NJPW’s World Tag League tour has finally come to an end. The final tour before the big January 4th Wrestle Kingdom show featured some top teams in New Japan. The winner of the World Tag League will now receive a shot at the IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Champions on 01/04.
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Iwate (12/07):
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata b. Ayato Yoshida, Shota Umino, Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Kojima took the win after hitting the Lariat on Yoshida
Minoru Suzuki, Takashi Iizuka, Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr b. Beretta, Chuckie T, Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin – Chuckie T got his team Disqualified
Tomohiro Ishii, SHO and YOH b. El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru and Zack Sabre Jr – Ishii took the win after hitting the Vertical Brain Buster on Kanemaru
Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi b. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi and Hangman Page – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Owens
Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Jay White b. KUSHIDA, Toru Yano and Kazuchika Okada – Fale took the win after hitting the Grenade on Yano
The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and Marty Scurll b. Ryusuke Taguchi, David Finlay, Juice Robinson and Hiroshi Tanahashi – The Bucks won after hitting the Indytaker on Taguchi
NO.1 CONTENDER MATCH FOR NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP – Will Ospreay b. Taichi – Ospreay took the win after hitting the Storm Breaker
NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – Kota Ibushi b. Hirooki Goto – Ibushi took the win after hitting the Kamigoye
WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 FINAL: SANADA and EVIL b. Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa – SANADA took the win after hitting the Rounding Body Press on Tonga
PROGRESS held their 80th Chapter event ‘Gods and Monsters’ yesterday. The show took place from the O2 Ritz in Manchester, England.
Here’s the results from the show:
Paul Robinson b. Chris Ridgeway – Robinson is starting to make a big comeback since his long hiatus from the company. He lost a big Deathmatch against Jimmy Havoc back at the Wembley Arena show
Drew Parker (w/Spike Trivet) b. Ligero – This was Ligero’s first match back in a long time. Parker and Trivet claim that certain wrestlers have “sold their souls” to the WWE and NXT UK
WWE United Kingdom Champion Pete Dunne b. Mark Andrews – Dunne wins a bout between two of NXT UK’s brightest stars
PROGRESS Atlas Title Match – Trent Seven (c) b. Dan Moloney
Eddie Dennis & Mark Haskins (w/Vicky Haskins) b. Do Not Resuscitate (Chuck Mambo & William Eaver) – Dennis and Haskins took the win via DQ
Ilja Dragunov b. Tyler Bate – Dragunov takes the win in a big bout. Ilja may be a name to keep an eye on, he is being suggested for NXT UK in the near future
PROGRESS Tag Team Title #1 Contendership Match – LAX b. Calamari Catch Kings (Chris Brookes & Jonathan Gresham) – Ortiz and Santana took the win to become the Number 1 contenders to the PROGRESS Tag Team Championships
Former WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns has been pulled from an upcoming public appearance. The ‘Big Dog’ was scheduled to take part in the ACE Comic Con in Glendale, Arizona. Roman was scheduled to appear at the event on Friday January 11th for a signing.
Reigns did appear during the recent Georgia Tech vs. Georgia college football game. The appearance at the ACE Comic Con was going to be Reigns’ first public signing since his announced second battle with leukemia. Roman has not appeared on RAW since he announced his diagnosis back in October, although he is expected to be part of the Tribute To The Troops special. It has not been confirmed if Roman will have an on-air role as part of the show. You can read our full report on the Tribute To The Troops special here.
The ACE Comic Con confirmed that the cancellation was due to a “change in his schedule.” We do not currently have any update on his health and hopefully this is purely a clash in scheduling. The company has confirmed that all purchased tickets for the signing would be automatically refunded. WWE does not appear to have made any sort of public announcement on this situation.
Unfortunately, due to a change in his schedule, Roman Reigns is no longer able to attend ACE Comic Con Arizona on January 11th. All purchases for Roman Reigns items will be automatically refunded. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Becky Lynch is arguably the hottest star in WWE right now. ‘The Man’ has seen an incredible rise to the Smackdown Live Women’s Championship and is reportedly being groomed for the WrestleMania 35 main event. In a recent interview with the Asbury Park Press Lynch confirmed that she wanted the top slot at the show of shows.
