SEScoops

Category: NJPW

  • New Japan Announces Stacked Lineup for 2018

    New Japan Announces Stacked Lineup for 2018

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s January 4th show was arguably one of the most commercially successful in company history. More fans than ever where watching on NJPWWorld.com and the Tokyo Dome exceeded last year’s attendance by over 8,000.

    NJPW announced several of their upcoming 2018 events during the Wrestle Kingdom stream and now their English Language site NJPW1972.com has unveiled the full details surrounding their 2018 programme:

    “The big event for our American fans will be Strong Style Evolved, coming from the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach March 25th. The event was announced back in November, and we’re getting ready to reveal some big news about the show, so stay tuned to njpw1972.com.

    It’ll be a busy April, as Sakura Genesis starts the month in Ryogoku on April 1. Then, on April 29, New Japan returns after a two year absence to Kumamoto for Hi no Kuni 2018.

    On May 3 and 4, we’ll be in Fukuoka for two nights at the Fukuoka International Center and Wrestling Dontaku. Then, May 18 sees Best of the Super Juniors kick off, before the critical mid way point of the year; June 9 and Dominion in Osaka Jo Hall.

    Then, it’s the biggest tournament in wrestling. In a first, G1 Climax 28 will kick off with two days on July 14 and 15 in the historic Ota Gymnasium, before heading to Hokkaido July 16, and then all over Japan.

    Yet it’s where that tournament will end that’s most exciting. For the first time in G1 history, and with the first New Japan presence for over 15 years, the G1 will reach its Climax in the iconic Budokan Hall!”

     

  • NJPW ‘Strong Style Evolved’ Tickets on Sale 1/29

    NJPW ‘Strong Style Evolved’ Tickets on Sale 1/29

    Following the success of New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom event they have announced that tickets for their return to the United States with ‘Strong Style Evolved’ will be on sale January 29th. The show takes place from the Walter Pyramid arena in Long Beach, California on March 25th.

    You’ll be able to guarantee your place at the show as of 1/29 10AM (PST) /1PM (EST) on the 29th, so make sure you don’t miss out on this massive event.

    Tickets are currently priced as follows:

    On Court

    Rows 1-4: $200

    Rows 5-12 $150

    Stadium

    Rows 1-7: $100

    Rows 8-14: $80

    Rows 15-24: $50

    *Service charge not included

  • Videos: Wrestle Kingdom Highlights, Post-Show Press Conference

    Videos: Wrestle Kingdom Highlights, Post-Show Press Conference

    New Japan Pro Wrestling has released several videos coming out of this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event. The full show (including English commentary) is now available for streaming over at NJPWWorld.com.

    AXS TV will be airing a 2-hour special this Saturday night featuring the show’s 3 top championship matches voiced over by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett. The remainder of the Wrestle Kingdom 12 card will then air in the usual Friday night time slot on AXS TV over the next 5 weeks.

    Highlights from ‘Wrestle Kingdom12’ Jan 4

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0DQehLGio0

    Press Conference: Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho

    Press Conference: The Young Bucks

    Press Conference: Will Ospreay

  • Chris Jericho Not Done With NJPW After Wrestle Kingdom

    Chris Jericho Not Done With NJPW After Wrestle Kingdom

    After a show-stealing match against Kenny Omega at this week’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event from the Tokyo, Dome, Chris Jericho made another appearance for New Japan at Friday’s New Year’s Dash Event.

    Jericho ambushed Tetsuya Naito in the ring after the two had exchanged words while doing media to promote Wrestle Kingdom.

    At this time, there’s no confirmation that Jericho will be wrestling another match for NJPW. The “Alpha” of professional wrestling will be touring with his metal band Fozzy over the next several months.

    Fozzy has a show scheduled for April 8th, will prevent Jericho from appearing at WrestleMania 34. It’s worth noting that Jericho’s schedule appears to be open for March 25th when NJPW returns to Long Beach, CA.

  • Preview For Tonight’s WK12 Special On AXS TV (Videos)

    Preview For Tonight’s WK12 Special On AXS TV (Videos)

    This Saturday night (Jan. 6), AXS TV presents a 3-hour Wrestle Kingdom 12 special at 8pE/5pP featuring the top 3 matches from the this week’s event.

    With English commentary provided by Jim Ross and Josh Barnett, this week’s special NJPW on AXS TV will feature three headline championship matches from the Tokyo Dome:

    • IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho
    • IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. G1 CLIMAX 27 Tournament Champion Tetsuya Naito
    • IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White.

