SEScoops

Category: NJPW

  • Match Added To G1 Supercard, Updated Card

    Match Added To G1 Supercard, Updated Card

    Another match has been added to this weekend’s (Sat. April 6, 2019) Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) G1 Supercard. The show goes down from Madison Square Garden in New York City. There are several high-profile matches slated for the card already.

    Jay White will be defending his IWGP heavyweight title against Kazuchika Okada. Also, Jay Lethal will defend his ROH World Title in a Triple Threat Ladder match against Marty Scurll and Matt Taven. Now, it has been announced that a Six-Woman Tag Team match has been added onto the pre-show.

    Kagetsu, Jenny Rose, and Hazuki will team up against Hana Kimura, Stella Grey, and Sumie Sakai. The G1 Supercard pre-show begins at 6:30 P.M. ET. Fans can watch on ROH’s Facebook Live, FITE, NJPW World, and pay-per-view (PPV). Check out the updated card here:

    Main Card:

    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship: (C) Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
    • Ladder Match for the ROH World Championship: (C) Jay Lethal vs. Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship: (C) Tetsuya Naito vs. Kota Ibushi
    • Winner Takes All Match: NEVER Openweight & ROH TV Title: (C) Will Ospreay vs. (C) Jeff Cobb
    • Winner Takes All Match: IWGP and ROH World Tag Team Titles: (C) Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. (C) Brody King & PCO vs. EVIL & SANADA vs. The Briscoes
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship: (C) Taiji Ishimori vs. Dragon Lee vs. Bandido
    • RPW British Heavyweight Championship: (C) Zack Sabre Jr. vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • Women of Honor World Championship: (C) Mayu Iwatani vs. Kelly Klein
    • New York Street Fight: Bully Ray vs. Juice Robinson
    • Rush vs. Dalton Castle

    Pre Show:

    • Kagetsu, Jenny Rose, and Hazuki vs. Hana Kimura, Stella Grey, and Sumie Sakai
    • Honor Rumble: Jushin Liger, Kenny King, PJ Black, Beer City Bruiser, Brian Milonas, Cheeseburger, Rhett Titus, LSG, Shaheem Ali, TBA

    What do you think about the updated G1 Supercard?

  • Michael Elgin Gone From NJPW

    Michael Elgin Gone From NJPW

    Michael Elgin’s NJPW contract was not renewed and he is officially now a free agent. NJPW announced today that Elgin and young lion Teruaki Kanemitsu finished up with the promotion.

    “After careful consideration and dialogue, Elgin and NJPW have mutually decided to part ways after his contract expired on March 31, 2019,” an NJPW press release reads. “We wish Michael Elgin nothing but the best in his future endeavors.”

    Elgin debuted for the promotion in the 2015 G1 Climax tournament. He leaves NJPW as a former NEVER Openweight and IWGP Intercontinental champion.

    Michael Elgin In NJPW

    Elgin competed in 4 G1 tournaments. He finished with 8pts in 2015, 10pts in 2016, 8pts in 2017, and 6pts in 2018. In the New Japan Cup tournament, Elgin made it all the way to the semi-finals in 2016. Elgin then went out in the 1st round in 2017, 2nd round in 2018, and 1st round again in 2019, however.

    He defeated Kenny Omega in a ladder match to win the IWGP Intercontinental championship match at Dominion in 2016. Elgin would then defend the title in ROH against Dominik Dijak before dropping it to Tetsuya Naito at Destruction in Kobe that September.

    In 2018, Elgin had a brief reign as NEVER Openweight champion. He defeated Hirooki Goto and Taichi in a triple threat match at Dominion in Osaka and then dropped it to Goto in a single’s match at Kizuna Road.

  • NJPW Announces LA Dojo Camp Dates

    NJPW Announces LA Dojo Camp Dates

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the dates for their upcoming camp at the LA Dojo. The company has also confirmed that “NJPW LA Dojo head coach Katsuyori Shibata is opening up the LA Dojo to aspiring wrestlers who want to learn wrestling basics and techniques from The Wrestler himself.”

    The dates for the camp are as follows:

    • 27th May (Monday)
    • 28th May (Tuesday)
    • 29th May (Wednesday)
    • 30th May (Thursday)
    • Cost: $400

    If you are interested in attending then you can find more information via the official NJPW LA Dojo site.

    NJPW conducted their first training dojo camp in March 2018 in Los Angeles. Applicants can learn ‘Japanese wrestling techniques’ from pro-wrestlers in the camp.

    NJPW President Taakaki Kidani told Tokyo Sports back in 2017 that opening a training center in Los Angeles was part of the promotion’s strategy to expand into the country further.

