Category: New Japan Pro Wrestling

Upcoming NJPW U.S. Event To Air Live On AXS TV

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AXS TV announced that it will live broadcast New Japan Pro Wrestling’s upcoming U.S. event “Strong Style Evolved” on Sunday, March 25 at 8pE/5pP. The press release can be seen below:

NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’S BIGGEST STARS RETURN TO AMERICA ON AXS TV’S EXCLUSIVE LIVE BROADCAST OF ‘STRONG STYLE EVOLVED’ ON SUNDAY, MARCH 25 AT 8pE/5pP

The Sold-Out Show Will Feature Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito & More from Long Beach, California

‘STRONG STYLE EVOLVED’ Marks NJPW’s Second U.S. Event as Japan’s Biggest Wrestling Organization Continues to Expand Stateside

Leading up to the Live Broadcast, the Network will Premiere Matches from NJPW’s New Year Dash, New Beginning in Sapporo and More

Los Angeles (Feb. 7, 2018) – AXS TV—the exclusive U.S. television home for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW)—will partner with NJPW and TV ASAHI to broadcast NJPW’s second U.S. event STRONG STYLE EVOLVED live on Sunday, March 25 at 8pE/5pP from California State University Long Beach’s (CSULB) Walter Pyramid.

The cable network’s acclaimed commentary team, Wrestling Hall of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC Heavyweight Champion and NJPW veteran Josh Barnett, will call the live action ringside at STRONG STYLE EVOLVED. The broadcast is expected to feature NJPW’s biggest stars including Kazuchika Okada, Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Tetsuya Naito among others in matches to be announced.

“New Japan Pro Wrestling’s popularity and ratings in the U.S. are at an all-time high,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “The G1 Special last summer sold out in a few hours, while STRONG STYLE EVOLVED, in an arena twice the size, sold out in less than 10 minutes. This second U.S. event is a great opportunity to further our relationship with NJPW and TV Asahi and we are looking forward to growing their strong style brand of wrestling in the states.”

AXS TV previously televised NJPW’s first stateside event—G1 Special in USA—live in July 2017 and also took over production of the Friday night series from distribution partner TV Asahi to air the Japanese events closer to the original air date. Continuing this trend, AXS TV aired a special presentation of NJPW’s biggest annual event—Wrestle Kingdom 12—on Jan. 6, 2018 just two days after it took place in Japan, which became the most watched broadcast in series history.

AXS TV wraps up its final night of Wrestle Kingdom 12 coverage on Feb. 9 at 8pE/5pP. Then, the network will showcase the best matches from NJPW’s winter events including “New Year Dash” (Feb. 16), three hours from “The New Beginning in Sapporo” (Feb. 23-March 9) and more to be announced leading up to STRONG STYLE EVOLVED.

AXS TV’s upcoming NJPW schedule is as follows (subject to change):

* Feb. 9 – Wrestle Kingdom 12 Finale – Kazuchika Okada vs. Tetsuya Naito

* Feb. 16 – New Year Dash – NJPW’s top wrestlers face off in a series of tag team matches and establish new rivalries for 2018.

* Feb. 23 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Minoru Suzuki

* March 2 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – The Young Bucks vs. Roppongi 3K

* March 9 – The New Beginning in Sapporo – Kenny Omega vs. Jay White

Kenny Omega Facing Cody Rhodes At ROH Supercard Of Honor XII? Latest episode of Being The Elite

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Below is the latest episode of Being The Elite, which features the fallout from Cody attacking Kenny Omega at NJPW New Beginning earlier this week. In the video, Cody and Brandi Rhodes go skiing while Matt Jackson’s wife asks him what happened in room 710. Matt said that he wasn’t ready to talk about what transpired in the room.

 The end of the video features Nick Jackson looking into the future. It cuts to Colt Cabana and Ian Riccaboni at ROH Supercard Of Honor XII talking about a matchup later that night that people thought they “would never see in the history of wrestling.” Riccaboni then revealed the match: “The American Nightmare” Cody vs. “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega.

Cody and Omega have been teasing a split since last summer, when Cody attempted to “throw in the towel” for Omega during his IWGP Heavyweight Championship match against Kazuchika Okada at Dominion in June, which ended up in a draw. Omega attempted to get Cody’s wife, Brandi, to do the same during Cody’s title match against Okada the following month at NJPW’s G1 Special. Things came to a head last Sunday at New Beginning when Cody hit Omega with the Cross Rhodes following an argument after Omega lost the IWGP United States Championship to Jay White. Cody then grabbed a steel chair, but Koto Ibushi ran out to make the save for Omega and chased the Bullet Club off.

