SEScoops

Category: NJPW

  • Juice Robinson Comments On JR Getting Injured During His Match

    Juice Robinson Comments On JR Getting Injured During His Match

    New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star and IWGP United States Champion Juice Robinson was recently a guest on Sean Waltman’s podcast, X-Pac 12360, to talk about several professional wrestling topics. He first talked about WWE Hall Of Fame commentator Jim Ross getting injured during his match at the G1 Special in San Francisco on Saturday:

    “I thought it was squashed after the show. Obviously, it wasn’t our intention to hurt JR. I think he knew that, because why would we want to take the attention off the match? Nobody wants to hurt anybody, especially a 70-year-old guy.

    “We apologized because it’s just a bummer that it happened. We’re in the wrong at the end of the day. I thought the guardrails were gonna be locked, I went out there earlier in the day because I knew we were gonna be hitting the fences pretty hard so I wanted to make sure they were interlocked. The guys on the floor at 4pm told me they were going to be so I thought it would be okay.”

    He then offered his thoughts on the injury that Hiromu Takahashi’s sustained at the G1 Special as well:

    “When you hear broken neck people, you think [paralyzed], but that’s not with every broken neck. Hopefully his broken neck is just time off. Even though, that still sucks but that beats the alternative. After seeing it, this is probably the best case scenario because that looked like it could’ve been the last bump he ever took.”

    Robinson then compared the differences between training in the WWE Performance Center and the NJPW dojo:

    “The Dojo was more bumping – you have to remember that there were a lot of guys that are really just starting out to even take like backdrops and hip tosses. When I was at the Performance Center, I was in one of the higher classes where obviously we already knew that stuff. In the Dojo, for me, I was just going through the drills, just the basic drills, stuff you can do in your sleep but you get a workout out of it.

    “The Performance Center, it turned more into a mental thing… you know a lot tape study, a lot of studying psychology, applying the finer things of the business. The Dojo just kinda got back to the basics.”

    You can listen to Juice Robinson’s interview on the X-Pac 12360 podcast by clicking this link here.

  • NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 1 Staff Predictions

    NJPW G1 Climax 28 Night 1 Staff Predictions

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors will compete in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

    SEScoops staff writers Ian Carey and Jake Jeremy made their predictions for Night 1 of the tournament, which takes place this Saturday, July 14th.

    Here are their thoughts:

    Jake Jeremy – Ok so we’re talking Night 1 of the G1 Climax, we’ve got some sleeper matches in here but let’s talk winners and losers, here’s the full card:

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki
    • Togi Makabe vs YOSHI-HASHI
    • Michael Elgin vs EVIL
    • Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White
    • Bad Luck Fale vs Hangman Page

    Ian Carey – Definitely not going to win is Yoshi-Hashi. My Prediction to win it all is Kazuchika Okada as I really feel he is going to face Kenny Omega at the Tokyo Dome next year. I think that he’ll face Tetsuya Naito in the finals.

    Jake Jeremy: Wow really? I don’t think that Okada is winning, I’ve got Kota Ibushi down as my favourite to face Kenny at Wrestle Kingdom.

    Ian Carey – I mean I don’t know but to me Okada seems like the safest pick. I’d love to see Kota win but I feel Okada is a stronger possibility. I also think that Tama Tonga beats Omega in the round-robin and gets the title shot in Long Beach on September 30th

    Jake Jeremy – That makes sense for Tama to win with the Firing Squad building momentum, but hey Kenny could win the G1.

    Ian Carey – It’s a really important tournament for Tama Tonga. This is where he becomes a main event guy. Ok so my predictions for Night 1 are:

    • Bad Luck Fale beats Hangman Page – Which is really the first Elite vs Firing Squad match and the Firing Squad need to build more momentum
    • Kazuchika Okada beats Jay White – Although I could easily see them giving White a win here since he just lost to Juice
    • Togi Makabe beats Yoshi-Hashi – in a match I won’t watch
    • EVIL beats Michael Elgin – again, a match I probably won’t watch

    Jake Jeremy – Here’s my predictions for Night 1:

    • Bad Luck Fale beats Hangman Page – I completely agree, this is the first Bullet Club ‘Civil War’ bout and I see Fale getting the win
    • Jay White beats Kazuchika Okada  – Night 1 of the G1 tends to have a shock or two so I’m guessing that White gets the win here. He might even get damn close to winning the block
    • Yoshi-Hashi beats Togi Makabe  – I will watch this match because I hate myself. I’m going for YOSHI-HASHI because why the hell not?
    • Michael Elgin beats EVIL – I’m going Elgin because EVIL isn’t going anywhere in this tournament sadly.

    Ian Carey – But if Okada is going to go all the way a win here seems important. Though, as you said, he might not be going all the way

    Jake Jeremy – I really don’t see Okada doing it, I think he might even be put in the IC Title picture to rebuild it but that’s not highly likely though

    Ian Carey – Did you know Okada has had 10 matches that Meltzer has ranked as 5 stars or better?

    Jake Jeremy – That doesn’t shock me, 4.5 is average at best anyway according to Omega.

    Ian Carey – Tanahashi vs Suzuki is a tough one to call. I think I’m going to take Suzuki though. I feel like a possible route they go is Suzuki injuring one of Tanahashi’s limbs or something which gives Tanahashi an excuse to lose a bunch of matches this summer

    Jake Jeremy – Has anyone ever been ‘taken out’ of a G1? Could Minoru just straight out destroy Tanahashi so that he can’t compete in later bouts?

    Ian Carey – I don’t know if they’ve ever planned it but wrestlers have had to pull out
    they just lose all their remaining matches by default. Alex Shelley had to do it once in the BOSJ

    Jake Jeremy – Maybe that’s Suzuki’s strategy…injure everyone and have a shorter run to the final

    Ian Carey – Ah ok, so on the final night of A Block its Tanahashi vs Okada. That leads me to believe it could be the two of them in the running on the last day cause nobody else has a big match

    Jake Jeremy – Maybe they could go to a Draw like last time?

    Ian Carey – In the A Block it has to be Okada coming out…I take it back, I now think Tanahashi beats Suzuki on the first night

    Jake Jeremy – I’m going with Minoru

    Ian Carey – Somebody will go to a dramatic draw this tournament. Could be Omega and Ibushi on the last day. I find it hard to pick against Minoru Suzuki, possibly because I’m worried he’ll find out…but i think A Block will just be the Tanahashi vs Okada show.

