SEScoops

Category: NJPW

  • NJPW To Lift Restrictions On Crowd Noise By The End Of May?

    NJPW To Lift Restrictions On Crowd Noise By The End Of May?

    A notable change could be coming to NJPW. Since bringing back fans for their events, the crowd hasn’t been able to be vocal whether that’s cheering or booing. 

    This has both been criticized by fans. However, it appears the restrictions will be lifted in time for the Battle Of The Super Juniors finals as NJPW commentator Kevin Kelly took to Twitter to pass on the news:

    “I’m hearing that the restrictions on NJPW crowds vocally cheering could be lifted by the end of May. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to hear your voices for #njBOSJ final on June 3?”

    Tokyo Sports has a feature story about people not being able to verbally make noise at wrestling shows in Japan. Takaaki Kidani, Bushiroad founder and President was quoted on the matter. 

    “I don’t know whether we will open up the entire venue or just an area [for verbal crowd noise], but if it is possible, I think New Japan could do it at the upcoming Nippon Budokan show (June 3). If it is possible, I would consider introducing it as soon as possible.”

    Bryan Danielson has made past comments regarding being hesitant to come to Japan until people are allowed to verbally make noise again at shows. There are several AEW stars that have expressed interest in working in Japan for the promotion. 

  • Lance Archer Suggests Massive Faction Match at AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door

    Lance Archer Suggests Massive Faction Match at AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door

    Lance Archer has suggested that the House of Black should face Suzuki-Gun at the upcoming AEW-NJPW crossover event ‘Forbidden Door.’

    Forbidden Door will mark the first crossover show between the two promotions and will take place on June 26, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

    Speaking to Steve Fall from NBC Sports Boston’s Ten Count podcast, Archer put forward the match.

    “I’ll throw out a fun possibility dream match because the two guys just fought this last week. Brody King fought [Minoru] Suzuki at New Japan’s Capital Punishment [Capital Collision]… So they had a battle so why not Suzuki-Gun versus House of Black? That’d be cool.”

    What we know about AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door

    AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door was announced by Tony Khan last month and has already proven to be a hit with fans.

    When pre-sale tickets went on sale earlier this month, the 11,000 available tickets sold out immediately.

    The show sold out when tickets went on sale to the general public just one day later, leaving AEW and NJPW to open up more of the venue for fans.

    So far, no matches have been confirmed by either promotion for AEW-NJPW Forbidden Door 2022.

    Credit to Steve Fall of NBC Sports Boston for the interview.

  • Will Ospreay Reveals Surprising Reason He Won’t Sign With WWE

    Will Ospreay Reveals Surprising Reason He Won’t Sign With WWE

    NJPW star Will Ospreay doesn’t plan on signing with WWE in the future and his explanation may come as a surprise.

    Ospreay hasn’t been shy in expressing that he isn’t a fan of the WWE product. With that said, even though WWE may not be his cup of tea, his feelings aren’t the sole reason why he won’t be joining Vince McMahon’s empire.

    The real reason comes down to lifestyle.

    Not WWE Bound

    During an appearance on WRESTHINGS, Will Ospreay detailed the truth behind WWE not being on his bucket list (h/t Fightful).

    “I have no aspirations of going to WWE, at all. It’s not because of the product or anything. I’m not a fan of it, I will happily say, but my lifestyle. I never wanted to be the big star pro wrestler.

    “Japan allows me to do a tour and come home and live my family life. If anybody has ever spent more than a couple of days with me, family to me is everything. I love my mom, I love my dad, no shame in saying it.

    “Love my nan and granddad and will bend over backward and fold myself in half for those guys. If you are part of that friend circle that I consider family, I’ll do the exact same thing.

    “It’s important for me to have those breaks away from wrestling to be able to live that life because one day I wish to be like my dad or granddad or even my mom because they are the people that made me. I want to do that one day.”

    The former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion went on to say that he’s glad that he isn’t involved in WWE-esque storylines, allowing him to simply focus on perfecting his craft in the ring.

    He also said he loves NJPW as a company because the locker room has always had his back.