Nothing has been announced from ROH so far regarding the main event for Supercard Of Honor XII, so it’s possible that it was just a gag for the episode. Omega and Cody are confirmed to be wrestling on the show, as are The Young Bucks, Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi and ROH World Champion Dalton Castle, although no matches have been officially announced yet.

ROH Supercard Of Honor XII takes place during WrestleMania weekend on Saturday, April 7th at the Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA.

Source: WrestlingINC

Kenny Omega Explains Why He Refused To Sign With WWE

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In an interview with Tokyo Sports (via SportsKeeda), Kenny Omega spoke about reuniting with Kota Ibushi as the Golden Lovers and why he didn’t sign with WWE. He also implied that he’s no longer part of the Bullet Club. Cody Rhodes turned on Omega at NJPW: New Beginning Day 2, following Omega’s loss to Jay White for the IWGP US Heavyweight title. Ibushi came out for the save, which led to the reunion.

Omega said: “The real Kenny is always at Kota’s side. If we aren’t together, there’s no point. I want us to change the world together. I took belts with Bullet Club, did a lot, but that was all the job. Golden Lovers transcends wrestling. This is real life. As long as there was a chance for this to happen, I wasn’t going to say goodbye to NJPW.”

Source: 411Mania

NJPW New Beginning In Sapporo 2018 Results Nights 1 & 2, Kenny Omega Kicked Out Of Bullet Club??

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NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo Night’s 1 & 2 took place over the weekend. The Results from both night’s are below:

NJPW New Beginning in Sapporo (Night One) took place with Hiroshi Tanahashi defending his IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Minoru Suzuki in the main event. Suzuki was able to capture the title (via ref stoppage) after going just over 32 minutes with Tanahashi. Also, the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Champions (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa) retained their titles against Togi Makabe, Henare, and Ryusuke Taguchi.

Below are the full results:

* Michael Elgin defeated Katsuya Kitamura (Kitamura Challenge Series, 0-2)

* Jushin Liger, KUSHIDA, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, and Tiger Mask IV defeated El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

* Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano defeated Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi

* Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Roa (c) defeated Henare, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship)

* Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll defeated David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Kota Ibushi

* Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito defeated Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI

* Gedo, Hirooki Goto, and Kazuchika Okada defeated BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA

* Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson defeated Jay White, SHO, and YOH

* Minoru Suzuki defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

 

Night two of NJPW New Beginning took place and in shocking fashion Jay White defeated Kenny Omega to win the IWGP United States Championship via pinfall. Omega had been the inaugural champion, winning it last July at the G1 Special in Long Beach, California. After the match, Adam Page already looked to challenge Jay White, but Omega asked him to back off. Cody came down, they argued, Cody said Omega wasn’t being a leader, and ended up putting Omega down with a cross rhodes. Cody grabbed a chair, but Koto Ibushi ran out to make the save for Omega.

Also, Roppongi 3K defeated the Young Bucks to capture the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship for a second time. Below are the full results:

* Juice Robinson defeated Katsuya Kitamura (Kitmaura Challenge Series, 0-3)

* El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru defeated Jushin Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, and Tiger Mask IV

* Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano defeated Leo Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi

* Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Roa defeated Togi Makabe, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Manabu Nakanishi, and Tomoyuki Oka

* Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka defeated Henare and Michael Elgin

* Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll defeated David Finlay, Kota Ibushi, and KUSHIDA

* BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI

* Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) defeated Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (c) (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship)

* “Switchblade” Jay White defeated Kenny Omega (c) (IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship)

Source: WrestlingINC

 

Cody Rhodes And The Young Bucks Announce Date For ‘All-In’ Event, Kenny Omega Confirmed

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Get ready to mark this down on your calendars … because the date was announced today for the 10,000 seat show Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks are self-financing called All In.

Cody and the Bucks dropped the news by tweeting, “I’m  September 1st” and the event’s twitter page now has over 15,000 followers.

As we previously reported, the group have been in talks with various venues for months. Our sources say the front-runner locations are Chicago, London, San Francisco and Ontario, California.