    So here’s the full predictions:

    Ian Carey

    • Bad Luck Fale beats Hangman Page
    • Kazuchika Okada beats Jay White
    • Togi Makabe beats Yoshi-Hashi
    • EVIL beats Michael Elgin
    • Hiroshi Tanahashi beats Minoru Suzuki

    Jake Jeremy

    • Bad Luck Fale beats Hangman Page
    • Jay White beats Kazuchika Okada
    • Yoshi-Hashi beats Togi Makabe
    • Michael Elgin beats EVIL
    • Minoru Suzuki beats Hiroshi Tanahashi

    What are your predictions for Night 1? Let us know in the comments.

  • Tournament Matches For G1 Climax Night 1 07/14

    Tournament Matches For G1 Climax Night 1 07/14

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual G1 Climax is widely regarded as the greatest tournament in pro wrestling today. Two blocks of competitors will compete in a round robin format to determine the number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom.

    Here are the tournament bouts announced for Night 1 were A Block takes the spotlight:

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Minoru Suzuki
    • Togi Makabe vs YOSHI-HASHI
    • Michael Elgin vs EVIL
    • Kazuchika Okada vs Jay White
    • Bad Luck Fale vs Hangman Page

    The real headline grabbing bout for Night 1 appears to be between CHAOS stablemates Kazuchika Okada and Jay White.

    Jay White is one of the more intriguing elements of this year’s G1 tournament, the ‘Switchblade’ recently lost his IWGP United States Championship to Juice Robinson and this has lead many to believe that he might actually win A Block. New Japan are clearly excited about the talented New Zealander’s prospects and a win here against Okada is certainly not out of the question. Okada himself is now in arguably the strangest position of his recent NJPW career, the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion isn’t currently considered a favourite to win the G1 and it will be interesting to see his path between now and January 4th…could he be in line for a bout against the likes of Chris Jericho?

    Who is your favourite for the G1? Let us know in the comments.

  • Tama Tonga Reveals More About Bullet Club Civil War Angle

    Tama Tonga Reveals More About Bullet Club Civil War Angle

    On Saturday night from the Cow Palace, the Tongan members of Bullet Club attacked members of the Elite. Bullet Club’s “Firing Squad” is comprised of Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Haku, HIKULEO, and Bad Luck Fale. They insist their faction has no leader.

    Following the attack, Tonga sat down with Sports Illustrated. He was asked what led to the attack in the closing moments of the G1 Special in San Francisco.

    “This has been a long time coming,” said Tonga. “Kenny Omega started a subgroup, ‘The Elite,’ within Bullet Club. No one is the head of Bullet Club, no one ever has been, and we had a self-proclaimed leader focusing on his own ‘Super Kliq’ or whatever else nerd ass name it’s called. This war was sparked the moment ‘The Elite’ was formed.”

    “Fale is the one who made the call,” continued Tonga. “You’ll all find that out soon.”

    Fale was shown on the Guerillas of Destiny YouTube channel recently phoning other members of the group and saying it was time.

    Tama Tonga on Differences Between NJPW Bullet Club vs ROH Bullet Club

    “Rank is how Japan is run, and that’s how Bullet Club—true Bullet Club—is run. Not egotistical clowns running around, shouting ‘Look at me!’ True Bullet Club is discipline and order.”

    Some NJPW Bullet Club fans have expressed the sentiment that the version of Bullet Club which exists outside of Japan is a little silly. These fans have been calling for a return of the old Bullet Club and Tama Tonga is the guy they place their faith in.

    “The ones putting in the work day in and day out in Japan, we were cast away,” said Tonga. “We tried, over time, to give them the benefit of the doubt, but it kept getting worse. The ideals of Bullet Club working together, being a team, and watching each other’s backs was no longer what we stood for. We were a divided club. It was just too much to ignore.”

    Tama Tonga on The Firing Squad

    “I am not the leader of Bullet Club,” Tonga explained. “Fale, me, and Loa, we are the leaders of Bullet Club and anyone that’s with us. We are not ‘Firing Squad,’ we are Bullet Club, the Bullet Club. ‘Firing Squad’ only arrives when there is bulls— and betrayal.”

    Tama Tonga and Kenny Omega are in the same Block in this year’s G1. They will meet in 9 days on Saturday, July 21st, 2018.

    The full G1 Climax 28 schedule is available here.

  • Kota Ibushi Comments On Facing Kenny Omega In The G1

    Kota Ibushi Comments On Facing Kenny Omega In The G1

    Golden Lovers teammates, Kota Ibushi and Kenny Omega, will face each other in the round-robin of this year’s G1 tournament. The two will meet on Saturday, August 11th, 2018, the final night of the round-robin. The match will take place inside the same venue as their last match did, the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo.

    The last time Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi met, Ibushi was banned from performing in the famed Nippon Budokan again. Ibushi delivered a moonsault from the balcony, causing the venue to state he was not allowed to wrestle there anymore. The venue has since lifted his ban, however.

    Author, Chris Charlton, provided a translation of Ibushi’s comments:

    Kota Ibushi vs Kenny Omega – August 11th, 2018 – Nippon Budokan – Tokyo, Japan

    “I hate it. Hate that I have to face (Kenny Omega). It’s like ‘the time has finally come’. To have Kenny last, that’s a really dangerous scenario. The finals are the very next night, remember. But we have to do it. I don’t have all the time in the world, so we have to do this.”

    Ibushi also spoke about his feelings regarding the rest of the B Block this year.

    “It’s the more athletic group I think,” Ibushi said. “It’ll be a more athletic, physical style in these matches. People that stand out, of course, Kenny, Naito, SANADA. He’s interesting. I  haven’t wrestled him before. I think there’s something about him he hasn’t shown. I want to get that out of him.”

  • Bullet Club’s “Firing Squad” Reveal Members, New T-Shirts

    Bullet Club’s “Firing Squad” Reveal Members, New T-Shirts

    On Saturday night inside the Cow Palace, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and King Haku attacked members of the Elite from behind. Not only that, they turned on their Bullet Club allies, Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi, as well.

