Top NJPW Star Hiromu Takahashi Out For Six Months

NJPW announced earlier today IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi is out for six months due to a torn left pectoral.

“After medical assessment, Hiromu Takahashi’s left pectoral injury will leave him out of action for an estimated six months. More information will follow.”

Takahashi last wrestled on February 19 at a Road to Castle Attack event in Morioka where the injury came during a tag match. NJPW had previously announced he would miss a February 20 event, but obviously the injury sustained will keep him out much longer.

Takahashi was scheduled to defend the title at Castle Attack on February 28 against El Phantasmo. No word yet on how NJPW is going to handle the title situation.

Los Ingobernables de Japon member Tetsuya Naito is also currently on the shelf due to a knee injury. He is expected to return to the ring on February 25.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Announces Partnership With The Roku Channel

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced a deal to bring NJPW content to The Roku Channel in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A one-hour series of programming will premiere on February 11.

Episodes are scheduled to air every Thursday beginning at 5 p.m. on The Roku Channel. Replays will be available on-demand thereafter. NJPW also announced that The Roku Channel will host a block of library content featuring the best matches from 2020. There is also potential for the introduction of more historical content in the future.

“Expanding the breadth and quality of our programming has fueled The Roku Channel to one of the largest and fastest growing channels on our platform,” Ashley Hovey, Director of AVOD Growth, Roku said. “Sports programming continues to be an important category for our users, and we are very excited to partner with NJPW to put the world of professional wrestling at the fingertips of millions of engaged users on The Roku Channel.”

President of NJPW Takami Ohbari also spoke on the deal. He noted that fans in the U.S., Canada and The UK have wanted NJPW content available and is looking forward to NJPW’s partnership with The Roku Channel.

“Our fans in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are among our most loyal, and they have been very clear that they want NJPW’s content made available to them,” said Takami Ohbari, President of NJPW. “NJPW is unlike any other pro-wrestling in the world.

“It is the most athletic, sports-oriented pro-wrestling on the planet, and we are excited to bring our athletes and matches to these markets in such a major way. Thank you to The Roku Channel, and we look forward to a successful partnership that brings NJPW to millions of new fans around the world.”

Wrestling Inc. reported that NJPW had been in talks with Pluto TV as well about airing their content on the streaming platform. NJPW’s new partnership with The Roku Channel comes after their contract with AXS TV ended in late 2019.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Details On AEW – NJPW Working Relationship

The wrestling world was stunned when KENTA attacked Jon Moxley on AEW Dynamite following the end of the main event. The two are set to face off for Moxley’s IWGP United States Championship at NJPW Strong and follows Moxley’s attack on KENTA at the last NJPW Strong show.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW and NJPW are in a working relationship. He said that a deal needed to be made for NJPW to have Moxley on their shows to defend the U.S. Title and in return, KENTA would show up on Dynamite.

Post-Dynamite, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega met up with KENTA backstage. Things did not go smoothly between them with KENTA telling Omega to “shut the f**k up.” However, Omega challenged Moxley and Lance Archer to a Lights Out, Falls Count Anywhere Match where he would team up with KENTA.

The future of AEW and NJPW’s relationship is unclear going forward due to the pandemic, travel restrictions and quarantine preventing talents from both companies traveling to and from the U.S. and Japan. Meltzer noted that KENTA could easily crossover because he lives in Orlando, and it is possible for other NJPW talent that live in the U.S. to possibly crossover as well.

Meltzer also noted that there are people in AEW that cannot wait to go back to Japan. He followed up by saying that once travel restrictions and quarantine regulations are cleared up, anything is possible including IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi and AEW World Champion Omega facing off, something that the two want to happen someday.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

KENTA Appeared At AEW ‘Beach Break’

Former WWE Superstar and current New Japan Pro Wrestling roster member KENTA has appeared on AEW programming for the first time.

KENTA showed up at the end of this week’s special Dynamite episode, which was titled “Beach Break.”

The man formerly known as Hideo Itami invaded the ring with his face covered and attacked Jon Moxley following the main event. He then pulled down his face mask to reveal himself before hitting Mox with a G2S.