Kenny Omega is officially confirmed for the event and All In’s Twitter page says the location will be revealed on an upcoming episode of Being the Elite.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Chris Jericho On His NJPW Future And Why His Bout With Kenny Omega Was Bigger Than Any WWE Match

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Chris Jericho joined Dave Lagreca and Bully Ray on Busted Open in his first interview since his “Alpha vs. Omega” match with Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12. Jericho discussed his future with NJPW now that his match against Omega is finished and having the biggest match in pro wrestling. Here are some of the highlights:

Having the biggest match in wrestling:

“When WWE did [Braun] Strowman vs. Brock [Lesnar] and [John] Cena vs. Roman [Reigns] on kind of a secondary PPV a few months ago, I was like ‘Well, there you go, that’s an amazing bonus for me’ because now – to me, those were the two biggest matches you can have in the wrestling world. Once that happened, it left it right open for ‘Alpha vs. Omega,’ there was no match hotter in the business that you could have.”

His future with NJPW:

“I need to keep the ball rolling, I don’t know, once again, the Naito thing is pretty interesting thing to me, and don’t over-saturate [myself]. Don’t join the G1 Climax and be just another guy. I really want to do the Brock Lesnar deal with NJPW, if it works out. Pick my spots and come and go to where you’re like, ‘This guy’s barely there, yet, when he’s there it makes an impact.’ And that might have to be the incentive, I just have to reevaluate and see what I want to do next wrestling wise.”

You can listen to the Jericho’s full comments in the tweet below.

Source: WrestlingINC

Michael Elgin Says His Comments About Jeff Cobb Were “Unacceptable”

michael elgin jeff cobb comments unacceptable smell njpw

NJPW wrestler Michael Elgin is apologizing for comments he made about tag partner Jeff Cobb in a leaked text conversation, saying they were “unacceptable.”

For those who missed it, a conversation leaked out last month showing Elgin making disparaging comments towards a woman accusing one of his students of sexual assault. The woman in question also released a portion of the conversation in which he bashed Cobb.

Now, Elgin has put out a statement saying: “I made some comments about Jeff Cobb that were unacceptable. At the time of this conversation I had a lot going on and took it out on Jeff Cobb unfairly. Not only is he a great performer, he is one of the nicest and most kind hearted people I’ve ever met in my career.”

Adding, “I’ve spoken to him and other colleagues directly and hope they accepted my apology. He deserves praise for his performance and he is a true asset to any company he’s involved in, I truly hope he becomes a big part of NJPW this year.”

Big Mike also put out a more lengthy statement this weekend about the disparaging comments he made towards the woman. Read it in full below (since his tweets are now protected).

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

NJPW Fantastica Mania 2018 And New Beginning Cards Revealed

The next set of live shows to take place on NJPW World is Fantastic Mania 2018 on January 19, 21, and 22. This is a co-promotional tour between NJPW and CMLL from Mexico. On nights two and three there will be a four-team CMLL Brother Tournament, where brothers will team up, single elimination style. You can check out the full cards for the next three events below:

Fantastica Mania 2018 (January 19 – 4:30am ET / 1:30am PT)

* Fuego vs. Okumura

* Dragon Lee, Hirai Kawato, Satoshi Kojima, and Star Jr. vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Rush, and Tetsuya Naito

* Atlantis, Drone, Mistico, and Volador, Jr. vs. Barbaro Cavernario, Disturbio, Puma, and Ultimo Guerrero

* Angel de Oro (c) vs. Cuatrero (CMLL World Middleweight Championship)

* Sanson vs. Soberano Jr. (c) (Mexican National Welterweight Championship)

* Gran Guerrero vs. Niebla Roja (c) (CMLL World Light Heavyweight Championship)

Fantastica Mania 2018 (January 21 – 4:30am ET / 1:30am PT)

* Disturbio and Puma vs. Drone and Star Jr.

* Fuego, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Soberano, Jr. vs. Okumura and Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)

* Atlantis, Hirai Kawato, KUSHIDA, and Satoshi Kojima vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Rush, and Tetsuya Naito)

* Angel de Oro and Niebla Roja vs. Los Guerreros Laguneros (Gran Guerrero & Ultimo Guerrero) (CMLL Brother Tag Team Tournament First Round Match)

* Cuatrero and Sanson vs. Dragon Lee and Mistico (CMLL Brother Tag Team Tournament First Round Match)

* Barbaro Cavernario vs. Volador Jr. (c) (NWA World Historic Welterweight Championship)

Fantastica Mania 2018 (January 22 – 4:30am ET / 1:30am PT)