  • Participants Announced For G1 Supercard Honor Rumble

    Participants Announced For G1 Supercard Honor Rumble

    Kevin Eck’s Ring of Honor column, Eck’s Files revealed new participants for the Honor Rumble, which will air on the G1 Supercard pre-show. Kenny King, PJ Plack, The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas), and Cheeseburger have been confirmed. Jushin Liger was already revealed for the contest.

    Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are co-promoting the G1 Supercard event in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 6th during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    The G1 Supercard event will air live on pay-per-view via cable and satellite FITE TV for $39.99 as well as on HonorClub and NJPW World. The two promotions will be announcing more competitors for this match in the coming days. Here’s the updated card:

    G1 Supercard From Madison Square Garden Updated Lineup

    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship match: “Switchblade” Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
    • ROH World Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: Jay Lethal (c) vs Matt Taven vs Marty Scurll
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Kota Ibushi
    • British Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship/ROH World Tag Team Championship 4-Way Match: Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs PCO & Brody King (c) vs the Briscoes vs EVIL & SANADA
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 3-Way: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs Dragon Lee vs Bandido
    • NYC Street Fight Open Challenge: Bully Ray vs TBD
    • WOH World Championship Match: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs Kelly Klein
    • Dalton Castle vs Rush
    • NEVER Openweight vs ROH TV Title Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs Jeff Cobb (c)
    • Honor Rumble: Jushin Liger, Kenny King, PJ Plack, The Bouncers (Beer City Bruiser and Brian Milonas), and Cheeseburger
  • Taiji Ishimori Talks G1 Supercard In Madison Square Garden

    Taiji Ishimori Talks G1 Supercard In Madison Square Garden

    Taiji Ishimori is scheduled to defend the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship at the G1 Supercard against Bandido and Dragon Lee in a triple threat match. He spoke to NJPW1972.com recently about the match and his reign as champion.

    “I’ve been very public about my plans for the junior heavyweight division,” Ishimori said. “You’ve heard me say I want to tear the whole thing apart and build it up again in my image, make it reborn. I think little by little I’ve started to do that.”

    Ishimori defeated KUSHIDA for the title at Wrestle Kingdom this year inside the Tokyo Dome. Since that time, Ishimori defeated Jushin Liger at the NJPW Anniversary show.

    “He’s a legend,” Ishimori said of Liger. “Just the icon of junior heavyweight wrestling in the Heisei era. If you look at me size wise, I’m a small guy, even for a junior. But Liger opened the door for people like me to become wrestlers. His influence went worldwide and there are countless people who became wrestlers because of Jyushin Thunder Liger. He raised the bar. Considerably, no doubt.”

    After losing to Ishimori, Liger announced he’ll retire after the Tokyo Dome show next year.

    Ishimori also spoke about each of his opponents coming up at the G1 Supercard.

    “Obviously his background is in lucha, but that’s not all he has going for him,” he said of Bandido. “He’s wrestled in Dragon Gate before, so has some Japanese experience. I think he can wrestle Japanese style, can wrestle American style. He could really wrestle for any promotion in the world.”

    Ishimori also spoke about Dragon Lee, someone’s he’s yet to face in the ring.

    “We were in opposite blocks during Best of the Super Junior last year. The first time we shared a ring was when he came out at the Anniversary event,” Ishimori said of Dragon Lee.

    The full interview can be read here.

  • Kenny Omega Reveals Physical Toll Of New Japan’s In-Ring Style

    Kenny Omega Reveals Physical Toll Of New Japan’s In-Ring Style

    Kenny Omega is in the midst of an in-ring sabbatical following his New Japan Pro Wrestling contract expiring in January. The “Best Bout Machine” signed with All Elite Wrestling in February and battles Chris Jericho at Double or Nothing on May 25th.

    On the latest The Jim Ross Report podcast, Omega told JR that he took several months off from wrestling to recuperate after years of working a grueling in-ring style in New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    “The work never ends, and of course we’re really trying to get [All Elite Wrestling] off the ground. But at least the [break from] physical toll that traveling on the road took on our bodies, and just the New Japan style in general had on my body,” says Omega.

    Kenny’s Injuries

    “I was really starting to feel it towards the tail end of last year,” Omega says. “The G1 was really rough on me. I had to power through a cracked heel. And then I ran into an issue with torn cartilage in my rib.”

    Omega says that his list of injuries did not stop there.

    “I was on an operating table for an hour and a half having my lip reconstructed because of a misplaced clothesline,” Omega says. “It was one thing after another.”

    Time Off

    Kenny says that his time off has allowed him to heal up, and that he is beginning to see the benefits of the break in the gym.

    “It was great to take that little bit of time off after Wrestle Kingdom,” says Omega. “Now, I’m finally, at the gym, starting to lift heavy.”

