Category: Pro Wrestling NOAH

AJ Styles & IYO SKY Victorious At Japan Events

On Saturday morning, WWE Superstars AJ Styles and IYO SKY participated in separate matches as part of their return to Japan.

During the Pro Wrestling NOAH Destination 2024 co-main event at Budokan Hall, AJ Styles faced off against NOAH Vice President Naomichi Marufuji. Styles emerged victorious after executing a Styles Clash.

Before joining WWE in 2016, Styles had been a regular competitor in Japan for NJPW, where he won the IWGP World Heavyweight Title twice.

Meanwhile, IYO SKY also participated in a co-main event at the Marigold Summer Destiny show at Sumo Hall. SKY emerged victorious against Utami Hayashishita after executing a tombstone piledriver and a moonsault.

Post-match, SKY expressed her gratitude to Hayashishita, WWE, and Marigold. She used her WWE entrance music for the match and wore a mask reminiscent of the one she wore at STARDOM before joining WWE.

You can check out some highlights from the matches below:

https://twitter.com/PuroresuFlow/status/1812045692367437994
https://twitter.com/PuroresuFlow/status/1812038995330683294

Source: eWn

WWE Star AJ Styles To Face Japanese Legend At Upcoming Pro Wrestling NOAH Event

Pro Wrestling NOAH teased a major announcement throughout last week, and the details have finally come to light. “The Phenomenal One” AJ Styles will return to Japan this summer to face Naomichi Marufuji at the company’s Destination event on July 13. The news was revealed via a video announcement from this weekend’s NOAH Grand Ship event.

“This is WWE Superstar, the Phenomenal AJ Styles, and I am here to announce that I will be coming to Japan to face Japanese legend Marufuji at the Budokon for the NOAH event on July 13,” Styles said in the announcement.

Styles revealed that he’s familiar with his opponent’s work and understands how talented he is as a performer. However, the WWE Superstar fully intends to pick up the victory, though he hopes it’s in a show-stealing match. “You’ve been doing this a long time, and your resume speaks for itself, but I’m not coming to Japan to lose. Let’s tear the house down on July 13.”

This isn’t the first time both companies have worked together. WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Keiji Mutoh at a NOAH event in 2023, marking the beginning of their working relationship. Elsewhere, WWE has entered into an agreement with Marigold that will see former Women’s Champion IYO SKY visit Japan to face Utami Hayashishita at Rossy Ogawa’s promotion’s Summer Destiny event, which also takes place on July 13. This also comes after WWE’s recent collaborations with TNA Wrestling, suggesting that the sports entertainment giant is open to more cross-promotional opportunities.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Full Card Announced For United Japan’s All Together Sapporo

The full lineup has been revealed for United Japan Pro-Wrestling’s event in Sapporo on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at the Hokkai Kita-Yell sports center. Check out the full card here:

Tetsuya Naito (NJPW) vs. Jake Lee (NOAH)

Alejandro, Kenoh & Kaito Kiyomiya (NOAH) vs Gabe Kidd (NJPW) David Finlay (NJPW) & YO-HEY (NOAH)

Titan, BUSHI, Hiromu Takahashi, Yota Tsuji & Shingo Takagi (NJPW) vs Drilla Moloney (NJPW), Clark Connors (NJPW), LJ Cleary (NOAH) Anthony Greene (NOAH) & Jack Morris (NOAH)

Masa Kitamiya (NOAH) vs. Tomohiro Ishii (NJPW)

Naomichi Marufuji (NOAH)& Hiroshi Tanahashi (NJPW) vs Yuya Uemura & SANADA (NJPW)

Tetsuya Endo (DDT), Ryohei Oiwa (NJPW) & Shota Umino (NJPW) vs Kazusada Higuchi (DDT), Great-O-Khan (NJPW) & Jeff Cobb (NJPW)

YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (NJPW) vs Daichi Hashimoto & Daisuke Sekimoto (BJW)

Starlight Kid (Stardom) vs. AZM (Stardom)

Kosei Fujita, Robbie Eagles & Zack Sabre Jr. (NJPW) vs Yu Owada, HAYATA & Ulka Sasaki (NOAH)

Multiple Promotions To Hold Crossover Event Under United Japan Pro Wrestling Banner

Japanese wrestling promotions have had their fair share of rivalries over the years, with Antonio Inoki and Giant Baba famously having two completely different ideologies that led to the formation of New Japan and All Japan Pro Wrestling in the ’70s. However, in recent years, many promotions in Japan have seen the benefit of collaboration and working together, which was taken to another level with the formation of United Japan Pro Wrestling in late 2023, and an inaugural event for the group has been announced.

