NJPW announced that Michael Elgin has not re-signed with the company. The two sides did talk and mutually decided to part ways after his contract expired on March 31.
Elgin first began appearing for NJPW in 2015 through ROH’s partnership, and was able to capture the IWGP Intercontinental, NEVER Openweight, and NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
ROH announced the Pre-Show for ROH /NJPW G1 Supercard will begin at 6:30 pm ET on April 6 and air for free on ROH’s Facebook Live, FITE, NJPW World, and traditional PPV. The Pre-Show will feature an Honor Rumble battle royal.
IWGP United States Champion Juice Robinson was featured in a video posted to ROH’s Twitter page. In it, Robinson accepts WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray Dudley’s open challenge to a New York City Street Fight at the G-1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden on April 6.
In the video, featured below, Robinson can be seen saying, “Up until a couple of minutes ago, I didn’t have a match at MSG. No way that ROH and NJPW are going to put on the biggest show in the world’s most famous arena and me not have a match! So Bully [Ray], you issued an open challenge? New York City Street Fight – I don’t really care what it is. Sign me up, I’m there. It just so happens I’m sick and tired of your bull crap, too. So, two birds one stone.”
Bully responded to Robinson’s video, he can be seen below saying, “Madison Square Garden is my back yard; Madison Square Garden is where I made my legacy in this business. I’ve stolen the show at Madison Square Garden, I’ve main evented Madison Square Garden, my name has been on the marquee at Madison Square Garden, and I wrestled a little show called Wrestle-freaking-Mania at Madison Square Garden. What do you think is going to happen to Juice Robinson in Madison Square Garden?”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
It was announced today in Japan that Sumo star turned pro wrestler, Koji Kitao, passed away back in February at the age of 55.
Kitao gained the rank of Yokozuna while still involved with Sumo wrestling but he ultimately turned to the world of professional wrestling in 1989 under the tutelage of Masa Saito. He wore a mask while competing in AWA and called himself “Monster Machine” so that Japanese media wouldn’t catch wind that he was competing in the States. When he returned to the New Japan Dojo, he competed in the promotion’s first Tokyo Dome event in February 1990. Kitao unfortunately had a falling out with Riki Choshu and it would result in his firing from the company.
Kitao worked with the SWS wrestling promotion after that, and their working partnership with WWE at the time allowed Kitao to be a part of WrestleMania 7. Even still, after lasting about a year with SWS, Kitao was fired when he began no-selling and shooting on his opponent at the time, John “Earthquake” Tenta. When the referee intervened in the match, Kitao kicked him and proceeded to tell the audience that wrestling was fake.
Kitao would be involved with various promotions after that, including one stint with UWFi. Ironically, Kitao was welcomed back in to the world of wrestling after he suffered a knockout kick to the head from one of his UWFi opponents, Takada. He would later transition to the world of MMA but officially retired in 1998 .
You can see a few matches from Kitao’s career below:
Source: Wrestling Inc.
We are just a few weeks away from Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling taking over Madison Square Garden for the G1 Supercard. The collaboration between both organizations on April 6 has been months in the making. One of the main title matches includes Jay White defending his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against New Japan Cup winner Kazuchika Okada. The Ring of Honor World Title is also on the line as Jay Lethal defends it in a ladder match against Matt Taven and Marty Scurll.
The entire main card was announced late last night, with a total of eight titles on the line. Zack Sabre Jr. will be defending his RPW British Heavyweight Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashiwhile Tetsuya Naito will defend the IWGP Intercontinental Title against Kota Ibushi. Additionally, Mayu Iwatani will defend the Women of Honor World Championship in a rematch against former champion Kelly Klein. Jushin Thunder Liger has been confirmed for the Honor Rumble match.
There was a significant change to one match, as the title v. title bout between the Guerrillas of Destiny and Villain Enterprises’ PCO and Brody King is now a fatal four-way. The Briscoes and the team of EVIL and SANADA have been added to the match for the IWGP and Ring of Honor World Tag Team Titles.
Below is the updated and potentially final match card:
* Jay White (c) v. Kazuchika Okada – IWGP Heavyweight Championship
* Jay Lethal (c) v. Marty Scurll v. Matt Taven – Ladder Match for the ROH World Championship
* Tetsuya Naito (c) v. Kota Ibushi – IWGP Intercontinental Championship
* Will Ospreay (c) v. Jeff Cobb (c) – Winner Takes All match for the NEVER Openweight and ROH TV TItle
* Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa (c) v. Brody King and PCO (c) v. EVIL and SANADA v. The Briscoes – Winner Takes All match for the IWGP and ROH World Tag Team Titles
* Taiji Ishimori (c) v. Dragon Lee v. Bandido – IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
* Zack Sabre Jr. (c) v. Hiroshi Tanahashi – RPW British Heavyweight Championship
* Mayu Iwatani (c) v. Kelly Klein – Women of Honor World Championship
* Bully Ray v. TBA – New York Street Fight Open Challenge
* Rush v. Dalton Castle
* Honor Rumble (Pre-Show) – Jushin Thunder Liger
Source: Wrestling Inc.
ROH announced the full schedule for G1 Supercard Festival of Honor (seen here) featuring numerous meet and greets, Q&As, and a press conference. Individual tickets for meet and greets go on sale March 21 at 12 pm ET.
Flip Gordon will be making his return to an ROH ring on March 31 at Road to G1 Supercard in Baltimore, Maryland. Gordon has been out since January with a torn MCL in his right knee. Gordon was never expected to miss the G1 Supercard, although he doesn’t currently have a match on the event.
The video below is from this past weekend’s ROH TV tapings at Las Vegas featuring ROH World Champion Jay Lethal, Marty Scurll, and Matt Taven. Scurll is currently the number one contender, thanks to winning last year’s Survival of the Fittest tournament. Taven and Lethal went to a 60-minute time limit draw for the title at 17th Anniversary PPV.
Lethal felt both men deserved a shot at G1 Supercard, but wanted to up the ante a bit more by making it a Triple Threat Ladder Match for the ROH World Championship.
Also teased for the event, but not yet officially announced by ROH: World TV Champion Jeff Cobb vs. NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay (Title vs. Title), and Dalton Castle vs. Rush.
Update: ROH officials confirmed that RUSH vs. Dalton Castle will go down at G1 Supercard. The challenge was laid out at ROH 17th Anniversary Show this past Friday after RUSH picked up a victory over Bandido.
Below is the updated announced card:
* Jay White (c) vs. New Japan Cup 2019 Winner (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)
* Jay Lethal (c) vs. Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven (Ladder Match for the ROH World Championship)
* ROH World Tag Team Champions PCO & Brody King vs. IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerrillas of Destiny (Titles vs. Titles Match)
* Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido (IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship)
* Bully Ray vs. TBA
* RUSH vs. Dalton Castle
* Honor Rumble (Pre-Show)
Update: ROH officials confirmed that RUSH vs. Dalton Castle will go down at G1 Supercard. The challenge was laid out at ROH 17th Anniversary Show this past Friday after RUSH picked up a victory over Bandido.
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced an event that will take place in Brooklyn, NY on Thursday 4/4:
New Japan Matsuri Stage to Feature Tanahashi, Naito and more on April 4!New Japan Pro Wrestling is kicking off G-1 Supercard week with New Japan Matsuri at Japan Village in Brooklyn, NY on Thursday, April 4, 2019.
Come meet your favorite NJPW wrestlers as they take part in New Japan Matsuri stage events throughout the day!
Stage Event Schedule
12:00 PM Opening Ceremony with Jyushin Thunder Liger
2:00 PM DAISO Special Stage with Toru Yano
5:00 PM Special Talk Show with Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI
7:00 PM Special Talk Show with Hiroshi Tanahashi
7:50 PM Closing Ceremony with Hiroshi Tanahashi
Event Hours: 12:00PM – 8:00PM
Event Location: Japan Village
Address: 934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Daiso, recently opened its flagship store in Flushing, NY on Friday, March 8, will be sponsoring New Japan Matsuri. Daiso will have a booth at New Japan Matsuri and will host a special stage event featuring Toru Yano.
Daiso Flushing Store
40-24 College Point Blvd., Flushing NY 11354
(At Skyview Center, next to the Converse store)
Store Hours: M-F 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sat-Sun 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Part of the tweet, as seen below and translated by Google, reads, “April 4…the event: “New Japan Matsuri” for the prior day of MSG Tournament!!”
Source: Wrestling Inc.
In this week’s Wrestling News Blog Podcast Episode Two, Ed remembers King Kong Bundy, discusses All Elite Wrestling, Memphis Wrestling, Jim Ross and more.
Segment One – King Kong Bundy
Segment Two – This past week in wrestling news
Segment Three -All Elite Wrestling (AEW)
Segment Four -RAW Women’s Championship Triple Threat Match at WrestleMania 35: (C) Ronda Rousey vs. Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
Segment five – Blast from the Past: Jerry Lawler foes in Memphis Wrestling Territory
Wrestling News Blog Podcast is available on all major podcast apps such as Apple Podcast, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.
During night one of the NJPW New Japan Cup it was teased Bullet Club would be adding a new member soon. Most of the vignette hid the individual, but there is a glimpse near the end and it’s Canadian wrestler, El Phantasmo.
Debuting back in 2005, El Phantasmo has been a big part of numerous promotions in Canada. Currently working on the UK indie scene, he typically works with RevPro Wrestling where he won last year’s British J-Cup tournament. RevPro is also a partner of NJPW.
The current Bullet Club roster is: IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White (leader), Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Gedo, Hikuleo, Jado, Robbie Eagles, IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori, IWGP Tag Team Champion Tama Tonga, IWGP Tag Team Champion Tagna Loa, and Yujiro Takahashi.
Source: Wrestling Inc.
Wrestling News Blog 