* Disturbio and Puma vs. Fuego and Ryusuke Taguchi

* Chaos (Rocky Romero, SHO, & YOH) and Okumura vs. Jushin Liger, KUSHIDA, Star, Jr. and Tiger Mask IV

* CMLL Brother Tag Team Tournament Loser’s Bracket Match

* Atlantis and Hirai Kawato vs. Barbaro Cavernario and Gedo (Kawato’s last match before going on foreign excursion)

* Drone, Soberano, Jr., and Volador, Jr. vs. BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, and Tetsuya Naito

* Rush vs. Satoshi Kojima

* CMLL Brother Tag Team Tournament Finals

– NJPW has also revealed the full cards for their New Beginning shows on January 27, January 28, and February 10. Night one’s main event is Hiroshi Tanahashi defending the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Minoru Suzuki. Night two will have IWGP US Champion Kenny Omega vs. Jay White. In February, they will feature Will Ospreay (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship), Hirooki Goto (c) vs. EVIL (NEVER Openweight Championship), and in the main event, Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. SANADA (IWGP Heavyweight Championship). Below are the full cards:

New Beginning in Sapporo Night One (January 27 – 4am ET / 1am PT)

* Katsuya Kitamura vs. Michael Elgin

* Jushin Liger, KUSHIDA, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, and Tiger Mask IV vs. El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, Takashi Iizuka, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

* Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano

* Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Roa (c) vs. Henare, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe (NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship)

* Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll vs. David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Kota Ibushi

* Will Ospreay and YOSHI-HASHI vs. Hiromu Takahashi and Tetsuya Naito

* Gedo, Hirooki Goto, and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA

* Jay White, SHO, and YOH) vs. Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson, and Nick Jackson

* Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki (IWGP Intercontinental Championship)

New Beginning in Sapporo Night Two (January 28 – 1am ET / 10pm PT – still the 27th, for people on the west coast)

* Juice Robinson vs. Katsuya Kitamura

* Jushin Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino, and Tiger Mask IV vs. El Desperado, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

* Leo Tonga and Yujiro Takahashi vs. Tomohiro Ishii and Toru Yano

* Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Roa vs. Henare, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, and Togi Makabe

* Hiroshi Tanahashi and Michael Elgin vs. Minoru Suzuki and Takashi Iizuka

* Cody Rhodes, Hangman Page, and Marty Scurll vs. David Finlay, Kota Ibushi, and KUSHIDA

* Gedo, Hirooki Goto, Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay, and YOSHI-HASHI vs. BUSHI, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi, SANADA, and Tetsuya Naito

* Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) vs. Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (c) (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship)

* “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Kenny Omega (c) (IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship)

New Beginning in Osaka (February 10 – 3am ET / 12am PT)

* Katsuya Kitamura vs. Yuji Nagata

* Roppongi 3K (SHO and YOH) vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru

* “Switchblade” Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano vs. David Finlay, Juice Robinson, and Michael Elgin

* Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, TAKA Michinoku, and Takashi Iizuka vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Togi Makabe

* BUSHI vs. Gedo

* Tetsuya Naito vs. YOSHI-HASHI

* Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay (c) (IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship)

* EVIL vs. Hirooki Goto (c) (NEVER Openweight Championship)

* Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. SANADA (IWGP Heavyweight Championship)

NJPW Touring Australia, Chris Jericho Teases Sticking Around NJPW

NJPW announced for the first time ever they will be touring in Australia. They will have a total of four shows: February 16 (Adelaide), 17 (Melbourne), 18 (Sydney), and 19 (Perth). Tickets will go on sale beginning on January 12 at 9am local time in Australia.

 

Chris Jericho posted some fan art that included, “New Japan is Jericho.” In the caption, Jericho wrote, “Hmmm, that’s got a nice ring to it….maybe I’ll stick around for awhile?” After attacking Naito, we know he’s going to be sticking around for at least one more match. As noted on Wrestling Observer Radio that the working idea is to have the Jericho vs. Naito at the upcoming NJPW USA: Strong Style Evolved show on March 25th in Long Beach, California at the Walter Pyramid.

Source: WrestlingINC

News On When Chris Jericho Will Face Tetsuya Naito

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It was noted on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that the working idea is to have the Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito at the upcoming NJPW USA: Strong Style Evolved show on March 25th in Long Beach, California at the Walter Pyramid. Jericho had attacked Naito at New Year’s Dash this past Friday. Tickets for USA: Strong Style Evolved will go on sale on January 29th at 1pm ET / 10am PT and range from $50 to $200.

Source: WrestlingINC