    Whether or not you’ve seen Wrestle Kingdom 12 already on the New Japan World streaming service, this presentation is can’t-miss.

    AXS TV will continue its coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 over a five week period in its normal Friday night time slot starting next week (Jan. 12).

    AXS TV sent in the following hype videos for Jericho vs. Omega and Okada vs. Naito:

    Relieve the build leading up to Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega for the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title:

    Exclusive interviews with Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito about their headlining match at the Tokyo Dome:

  • Chris Jericho Responds To Criticism For Dedicating NJPW Match To Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero

    Chris Jericho Responds To Criticism For Dedicating NJPW Match To Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero

    Yesterday Chris Jericho took to Instagram to post a picture of some fan art that showed himself, WWE Hall Of Famer Eddie Guerrero, and Chris Benoit – who he called his “fallen brothers,” and dedicated his Wrestling Kingdom 12 match against Kenny Omega this morning in Japan to the pair.

    Jericho caught some heat for this from various fans and media personalities alike. One such media personality was Ryan Satin, who sent out the following sarcastic Tweet on the matter:

    https://twitter.com/ryansatin/status/948601705934958592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fnodq.com%2Fnews%2F517047165.shtml

    “Y2J” made a Facebook video to comment on his sharing of the fan art and his dedication to Guerrero and Benoit, calling out Satin specifically during the video as well. Check it out here:

  • Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results

    Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s annual Tokyo Dome concluded early this morning. The 6-hour super-show featured 9 matches, 7 of which were for championships.

    Wrestle Kingdom 12 Results

    1. Masahito Kakihara won the New Japan Rumble
      • Kakihara won the Rumble by eliminating Cheeseburger last. The 45-year-old former Best of the Super Juniors winner has been battling cancer and encouraged people to donate to Takayama’s fund.
    2. The Young Bucks defeated Roppongi 3K (c) to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships
    3. Beretta, Tomohiro Ishii, and Toru Yano won the 6-Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet
      • Former champions, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga, and Tanga Loa were the last team eliminated.
    4. Kota Ibushi defeated Cody
    5. Hirooki Goto defeated Minoru Suzuki to win the NEVER Openweight Championship
      • Suzuki was forced to shave the back of his hair off in the ring after the match.
    6. Will Ospreay defeated Marty Scurll, Hiromu Takahashi, and KUSHIDA to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
    7. Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Jay White to retain the IWGP Intercontinental Championship
    8. Kenny Omega defeated Chris Jericho to retain the IWGP United States Championship
    9. Kazuchika Okada defeated Tetsuya Naito to retain the IWGP Heavyweight Championship
  • Final Card For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

    Final Card For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom 12

    New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show of the year – Wrestle Kingdom – is finally upon us. The show will feature a double main event, with IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada defending against Tetsuya Naito and IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega vs. “Alpha” Chris Jericho in a no disqualification championship match.

    Fans in the United States can stream the show live on New Japan World, with the English commentary being provided by Kevin Kelly and Don Callis.

    Here’s the final card for NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 from the Tokyo Dome:

    IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
    Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

    IWGP UNITED STATES HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (NO DQ)
    Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho

    IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
    Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White

    IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
    Marty Scurll (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay

    NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (HAIR VS. HAIR/NOBODY AT RINGSIDE DEATHMATCH)
    Minoru Suzuki (c) vs. Hirooki Goto

    IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
    Killler Elite Squad (Lance Archer and Davey Boy Smith Jr.) vs. EVIL and SANADA

    Cody vs. Kota Ibushi

    NEVER OPENWEIGHT 6-MAN TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP (GAUNTLET MATCH)
    Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Bad Luck Fale (c) vs. Ryusuke Taguchi, Juice Robinson, and Togi Makabe vs. Beretta, Toru Yano, and Tomohiro Ishii vs. Hanson Raymond Rowe, and Michael Elgin vs. Taichi, Takashi Iizuka, and Zack Sabre Jr.

    IWGP JR. HEAVYWEIGHT TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
    Roppongi 3K (c) vs. The Young Bucks

    PRE-SHOW
    New Japan Rumble

  • Chris Jericho Dedicates NJPW Match To Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero, Match After SDL Went Off-Air

    Chris Jericho Dedicates NJPW Match To Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero, Match After SDL Went Off-Air

    – Early tomorrow morning Chris Jericho will be returning to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for his highly-anticipated match-up against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Jericho took to Instagram to post some fan art that showed himself, Chris Benoit, and Eddie Guerrero. “Y2J” said that he is dedicating his match tomorrow to his “fallen brothers”:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BdfXpUjlQnS/

    – In the dark main event after SmackDown Live and 205 Live tapings; a Six-Man Tag Team match between the teams of AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, and Shinsuke Nakamura took on the team of Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Jinder Mahal. “The Phenomenal One” and his team were able to emerge victorious to send the crowd home happy.