The New Japan star — who was wearing a “G2Sleep” Bullet Club t-shirt — also stared down former Bullet Club member Kenny Omega.

Check out KENTA’s AEW debut in the clip below.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Tama Tonga Calls Out Kenny Omega And The Good Brothers For “Bullet Club” Reunion

Many wrestling fans were stoked to see a Bullet Club reunion with Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and The Good Brothers throwing up the “Too Sweet” symbol on AEW Dynamite. The trio of Omega and The Good Brothers then took part in a six-man tag match at Impact Wrestling’s Hard to Kill as part of the AEW-Impact partnership.

But one person who wasn’t thrilled to see this reunion is founding Bullet Club member Tama Tonga. He called out Omega and The Good Brothers for being part of the “Bootleg Club” on his Tama’s Island podcast.

“If I was Dave Meltzer, I would have given the shirt 5 stars and given Kenny Omega 2 stars because his tan was more orange than a damn pumpkin! Who taught you how to tan, bro? Damn! You need to stop using that maple syrup as tanning because that’s not it, bro. That’s not it,” said Tonga.

“And let me tell you something, Karl Anderson, nice sweatshirt. I like it. I’ll give you props cause you’re an OG. But I’m gonna correct everybody that’s been saying, ‘Oh he’s an OG.’ Are y’all f***ing crazy? Are y’all f***ing out of your mind? You haven’t been in the group for five f***ing years, bro! You’ve gone onto greener pastures and you don’t have no say no more in Bullet Club. You know no longer claim Bullet Club. You were the OC. You were Bullet Proof. You were Bullet Brigade. You were the Bullet nobody cares. You were this. You were that. How many godd**n times are you gonna try, dog? It ain’t gonna work. When you ain’t got the heart and soul in it, it’s just bulls***.”

Anderson and Gallows departed the Bullet Club – and New Japan – in 2016 to join WWE and then Omega departed two years later to form AEW. Thus, the three didn’t leave the stable on the best of terms as they were essentially kicked out by the remaining members.

Tonga says that the reunion would have been great if it had taken place back in Japan but since it didn’t, the reunion made no sense for three people who were originally kicked out of the group.

“It would have been all gravy if they came back to Japan. There would have been a big ass reunion. I would have thrown a party. I would have gotten like 900 sponsors all over the place. We would have thrown out everything for these guys,” stated Tonga.

“And you sold out to the one team that we kicked out? How are you gonna have a reunion with guys that got kicked out? What kind of sh** it that, bro? What kind of sh** is that? That’s the dumbest, stupidest sh** I ever heard, bro. Y’all can’t get any dumber than that but I expect that. I expected you guys to play that stupid card. C’mon, you can do better than that, Karl Smanderson and Luke Smallows. Come on man!”

After being released by WWE, The Good Brothers could have returned to New Japan where they were three-time IWGP Tag Team Champions. But they elected to join Impact Wrestling and that doesn’t sit well with Tonga.

“Once a sellout, always a sellout. Never forget that,” Tonga said of Gallows and Anderson. “They’re always about that quick buck and whoring off, knowing the right time to pull the trigger. You guys are a bunch of, ‘Click. Click. Click. Click… No BANG!’ Nothing.

“The ‘Too Sweet’ heard around the world? F**k all that nonsense. That stupid-ass f***ery. That sh** is whack anyway. We done moved on. We done moved on.”

After the Bullet Club Reunion on Dynamite, AEW has filed a trademark to the ‘Too Sweet’ phrase. Omega, Gallows and Anderson then teamed as “The Elite” on an episode of Dynamite and some fans have argued that the Elite is further promoting the Bullet Club brand.

Tonga argues against that notion and says the members of the Elite are only out for themselves and don’t care about the Bullet Club.

“The only people they’re advertising are themselves, not Bullet Club. And you all should have known that when they did the whole Elite thing,” said Tonga. “‘Oh, the Elite made Bullet Club more famous.’ B***h, the Elite made the Elite more famous, not the Bullet Club. But that’s how they were able to go on. They used Bullet Club to go on and do their other sh**. They used us as a platform and let’s not forget that bulls***. Come on now! They used us, they used ROH. Who else did they use?