    The Tongans have split away from the rest of the group but are still Bullet Club. This new sub-faction of the group appears to be going with the name “the Firing Squad.” A video providing further details on the Firing Squad was released through the Guerillas of Destiny YouTube channel late last night.

    Bullet Club’s Firing Squad

    In the video, two members of the faction who were not present in San Francisco are confirmed to be part of the group. Bad Luck Fale and Hikuleo (dealing with a leg injury) are both shown involved in the planning of the Cow Palace attack despite not being there personally.

    This brings the group to 5 confirmed members: Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, Haku, Bad Luck Fale, and HIKULEO. Tonga, Loa, and HIKULEO are Haku’s sons and Bad Luck Fale are their cousin. Fale and Tonga met in the New Japan dojo, however, and were not aware they were related before then. They are two of the four original members of Bullet Club.

    On Saturday, AXS TV broadcasters, Jim Ross and Josh Barnett, speculated that it was King Haku who was the mastermind behind the attack. While Haku did seem to be directing traffic in the ring on Saturday, the YouTube video tells a different story. In the video, Haku appears unable to connect to the group phone call.

    Bullet Club’s Firing Squad T-Shirts

    The T-shirts the Firing Squad wore on Saturday are already available at Pro Wrestling Tees.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BlDIylwgCsF/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=poyc67rco2c2

  • Hiromu Takahashi Injury Update, Dragon Lee Comments

    Hiromu Takahashi Injury Update, Dragon Lee Comments

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has released another update on the condition of Hiromu Takahashi.

    “Takahashi was able to return to Japan today and will proceed with treatment,” the statement reads. “We apologize for the delay in publishing this update, which was in order to ensure smooth and efficient transit for Takahashi at the airport. We deeply appreciate our fans’ concerns.”

    An update from July 9th, 2018 stated only that Takahashi was conscious and able to sit-up.

    “On July 7, during the G1 Special in San Francisco event, Hiromu Takahashi sustained a neck injury and was taken to a San Francisco hospital for evaluation.” – NJPW statement on Hiromu Takahashi injury.

    Dragon Lee Comments on Takahashi Injury

    Dragon Lee’s comments regarding Takahashi’s injury were translated online, “Hiromu is the most important rival I’ve ever had,” Lee said. “The most beautiful matches of my career have been against him. [Hiromu’s] injury was a wrestling-related accident. Though he is my rival, he is in my prayers.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3tifT5RtOU&frags=pl%2Cwn

    Hiromu Takahashi Injury

    Takahashi was injured during a triangle to cradle-suplex move from his match with Dragon Lee at the G1 Special in San Francisco. He landed on top of his head but indicated to the referee he was OK and able to continue.

    Takahashi finished the match and did not seem to be in much discomfort. He is said to have collapsed backstage, however, and was taken to hospital. The preliminary word on Sunday morning was that he had suffered a broken neck but that has yet to be confirmed.

  • Ex-WCW Announcer Criticizes Omega vs. Cody At G1 Special

    Ex-WCW Announcer Criticizes Omega vs. Cody At G1 Special

    This past weekend (Sat. July 7, 2018) New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) hosted their G1 Special event in San Francisco, California. The show was main evented by an IWGP Heavyweight Title match between defending champion Kenny Omega and Cody Rhodes.

    One spot during the match saw Omega do a running release powerbomb to Cody from inside the ring, dumping him outside the ring and onto the floor after failing to break a table. After the match Rhodes took to Twitter and noted he’d be taking time off to heal his body before September 1st’s “All In.”

    Former WCW ring announcer, Gary Michael Cappetta, (the spot can be seen by clicking the following link) took to his official Facebook page and offered a bit of criticism towards Omega and Rhodes’ match. Cappetta’s comments seemed to come from a place of concern and wished wrestlers wouldn’t do spots like this in order to preserve their longevity:

    “WRESTLER ALERT: Human bodies aren’t made to do this,” said Cappetta. “Please stop shortening your valuable careers. Stop limiting the health and happiness of your post wrestling lives.”

  • Jim Ross In Hospital With Rib Injury Following NJPW Show

    Jim Ross In Hospital With Rib Injury Following NJPW Show

    Jim Ross is reported to be in hospital this morning awaiting test results on a possible broken rib. Ross is believed to have sustained the injury during Juice Robinson vs Jay White at the Cow Palace on Saturday.

    White suplex Juice into the guardrail on the outside which crashed into the announcer’s table and knocked Ross off his chair. AXS TV posted highlights of the move below:

    Following the spot, Josh Barnett stormed the ring but was quickly sent back to his position.

    Ross posted the following regarding the matter, stating that the spot was neither planned nor discussed with him:

    “For the record, the ‘bump’ I took at ringside at #G1SanFrancisco was not storyline driven matter nor was it discussed,” Ross Tweeted. “I think I broke a rib. Couldn’t put my roller bag in the overhead today after a sleepless Sat night.”

    Barnett also confirmed on Twitter that Ross’ injury is not part of a work.

    Jim Ross and NJPW

    Jim Ross and New Japan Pro Wrestling fans have had a tumultuous relationship since the legendary announcer began calling the shows for AXS TV. While Ross is a well-known name in wrestling, many NJPW fans have voiced their preference for Don Callis and Kevin Kelly’s commentary on New Japan World.

    Following a previous New Japan special in Long Beach, Tama Tonga was openly critical of Ross’ commentary during his match. Ross has been criticized for not being as knowledgeable about NJPW’s product as much as Callis or Kelly as well. Additionally, Barnett has been criticized by the Young Bucks for not trying to get the talent over enough.

    Ross published a response to these criticisms on his blog back in March.

    “I read some of the criticisms about my work and the broadcast in general but essentially people want, the die-hards who follow New Japan World, they want their team. They want Kevin Kelly and Don Callis to do the show. I don’t blame them. I don’t even get mad about it. The only thing that gets frustrating is when you’ve got wrestling fans who’ve got like 40 followers on Twitter that tell you, “your career sucks,” and that you should be dead or not allowed to be on television. That’s kind of crude, I think. Does that really feel necessary for not knowing the certain name of a certain hold?”

    transcriptions courtesy of WrestleZone

  • Kenny Omega Comments On Hiromu Takahashi Injury

    Kenny Omega Comments On Hiromu Takahashi Injury

    Hiromu Takahashi is currently undergoing a thorough medical evaluation after sustaining an injury Saturday at the Cow Palace. Takahashi was dropped on his head during a cradle-suplex in his match with Dragon Lee. After finishing the match, Takahashi collapsed backstage and was taken to hospital.

    IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega commented on Takahashi’s injury on Monday morning. “As everyone may know, ‘Kenny Omega’ isn’t an LIJ guy whatsoever, but there’s no mistaking that Hiromu was one of, if not, our company’s brightest current/future star. Let’s pray for his recovery.”

    Hiromu Takahashi Neck Injury

    Earlier today, New Japan Pro Wrestling sent out an update on Takahashi’s condition. “It is reported Takahashi, after the match was immediately taken to a nearby hospital,” the statement reads. “He is currently undergoing a thorough evaluation, Takahashi is conscious, and is able to sit and talk.”

    Hiromu Takahashi was having a career year in 2018. He won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament and followed it up five days later by defeating Will Ospreay for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship at Dominion. It was the second time Takahashi won the title.

    Takahashi and his opponent from the G1 Special on Saturday, Dragon Lee, are longtime rivals. Their rivalry sparked during Takahashi’s multi-year excursion to CMLL in Mexico. Dragon Lee unmasked Takahashi when he wrestled as Kamaitaichi as well. It had been speculated the two would meet in a Mask vs Hair match later this year or possibly at the Tokyo Dome show in 2019.

  • The Young Bucks Tease Challenging For WWE Tag Team Championships

    The Young Bucks Tease Challenging For WWE Tag Team Championships

    Following their IWGP Heavyweight tag-team title defense at the Cow Palace Saturday, the Young Bucks spoke to the press. When asked what was left to accomplish in their careers, Matt Jackson gave a surprising answer.

    “How cool would it be to win the WWE tag team championship belts and not even have to perform on their show?” Jackson asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

    After Matt made the comment Nick asked his brother, “a little one off?”, to which Matt replied, “yeah, a little one off.”

    The dropped ominous comment could just be the Young Bucks attempting to stir up controversy. This isn’t the first time the Bucks have hinted that they would like to face someone from WWE but not in a WWE ring, however.

    The brothers have also hinted they would like to face the Revival at All-In.

    The Young Bucks Versus The Revival At All-In?

    During an appearance on X-Pac’s podcast in May, the Bucks had this to say regarding who they would like to face on the big September 1st event in Chicago.

    “I’d love to have The Revival on the show and do The Young Bucks vs The Revival,” Matt Jackson said. “That’d be my match probably.”

    Regarding their opponents from the G1 Special in San Francisco, Evil & Sanada, Matt Jackson had this to say. “Those guys are awesome, honest, I’d love to wrestle those guys every night,” Matt Jackson said before reconsidering. “Well, not really, I’d love to wrestle them once a year.”

    Is it possible we see the Young Bucks take on a WWE tag team at All-In? 

  • Hiromu Takahashi Injury Update

    Hiromu Takahashi Injury Update

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has sent out an update on the condition of Hiromu Takahashi. The IWGP Junior Heavyweight champion collapsed backstage at the Cow Palace Saturday. He is believed to have suffered a broken neck during a triangle to a cradle-suplex spot where he landed on his head.

    “It is reported Takahashi, after the match was immediately taken to a nearby hospital,” the statement reads. “He is currently undergoing a thorough evaluation, Takahashi is conscious, and is able to sit and talk.”

    Takahashi indicated to the referee after the botched move that he was OK to finish the match despite the injury. He even performed his Time Bomb finisher without looking as though he was in much discomfort. Takahashi walked to the back on his own after winning the match as well.

    Hiromu Takahashi Injury

    “Hiromu Takahashi has been hospitalized after suffering a neck injury while facing Dragon Lee in the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship match on Saturday night’s G1 Special in San Francisco.” – NJPW official statement on Takahashi injury.

    Several wrestlers have given their thoughts on Takahashi’s injury in the days since it happened. One wrestler, who also has a history of neck injuries, is Sean “X-Pac” Waltman.

    “I’ve had my neck broken twice in the ring. 2nd time had it surgically repaired. I was able to make a full recovery & return to Wrestling for the most successful run of my career,” Waltman Tweeted. “Takahashi walked out of the ring on his own. He’s not done yet. Mark my words.”

    Author Chris Charlton (EGGSHELLS: History of Pro Wrestling at the Tokyo Dome) relayed an interview Takahashi gave to NJPW following Shibata’s injury in 2015.

    We will keep you up-to-date with any news regarding Hiromu Takahashi’s condition.

  • Hiromu Takahashi Taken To Hospital With Possible Broken Neck Following G1 Special

    Hiromu Takahashi Taken To Hospital With Possible Broken Neck Following G1 Special

    Hiromu Takahashi is believed to have suffered a broken neck during his match with Dragon Lee last night in the Cow Palace. The injury is believed to have been suffered during a cradle-suplex where Takahashi was dropped on top of his head.

    “He finished the match, retained the championship and I guess he collapsed backstage or something. They took him to the hospital and the preliminary word is they thought that he had a broken neck,” Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio last night. “Hopefully, it’s not as bad as that but that’s the word we got.”

    Takahashi would continue the match. Red Shoes checked on him after the spot and then backed off as if everything was ok. They did several spots after the injury, including Takahashi giving Dragon Lee the Time Bomb for the win.

    Hiromu Takahashi in 2018

    Takahashi won the Best of the Super Juniors tournament last month, defeating Taiji Ishimori in the finals. He then defeated Will Ospreay 5 nights later to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship. He is now a 2-time holder of the belt.

    Dragon Lee is responsible for originally having unmasked Hiromu Takahashi when he was wrestling as Kamataichi in CMLL. They had a Mask vs Mask match in 2015 which Dragon Lee won. There had been speculation the two rivals could face each other in a Mask vs Hair match in NJPW.

  • NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco Results

    NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco Results

    New Japan Pro Wrestling presented the G1 Special in San Francisco tonight from the Cow Palace. 5 championships were defended on the show but none bigger than Kenny Omega defending the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Cody.

