Tag: NJPW

Top NJPW Star Hiromu Takahashi Out For Six Months

NJPW announced earlier today IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi is out for six months due to a torn left pectoral.

“After medical assessment, Hiromu Takahashi’s left pectoral injury will leave him out of action for an estimated six months. More information will follow.”

Takahashi last wrestled on February 19 at a Road to Castle Attack event in Morioka where the injury came during a tag match. NJPW had previously announced he would miss a February 20 event, but obviously the injury sustained will keep him out much longer.

Takahashi was scheduled to defend the title at Castle Attack on February 28 against El Phantasmo. No word yet on how NJPW is going to handle the title situation.

Los Ingobernables de Japon member Tetsuya Naito is also currently on the shelf due to a knee injury. He is expected to return to the ring on February 25.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Announces Partnership With The Roku Channel

New Japan Pro Wrestling announced a deal to bring NJPW content to The Roku Channel in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A one-hour series of programming will premiere on February 11.

Episodes are scheduled to air every Thursday beginning at 5 p.m. on The Roku Channel. Replays will be available on-demand thereafter. NJPW also announced that The Roku Channel will host a block of library content featuring the best matches from 2020. There is also potential for the introduction of more historical content in the future.

“Expanding the breadth and quality of our programming has fueled The Roku Channel to one of the largest and fastest growing channels on our platform,” Ashley Hovey, Director of AVOD Growth, Roku said. “Sports programming continues to be an important category for our users, and we are very excited to partner with NJPW to put the world of professional wrestling at the fingertips of millions of engaged users on The Roku Channel.”

President of NJPW Takami Ohbari also spoke on the deal. He noted that fans in the U.S., Canada and The UK have wanted NJPW content available and is looking forward to NJPW’s partnership with The Roku Channel.

“Our fans in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are among our most loyal, and they have been very clear that they want NJPW’s content made available to them,” said Takami Ohbari, President of NJPW. “NJPW is unlike any other pro-wrestling in the world.

“It is the most athletic, sports-oriented pro-wrestling on the planet, and we are excited to bring our athletes and matches to these markets in such a major way. Thank you to The Roku Channel, and we look forward to a successful partnership that brings NJPW to millions of new fans around the world.”

Wrestling Inc. reported that NJPW had been in talks with Pluto TV as well about airing their content on the streaming platform. NJPW’s new partnership with The Roku Channel comes after their contract with AXS TV ended in late 2019.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Details On AEW – NJPW Working Relationship

The wrestling world was stunned when KENTA attacked Jon Moxley on AEW Dynamite following the end of the main event. The two are set to face off for Moxley’s IWGP United States Championship at NJPW Strong and follows Moxley’s attack on KENTA at the last NJPW Strong show.

On the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer confirmed that AEW and NJPW are in a working relationship. He said that a deal needed to be made for NJPW to have Moxley on their shows to defend the U.S. Title and in return, KENTA would show up on Dynamite.

Post-Dynamite, AEW World Champion Kenny Omega met up with KENTA backstage. Things did not go smoothly between them with KENTA telling Omega to “shut the f**k up.” However, Omega challenged Moxley and Lance Archer to a Lights Out, Falls Count Anywhere Match where he would team up with KENTA.

The future of AEW and NJPW’s relationship is unclear going forward due to the pandemic, travel restrictions and quarantine preventing talents from both companies traveling to and from the U.S. and Japan. Meltzer noted that KENTA could easily crossover because he lives in Orlando, and it is possible for other NJPW talent that live in the U.S. to possibly crossover as well.

Meltzer also noted that there are people in AEW that cannot wait to go back to Japan. He followed up by saying that once travel restrictions and quarantine regulations are cleared up, anything is possible including IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion Kota Ibushi and AEW World Champion Omega facing off, something that the two want to happen someday.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

KENTA Appeared At AEW ‘Beach Break’

Former WWE Superstar and current New Japan Pro Wrestling roster member KENTA has appeared on AEW programming for the first time.

KENTA showed up at the end of this week’s special Dynamite episode, which was titled “Beach Break.”

The man formerly known as Hideo Itami invaded the ring with his face covered and attacked Jon Moxley following the main event. He then pulled down his face mask to reveal himself before hitting Mox with a G2S.

The New Japan star — who was wearing a “G2Sleep” Bullet Club t-shirt — also stared down former Bullet Club member Kenny Omega.

Check out KENTA’s AEW debut in the clip below.

https://twitter.com/AEW/status/1357162388861177857

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Don Callis Says There’s Nothing Left For Him To Do In New Japan

Don Callis has hinted that his association with New Japan Pro Wrestling may be at an end as there’s nothing left for him to do there.

Callis addressed his NJPW business dealings on Sitting Ringside with David Penzer.

“I see my business with New Japan as being done,” he said. “When I went into New Japan in 2017, they were on one level. When I booked Jericho vs. Omega at the Tokyo Dome, their entire business model changed. Their revenue went up exponentially. They’ve been riding the Don Callis effect ever since,” he continued,

Callis then suggested that his time with New Japan is probably at an end.

