Tag: NJPW

NJPW Strong: Resurgence 2024 5/11/2024 (Results)

* Kickoff: STRONG Survivor – Matt Vandagriff def. Adrian Quest

* Kickoff: Lio Rush vs Mustafa Ali def. Lio Rush

– Ali put his feet on the ropes for the Backslide pin. They brawled momentarily. The lights went out and Lio emerged behind Ali, spewing mist as his Blackheart persona shined through.

* House Of Torture (EVIL, Jack Perry & Ren Narita) def. CHAOS (Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii) & The DKC

*The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs) def. Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor

* NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championship: Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) def. TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) (c)

* NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) def. Alex Windsor

* Los Ingobernables de Japon (Yota Tsuji & Tetsuya Naito) def. BULLET CLUB (David Finlay & KENTA)

– A vignette announced that an American version of FantasticaMania, the joint show between New Japan Pro-Wrestling and CMLL Lucha Libre would be coming to the San Jose Civic Auditorium on July 13.

* Zack Sabre Jr. def. Hiroshi Tanahashi

* NJPW World TV Championship: Jeff Cobb (c) def. Lance Archer

– Tomohiro Ishii came out to declare that he wanted the next shot at Jeff Cobb’s title.

– HENARE appeared in a vignette to declare his desire to face the winner of the NEVER Openweight Championship match.

* NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) def. Yuya Uemura

* NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship No-Rope Last Man Standing Match: Gabe Kidd def. Eddie Kingston (c)

– After the match, Jack Perry came down to attack Eddie Kingston but it was Matthew and Nicholas Jackson, The Young Bucks, who would blindside and attack him in their first appearance in New Japan in 5 years. The attack continued. The Young Bucks made jokes about no longer living in the area because they were no longer poor. They challenged Kingston to a match at Forbidden Door but the challenge itself wasn’t actually clear. They hit Kingston with an EVP Trigger and left the ring.

* IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) def. Shota Umino

– The show goes off the air with EVIL attacking Jon Moxley and declaring himself to be the next challenger for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. EVIL and Ren Narita attacked Moxley and Umino and EVIL spray painted the championship.

Source: Fightful

NJPW Strong: Resurgence 2024 5/11/2024 (Card)

The full card for tonight’s NJPW Resurgence 2024 at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, has been unveiled.

Fans can catch all the action live on NJPW World as a pay-per-view starting at 9:30 p.m. Eastern time. Here is the lineup for the matches:

  • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Shota Umino
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship — No Rope Last Man Standing Match: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. Gabe Kidd
  • NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Alex Windsor
  • Tetsuya Naito & Yota Tsuji vs. David Finlay & KENTA
  • Tom Lawlor & Fred Rosser vs. West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs & Jorel Nelson)
  • NJPW World Television Championship: Jeff Cobb (c) vs. Lance Archer
  • NEVER Openweight Championship: Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Yuya Uemura
    Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
  • NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: T.M.D.K. (Shane Haste & Mikey Nicholls) (c) vs. El Phantasmo & Hikuleo
  • The D.K.C., Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii vs. HOUSE OF TORTURE (Jack Perry, Ren Narita & EVIL)
  • Kickoff Show: Mustafa Ali vs. Lio Rush
  • Kickoff Show: Matt Vandagriff vs. Adrian Quest

Jon Moxley Wins IWGP World Heavyweight Title with Historic Victory at NJPW Windy City Riot, Event Results

AEW’s Jon Moxley has added another massive accomplishment to his legendary career by becoming the new IWGP World Heavyweight Champion. 

In the main event of NJPW Windy City Riot, Moxley dethroned Tetsuya Naito for the gold. Naito had held the title since Wrestle Kingdom 18 in January 2024, where he had dethroned Sanada. 

Not only did Moxley win the gold, but he has also made history in the process. With this victory, the AEW star has become the first person to win the richest prize in New Japan, All Elite Wrestling, and WWE. 

After the match, Jon Moxley said he would not be decking any challengers and specifically singled out the Young Lions. He did, however, want to issue his first challenge and name his first title defense but fate had other plans.

Jon Moxley would call out Shota Umino, his personal young boy, and offer him his final exam in a match for the championship. Before Umino could answer the challenge, Ren Narita laid out MOX with a reinforced push-up bar.

Shota would eventually come out to save MOX and they both agreed that they would have a match for the championship once MOX exacted revenge on Narita. MOX promised Narita that he was a dead man walking.

No official date for Jon Moxley’s first championship defense has been set.

Moxley had two important allies by his side for his latest World Championship victory, most importantly his wife Renee Paquette.

AEW President Tony Khan was also spotted at the event and congratulated Mox on winning New Japan’s top prize in the same building where he first won the AEW World Championship.