  • NJPW & Fire Pro Wrestling Teaming Up For New PS4 Game

    NJPW & Fire Pro Wrestling Teaming Up For New PS4 Game

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is teaming up with the creators of the Fire Pro Wrestling video game series for the release of Fire Pro Wrestling World this summer on Playstation 4 and PC (via Steam). The announcement was made at the NJPW fan fest event ahead of Thursday’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 pay-per-view.

    Fire Pro Wrestling is the popular 2D wrestling franchise that dates back to the late 1980’s. Up until the NJPW partnership, the Fire Pro games never featured officially licensed wrestlers. Instead, the developers focused on addictive gameplay mechanics while the robust creation suite allowed players to recreate famous wrestlers.

    Fire Pro Wrestling World for PS4 will feature licensed NJPW wrestlers, their actual move sets and for the first time, a Young Lion story mode.

    More Details About Fire Pro

    • PLAY ONLINE
      Organize exhibition matches, tournaments, leagues, championship bouts and battle royals with players from around the world.
    • MIX UP THE RULES
      Modes include Deathmatch (steel cage, barbed wire or landmines), MMA rules and no-holds barred Gruesome Fighting.
    • UNLIMITED CUSTOMIZATION
      Create your dream wrestler from over a thousand devastating moves and even more body parts to battle for custom championship belts. Personalize the ring, mat logos and even the referee!
    • REALISTIC SIMULATION
      Give your creations personalities with a robust CPU logic system that defines their every action. Does your wrestler play to the crowd, or play dirty? You provide actors for the ringside drama.
  • Chris Jericho Is Outselling The Young Bucks, Rey Mysterio To Wrestle TV Star

    Chris Jericho Is Outselling The Young Bucks, Rey Mysterio To Wrestle TV Star

    – On the latest episode of his podcast, Talk Is Jericho, Chris Jericho noted that his “Alpha Club” T-Shirt is currently the top selling shirt at Hot Topic. This means that Jericho is outselling shirts from The Bullet Club, Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and all WWE shirts. Jericho is set to face-off against Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 this Thursday in Tokyo, Japan.

    H/T Wrestling Inc. for the info.

    – Former WWE World Champion Rey Mysterio is set to face reality TV star Adam Maxted at a 5 Star Wrestling show on March 1, 2018 in Belfast, Northern Ireland from the SSE Arena. Maxted appeared on the British reality dating show Love Island. He recently noted in an interview with The Belfast Telegraph that he didn’t have sex on the show because he one day wants to make it in WWE, and had a tryout with the company this past May in the United Kingdom:

    “I said to myself that there was no way I was going to risk my future and my dream – no matter how good looking the girl was or how much there was a connection or how much I wanted to do it,” Maxted said. “My dream is to be in the WWE and it’s such a child-based market so I wasn’t ever going to ruin my chances of getting onto that because I’d had sex on TV.”

    Maxted’s full interview with The Belfast Telegraph can be found at this link here.

  • Jericho Arrives In Tokyo (Video), NJPW Video Game Announcement Tonight

    Jericho Arrives In Tokyo (Video), NJPW Video Game Announcement Tonight

    – New Japan Pro Wrestling will be announcing the details of their new video game on Wednesday afternoon at 12:15pm, which is 10:15pm this evening (Tuesday) in the Eastern time zone.  At this time, it’s unknown whether this will be a full-fledged console video game or a mobile game. Check back later tonight after SmackDown to find out what was announced.

    – Chris Jericho has arrived in Japan ahead of his big match against Kenny Omega later this week at Wrestle Kingdom 12. Jericho says he spent New Year’s on a plane for the first time in his life because he wanted to arrive in Tokyo, Japan as soon as possible.

    Jericho says he doesn’t care about the new year, he didn’t celebrate, he hasn’t been partying – he’s focused on one thing and one thing only: January 4th: Alpha vs. Omega, Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12.

    – The official @NJPWGlobal Twitter account has released this English-language promo advertising the NJPW World streaming service.

    For fans looking to sign up ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th, this is a good primer that explains what you’re getting for $10 a month.

