SEScoops

Category: NJPW

  • Will Ospreay Is Ready For Alex Zayne at New Japan Showdown

    Will Ospreay Is Ready For Alex Zayne at New Japan Showdown

    Will Ospreay will battle Alex Zayne at Night 2 of NJPW’s New Japan Showdown event, which takes place Sunday night from Philadelphia, PA.

    SEScoops correspondent Samira spoke with Ospreay earlier this month about what this match means to him and how he’s been preparing for their showdown.

    “Big Match Billy” says that he’s been watching the man formerly known as Ari Sterling for a long time. “I used to watch Alex Zayne when I was a backyard wrestler,” he began. “When it was frowned upon to be called a backyard wrestler, because we were the dirt underneath everyone’s feet in the wrestling industry. But it does make me laugh now seeing how the world is with professional wrestling and all the backyarders I used to wrestle with are now on top of the world.”

    Ospreay said Zayne is “just getting back from his excursion over in Orlando.” He’s curious if Zayne learned anything in NXT, or if he’s the same guy he grew up watching that he just outgrew.

    This is a big challenge for the self-proclaimed Real IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, so we were curious what he’s doing to prepare for such a unique opponent.

    “I’m trying to drop a little bit of weight, because I do know Alex. He’s very unorthodox. He reminds me of myself when i was a Junior Heavyweight, so i’m trying to drop down some weight, so that way I can move a bit quicker. I think we’re roughly about the same height and the same build, but if I outpace him and I know I can strike harder than him. His strikes aren’t nearly as polished and clean as mine.”

    Alex Zayne’s Speed Advantage

    Opsreay questions if Zayne will be able to fight ‘dirty enough’ to hang with him, because he remembers Zayne as being a clean cut wrestler who just wanted to be liked by the fans. “I mean, I was in that position a long time, I’m just not that guy anymore,” he said. “If I get a shot to give you an elbow to the back of the head, I’m going to do it.”

    Ospreay really wants to pick up a victory here and knows that he’ll have to be ready for Alex Zayne’s high-flying move-set.

    “He can do the same tricks that I used to be able to do when I was 15kg’s lighter and I think we’re roughly the same body weight, so his acrobatics are going to have more impact behind them. So, I’m definitely going to keep me eye on when he does ascend to the top rope, because that’s when i’m going to be at my most vulnerable.”

    Check out Samira’s full interview with Will Ospreay:

  • Buddy Matthews Announced For NJPW Debut In November

    Buddy Matthews Announced For NJPW Debut In November

    Buddy Matthews formerly known as Buddy Murphy in WWE has been announced for making his NJPW debut during next month’s Battle In the Valley event.

    The show will be taking place from San Jose, California on November 13. The news was confirmed during Saturday’s NJPW strong taping from Philadelphia where the promotion aired a video package promoting his arrival:

    After wrestling for various indie promotions for over half a decade, Buddy Matthews was signed to a development contract by WWE back in March 2013.

    In NXT, he became known for his team with Wesley Blake. This duo known as Blake and Murphy had Alexa Bliss as their manager. They won the tag team titles once.

    After the break-up of his team with Blake, Buddy Matthews made his made roster debut in 2018, competing on 205 Live. He won the cruiserweight championship there before being moved to the SmackDown brand.

    The former SmackDown star was released from his WWE contract on June 2. He has already become a free agent after completing the 90 days non-compete period.

    It’s unknown whether Matthews has signed a contract with the Japanese promotion or if his deal is on appearance basis. Though a contract with NJPW will still keep the door open for his AEW debut because of the partnership of the two companies.

    Alexa Bliss To Buddy Murphy: “I Always Will Be There For You”
  • CM Punk Doubles Down On NJPW Interest

    CM Punk Doubles Down On NJPW Interest

    CM Punk continues to show his interest in stepping inside an NJPW ring.

    Punk has been enjoying his return to the pro wrestling industry. The self-proclaimed “Best in the World” made his AEW debut back in August. He’s had three matches in his time with AEW. Those were against Darby Allin, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Daniel Garcia. Punk was victorious in all three matches.

    When Punk first made his return to the wrestling business, he said that dipping his toes in the NJPW waters could prove to be fun.

    During an interview with Rich Eisen, he doubled down on his desire to work against NJPW’s top names. “I’m both feet in on AEW, but I know a bunch of New Japan guys wind up coming over and wrestling on AEW Dynamite and Rampage,” said Punk. “I’m not averse to the idea, but I know they’re in the throws of their G1 and stuff like that, so I don’t know if they can spare the guys. And I think because of the pandemic, you don’t see a whole lot of travel from America to Japan.”

    He continued, “I definitely think you’d have to do a hard quarantine once you got to Japan, and I just don’t think that’s a viable option at this point. I gotta do that when I kick acting gigs, and that’s hard enough. To be in Japan for two weeks sitting in a hotel, I’d probably lose my mind. But I’m for sure interested.”