  • Will Ospreay on Kenny Omega: ‘We’re Not on Good Terms’

    Will Ospreay on Kenny Omega: ‘We’re Not on Good Terms’

    Will Ospreay says that he is on bad terms with Kenny Omega.

    As the AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door approaches June 26, there has been talk of Ospreay vs. Omega happening.

    The two butt heads on social media regularly, and trade shots at each other in interviews too. This time, in an interview with Wresthings, Ospreay has decided to call out Omega for cutting him off online.

    Ospreay stated that Omega “buried” him to his “sh*tty” fans and wants Omega to stay away from him (transcription by Fightful):

    “Obviously, people want Kenny Omega, we’re not on good terms right now. When you leave the building and leave New Japan and pull me aside and say, ‘You need to step up for this company, I believe in you,’ and gas you up and gas you up hard, and you put your heart and fucking soul in trying to make this…the bar was high.

    “For both myself and [Jay White], the bar was high. I actually care and want the fans who watch New Japan to be like, ‘this is professional wrestling.’ I’m doing it and destroying my body to do it, and then you cut me off online? What type of a cunt is that? I look at you and actually hold you in high regard, actual high regard, and I respect everything you’ve done.”

    Ospreay then added that he does not get along with Omega because he buries him to his fans. At this point, the current RevPro British Heavyweight Champion prefers Omega to stay away from him.

    “Even when you did the barbed wire exploding match that went to fucking shit, I actually was the type of guy that was like, ‘I hope they’re alright.’ The bombardment of tweets, I was probably the only guy that did that, and instead, you retaliate by burying me to your shitty fans. I’m literally doing my fucking best.

    “That’s why me and Kenny don’t get along. I’m sure he has something else to say, but it’s one of those things where I prefer him to stay away from me at this point. It’s not even funny. You can destroy guys like that. You’re saying this and you’re saying that, I don’t like two-faced people. Be real, just be real, that’s all I ask for,” Ospreay said.

    Interestingly, Ospreay alluded to wanting Omega in the ring with him at the AEW-NJPW collaborative event Forbidden Door last month. When Ospreay tweeted about his upcoming match with Hiroshi Tanahashi at Wrestling Dontaku, he wrote that he will “pay homage to a wrestler that largely impacted my career, to show my appreciation for his contribution & sacrifice.”

    Omega responded to the tweet, assuming Ospreay is talking about him. Omega seemed embarrassed by Ospreay, writing, “You’re making it way too obvious, but thanks, I guess.”

    To this, Ospreay asked if he was going to be alright for June, which is when Forbidden Door will take place.

    Omega hasn’t been wrestling since late 2021. His last match was at AEW Full Gear where he lost the AEW World Title to Adam Page. During his time off, he went through multiple surgeries. It remains to be seen if the match between the two can actually take place at the supershow.

  • Kota Ibushi Could Be Leaving NJPW, Waiting For Release (Report)

    Kota Ibushi Could Be Leaving NJPW, Waiting For Release (Report)

    Kota Ibushi may very well be out of New Japan Pro Wrestling soon after expressing dissatisfaction with the promotion in a series of tweets recently on May 10.

    Ibushi has cited reasons such as unfair treatment and other issues with booking and management with NJPW.

    His tweets seemed to target NJPW workers such as Kikuchi, Taichi, and TAKA. He alleged that there’s backstage politics at play involving these names. Ibushi even mentioned Yakuza having links with the promotion.

    Now, The Wrestling Observer Newsletter has reported that NJPW’s parent company, Bushiroad, plummeted when links with the crime syndicate were alleged by Ibushi (as transcribed by WrestlePurists):

    “Nothing major has changed on the Kota Ibushi front. The only major stuff is that there is the belief that Ibushi’s statements and bringing up the Yakuza have hurt the stock price of Bushiroad, so that has become a serious company issue. Because Ibushi went after Takami Ohbari, the President of New Japan, this may take Bushiroad President Takaani Kidani to intervene.”

    Apart from that, a wrestler familiar with the situation said that Ibushi is just waiting to be released from NJPW.