    NJPW G1 Special In San Francisco Results

    1. Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, and King Haku (Bullet Club) defeated Sho, Yoh, Rocky Romero, Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS
    • Tama Tonga picked up the pin over Yoshi-Hashi to get the win for his team but King Haku was the real star of the match.
    • “Haku” chants were heard throughout the Cow Palace. He even started the match for his team!
    • The finish of this match came when Haku locked in the Tongan death grip on Yoshi-Hashi and then passed him off to Tama Tonga who hit him with a cutter and got the pin.

    2. Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS) defeated Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
    • Suzuki-Gun used their wide array of submissions early. They worked on Yano a lot until he made a hot tag to Ishii.
    • Yano’s shenanigans led to the finish. ZSJ blocked a low blow by clenching his legs (he did that in the NJ Cup too) but ran into a lariat from Ishii and was cradled by Yano for a 3-count.
    • After the match, Suzuki brought out a chair and looked to want to get at Yano but took his aggression out on young lions instead.
    • Yano, Ishii, and Zack Sabre Jr are all in the same block in the G1 this year.

    3. Marty Scurll and Hangman Page (Bullet Club) defeated KUSHIDA and Hiroshi Tanahashi
    • Hangman Page and Hiroshi Tanahashi are in the same block in the G1 this year. They paired off for much of this match while Scurll and KUSHIDA did the same.
    • It would be Page pinning KUSHIDA, however, after giving him the Right of Passage to end the match.
    • Tanahashi and Page will meet on Sunday, July 22nd in the G1.

    4. NEVER Openweight Championship
    Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) (c) defeated Jeff Cobb
    • Goto seemed to wrestle a bit more of a heel style here than normal. This was likely due to how popular Cobb was with the live crowd.
    • The champ got the early advantage by throwing Cobb into the steel post on the outside.
    • After Goto worked him over for a few minutes, Cobb started his comeback with a standing dropkick. He was cut off pretty quick after missing a standing moonsault and then they went into their bigger moves around the 10-minute mark.
    • Cobb got a few near falls with a Stampede style power-slam and after hitting his standing moonsault.
    • They reversed each other’s finishers a bit but Goto eventual hit the GTR and got the win. 

    5. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
    the Young Bucks (Bullet Club) (c) defeated SANADA and EVIL (LIJ)
    • The Young Bucks pick up their first title defense victory as IWGP Heavyweight champions.
    • The match started with the Bucks doing some fun spots until LIJ took control and isolated Nick Jackson. Nick eventually made a hot tag to Matt and eventually all four wrestlers were brawling in the ring.
    • The Bucks kept control but SANADA moved out of the way from More Bang For Your Buck and tagged in EVIL.
    • EVIL hit a series of German suplexes and then LIJ got near falls from EVIL’s Darkness Falls powerbomb and a Magic Killer.
    • EVIL ducked a double super-kick and the ref got taken out. LIJ then brought out a chair but EVIL eventually had it super-kicked into his face.
    • The Bucks attempted the Meltzer Driver on a chair but LIJ reversed it and gave them their own Meltzer Driver onto a chair! They got a near fall on that as well.
    • The Bucks eventually regained offense and quickly hit their Meltzer Driver and got the win.

    15-minute intermission…

    6. Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) defeated Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI (LIJ)
    • JR and Barnett spent much of this match speculating if Naito and Okada could meet in the finals of the G1 this year.
    • Ospreay introduced a new finisher here (I’m pretty sure) on Bushi for the win. JR referred to it as a “Hellacious Neckbreaker”.

    7. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
    Hiromu Takahashi (LIJ) (c) vs Dragon Lee (CMLL)
    • Dragon Lee gave Takahashi a double foot stomp to the outside of the ring in a big spot early in the match.
    • They did a dueling series of belly to back suplexes followed shortly after by dueling chops.
    • Dragon Lee hit a standing Spanish Fly for a near-fall.
    • Takahashi locked Dragon Lee in a triangle but Lee countered with a suplex and dropped him right on his head. He seemed fine, however.
    • Dragon Lee picked him up and power-bombed him for a near-fall not long after.
    • Takahashi countered a power-bomb into a Canadian Destroyer piledriver for a near-fall.
    • The champ then hit Time Bomb and got a 3-count.

    IWGP United States Championship
    Juice Robinson defeated Jay White (c) – New Champion
    • Before the match, it was announced that if Juice uses his cast as a weapon he may be disqualified at the referee’s descretion. He teased using the cast early in the match.
    • White cut off Juice’s early momentum by suplexing him to the outside.
    • White then beat him up on the outside and sent him flying into guardrails.
    • Juice started to make a comeback but White cut him off and put him in submissions based around his injured hand. He’d bend his fingers back and stuff like that.
    • They spilled to the floor and White and Barnett got into a shoving match which caused Barnett to chase him into the ring but red shoes cut him off before he could get to White.
    • White tried to hit Juice’s hand with a chair but Juice got out of the way.
    • After taking some suplexes on the outside, Juice gave White a spinebuster on the ring apron.
    • They brawled on the outside some more before Juice took control inside the ring, hitting a cannonball in the corner.
    • White got control back shortly after and locked Juice in a crucifix. He then landed a series of unprotected elbow shots to the head.
    • The ref ended up out of position and White landed a low blow, however with the ref distracted again Juice used his cast to hit White in the head. He then hit Pulp Friction but only got a near-fall.
    • White got the advantage and went for the Slingblade but White countered with a roll-up for the win!