When asked what her ‘hopes’ were for WrestleMania 35 she stated “The same hopes as I always have, to main event WrestleMania, right? And that’s what I want to do this year. And I don’t care who I have to go through to make that happen, that’s my goal, and to go out and steal the show.” Becky is currently expected to be in the main event against RAW Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey.
Lynch also discussed her use of social media to help get her character over. Becky said “I think it’s so important because you’ve got however long we have on TV, usually maybe 15 minutes, 10 minutes. 10, 15 minutes we have on TV, 30 if you’re Becky Lynch and you put on the longest women’s match in WWE history on TV, maybe. Becky elaborated further, stating that “when you’re on social media you can extend the story, you can get your voice out, you can let people know how you’re feeling, what you’re thinking. And what I’ve said about other people’s social media is they’re on there writing love letters to each other. I don’t have time for that. I don’t have time for that because I don’t care about anybody else, I care about me and being the champion, being the best, being ‘The Man.’”
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Results
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Akita (12/07):
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Nagata locked in the Nagata Lock II to defeat Umino
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) – Tenzan took the win after hitting the Moonsault Press on Iizuka
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) b. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Taichi took the win after hitting the Taichi-Style Last Ride on Henare
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: David Finlay & Juice Robinson b. Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) – Finlay and Robinson took the win via Disqualification
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) b. Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin – Page took the win after hitting the Rite of Passage on Elgin
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on Romero
It is being reported that three WWE Superstars’ contracts will be expiring in 2019. AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows all joined WWE back in 2016 and their contracts are allegedly set to finish mid way through next year.
As we’ve previously reported AJ Styles has been looking to work a reduced schedule. The in-ring veteran has been one of the linchpins of the Smackdown Live brand over the past few years and it is very likely that WWE will bend over backwards to keep the ‘Phenomenal One’ in the United States. PWInsider have claimed that Styles’ contract is set to expire in April 2019.
Gallows and Anderson have seen a very different side of WWE’s creative. The former Bullet Club members are reportedly contracted until September in 2019, there are currently no concrete plans in place to re-sign the tag team.
We also reported earlier this year that NJPW were interested in bringing back Gallows, Anderson and Shinsuke Nakamura. Whilst it is always difficult to judge if they are happy to re-sign with WWE the tag team could demand a high price to return to Japan. With New Japan possibly set to lose the Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes to an as yet unconfirmed ‘All Elite’ promotion NJPW could use the starpower.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Results
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Yamagata (12/06):
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Ishii locked in a Boston Crab on Umino to take the win
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin b. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata – Cobb took the win after hitting a Standing Moonsault Press on Nakanishi
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) – Smith Jr and Archer took the win after hitting the Killer Bomb on Takahashi
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) b. David Finlay & Juice Robinson – Taichi took the win using a Taichi-Style Gedo Clutch on Finlay
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) b. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Kojima took the win after hitting a Lariat on Henare
6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) – SANADA used the Skull End on Iizuka to take the win
7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) b. Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) – Beretta rolled up Loa with a School Boy for the win
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi – Ishimori took the win after hitting the Bloody Cross on KUSHIDA
DEFIANT Wrestling announced the return of ‘Loaded’ on YouTube earlier this year. The show is a free-to-air programme that features many of the top talent from the UK independent scene. Loaded will be returning this Sunday and will be available to watch on YouTube
Loaded is a free-to-air programme on YouTube that features many of the top talent from the UK independent scene.The show has seen many iterations over the past few years. DEFIANT sent out the following press release for the return back in September:
“Loaded previously ran for 33 episodes between July 2016 and October 2017, amassing over 25 MILLION views on YouTube. Loaded, at that time, ran under the WCPW (What Culture Pro Wrestling) banner, with WCPW since rebranded as Defiant Wrestling in late 2017 following a diversification from the What Culture brand.”
Here’s the full card for this Sunday’s show:
Walter vs El Phantasmo vs Chris Ridgeway
Kanji vs Gemini
Omari vs Lucky Kid
Rampage & David Starr vs Nathan Cruz & John Klinger
New Japan’s World Tag League tour is beginning to wind down and there are only 2 more events. 12/7 in Akita and 12/9 in Iwate.