NJPW Windy City Riot (4/12) Results

* Buy In: Matt Vandagriff def. Zane Jay

* Buy In: Alex Windsor & Trish Adora def. Mina Shirakawa & Viva Van

* Ren Narita def. Minoru Suzuki

– Narita hit Suzuki with a foreign object before pinning him.

* NJPW STRONG Women’s Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) def. AZM

– Alex Windsor challenges Vaquer for NJPW Resurgence

* NJPW STRONG Openweight Tag Team Championships: TMDK (Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) def. Guerrillas Of Destiny (El Phantasmo & Hikuleo) (c), The West Coast Wrecking Crew (Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs), Fred Rosser & Tom Lawlor

– West Coast Wrecking Crew (Royce Isaacs and Jorel Nelson) attacked Rosser & Lawlor and cut Lawlor’s hair.

* Shota Umino def. Jack Perry

– Jack Perry played into the heat with CM Punk through the match, coming out with a Riot Squad. Ultimately, he shook Shota’s hand after the match.

* Mustafa Ali def. Hiromu Takashi

* Riot Rules Match: Gabe Kidd, KENTA, Clark Connors, & David Finlay def. Eddie Kingston, Homicide, TJP, & Jeff Cobb

– Afterward, Kingston declared that he would defend the NJPW STRONG Championship against Kidd in a No-Rope Last Man Standing Fight at NJPW Resurgence.

* NJPW World Television Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. def. Matt Riddle (c)

– Jeff Cobb wants a future title shot and has a brief confrontation with the new champion.

* Nic Nemeth def. Tomohiro Ishii

* IWGP World Heavyweight Championship: Jon Moxley def. Tetsuya Naito (c)

– After, Jon Moxley cut a promo about wanting to be a fighting champion and not ducking the Young Lions. He challenges Shota Umino to be his first challenger but instead, he is attacked by Ren Narita who uses the same reinforced push-up bar that he hit Suzuki with earlier in the night on the new champion. Umino comes out to make the save but Moxley says Narita is a dead man.

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.

Jack Perry To Make In-Ring Return Soon

Jack Perry is on his way to Japan. CM Punk’s departure occurred after a physical altercation with Perry during All In, which almost caused a major disruption to the show. The match proceeded as planned.

Perry appeared in the NJPW Battle in the Valley event, where he targeted Shota Umino, marking his wrestling return.

The upcoming New Japan Cup tournament, organized by NJPW, is scheduled to start on March 6th and will feature a total of 28 wrestlers. Notable names such as Shota Umino, Kenta, and Taichi will participate in the tournament, which will end on March 20th.

Perry will also participate in the tournament, marking his promotional in-ring debut on the opening night. His first match since All In will be against Shota Umino.

Source: eWn

Major Update On Kazuchika Okada’s Future

Kazuchika Okada is parting ways with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and it’s believed that WWE and AEW are both chasing his signature. However, the former IWGP World Champion might have made his decision already, as Fightful Select reports that he’s AEW-bound.

According to the report, the deal is almost complete and should be complete soon, barring unforeseen circumstances. Furthermore, AEW officials have reportedly been confident about landing him since January. It’s unknown when he’s scheduled to debut as of this writing, but it will likely be after he finishes his commitments to NJPW, and there’s been speculation that he could show up on AEW television in the first half of March. Additionally, AEW’s creative team is believed to be bouncing creative ideas for Okada, but details about their plans are unknown for the time being. 

The report also states that Okada held talks with WWE, noting that he considered the pros and cons of joining the sports entertainment promotion. The Japanese star reportedly wants to participate in a match at a WWE WrestleMania event, but that outcome now looks unlikely as he seems to be joining the competition.

Earlier this year, Tony Khan revealed that he’s focused on the free agent market in 2024, and some big signings are expected to join his company soon. In March, Mercedes Mone will reportedly debut on the “AEW Dynamite: Big Business” special. Furthermore, Will Ospreay has confirmed that he’s coming to AEW when he’s completed his obligations to NJPW, which just so happens to be this month.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

NJPW Parent Company (Bushiroad) Fires STARDOM Founder

Bushiroad has announced that they have fired STARDOM founder Rossy Ogawa.

The parent company of New Japan Pro Wrestling released a statement on the STARDOM website, pointing to the knowledge that Ogawa “poached many Stardom players and staff” as the reason for the firing:

“Since 2019, our company has entered into a contract with Rossy Ogawa, the founder of Stardom, and has appointed him as an executive producer and outsourced work related to Stardom. However, we would like to inform you that we have come to know that he has poached many Stardom players and staff, and we have decided to cancel this contract.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. As a company, we will continue to aim for the further development of Stardom, and the players and staff will continue to work together to deliver excitement to all the fans, so we will continue to receive the same compliments as before. I am very fortunate.”