    “I’m starting to be able to pack on some more size, the way I want to, just given the fact that I can train properly.”

    “This is the time for me, to kind of go back into maintenance mode, and it’s really doing me wonders,” Omega says.

    “I really hope that I can bring a brand new package to Las Vegas. And not only be in great-feeling shape, but great-looking shape as well.”

    Watch: Kenny Omega vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi from WrestleKingdom 13

    https://youtu.be/qj2zNzRKYC4
  • Tanahashi and Ospreay Teaming for WrestleMania Weekend. PAC No Longer At Event

    Tanahashi and Ospreay Teaming for WrestleMania Weekend. PAC No Longer At Event

    Revolution Pro (Rev Pro) Wrestling has announced a big tag match for their WrestleCon event in April. Will Ospreay and Hiroshi Tanahashi will be teaming to take on Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki.

    The show will be taking place on Friday April 5th from the Hilton New York Midtown Ballroom. Already announced for the show are Tomohiro Ishii and CCK (Chris Brookes and Jon Gresham).

    Ospreay and PAC were originally scheduled to take on Brookes and Gresham. The two men had an incredible time limit draw at the recent High Stakes 2019 event in York Hall, Bethnal Green. Brookes and Gresham interfered during the bout which has lead to this match. There were originally rumors that Ospreay would be facing PAC as a way to give Rev Pro one of the ‘best’ in ring bouts of WrestleMania weekend. Unfortunately PAC had to be removed from the event for undisclosed reasons. Hiroshi Tanahashi is quite the replacement for the show.

    Ticket information for the show can be found here.

  • Full Lineup For G1 Supercard In MSG Released

    Full Lineup For G1 Supercard In MSG Released

    New Japan Pro Wrestling released the full lineup of matches for the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden today. The event will take place the night before WrestleMania on April 6th, 2019.

    Several new matches were added to the G1 Supercard, including an IWGP Intercontinental championship match between Tetsuya Naito and Kota Ibushi.

    Two teams, EVIL & SANADA and the Briscoes, were added to the double tag team title match as well.

    G1 Supercard From Madison Square Garden Updated Lineup

    • IWGP Heavyweight Championship match: “Switchblade” Jay White vs Kazuchika Okada
    • ROH World Championship Triple Threat Ladder Match: Jay Lethal (c) vs Matt Taven vs Marty Scurll
    • IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Kota Ibushi
    • British Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship/ROH World Tag Team Championship 4-Way Match: Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs PCO & Brody King (c) vs the Briscoes vs EVIL & SANADA
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship 3-Way: Taiji Ishimori (c) vs Dragon Lee vs Bandido
    • NYC Street Fight Open Challenge: Bully Ray vs TBD
    • WOH World Championship Match: Mayu Iwatani (c) vs Kelly Klein
    • Dalton Castle vs Rush
    • NEVER Openweight vs ROH TV Title Match: Will Ospreay (c) vs Jeff Cobb (c)
    • Honor Rumble: Jushin Liger + TBD

    The G1 Supercard from MSG will be available live to subscribers of either New Japan World or Honor Club.

  • Updated Main Event For G1 Supercard

    Updated Main Event For G1 Supercard

    Last night at the at the City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka in Niigata, Kauzuchika Okada defeated SANADA in the finals to become the winner of the 2019 New Japan Cup.

    The main event of the upcoming G1 Supercard is an IWGP Championship match against the current champion Jay White. The winner of the New Japan Cup, Kazuchika Okada, will face White for the title on April 6 at the Madison Square Garden.

    https://twitter.com/AHROOMEE/status/1109744148293152769

    This is actually the second time Okada has won the New Japan Cup. He previously won it in 2013, and went on to challenge then IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi at the Invasion Attack 2013 event and won. It would be interesting to see if Okada can manage to do the same this time too.

    The “Switchblade” on the other hand has not defended his title since winning it on February 11 at The New Beginning in Osaka event.

    Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are co-promoting the G1 Supercard event in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 6th during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    The G1 Supercard event will air live on pay-per-view via cable and satellite FITE TV for $39.99 as well as on HonorClub and NJPW World. The two promotions will be announcing more matches for this show in the coming days. Here’s the updated card:

    • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
    • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven – Triple Threat Ladder Match
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Dragon Lee and Bandido – Triple Threat Match
    • IWGP Tag Team Champions Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. ROH Tag Team Champions The Briscoes
    • NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay vs. ROH World Television Champion Jeff Cobb in a winner takes all match
    • Women of Honor World Champion Mayu Iwatani vs. TBA
    • RUSH vs. Dalton Castle
    • Bully Ray vs. TBA
    • Honor Rumble – Pre-show
  • Kota Ibushi Announced for NJPW Royal Quest

    Kota Ibushi Announced for NJPW Royal Quest

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the latest star that will be joining their Royal Quest event in the UK. ‘Golden Star’ Kota Ibushi will be heading overseas to take part in the Copper Box Arena.