    As CM Punk mentioned, there’s still the travel issue when it comes to making appearances for NJPW. Japan has begun softening its travel restrictions, but a 10-day quarantine is still required for those entering the country.

  • Will Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars (Exclusive)

    Will Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars (Exclusive)

    Will Ospreay is fed up with people like CM Punk, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson and others dropping his name.

    The self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion is gearing up for a clash against Alex Zayne. That match will take place at NJPW Showdown, a 2-night event taking place October 16th & 17th from Philadelphia’s historic 2300 Arena.

    Ospreay spoke to SEScoops correspondent Samira this week about his preparation for that event, why he can’t stand American wrestling fans, and much more.

    When asked who he wants to wrestle in the months ahead, ‘Big Match Billy’ named Kazuchika Okada as the only person he cares about from Japan. “The guy’s been ducking me for a while now,” he said.

    However, there are several other people on his radar. Ospreay tells SEScoops that he’d “love” to wrestle CM Punk, as well as some of the other AEW stars who have called him out in recent months.

    Ospreay Ready to Embarrass AEW’s Top Stars

    CM Punk named Will Ospreay as someone he’d like to work with during a March 2020 appearance on the Swing & Mrs. Podcast. Punk is now an active competitor for AEW, bringing this potential dream match one step closer to reality.

    “I would still love that match with CM Punk,” he began. “He’s the one that called me out. He said, ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay.’ So with that, Bryan Danielson, he said ‘I want to wrestle Will Ospreay’ and I get it. Kenny Omega wants to wrestle Will Ospreay. Take a ticket and I’ll get to you when I get to you guys. They called me out. Sammy Guevara, he’s another one that called me out.”

    He continued, “There’s a list that goes on and on and on. They all call me out and there’s a reason why. Because when Big Match Billy is in town, their stock goes up. Everyone that wrestles me – and you can’t deny it – every single person that wrestles me ups their game because they know they’re going to be in the ring with one of the best wrestlers in the world right now. So, I completely understand it.”

    These Guys Don’t Want Me To Show Up

    Ospreay continued railing against Punk, Danielson, and Omega.

    “If you guys really want it that bad, you know what to do. You just gotta call my number and I’ll show up. I’ll show up. But 9 times out of 10, these guys don’t want me to show up. Because A, I’ll embarrass them. I’ll embarrass them.”

    “Guys like Bryan Danielson made a living being one of the best wrestlers in the world. But if I showed up, he would not last in the ring with me. Kenny Omega was THE guy in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He left. I took over. Nobody could compete with me in 2019. If I got in the ring with him, I’d embarrass him.”

    Best in the World

    CM Punk
    CM Punk

    “CM Punk called me out when he wasn’t a wrestler. So in that case, he was keeping an eye on me the entire time, looking at me and thinking I’m a challenge – and damn right, I’m a challenge. I’m THE challenge. So, if those guys want it, I’m ready. But, you guys hit me up. I didn’t hit none of you guys up.”

    Ospreay took offense to the notion that CM Punk could still be considered the best in the world. “Is he though? He says he’s the best wrestler in the world. When was he saying that, 2011? Was he the best in the world, or was he the best of the bad bunch? Maybe you were the best at that time. Are you the best now? No. You’re nowhere near Will Ospreay’s level. So step up, brother. I’m ready for you.”

  • AEW Star Adam Cole Wants Back In NJPW

    AEW Star Adam Cole Wants Back In NJPW

    AEW star Adam Cole says he’d like to step back inside a New Japan Pro Wrestling ring.

    Cole is one of the newest members of the AEW roster. He has already proven to be a massive signing for the promotion. He has been getting massive crowd reactions and certainly doesn’t appear to be overshadowed by Bryan Danielson as some had feared.

    With the “Forbidden Door” being cracked wide open, it has led to cross-promotion between the likes of AEW and NJPW. Adam Cole told Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions that he’s hoping to take full advantage.

    “New Japan is something I’d like to do more of. I had done a fair amount of tours, it was almost 10. I got to wrestle at Koruakan Hall and the Tokyo Dome and Sumo Hall and all these really cool venues. I enjoyed my time there and right as I was kind of find my footing there or gain momentum, that was when I left. The chance to go back there would be really cool. I think back so fondly of my time in ROH. PWG, I had some of the times of my life there. I got my start in CZW, which is where I met Jon. There’s a bunch of really cool things that I would like to do. Independent wrestling is a blast.”

    As Cole mentioned, he made some appearances for NJPW when he was a member of Bullet Club. Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks turned on Cole during an ROH show after Cole made the decision to sign with WWE back in 2017.

    A lot has changed since Cole was last with the Super Kliq. Bullet Club split apart from The Elite. Also, all of The Elite members ended up signing with AEW and haven’t been seen in NJPW since early 2019.

