Category: TNA

Impact Wrestling & NJPW Announce Joint Show On WrestleMania Weekend

Impact Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced today that they will co-produce a show on Thursday night, March 30, at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles. The following was sent out:

IMPACT Wrestling & New Japan Pro-Wrestling Announce Major Co-Produced Live Show, Set For Thursday, March 30th in Los Angeles

“Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive” Will Feature Must-See, Cross-Promotion Dream Matches

“Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Will Ospreay Expected To Be A High-Energy, Action-Packed Match of the Year Candidate

IMPACT Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling will co-produce a major live pro wrestling show on Thursday night, March 30, at the Globe Theater in Los Angeles with megastars from both promotions in-action and numerous first-ever dream matches confirmed.
 
The show, Multiverse United: Only The STRONG Survive, will air live on pay-per-view on fite.tv, starting at 8 p.m. PST.
 
IMPACT World Champion Josh Alexander steps into the ring at Multiverse United against KUSHIDA, while “Speedball” Mike Bailey battles Will Ospreay in the co-main event that will be a nonstop fight for bragging rights.
 
The Bailey-Ospreay battle is their fifth-ever one-on-one contest and the first since August 2022, with their first-ever back in 2015. “Will Ospreay is the best professional wrestler in the world, after me,” Bailey said. “So, this will be the best professional wrestling match of the year.”
 
Alexander is the longest-reigning IMPACT World Champion and also was half of the decorated tag-team The North that is the longest-reigning IMPACT World Tag Team Champions. KUSHIDA is a 6-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a 2-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (with Time Splitters teammate Alex Shelley). KUSHIDA is a 2-time winner of the prestigious Best of the Super Juniors tournament.
 
Also confirmed for Multiverse United: NJPW’s Jeff Cobb battles former IMPACT World Champion Moose. IMPACT stars confirmed for the dual promotion spectacle: reigning X Division Champion Trey Miguel, Ace Austin and Chris Bey, plus most of the Knockouts. NJPW will be represented at Multiverse United by KENTA, Rocky Romero, Minoru Suzuki, Clark Connors, Kevin Knight, Fred Rosser and many others.
 
Tickets for Multiverse United start at $60 and go on-sale THIS FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, starting at 10am EST. Front-row seats and the coveted balcony seats are $350 each – and those prized, limited VIP seats are perk-filled, including an exclusive event t-shirt, commemorative ringside photograph, and more! For tickets, go to highspots.com
 
“We are very excited for this unique collaborative event that brings together two of the best wrestling companies in the world,” said IMPACT Wrestling executive vice-president Scott D’Amore. “Since NJPW returned to AXS TV just over a year ago, we have been looking at ways to expand our working relationship between the two brands. Multiverse United on March 30th at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles is the first of many exciting collaborations between IMPACT and NJPW.”
 
NJPW representative director Takami Ohbari said, “New Japan Pro-Wrestling and IMPACT have been a winning combination on AXS TV, and now fans get to see these two companies share the same ring in person. I personally cannot wait to see what arises from this special card, and I can guarantee fans will experience a historic event the likes of which they’ve never seen before.”
 
The IMPACT Wrestling/New Japan Pro-Wrestling relationship began in 2005 with Jushin Liger facing Samoa Joe at BOUND FOR GLORY. In 2006, Hiroshi Tanahashi faced AJ Styles at FINAL RESOLUTION and New Japan fielded Team Japan for the 2006 World X-Cup. 
 
IMPACT was involved in New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom events from 2008 to 2011, with such legendary matches as Kurt Angle vs. Yuji Nagata, Abyss vs. Manabu Nakanishi, and Giant Bernard and Tomko vs. The Steiner Brothers. Other stars who have participated in IMPACT/New Japan matches, including the Motor City Machine Guns, Kevin Nash, Masahiro Chono and Tomohiro Ishii, among others. The 2011 Wrestle Kingdom featured a World Championship title defense by Jeff Hardy against Tetsuya Naito. 
 
In 2021, NJPW tag team FinJuice arrived in IMPACT Wrestling, as well as Jay White, Satoshi Kojima, Minoru Suzuki, the Guerrillas of Destiny, and others.
 
IMPACT star Ace Austin competed in NJPW’s 2022 Best of the Super Juniors. Ace Austin and Chris Bey made the finals of the 2022 NJPW Super Junior Tag League and the Motor City Machine Guns are the reigning NJPW Strong Openweight Tag Team Champions.

Danhausen Forms Tag Team With Chris Jericho On Jericho’s “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager At Sea” Cruise

There might be a very nice, very evil, and very new tag team entering the AEW tag team picture.

Over the weekend as part of Chris Jericho’s “Rock ‘N’ Wrestling Rager at Sea” cruise, AEW’s resident ghoul Danhausen teamed up to become a unit for a pair of matches on the voyage. “Danhausen and Jerichohausen… the most hausen tag team of all hausen!!” one traveler tweeted, posting a photo of Danhausen and Jericho in matching facepaint and red capes. Another attendee shared a look at Danhausen and Jericho both using “The Walls of Jericho” against Austin and Colten Gunn.

Jericho’s annual cruise event typically features wrestlers — mostly from AEW’s roster at this point — in addition to a few other stars from ROH, GCW, and NJPW. Musical artists like Jericho’s rock group Fozzy, Quiet Riot, and “Platinum Max” (AEW World Tag Team Champion Max Caster) performed this year as well. Danhausen was advertised as the cruise’s “guest host” for the weekend. 

