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Category: NJPW

  • Why Jushin Liger Was Not Booked For NJPW’s Fighting Spirit USA Tour

    Why Jushin Liger Was Not Booked For NJPW’s Fighting Spirit USA Tour

    Jushin Liger was missing from the NJPW’s Fighting Spirit: Unleashed Tour and the reason behind it could be storyline-based.

    If you haven’t caught up with what’s going on at New Japan, here’s the gist. At the recent Destruction in Kobe event on September 22, Jushin Liger attacked Minoru Suzuki and other members of Suzuki-Gun when Suzuki attempted to remove Liger’s mask. Liger delivered a low blow to get him off, then unmask himself to reveal his alter ego: Kishin Liger.

    Kishin Liger
    Kishin Liger.

    This side of Liger is considered to be extremely dangerous, and there’s no saying on how he’ll try to attack his opponents. This was made clear when he tried to stab Suzuki with a large metal spike last week.

    Related: Kishin Liger’s History In NJPW Revisited

    Back to why Liger was missing from the tour. According to a report from PWInsider, Jushin was not booked for the tour because his alter ego Kishin was unleashed. Kishin Liger is a rare transformation which usually happens when someone tries to remove Jushin Liger’s mask. He has had his mask removed to reveal the evil Kishin Liger only four times over the last three decades. Needless to say, we only get to see this character in special events.

    The Kishin Liger gimmick consists of mannerisms and imagery that is the exact opposite to that of a normal person. Jushin Thunder Liger on the other hand, is a wholesome and jovial type of character. It appears that Jushin Liger was not booked for the event because it would contradict the ongoing storyline with Minoru Suzuki.

  • Will Ospreay Lists His Favorite Matches, Opponents, & More

    Will Ospreay Lists His Favorite Matches, Opponents, & More

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Will Ospreay recently answered several fan questions for a piece on NJPW1972.com. During the interview, Ospreay listed his favourite opponents, matches, and more.

    Ospreay listed a match from Progress in 2015 as one of the most important in his career.

    “There’s been so many that I think are historic and that helped me along the way. The first time I felt I was getting somewhere was my match with Jimmy Havoc in PROGRESS in the UK, 2015. After that I was going to America and going on to bigger places. I felt that match opened a lot of doors for me.”

    He would then refer to Marty Scurll has his greatest rival.

    “I think in all of wrestling, my biggest rival has to be Marty Scurll. He doesn’t like me, I don’t like him. We’re very different guys, like the Batman and the Joker,” Ospreay said during the interview.

    Ospreay was also asked during the interview which wrestler he has the most respect for.

    “Respect? Tanahashi. For everything that he’s done for New Japan. The slogan on my shirt, ‘attack for the next generation’ came from him. He did so much and put his body through so much to get New Japan out of the dark ages and into the golden era that we’re calling it now. I love his wrestling philosophy and I respect him a huge deal. If I can be like any wrestler, I want to be like him.”

    He would continue to talk about his stablemate in CHAOS, Kazuchika Okada as well.

    “He’s my big brother. He’s looked after me since day one. Anything personal, medical even, he’s helped me out. He met my mum and dad in the UK and was lovely to them. He’s absolutely my big brother.”

    Ospreay would continue to say he believes Okada is the best wrestler in the world.

    “I do think he’s the best in the world right now. I don’t think anyone can match his style, technique, power, presence. You know when his music hits and he’s in a singles match, he’ll have the best match of the night. Wherever you are in the world, nobody can beat him.”

    Ospreay also mentioned that it was a TNA event which helped inspire him to become a pro-wrestler.

    “I’ve always watched wrestling, ever since I was a baby. But I was channel surfing once and found TNA, the three way between Chris Daniels, Samoa Joe and AJ Styles. AJ grabbed the top rope and hit a springboard Shooting Star Press. I was 14, 15 years old and I instantly thought ‘I want to be a pro-wrestler. AJ Styles is the reason I wanted to be a pro-wrestler.”

    The full interview with Ospreay can be read here.

  • Kishin Liger’s History In NJPW Revisited

    Kishin Liger’s History In NJPW Revisited

    At New Japan Pro Wrestling’s recent Destruction in Kobe event, Jushin Liger would attack Minoru Suzuki and other members of Suzuki-Gun before the bell. The two veterans have been building a rivalry as of late and will face each other at King of Pro Wrestling on October 14th, 2019.

    Liger unmasked to reveal his more monstrous side, Kishin Liger. This version of Liger is said to be the most dangerous, evident by his attempting to stab Suzuki with a large spike in Kobe.

    NJPW1972.com posted an in-depth article today detailing Kishin Liger’s history in the promotion.

    Kishin Liger in NJPW

    The name Kishin carries a connection to the gods and also of personal transformation.

    “The name Kishin carries with it connections to deities, but also personal transformation. Its kanji ?? can be easily translated as ‘fierce god’, and can also be read as onigami (the god of the oni demons) or kijin. The word carries with it an idea of totality, a universal spirit of all creation both living and dead. It can also suggest the idea of extremely powerful latent ability, traits that Kishin Liger has clearly demonstrated,” NJPW1972.com’s article reads.

    Kishin Liger has only appeared in NJPW four times, the first coming in 1996 at the hands of the Great Muta. Liger was unmasked by Muta, leading to the first appearance of Kishin Liger.

    “The Great Muta was a wild violent force that Liger kept standing up to, but it was only when Muta tried to remove his mask that the superhuman Kishin appeared.”

    It was against Muta that Liger learned to counter the poison mist with a toxic spew. Liger used a poison mist like substance in his attack against Suzuki-Gun in Kobe as well.

    NJPW1972.com’s article goes in-depth on all four appearances by Kishin Liger in NJPW and what his reappearance likely means for his match against Minoru Suzuki at King of Pro Wrestling. The full article can be read here.