    During an interview with Asbury Park Press, Cole teased a rivalry with Bullet Club.

  • Don’t Expect FinJuice To Split Any Time Soon

    Don’t Expect FinJuice To Split Any Time Soon

    World title aspirations may be in full effect but don’t count on FinJuice breaking up in the near future.

    David Finlay and Juice Robinson have had success as a tag team in both New Japan Pro Wrestling and Impact Wrestling. They have won tag team gold under both promotions. Lately, the two have been spending their time in Impact.

    Finlay hopped on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast and admitted that while he is chasing singles gold, he doesn’t see himself breaking away from Juice yet.

    “I do have aspirations of one day becoming World Champion,” Finlay shared. “At the same time, though, I have so much fun doing tag matches. I really, really enjoy them. I Love tagging with Juice. It’s a blast and never feels like work. So yeah, like I’ll do this until I don’t want to do it anymore and then I guess we part ways, maybe? Or maybe we don’t, I don’t know. But I do have aspirations of being a World Champion somewhere.”

    Finlay recently competed for the NEVER Openweight Title. While it isn’t a world championship, a win over Jay White at NJPW Strong Resurgence would’ve given him his first singles title run. It wasn’t meant to be as White scored the pinfall after hitting Bladerunner.

    Meanwhile, Juice Robinson has tasted singles gold. He is a former two-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion. Juice gained a ton of momentum in NJPW pre-pandemic.

    Time will tell whether or not David Finlay can realize his dream of becoming a world champion. For now, he’ll be looking for tag team gold once again with Juice Robinson as FinJuice.

  • Tetsuya Naito Out Of G1 Climax 31 Due To Injury

    Tetsuya Naito Out Of G1 Climax 31 Due To Injury

    The G1 Climax 31 tournament has been dealt a major blow with the removal of Tetsuya Naito.

    NJPW has announced that Naito suffered a knee injury during his opening match with Zack Sabre Jr. As a result, the former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion is out of the tournament.

    “During his G1 Climax 31 opening match on September 18 in Osaka, Tetsuya Naito suffered an injury to his left knee. 

    “Damage was incurred to his left meniscus and MCL. Naito is unable to compete on the remainder of the G1 Climax tour, and does not currently have a timetable for return. All his remaining tournament matches will be counted as losses via forfeit, with opponents gaining an automatic two points.”

    The match between Naito and ZSJ was heavily praised. It isn’t too surprising since the two have great chemistry in the ring. What may be surprising is that Naito has to bow out of the tournament. While he has had a history of knee problems, Naito has been quite resilient over the years.

    All of Naito’s previously scheduled opponents will now be having special singles matches on the dates they were supposed to face the Los Ingobernables de Japon stalwart.

    Tetsuya Naito was a part of the stacked A block. There were many potentially great matches involving Naito that fans will be missing out on. One of the most intriguing matches that was set to take place at the G1 Climax this year was Naito vs. fellow L.I.J. member Shingo Takagi. Takagi is the reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

    SEScoops will update you when more information on Naito’s injury and recovery time becomes available.

  • Two Members Added To NJPW Faction The United Empire

    Two Members Added To NJPW Faction The United Empire

    Will Ospreay has some more company in The United Empire.

    The United Empire is a faction in NJPW started by Ospreay. It began with Ospreay, Bea Priestley, and Great-O-Khan. Eventually, Jeff Cobb joined the group, Bea was kicked out, and Toa Henare was added to the stable as Aaron Henare.

    New members of The United Empire had been teased for the past week and we now have two more to add to the group. Those two additions are Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis. The two joined the faction during a recent RevPro event.

    At the moment, Cobb, Great-O-Khan, and Henare are the only members of The United Empire currently in Japan. In storyline, Ospreay has refused to return to Japan until NJPW apologizes to him and acknowledges Shingo Takagi as nothing more than an interim IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

    Ospreay has made life difficult for the NJPW brass. He says it boils down to being stripped of the IWGP gold. Ospreay feels there is bias against him because the promotion allowed Jon Moxley to hold onto the IWGP United States Championship when he didn’t defend it for over a year.

    Time will tell when these new members will be able to make the trip to Japan.

  • G1 Climax 31 Results (Sept. 18): Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

    G1 Climax 31 Results (Sept. 18): Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

    The first night of the G1 Climax tournament has come to an end.

    Night one was held inside Edion Arena in Osaka on Sept. 18. The card was headlined by an A block match between IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi and Tomohiro Ishii. Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito served as the co-main event.

    In total, there were five A block matches and one non-G1 Climax match. The non-tournament match was SHO going up against Young Lion Ryohei Owia. The other A block matches were KENTA vs. Toru Yano, Great-O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa, and Kota Ibushi vs. Yujiro Takahashi.