One of the biggest matches taking place at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom will see IWGP Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho facing Tetsuya Naito. Jericho recently wrapped up a tour with his Metal band Fozzy, this finished on December 4th so would supposedly leave him free to appear for NJPW. Aside from the World Tag League events there will be 3 more shows on NJPW World before the big January 4th spectacular. The traditional 12/14 and 12/15 Korakuen Hall “Road to Tokyo Dome” shows will be part of the offering. It is also tradition that one of the shows features a tag team main event featuring the competitors in the Wrestle Kingdom main events. So whilst it is unlikely we could see a Kenny Omega/Chris Jericho vs Hiroshi Tanahashi/Tetsuya Naito match.
The storyline heading into the Intercontinental Title match is that Jericho is ‘refusing’ to face Naito. In a recent interview with NJPW1972 Jericho stated that “Why does Naito get a re-match? Why? What does he do? He beat Zack Sabre Jr. You know, ZSJ is a great technical wrestler, but I can break him in two like a branch. I beat Naito. I beat EVIL. To me, you don’t just get to have a re-match just because you say so. When I lost the WWE title to John Cena, I didn’t just come back the next day and say, “I want a re-match”, it doesn’t work that way.”
Becky Lynch is currently scheduled to face Asuka and Charlotte Flair in the first ever Women’s TLC Triple Threat at the December 16th WWE TLC pay-per-view. The Wrestling Observer recently reported that ‘The Man’ is not currently cleared for action. Lynch did appear as part of the Tribute To The Troops tapings, teaming with Charlotte Flair to face Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. There aren’t currently any details available from that taping so she may well have been heavily protected and not taken too much in-ring.
WON are reporting that Lynch has been cleared from the concussion that she suffered as a result of Nia Jax’s errant punch on RAW. It is however being reported that Lynch has not been cleared as a result of the nasal fracture from the hit. Becky has been appearing on Smackdown in a non-physical role, she is expected to be cleared in time for the TLC match against Flair and Asuka.
Even while injured Becky’s hot steak appears to be continuing. The Irish ‘Lass-Kicker’ is taking part in a VIP Axxess event at the Royal Rumble and it has already sold out. The WWE Superstar shared the news via social media, telling her fanbase that “I see and hear you all, all the tee shirts, the signs, the posts, the love. The Man sees you all. They didn’t expect us, but here we are”.
We reported back in November that WWE were planning to put ‘restrictions’ on their NXT UK contracted talent in 2019. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter the levees put in place may be even stricter than originally believed.
British Strong Style’s Trent Seven is one of the owners of the Fight Club: Pro promotion. The NXT UK Superstar appeared in a ‘loser leaves FCP’ bout this past weekend and lost. Seven was teaming alongside Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate. The bout took place against fellow NXT UK Superstars Dan Maloney, Travis Banks and Jordan Devlin…so it isn’t really clear what the end goal was. Seven, Bate and Dunne were recently pulled from the Fight Club: Pro Japanese event around Wrestle Kingdom next year.
Dave Meltzer speculates that there are restrictions on what NXT UK talent can do between now and January when the full contract stipulations come into effect. WALTER appeared in a mixed tag match against Mae Young Classic competitor Meiko Satomura. WALTER did not perform any moves on the Japanese star, with Meltzer speculating that “to get around it, he kept trying chops and she kept ducking and hitting counters.” We cannot confirm if this is part of the contract restrictions or at this time is simply speculative.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Results
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Hyogo (12/04):
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Loa hit the Super Powerbomb on Yoshida to take the win
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata b. BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) – Nagata hit the Back Drop Hold on Takahashi to take the win
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) b. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – ZSJ used the European Clutch on Tenzan for the win
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Smith Jr and Archer took the win following the Killer Bomb on Henare
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) – Cobb took the win after hitting the Tour of The islands on Iizuka
6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) b. CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) – Chuckie T used a Backslide on Yano for the win
7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: David Finlay & Juice Robinson b. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) – Robinson took the win after hitting the Pulp Friction on SANADA
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on Romero
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion PAC has just added another Championship to his list of accolades. The 32-year-old star defeated Masato Yoshino in Korakuen Hall to become the new Open the Dream Gate Champion in Dragon Gate.