On May 6, 2024, the “ALL TOGETHER: United Japan Pro Wrestling Inauguration & Noto Earthquake Benefit Event” will take place with NJPW, STARDOM, NOAH, DDT, Dragon Gate, and Big Japan Pro Wrestling all confirmed to have wrestlers taking part. The event will not only act as the inaugural event for the group, but as the name suggests, a portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the victims of the earthquake that hit the Noto peninsula region of northern Japan on January 1. A number of matches have already been announced for the event, with more expected to come in the near future. 

The “ALL TOGETHER” name was first used in 2011 when NJPW, NOAH, and AJPW joined forces for a charity event at the Nippon Budokan, which is where the 2024 event will take place. There were also ALL TOGETHER events in 2012 and 2023, with the proceeds going to charity on both occasions. AJPW, Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, and GANBARE Pro Wrestling are also members of the UJPW group, but will not be able to participate on May 6. However, they will play a part in the second event the group intends to hold, titled “Hokkai Kita-Yell” in Sapporo on June 15.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Kota Ibushi Set To Undergo Ankle Surgery

Pro Wrestling NOAH held its ‘The New Year’ 2024 show earlier this month with the main event singles match between Naomichi Marufuji and Kota Ibushi, where they wrestled for 30 minutes before Ibushi went over in the end.

Ibushi went for an outside moonsault, and when he landed, he grabbed his ankle. Kota was taken to the hospital after the bout, which was heavily criticized.

Kota confirmed today that he will have ankle surgery on Wednesday:

“Long time no see. It feels unusually long.

Things won’t go on as before.

I hope tomorrow’s surgery is successful.

As long as you can walk, that’s enough.

I don’t need anything else”

https://twitter.com/ibushi_kota/status/1747145518365741099

Source: eWn

Full Card Announced For The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye Event

The full card for The Great Muta’s Final Bye-Bye event presented by the Japanese promotion Pro Wrestling NOAH has been announced.

Muta will wrestle in a six-man tag match and team up with AEW stars Sting & Darby Allin.

The event will take at the Yokohama Arena on Sunday, January 22, and air live on Abema TV. This will be Keiji Mutoh’s final match as The Great Muta. However, this is not going to be his final match as a pro wrestler. Mutoh’s actual final match will emanate from the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday, February 21.

-The Great Muta, Sting, and Darby Allin vs. Hakushi, AKIRA, and Naomichi Marufuji

-Kaito Kiyomiya, Hijo de Doctor Wagner Jr., Takashi Sugiura, and Satoshi Kojima vs. Kenoh, Katsuhiko Nakamjima, Masakatsu Funaki, and Manabu Soya

-AMAKUSA, Ultimo Dragon, and Ninja Mack vs. YO-HEY, Kzy, and Dante Leon

-GHC Martial Arts Rules match: Kazushi Sakuraba vs. Hideki Suzuki

-Jake Lee, Jack Morris, and Anthony Greene vs. Masa Kitamiya, Daiki Inaba, and Yoshiki Inamura

-Yoshinari Ogawa, Eita, and NOSAWA Rongai vs. Junta Miyawaki, Alejandro, and Yasutaka Yano

-Timothy Thatcher vs. Masaaki Mochizuki

-Jungle Kyona and Saori Anno vs. Sumire Natsume and Maya Yukihi

-Atsushi Kotogi and Seiki Yoshioka vs. Hajime Ohara and Hi69

NJPW & Pro Wrestling NOAH Announce Joint Show For This Month – Wrestle Kingdom 17 Part 2

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) and Pro Wrestling NOAH have announced a joint show for January 21. The show is being called Wrestle Kingdom 17 Part Two and will go down from the Yokohama Arena.