    Here are the full results from night one of the G1 Climax 31.

    • SHO def. Ryohei Owia – non-G1 Climax match
    • Yujiro Takahashi def. Kota Ibushi
    • Great-O-Khan def. Tanga Loa
    • Toru Yano def. KENTA
    • Zack Sabre Jr. def. Tetsuya Naito
    • Shingo Takagi def. Tomohiro Ishii

    Here are some highlights of the matches.

    SHO vs. Ryohei Owia

    Yujiro Takahashi vs. Kota Ibushi

    Great-O-Khan vs. Tanga Loa

    Toru Yano vs. KENTA

    Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Tetsuya Naito

    Shingo Takagi vs. Tomohiro Ishii

  • Matches Announced For Will Ospreay & Minoru Suzuki At NJPW Strong Showdown

    Matches Announced For Will Ospreay & Minoru Suzuki At NJPW Strong Showdown

    Matches for Will Ospreay and Minoru Suzuki have been added to the NJPW Strong Showdown tapings.

    On Oct. 16 and 17, NJPW will be holding its Strong Showdown tapings. The action will take place inside the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, PA.

    NJPW has announced that Suzuki and Ospreay will be in action at the tapings in separate matches. Suzuki will meet Chris Dickinson on Oct. 16, while Ospreay will do battle with Alex Zayne on Oct. 17.

    “A first time ever singles encounter will see the Dirty Daddy Chris Dickinson go toe to toe with Minoru Suzuki. At one point scheduled for independent events before the COVID pandemic disrupted the entire wrestling world, NJPW STRONG can now bring about this fated dream match. Dickinson is as respected as they come as a striker and grappler, but can he match up with the King? This is an encounter you will need to witness live and in person at the 2300 Arena next month!

    “Night two in Philadelphia will see Alex Zayne in singles action against “IWGP World Heavyweight Champion” Will Ospreay. Alex Zayne was a viral sensation when he first got the opportunity to compete in NJPW STRONG, and after a brief sojourn to WWE, returns to STRONG with a huge test awaiting him. Whether his title claims are legitimate or not, Ospreay is indisputably one of the best wrestlers in the world, but could Zayne surprise the Commonwealth kingpin in Philly?”

    Ospreay returned to NJPW at Resurgence after being away due to injury. Ospreay brought an IWGP World Heavyweight Title belt with him. He claimed to be the real world champion and said Shingo Takagi is an interim titleholder. Ospreay said he’ll be wrestling on Strong for a while.

    As for Suzuki, he will miss out on this year’s G1 Climax in Japan. This has freed the Japanese wrestling legend to work dates in the United States.

  • Jon Moxley Out, Will Ospreay In For NJPW Battle In The Valley

    Jon Moxley Out, Will Ospreay In For NJPW Battle In The Valley

    Jon Moxley will no longer be featured in NJPW’s Battle In The Valley event.

    Moxley was initially expected to be on the Nov. 13 card but once AEW moved its Full Gear event to that date, many expected him to miss the NJPW show. That hunch ended up being correct.

    NJPW announced that Moxley is out of Battle In The Valley. Fans won’t be left in the dust, however, as Will Ospreay will now be featured on the show.

    “On Saturday November 13, Battle in the Valley will see NJPW return to the San Jose Civic for the first time in over two years for the major event known as Battle in the Valley. Tickets are already selling fast for the event, which will be broadcast on NJPW World and FITE, and after competing in Texas and Philadelphia this autumn, Will Ospreay has added his name to the mix!

    “Due to scheduling conflicts, Jon Moxley, who was previously announced for Battle in the Valley will not be participating. We apologize to fans looking forward to seeing Moxley wrestle, and appreciate your understanding.”

    Also set to appear at Battle in the Valley are Jay White, Tomohiro Ishii, Tom Lawlor, Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Brody King, and more.

  • Main Event For Saturday Debut Of NJPW Strong Announced

    Main Event For Saturday Debut Of NJPW Strong Announced

    NJPW Strong is making the jump to Saturday nights and the Sept. 18 card has been revealed.

    Strong had been airing every Friday night at 10 p.m. ET. Since AEW Rampage has taken that night and time slot, NJPW responded by moving the show to Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET. The move takes effect on Sept. 18.

    NJPW has announced that headlining the show will be a tables match between Juice Robinson and Hikuleo.

    “Headlining this Saturday is a first for not just NJPW STRONG, but New Japan in general. A tables match will see Juice Robinson go up against Hikuleo, wherein the only way to win is to send your opponent through a table with an offensive maneuver.

    Juice and Hikuleo’s issues stretch back one month to before Resurgence. There Hikuleo, upset at being snubbed in the Resurgence lineup, issued an open challenge that Robinson responded to. n ring at the LA Coliseum, Hikuleo’s power was undeniable as he set to work on Juice, but Robinson’s veteran instincts were enough for him to score a flash pinfall victory.

