJPW STRONG’ brand’s first matches ever in front of a live audience on Monday, August 16.

Premiering in August 2020 on NJPW World and FITE, NJPW STRONG began without a live crowd, but has quickly become critically acclaimed and a favorite of fans around the world. The Friday broadcast has seen the introduction to NJPW fans of STRONG Openweight Champion ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor, ‘Mr. No Days Off’ Fred Rosser and ‘The Man of the Hour’ Lio Rush, as well as the appearance of popular stars active in Japan like ‘The Flamboyant’ Juice Robinson and NEVER Openweight Champion ‘Switchblade’ Jay White, all of whom will be in action at Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021.

Nine matches are planned to take place at ‘Fighting Spirit Unleashed 2021’ for future broadcast on STRONG, with extremely limited tickets on sale on Wednesday June 30 at 10AM PDT. New Japan Pro-Wrestling have been staging events with fans in attendance in Japan since July 11 2020, all with the safety of fans, staff and wrestlers taken as top priority. As a result and to prevent the spread of COVID-19, masks will be required during the event when not eating or drinking.

Fans not in attendance can watch NJPW STRONG every Friday night at 10e/7p on NJPW World and FITE.

NJPW STRONG: FIGHTING SPIRIT UNLEASHED 2021

Monday August 16, 2021 Doors: 6:30PM Start: 7:30PM

Thunder Studio

20434 South Santa Fe Avenue, Long Beach CA 90810

Ticket on sale: Wednesday June 30, 10am PDT

General Admission (standing): $60

Ringside C: $80

Ringside B: $100

Ringside A: $120

Tickets on sale Wednesday June 30:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fighting-spirit-unleashed-2021-in-los-angeles-tickets-160161644791

*Attendees will be asked to wear a mask during the event when not eating or drinking.

* Sales price includes tax* Other fees such as service/processing fees will be charged* Please be advised that event-day tickets may sell out early. Thank you for your understanding.

*Thunder Studio is a *closed studio set*. There is *no* entry to or exit from the venue after the event starts even if you hold a valid ticket. Thank you for your understanding.

Participating wrestlers

NEVER Openweight Champion: ‘Switchblade’ Jay White

STRONG Openweight Champion ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor

‘Flamboyant’ Juice Robinson

‘The Man of the Hour’ Lio Rush

Shota Umino

Ren Narita

‘Mr. No Days Off’ Fred Rosser

‘The Alpha Wolf’ Karl Fredericks

‘Wild Rhino’ Clark Connors

‘Young Gun’ Hikuleo

More names and match card TBA.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW announced today that the Wrestle Grand Slam shows in Yokohama and Tokyo Dome shows have been cancelled. The show were originally scheduled on May 15 and May 29, respectively.

The decision comes after the Japanese government announced an extension to the state of emergency currently in place in Tokyo and other prefectures. The state of emergency has been extended for three weeks until the end of May.

The only match that was announced for the shows was for the May 29 Tokyo Dome show that had Kazuchika Okada and IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay in the main event. In their announcement, NJPW apologized for the news and announced that new dates will be finalized in the future.

Earlier this week, NJPW announced that two wrestlers had tested positive for COVID-19. The news comes as Osaka’s medical system is reaching it’s limit and Tokyo nearing those levels as well.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night Two) was earlier today.

As noted, six wrestlers (Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH) were held off today’s show due to COVID-19 concerns. IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion El Desperado was scheduled to wrestle YOH, but the title match was taken completely off the event.

Below are the results:

* Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI defeated Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Jado

* Yujiro Takahashi and Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Master Wato

* Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare defeated Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI

* Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Jay White, EVIL, and Dick Togo

* Will Ospreay (c) defeated Shingo Takagi (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)

Kazuchika Okada, Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, SHO, and YOH were taken off today’s NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night Two) card due to COVID-19 concerns.

NJPW announced a wrestler scheduled to appear on today’s show had a fever and was undergoing evaluation (including PCR and antibody testing). Another wrestler who has been involved in events since May 1 also had a fever and was undergoing further evaluation.

“In an abundance of caution, neither participated in today’s event, and any wrestler who competed with them on recent cards were also removed from the event,” NJPW said in a statement.

NJPW ended up removing the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship match between El Desperado and YOH completely off the card. They made addition changes to other tag matches that were featured on the undercard.

Kazuchika Okada and SHO vs. Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru became Master Wato and Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Taiji Ishiomori and Yujiro Takahashi. Also, Master Wato, Ryusuke Taguchi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Toru Yano, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Dick Togo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, EVIL, and Jay White was changed to Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Dick Togo, EVIL, and Jay White.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Wrestling Dontaku (Night One) took place earlier today in Fukoka.

* EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori, and Dick Togo defeated Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Tiger Mask, and Master Wato
* Kazuchika Okada, SHO, and YOH defeated Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
* Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI defeated Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare
* Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Tanga Loa
* Taichi with DOUKI defeated Tama Tonga with Jado (Iron Fingers From Hell Ladder Match)
* Jay White with Gedo defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) (NEVER Openweight Championship)

Post-match, White referred to himself as “the real belt collector” (a reference to Kenny Omega) and offered up anyone to find him if they had a problem with that.

Night two of Wrestling Dontaku takes place tomorrow and features the following matches:

* Will Ospreay (c) vs. Shingo Takagi (IWGP World Heavyweight Championship)
* El Desperado (c) vs. YOH (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)
* Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Master Wato vs. Jay White, EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, Taiji Ishimori, and Dick Togo
* Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI vs. Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, and Aaron Henare
* Kazuchika Okada and SHO vs. Minoru Suzuki and Yoshinobu Kanemaru
* Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and DOUKI vs. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Jado

It was reported last week that a state of emergency was declared in Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it seems it will force changes for New Japan Pro Wrestling. NJPW’s English-language website has announced that the company has cancelled three events in Korakuen Hall next month. The shows that were cancelled were set for May 8, 10 and 11. The announcement reads:

As a result of the State of Emergency declared across Tokyo, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the decision to cancel three events on the Road to Wrestle Grand Slam tour on May 8, 10 and 11 at Korakuen Hall.

We deeply apologise to fans who were looking forward to these events. Though matches with no fans in attendance were considered, NJPW has decided that, in order to act in the best interests of staff and wrestlers as they prepare for Wrestle Grand Slam in Yokohama Stadium May 15 and Tokyo Dome May 29, cancellation was the correct course of action.

The following events are covered by today’s cancellations:

Saturday May 8, Korakuen Hall

Monday May 10, Korakuen Hall

Tuesday May 11, Korakuen Hall

All other events on our current schedule are set to proceed as planned, though New Japan Pro-Wrestling will be in constant contact with local authorities with regards to restrictions and regulations. Please check back on njpw1972.com for the latest event information. Fans in attendance are also reminded to check and comply with our live event policy.

All tickets for affected events will be refunded, with a procedure to be announced at a later date. If you have any ticketing inquiries, you can get in touch through our contact form, using the subject header ‘ticket inquiries’.

Source: 411Mania