Tag: NJPW

NJPW President Saves Child At Train Station Upon Return To Japan

NJPW President Takami Ohbari had an eventful visit to the United States, appearing at NJPW Windy City Riot and then AEW Dynamite the following Wednesday. As noted, Ohbari was a part of the segment with Tony Khan, Adam Cole, and ‘Switchblade’ Jay White when AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door was announced.

It appears Ohbari’s return to Japan didn’t allow any reprieve from the chaos, as he revealed on Twitter this weekend. With translation help from Reddit user DamieN62 and Google Translate, it’s noted that Ohbari helped a small girl who was trapped between the train and the platform.

“I just returned (to Japan) and am on my way home by train. A few minutes ago, a girl who could barely stand fell between the train and the platform. She was lying on the platform, and with the help of her mother, we managed to pull her up. Her little face could barely fit through the gap.

Parents beware!

Since I retired from volleyball, my height has never been so useful. My heart is still racing.”

https://twitter.com/TAKAMIOHBARI/status/1517800769466269697

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is scheduled for June 26 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, just four weeks after AEW Double or Nothing on May 29. It’s likely we see several more crossovers between AEW and New Japan talent on their respective shows in the following months.

AEW and NJPW Announce Crossover Pay-Per-View “Forbidden Door”

AEW, the second-biggest wrestling promotion in the United States, will partner with Japan’s number one promotion NJPW to produce a crossover pay-per-view called “Forbidden Door” in Chicago on June 26.

The announcement was made during last night’s AEW Dynamite. AEW President Tony Khan appeared on the ramp and was soon joined by New Japan Pro Wrestling president Takami Ohbari. TK was about to make the announcement, but the pair of promoters was interrupted by Adam Cole, a man who knows NJPW very well.

Cole appeared on the big screen and announced an event called “Forbidden Door” which will feature talent from both All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Cole then revealed that he will be going one-on-one with New Japan veteran Tomohiro Ishii on Friday’s Rampage. New Japan roster member “Switchblade” Jay White then joined Khan and Ohbari on the ramp to boast about selling out Madison Square Garden and remind everyone that it’s still the Bullet Club era.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1516942066294607872
https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1516940662838464512

Kushida Reportedly Parts Ways With WWE

According to a recent report, Japanese wrestler Kushida is no longer with WWE.

Former NXT Cruiserweight Champion Kushida is reportedly no longer a member of the WWE roster.

According to Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp, Kushida parted ways with WWE after his contract expired.

Kushida signed for WWE in 2019. His signing was announced by Triple H at a press conference in New York City just a few days prior to that year’s WrestleMania. In a video on the WWE Performance Center channel at the time of his in-ring WWE debut, Kushida was shown talking about how excited he was to debut in NXT. After defeating Kassius Ohno on his debut, Kushida told an interviewer he felt “reborn” and happy.

The 38-year-old cut his teeth in his native Japan and made a name for himself in New Japan Pro Wrestling — the country’s most prestigious professional wrestling promotion. During his NJPW tenure, Kushida became a six-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion and a two-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champion (with Time Splitters teammate Alex Shelley). He also won the 2015 and 2017 Best of the Super Juniors tournaments, and the 2016 Super J-Cup.

While his WWE tenure was largely uneventful, Kushida did have a few standout moments. In 2020, he reunited with Time Splitters partner Alex Shelley in order to compete in that year’s Dusty Classic. The team was eliminated by The Grizzled Young Veterans in the first round, but the moment was special as it was the first time Shelley and Kushida had teamed up since 2015. It was also Shelley’s first appearance in a WWE ring since 2005.

Last April, Kushida won his first and only title in WWE when he defeated Santos Escobar for the NXT Cruiserweight Championship. Kushida lost the title to Roderick Strong on the September 21 episode of NXT 2.0. More recently, Kushida performed as one half of a comedy duo tag team called Jacket Time with his countryman Ikemen Jiro.

Source: TheSportster

UPDATE:

The belief within WWE is that Kushida is going to be returning to New Japan Pro Wrestling at some stage in June, following his WWE departure, according to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio.

NJPW Windy City Riot Results 4/16/2022

Jon Moxley defeated Will Ospreay

Tomohiro Ishii defeated Minoru Suzuki

Jay White defeated Shota Umino

CHICAGO STREET FIGHT
Brody King and FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) defeated TMDK (Shane Haste, JONAH, and Bad Dude Tito)

United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, TJP, Mark Davis, and Kyle Fletcher) defeated Bullet Club (Chris Bey, Good Brothers, Hikuleo, Chris Bey El Phantasmo) and Scott Norton

NJPW STRONG OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Tom Lawlor (c) defeated Yuji Nagata

Team Rosser (Fred Rosser, Chris Dickinson, Ren Narita, Alex Coughlin & Josh Alexander) defeated Team Filthy (Danny Limelight, Jorel Nelson, Royce Isaacs, JR Kratos & Black Tiger)

The Factory (Aaron Solo, Nick Comoroto & QT Marshall) defeated Clark Connors, Karl Fredericks & Yuya Uemura

NJPW Windy City Riot 4/16/22

DATE: April 16, 2022 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Odeum Expo Center, Chicago, IL, United States
AVAILABLE ON: FITE

CARD

Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay

NJPW STRONG OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP:
Tom Lawlor (c) vs. Yuji Nagata

Bullet Club (Chris Bey, Good Brothers, Hikuleo, Chris Bey El Phantasmo, and Scott Norton) vs. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, TJP, Mark Davis, and Kyle Fletcher)

Jay White Open Challenge

Team Rosser (Fred Rosser, Chris Dickinson, Ren Narita, Alex Coughlin & Josh Alexander) vs. Team Filthy (Danny Limelight, Jorel Nelson, Royce Isaacs, JR Kratos & Black Tiger)

Tomohiro Ishii vs. Minoru Suzuki

CHICAGO STREET FIGHT
Brody King and FinJuice (David Finlay and Juice Robinson) vs. TMDK (Shane Haste, JONAH, and Bad Dude Tito)

NJPW Star SANADA  Out Of Action With Fractured Orbital Bone

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s SANADA is out of action with a fractured left orbital bone. NJPW confirmed the injury on Friday.