  • Superstars Look Back At 2017 And Forward To 2018

    Superstars Look Back At 2017 And Forward To 2018

    Happy New Year!!

    It’s that time of year when social media feeds are filled with “What a year 2017 was…” as well as the standard “New Year, New Me!” resolution posts.  Superstars across the globe have also taken to this and created their own New Year posts, celebrating 2017 and hoping for the best in 2018.  Here are some of the highlights (or not) that have been put together:

    While Carmella and Sasha Banks’s posts seem reasonably normal for what you would expect, English performers put together something a little bit special (peculiar?) to celebrate 2017:

    https://twitter.com/MartyScurll/status/947522811312123904

    Of course, The Miz took to Instagram to share a slightly more lengthy review for all his adoring followers:

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BdYb3IwHjDx/

    And then there’s Rusev:

  • Chris Jericho Wants To End Kenny Omega’s NJPW Career

    Chris Jericho Wants To End Kenny Omega’s NJPW Career

    Chris Jericho recently did an interview with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) to talk about his upcoming match with Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 next weekend. Here are the highlights:

    The connection he feels to Kenny Omega and Japan:

    “I’ve never wrestled Kenny Omega before. I understand how great Kenny Omega is – everybody’s talking about Kenny Omega and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted to have this match. Because the timing for this match is perfect. It probably couldn’t have happened last year – it couldn’t have happened last year, it probably won’t happen next year, this is the time for “Alpha vs. Omega.”

    “This is the time for Kenny vs. Jericho. And he’s from the same home city as I am; from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – and to me, there’s a special connection there. He basically grew up in Japan, so did I, this is my 52nd tour of Japan in January. I think – we’re not just typical foreigners, we’re not just typical guys – we’re almost honorary Japanese.

    His style compared to Omega’s:

    “Well, once again, Kenny Omega has a great style – very good New Japan style, but I have New Japan style, I have WAR style, I have Mexico style, I have European style, I have ECW style, I have Smokey Mountain Wrestling style, I have WCW style, and more importantly, I have WWE style. Six-time World Heavyweight Champion. Kenny has never been even close to that. It’s a completely different world. Kenny Omega is a planet, Chris Jericho is the whole universe. I’m the Alpha. Alpha vs. Omega, it’s not just a catchphrase, it’s the truth.

    “And it’s typical for someone like Kenny to think “Jericho can’t handle my style,” because he’s been so big here in New Japan. But he’s big with Okada, and Naito, and that’s great. Those four guys, five guys, six guys. I’ve been great against 50 guys! Against 100. Hall Of Famers. Some of the greatest of all time. Kenny Omega can’t even lace my boots up when it comes to that kind of respect, that kind of experience, that kind of knowledge that I have.”

    Wanting to end Omega’s NJPW career:

    “You don’t see blood on a New Japan ring, you don’t see blood in a WWE ring – the business has changed, it’s not about that anymore. Which I think is what made it so much more shocking when I hit Kenny over the head with the United States Championship and cut him open, bleeding everywhere- I liked it. It made me happy. It gave me energy. Made me feel alive. And it also change the entire concept of what this match is gonna be for me. At first, I thought, “Well, sure, if Kenny can have a seven star match I can have an eight star match, nine star match, the first-ever ten star match: “Alpha vs. Omega.”” Make Okada vs. Omega look like an opening match between a couple of young lions.

    “But then, after Fukuoka, and then after the press conference in Tokyo the next day – it’s so violent, and intense, and vicious. This is gonna be a match like you’re not gonna see in New Japan again. It’s gonna be like a match – it’s gonna be a different type of match than any type of match at the Tokyo Dome. End of the match at Wrestle Kingdom 12. And once again, I like that, because to me it’s gonna stand out. You’re going to see the last match of Kenny Omega’s New Japan career happen at Wrestle Kingdom 12, because of me.

    “Can you imagine all the New Japan Pro Wrestling fans? The women, crying. The little kids, crying. The longtime 20-year fans, crying when their hero, Kenny Omega’s career is over. Can you imagine how that’s going to make me feel? I’m gonna feel like the fu*king king of the world. Because I am. The best in the world. The greatest of all time. The Alpha. that’s who Chris Jericho is. And all the New Japan people, all the New Japan fans, and any wrestler in the New Japan locker room is going to learn a lesson. And it’s going to be a sad day for Kenny Omega and all of his fans at Wrestle Kingdom 12. I guarantee it.”

  • Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho Hype Video, Omega On Gaming With Current WWE Star

    Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho Hype Video, Omega On Gaming With Current WWE Star

    – A hype video has been released for IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega’s clash with former WWE Champion Chris Jericho at Wrestle Kingdom 12 in Tokyo, Japan next month:

    – Giant Bomb has an article with Omega and WWE star Xavier Woods naming their top ten video games of the year. In the article Omega and Woods discuss gaming with one another as they’ve both run into each other at gaming conventions over the years, and have built up quite the friendly rivalry.

    “Two men met on neutral ground (the rolling hills of The Netherlands) for their yearly meeting where they argue, eat, play video games, almost fight, and talk about their top 10 games of the year… This is their 2017 story.

    Kenny: Another year and another top 10! Last year, my good friend Austin and I had so much fun working together, we thought we’d do it again in 2017. I anticipate our lists will be a little different from each other, so this should fuel some very fun and… friendly debate.

    Austin: Yes, fun and friendly are the words that I would use for it. I’ll start off by saying that I am honored to be doing another top 10 list with one of the greatest, creative, and most charismatic performers that I have ever met in my life. The one, the only, KENNY OMEGA!

    Kenny: And I am glad to introduce a man with the greatest YouTube gaming channel going today, one of the most versatile, intelligent, and talented humans on this Earth… AUSTIN CREED! And you know what…? I’ll say it. I thought you were all just trombones, pancakes, and shenanigans… but heck, you’ve been no slouch in the ring this year either!”

    You can check out the full article here.

  • Chris Jericho On Surprising NJPW Fans With Kenny Omega Angle

    Chris Jericho On Surprising NJPW Fans With Kenny Omega Angle

    Chris Jericho was recently a guest on WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross’ podcast, The Ross Report, to discuss his upcoming “Alpha vs. Omega” match against IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 next month. “Y2J” discussed surprising New Japan Pro Wrestling fans with how involved he has been in the build-up for the bout, and how talented Omega is inside the ring. You can check out the highlights here below:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiV4Mwfp24w&t=7s

    Surprising NJPW fans with his involvement in the feud’s build-up:

    “I think when this match was made, Alpha vs. Omega, Jericho vs. Omega, a month-and-a-half ago in Osaka [Japan] or wherever it was, it makes me laugh that people think, ‘Jericho announces a match, here we go, it’s going to be a big match, we’ll see you in Tokyo [Japan] in a few months on January 4 [2018],” said Jericho. “As if I wouldn’t do something to build an angle. I’m too much of a disciple of Vince McMahon/Bill Watts/Stu Hart. Any great promoter would do an angle to build the match, to sell the tickets.

    “So once again, in Fukuoka, Japan and I attacked Kenny Omega from behind, nobody saw that coming. And I love that! To me, that’s what [pro] wrestling’s all about. When you can surprise the fans and the ‘smart marks’ that think they know everything, but they don’t know anything, it makes me laugh because even you, Jim, would understand as an old school guy, of course I’m going to build an angle! Of course I’m going to do that. That’s what wrestling is!

    “Honestly, yeah, the match is important. We want to have a good match. I love good matches, but who cares? The most important thing is the story and the angle building towards that match and selling the biggest amount of tickets we can, okay?”

    Omega’s talent inside the ring:

    “He’s a great performer,” Jericho said. “He’s a great worker. And once again, it was pretty heavy stuff. And [Ross] know[s] this, in 2017, for some reason, if you get busted open, your mentor Gordon Solie, ‘his face is a crimson mask’ and that’s what it was. And we don’t see that a lot. For me, I think it has been 10 years since someone has been busted open in a match that I was involved with and it felt good.

    “There [are] certain rules and regulations that we have to abide by in the United States, in the WWE at this point in time, so to come into New Japan and have no rule, but there [are] still rules, I mean, listen, I understand the concept of [pro] wrestling, so I know what to do, but to have Kenny Omega busted open and to feel that, maybe, power, vibe, or energy, there’s nothing like it.

    “And in the right circumstances, when you can bust somebody open, when you can get some color, as we used to say, it means the world because people understand that more than anything. This is the real deal. After 10 years to have a guy I’ve never been in the ring with, to see the reaction of the people, the reaction of the worldwide audience, and to see those pictures that were taken of Kenny Omega with the aforementioned crimson mask, wow, that sells tickets!”

    You can listen to Chris Jericho on The Ross Report by clicking this link here.