Ogawa, who founded the promotion in 2010, has since posted on social media, stating he was informed of the firing after the promotion’s event the previous night before saying “the truth of the matter may be told someday” and that he was “worried about the players right now”:

https://twitter.com/rossystardom/status/1754342320168972627

Following up on the news, F4WOnline has reported that Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer will have more on the situation in an upcoming Wrestling Observer Radio, after Alvarez noted that the story is “way bigger than just Rossy leaving.”

AEW President Tony Khan took to social media to comment on the situation:

https://twitter.com/TonyKhan/status/1754347589456019715

Source: WrestleView

Backstage Update – Kazuchika Okada In Talks With WWE, AEW Confident About Signing Him

Kazuchika Okada’s contract with NJPW expired at midnight Japan Standard Time, making him a free agent.

Pro Wrestling Tees announced that Okada’s shirts will be pulled from the site, which caused fans to speculate about the future of the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

Fightful is reporting that Pro Wrestling Tees pulling Okada’s merchandise is connected to the expiration of his NJPW contract.

Additionally, while Okada was still technically under contract with NJPW, the Bushiroad promotion was said to be “very understanding” with the 36-year-old wrestler negotiating with other companies since he made it clear he won’t be re-signing. Things are reportedly amicable between both sides.

There have been talks between WWE and Okada. According to certain WWE talents, Okada has spoken to roster members to gauge his potential offers, learn more about WWE’s approach, and help decide his future.

It is to be noted that WWE has not put any creative plans in place for Okada, and no pitches have been made in this regard.

AEW has been fairly confident about signing Okada. In fact, Tony Khan was so confident that AEW put tentative plans together for Okada’s potential debut. AEW has reportedly made a “substantial offer” to Okada.

Barry Bloom is representing Okada and acting as his agent.

Despite the expiration of his NJPW contract, Okada still has some New Japan dates he will be finishing up next month including a final match with Hiroshi Tanahashi scheduled for NJPW’s The New Beginning in Osaka on February 11.

Source: eWn

Backstage Details On Kazuchika Okada’s Upcoming Departure From NJPW

With the confirmation of Kazuchika Okada, the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, parting ways with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, backstage reports have emerged concerning his free agency.

As per a report by “Fightful Select,” it was plain to see that at the end of Okada and NJPW’s conversation, the current NEVER Openweight Six Man Tag Team Champion was to leave the promotion. Several sources who spoke with “Fightful” were surprised by Thursday night’s news since they expected the news of his departure to be released sometime next week. However, there are reportedly no hard feelings between the promotion and the longtime NJPW star.

Sources also reportedly told “Fightful” that they are confident that they will be able to create new talent in both Japan and the United States, and aren’t too worried about losing one of the biggest stars of the company.

Regarding the Japanese star’s next move, the report stated that it’s too early to determine but AEW is interested in him. WWE sources, meanwhile, revealed that they haven’t heard of any talks between the two parties and that they didn’t think Okada would be interested in the move. If ‘The Rainmaker’ does end up in WWE, he would be joining the likes of former five-time IWGP Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura, as well as former Bullet Club leaders Finn Balor and AJ Styles in making the switch from NJPW to the American promotion.

Okada most recently took part in TNA Wrestling’s Snake Eyes show on January 14, where he teamed with The Motor City Machine Guns. His last NJPW match was the day before the TNA event on January 13, where he defeated former NJPW and current AEW star Will Ospreay at Battle in the Valley. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Former IWGP World Champion Kazuchika Okada Parting Ways With New Japan Pro-Wrestling

The free agency market will soon welcome in a new addition.

Last month, reports indicated that the NJPW contract of former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada was set to expire at the end of January. With this expiration fastly approaching, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has now confirmed that Okada will be departing from the promotion upon the conclusion of his deal on January 31.

In the wake of this announcement, NJPW has also provided Okada’s official statement about his upcoming exit from NJPW. “I have nothing but gratitude for having been a part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling since 2007, and for NJPW bringing me from a 19 year old kid off the plane in Mexico to the Rainmaker I am today,” Okada said. “Thank you to the best of companies in NJPW, to the best of opponents that I’ve been able to face here, and to the best of fans that have cheered and booed over the years. I promise to make it rain in every match I have left, so keep watching.”

Despite his impending entry into the free agency market, Okada is still scheduled to be present at a trio of NJPW shows next month. After he completes his appearance at The New Beginning event in Osaka on February 11, “The Rainmaker” will head to Sapporo as The New Beginning series continues on February 23 and 24.

Okada’s most recent NJPW match took place at Battle in the Valley on January 13, where he defeated another IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Will Ospreay. The next day, Okada made his way to Las Vegas for TNA Snake Eyes.

Source: Wrestling Inc.