    NJPW also recently announced that NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay will be heading to the Copper Box Arena in London. Ospreay won the NEVER Openweight Championship at the Wrestle Kingdom show in January. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ defeated Kota Ibushi to claim the title and dethrone the Japanese star.

    The company confirmed earlier this month that “Three” of their “top Japanese wrestlers have confirmed they will be on the card and they will be bringing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s fighting spirit to the heart of the UK’s capital.” Those three stars were Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    NJPW aren’t strangers to the United Kingdom. They have held numerous events in conjuncture with other promotions. Most notably Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Ring Of Honor (ROH). ‘Royal Quest’ will be their first major solo show in the UK.

    You can find more information on their website, NJPW1972.com.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup will take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/20 from Shizuoka, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/20)

    Yuya Uemura, Manabu Nakanishi, and Yuji Nagata defeated Yota Tsuji, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via submission.

    Nagata’s Nagata Lock II onto Tsuju secured the tap out victory.

    Ryusuke Taguchi, Mikey Nicholls, and Juice Robinson defeated Hikuleo, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale via pinfall.

    Mikey Nicholls manages to execute the Mikey Bomb on the hulking Hikuleo for the win.

    Davey Boy Smith Jr., Lance Archer, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki defeated Tomoaki Honma, Michael Elgin, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Taichi would manage to see Suzuki-Gun to victory with a Gedo clutch pinning combination.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ren Narita, Hirooki Goto, and Kota Ibushi via pinfall.

    Narita would get blasted by Takagi’s Pumping Bomber lariat, allowing LIJ the win.

    EVIL and SANADA defeated Toa Henare and Colt Cabana via pinfall.

    Henare eats another loss following a Magic Killer finisher.

    TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Shota Umino and Hiroshi Tanahashi via submission.

    Zabre Jr. does what he does best and stretches Umino into submission.

    Tournament Results

    Tomohiro Ishii defeated YOSHI-HASHI via pinfall.

    A good showing for YOSHI-HASHI, but the “Stone Pitbull” would progress within the tournament after a Vertical Drop Brainbuster put his CHAOS stablemate away.

    Kazuchika Okada defeated Will Ospreay via pinfall.

    A close match with Okada once again showcasing that no one has a better 2.9 kick out than he does. He would emerge victorious over Ospreay following a Rainmaker.

    This quarterfinal night was filled with CHAOS teammates battling one another. This trend will continue at the semi-finals when Ishii and Okada will meet.

  • Juice Robinson Set To Defend IWGP US Championship At New Japan Cup Finals

    Juice Robinson Set To Defend IWGP US Championship At New Japan Cup Finals

    As the New Japan Cup tournament rolls on, we have yet to determine who the finalists will be.

    These two wrestlers will face off for the opportunity to become the New Japan Cup 2019 winner on March 24th. The winner also earns the right to face Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. That match is scheduled for the NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard show in April.

    One match, however, has been confirmed for the New Japan Cup Finals: Juice Robinson will defend his IWGP US Heavyweight Championship against Bullet Club’s Chase Owens.

    The BC’s Crown Jewel

    Owens upset Robinson during the first round of the tournament, defeating him on March 8th. He would pick up the clean victory after executing his Package Piledriver finisher. This victory eliminated Robinson and gave Owens legitimate claim to a title opportunity — a demand Owens has made abundantly clear with frequent post-match attacks on the US champion.

    After a particularly vicious assault on 3/17, wielding the US Championship itself as a weapon against Juice, Robinson has finally agreed to a matchup against Bullet Club’s ‘Crown Jewel.’

    Juice Robinson defeated Cody for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event in January. He would go on to successfully defend the title against Beretta during the promotion’s ‘The New Beginning in USA’ show. Juice is the only person to be a two-time NJPW US champion since the title was established in 2017.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/17 from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/17)

    Yuji Nagata, Yota Tsuji, and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Yuya Uemura, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via submission.

    A painful-looking Nagata Lock II helped Nagata get the win on the Young Lion, Uemura.

    HIKULEO, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale defeated Ren Narita, Mikey Nicholls, and Juice Robinson via pinfall

    Another Young Lion eats the pin as Owens puts Narita away via his Package Piledriver.

    Taichi, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare, Michael Elgin, and Togi Makabe via submission.

    Henare would tap out to Taichi, giving the win to Suzuki-Gun.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, EVIL, and Tetsuya Naito defeated SHO, YOH, Shota Umino, and Kota Ibushi via pinfall.

    EVIL would hit his finisher on Umino, securing LIJ the victory.

    Tomoaki Honma and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. via submission.

    Tanahashi convinced TAKA to “just tap out” via a Texas Clover Hold.

    Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii, and Will Ospreay defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, YOSHI-HASHI, and Kazuchika Okada via pinfall.

    This match saw CHAOS teammates face off against one another. The match would end, however, after Goto managed to hit GTR onto Taguchi, ensuring the pinfall.

    Tournament Results

    Colt Cabana defeated Toru Yano via pinfall.

    Perhaps stealing the title of ‘Master Thief’ in the process, Cabana managed to defeat Yano in a short, comedic affair. He would eventually manage to nail his Superman pinning combination for the win.

    SANADA defeated Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    As hard-hitting as you could expect it to be, SANADA would come away victorious after a Cold Skull/Moonsault combination.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This event took place on 3/16 from Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/16)

    Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, Satoshi Kojima, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan defeated Yota Tsuji, Ren Narita, Shota Umino, and Tomoaki Honma via submission.

    Tenzan would force Young Lion, Tsuji, to tap out to the Anaconda Vice.

    Mikey Nicholls, Michael Elgin, and Juice Robinson defeated HIKULEO, Chase Owens, and Bad Luck Fale via pinfall.

    A Mikey Bomb to the huge HIKULEO helped Nicholls pick up the win for his team.

    Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer defeated Toa Henare and Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Killer Elite Squad would secure the victory after a Killer Bomb to Henare.

    Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito defeated YOH and Hirooki Goto via pinfall.

    LIJ started their night strong with a victory over CHAOS, courtesy of Takagi’s Last Of The Dragon finisher.

    BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA defeated TAKA Michinoku, Taichi, and Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    BUSHI made sure LIJ continued their good night, pinning TAKA with the BUSHI roll.

    Toru Yano, Tomohiro Ishii, and Will Ospreay defeated Colt Cabana, YOSHI-HASHI, and Kazuchika Okada via pinfall.

    Yano would prove yet again why he is the ‘Master Thief,’ stealing a victory with a schoolboy roll up to Cabana for the win.

    Tournament Results

    Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Ryusuke Taguchi via pinfall.

    Tanahashi presses forward in the New Japan Cup tournament, picking up the win after a Dragon Suplex to Taguchi.

    Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Kota Ibushi via submission.

    Sabre Jr. is determined to win the tournament for the second year in a row. Eliminating tournament favorite, Ibushi, is a great way to solidify his intent, shocking the crowd whilst doing so.

  • Zack Sabre Jr Announced for NJPW Royal Quest

    Zack Sabre Jr Announced for NJPW Royal Quest

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the new performer who will be appearing at their ‘Royal Quest’ event in London. Suzuki-gun stable member Zack Sabre Jr will be heading to the Copper Box Arena in London, England on August 31st.

    NJPW also recently announced that NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay will be heading to the Copper Box Arena in London. Ospreay won the NEVER Openweight Championship at the Wrestle Kingdom show in January. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ defeated Kota Ibushi to claim the title and dethrone the Japanese star.

    The company confirmed earlier this month that “Three” of their “top Japanese wrestlers have confirmed they will be on the card and they will be bringing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s fighting spirit to the heart of the UK’s capital.” Those three stars were Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    NJPW aren’t strangers to the United Kingdom. They have held numerous events in conjuncture with other promotions. Most notably Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Ring Of Honor (ROH). ‘Royal Quest’ will be their first major solo show in the UK.

    You can find more information on their website, NJPW1972.com.

  • Big Change Made To Top Match At ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard

    Big Change Made To Top Match At ROH/NJPW G1 Supercard

    There has been a big change made to one of the top matches at the upcoming G1 Supercard show.

    ROH held TV tapings on Saturday night (March 16th) in Las Vegas, Nevada at Sam’s Town Live. This is where it was revealed that Jay Lethal will be defending his ROH World Championship against both Marty Scurll and Matt Taven in a three-way ladder match. Originally, Lethal vs. Scurll was booked for the show.

    That change was made following Lethal and Taven going one hour in a title match that ended in a draw on Friday night at the 17 Anniversary pay-per-view event.

    Ring of Honor Wrestling (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) are co-promoting the G1 Supercard event in New York City’s Madison Square Garden on April 6th during WrestleMania 35 weekend.

    The G1 Supercard event will air live on pay-per-view via cable and satellite FITE TV for $39.99 as well as on HonorClub and NJPW World. Here’s the updated card:

    • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White vs. the winner of the New Japan Cup
    • ROH World Champion Jay Lethal vs. Marty Scurll vs. Matt Taven – Triple Threat Ladder Match
    • IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Taiji Ishimori vs. Dragon Lee and Bandido – Triple Threat Match
    • IWGP Tag Team Champions Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa vs. ROH Tag Team Champions The Briscoes
    • Bully Ray vs. TBA
    • Honor Rumble – Pre-show
  • New Japan Cup Korakuen Hall (03/16) Second Round Matches

    New Japan Cup Korakuen Hall (03/16) Second Round Matches

    The New Japan Cup has now begun. 32 men were announced for the 2019 iteration of the tournament creating the biggest line up ever seen in the annual NJPW event. This year’s tournament also has the caveat that the winner will be facing IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White at the G1 Supercard in April. The WrestleMania weekend show will be one the biggest in company history when they join ROH and CMLL at Madison Square Garden.

    Here’s the NJPW Cup bouts for the event in Korakuen Hall (03/16):

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Ryusuke Taguchi (NJPW Cup Second Round Match)
    • Kota Ibushi vs Zack Sabre Jr (NJPW Cup Second Round Match)

    It is still believed that the favourites for the tournament are Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi. Okada defeated Elgin in the first round on March 9th. Tanahashi defeated Young Lion Shota Umino on March 10th and Ibushi took the win over Tetsuya Naito on March 10th.

    With the huge high profile bout on offer it is likely that a top name will win this tournament. New Japan have used the Cup in previous years to help elevate a newer talent, such as Zack Sabre Jr last year. With a date against Jay White and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship set in stone this more unlikely this year.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    We are now in the second round of the tournament. This event took place on 3/14 from Nara, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/14)

    Yuji Nagata and Manabu Nakanishi defeated Michael Elgin and Yota Tsuji via submission.

    Nagata would lock in the Nagata Lock II submission hold to Tsuji, who tapped out.

    Chase Owens, Bad Luck Fale, HIKULEO, and Taiji Ishimori defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Togi Makabe, Satoshi Kojima, and Ren Narita

    Chase Owens continues to hone his Package Piledriver, finishing the match after hitting it on Ren Narita.

    Tetsuya Naito and Shingo Takagi defeated Hirooki Goto and Shota Umino

    Another Young Lion eats the loss as Takagi nails Umino with the Pumping Bomber, picking up the win for LIJ.

    Minoru Suzuki, Davey Boy Smith Jr., and Taichi defeated BUSHI, EVIL, and SANADA

    Taichi would pick up the win for Suzuki-Gun. He tapped out BUSHI with his Emperor’s Cross submission hold.

    Kota Ibushi and Tomoaki Honma defeated Zack Sabre Jr. and TAKA Michinoku

    TAKA can’t catch a break, losing once again after being slammed by Ibushi’s Kamigoye.

    Juice Robinson, Colt Cabana, Tomohiro Ishii, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi, Toru Yano, Toa Henare, and YOSHI-HASHI

    Juice Robinson secured the win after pulling off his finisher, Pulp Friction, on Henare.

    Tournament Matches

    Will Ospreay defeated Lance Archer via pinfall.

    The “Sky King” would manage to best Archer after a match that saw him take some heavy strikes from the big man. A massive Stormbreaker, however, would end their bout.

    This matchup once again showcases Ospreay’s ability to hang with New Japan’s heavyweights going forward when he officially leaves the Jr. division.

    Kazuchika Okada defeated Mikey Nicholls via pinfall.

    No one believed Mikey Nicholls would best Okada to continue his tournament run, but that didn’t mean he was a walkover for Okada. The matchup would end with a Rainmaker clothesline and the one, two, three for Okada.

    This victory means that “The Rainmaker” will be facing off against CHAOS stablemate, and current NEVER Openweight Champion, Will Ospreay in a highly anticipated quarterfinal match for the New Japan Cup.

  • New Japan Cup Nara (03/14) Second Round Matches

    New Japan Cup Nara (03/14) Second Round Matches

    The New Japan Cup has now begun. 32 men were announced for the 2019 iteration of the tournament creating the biggest line up ever seen in the annual NJPW event. This year’s tournament also has the caveat that the winner will be facing IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White at the G1 Supercard in April. The WrestleMania weekend show will be one the biggest in company history when they join ROH and CMLL at Madison Square Garden.

    Here’s the NJPW Cup bouts for the event in Nara (03/14):

    • Kazuchika Okada vs Mikey Nicholls (NJPW Cup Second Round Match)
    • Will Ospreay vs Lance Archer (NJPW Cup Second Round Match).