    https://twitter.com/njpwworld/status/1015819002960990208

    IWGP Heavyweight Championship
    Kenny Omega (Bullet Club) (c) defeated Cody (Bullet Club)
    • They did a lot of working the crowd early
    • Cody got an early near-fall on a power-slam and they went for some big moves early.
    • Omega was going to springboard to hit Cody on the outside but Cody used Brandi as a shield and Omega stopped.
    • Cody then took control and hit his own springboard move to the outside on Omega.
    • Cody worked on Omega for a bit but Omega eventually made a comeback. Omega then hit several of his bigger moves for near-falls.
    • Cody then hit a dragon suplex to get back into it and then locked in a traditional figure four-leglock (not Cody’s usual leglock move).
    • After Omega got out of the figure four, he went to the outside and got a ladder. Then Cody got a chair. Cody then slammed Omega on the ladder.
    • Cody then slammed him onto a ladder on the outside as well.
    • Cody and Matt Jackson started arguing over the use of weapons as both Cody and Omega climbed the ladder on the outside.
    • Omega teasted super-plexing Cody off the ladder on to the outside but Cody countered and super-plexed him inside the ring instead.
    • After teasing leaving the ring with Brandi, Cody hit a Disaster Kick. He then grabbed the title belt and motioned as if he was going to hit Omega with him. The Young Bucks pleaded with him not to do it.
    • Cody chose not to hit him with the belt and after some reversals he hit Cross Rhodes for a near-fall.
    • The Bucks cleared the ladders out of the ring. The fans weren’t too happy with that.
    • Omega then hit a series of V-Triggers to regain the offence. He power-bombed Cody to the outside on top of a table but the table didn’t break. Cody looked like he hit hard.
    • Omega rolled him back in the ring but Brandi shielded Cody from taking another V-Trigger. After Brandi left the ring Cody clotheslined Omega as he was going for a V-Trigger.
    • Omega regained the offense shortly after and hit his 1-Winged Angel for the win.
    Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, King Haku Attack Kenny Omega and Other Bullet Club Members

    After the match Omega cut a promo about how everyone, including Cody, deserves a second chance. He then thanked the nearly sold out crowd for being lively. As Omega and Bullet Club were celebrating on the stage area, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and their father, King Haku, attacked from behind.

    They attacked Omega and the Bucks first and then Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens after they questioned what they were doing. Cody eventually came out and Tama Tonga handed him a chair to hit Omega with. He motioned as if he was going to hit Omega but then tried to take out the Guerillas of Destiny instead. They cut him off, however, and Haku gave him a piledriver on a chair.

    After the Tongas left, Omega, Cody and the Bucks all hugged, solidifying they are all together again.

  • Tongan Bullet Club Faction Attack Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks

    Tongan Bullet Club Faction Attack Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks

    Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and their father King Haku attacked Kenny Omega tonight following his victory over Cody in the Cow Palace. The G1 Special in San Francisco appeared to be over as Bullet Club celebrated in the ring but suddenly Tama Tonga attacked Omega from behind.

    Even their allies in Bullet Club, Chase Owens, and Yujiro Takahashi were attacked by the Guerillas of Destiny. Cody finally came out and Tama handed him a chair to hit Omega with. Cody motioned as if to hit Omega but then tried to take out the Tongans instead. They eventually cut him off and Tama gave him a cutter. Haku then gave Cody a piledriver on a chair.

    The trio left the ring area as Tanga Loa stated they are the real Bullet Club into the camera. Jim Ross speculated as to where Bad Luck Fale stands in this, as he is likely aligned with the Tongans as well. Fale is their cousin and Fale and Tonga are 2 of the 4 original Bullet Club members.

    After the Tongans cleared, Cody, Omega, and the Bucks hugged it out in the ring and showed they’re solidified again. With that, the Cody vs Kenny storyline is over and it will be the Elite against the Tongan faction.

    Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Haku

    There had been dropped hints of Tama Tonga’s dissension with Kenny Omega, the Young Bucks, and referring to themselves as “the Elite”. Tanga Loa made it clear into the camera tonight that they had no leader and that everyone is equal. Despite this, JR and Barnett speculated that Haku was the mastermind behind the attack.

    Kenny Omega and Tama Tonga will meet on Saturday, July 21st, 2018 in the G1.

  • Juice Robinson Wins IWGP United States Championship

    Juice Robinson Wins IWGP United States Championship

    Juice Robinson has won the IWGP United States championship. He defeated “Switchblade” Jay White tonight in the Cow Palace at NJPW’s G1 Special in San Francisco.

    Jim Ross and Josh Barnett spoke early in the match about how Juice really needed to win this match to show he can win big matches. Robinson had challenged for every heavyweight single’s title in the promotion minus the IWGP Heavyweight title but won his first tonight.

    White would kick-out of Juice Robinson’s Pulp Friction, even after Juice had hit him illegally with the cast on his injured hand. Juice looked like he was going to drop yet another title match but then he countered White’s Switchblade into a roll-up and got a 3-count.

    In doing so, Robinson becomes the first American to hold the IWGP United States championship.

    Juice Robinson IWGP United States Champion

    Winning a single’s championship in the semi-final of a big show at the Cow Palace should solidify that Juice Robinson is a guy NJPW wants to promote to their international audience. The live crowd was definitely behind him tonight.

    Robinson earned a lot of praise for his profanity-laced promo earlier this month. Seth Rollins tweeted out that his former WWE developmental teammate was the best promo in the business in response to it.

    They built up an angle leading up to this match where White broke a bone in Juice’s hand by hitting him with a chair. They announced a special rule before the match that if Juice used his hand as a weapon he could be disqualified at the referee’s discretion.

    White’s title reign ends at 3 defenses over 160 days. Kenny Omega, the only other person to have held the title, defended the title 4 times over 210 days.

  • NJPW Announces 2 Shows in Anaheim, Names Next Long Beach Show

    NJPW Announces 2 Shows in Anaheim, Names Next Long Beach Show

    New Japan Pro Wrestling plans to run 3 more events in the United States before the end of the year. It was reported earlier this week that the promotion planned to return to Long Beach on September 30th (Fighting Spirit Unleashed). They have now announced 2 more shows in Anaheim on November 10th and 11th.

    The Anaheim shows will not feature the top-tier stars of NJPW, however. Rather the two shows will be deemed “Lion’s Break” events similar to the Lion’s Gate shows in Japan and feature trainees. Although not specifically mentioned, it’s possible the Lion’s Break shows could feature talent scouted at their Long Beach dojo camps earlier this year.

    In total, NJPW will have run 5 shows in the United States by year’s end. They have also toured the UK, Australia, and Mexico this year. Many believe the increased focus on international expansion has come from their newly appointed President, Harold Meij.

    NJPW International Expansion

    Meij told Japanese media his plans for the promotion include an emphasis on expanding from their traditional market.

    “I want to expand the fan-base regardless of age, gender or nationality,” Meij explained. “New Japan has fantastic content, so it has the possibility of picking up popularity overseas. At the moment, there are some 100,000 registered members on our video streaming service ‘New Japan Pro-Wrestling World,’ and 40,000 of them live outside Japan. I would like to aim for the international market with things like videos in English or events for foreign tourists.”