    That wasn’t a loss Hikuleo took well, and a post-match chokeslam was delivered as a parting shot. Yet Hikuleo hasn’t let go of this issue with Juice, driving him through a table backstage on STRONG, and then following Robinson to IMPACT, where he joined Chris Bey in a devastating steel chair assault this week. Now the two meet in their most violent encounter yet; who will survive?”

    Here’s a look at the Sept. 18 NJPW Strong card.

    Juice Robinson vs. Hikuleo – Tables Match
    Hiroshi Tanahashi, Karl Fredericks, and Clark Connors vs. Stray Dog Army
    Tomohiro Ishii vs. Alex Coughlin

  • Former NJPW Ring Announcer Recovering From COVID-19

    Former NJPW Ring Announcer Recovering From COVID-19

    Kero Tanaka, who once served as the NJPW ring announcer, is recovering from a scary battle with COVID-19.

    The 62-year-old had to be sent to the ICU on Aug. 8. One Color, Tanaka’s company, revealed that Tanaka has regained consciousness. He tested positive for COVID-19 back on July 31. Tanaka was receiving treatment at home but his symptoms worsened and he was sent to ICU.

    Luckily for Tanaka, he was able to eventually breathe without a ventilator and can eat with support. He has even regained his ability to talk.

    Yahoo! Japan reports that at one point, it appeared Tanaka’s life was in danger. His recovery is being described as “miraculous.”

    Tanaka most recently appeared at the Wrestle Kingdom 14 show back in Jan. 2020. He served as a special ring announcer for Jushin “Thunder” Liger’s second-to-last match.

    We at SEScoops.com wish Kero Tanaka a full and speedy recovery.

  • Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major NJPW stars

    Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major NJPW stars

    AEW Champion Kenny Omega reportedly wants to face two major New Japan Pro Wrestling stars in Jay White and Will Ospreay.

    This news was reported in the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter amid both Ospreay and Omega going back and forth on social media.

    Although AEW does not actually have any plans to have the Kenny Omega vs Will Ospreay match in the company at this time, both men are eager to get the ball rolling and get the contest confirmed.

    “There are no plans at this writing for such a match, but no doubt both guys want it and with Ospreay coming to the U.S. every month going forward, it’s more feasible now than at any time. We do know that Omega would love to have matches with both Ospreay and Jay White, who both brought up AEW at the recent New Japan Resurgence show in Los Angeles. Their top ten were Omega, Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi, Jon Moxley, Ospreay, Finn Balor, Shingo Takagi and Rich Swann”

    WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER

    It remains to be seen if All Elite decides to bring in Ospreay, as clearly there is a want from the EVP and Champion of the promotion to have the match.

    Jay White is also an intriguing proposition, as the leader of Bullet Club has more of a storyline intertwined with The Elite ‘leader.’

    White has also been working for IMPACT Wrestling over the past couple of months, so there is potentially scope for him to make the move to All Elite based on the ‘Forbidden Door’ concept bringing AEW, IMPACT and NJPW together in a working relationship.

  • Will Ospreay teases new members of United Empire Faction

    Will Ospreay teases new members of United Empire Faction

    IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay has teased that there will potentially be more members added to his United Empire stable.

    The Revolution Pro Heavyweight Champion appeared on a card today in London for the promotion, teaming with the tag team of the Young Guns to take on Sunshine Machine and Ricky Knight Jr.

    “These Young Guns better be the real deal,” Will Ospreay wrote on social media ahead of the match. “They have an opportunity to join me and the UE if they impress enough. Today at the 229 Next Week, York Hall!!!”

    Will Ospreay on Young Guns

    It has not been confirmed if Ethan Allen and Luke Jacobs of Young Guns and NorthWest Strong will be joining the United Empire, or if they will be making their way to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    Young Guns are regarded as one of the best up and coming tag teams on the British scene, with the duo having appeared for Rev Pro as well as Futureshock and PROGRESS Wrestling on Peacock and WWE Network.

    Ospreay is due to return to the United States shortly for NJPW STRONG tapings ahead of a potential return to Japan for a unification bout against Shingo Takagi to crown the ‘true’ IWGP World Champion.

    That match will hopefully be taking place at Wrestle Kingdom in January, which is set to be a three-day event for the first time in New Japan Pro Wrestling history.

  • Will Ospreay Teases New United Empire Member

    Will Ospreay Teases New United Empire Member

    Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay is teasing a new member of his United Empire faction will debut soon. He teased that his “buddy” will debut on the NJPW shows in Texas on September 25th and 26th.

    Ospreay is scheduled to face Karl Fredericks on the 25th and is then scheduled to team with a mystery partner to face Fredericks and Clark Connors on the 26th.