This was hinted at when NOAH’s KONGO faction confronted Los Ingobernables de Japon backstage at Wrestle Kingdom 17. No matches have been announced as of this writing.

Source: ewrestlingnews

Darby Allin To Team With Sting & Great Muta In Muta’s Retirement Match

Pro Wrestling NOAH announced today that Darby Allin would team with The Great Muta and Sting for Muta’s retirement match on January 22nd. 

Opponents for the bout have not been announced. Muta (Keiji Mutoh) is currently on his retirement tour that will end on February 23rd, while the January 22nd match marks the final match that he will portray, The Great Muta. 

WWE star Shinsuke Nakamura will wrestle The Great Muta in a singles match at NOAH’s The New Year 2023 event on January 1.

Source: EWrestlingNews.

Shinsuke Nakamura On Great Muta Match: “It’s A Real Forbidden Door”

Pro Wrestling NOAH announce this past weekend that WWE’s Shinsuke Nakamura was crossing over to the company as part of Keiji Mutoh’s retirement tour, with the former Intercontinental Champion announced as Mutoh’s opponent for its 1 January show, The New Year 2023. It’ll be one of the last times the 59-year-old works as The Great Muta before he draws the curtain on his wrestling career later that month – and something those involved had to work hard to make happen.

Tokyo Sports reports (via translation) that NOAH had earmarked Nakamura as somebody it wanted to book for Mutoh’s retirement run as soon as the legend made the decision to retire. Initially, they were met with disagreement from WWE, though “tenacious” negotiations continued once Vince McMahon stepped down as Chairman and CEO in July.

The two sides then reached an agreement on 26 October. Now, the bout is official.

Nakamura revealed he was spurred on by people within WWE, calling the situation “a real ‘Forbidden Door'”, nodding to AEW’s working relationship with NJPW:-

“There were people in WWE who pushed me forward. I opened a door that no one could break in. Hahaha…it’s a real ‘Forbidden Door’.”

Continuing, Nakamura called the bout a meeting of “fate”, adding that he worked hard to make it happen:-

“I think it’s really fate, and I worked hard to make it happen. I’ve fought Keiji Muto twice in the past, but this was my first encounter with Great Muta, the first and last. I definitely think that I am in the midst of the miracle of the times.”

Nakamura has not wrestled in Japan on a show promoted by a native company since January 2016, when he left NJPW for WWE. His last tie with Mutoh came in October 2008.

Source: WhatCulture

Wrestling Legend (The Great Muta) Keiji Mutoh Announces His Retirement From The Ring

Keiji Mutoh, best known for his portrayal of The Great Muta in WCW and NJPW, announced his impending in-ring retirement at the “Cyberfest Festival” yesterday.

Muta, currently signed to Pro Wrestling Noah, appeared at the joint project of DDT, Noah, and Tokyo Joshi Pro, and announced that he will no longer be competing in the ring after this Spring. He intends to have a final 5 matches before he takes off his boots for good.

The longtime veteran returned to pro wrestling this past May after recovering from a hip injury. He has been competing on and off for nearly 40 years now, first debuting in 1984 with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He would go on to be the IWGP Heavyweight Champion with the promotion on four separate occasions throughout his career.

Muta is also recognized as one of the wrestlers that popularized innovative moves that are used often in modern wrestling like the Shining Wizard, the Moonsault, the Muta Lock, and the Dragon Screw Leg Whip. Additionally, he is one of only four wrestlers that was able to capture AJPW’s Triple Crown Heavyweight Championship, NJPW’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and Noah’s GHC Heavyweight Championship in his career.

He is also a thirteen-time world tag team champion, including five AJPW World Tag Team Championships, six IWGP Tag Team Championships, one GHC Tag Team Championship, and one WCW World Tag Team Championship. Muta has held an impressive total of 32 Championships over the course of his career, a feat few other wrestlers can proclaim.

Source: Wrestling Inc.