  • Latest Wrestle Kingdom 12 Promo Videos With English Subtitles

    Latest Wrestle Kingdom 12 Promo Videos With English Subtitles

    Several English-subtitled Wrestle Kingdom promo videos have been released by New Japan Pro Wrestling. The promotion unveiled their English language YouTube channel earlier this year.

    Wrestle Kingdom Previews

    The new Jr. Heavyweight Champions, Roppongi 3K, will defend their belts against the Young Bucks:

    Cody will face Kenny Omega’s former tag-team partner, Kota Ibushi:

    Marty Scurll defends the IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship against KUSHIDA, Will Ospreay, and Hiromu Takahashi:

    Hiroshi Tanahashi defends the IWGP Intercontinental Championship against Jay White:

    Kazuchika Okada defends the IWGP Heavyweight Championship against the winner of the 2017 G1 Tournament, Tetsuya Naito.

    Another video previewing the main event title match between Tetsuya Naito and Kazuchika Okada:

  • NJPW Booker, Jado, Comments on Chris Jericho

    NJPW Booker, Jado, Comments on Chris Jericho

    NJPW co-booker, Jado, recently took part in an interview with NJPW1972.com. Jado and Jericho teamed together on occasion early in Jericho’s career.

    Jado Interview Highlights

    — So, Chris Jericho has made a huge impact in New Japan. You and he go way back..

    Jado: Right. We first met in Mexico so.. it must be about 26 years now.

    — Would Jericho have been in Mexico with Ultimo Dragon at that time?

    Jado: No, no. I was over in Mexico as a freelancer and had a match with Jericho. Then I went to W*ING but he stayed in Mexico. Then it was around 1994 and WAR that Dragon brought Jericho to Japan.

    — After all that time, on November 5, Jericho appeared on the big screen in Osaka. How did seeing that video message make you feel?

    Jado: It was a huge shock, and not just to Japanese wrestling, but the whole world. I mean, here’s this guy that unified the WCW and WWE heavyweight belts… do you know what the most important thing in wrestling is?

    –What?

    Jado: It’s timing. Just the combination of absolute best time and absolute best place to do something nobody would think possible. Jericho, with the influence he has on the wrestling world, and Omega. This year it couldn’t happen; Omega was with Okada. 2019 maybe they couldn’t do it. Jericho just has a great sense of timing, of knowing ‘2018 is the time to do this’.

    — You mentioned timing. Do you think Jericho’s wild, unpredictable side is another special talent of his?

    Jado: Right. Jericho’s always been a hungry guy. And he really feels right now that he needs to face Omega. He said it himself, it’s Alpha versus Omega. He’s put together such a huge match for the worldwide audience.

    — You and Jericho seem to get along well on Twitter, too..

    Jado: (laughs) Well, he’s absolutely an old friend.

    — Do you and he ever talk on a personal level?

    Jado: Well, I think if we want to we can.

    “— Did he get in touch with you when he showed up in Osaka?

    Jado: No, not really. If he came to me it would be ‘shall we go out for dinner’? That kind of thing. He’s the same way. But when he was touring Japan with WWE, we’d definitely meet up. Once a year or so.

    — When he was in Japan for WWE, you’d always tweet out a photo with you and he going for dinner. Did you ever talk much about what was happening in New Japan over those dinners?

    Jado: Not in much detail; he didn’t have a clear vision of coming to wrestle here at the time. But he was pretty clued in. He’d know Okada was champion, ask about Tanahashi and if he was hurt or not. These days you can find out about all sorts of things online pretty easily, so he’s definitely keeping up I think.

    — His antenna is always working, so to speak.

    Jado: That’s Jericho. I think his radar picked up that Kenny’s doing big things and that they’re from the same hometown of Winnipeg, so he decided something had to happen.

    — The ‘big superstar’ Jericho being a challenger is an interesting situation.

    Jado: Again, I thought that it’s really like him, to have the intuition to choose Kenny who’s on such a rise. And he did it on NJPW World so the whole world could see. He wanted to send that message, ‘I’m number one in Canada, and I’m number one in the world’.”

    The full interview can be read here.

  • NJPW Video Game Announcement, Young Bucks Wrestle Santa & More

    NJPW Video Game Announcement, Young Bucks Wrestle Santa & More

    – According to the official website of New Japan Pro Wrestling, there will be an “NJPW video game announcement” taking place at the Wrestle Kingdom Fan Festa 2018 that takes place on January 3rd, the day before WK12.