    “Another wrestler very close to the situation who knows Ibushi said that he is just waiting to be released and isn’t going to say any more right now. But he said Ibushi has a lot more he could say but doesn’t want to hurt the wrestling industry in Japan by doing so. There is a basic feeling in New Japan that the wrestlers care about the other wrestlers and people like Gedo in management do, and the doctors there very much do, but a lot of management treats them like pieces of meat. They believe they don’t care about the wrestlers themselves and that leads to problems.”

    A fan asked Ibushi if he would return to DDT Pro Wrestling, to which the former IWGP World Heavyweight Champion replied, “I don’t have even 1% intention of going back. Sorry.”

    In his tweets, Ibushi complained about being pressured by Kikuchi to return to Wrestle Kingdom even before he recovered from the injuries he suffered in the G1 Climax final last October.

    He also called NJPW a “black” company (burakku kigyou), which is a Japanese term for an employment system that is considered sweatshop-like. A black company often forces employees to do large amounts of overtime without appropriate overtime pay. Working conditions are also poor in such places, with bullying by seniors being common.

  • Juice Robinson Wins IWGP United States Heavyweight Title At NJPW Capital Collision

    Juice Robinson Wins IWGP United States Heavyweight Title At NJPW Capital Collision

    Juice Robinson is now a three-time IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion.

    The IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship was at stake in the main event of NJPW Capital Collision.

    Hiroshi Tanahashi was the titleholder going into the event. He put the gold on the line against Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay, and Juice Robinson in a four-way match.

    The action was held inside the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC.

    The match ended in controversy as Juice hit a low blow on Ospreay and landed his finisher for the three-count. The real controversy wasn’t in the low blow, as this four-way match was No DQ.

    Ospreay seemingly had his foot under the rope but the referee never noticed. It’s yet another Ospreay match that ends with more questions than answers.

    Take a look at the finish courtesy of FITE TV:

  • Lio Rush Returns At NJPW Capital Collision

    Lio Rush Returns At NJPW Capital Collision

    Lio Rush is back and he’s ready to take the NJPW junior heavyweight division by storm.

    Just before the co-main event of NJPW Capital Collision in Washington, Rush made his way to the ring in a surprise appearance.

    Rush addressed the crowd in DC and admitted he is not medically cleared to compete. With that said, he made it clear that he’ll eventually be good to go.

    When he does return, he’ll compete in the junior heavyweight division.

    Lio Rush stuck around and did commentary for the tag team match between Kazuchika Okada and Rocky Romero vs. Jay White and Hikuleo.

    Here’s footage of Rush’s return:

  • NJPW Capital Collision Results: New Champion Crowned

    NJPW Capital Collision Results: New Champion Crowned

    The time has arrived for NJPW Capital Collision.

    Capital Collision will take place inside the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC. This card is heavily stacked and will feature a four-way match for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship. Titleholder Hiroshi Tanahashi will defend against Jon Moxley, Will Ospreay, and Juice Robinson.

    We’ve also got Tomohiro Ishii taking on AEW star Eddie Kingston. Another AEW wrestler, Brody King, will be in action as he meets Minoru Suzuki.

    “Rainmaker” Kazuchika Okada will be in tag team action tonight. He’ll be joined by Rocky Romero to take on Jay White and Hikuleo. Trent Beretta was supposed to team with Okada but he was forced off the card due to COVID-19.

    The action starts at 7 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on FITE TV in the United States. Keep refreshing this page for live quick results below:

    • Karl Fredericks def. Ren Narita. After the match, QT Marshall and The Factory attacked Fredericks.
    • Team Filthy (Danny Limelight, Jorel Nelson, JR Kratos, Royce Isaacs & Tom Lawlor) def. David Finlay, Fred Rosser, The DKC, Tanga Loa & Yuya Uemura
    • Chase Owens def. Great-O-Khan
    • TMDK (JONAH, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste) & Bad Dude Tito def. United Empire (Aaron Henare, Jeff Cobb, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
    • Brody King def. Minoru Suzuki
    • Tomohiro Ishii def. Eddie Kingston
    • Bullet Club (Hikuleo & Jay White) def. CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Trent Beretta)
    • Juice Robinson def. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c), Jon Moxley, and Will Ospreay – for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
  • Trent Beretta Tests Positive For Covid-19 Ahead Of NJPW Capital Collision

    Trent Beretta Tests Positive For Covid-19 Ahead Of NJPW Capital Collision

    Trent Beretta has tested positive for Covid-19.

