Tag: NJPW

KUSHIDA Leaving NJPW

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NJPW held a post-Wrestle Kingdom 13 Press Conference yesterday and it was announced that KUSHIDA will be leaving the company at the end of the month and will be heading overseas.

NJPW Announcer Chris Charlton translated some of KUSHIDA’s comments about “heading overseas.”

WWE had reportedly shown interest in the former IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, potentially bringing him into NXT.

During his time with NJPW, KUSHIDA was a six-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion, two-time IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champion, and two-time winner of Best of the Super Juniors.

Source: WrestlingINC

NJPW New Year Dash Results 1/5/19

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Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Takayuki Iizuka vs. Yoh, Sho, and Rocky Romero – Winners: Yoh, Sho, Rocky Romero

Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens vs. Toa Henare and Tomoaki Honma – Winners: Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi

Beretta and Chuckie T vs. Juice Robinson and David Finlay – Winners: David Finlay and Juice Robinson via DQ

KUSHIDA, Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb vs. Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii – Winners: Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii

NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori (with Jado) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, and Toru Yano – Winners: Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori

Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi helped Bullet Club get the win. Bullet Club accepted Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi back into Bullet Club

Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and El Desperado vs. EVIL, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, and SANADA – Winners: Minoru Suzuki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr., and El Desperado 

Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and Gedo vs. YOSHI-HASHI, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi – Winners: Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, and Gedo

 

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 Results

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Number One Contender Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Pre-Show): Hirooki Goto, Beretta, & Chuckie T vs. Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, & Toru Yano vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb, & David Finlay vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Yujiro Takahashi – Winners: Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe & Toru Yano

NEVER Openweight Championship: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay – Winner: Will Ospreay

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI & Shingo Takagi – Winners and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Champions: BUSHI & Shingo Takagi

RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr. – Winner and new RevPro British Heavyweight Champion: Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. EVIL & SANADA vs. The Young Bucks – Winners and new IWGP Tag Team champions: EVIL & SANADA 

IWGP US Championship: (C) Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson – Winner and new IWGP US Champion: Juice Robinson

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori – Winner and new IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Champion: Taiji Ishimori

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White – Winner: Jay White 

IWGP Intercontinental Championship – No DQ: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito – Winner and new IWGP Intercontinental Champion: Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi – Winner and new IWGP Heavyweight Champion: Hiroshi Tanahashi

NJPW Events In London And Texas Announced, 2 Tokyo Dome Shows Next Year For WK14

New Japan made a handful of announcements on Friday before Wrestle Kingdom 13, including plans to run events later this year in Texas and London.

G1 Climax 29 will kickoff July 6th in Dallas, Texas at the American Airlines Center. The company will then head to the UK on August 31st for an event at The Copper Box.

As you’ll recall, this is in addition to their joint show with ROH at Madison Square Garden.

NJPW also announced they’ll be at the Tokyo Dome for two days next year during the weekend of Wrestle Kingdom.

Read New Japan’s full announcement by CLICKING HERE.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

WWE Has Reportedly Made A “Fantastic Offer” To Kenny Omega

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Despite Kenny Omega being under contract with New Japan Pro Wrestling until later this month, Dave Meltzer reported on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE made Omega a “fantastic offer.”

With All Elite Wrestling being announced earlier this week, Meltzer noted that Omega is a “wildcard”, as NJPW obviously wants to keep him while AEW wants him as well.

Omega was defending his  IWGP Championship against Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Source: WrestlingINC

NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 1/4/19

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NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 13 will take place tomorrow (1/4) from the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan at 2 am ET/11 pm PT (tonight). You can watch the show live on NJPW World (about $9 to sign-up) or on Fite.tv for $34.99.

You can also watch it on AXS TV:

  • Jan. 4 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours) @8 pm ET
  • Jan. 11 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours) @8 pm ET
  • Jan. 18 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 – @8 pm ET

IWGP Heavyweight Championship: (C) Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Championship – No DQ: (C) Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship: (C) KUSHIDA vs. Taiji Ishimori

IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship: (C) Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi

RevPro British Heavyweight Championship: (C) Tomohiro Ishii vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP US Championship: (C) Cody Rhodes vs. Juice Robinson

IWGP Tag Team Championship: (C) Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa vs. EVIL and SANADA vs. The Young Bucks

NEVER Openweight Championship: (C) Kota Ibushi vs. Will Ospreay

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

Number One Contender Gauntlet Match for the NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Team Championship (Pre-Show): Hirooki Goto, Beretta, & Chuckie T vs. Minoru Suzuki, Lance Archer, & Davey Boy Smith Jr. vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Togi Makabe, & Toru Yano vs. Yuji Nagata, Jeff Cobb, & David Finlay vs. Marty Scurll, Hangman Page, & Yujiro Takahashi

 

I will try to get the results posted sometime Saturday.

10-Hour “Kenny Omega-Thon” Airing Today On AXS TV

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AXS TV is presenting a 10-Hour Kenny Omega Marathon today beginning at 2pm ET/1pm C/11am/ PT.