  • NJPW Reveals Full King Of Pro Wrestling Card

    NJPW Reveals Full King Of Pro Wrestling Card

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling has revealed the entire card for their upcoming King of Pro Wrestling event. The show takes place in Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo on October 14th.

    The show is stacked with championship matches including IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Los Ingobernables de Japon member SANADA. The IWGP United States Championship is also on the line as Jon Moxley faces against former champion Juice Robinson. Lastly, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship matchup sees Will Ospreay attempt to keep his belt against Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo.

    Joining these huge matches are Kota Ibushi vs EVIL for Ibushi’s hard-won G1 Contract. A personal grudge match will also be resolved as Jyushin Thunder Liger faces off against Suzuki-gun leader, Minoru Suzuki. Suzuki recently pushed Liger too far, with Liger unveiling Kishin Liger for the first time since 2012.

    King of Pro Wrestling 2019

    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship
      Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. SANADA
    • G1 Contract
      Kota Ibushi (G1 Contract Winner) vs EVIL
    • IWGP United States Championship – No Disqualification
      Jon Moxley (c) vs Juice Robinson
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
      Will Ospreay (c) vs. El Phantasmo
    • Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Minoru Suzuki
    • Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Jay White, KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
    • Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI vs Zack Sabre Jr, Lance Archer & Taichi
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & Tomoaki Honma vs. Togi Makabe & Toru Yano
    • Ryusuke Taguchi, SHO & YOH vs Yoshinobu Kanemaru, DOUKI, & El Desperado
  • NJPW Releases Full Card Details For Fighting Spirit Unleashed Tour

    NJPW Releases Full Card Details For Fighting Spirit Unleashed Tour

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling will soon be travelling back to the United States of America for their East Coast tour, Fighting Spirit Unleashed. Having previously announced which names from their roster will be making the trip, the promotion has now released full card details for each date of their three-city tour.

    NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Lowell, MA, September 27

    • Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Kota Ibushi vs SANADA, EVIL & Tetsuya Naito
    • IWGP Tag Team Championship Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH)
    • Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Rocky Romero vs Jay White, Gedo & KENTA
    • Tomohiro Ishii & Amazing Red vs Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
    • The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs Chase Owens & Jado
    • Mikey Nicholls & Juice Robinson vs TJP & Clark Connors
    • Lance Archer vs Ren Narita
    • Karl Fredericks vs Alex Coughlin

    NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed in New York City, NY, September 28

    • Kazuchika Okada & Kota Ibushi vs. SANADA & EVIL
    • NEVER Openweight Championship Match: KENTA (c) vs YOSHI-HASHI
    • Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Amazing Red vs Jay White, Chase Owens & Gedo
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi & The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI
    • Rocky Romero, SHO & YOH vs Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Jado
    • Juice Robinson & Mikey Nicholls vs Clark Connors & Alex Coughlin
    • Lance Archer vs Karl Fredericks
    • TJP vs Ren Narita

    NJPW Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Philadelphia, PA, September 29

    • Elimination Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & The Rock ‘n’ Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) vs Jay White, KENTA, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Chase Owens & Gedo
    • Kota Ibushi & TJP vs EVIL & BUSHI
    • Juice Robinson, SHO & YOH vs Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & Shingo Takagi
    • Amazing Red vs Ren Narita
    • Lance Archer vs Alex Coughlin
    • Mikey Nicholls vs Karl Fredericks
    • Rocky Romero vs Clark Connors

    NJPW recently announced that they will be streaming their New York show live via their NJPW World streaming service. 

  • NJPW World To Stream Fighting Spirit Unleashed New York Event

    NJPW World To Stream Fighting Spirit Unleashed New York Event

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) will soon be back in the United States of America for their Fighting Spirit Unleashed tour. The promotion recently announced that fans will be able to stream their sold-out New York date live on NJPW World. 

    Taking to social media, the company wrote that subscribers to NJPW World can enjoy this special event live with Japanese commentary:

    “Fighting Spirit Unleashed is coming to the east coast next weekend! New York on Saturday September 28 is SOLD OUT, but you can have the best seat in the house with @njpwworld! Watch this very special event LIVE Saturday night!#njpw #njpwfs (Japanese commentary)”

    The tour will take in three dates along the East Coast of America, including Boston, New York and Philadelphia. Both the New York and Philadelphia shows are sold out. Tickets are still available for Boston as of the time of writing. 

    NJPW stars like Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi will be appearing alongside wrestlers from Los Ingobernables de Japon, Bullet Club and CHAOS. It was recently announced that wrestling legends the Rock ’N’ Roll Express will also be appearing at these shows. This marks the first time Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson will have performed for the Japanese promotion. 

  • Jay White Wins IWGP Intercontinental Championship At NJPW Destruction In Kobe

    Jay White Wins IWGP Intercontinental Championship At NJPW Destruction In Kobe

    Bullet Club leader Jay White has claimed the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. White defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon’s Tetsuya Naito during New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Destruction in Kobe main event. 

    Since debuting for the promotion in 2017, ‘Switchblade’ Jay White has held the IWGP United States Championship, the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and now the IWGP Intercontinental Championship. His win over Naito also continues the streak of unsuccessful IWGP Intercontinental Championship defenses at NJPW’s Destruction in Kobe event.

    After his victory, White would get on the microphone to gloat about his victory, listing out every member of Bullet Club in the manner that Naito speaks about his LIJ stablemates. He would be interrupted by CHAOS member Hirooki Goto.

    Leaving the ring, the ‘Switchblade’ was clear in his opinion, stating that Goto is beneath him and undeserving of a championship opportunity. It’s worth noting that Goto holds a victory over Jay White during the G1 Climax tournament this past summer.

    During the post-match interview, Jay White listed some of New Japan’s most notable wrestlers as people he has defeated including Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada. He then listed a few opponents that he feels he will be meeting soon including LIJ’s SANADA and EVIL, as well as Kota Ibushi and the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Okada. He once again stressed that Goto was beneath him and not worth his time.