    The former Buddy Murphy, now using the name Buddy Matthews, seemingly responded to Ospreay’s comments.

    Matthews was released from his WWE contract on June 2nd and is now believed to be free to sign with other promotions. The 32-year-old had been with WWE since 2013. In his time with the company, Murphy won the NXT tag-team championships once along with Wesley Blake, the Cruiserweight Championship once, and also held the RAW tag-team titles on one occasion along with Seth Rollins.

    Ospreay debuted the United Empire faction last October. Current members included Jeff Cobb, who recently defeated Kazuchika Okada at Wrestle Grand Slam, Aaron Henare, and Great-O-Khan. Bea Priestley was previously a member of the group as well.

    Ospreay last appeared for NJPW at the Resurgence PPV in Los Angeles. He brought out his IWGP World title belt and claimed to still be the champion despite being stripped of the title earlier this year.

  • Lance Archer Talks Importance Of AEW & NJPW Working Together

    Lance Archer Talks Importance Of AEW & NJPW Working Together

    Lance Archer believes that cross-promotion between AEW and NJPW is healthy for the wrestling business.

    Archer enjoyed great success during his time with NJPW. Along with Davey Boy Smith Jr. as Killer Elite Squad, Archer became a three-time IWGP Tag Team Champion. When Smith made his exit from the promotion, it opened the door for Archer’s singles run. He ended up capturing the IWGP United States Championship.

    In Feb. 2020, Archer signed with AEW, signaling the end of his run with NJPW. Luckily for wrestling fans, the “Forbidden Door” has been busted open. Archer ended up winning the IWGP United States gold a second time when he defeated Jon Moxley in the main event of an episode of AEW Dynamite.

    During an interview with NJPW, Archer discussed the importance of cross-promotion.

    “It was absolutely special for me, one of the more special moments of my career. I was able to twice represent NJPW as its US champion, even if the second time wasn’t in a New Japan ring. It really feels for me now that, along with Jon Moxley and some other guys, I’m part of that bridge between NJPW and AEW, and that’s huge because I think that bridge is important to both companies, and to the whole business.”

    Archer put the U.S. title on the line against Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW Resurgence. Tanahashi ended up defeating Archer to capture the championship for the first time. After the match, Archer said he wants a rematch with Tanahashi under the AEW banner.

    Archer isn’t done with his time inside the NJPW ring. He will be a part of the NJPW Strong Autumn Attack shows on Sept. 25 and 26.

  • Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay Trash Talk Heating Up

    Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay Trash Talk Heating Up

    Will Ospreay called out Kenny Omega on Wednesday after the AEW World Champion was named the #1 pro wrestler the world on this year’s PWI Top 500 list.

    Omega topped the list, while Ospreay charted at the #7 spot (behind Roman Reigns, Bobby Lashley, Drew McIntyre, Kota Ibushi and Jon Moxley.)

    Ospreay was so put off by his placement on the list that he said, “I’d beat up number 1 any day of the week and twice on Wednesdays……just saying.”

    This did not sit well with Kenny Omega. He replied by telling Ospreay that “his promotion” (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has been so “ice cold” since he left that not even Dave Meltzer can convince his followers that Ospreay should be in the conversation for Best in the World.”

    “It hurts me, bruv,” said Omega. “One of you dorks should have been the guy. Turned out a bigger dog was my only competition.”

    Will Opsreay vs. Kenny Omega

    Will Ospreay wasn’t done. He followed up by tweeting a recent clip of himself threatening to walk through the ‘Forbidden Door.’

    He also touted New Japan Pro Wrestling’s accomplishments since Omega left. “A pandemic put the breaks on & you know it. Open that door, let’s have this conversation.”

    Needless to say, Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay would be a banger of a match. With NJPW talent already wrestling on AEW programming, this is high on the light for potential ‘Forbidden Door’ dream matches we could see in the months ahead.

  • Robbie Eagles Set For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

    Robbie Eagles Set For NJPW Strong Autumn Attack

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion, Robbie Eagles, is making his way to NJPW Strong Autumn Attack.

    NJPW has announced that Eagles will be a part of their Autumn Attack shows in Garland, Texas. These shows will be held inside the Curtis Culwell Center on Sept. 25 and 26.

    Here’s what NJPW said in a statement regarding the addition of Eagles.

    “An already stacked lineup for NJPW STRONG’s first matches at the Curtis Culwell Center in DFW Texas have allowed for dream matches including Lio Rush vs Taiji Ishimori, Suzuki-Gun versus Team Filthy and Jay White vs Daniel Garcia across two cards on September 25 & 26. That lineup is getting even more of a boost though, as fresh off his first defense at the MetLife Dome against Hiromu Takahashi this weekend, IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Robbie Eagles is joining the Autumn Attack. 

    “With a wealth of junior heavyweight talent on STRONG and across the US, the ‘Sniper of the Skies’ heads into Texas with a target of his own on his back. Who will take aim at the champion? Find out in person later this month!”