“I’m gonna tell you this – remember this – how you treat people on the way up is how they’re gonna treat you on the way down. Don’t forget that! Look at them struggling right now, man. Struggling so bad and so desperate, ‘Oh, let’s bring Bullet Club and all the ex-members.’ What kind of dumb sh** is that? I’ve never seen anything so dumb before. Karl Anderson, I expected more man. But I guess I was wrong. I guess five years out there in New York really cluttered your brain.”

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Don Callis Says There’s Nothing Left For Him To Do In New Japan

Don Callis has hinted that his association with New Japan Pro Wrestling may be at an end as there’s nothing left for him to do there.

Callis addressed his NJPW business dealings on Sitting Ringside with David Penzer.

“I see my business with New Japan as being done,” he said. “When I went into New Japan in 2017, they were on one level. When I booked Jericho vs. Omega at the Tokyo Dome, their entire business model changed. Their revenue went up exponentially. They’ve been riding the Don Callis effect ever since,” he continued,

Callis then suggested that his time with New Japan is probably at an end.

“There is nothing left for me to do in New Japan,” he claimed. “Anything I could do in New Japan now would pale in comparison to the game-changing nature that I did three years ago,” he said.

Despite hinting at the end of his relationship with NJPW, Callis did recently tease a program between AEW Champion Kenny Omega and IWGP Champ Kota Ibushi.

“In order for Kota Ibushi to truly evolve into the Kota Ibushi he can be, he Kota needs to get on an airplane and he needs to come from Japan and defend that title around the world like Kenny Omega does,” he told TalkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy.

As you may recall, the dastardly Don Callis recently took on the role of Omega’s manager. Callis also instigated a Bullet Club reunion on Dynamite.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Reportedly Making “A Strong Play” At Jay White

Following his defeat to Kota Ibushi at the main event of day two of Wrestle Kingdom 15 for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles, Jay White said in the post-match press conference that he simply was done with pro wrestling and just wanted to go home after the sacrifices he made.

Many believed this to be an angle. However, the Super J-Cast is reporting that their sources of told them that there is doubt whether White would extend his NJPW contract and that WWE are making “a strong play for him.” They also reported that it is currently “50/50” as to whether he stays or leaves NJPW.

“Several sources have indicated there is some doubt whether Jay White will extend his NJPW contract, rumoured to be up at the end of the month,” Super J-Cast wrote. “WWE are believed to be making a strong play for him and it’s 50/50 whether he stays or goes.”

White has some connections in WWE as Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura were part of a group that recruited him to NJPW. White has stated in the past that signing with WWE was not on his radar.

You can view the Super J-Cast’s tweet below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 2 Results 1/5/21

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT AND INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kota Ibushi (c) defeated Jay White

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Taiji Ishimori (c) to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship

SANADA defeated EVIL

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Shingo Takagi (c) defeated Jeff Cobb

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato

PROVISIONAL KOPW 2021 TROPHY
Toru Yano defeated Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, and BUSHI

STARDOM MATCH (DARK MATCH)
Saya Kamitani, AZM, and Utami Hayashish*ta defeated Maika, Natsupoi, and Himeka

STARDOM MATCH (DARK MATCH)
Syuri and Giulia defeated Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano

NJPW Reportedly Close To English-Language TV Deal

NJPW is reportedly close to a new English-language television deal, according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer.

Meltzer reports that the deal is close enough that an announcement could come at any time.

From 2014 to 2019, NJPW had a television deal with AXS TV. The deal ended when AXS TV was purchased by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of Impact Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 1 Results 1/4/21

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT AND INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kota Ibushi def. Tetsuya Naito (c)

Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay w/Bea Priestley

Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Great-O-Khan

RIGHTS TO IWGP US CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
KENTA (holder) def. Satoshi Kojima

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Guerrillas of Destiny def. Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi (c)

Hiromu Takahashi def El Phantasmo
Winner gets IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match on Night 2.

22-Man New Japan Rambo
The final four opponents will face off in a special four-way match for the provisional KOPW 2021 Trophy on Night 2. Winners: Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, BUSHI and Toru Yano