    It is still believed that the favourites for the tournament are Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kota Ibushi. Okada defeated Elgin in the first round on March 9th. Tanahashi defeated Young Lion Shota Umino on March 10th and Ibushi took the win over Tetsuya Naito on March 10th.

    With the huge high profile bout on offer it is likely that a top name will win this tournament. New Japan have used the Cup in previous years to help elevate a newer talent, such as Zack Sabre Jr last year. With a date against Jay White and the IWGP Heavyweight Championship set in stone this more unlikely this year.

  • Will Ospreay Announced for Royal Quest Event

    Will Ospreay Announced for Royal Quest Event

    NJPW has announced another big star who will be appearing at the upcoming Royal Quest event. NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay will be heading to the Copper Box Arena in London.

    Ospreay won the NEVER Openweight Championship at the Wrestle Kingdom show in January. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ defeated Kota Ibushi to claim the title and dethrone the Japanese star.

    The company confirmed earlier this month that “Three” of their “top Japanese wrestlers have confirmed they will be on the card and they will be bringing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s fighting spirit to the heart of the UK’s capital.” Those three stars were Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    NJPW aren’t strangers to the United Kingdom. They have held numerous events in conjuncture with other promotions. Most notably Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Ring Of Honor (ROH). ‘Royal Quest’ will be their first major solo show in the UK.

    You can find more information on their website, NJPW1972.com.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    We are now in the second round of the tournament. This event took place on 3/13 from Okayama, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/13)

    Taiji Ishimori, HIKULEO, and Bad Luck Fale defeated Yuya Uemura, Tomoaki Honma, and Juice Robinson via submission.

    Ishimori secures Bullet Club another victory with a submission win over the Young Lion.

    Satoshi Kojima, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, and Togi Makabe defeated Toa Henare, Manabu Nakanishi, and Yuji Nagata via pinfall.

    Makabe picked up the win for his team after a King Kong Knee Drop to Nakanishi.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ren Narita, Shota Umino, and Michael Elgin via pinfall.

    Young Lion, Narita, would eat the fall after an impressive outing. Takagi finished him off.

    EVIL and SANADA defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Minoru Suzuki via pinfall.

    The duo continued LIJ’s winning streak, finishing off the Suzuki-Gun team with SANADA pinning Smith Jr. via an O’Connor Bridge.

    Hirooki Goto, Will Ospreay, and Kota Ibushi defeated TAKA Michinoku, Lance Archer, and Zack Sabre Jr. via pinfall.

    Goto would get the win over TAKA once he was able to hit his GTA maneuver.

    Colt Cabana, Mikey Nicholls, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Toru Yano, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall.

    Yano would end up taking the loss here, courtesy of Nicholls’ Mikey Bomb finisher.

    Tournament Matches

    YOSHI-HASHI defeated Chase Owens via pinfall.

    Chase’s dreams were dashed here as YOSHI-HASHI put an end to his tournament hopes via Karma.

    Tomohiro Ishii defeated Taichi via pinfall.

    Ishii secures his place in the New Japan Cup tournament after putting Taichi away with a Vertical Brainbuster.

  • NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/11)

    NJPW New Japan Cup Results (3/11)

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual New Japan Cup tournament is underway.

    The winner of this year’s single-elimination tournament will earn the chance to face “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. This matchup is scheduled to take place at their upcoming show, co-promoted with Ring Of Honor (ROH), G1 Supercard. The event takes place on April 6th and emanates from the legendary Madison Square Garden in New York.

    This stage, including the last first round matches of the New Japan Cup, took place on 3/11 from Kagawa, Japan.

    New Japan Cup Results (3/11)

    Taiji Ishimori, HIKULEO, Bad Luck Fale, and Chase Owens defeated Yuya Uemura, Michael Elgin, Juice Robinson, and YOSHI-HASHI via submission.

    Bullet Club would start the night strong with a tap out victory, courtesy of Ishimori.

    Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, EVIL, and Tetsuya Naito defeated Ren Narita, Manabu Nakanishi, Yuji Nagata, and Hiroyoshi Tenzan via submission.

    BUSHI would force the Young Lion, Narita, to tap out to the Boston Crab, giving LIJ the win.

    Tomoaki Honma and Kota Ibushi defeated TAKA Michinoku and Zack Sabre Jr. via pinfall.

    TAKA goes back to his pin-eating ways after a Kamigoye from Ibushi.

    Will Ospreay and Tomohiro Ishii defeated Lance Archer and Taichi via pinfall.

    With Ishii’s help, Ospreay turned a bad situation into a crucifix pinning combination, surprising Archer for the win.

    Toa Henare, Mikey Nicholls, and Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Shota Umino, Kazuchika Okada, and Hiroshi Tanahashi via pinfall.