  • Jyushin Thunder Liger Reflects On Upcoming Retirement

    Jyushin Thunder Liger Reflects On Upcoming Retirement

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) legend Jyushin Thunder Liger is counting down the days to his retirement. Liger will officially retire next January, with his last match taking place in the Tokyo Dome for NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom event.

    In an interview with njpw1972.com, Liger sat down with long-time friend Togi Makabe to discuss his career. During their conversation, the two discussed Liger’s retirement and the surprise the announcement caused in the NJPW locker room.

    Makabe revealed that when he first found out that Liger was retiring, his first thought was “Is he serious?” followed by “Is the company serious?”

    He continued, “So when I first heard I was thinking ‘what are you talking about?’. Like maybe he’s thinking about taking a bit of a break and then going internationally, or making a next step, all of that’s stuff only he knows for sure. But I was just like ‘hold on a second!’”

    Liger then confessed that despite their friendship, he didn’t speak to anybody about his plans to retire until after he announced it. He claimed he didn’t even confer with his family, stating that the decision was his choice.

    “I don’t think it’s right for a wrestler to talk with his colleagues about retirement, you know? I didn’t even tell my family until after I’d made up my mind to retire. […] It just felt like the right time to put a full stop on things.”

    He explained how he’d rather leave with fans asking “‘Why is he quitting now? He can still go!’” as opposed to laughing at “old man Liger.” Liger added that leaving this wa is the more dignified decision and that he never intends to go back on his retirement.

  • Jon Moxley Plans To Be At Wrestle Kingdom, Reflects On G1 Climax, Juice Robinson

    Jon Moxley Plans To Be At Wrestle Kingdom, Reflects On G1 Climax, Juice Robinson

    IWGP United States Champion Jon Moxley recently sat down with njpw1972.com to discuss his experience in this summer’s G1 Climax tournament. He also addressed his future King of Pro Wrestling championship rematch against Juice Robinson.

    Moxley described the G1 as “probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done” due to the intensity of the tournament. “There’s no peaks and valleys in the G1, no ‘go hard tonight, relax tomorrow’. It’s just full throttle constantly for four or five weeks.”

    He named Tomohiro Ishii as his most memorable matchup during the entire tournament, recalling their match in Korakuen Hall. He called Ishii the perfect opponent for him as Moxley doesn’t like “BS, gimmicks, interference. I don’t like to mess around, I just like to go in gun slinging. Whoever’s the fastest draw, we’ll find out and see who goes down. I don’t want to think about outside interference, I just want to go straight ahead. ‘F*** it, f*** you,’ ‘F*** you too’ and just do it. That’s Ishii, so we’re just perfect opponents for each other. We just had a showcase of glorious violence.”

    Moxley was eliminated from the G1 tournament after a crucial loss to Juice Robinson. This loss also allowed Robinson the opportunity to claim a rematch against Moxley, who won the IWGP United States Championship in his debut against Juice.

    Addressing their issues, Moxley said “I told the world, and I told the media. If he wants a shot at the US Championship, he gets it, but only if it’s no disqualification. I don’t want a referee in the way to save him from his fate. If he can beat me in that environment, fine. Take the championship; you deserve it. But let’s put this thing to bed, no DQ, and no ref to step in between us.”

    He later added, “As United States Champion, I think I’ve gotta settle the score with Juice Robinson. Before I do anything else, that’s number one on the agenda. So let’s get an answer, sign the contract, get the plane tickets and get that out the way. After I put him in the ground, I plan on remaining US Champion.”

    When it comes to long-term goals in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Moxley admitted he intends to be a part of the promotion’s Wrestle Kingdom event in January.

    “100% I plan to be at the Tokyo Dome. I don’t know who I’ll be facing, whether I’m still US Champion. But I’ve been in Wrestlemania, in the G1, and this is the next step. Anyone who’s anyone in Japan has competed in the Tokyo Dome, so I absolutely plan on being there.”

    Jon Moxley will defend his IWGP United States Championship against Juice Robinson at NJPW’s King of Pro-Wrestling event. The show takes place on October 14th from Ry?goku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.

  • Cain Velasquez Addresses Meeting With NJPW Officials

    Cain Velasquez Addresses Meeting With NJPW Officials

    Cain Velasquez recently spoke with Sporting News about a wide range of pro-wrestling and MMA related topics. 

    During the interview, he was asked about attending a recent New Japan Pro Wrestling show in San Francisco to have discussions with the company about wrestling there in the future. 

    “New Japan is an organization that I’d love to wrestle for. But I don’t believe that I want to stick with one organization. I want to be wrestling for different organizations. For me, this sport is so new, and I want to learn as much as I can and wrestle as much as I can.”

    Cain Velasquez Reportedly Has Informal Meeting With NJPW Officials

    The former UFC Champion continued by noting that NJPW would be an awesome company to wrestle for.

    He recalled being at the show where he saw their athletes and the way they wrestle is top-notch. He added that he was impressed with the whole show in general. 

    Velasquez has a match booked for the AAA Invading NY event this Sunday at New York City’s Hulu Theatre. 

    He’ll be working a six-man tag team match where he’ll team up with Brian Cage and Psycho Clown against Texano Jr., Taurus, and Scorpion King.

  • Jon Moxley Says He Wants To Face Minoru Suzuki

    Jon Moxley Says He Wants To Face Minoru Suzuki

    Jon Moxley’s next match for New Japan Pro Wrestling will take place on October 14th at King of Pro Wrestling. He’ll face Juice Robinson in a No DQ match for the IWGP United States title that night.

    During a recent interview published on the New Japan website, Mox also expressed interest in working with Minoru Suzuki.

    “I want to test my potential by fighting Minor Suzuki. I’d like to see what happens.”

    Also during the interview, which is currently only available in Japanese, Moxley refers to the G1 as the hardest series of matches in his career. Moxley finished the tournament with a 5-4 record after having won his first 5 matches. His first loss in the tournament came via count-out to Toru Yano.