    We’ll find out on 1/3 if this will be a game that’s released for mobile phones or traditional consoles. For more information on the fan fest, visit njpw1972.com.

    – To hype the the main event of the upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 12 pay-per-view from the Tokyo Dome, NJPW has uploaded the full match between Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito from Wrestle Kingdom 8 back in January 2014.

    https://youtu.be/P01eq7V4dbs

    – Matt Jackson of the Young Bucks posted this video of himself and brother Nick wrestling Santa Claus in their living room on Christmas. The caption, “Grown men watch this” is a reference to a UFC fighter calling out the Bucks for a flippy spot during their match at last weekend’s ROH Final Battle PPV.

    https://twitter.com/MattJackson13/status/945444765826367488

  • NJPW Returning To Long Beach, California March 2018

    NJPW Returning To Long Beach, California March 2018

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is returning to the United States in just a matter of months. NJPW invades the Walter Pyramid arena in Long Beach, California on March 25th for a special one-night event, Strong Style Evolved.

    The Walter Pyramid seats approximately 5,000 fans and hosted the 2-night 2017 G1 Special event that saw Kenny Omega be crowned the first-ever IWGP United States Champion.

    Ticket information and match card will be announced soon at NJPW1972.com.

    Here’s the official trailer for NJPW: Strong Style Evolved (3/25/2018):

  • Jim Ross Confirmed For Fourth Season Of NJPW On AXS TV In 2018

    Jim Ross Confirmed For Fourth Season Of NJPW On AXS TV In 2018

    New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) announced today that WWE Hall Of Famer Jim Ross and former UFC Heavyweight Champion Josh Barnett will be returning for the fourth season of NJPW On AXS TV in 2018.

    The fourth season of NJPW On AXS TV kicks off with the Wrestle Kingdom 12 special featuring Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega on January 6th.

    Featured below is the complete press release:

    ACCLAIMED NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING COMMENTARY TEAM JIM ROSS AND JOSH BARNETT RETURN TO AXS TV IN 2018

    AXS TV Announces Fourth Season of NJPW Weekly Series Scheduled for Friday Nights in 2018

    Featured Events Include Wrestle Kingdom 12, New Beginning Sapporo, New Beginning Osaka and More

    Los Angeles (Dec. 20, 2017) – Wrestling Hall of Fame broadcaster Jim Ross and champion fighter Josh Barnett will return as AXS TV’s New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) broadcast team in 2018, announced AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon. The acclaimed commentary duo kick off the New Year with AXS TV’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 special on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8pE/5pP.

    AXS TV’s award-winning weekly NJPW series returns to Friday nights on Jan. 12 at 8pE/5pP, with additional coverage from Wrestle Kingdom 12. Rounding out the network’s first quarter schedule will be matches from New Beginning Sapporo, New Beginning Osaka and more.

    One of the most recognizable figures in pro wrestling, Ross has called thousands of televised events over the course of his 30-plus-year career and has lent his iconic voice to NJPW on AXS TV since 2016. Along with his beloved catchphrases, Ross is widely regarded for his influence on the wrestling industry, as evidenced by his induction into the WWE, NWA and National Wrestling Halls of Fame. Ross continues to share his love of wrestling in his popular podcast “The Ross Report” and his new memoir “Slobberknocker: My Life in Wrestling.”

    A former UFC Heavyweight Champion and veteran wrestler, Barnett has provided expert analysis for NJPW on AXS TV since the series debuted in 2015. Barnett’s storied combat sports career is highlighted by multiple headlining and title fights in the UFC, Strikeforce, PRIDE and Pancrase. His wrestling background includes competing for heavyweight belts in NJPW, Inoki Genome Federation (IGF) and TNA. He has also trained extensively with some of NJPW’s biggest stars and currently coaches his own team of pro wrestlers and MMA fighters in Los Angeles.

    “Together, Jim Ross and Josh Barnett form one of the strongest and most unique commentary teams in pro wrestling,” said Simon. “J.R.’s experience is second to none and his iconic voice provides a captivating soundtrack for NJPW, while Josh’s career in both pro wrestling and combat sports allows him to add compelling depth and combatant’s perspective to the action.”

    “I’m excited to be returning to AXS TV,” said Ross, “and with my partner Josh Barnett we look forward to another exciting year with AXS TV and their NJPW programming. NJPW has some of the finest athletes in the world performing for them and it’s an honor to be able to add a narrative to their bouts.”

    “I love being a part of the growing New Japan Pro Wrestling expansion into the U.S.,” said Barnett,” and with more shows to come, I am ready to roll up my sleeves, bust out a few hundred squats, and get to calling the best wrestling action in the world.”