    Another Young Lion takes the loss as Mikey Nicholls pins Umino following a Mikey Bomb.

    Tournament Matches

    Toru Yano defeated Davey Boy Smith Jr. via pinfall.

    The “Master Thief” Yano steals another victory over an impressive Smith Jr.

    Colt Cabana defeated Togi Makabe via pinfall.

    Cabana would secure his Superman pinning combination over Makabe, setting up a match with Yano.

    Minoru Suzuki defeated Satoshi Kojima via pinfall.

    A hard Gotch Style Pile Driver to Kojima saw Suzuki progress in the tournament.

    SANADA defeated Hirooki Goto via pinfall.

    The longest match of this night’s New Japan Cup matches, SANADA managed to get the win after a Cold Skull/Moonsault combination.

  • NJPW Announces Second Round New Japan Cup Matches

    NJPW Announces Second Round New Japan Cup Matches

    New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) officials have announced the second round matches for this year’s New Japan Cup, which will take place across four shows from March 13th – March 17th.

    The Cup will take place over the course of 12 events from March 8 to March 24. The promotion will air these events live on NJPW World, which is their streaming service, with live English commentary. The quarterfinals will then be held on March 20-21 while the semifinals will be on March 23. The tournament will conclude with the finals taking place on March 24.

    The winner of this tournament will receive an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the G1 Supercard in Madison Square Garden on April 6th during WrestleMania 35 weekend. The current champion is “Switchblade” Jay White. Here are the matches

    Second Round New Japan Cup Matches

    Wednesday, March 13

    • Tomohiro Ishii vs. Taichi
    • YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens

    Thursday, March 14

    • Kazuchika Okada vs. Mikey Nicholls
    • Will Ospreay vs. Lance Archer

    Saturday, March 16

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Ryusuke Taguchi
    • Kota Ibushi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

    Sunday, March 17

    • SANADA vs. Minoru Suzuki
    • Colt Cabana vs. Toru Yano
  • David Finlay Out 6 Months With Shoulder Injury

    David Finlay Out 6 Months With Shoulder Injury

    David Finlay injured his shoulder in the main event of Honor Rising night 2 last month. Finlay dislocated his shoulder, leading the Briscoes to go right into the finish of their match.

    He is expected to miss 6 months due to the injury.

    Finlay was replaced by Ryusuke Taguchi in the 1st round of the New Japan Cup. Taguchi defeated Hiroyoshi Tenzan and we’ll take on Hiroshi Tanahashi in the 2nd.

    David Finlay Out 6 Months With Shoulder Injury

    25-year-old David Finlay has been wrestling as a pro since 2012. Finlay began competing for New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2015. He trained in the New Japan dojo along with Juice Robinson, now his tag-team partner in the promotion. Finlay and Robinson form the team “Fin Juice” and went 8-5 in the World Tag League last year.

    Finlay has held the NEVER 6-Man tag-team championships in NJPW once. He teamed with Satoshi Kojima & Ricochet and defeated Adam Cole & the Young Bucks for the vacated titles on September 25th, 2016. They held the titles until the Tokyo Dome show in 2017 when they dropped the belts to Bushi, EVIL, & Sanada from Los InGobernables.

    In Ring of Honor, Finlay is a member of the new faction, Lifeblood. Other members of the group consisting of Juice Robinson, Tenille Dashwood, Tracy Williams, and Bandido.

  • New Japan Cup Kagawa (03/11) Full Card

    New Japan Cup Kagawa (03/11) Full Card

    The New Japan Cup has now begun. 32 men were announced for the 2019 iteration of the tournament creating the biggest line up ever seen in the annual NJPW event. This year’s tournament also has the caveat that the winner will be facing IWGP Heavyweight Champion Jay White at the G1 Supercard in April. The WrestleMania weekend show will be one the biggest in company history when they join ROH and CMLL at Madison Square Garden.

    The biggest bout for the March 11th event will see Suzuki-gun leader Minoru Suzuki take on Satoshi Kojima. Both men are legends in the company and will be representing the Japanese Strong Style of NJPW with pride and respect. Hirooki Goto and SANADA are also set to collide. This bout could easily be a sleeper match in the tournament as both men are currently fairly under the radar but can bring out some incredible work when the time calls.

    Here’s the full card for the New Japan Cup event in Kagawa (03/11):

    • Toru Yano vs Davey Boy Smith Jr (NJPW Cup First Round Match)
    • Satoshi Kojima vs Minoru Suzuki (NJPW Cup First Round Match)
    • Hirooki Goto vs SANADA (NJPW Cup First Round Match)
    • Togi Makabe vs Colt Cabana (NJPW Cup First Round Match)