    In his final match in the round-robin, Moxley lost to Juice Robinson who he had previoulsy defeated for the IWGP United States championship, setting up the rubber-match at King of Pro-Wrestling on October 14th.

    Moxley is also scheduled to face Kenny Omega at AEW’s Full Gear PPV on November 9th in Baltimore.

    Jon Moxley On Minoru Suzuki

    During a previous interview with Moxley this summer for NJPW1972.com, Moxley commented on possibly facing Suzuki.

    “I would love nothing more than to share a ring with him. He snaps my arm, cool, it was an honor. I snap his, and I’ve snapped the arm of the great Minoru Suzuki. So either way it’s a good result for me and the fans. That idea, it’s just two dudes who… I feel I understand him.”

    He continued, The pleasure he gets out of inflicting pain, and the pleasure he gets out of being in wars. I saw him at WrestleMania weekend live and in person at an independent show. It was a wild 20 minute brawl with sweat flying everywhere and I loved it. I’m a big fan of his.”

  • NJPW Announces First Names For New Japan Showdown Shows

    NJPW Announces First Names For New Japan Showdown Shows

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has officially announced the first names that will be flying across to the United States for their New Japan Showdown shows:

    NJPW

    • Kota Ibushi
    • Jyushin Thunder Liger
    • Juice Robinson 

    CHAOS 

    • Kazuchika Okada
    • Will Ospreay

    Los Ingobernables de Japon

    • Tetsuya Naito
    • EVIL
    • SANADA

    Bullet Club

    • Jay White
    • Chase Owens

    Suzuki-Gun

    • Minor Suzuki
    • Lance Archer

    “New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles will emanate from LA’s Globe Theatre. Earlier this year, NJPW hit the Globe Theater as part of the New Beginning in USA tour. That night, Roppongi Vice reformed for one night only for a wild main event; what could happen when all the stars of New Japan return?” an NJPW press release for the event reads.

    New Japan Showdown will feature two shows taking place along America’s West Coast, one in San Jose, and the other in Los Angeles. 

    If you’re interested in attending, it’s worth noting that Jyushin Thunder Liger, Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay will only be appearing at the San Jose event.

    New Japan Showdown in San Jose takes place on Saturday, November 9th. The Los Angeles show occurs two days later on Monday, November 11th.

    At the time of writing, there is no card information to let fans know what to expect, but as more names are announced it will only be a matter of time before the cards take shape. 

  • Kota Ibushi Details His NJPW Goals

    Kota Ibushi Details His NJPW Goals

    Kota Ibushi has shared his long-term goals in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) now that he has won the G1 Climax tournament. He shared his ambitions in the second part of an interview with njpw1972.com.

    He spoke about wanting to broaden pro wrestling, and how, as the G1 winner, it makes his “goal of broadening wrestling easier” as people will take his aspirations more seriously.

    “[…] when you’re the G1 winner, then people look at you differently and listen to you more closely. If I’m the IWGP Heavyweight Champion, I can spread my vision of wrestling even further. And if I were to win the Heavyweight, then the Intercontinental in two back to back days, in the Tokyo Dome. That’s… legendary.” 

    Ibushi continued, explaining that “If I could accomplish that, then I could make wrestling bigger in an instant. Someone being able to achieve a feat like that, everybody would take notice, and from there, a good performance suddenly has all these people along for the ride. That’s my goal here.”

    Looking to the future, Kota has two potential challengers for his Right to Challenge Contract: KENTA and EVIL. Both men defeated Ibushi during the G1 Climax 29 tournament, granting them the chance to take Ibushi’s Wrestle Kingdom opportunity away. 

  • Rock ‘N’ Roll Express To Make NJPW Debut At Fighting Spirit Unleashed

    Rock ‘N’ Roll Express To Make NJPW Debut At Fighting Spirit Unleashed

    Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson are primed to make their New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) debut. The Rock N Roll Express will officially be a part of NJPW’s Fighting Spirit Unleashed Tour, which starts on September 27th and ends on September 29th. The tour includes shows in Lowell, Massachusetts; New York, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    NJPW1972.com highlighted the team’s lucrative career, writing that the duo has been wrestling over four decades and have had over 30 championship reigns all over the world. Despite their success, the team have never wrestled for NJPW—but Fighting Spirit Unleashed changes that.

    More Names Announced

    NJPW also announced that SHO, YOH, Rocky Romero (Roppongi 3K), and Suzuki-Gun member Lance Archer will also be in attendance. Roppongi 3K was recently over in the United States for the promotion’s Super J-Cup tour. Archer, meanwhile, participated in NJPW’s gruelling G1 Climax tournament this summer.

    These names join several of NJPW’s top stars including Kota Ibushi, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, Tomohiro Ishii, and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada.

    For those interested in attending, there are still tickets available for NJPW’s show in Lowell, MA. Both Fighting Spirit Unleashed shows in New York and Philadelphia, however, are sold out.

  • NJPW Announces New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles

    NJPW Announces New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles

    New Japan Pro Wrestling will be returning to Los Angeles on November 11th for New Japan Showdown. The event will take place at the Globe theatre. The promotion previously announced a show in San Jose as well for November 9th.

    “New Japan Showdown in Los Angeles will emanate from LA’s Globe Theatre. Earlier this year, NJPW hit the Globe Theater as part of the New Beginning in USA tour. That night, Roppongi Vice reformed for one night only for a wild main event; what could happen when all the stars of New Japan return?” An NJPW press release for the event reads.

    On January 30th this year, NJPW drew an estimated 530 fans to the Globe Theatre for the first night of the New Beginning in USA tour. The other nights on the tour in January took place in Charlotte and Nashville.

    Matches for New Japan Showdown will be announced closer to the event.