    AXS TV produces the English language version of “New Japan Pro Wrestling” in association with TV ASAHI CORPORATION, the distributor of NJPW.

  • Tama Tonga Teases Original Bullet Club Reunion

    Tama Tonga Teases Original Bullet Club Reunion

    “Bad Boy” Tama Tonga, appears to be teasing an original Bullet Club reunion for September 2019. He posted the following to his social media accounts this morning:

    He has the following post pinned to his Twitter profile as well:

    September 2019

    For the OGs of Bullet Club to reunite in September 2019 either Bad Luck Fale and Tama Tonga would have to leave NJPW or Balor & Anderson would have to leave WWE.

    NJPW contracts typically run for a year from January to January, so Tonga is most likely not insinuating he is leaving NJPW.

    Prince Devitt, Bad Luck Fale, Karl Anderson & Tama Tonga were the original 4 members of the all-gaijin stable in 2013.

  • Stipulation Added to Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho

    Stipulation Added to Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho

    New Japan Pro Wrestling recently announced there will be a No DQ stipulation in the Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho match on January 4th, 2018.

    Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho

    The new stipulation comes on the heels of multiple incidents during the World Tag League final. Jericho attacked Omega at the event, drawing blood in the process, something NJPW is reluctant to use. Omega then attacked Jericho at the WK12 press conference the next day.

    Stipulation matches in NJPW are rare but becoming more common with stables such as Suzuki-Gun and Bullet Club having utilized them in recent years.

    Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho is expected to be the semi-main event for the show, with Kazuchika Okada defending his IWGP Heavyweight Championship against Tetsuya Naito in the main event.

  • Chris Jericho Wrestling Multiple Matches For New Japan?

    Chris Jericho Wrestling Multiple Matches For New Japan?

    Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega are set to have one of, if not the biggest match in New Japan Pro Wrestling’s history on January 4th at Wrestle Kingdom 12. During a recent interview with Yahoo Sports in Japan Jericho alluded to not only potentially having multiple matches with ‘The Cleaner’ Kenny Omega but also not ruling out other matches for New Japan going forward.

    Japanese wrestling writer Chris Charlton recently transcribed the interview with Jericho and the following statement speaks volumes: “Ive said maybe me and Kenny will never happen again. But I never said I’d only do one match. I never said this would be my last match with New Japan. Wait and see”

    Whilst this could just be another promotional tactic from Jericho it is worth considering that with New Japan’s upcoming ‘United States Expansion’ and their ongoing growth with AXS TV he could be around for far longer than just the Tokyo Dome on January 4th.

  • Taz Explains Flaw In Recent Chris Jericho- Kenny Omega Segment

    Taz Explains Flaw In Recent Chris Jericho- Kenny Omega Segment

    While Chris Jericho attacking Kenny Omega at World Tag League Finals has become one of the hottest topics among wrestling fans in no time, it appears former WWE Star Taz is not impressed with a part of this segment.

    During the latest episode of his podcast, Taz explained that he didn’t like the way the announcers Kevin Kelly and Don Callis, sold the whole angle. Below are some highlights from his podcast:

    How Kevin is an underrated commentator:

    “I love Kev. I think he’s a really good, underrated play-by-play man… When I first started as an announcer in the WWE, Kevin Kelly was in the WWE, and Kevin helped me out my first couple of days with the gig. He’s just a good guy, a real pro’s pro. I think he’s a great fit there with the New Japan stuff”

    Disagreeing with the way the commentary team handled Jericho’s appearance:

    “But, I don’t know if he was directed this way or not, he and [Don Callis] started screaming, ‘It’s Jericho. Oh my God, it’s Jericho!’ I can understand them getting hung up on the emotion, they’re there in the building. I get it. I just disagree with the way this was handled. If it was something that was done from someone in their holding area, whatever they call their Gorilla Position.’”

    How they should have played dumb until they saw Chris on their monitors:

    “I don’t agree with that move, because, and I’m saying that respectfully because I love Kevin, but…I just don’t agree with it because I can’t see who it is. Yelling ‘It’s Chris Jericho,’ well the announcers, the number one rule for the announcers, at least from what I was taught for many years by some pretty high-end guys, you gotta look at your monitor. And what the monitors sees, the fan at home sees, or vice versa… You have to play dumb, and do the job, until you can see him [in the monitor].”

    Quotes via WrestlingInc.