Even before his AEW debut in early 2022, Danhausen had grown into a beloved figure among wrestling fans, making a name for himself on the independent scene and on social media. Known for casting “spells” on his adversaries, he has racked up an 8-5 record in his first year with AEW. Although with the recent attention he’s been garnering, it’s not out of the question to see bigger things on the horizon for him in his second year with the promotion — especially considering his association with the All-Atlantic Champion Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

AEW Dark: Elevation Preview 2/6/2023

The latest episode of AEW’s latest weekly show, Dark: Elevation, is slated to air tonight at 7pm ET via the official AEW YouTube channel.

  • ROH Champion Claudio Castagnoli & ROH Pure Wrestling Champion Wheeler Yuta vs. Tony Nese & Ari Daivari with Smart Mark Sterling
  • Nyla Rose & Emi Sakura & Diamante & Marina Shafir with Vickie Guerrero vs. Sky Blue & Madison Rayne & Queen Aminata & Heidi
  • Orange Cassidy & The Best Friends vs. Zack Clayton & Serpentico & Luther
  • Top Flight vs. The Butcher & The Blade with The Bunny.
  • Yuka Sakazaki vs. Billie Starkz
  • Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Corey Calhoun
  • Matt Menard & Angelo Parker vs. The Boys, Brendan & Brett Tate

AEW Rampage Preview 2/3/2023

Tonight’s AEW Rampage on TNT at 10/9C. Taped on Wednesday at Wright State University – Nutter Center in Dayton, OH

  • AEW World Trios Championship: The Elite (Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks) (c) vs. Ethan Page, Matt Hardy, & Isiah Kassidy
  • RUSH vs. Christopher Daniels
  • Swerve Strickland vs. Brian Pillman Jr.
  • Toni Storm & Saraya in tag team action

Positive Health Update On Jay Briscoe’s Daughters

On January 17, Jamin Pugh, known to fans as Jay Briscoe, tragically passed away in a car accident that shook the wrestling world down to its very core. Fortunately, his daughters, who were also in the vehicle, survived the accident. However, both of them sustained life-altering injuries.

We now have a positive medical update on Jay Briscoe’s daughters, Jayleigh and Gracie.

Update on Jayleigh: “JJ, Briscoe’s nine-year old daughter was officially released from the hospital yesterday and is back home. She will have to wear her neck and back brace for four more weeks, at which point she will then return to the hospital to have her back brace surgically removed. She will obviously need continued physical therapy as she recovers but she was able to return home last night.”

Update on Gracie: “Gracie, Briscoe’s twelve-year old daughter, will be moved to the rehab floor of the hospital so that she can focus more on physical therapy towards regaining use of her legs below the knee. She has feeling in her legs but is still unable to move them below the knees. She noted to her sister that her leg, which has felt as if its tingling nonstop, ‘felt normal’ last night.”

We wish Jayleigh and Gracie the best on their road to recovery.

Source: eWrestlingNews

IMPACT Wrestling Preview 2/2/2023

All-New IMPACT! tonight at 8/7c on AXS TV and 8:30pm ET on YouTube for IMPACT Insiders.

  • Sami Callihan and The Design vs. Josh Alexander, Rich Swann, Frankie Kazarian & Yuya Uemura
  • Ace Austin & Chris Bey vs. KUSHIDA & Kevin Knight
  • Savannah Evans vs. Gisele Shaw
  • Crazzy Steve vs. Sheldon Jean
  • Kenny King vs. Johnny Swinger

AEW Considering Launching Their Own Streaming Service

The award-winning WWE Network may have some competition if AEW goes ahead with reported plans to launch their own streaming service.

Since 2019, AEW had produced thousands of hours of content, and with the purchase of Ring of Honor, also has the distribution rights to the 2018 ‘ALL IN’ event.

Bloomberg is reporting that the promotion is considering launching its own streaming service, according to a source “familiar with management’s thinking.”

This streaming service would likely be done with the aid of AEW’s distribution partner Warner Bros. Discovery and isn’t the first time there have been reports of a service.

In October 2021, AEW President Tony Khan said that AEW was in talks with HBO Max over a streaming service with HBO Max, though no service came to light.

Source: eWrestlingNews

AEW Dynamite Preview 2/1/2023

AEW Dynamite will air live tonight on TBS and emanate from the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, OH.

  • AEW TNT Championship No Holds Barred Match: Darby Allin (c) vs. Samoa Joe
  • TBS Championship: Jade Gargill (c) vs. Red Velvet
  • “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Jon Moxley
  • Bryan Danielson vs Timothy Thatcher
  • Konouke Takeshita vs Brian Cage
  • The Acclaimed in Action

The Funeral Service For Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh Now Available To Watch

On Sunday, a funeral service for late Ring of Honor wrestler Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh was held in Laurel, Delaware.

The official YouTube channel of the Laurel School District hosted a livestream of the funeral, which you can see below. During the service, Jay’s mother, father, and brother Mark recalled their memories of their beloved family member.

You can watch the service below.

On behalf of all of us here on eWn, we send our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Jamin “Jay Briscoe” Pugh.

AEW Rampage Preview 1/27/2023

Tonight’s AEW Rampage on TNT at 10/9C.

  • Hangman Page vs. Wheeler Yuta
  • AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter vs. Emi Sakura in a title eliminator match
  • Best Friends & Danhausen vs. Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh & Jay Lethal
  • Powerhouse Hobbs vs. TBA