    NJPW Upcoming Schedule

    New Japan is currently on their “Destruction” tour which features 3 big events and several “Road to” shows. Lineups for the big 3 shows on the Destruction tour are below:

    Destruction in Beppu – September 15th

    • Young Lions Cup League
      Shota Umino vs Alex Coughlin
    • Young Lions Cup League
      Yota Tsuji vs Karl Fredericks
    • Yuha Uemura, Ren Narita, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata vs Michael Richards, Clark Connors, Toa Henare, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Sho, Yoh, & Jushin Liger vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Minoru Suzuki
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Kota Ibushi vs El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & KENTA
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & SANADA
    • EVIL & Tetsuya Naito vs Chase Owens & Jay White
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii
    • British Heavyweight Championship
      Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs Zack Sabre Jr.

    NJPW Destruction in Kagoshima – September 16th

    • Young Lions Cup League
      Ren Narita vs Michael Richards
    • Young Lions Cup League
      Yuya Uemura vs Clark Connors
    • Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata vs Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, Toa Henare, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Sho, Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI, & Tomohiro Ishii vs Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa
    • Jushin Liger, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & SANADA
    • EVIL & Tetsuya Naito vs Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      Robbie Eagles & Will Ospreay vs El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship Right To Challenge Contract
      Kota Ibushi (contract holder) vs KENTA (challenger)

    NJPW Destruction in Kobe – September 22nd, 2019

    • Yuya Uemura, Yota Tshuji, & Yuji Nagata vs Michael Richards, Alex Coughlin, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Young Lions Cup League:
    • Shota Umino vs Karl Fredericks
    • Young Lions Cup League:
      Ren Narita vs Clark Connors
    • Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, & Togi Makabe vs Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, & Bad Luck Fale
    • Rocky Romero, Tiger Mask, Jushin Liger, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre jr.
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, YOSHI-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii, & Kota Ibushi vs El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & KENTA
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship
      Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Jay White
  • Tama Tonga & Flip Gordon Trade Shots On Twitter

    Tama Tonga & Flip Gordon Trade Shots On Twitter

    Tama Tonga is currently on New Japan’s Destruction tour and will look to defend the IWGP Heavyweight tag team titles along with his brother Tanga Loa on September 15th in Beppu. The Guerrillas of Destiny are scheduled to face YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii on the show.

    Flip Gordon competed on ROH’s 3-night tour with CMLL this weekend.

    Tonga and Gordon recently traded a few shots on Twitter. It started when a fan asked Gordon on Twitter if he would consider joining Bullet Club.

    Tama Tonga and Flip Gordon on Twitter

    https://twitter.com/TheFlipGordon/status/1170734415988887552

    Tonga then responded to Gordon’s comments with the following Tweets:

    Tama would then continue to take shots at Marty Scurll’s ROH stable, Villain Club.

    “You got a 5’2 Mary Poppins as your leader, a one leg one arm handicapped mercenary, a 68 year old “ Frankenstein” who’s “not human” but obviously IS when he DOVE at the floor and split his fuckin wig…what are you guys? The failed #BTE recruits?” Tonga Tweeted.

    Tonga then turned his attention to Villain Club’s Brody King, seemingly offering him a spot in Bullet Club.

  • NJPW CEO Harold Meij Features In New ‘Tokyo, My City’ Series

    NJPW CEO Harold Meij Features In New ‘Tokyo, My City’ Series

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) CEO Harold George Meij features in a new YouTube series by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The series, entitled ‘Tokyo, My City,’ highlights some of Tokyo’s leading personalities, artists, and celebrities as they talk about what makes Tokyo special to them.

    NJPW shared the announcement in a post to their Twitter account, writing:

    “TOKYO, MY CITY invites leading personalities from various fields based in Tokyo to share their views on what makes Tokyo special. In this video, CEO Harold Meij invites you to take a look at Tokyo through his own eyes!”

    Maij spoke about how Tokyo offered unique Japanese night experiences for locals and tourists to enjoy. He highlighted the countless restaurants available, the nightlife, and the safety that the city provides.

    “Japanese pro-wrestling is one such unique nightlife experience Tokyo offers,” Meij said. “Nightlife has given so many more options. The old, the new, the Western, the Japanese, all of that put together helps Tokyo stand out.”

    Harold Meij was appointed president and CEO of NJPW back in May of 2018. He is also the director of Bushiroad Inc. Prior to his role with New Japan, Meij worked for Unilever Japan. He has also been an executive for Sunstar and Coca-Cola Japan.

  • Kevin Owens Says Juice Robinson Delivers The “Best” Promos In Wrestling

    Kevin Owens Says Juice Robinson Delivers The “Best” Promos In Wrestling

    Kevin Owens is well-known for his talent on the mic. In recent months, he has been frequently able to showcase his promo abilities.

    Speaking with SI.com, however, Owens was quick to dismiss that he delivered the best promos. Instead, he named current New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) star Juice Robinson as being on “another level” when it comes to promo skills.

    “I think I’m pretty good at talking and getting my point across, but nobody makes me feel what they’re saying the way Juice does,” Owens admitted. “Yes, he’s my friend and I love that dude, so it might seem like I’m biased, but I’m not. I’m friends with a lot of people and some of them suck at talking, and I’m happy to tell them.”

    He continued, “I don’t think saying ‘no’ is me being humble, although I think that is a quality everybody should have—and a quality a lot of people within our industry don’t have, and I find that a bit appalling, to be honest—but I don’t think it’s humility. I think it’s foolishness to consider yourself the best at anything. But Juice is just on another level. He just comes and talks. I used to see it in the Performance Center. We would have these promo classes with Dusty Rhodes. The way he talks comes from a real place, and he’s genuine. He is the best.”

    Juice Robinson will compete in a rematch for the IWGP United States Championship against Jon Moxley at NJPW’s King of Pro Wrestling show in October.

  • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Title Match Added To Destruction In Beppu

    IWGP Heavyweight Tag Title Match Added To Destruction In Beppu

    Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa will look to defend their IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team championships on September 15th against YOSHI-HASHI and Tomohiro Ishii. The match was made official today at a Road to Destruction event from Korakuen Hall after Ishii, Hashi, and Rocky Romero defeated the Guerrillas of Destiny and Jado.

    The NJPW Destruction tour includes 3 big events on the 15th, 16th, and 22nd. The lineups for those shows are below:

    Destruction in Beppu Lineup – September 15th, 2019

    • Young Lions Cup League
      Shota Umino vs Alex Coughlin
    • Young Lions Cup League
      Yota Tsuji vs Karl Fredericks
    • Yuha Uemura, Ren Narita, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata vs Michael Richards, Clark Connors, Toa Henare, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Sho, Yoh, & Jushin Liger vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, & Minoru Suzuki
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Kota Ibushi vs El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, & KENTA
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & SANADA
    • EVIL & Tetsuya Naito vs Chase Owens & Jay White
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      Guerillas of Destiny (c) vs YOSHI-HASHI & Tomohiro Ishii
    • British Heavyweight Championship
      Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs Zack Sabre Jr.

    NJPW Destruction in Kagoshima Lineup – September 16th, 2019

    • Young Lions Cup League
      Ren Narita vs Michael Richards
    • Young Lions Cup League
      Yuya Uemura vs Clark Connors
    • Ren Narita, Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, & Yuji Nagata vs Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, Toa Henare, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Sho, Yoh, YOSHI-HASHI, & Tomohiro Ishii vs Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, & Tanga Loa
    • Jushin Liger, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, & Kazuchika Okada vs BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, & SANADA
    • EVIL & Tetsuya Naito vs Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      Robbie Eagles & Will Ospreay vs El Phantasmo & Taiji Ishimori
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship Right To Challenge Contract
      Kota Ibushi (contract holder) vs KENTA (challenger)

    NJPW Destruction in Kobe – September 22nd, 2019

    • Yuya Uemura, Yota Tshuji, & Yuji Nagata vs Michael Richards, Alex Coughlin, & Manabu Nakanishi
    • Young Lions Cup League:
    • Shota Umino vs Karl Fredericks
    • Young Lions Cup League:
      Ren Narita vs Clark Connors
    • Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, & Togi Makabe vs Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, & Bad Luck Fale
    • Rocky Romero, Tiger Mask, Jushin Liger, & Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Douki, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, Zack Sabre jr.
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, YOSHI-Hashi, Tomohiro Ishii, & Kota Ibushi vs El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & KENTA
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship
      Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Jay White
  • Katsuyori Shibata Talks NJPW’s Young Lion Cup

    Katsuyori Shibata Talks NJPW’s Young Lion Cup

    Katsuyori Shibata is the head trainer at NJPW’s LA Dojo. He has also recently been involved in an angle where KENTA turned his back on him and the rest of the LA Dojo after training him to get ready for the G1. The students from the LA Dojo will be competing in the Young Lion Cup in Japan which kicked off today from Tokyo’s Korakuen Hall.

    Shibata spoke to NJPW1972.com about his work in the dojo and the Young Lion Cup.

    “It’s exciting. I really wanted this to happen. To have my students go to Japan and test themselves there, that was one big step, a goal of mine that we’ve achieved,” he said during the interview.

    Shibata would continue to say that the matches had by Karl Fredericks and Clark Connors on the G1 tour in Japan helped pave the way to them entering the Young Lion Cup.

    “I think those performances really played a big part in them getting entered into the Young Lion Cup. I’ve been really hard on them for the past year, but that’s paid off. These guys aren’t half-assing it.”

    Shibata also addressed what is different about the type of training he puts his students through.

    “I mean, I haven’t been teaching them anything other than the fundamentals. Nothing more at all. I haven’t taught them how to throw elbows, anything like that. The strict fundamentals, taught in a strict way.”

    Shibata spoke specifically on Clark Connors during the interview as well:

    “(Connor’s) changed a lot since he started. He looks different, he’s gotten bigger. He was really small when he started. All the guys in the dojo were chosen from a training camp we had when it fist opened. We reached out to the guys who had the most promise, and Clark was the first one we called.”

    He also addressed Karl Fredericks’ decision to join the LA Dojo.

    “He came with experience too. I guess I can say this? He was called by another major company as well, and went through their camp,” Shibata said. “But there, he asked himself whether he could really do what he wanted. When he did our camp, he decided ‘this is where I should be’.”

    The full interview can be read here.

  • NJPW Releases Full Cards For Destruction Events, Championship Matches Set For King Of Pro Wrestling

    NJPW Releases Full Cards For Destruction Events, Championship Matches Set For King Of Pro Wrestling

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has officially revealed their full match cards for a number of their big events in the coming months. The promotion has provided details for all three main Destruction shows, as well as three major championship matches that will take place at October’s King of Pro Wrestling. 

    NJPW will host several ‘Road to Destruction’ shows along the way to their main tour events, Destruction in Beppu, Destruction in Kagoshima, and Destruction in Kobe.

    Destruction in Beppu (15/9) 

    • Yota Tsuji vs. Karl Fredericks (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Shota Umino vs. Alex Coughlin (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Yuya Uemura, Ren Narita, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Yuji Nagata vs. Michael Richards, Clark Connors, Toa Henare, and Manabu Nakanishi
    • SHO, YOH, and Jyushin Thunder Liger vs. DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, and Minoru Suzuki
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, and Kota Ibushi vs. El Phantasmo, Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi, Bad Luck Fale, and KENTA
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, and SANADA
    • EVIL and Tetsuya Naito vs. Chase Owens and Jay White
    • YOSHI-HASHI and Tomohiiro Ishii vs. Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga
    • RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

    Destruction in Kagoshima (16/9)