    Eagles is fresh off a successful title defense against Hiromu Takahashi at NJPW’s Wrestle Grand Slam in MetLife Dome. Eagles defeated Hiromu via submission.

    This is yet another solid name added to NJPW’s Autumn Attack shows this month. The promotion has already announced Will Ospreay, Minoru Suzuki, and Lance Archer for the shows. NEVER Openweight Champion Jay White is also set to take on Daniel Garcia, who has been appearing on AEW television in prominent spots.

  • NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 To Be A 3-Night Event

    NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 16 To Be A 3-Night Event

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Wrestle Kingdom in January will be a 3-night event next year. The event will take place on January 4th and 5th from the Tokyo Dome and then on January 8th from the Yokohama Arena. The announcement was made during the intermission of today’s Wrestle Grand Slam event.

    Wrestle Kingdom History

    While there have been 15 Wrestle Kingdom events in the Tokyo Dome dating back to 2007, there has been an annual Tokyo Dome show in the venue on January 4th dating back to 1992. The Super Warriors in the Tokyo Dome show in 1992 was a joint show with WCW that featured Sting and the Great Muta taking on the Steiner Brothers. Riki Choshu also defeated Tatsumi Fujinami on the show.

    The first Wrestle Kingdom event in 2007 saw Keiji Mutoh and Masahiro Chono defeat Tencozy (Hiroyoshi Tenzan and Satoshi Kojima). In 2020, Wrestle Kingdom expanded to two nights. Tetsuya Naito won both heavyweight titles by defeating Kazuchika Okada on Night 2 that year. Kota Ibushi won both belts after defeating Jay White on Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom last year.

    Wrestle Kingdom in 2022 will be the 31st consecutive year New Japan has presented a big show on January 4th.

  • Will Ospreay Confirms He has Tested Positive for COVID-19

    Will Ospreay Confirms He has Tested Positive for COVID-19

    It has been a tough few months for Will Ospreay. After reaching the pinnacle of his career, capturing the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in April, injury forced him to vacate the title in May. After several months on the shelf, he made a shocking return at NJPW Resurgence to announce he was once again cleared to wrestle. However, now, the British superstar finds himself laid low once more after confirming he has tested positive for COVID-19.

    Will Ospreay took to Twitter to confirm the news, adding that he was double vaccinated and that fans should not worry.

    “I’ve got COVID, but I’m fully vaccinated, I’ll be fine. I’ll just rest for these 10 days, keep you updated and I’m sure I’ll be back in no time soon.”

    Ospreay looked tired in his video but reassured fans he was going to be back soon promising to beat Covid as he was on another level to the illness.

    “I’m going to beat COVID. Why? Because I am on another level!”

    Will Ospreay

    Will Ospreay went on to confirm his isolation will mean he misses two upcoming Revolution Pro Wrestling shows. This was also confirmed by Revolution Pro Wrestling who also broke the news via social media.

    Will Ospreay Expected Back for Rev Pro High Stakes on September 19th

    Will Ospreay was scheduled to appear at two upcoming Rev Pro Shows in both Sheffield and London. However, there is no reason to believe he won’t be back in time for their High Stakes show. That event is set for September 19th and will see Ospreay look to unify the Rev Pro British Heavyweight and Southside Heavyweight belts in a match against Ricky Knight Jr.

    Will Ospreay is also back on the NJPW scene. However, has adamantly stated he will not be returning to Japan in the near future. Instead, he will make appearances for their spin-off brand NJPW Strong. NJPW Strong airs out of California. It is not known if this is part of a longer-term story angle with him and Shingo, or something deeper-seated. There has been no shortage of talk surrounding the happiness of gajin talent in Japan since COVID hit.

  • NJPW Strong Moving To Saturday Nights Starting Sept. 18

    NJPW Strong Moving To Saturday Nights Starting Sept. 18

    NJPW Strong will have a new air date and time.

    Strong has been airing on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET. With AEW Rampage being introduced at that night and time slot, it appears NJPW has wasted little time making a move.

    The company has announced that starting on Sept. 18, NJPW Strong will now be airing on Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET.

    “September 18 will see a brand new era for NJPW STRONG. After growing consistently on Friday nights at 10/9c, September will see weekends get even STRONGer, with a new timeslot on NJPW World and FITE of Saturdays at 8PM eastern, and 5PM Pacific. With a new day, a new time, and new crowds, we can’t wait to have you join us for a new STRONG starting on September 18!”

    NJPW Strong has served as New Japan Pro Wrestling’s push for the United States market. The promotion got a good taste of success in America when Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, and Hangman Page were under the NJPW banner. NJPW also had a successful event with Ring of Honor at Madison Square Garden in New York City back in April 2019.