AXS TV issued the following:

KENNY OMEGA REFLECTS ON HIS JOURNEY TO BECOMING CHAMPION IN AXS TV’S 10-HOUR ‘KENNY OMEGA-THON’ FRIDAY, DEC. 28 STARTING AT 2pE/11aP

Los Angeles – Join IWGP Heavyweight Champion and “Best Bout Machine” Kenny Omega as he revisits his journey toward becoming the champion and defending the belt at Wrestle Kingdom 13 as host of the 10-hour “Kenny Omega-thon” special on Friday, Dec. 28 starting at 2pE/11aP on AXS TV.

The marathon kicks off with Omega’s historic feat as the first non-Japanese wrestler to win the G1 Climax tournament in 2016, which set him on the path to the heavyweight title, and also features Omega’s acclaimed trilogy of matches with Kazuchika Okada; his run as IWGP U.S. Champion, including the highly publicized match with Chris Jericho at last year’s Wrestle Kingdom; and his current reign as IWGP Heavyweight Champion.

Leading up to AXS TV’s premiere of Wrestle Kingdom 13 on Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP, the network will air a late-night strip of the best of Wrestle Kingdom on weeknights at 5aE/2aP starting Friday, Dec. 7. Highlights include headlining matches from the last five Wrestle Kingdom Events including: Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s trilogy from 2013, 2015 and 2016; Okada’s battles with Tetsuya Naito from 2014 and 2018; Naito vs. Tanahashi from 2017 and many more.

“Kenny Omega-thon” Schedule (subject to change) – Friday, Dec. 28 at 2pE/11aP:

– 2pE – G1 Climax 26 Final – Kenny Omega vs. Hirooki Goto

– 3pE – Wrestle Kingdom 11 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada

– 4pE – Dominion 2017 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada

– 5pE – G1 Special in USA – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship Tournament Final –Omega vs. Tomohiro Ishii

– 6pE – Wrestle Kingdom 12 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Chris Jericho

– 7pE – New Beginning in Sapporo 2018 – IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Jay White

– 8pE – Dominion 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Okada (2 hr)

– 10pE – G1 Special in San Francisco – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody

– 11pE – King of Pro-Wrestling 2018 – IWGP Heavyweight Championship – Omega vs. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi

NJPW To Return To The United States In Early 2019 For New Beginning Shows

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New Japan Pro Wrestling will return to the United States to start off their 2019. The company announced they will invade U.S. territory for their “New Beginning” tour.

On January 30th, The Globe Theatre in Los Angeles, California will host night one of the tour. The Grady Cole Center in Charlotte, North Carolina will host night two on February 1st. The young lions currently training in the NJPW Dojo in Los Angeles will be a part of the show. They are currently being trained by Katsuyori Shibata.

Both shows will coincide with the New Beginning shows in Japan on February 2nd and 3rd, in Sapporo. Wrestlers who will not be wrestling at the Japan shows will compete on the U.S. tour.

The last time NJPW was in the United States was for Fighting Spirit Unleashed inside the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California on September 30th. Tickets go on sale for the 2019 shows in California and North Carolina on December 22nd.

Source: WrestlingINC

AXS TV To Broadcast “Same-Week” NJPW Events With Kevin Kelly/Don Callis On Commentary

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A new era of NJPW on AXS TV will begin in 2019 … as the cable company announced they’ll start broadcasting “same-week coverage” of events with a new announce team.

The press release states:

AXS TV ushers in a new era of its NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING (NJPW) coverage with real-time same-week coverage of the promotions’ biggest events in 2019. The new schedule kicks off with a same-day near-live two-hour broadcast of NJPW’s biggest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 13, on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8pE/5pP.

The Wrestle Kingdom special is headlined by IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Tetsuya Naito, and will feature the network debut of the NJPW commentary team of Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

“Same-day coverage of NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 ushers in a new era of NJPW on AXS TV,” said AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. “Based on the tremendous growth of NJPW on AXS TV, we are making major changes to reward wrestling fans by delivering NJPW in primetime on Friday nights as close to when it takes place as possible.”

This means the highly criticized team of Jim Ross and Josh Barnett will no longer call the shows.

AXS TV’s upcoming NJPW schedule is tentatively as follows:

  • Jan. 4 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
  • Jan. 11 – Wrestle Kingdom 13 (2 hours)
  • Jan. 18 – Wrestle Kingdom 13
  • Jan. 25 – New Year Dash
  • Feb. 1 – New Year Dash
  • Feb. 8 – New Beginning in Sapporo
  • Feb. 15 – New Beginning in Sapporo
  • Feb. 22 – New Beginning in Sapporo

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet

Cody Rhodes Gives Medical Update Following Knee Injury Scare

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Cody Rhodes had an injury scare over the weekend, but a trip to the doctor has revealed he’ll still be good to go for Final Battle and Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Rhodes announced he heard a loud pop in his knee while teasing a t-shirt toss at an ROH event on Friday. Because of this, he was forced to miss an IWGP United States title defense against Trent.

After visiting a physician on Monday, Rhodes shared an update:

GOOD news is my doctor is fairly confident that my mcl/pcl/acl are structurally sound. BAD news is the meniscus is fairly damaged, gonna’ require a scope. No dates will be adjusted at the moment, and I’ll definitely still compete in the final battle main event & at WK.

Source: Pro Wrestling Sheet