    • Yuya Uemura vs. Clark Connors (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Ren Narita vs. Micahel Richards (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Yota Tsuji, Shota Umino, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Yuji Nagata vs. Alex Coughlin, Karl Fredericks, Toa Henare, and Manabu Nakanishi
    • SHO, YOH, YOSHI-HASHI, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, Tanga Loa, and Tama Tonga
    • Jyushin Thunder Liger, Tomoaki Honma, Togi Makabe, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, and Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Rocky Romero, Hirooki Goto, and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, Shingo Takagi, and SANADA
    • EVIL and Tetsuya Naito vs. Yujiro Takahashi and Jay White
    • Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo (c) vs. Robbie Eagles and Will Ospreay for the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship
    • Kota Ibushi (c) vs. KENTA for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship Right to Challenge Contract

    Destruction in Kobe (22/9)

    • Yuya Uemura, Yota Tsuji, and Yuji Nagata vs. Michael Richards, Alex Coughlin, and Manabu Nakanishi
    • Shota Umino vs. Karl Fredericks (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Ren Narita vs. Clark Connors (12th Young Lion Cup League Match)
    • Toa Henare, Tomoaki Honma, and Togi Makabe vs. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, and Bad Luck Fale
    • Rocky Romero, Tiger Mask, Jyushin Thunder Liger, and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. DOUKI, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Minoru Suzuki, and Zack Sabre Jr.
    • Robbie Eagles, Will Ospreay, YOSHI-HASHI, Tomohiro Ishii, and Kota Ibushi vs. El Phantasmo, Taiji Ihimori, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, and KENTA
    • SHO, YOH, and Kazuchika Okada vs. BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA
    • Hirooki Goto vs. Shingo Takag
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Jay White

    King of Pro Wrestling

    Come October, NJPW will be providing fans with even more high-stake matches. King of Pro Wrestling will see Kazuchika Okada defend his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Los Ingobernables de Japon’s SANADA. 

    The IWGP United States Championship will be on the line as Jon Moxley defends against former champion Juice Robinson. Finally, the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship will also be contested for as champion Will Ospreay faces El Phantasmo. 

  • KENTA Taken To Hospital Following Royal Quest Match

    KENTA Taken To Hospital Following Royal Quest Match

    New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) held an event on Saturday that took place in the Copper Box Arena in London, United Kingdom. During the show, Royal Quest, KENTA took on Tomohiro Ishii for the NEVER Openweight Championship.

    After a hard-fought battle, KENTA would emerge victorious, claiming the championship in the process. He won their bout with the Go To Sleep. Taking to Twitter, the new champion revealed that he had been to the hospital following the matchup. He wrote: “This is the best way to start as NEVER CHAMP in the hospital” before adding “I’m totally fine Thank you for booing me London #RoyalQuest #KENTA #G2S”

    KENTA has a history of injuries, including a knee injury sustained in 2009 that kept him from in-ring action for 7 months. More recently, in 2011, the wrestler tore his ACL. While in WWE, where he was known as Hideo Itami, KENTA suffered both shoulder and neck injuries.

    Bullet Club

    Since returning to NJPW, KENTA has competed in NJPW’s gruelling G1 Climax tournament. He finished that competition with 8 points. He would also turn heel, shocking the fans by aligning himself with Bullet Club during the G1 Climax Finals in early August.

    His friend Katsuyori Shibata would take umbrage with this, but was unable to fight off the numbers of KENTA and his new allies in Bullet Club who left “The Wrestler” lying in the ring.

  • NJPW Royal Quest Results

    NJPW Royal Quest Results

    NJPW’s first ever non-co-promoted event in the United Kingdom takes place today at the Copper Box Arena in London: it’s Royal Quest!

    This event cannot be watched live on NJPW World. Rather, it is streaming live exclusively on Fite TV for $24.99 USD. English and Japanese commentary streams are available. Start times: 9:30AM Pacific, 12:30PM Eastern, 5:30PM UK, 2:30AM East Australia

    Royal Quest Match Card

    Roppongi 3K (SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero) defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino & Ren Narita
    The crowd was hot for everyone in this opener, especially Shota Umino, who received repeated “Shooter!” chants. Unfortunately, preduction issues caused this match to lack commentary in either language as well as cut out intermittently. SHO pinned Ren Narita after a powerbomb lungblower.

    Kota Ibushi & Juice Robinson defeated Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi & Hikuleo)
    Hikuleo is currently undergoing something of a learning excursion in England and looks faster than he did when he was in Japan. Kota Ibushi pinned Hikuleo after a Boma Ye followed by the Kamigoye.

    CHAOS (Will Ospreay & Robbie Eagles) defeated Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo)
    Will Ospreay pinned Taiji Ishimori after a double-team top rope Spanish fly with Robbie Eagles. Ospreay got on the microphone, dubbed himself and Eagles as “The Birds of Prey” and said they want to challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.

    Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & SANADA) defeated Bullet Club (Jay White & Chase Owens)
    Jay White got the loudest boos of the night so far, while Naito got arguably the loudest cheers. SANADA submitted Chase Owens with the Skull End. After the match, Jay White continued attacking LIJ and was given a chair by Gedo. White hit SANADA with the chair, but Naito evaded it and hit White with a Destino, then tapping his own three-count on the mat.

    IWGP Tag Team Championship Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) defeated Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
    There were dueling G.o.D. and Aussie Open chants which lasted for multiple minutes long, rather impressive for a match that no build besides Aussie Open winning a number one contenders tournament. Tama Tonga pinned Kyle Fletcher after a top rope powerbomb from Tanga Loa. Guerrillas of Destiny make their fifth consecutive defense of the IWGP Tag Team Championships. Their reign is currently 189 days long.