The injury happened on Thursday, during his match against Will Ospreay in the third round of the New Japan Cup tournament. Late in the match, Ospreay executed a running shooting star press. His knee landed on SANADA’s head.

The referee immediately moved in to check on SANADA’s left eye. After a few moments, the match continued with SANADA locking on his Skull End submission hold and then attempting a moonsault. Ospreay got his knees up and followed up with his Hidden Blade running back elbow, which struck SANADA in the right side of his head.

Will Ospreay went for a cover, but SANADA kicked out. Ospreay responded by raining down a series of elbow strikes. He set up for another Hidden Blade but SANADA collapsed down to the mat. Ospreay paused momentarily, then moved in and delivered more elbow strikes until the referee stepped in and stopped the match.

SANADA was pulled from Friday’s card in Shizuoka. NJPW says there is no timetable for his return. SANADA himself posted his own statement on social media.

“SANADA will return,” he tweeted on Friday.

SANADA is the current IWGP United States Champion. He won the title last month from Hiroshi Tanahashi. which aired last not on AXS TV.

Ospreay’s win on Thursday moved him into the quarterfinals of the New Japan Cup where he will face Zack Sabre Jr. Sabre advanced with a win over Great-O-Khan on Thursday. The quarterfinal match between Ospreay and Sabre is scheduled for Monday.

The second quarterfinal match on Monday will see Shingo Takagi face his LIJ stablemate, Hiromu Takahashi. Takahashi advanced with a win Friday over EVIL. Takagi defeated Chase Owens on Friday.

The quarterfinals on the opposite side of the braket will be held on Sunday. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada will face CIMA and Tetsuya Naito will go up against Jeff Cobb in a Wrestle Kingdom 16 rematch.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW On AXSTV Preview 3/17/22

New Japan Pro Wrestling airs tonight on AXS TV following IMPACT at 10/9C.

This week’s NJPW on AXS TV includes an IWGP US Heavyweight Championship match from the Golden Series tour in Hokkaido, with SANADA vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi.

Killer Kross Books New Japan Debut With Minoru Suzuki Challenge

Former WWE Superstar Killer Kross (Karrion Kross) will make his NJPW Strong debut at Lonestar Shootout on April 1.

Killer Kross is heading to New Japan! Although he won’t actually be traveling to Japan … not yet, at least. The former WWE Superstar will make his NJPW debut at the promotion’s upcoming Lonestar Shootout event in Texas on April 1.

Kross imminent New Japan debut was announced via a video package shared on social media on Tuesday, March 15. In the video, Kross can be seen attacking trainee wrestlers in a gym. In a promo, Kross said that he earned the “Killer” monicker thanks to his accomplishments in and out of the ring. He then said that his “new beginning” begins in Texas and called out NJPW veteran Minoru Suzuki. The former NXT Champion signed off with his chilling catchphrase: tick-tock.

https://twitter.com/njpwglobal/status/1503898845620580352

Source: TheSportster

NJPW On AXS TV Preview 3/10/22

 NJPW on AXS TV includes matches from the 2022 Golden Series event in Hokkaido:

* IWGP Jr Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: El Phantasmo and Taiji Ishimori (c) vs. El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato vs. Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask
* IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: YOSHI-HASHI & Hirooki Goto (c) vs. EVIL & Taiji Ishimori

Tony Khan Brought Jay White To AEW Dynamite To Make Up For “Forbidden Door” Botch

The AEW debut of top NJPW star Jay White was just put together on Sunday.

As noted, White made his AEW Dynamite debut last night during a backstage segment that saw The Young Bucks and Adam Cole attack Roppongi Vice (Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero). After taking out Romero with a BTE Trigger, the trio went to finish off Beretta until Cole stopped and pointed out White as he approached. They backed off as White sent Beretta flying face-first into a production truck. White then walked away, stopping to nod at The Elite and compliment Matt Jackson on his earrings.

White was later referenced in another backstage segment with Cole and The Bucks. The brothers looked ahead to defeating RPG Vice on Rampage, and Cole said White can have their backs on Friday’s show. The Bucks pointed to how White was once enemies with the injured Kenny Omega, but once you take the oath to be in The Bullet Club, it’s for life.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1491592268431691776

Khan took to Twitter after Dynamite and revealed that he didn’t secure White until Sunday. He brought White in because he botched his own definition of “The Forbidden Door” when first teasing a surprise for last night’s show. In his post-Dynamite tweet, Khan said he brought White to Dynamite because he heard the fan feedback and wanted to make sure Dynamite was special.

“I didn’t secure @JayWhiteNZ until Sunday. I realized after the fact that Friday night I butchered my own definition of Forbidden Door in hyping tonight. I heard the fans’ feedback, & wanted to ensure that tonight was a special #AEWDynamite for all. Thank you everyone who watched!” Khan explained.

White will also appear on AEW Rampage this Friday night, but it appears he has not been signed to a contract.

White is currently working a storyline in Impact Wrestling with bellow Bullet Club members Guerrillas of Destiny from NJPW, and Chris Bey from Impact. The February 19 No Surrender event will see White take on Eric Young in singles action, while G.O.D. challenge Impact World Tag Team Champions The Good Brothers. White has made a few appearances for Impact since last year due to their working relationship with NJPW.

Source: Wrestling Inc.