“There is nothing left for me to do in New Japan,” he claimed. “Anything I could do in New Japan now would pale in comparison to the game-changing nature that I did three years ago,” he said.

Despite hinting at the end of his relationship with NJPW, Callis did recently tease a program between AEW Champion Kenny Omega and IWGP Champ Kota Ibushi.

“In order for Kota Ibushi to truly evolve into the Kota Ibushi he can be, he Kota needs to get on an airplane and he needs to come from Japan and defend that title around the world like Kenny Omega does,” he told TalkSPORT’s Alex McCarthy.

As you may recall, the dastardly Don Callis recently took on the role of Omega’s manager. Callis also instigated a Bullet Club reunion on Dynamite.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Reportedly Making “A Strong Play” At Jay White

Following his defeat to Kota Ibushi at the main event of day two of Wrestle Kingdom 15 for the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Titles, Jay White said in the post-match press conference that he simply was done with pro wrestling and just wanted to go home after the sacrifices he made.

Many believed this to be an angle. However, the Super J-Cast is reporting that their sources of told them that there is doubt whether White would extend his NJPW contract and that WWE are making “a strong play for him.” They also reported that it is currently “50/50” as to whether he stays or leaves NJPW.

“Several sources have indicated there is some doubt whether Jay White will extend his NJPW contract, rumoured to be up at the end of the month,” Super J-Cast wrote. “WWE are believed to be making a strong play for him and it’s 50/50 whether he stays or goes.”

White has some connections in WWE as Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura were part of a group that recruited him to NJPW. White has stated in the past that signing with WWE was not on his radar.

You can view the Super J-Cast’s tweet below:

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Bullet Club Reunion In AEW – Will The Name Be Used In AEW?

Impact stars Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson have made their All Elite Wrestling debuts and reunited with some former Bullet Club buddies.

It all went down on this week’s New Year’s Smash edition of Dynamite following the main event in which AEW World Champion Kenny Omega defeated Rey Fenix.

After the bell, Omega’s associate Don Callis got on the mic and declared Fenix’s career over. Omega was about to attack Fenix when Jon Moxley appeared to make the save. But Mox’s upper hand was short-lived.

Impact tag champs The Good Brothers then shocked everyone by making their AEW debuts and rescuing their old Bullet Club colleague. Omega, Gallows, and Anderson beat the hell out of Moxley for some time, until The Young Bucks appeared and pleaded for some decorum.

The show went off the air with all four former Bullet Club members participating in a four-way “Too Sweet” salute.

The question now is will they be able to use the Bullet Club name in AEW. Karl Anderson is a founding member of Bullet Club in New Japan Pro Wrestling. Bullet Club is still a group in NJPW.

The Good Brothers will be returning to NJPW at some point – Speaking to GameSpot’s Wrestle Buddies podcast the Good Brothers confirm that they will be returning to New Japan. In fact, there’s already a deal between the two sides to make it happen. “For sure. There’s a deal in place,” Anderson said. Gallows added, “Yeah, we’re going.”

The Bullet club name wasn’t mentioned during Wednesday Night’s episode of Dynamite. The Good Brother and Omega have mentioned the Bullet Club name on episodes of Impact. So it will be interesting to see if they will use/mention the Bullet Club name in AEW.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 2 Results 1/5/21

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT AND INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kota Ibushi (c) defeated Jay White

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Hiromu Takahashi defeated Taiji Ishimori (c) to win the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship

SANADA defeated EVIL

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Shingo Takagi (c) defeated Jeff Cobb

IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
El Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru (c) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi and Master Wato

PROVISIONAL KOPW 2021 TROPHY
Toru Yano defeated Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, and BUSHI

STARDOM MATCH (DARK MATCH)
Saya Kamitani, AZM, and Utami Hayashish*ta defeated Maika, Natsupoi, and Himeka

STARDOM MATCH (DARK MATCH)
Syuri and Giulia defeated Mayu Iwatani and Tam Nakano

NJPW Reportedly Close To English-Language TV Deal

NJPW is reportedly close to a new English-language television deal, according to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer.

Meltzer reports that the deal is close enough that an announcement could come at any time.

From 2014 to 2019, NJPW had a television deal with AXS TV. The deal ended when AXS TV was purchased by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of Impact Wrestling.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 15 Night 1 Results 1/4/21

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT AND INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Kota Ibushi def. Tetsuya Naito (c)

Kazuchika Okada vs. Will Ospreay w/Bea Priestley

Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Great-O-Khan

RIGHTS TO IWGP US CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
KENTA (holder) def. Satoshi Kojima

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Guerrillas of Destiny def. Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi (c)

Hiromu Takahashi def El Phantasmo
Winner gets IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match on Night 2.

22-Man New Japan Rambo
The final four opponents will face off in a special four-way match for the provisional KOPW 2021 Trophy on Night 2. Winners: Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, BUSHI and Toru Yano