PAC’s win ended Yoshino’s fourth reign which lasted 177 days. PAC re-debuted for the company back in October, where he joined the R.E.D stable. This was the first official appearance for the former Neville since he left WWE back in October of 2017, his contract with WWE officially ended in August.
In other PAC news Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) announced that ‘The King’ will be heading to Bethnal Green in February. The company’s ‘High Stakes 2019’ event takes place on February 15th from the world famous York Hall in London. PAC will be facing Will Ospreay a part of the event. Tickets for the show sold out in record time with just the one match being announced.
This comes after Rev Pro announced that PAC would be facing Zack Sabre Jr in 2019. The former WWE Superstar will be heading to ‘Live at The Cockpit’ at The Cockpit Theatre in London on January 6th. PAC recently appeared for Rev Pro at their recent Portsmouth show, where he faced Mike Bailey.
Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) recently announced that Will Ospreay will be taking on PAC as part of their High Stakes event in 2019. The pre-sale tickets for the show went on sale December 3rd and they have sold out in lightning quick fashion. Rev Pro confirmed that it was “Officially [the] fastest York Hall sell out ever.“
Since PAC left WWE Ospreay has been begging to be put up against the former Cruiserweight Champion. This bout is being billed as a ‘dream’ match between two of the best athletes on the planet. Ospreay took to Twitter earlier today and commented on the quick sellout. “If I have learnt anything from Rev Pro booking what is being titled a “genuine dream match” is that this is a symbol to show even though some guys in the UK are being locked down in where they can compete, our country can thrive without being part of the system.”
Ospreay has been vocal regarding the recent NXT UK Superstar contract changes. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ is one of the few UK stars signed to NJPW alongside Marty Scurll and Zack Sabre Jr. This bout shows that there are opportunities for promotions outside of the ‘WWE bubble’ to thrive on the UK scene.
Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) has announced the first star for their upcoming WrestleMania weekend event. Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion Tomohiro Ishii will be appearing at the Hilton in New York on Friday April 5th.
Ishii recently successfully defended his title against David Starr. The match took place at the Uprising 2018 event back in October. Tomohiro will also be defending his title against Zack Sabre Jr when New Japan presents Wrestle Kingdom from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.
Revolution Pro’s World of Pro Wrestling show is still available to watch on Friday nights in the UK. The UK based company will be using the FreesportsUK channel as the home for their new TV show going forward.
You can check out the exclusive interview we conducted with Rev Pro owner Andy Quildan here. When we discussed the timing of the new show Andy confirmed that “WoS had no impact on our decision. In all honesty whilst I watch as much product as possible from WWE, ROH, NJPW, CMLL to all the indies here in the UK, aside from learning best (or at times worst) practice I try not to let what others are doing dictate the way I choose to run my business.”
NEW YORK! Undisputed British Heavyweight Champion TOMOHIRO ISHII is the first name announced for what we promise to be a huge show.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Results
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Kochi (12/03):
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Suzuki took the win after hitting the Gotch-style piledriver on Umino
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata – Tonga took the win after hitting the Gun Stun on Nakanishi
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) b. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – Page took the win after hitting the Rite of Passage on Kojima
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. David Finlay & Juice Robinson – Smith Jr and Archer took the win after hitting the Killer Bomb on Finlay
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin b. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) – Cobb took the win after hitting the Tour of the Islands on Taichi
6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) b. Toa Henare & Togi Makabe – Ishii took the win after hitting the Vertical-Style Brainbuster on Henare
7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) b. Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) – SANADA used the Skull End on Chuckie T for the win
Jay White, Bad Luck Fale, Taiji Ishimori and Gedo b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada ad Hiroshi Tanahashi – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on Romero
WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins recently spoke to the Greg Atoms Showon 1130-KWKH following his match at the Survivor Series. The ‘Architect’ spoke about his bout with Shinsuke Nakamura and the respect he holds for the United States Champion. Rollins also spoke about his retirement plans and what he plans to do following his in-ring career.
Rollins stated that “Yes, we had mingled a little bit in the Royal Rumble last year, but first time in a single match for sure. For me, you know I can’t speak for him, but for me a lot of respect, he’s someone who I’ve admired from afar.”