    NJPW has been making an effort to stay relevant in the U.S. The promotion planned to go solo with an MSG event in NYC in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed that plan. Former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay will be a regular on Strong as his storyline friction with NJPW management over being stripped of the world title continues.

  • Shingo Takagi Cleared To Return At NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam

    Shingo Takagi Cleared To Return At NJPW Wrestle Grand Slam

    IWGP World Champion Shingo Takagi and Los InGobernables member BUSHI have been cleared to return. Both wrestlers had tested positive for COVID-19 2 weeks ago and were removed from the recent NJPW tour.

    On August 15th, both Takagi and BUSHI were found to have elevated temperatures and were given PCR tests. On August 18th, NJPW announced that they had both tested positive for COVID-19.

    Both wrestlers will return at the Wrestle Grand Slam events scheduled for September 4th and 5th in Tokorozawa’s MetLife Dome.

    NJPW has also released the lineups for those two shows.

    Wrestle Grand Slam – MetLife Dome – Night 1 – September 4th, 2021

    • IWGP United States Championship
      Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Kota Ibushi
    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Jeff Cobb
    • Provisional KOPW 2021
      No DQ, I Quit Match
      Chase Owens (c) vs. Toru Yano
    • SHO vs. YOH
    • Robbie Eagles & Tiger Mask vs. Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI
    • STARDOM exhibition match (Pre-Show)

    Wrestle Grand Slam – MetLife Dome – Night 2 – September 5th, 2021

    • IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
      Shingo Takagi (c) vs. EVIL
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
      Robbie Eagles (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
      Taichi & Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tetsuya Naito & SANADA
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
      Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo (c) vs. El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru
    • Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan
    • STARDOM exhibition match (Pre-Show)
  • New Japan Showdown Adds Big Names to Event in Philadelphia

    New Japan Showdown Adds Big Names to Event in Philadelphia

    New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the talent involved for their New Japan Showdown event. The talent includes big names like former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay and the Never Openweight Champion Jay White.

    “October 16 & 17 will see NJPW STRONG taped in Philadelphia, as Showdown 2021 emanates from the legendary 2300 Arena across two nights. An already hot ticket is set to get hotter, as big names have been added to this landmark event,” said NJPW.

    Tickets for the event have gone on sale.

    All Elite Wrestling Talent Involved at Showdown

    While New Japan Showdown will be an NJPW event, they have also acquired an All Elite Wrestling talent to appear. The former NJPW United States Heavyweight Champion Lance Archer participate in the event. NJPW also added Archer to NJPW’s Autumn Attack in September.

    Archer lost his championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW Resurgence on August 14th. It is unclear if Archer will get a rematch for the title. Although plans can change, NJPW hasn’t advertised Tanahashi for the event.

    What’s Next for Will Ospreay

    While Ospreay vacated the IWGP Heavyweight Championship in May, he now claims he is still the champion. He is also in the New Japan Showdown poster with the championship. However, NJPW hasn’t officially acknowledged Ospreay as their champion.

    It’s unclear at this time if NJPW will make Ospreay the IWGP Heavyweight Champion for their NJPW strong brand. Ospreay, in his return to NJPW, said that NJPW Strong would be his new home. He also has issued an open challenge for contenders to face him for “his” IWGP Heavyweight Championship under the NJPW strong brand. While the matches are unknown for New Japan Showdown, Ospreay will likely want to defend “his” title.

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  • KENTA Reveals He Tested Positive For COVID-19

    KENTA Reveals He Tested Positive For COVID-19

    NJPW’s KENTA has noted on Instagram stories that he recently tested positive for COVID-19. He did experience symptoms, including a fever and loss of smell but is doing better now.

    “I got COVID last few weeks,” he wrote. “First of all, I apologize to everyone who had to [change plans] because of me. Fortunately, my symptom was not too bad. Just [had a] fever a few days (102 F) and lost my smell. But now I’m totally fine. And got [a negative test]. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.”

    KENTA hasn’t wrested in a month. His last match was the 22-man New Japan Rando match at Wrestle Grand Slam in the Tokyo Dome on July 25th. The night before he lost a singles match to Hiroshi Tanahashi at Summer Struggle in Nagoya.

    On August 15th, NJPW announced that several wrestlers had been pulled from shows due to COVID-19 protocols. KENTA was not on the tour by this point, however. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Shingo Takagi was pulled from the tour and hasn’t wrestled since August 14th.

    Multiple Wrestlers Pulled From NJPW Shows Due To COVID-19 Protocols

    In NJPW, KENTA is a 1x Never Openweight Champion and won the USA Cup on New Japan Strong in 2020. In Pro Wrestling NOAH, KENTA is a former 1x GHC Heavyweight Champion and 3x Junior Heavyweight Champion.

    KENTA responded to CM Punk’s return to pro-wrestling on Friday night’s The First Dance event: