Category: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Kenny Omega Expected To Sign With AEW

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Kenny Omega is expected to sign with All Elite Wrestling when his contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling expires at the end of the month, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Nothing can be officially announced until February 1st.

Omega revealed during an interview with Tokyo Sports over the weekend that he would be leaving the promotion when his contract expires on January 31st. Meltzer noted that NJPW found out that Omega was leaving through the interview and were not happy about it. NJPW preferred how KUSHIDA, who is also leaving NJPW and is expected to start with NXT, handled his departure.

As noted earlier this week, NJPW had decided to work with ROH over AEW going forward. Meltzer stated that NJPW “badly” does not want to lose Omega, so it is very likely that NJPW will warm up to working with AEW. It was noted that ROH didn’t want The Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes at the upcoming ROH – NJPW G1 Supercard event at Madison Square Garden on April 6th, even though they are all cordial.

With the current landscape in wrestling, NJPW is now signing talent to longer term deals. AEW had signed Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks to five-year deals. Meltzer noted that Cody and the Bucks did not have to use their own money on the venture.

AEW will be holding their “Double or Nothing” rally in Jacksonville this evening at 5 pm ET at the parking lot of West Club at the TIAA Bank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s expected that several signings and the upcoming Double or Nothing event will be officially announced at the rally. Tonight’s SmackDown will emanate from Jacksonville as well.

Source: WrestlingINC

KUSHIDA Leaving NJPW

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NJPW held a post-Wrestle Kingdom 13 Press Conference yesterday and it was announced that KUSHIDA will be leaving the company at the end of the month and will be heading overseas.

NJPW Announcer Chris Charlton translated some of KUSHIDA’s comments about “heading overseas.”

WWE had reportedly shown interest in the former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, potentially bringing him into NXT.

During his time with NJPW, KUSHIDA was a six-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, two-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and two-time winner of Best of the Super Juniors.

Source: WrestlingINC

Kenny Omega Says He’s Leaving NJPW

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Kenny Omega spoke with Tokyo Sports and says he’s leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Omega lost the IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 and didn’t make an appearance the next night at NJPW New Year Dash. His contract was reportedly over later this month.

The article noted it’s likely his choices are narrowed down to WWE or All Elite Wrestling. NJPW Announcer Chris Charlton translated some of Omega’s comments about why he’s looking to leave the company.

“I take full responsibility for the loss,” Omega said of his loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom. “There is no real place for me to fit, so it’s best for me not to be in (NJPW). I can’t be there working under Tanahashi. I don’t think he’s surpassed me, don’t think he’s better. If we can, I want to face him again. But I need time away, and not just from New Japan.”

Omega has strong ties to Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks of AEW, which is holding a Double or Nothing rally this Tuesday in Jacksonville, Florida. It was also reported this week that Omega was made a “fantastic offer” by WWE as they look to bring his talent to the WWE Universe.

Source: WrestlingINC

NJPW New Year Dash Results 1/5/19

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Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Takayuki Iizuka vs. Yoh, Sho, and Rocky Romero – Winners: Yoh, Sho, Rocky Romero

Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens vs. Toa Henare and Tomoaki Honma – Winners: Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi

Beretta and Chuckie T vs. Juice Robinson and David Finlay – Winners: David Finlay and Juice Robinson via DQ

KUSHIDA, Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb vs. Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii – Winners: Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii

NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori (with Jado) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, and Toru Yano – Winners: Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori

Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi helped Bullet Club get the win. Bullet Club accepted Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi back into Bullet Club

Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and El Desperado vs. EVIL, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, and SANADA – Winners: Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and El Desperado 

Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and Gedo vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi – Winners: Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and Gedo

 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 Results

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Number One Contender Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Pre-Show): Hirooki Goto, Beretta, & Chuckie T vs. Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, & Toru Yano vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb, & David Finlay vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Yujiro Takahashi – Winners: Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe & Toru Yano

NEVER Openweight Championship: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay – Winner: Will Ospreay

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI & Shingo Takagi – Winners and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: BUSHI & Shingo Takagi

RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Winner and new RevPro British Heavyweight Champion: Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. EVIL & SANADA vs. The Young Bucks – Winners and new IWGP Tag Team champions: EVIL & SANADA 

IWGP US Championship: (C) Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson – Winner and new IWGP US Champion: Juice Robinson

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori – Winner and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion: Taiji Ishimori

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White – Winner: Jay White 

IWGP Intercontinental Championship – No DQ: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito – Winner and new IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – Winner and new IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW Events In London And Texas Announced, 2 Tokyo Dome Shows Next Year For WK14

New Japan made a handful of announcements on Friday before Wrestle Kingdom 13, including plans to run events later this year in Texas and London.

G1 Climax 29 will kickoff July 6th in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center. The company will then head to the UK on August 31st for an event at The Copper Box.

As you’ll recall, this is in addition to their joint show with ROH at Madison Square Garden.

NJPW also announced they’ll be at the Tokyo Dome for two days next year during the weekend of Wrestle Kingdom.

Read New Japan’s full announcement by CLICKING HERE.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Has Reportedly Made A “Fantastic Offer” To Kenny Omega

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Despite Kenny Omega being under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until later this month, Dave Meltzer reported on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE made Omega a “fantastic offer.”

With All Elite Wrestling being announced earlier this week, Meltzer noted that Omega is a “wildcard”, as NJPW obviously wants to keep him while AEW wants him as well.

Omega was defending his  IWGP Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Source: WrestlingINC

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 1/4/19

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 will take place tomorrow (1/4) from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan at 2 am ET/11 pm PT (tonight). You can watch the show live on NJPW World (about $9 to sign-up) or on Fite.tv for $34.99.

You can also watch it on AXS TV:

  • Jan. 4 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours) @8 pm ET
  • Jan. 11 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours) @8 pm ET
  • Jan. 18 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 – @8 pm ET

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Championship – No DQ: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi

RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP US Championship: (C) Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson

IWGP Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa vs. EVIL and SANADA vs. The Young Bucks

NEVER Openweight Championship: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

Number One Contender Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Pre-Show): Hirooki Goto, Beretta, & Chuckie T vs. Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, & Toru Yano vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb, & David Finlay vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Yujiro Takahashi

 

I will try to get the results posted sometime Saturday.

10-Hour “Kenny Omega-Thon” Airing Today On AXS TV

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AXS TV is presenting a 10-Hour Kenny Omega Marathon today beginning at 2pm ET/1pm C/11am/ PT.

AXS TV issued the following:

KENNY OMEGA REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY TO BECOMING CHAMPION IN AXS TV’S 10-HOUR ‘KENNY OMEGA-THON’ FRIDAY, DEC. 28 STARTING AT 2pE/11aP

Los Angeles – Join IWGP Heavyweight Champion and “Best Bout Machine” Kenny Omega as he revisits his journey toward becoming the champion and defending the belt at Wrestle Kingdom 13 as host of the 10-hour “Kenny Omega-thon” special on Friday, Dec. 28 starting at 2pE/11aP on AXS TV.

The marathon kicks off with Omega’s historic feat as the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the G1 Climax tournament in 2016, which set him on the path to the heavyweight title, and also features Omega’s acclaimed trilogy of matches with Kazuchika Okada; his run as IWGP U.S. Champion, including the highly publicized match with Chris Jericho at last year’s Wrestle Kingdom; and his current reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Leading up to AXS TV’s premiere of Wrestle Kingdom 13 on Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP, the network will air a late-night strip of the best of Wrestle Kingdom on weeknights at 5aE/2aP starting Friday, Dec. 7. Highlights include headlining matches from the last five Wrestle Kingdom Events including: Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s trilogy from 2013, 2015 and 2016; Okada’s battles with Tetsuya Naito from 2014 and 2018; Naito vs. Tanahashi from 2017 and many more.

“Kenny Omega-thon” Schedule (subject to change) – Friday, Dec. 28 at 2pE/11aP:

– 2pE – G1 Climax 26 Final – Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto

– 3pE – Wrestle Kingdom 11 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada

– 4pE – Dominion 2017 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada

– 5pE – G1 Special in USA – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final –Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii

– 6pE – Wrestle Kingdom 12 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Chris Jericho

– 7pE – New Beginning in Sapporo 2018 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Jay White

– 8pE – Dominion 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada (2 hr)

– 10pE – G1 Special in San Francisco – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody

– 11pE – King of Pro-Wrestling 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi

CBS Sports Names Becky Lynch Wrestler Of The Year, “The Man” Responds, Full List Of CBS 2018 Award Winners

CBS Sports has named Becky Lynch their 2018 Wrestler of the Year.

The Man took to Twitter today and responded to the honor. She wrote, “Start of 2018, I couldn’t even get on TV. You’re never truly down, you’re never truly out. Stand up and fight. Keep swinging even if you don’t know what you’re swinging for, or at. If you’re like me you’ll eventually slap a head that deserves it and the whole world will notice.”

CBS’ praise for Lynch included the following:

“In a year filled with stunning developments, no one shook up the world of professional wrestling more than Becky Lynch, who has turned both WWE and the business as a whole on its head over the last six months by not only winning the hearts and minds of fans across the globe but doing so while standing out as “The Man” in an industry historically dominated by men. The 31-year-old Rebecca Quinn — largely marginalized by WWE over the last two years despite being a clear fan favorite — has not only become arguably the most popular superstar in the company, she looks to have forced it to change its plans for its biggest show of the coming year, WrestleMania 35 in New York. And that is why Lynch is the 2018 CBS Sports Wrestler of the Year.How has she done it? Quite simply by showing a renewed confidence and natural swagger that has been compared to everyone from Steve Austin to Roddy Piper to countryman Conor McGregor. In actuality, the comparisons do not do Lynch justice and hardly explain why she is now “The Man.” Lynch has quite simply become the best version of herself, a take-no-prisoners bad-ass who is defying convention by exorcising the demons created from two years of being kept out of the championship picture.”

Becky Lynch responded with the Tweet below:

https://twitter.com/BeckyLynchWWE/status/1078047928973967360

Below is the full list of the 2018 CBS Sports Pro Wrestling Award winners. Those marked with an asterisk (*) were WWE-only awards

  • Wrestler of the Year: Becky Lynch (WWE)
  • WWE Male Wrestler of the Year: Johnny Gargano
  • NJPW Wrestler of the Year: Kota Ibushi
  • Match of the Year: Kenny Omega def. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Dominion 6.9)
  • WWE Match of the Year: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (TLC)
  • NXT Match of the Year: Andrade “Cien” Almas def. Johnny Gargano (NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia)
  • Tag Team of the Year: The Usos (WWE)
  • Rookie of the Year: Ronda Rousey (WWE)
  • Commentator of the Year: Mauro Ranallo (NXT)
  • Comeback Wrestler of the Year: Daniel Bryan (WWE)
  • Breakthough Wrestler of the Year*: Buddy Murphy (205 Live)
  • Feud of the Year*: Johnny Gargano vs. Tomasso Ciampa (NXT)
  • Best Pay-Per-View of the Year*: TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs
  • Best Moment of the Year*: Becky Lynch attacks Ronda Rousey on Raw
  • Best Promo of the Year*: Daniel Bryan before TLC
  • Smack Talker of the Year*: Samoa Joe
  • Worst Angle of the Year*: DeGeneration X vs. Brothers of Destruction

Source: CBS Sports and WrestlingINC