Rollins elaborated further by saying that “To be able to get into the ring with him, test myself against him, really get to find out how good I am. It’s a treat, he was an excellent opponent and I was glad that we got that first out of the way successfully.”
Seth also spoke about his plans post-retirement. Rollins claimed that “I’ve already kind of got something going with my wrestling school back home in Iowa. I think once I get off the road and my in-ring career is done take probably at least take a few years off and relax a little bit. You know, but who knows I always like giving back to the business.”
Rollins followed up by saying that “It’s been my passion, like you said, my entire life. So it’s certainly something I feel like I’ll be involved in one way or another for as long as I can as long as I’m giving something and you know making progress, not just kind of stagnating.”
Credit to The Greg Atoms Show and a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription
Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW) held their biggest event of the year at the Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland last night. Fear & Loathing XI took place in front of over 6,000 fans and featured some top international talent, including WWE Superstars.
Here’s the full results from the show:
Results
The P.O.D. (Ashton Smith & Rampage) (w/The Wee Man) b. The Kings Of Catch (Aspen Faith & Lewis Girvan), The Purge (Stevie James & Krobar), The Briscoe Brothers (Jay Briscoe & Mark Briscoe), The Fite Network (Lou King Sharp & Krieger) and Jimmy Havoc & Mark Haskins (w/Vicky Haskins) – Smith and Rampage are now the #1 Contender’s for the ICW Tag Team Championships
Aaron Echo b. Kenny Williams – Echo took the win via pinfall
Joe Hendry w/Leyton Buzzard & Mark Dallas b. Mikey Whiplash – Hendry took the win via Submission. After the bell Hendry, ICW owner Mark Dallas, Leyton Buzzard and Kez Evans attacked Whiplash. Kieran Kelly and Aivil appeared to try and help Mikey before Andy Wild made the save. Ravie Davie then appeared to attack Wild
ICW Zero G Championship Match – Joe Coffey b. Mark Coffey – Joe Coffey took the win via pinfall to win the ICW Zero G Championship
Wolfgang, BT Gunn & Noam Dar b. British Strong Style (Pete Dunne, Trent Seven & Tyler Bate) – The ICW ‘originals’ team took the win via pinfall
ICW Women’s World Championship Match: Queen of Insanity Rules – Kay Lee Ray b. Viper – Ray took the win by submission to win the ICW Women’s World Championship
Liam Thomson’s Sink Match – Liam Thomson b. Kid Fite – Thomson took the win by pinfall to regain his sink
ICW Tag Team Championship Match – The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) b. ALPHA/EVIL (Iestyn Rees & Bram) – Jester and Samuels took the win via pinfall to retain the ICW Tag Team Championships. The P.O.D. entered to cash their title shot.
ICW Tag Team Championship Match – The P.O.D. (Ashton Smith & Rampage Brown) b.The Kinky Party (Jack Jester & Sha Samuels) – Smith and Rampage took the win via pinfall to win the ICW Tag Team Championships
Special Referee Match: Jeff Jarrett – James Storm b. Grado – Storm took the win via pinfall after Jarrett attacked Grado with a guitar
ICW World Heavyweight Championship vs Career Match – Lionheart b. Just Justice Jackie Polo – Lionheart took the win via pinfall to win the ICW World Heavyweight Championship and save his career
Posted December 3rd, 2018 in Results. Tagged: ICW.
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Osaka (12/02):
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Smith Jr and Archer took the win after hitting the Killer Bomb on Yoshida
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) b. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata – SANADA took the win after hitting a Rounding Body Press on Nakanishi
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: David Finlay & Juice Robinson b. BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi – Robinson took the win after hitting the Pulp Friction on Page
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Toa Henare & Togi Makabe b. Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) – Makabe took the win after hitting the King Kong Knee Drop on Iizuka
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin b. Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) – Elgin and Cobb took the win via Disqualification
6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) b. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – Yano rolled up Tenzan in a Schoolboy for the win
7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) – Loa took the win after hitting a Super Power Bomb on Taichi
Taiji Ishimori, Gedo, Bad Luck Fale and Jay White b. Rocky Romero, KUSHIDA, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi – Ishimori took the win after hitting the Bloody Cross on Romero
wXw has announced the next name for 2019’s 16 Carat Gold tournament. The company has confirmed that Pentagon Jr will be making his way to Germany. The former Lucha Underground star will be appearing in Oberhausen March 8th-10th to take part in the prestigious event. The other confirmed name for the event is Big Japan’s Daisuke Sekimoto.