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is just outside of San Francisco tonight for their G1 Special. Earlier today there were slightly over 1000 tickets available for the event online. NJPW announced there were a small number of walk-up tickets available at the Cow Palace. Earlier reports had the building half sold-out but with it being the most expensive half of seats sold. It now looks as though it should be just under a sellout tonight.

  • Kenny Omega On Where NJPW Should Go Next In The U.S.

    Kenny Omega On Where NJPW Should Go Next In The U.S.

    Yesterday (Fri. July 6, 2018) IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega spoke at the New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) G1 Special press conference. “The Cleaner” was asked where in the United States he’d like to see NJPW go next.

    Omega offered a rather unorthodox answer, saying he’d like to see the promotion go somewhere such as Alaska. Omega explained it’s tough for fans in locations such as those to go see professional wrestling shows and he wants NJPW to make their product available to as many fans as possible:

    “I mean, this might sound strange, but maybe a place like Alaska? The reason why I say that is because geographically it might be the most difficult place for citizens of Alaska to travel outside of to get to [shows],” Omega said.

    “Like I said, I feel like if we’re already making the strides to visit these new and exciting places, I want to make it as fair as possible for everyone to get to places we’re going to. Of course, we can’t travel to every state, we can’t travel to every country, but for ease of travel and to spread our wealth – so to speak – it would be cool to do that.

    “I’m not sure how much wrestling is in Alaska. I know they have independent promotions, but for me that sounds exciting and I think we’d reach a lot of new people and the people there would probably also appreciate it, as well.”

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1GQ9xPILGM

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Cody Rhodes Explains Why He Dropped The Blonde Hair Look

    Cody Rhodes Explains Why He Dropped The Blonde Hair Look

    Ring Of Honor (ROH) and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Cody Rhodes took part in yesterday’s (Fri. July 6, 2018) G1 Special press conference to answer various questions. Rhodes appeared at the event in black hair, reverting away from the blonde haired look he adopted not too long ago.

    It turns out Rhodes got called to do a TV show, some news he hopes to officially be able to announce soon, and they said it was a no-go on the blonde hair:

    “I got called to do a TV show, hopefully we can break that news soon,” Rhodes said. “It doesn’t affect my wrestling dates at all, which means I’ll be burning things at both ends, but production is going to fly me to every show I had on the books. I’m not missing a damn thing.

    “It’s exactly the type of career I was looking into. I was looking at my two-year plan yesterday for what I want, maybe move into a feature length film, but also keep everything I have with wrestling, because if I lose the wrestling part of my identity then I don’t have a clue who I am anymore. I’m very happy about it, but they said no on the blonde.”

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the transcriptions

  • Hiromu Takahashi Talks Excursion to Mexico and Innovation in Wrestling

    Hiromu Takahashi Talks Excursion to Mexico and Innovation in Wrestling

    IWGP Junior Heavyweight Champion Hiromu Takahashi recently spoke to New Japan Pro Wrestling’s NewWorld magazine on a variety of topics, including his excursion to Mexico’s CMLL promotion, the moves that has ‘in his head’ that haven’t yet been performed in a ring and more.

    When discussing his time in Mexico the ‘TIME BOMB’ stated that “It wasn’t Mexico that made the Hiromu Takahashi of today, so much has changed him back. The guy you see now is really me as a child. When I joined New Japan I felt a strong pressure to fit in. I felt like the need to behave like a Young Lion, like one of the group, even up to behaving like someone in their third year in the business. But going to Mexico reset that. It wasn’t about ‘fitting in’ but starting from zero. Not wrestling like a Young Lion buy going back to mentally mentally to wanting to become a wrestler in seventh grade and basing everything off that. Mexico was a chance to retake my childhood.”

    When asked about his moveset in the Juniors the IWGP Champion confirmed that “he hasn’t used about 60%” of the moves he has in his head, “from finishers to moves he can hit on heavyweights.”

    *Credit to Chris Charlton for the translation.

  • Tetsuya Naito Discusses The Amount of ‘Grade One Talent’ In The G1 Climax Tournament

    Tetsuya Naito Discusses The Amount of ‘Grade One Talent’ In The G1 Climax Tournament

    Tetsuya Naito recently spoke to Tokyo Sports on the upcoming G1 Climax Tournament. Naito is one of the stars who will be taking part in the annual spectacular to determine a number 1 contender to Kenny Omega’s IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.

    Naito usually has some rather interesting points when talking to the Tokyo Sports publication in Japan and he appears to have outdone himself once again…he stated that “there’s a whole bunch of guys absolutely nobody would give a chance of winning to. Can you really call this “grade one?” If it was horse racing’s G-1, you’d have prelims to get in. Right now, you have Taichi bitching about YOSHI-HASHI getting in, because he’s out. Well, fine, let’s have that mean something. Put those two in a qualifying match. And at any rate, having 20 some entrants is too many.”

    Do you agree with the leader of Los Ingobernables? Are you looking forward to the G1 tournament? Let us know in the comments.

    *Credit to Chris Charlton @reasonjp for the translations

  • Mark Cuban Says NJPW Has Best Pro Wrestling In The World

    Mark Cuban Says NJPW Has Best Pro Wrestling In The World

    Mark Cuban is known to speak his mind and did just that when talking about New Japan Pro Wrestling.

    The AXS TV CEO recently spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Extra Mustard to talk about various topics. In this interview, Cuban stated that he believes NJPW is the best promotion in the world right now.

    Cub brought up how they are looking for great content to use on the network and that NJPW is the best pro wrestling in the world. He bragged about how the network has a great track record of acquiring top international content in sports and entertainment and adapting it for the U.S. market.

    The reason he believes NJPW is the best promotion is due to their long-term storytelling that has a payoff.

    “The tension between Kenny Omega and Cody has been building on AXS TV since June of 2017 when Cody tried to ‘throw in the towel’ during Kenny’s title shot with Okada. Add in the iconic voice and storytelling of wrestling Hall of Famer Jim Ross and MMA champ Josh Barnett for July 7, and you have must-see TV.”

    Back in May, it was officially announced that New Japan Pro Wrestling had hired a new President, Harold Meij. He will be the first NJPW President who is not Japanese.

    Bushiroad President (parent owner of NJPW) Takaaki Kidani made the decision to bring him into the promotion and replace Katsuhiko Harada.