    NEVER Openweight Championship Match: KENTA defeated Tomohiro Ishii (c)
    KENTA was roundly booed by the audience due to his new association with Bullet Club. Starting off, KENTA was reluctant to face Ishii head-on, stalling on the outside for a prolonged period. When KENTA mimicked Katsuyori Shibata’s running front kick followed by the corner dropkick, he was booed once again. Ishii took everything KENTA had and asked for more. KENTA went for the diving double foot stomp followed by the Go 2 Sleep but Ishii powered out. Then, Ishii attempted the vertical brainbuster but KENTA stuffed it. The Guerrillas of Destiny interfered in the match but Ishii fought them both off, only for them to pull the referee out when Ishii went for a pin. G.o.D. hit Ishii with the Magic Killer, but couldn’t finish Ishii off. KENTA pinned Ishii with the Go 2 Sleep and became the 27th NEVER Openweight Champion. Tomohiro Ishii’s reign lasted 89 days with 0 successful defenses.

    British Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. (c)
    Despite Zack having the home field advantage, the crowd response seemed fairly evenly split for him and Tanahashi. This was a ground-based fight with submissions and pin attempts as each of them worked to immobilize the other with joint attacks. In particular, Zack targeted Tanahashi’s arms, but he was still able to block multiple attempts at the Zack Driver. Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow but Sabre got the knees up. Following a bridging dragon suplex and sling blade, Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow once more. Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned Zack Sabre Jr. and became the 22nd RevPro British Heavyweight Champion. Zack Sabre Jr.’s reign lasted 235 days.

    IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Minoru Suzuki
    Okada and Suzuki were both wildly over before the bell rang. The match began with wrestling on the mat, then transitioned into standing up fighting as Suzuki lost his patience. Suzuki took a steel chair from under the ring but the referee told him not to, and Suzuki threatened to hit him with the chair. Suzuki laughed at Okada’s strikes and began to dominate the match, working over Okada’s right arm. Okada put his hands behind his back and beckoned Suzuki to hit him, but forearms to the face sent Okada crashing down. Suzuki headbutted Okada multiple times and looked to follow up but Okada stopped him with a dropkick and then put him in a sleeper hold, which the crowd didn’t like. Okada hit the Rainmaker followed by another, but Suzuki stopped his rampage with many slaps to the face and body. Suzuki went for the Gotch-style piledriver, but Okada struggled out of it. Kazuchika Okada hit the Rainmaker once again and defeated Minoru Suzuki by pinfall. Okada makes his third defense of the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

    After the match, Okada cut a promo that was partially in English, thanking Suzuki and the fans. SANADA came out and made it clear that he would be next to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and said he would be the Champion by the time he returned to London.

  • NJPW Royal Quest: Guerrillas Of Destiny’s Opponents Confirmed, Updated Card

    NJPW Royal Quest: Guerrillas Of Destiny’s Opponents Confirmed, Updated Card

    To determine who will face the IWGP Tag Team Champions Guerillas of Destiny at Royal Quest, Revolution Pro Wrestling held the Road to Royal Quest tournament on Friday.

    Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) defeated Josh Bodom & Sha Samuels in the finals of the tournament at RevPro’s Summer Sizzler event at York Hall in London, England on Saturday to earn the title shot against the Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) for the NJPW event set for today. The champs made an appearance after the match and had a stare-down with the challengers.

    NJPW’s Royal Quest will take place today on August 31, 2019 at the Copper Box Arena in London, England and will be streamed live on FITE TV at 2:30 p.m. EST/ 5:30 p.m. BST.

    Here is the full updated card for Royal Quest:

    • Six-man tag team match: Ryusuke Taguchi, Shota Umino and Ren Narita vs. Roppongi 3K (Rocky Romero, Sho and Yoh)
    • Kota Ibushi and Juice Robinson vs. Bullet Club (Yujiro Takahashi and Hikuleo)
    • Chaos (Will Ospreay and Robbie Eagles) vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo)
    • Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito and Sanada) vs. Bullet Club (Jay White and Chase Owens)
    • IWGP Tag Team Championship Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga and Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher)
    • NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Kenta
    • RevPro British Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Minoru Suzuki
  • Kota Ibushi Discusses Winning The G1 Climax Tournament

    Kota Ibushi Discusses Winning The G1 Climax Tournament

    Kota Ibushi recently sat down with njpw1972.com to discuss his G1 Climax victory back on August 12th. He covered a range of topics including the ankle injuries he suffered on the first night of the tournament. Ibushi also clarified what he meant with his closing promo, stating that the context was somewhat misunderstood.

    In the wake of his victory, Ibushi used phrases such as ‘I won’t run away,’ ‘I won’t give up,’ and ‘I won’t repeat the same mistakes.’ Extrapolating on his meaning, Ibushi said:

    “Hmm. I’ve been asked the same question; that I’d been saying ‘I won’t run away’, so was there a time when I was running away from things? But it’s like this. If you go all the way back to your childhood, everyone has at least one moment where they feel they’ve let themselves down, right?”

    He continued, “Go all the way back through life, and there was a time when everybody has messed up, or run away from an issue, or quit something. So what I was saying was in response to all of that. That was the idea at least.”

    Ankle Injury

    Ibushi suffered an unfortunate injury during his opening match against KENTA. Not only would he hurt his ankle, but he also lost that match. This physical setback was something he called “the toughest mental hurdle” he’s ever had to overcome. Despite the pain, Ibushi struggled on with the tournament.

    “Obviously there was a lot of pain, but pain in itself is no big deal,” Ibushi said. “Not being able to move, that’s what really sucks, mentally. […] It was really tough. Honestly, I was pretty proud of myself for making it [to the airport] in that state. I proved to myself how much I’d grown.”

    “This Is Pretty Much The Biggest Thing To Ever Happen To Me”

    In the end, Ibushi would emerge victorious from the gruelling tournament, defeating Bullet Club leader Jay White in the finals. When it’s brought up how he’s never been in the spotlight the way he currently is, Ibushi agreed that this might be the first time he’s ever been in such a high position within NJPW.

    “Last year it looked like I could do it, but didn’t. Yeah, this might be the first time I’ve been in this position. I’ve won Best of the Super Juniors in the past, but that was a different thing, really. This is pretty much the biggest thing to ever happen to me.”