Since leaving Lucha Underground Pentagon has been heavily featured on the international independent scene. The Lucha star had a critically acclaimed bout against Kenny Omega at the ALL IN event earlier this year and has been seen on cards across Europe, South America and beyond.
wXw’s 16 Carat Gold tournament is currently regarded as one of the most prestigious in European wrestling. Several top WWE/NXT stars have appeared in and won the event. These include Aleister Black, Sami Zayn and Kassius Ohno. WALTER and Zack Sabre Jr are also synonymous with the event.
The 2017 and 2018 iterations of the tournament are widely regarded as two of the greatest in European wrestling history, you can check them out now on wXw’s on demand service, it certainly matches up to the annual New Japan G1 and PROGRESS Super Strong 16 tournaments on quality.
UK based promotion Fight Forever’s huge debut show will be taking place this Thursday. The new promotion will be bringing the co-creator of ALL IN Cody Rhodes and New Japan’s Will Ospreay to Birmingham’s Pryzm Nightclub on December 6th.
‘Phenomena’ will be the first date of Fight Forever’s huge tour. With dates also lined up for London (7th), Bristol (8th) and Liverpool (9th). Here’s the full card for their first show in Birmingham:
Mark Haskins vs El Phantasmo
Chris Ridgeway vs Jimmy Havoc
Fight Forever Women’s Championship Match – Kay Lee Ray vs Viper vs Millie McKenzie
Brandi Rhodes vs Bea Priestley
15 Man Rumble With Ladder Finale for the Fight Forever Championship
The company has also confirmed that there will be a ‘Something To Wrestle with Bruce Prichard’ live podcast and The Godfather’s ‘Pimp Party.’ Here’s some info from the company’s press release:
“Brand New UK Professional Wrestling Promotion ‘Fight Forever Wrestling’ Announce Debut Tour featuring ‘Something to Wrestle with Bruce Prichard Live’, ‘The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes’, WWE UK Tournament Winner Zack Gibson. WWE Hall of Famer, Charles Wright, will also be appearing on the tour as a special guest and the host of after show party events, ‘Papa Shango’s Voodoo Party’ and ‘The Godfather’s Pimp Party’.”
Tickets are available via the tweet below:
This Thursday ?!!!
Fight Forever Wrestling’s debut show #Phenomena is coming to PRYZM Birmingham
UK promotion Frontline Wrestling has confirmed some big changes to their J-1 League tournament. The Will Ospreay owned company released a statement on the ongoing tournament and one of the NXT UK affiliated stars that needed to be pulled.
The company stated that Martin Kirby, Travis Banks & Kyle Fletcher would be removed from the tournament. Frontline wrote that “Kirby unfortunately would only be able to make 1 out of the 6 shows in 2019 due to a scheduling conflict with another promotion.”
Frontline also confirmed that NXT UK Superstar Travis Banks would be removed as he “is signed with NXT UK and will not be able to participate with any Frontline Wrestling events.” Kyle Fletcher has taken out of the Junior Division tournament as he “competed for the PROGRESS Atlas Championship which now puts him at 205lbs (93KG). The weight limit to be a Jr Heavyweight is 85KG.”
New Entrants
The company confirmed that they are “now searching for 3 of the top Jr Heavyweights to take their place all starting from 0 points. Thank you for understanding. Two of the situations are out of our hands, but we are extremely serious about weight categories in Frontline and do not wish to stray.”
On Demand Service
Frontline revealed their new On Demand streaming service via the Pivotshare platform earlier this year. The service is available at a $4.99 per month cost and features the first two shows from the company. ‘Build Me An Empire’ and ‘S.P.I.R.I.T’ took place earlier this year and feature a stellar line up of talent.
Bulld Me An Empire is certainly worth the cost alone. The main event featured an outrageous bout between Chris Ridgeway and Japan’s KENOH. Ridgeway is an accomplished ‘strong style’ combatant in his own right but this match at the top of the card will be the bout that catapults him into the upper echelons of both the UK scene and, hopefully, Japan (much like how Ospreay’s bout against Okada for Rev Pro got him on a plane going East). We spoke to Ospreay earlier this year and he discussed his want to bring ‘puroresu‘ to the United Kingdom, this big time main event and the reaction from the crowd in attendance seems to solidify that strong style/puroresu has truly arrived in Britain.
Noam Dar will be returning to ICW tonight for their Fear & Loathing XI event in Glasgow’s Hydro. The Scottish Supernova will be taking on Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven in a huge bout.
Dar recently spoke to Scotland’s Sunday Post on his return to the company. When discussing his return to the Hydro he stated “I’m looking forward to creating those kind of memories again, this time with ICW.” Dar made his WWE RAW debut in the famous Glasgow arena, he described that experience saying “that whole night, the experience and atmosphere was mind-blowing. I can remember a lot of anticipation beforehand not knowing where and when I’d debut and get things started.”
Dar also discussed the well reported working relationship between ICW and WWE. Dar stated “I think it’s important to be able to highlight and showcase that these promotions like ICW exist with WWE and especially now that there’s a great working relationship there.” When talking about his return to ICW he claimed that “I think that’s WWE’s token of gratitude to ICW; to allow guys that were homegrown there to come and put performances on now and again to give back and help. I think that’s really important to the development of the company and us personally, it’s really good to have these opportunities.”
Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) has announced that PAC will be heading to Bethnal Green in February. The company’s ‘High Stakes 2019’ event takes place on February 15th from the world famous York Hall in London.
This comes after Rev Pro announced that PAC would be facing Zack Sabre Jr in 2019. The former WWE Superstar will be heading to ‘Live at The Cockpit’ at The Cockpit Theatre in London on January 6th. PAC recently appeared for Rev Pro at their recent Portsmouth show, where he faced Mike Bailey.
In other PAC news Dragon Gate announced a huge Championship match for their December 4th show in Korakuen Hall. The former PAC/Neville will be facing Masato Yoshino. The bout will be contested for Yoshino’s Open The Dream Gate Championship.
PAC recently took part in his first singles match since leaving WWE. The former Neville faced Flamita in an International Special Singles Match for Dragon Gate’s ‘The Gate of Destiny’ event (11/04). PAC took the win after hitting his renamed ‘Black Arrow’ in around 18 minutes. You can check out some of the highlights from the incredible bout here
High Stakes 2019 Friday February 15th York Hall, Bethnal Green Mailing List Ticket Pre-Sale Starts Monday 7pm pic.twitter.com/EU62O0DHK1
New Japan Pro Wrestling’s November scheduling is usually dominated by the World Tag League shows – and 2018 is no different. This year’s lineup of shows will of course feature some of NJPW’s top stars, but there are some notable exceptions. Some of the shows will be available on NJPWWorld.
Here’s the full results for the World Tag League in Korakuen Hall (11/30):
Results
1st WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Toa Henare & Togi Makabe b. Ayato Yoshida & Shota Umino – Henare took the win after hitting a Samoan Drop on Umino
2nd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Best Friends (Beretta & Chuckie T) b. Manabu Nakanishi & Yuji Nagata – Chuckie T took the win following the Tornado Clutch on Nagata
3rd WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: David Finlay & Juice Robinson b. TenKoji (Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima) – Robinson took the win after hitting the Pulp Friction on Kojima
4th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Suzuki-gun (Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka) b. BULLET CLUB (Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi) – Suzuki took the win after hitting the Gotch-style piledriver on Takahashi
5th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. & Lance Archer) b. Suzuki-gun (Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr.) – Archer and Smith Jr took the win after hitting the Killer Bomb on Taichi
6th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano) b. Jeff Cobb & Michael Elgin – Ishii took the win after hitting the Vertical Brain Buster on Elgin
7th WORLD TAG LEAGUE 2018 Tournament Match: Guerrillas Of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) b. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) – Loa took the win after hitting a Super Power Bomb on SANADA
BULLET CLUB (Bad Luck Fale, Gedo, Jay White & Taiji Ishimori) b. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Rocky Romero), Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA – Ishimori took the win after hitting the Bloody Cross on Romero