    Cuban spoke about this hiring and made it clear that the network is excited by the hire because Meij has told them that this goal is to increase the amount of English content and increasing the international fanbase offers many opportunities for them to work together.

    “We look forward to hearing his long-term strategy and having AXS TV play a major role in New Japan’s U.S. expansion efforts.”

    What are your thoughts on Cuban’s comments? Sound off in the comment section.

  • NJPW Reported To Return To Long Beach On September 30th

    NJPW Reported To Return To Long Beach On September 30th

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is believed to be organizing their 3rd show in the United States this year. The company could even make an announcement regarding the show this weekend at the G1 Special in San Francisco.

    According to a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, NJPW plans to be back in Long Beach on September 30th, 2018, 4 weeks after All-In.

    “While not official,” the report reads. “It looks like the 9/30 return to the U.S. after the Cow Palace show will be back in Long Beach. That’s awfully quick after All In but it’s clear they want to do regular live specials on AXS to build the brand in the U.S.”

    NJPW International Expansion

    In addition to now running several shows a year, NJPW ran two wrestling camps in Long Beach this spring. The camps were presided over by Katsuyori Shibata.

    Earlier this month, newly appointed NJPW President, Harold Meij, spoke about the company’s plans for international expansion.

    “I want to expand the fan-base regardless of age, gender or nationality,” Meij explained. “New Japan has fantastic content, so it has the possibility of picking up popularity overseas. At the moment, there are some 100,000 registered members on our video streaming service ‘New Japan Pro-Wrestling World,’ and 40,000 of them live outside Japan. I would like to aim for the international market with things like videos in English or events for foreign tourists.”

    Meij is a Dutch national businessman who is familiar and experienced with the Japanese market.

    “Even though there are a plethora of markets abroad, many Japanese companies aren’t making any use of them. As someone not bound by language or cultural barriers, I would like to become a pioneer in sports marketing.” Meij continued. “In three years at least, I will achieve profits of 10 billion yen. The figure is close to the 10.2 billion yen made by the Japan Sumo Association in 2016.”

  • Kenny Omega Says Match Against Cody Will Determine Bullet Club Leader

    Kenny Omega Says Match Against Cody Will Determine Bullet Club Leader

    Kenny Omega and Cody will go one-on-one for the second time in their rivalry this Saturday at the Cow Palace. Not only will the match be for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, the winner will be declared the leader of Bullet Club.

    Omega built the match up with the following Tweet from earlier today:

    Both Cody and Omega alluded to the idea that the winner of their last match would be declared leader of Bullet Club as well. The faction leadership was still up for debate after Cody had won, however.

    Kenny Omega versus Cody II

    Saturday will be Omega’s first defense of the title he won at Dominion. Omega’s victory over Kazuchika Okada ended the longest running IWGP Heavyweight Championship reign of all-time. He is just the second member of the faction to win the title after AJ Styles did so in 2014.

    As for Cody, this will be his 3rd title match in a week’s time. He unsuccessfully challenged for the ROH World Championship this weekend. At Best in the World on Friday night, Dalton Castle won a 3-way match against Cody and Marty Scurll. The next night in Fairfax, Jay Lethal would win a fatal 4-way match against Castle, Scurll, and Matt Taven to win the title for the second time in his career.

    “NJPW G1 Special in San Francisco

    1. Sho, Yoh, Rocky Romero, Gedo, YOSHI-HASHI (CHAOS) vs Chase Owens, Yujiro Takahashi, Tanga Loa, Tama Tonga, and King Haku (Bullet Club)
    2. Toru Yano and Tomohiro Ishii (CHAOS) vs Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki (Suzuki-Gun)
    3. KUSHIDA and Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Marty Scurll and Hangman Page (Bullet Club)
    4. NEVER Openweight Championship
      Hirooki Goto (CHAOS) (c) vs Jeff Cobb
    5. IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
      the Young Bucks (Bullet Club) (c) vs SANADA and EVIL (LIJ)
    6. Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada (CHAOS) vs Tetsuya Naito and BUSHI (LIJ)
    7. IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
      Hiromu Takahashi (LIJ) (c) vs Dragon Lee (CMLL)
    8. IWGP United States Championship
      Jay White (CHAOS) (c) vs Juice Robinson
    9. IWGP Heavyweight Championship
      Kenny Omega (Bullet Club) (c) vs Cody (Bullet Club)”
  • Don Callis: Juice Robinson Is A Guy You Build A Company Around

    Don Callis: Juice Robinson Is A Guy You Build A Company Around

    The color commentator for NJPW and the Vice-President of Impact Wrestling, Don Callis, recently shared his thoughts on Juice Robinson. Callis made the comments on his weekly podcast “Killin the Town”.

    Callis mentioned that Juice’s reputation as a fun guy to party with exceeds almost anyone’s in the business. Not only that, however, Callis believes Juice is immensely talented. He would even say the 29-year-old former WWE developmental wrestler is the kind of guy you can build an entire company around.

    “Juice is a tremendous performer with unlimited likeability and unlimited charisma,” Callis said. “He definitely is a rock star.”

    “I really like him a lot,” Callis continued. “He’s a guy you build a company around.”

    Callis and his co-host, Paul Lazenby, also mentioned that Juice is not online. He does not have a Twitter or social media account but mentions if you buy him a beer in a bar, he’ll talk your ear off. They also mentioned how Juice’s nickname is “the Pope of Roppongi”.

    Juice Robinson vs Jay White – G1 Special in San Francisco

    The next big match for Juice Robinson will be this weekend at the Cow Palace. Robinson has a chance to win the IWGP United States championship from Jay White.

    On the most recent NJPW tour, however, White has targetted Robinson’s injured arm. NJPW would state that Robinson has been allowed to wear a cast into the ring on his injured arm, however, he is not allowed to use the cast against his opponent. It is not yet known if Juice’s arm will still be in a cast by the time of the Cow Palace show.

    Don Callis Bringing Talent To Impact Wrestling

    Callis has continued to say he plans to break down barriers in wrestling. The management team at Impact Wrestling has been creating talent-sharing partnerships with other wrestling promotions.

    “I agree with a lot of the conjecture online that talks about the fact that there are walls being broken down in the business right now,” Callis said. “I might just be the guy holding the hammer.”