    New Japan Pro Wrestling announced the news stating that the card has changed for its Capital Collision event.

    Beretta was set to team up with Kazuchika Okada against Jay White and Hikueleo on May 14 in Washington DC.

    The company apologized to fans who were looking forward to seeing Beretta wrestle.

    Beretta took to Twitter to apologize to fans, writing, “sorry guys. this sucks. I’ve betrayed new Japan all over again. also I feel fine now so use your well wishes on someone else [sic]”.

    The company announced that Beretta has been replaced by Rocky Romero. As a result, The DKC will take Romero’s place in the ten-man tag team match where he was set to team up with Yuya Uemura, David Finlay, Tanga Loa, and Fred Rosser to take on the team of WCWC, JR Kratos, Royce Isaacs, and Jorel Nelson.

    The DKC was set to face Kevin Knight in a non-televised match. He is replaced by AEW’s Nick Comoroto.

    Here is the card for the NJPW Capital Collision which will take place on Saturday, May 14 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC.

    • Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay vs. Juice Robinson for the IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship
    • BULLET CLUB (Jay White & Hikuleo) vs CHAOS (Kazuchika Okada & Rocky Romero)
    • Eddie Kingston vs Tomohiro Ishii
    • Minoru Suzuki vs Brody King
    • United Empire (Jeff Cobb, Aaron Henare, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) vs TMDK (JONAH, Shane Haste, Mikey Nicholls & Bad Dude Tito)
    • Great-O-Khan vs Chase Owens
    • Fred Rosser, David Finlay, Tanga Loa, Yuya Uemura & The DKC vs Team Filthy (Tom Lawlor, Danny Limelight, JR Kratos, Jorel Nelson & Royce Isaacs)
    • Ren Narita vs Karl Fredericks
  • Kota Ibushi May Be Done With NJPW

    Kota Ibushi May Be Done With NJPW

    Kota Ibushi could be on his way out of New Japan Pro Wrestling following a series of tweets in which he expressed his displeasure with the company.

    On Twitter, Ibushi has said that unfair treatment is just part of the problem with New Japan at the moment.

    In a series of screenshots of messages between himself and Kikuchi, a New Japan booker seemingly threatens to fire Ibushi.

    During the latest Wrestling Observer Live, Bryan Alverez said that a source close to the situation believes Ibushi will be gone from the company soon after publicly revealing info regarding NJPW business.

    “The exact wording I was told is, ‘he’s burned his bridges.’”

    Bryan Alverez.

    Alverez added that this could have major ramifications for Ibushi and that other promotions in Japan may be hesitant to work with him.

    “The culture of Japan is you don’t do stuff like this… There’s kind of this feeling that he may be done.”

    Bryan Alverez

    On the most recent Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Ibushi had not been fired yet, and Gedo had been trying to “save the deal” with the inaugural IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

    Ibushi in the United States

    WWE Cruiserweight Classic Results - 8/10/16 (Second round kicks off with Kota Ibushi vs. Cedric Alexander) - WWE News, WWE Results, AEW News, AEW Results
    Kota Ibushi had a brief run in WWE in 2016 as part of the Cruiserweight Classic.

    If Ibushi’s actions have cost him work in Japan, then the 39-year-old wrestler may take his talents to the U.S.

    In 2016, Ibushi briefly worked with WWE, competing in the Cruiserweight Classic but was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winner T.J. Perkins.

    With WWE ending their Cruiserweight Championship division, a role in WWE may seem unlikely for Ibushi, who could join his former tag-team partner Kenny Omega in AEW.

    This too has its problems, as AEW and New Japan will be working closely together ahead of the Forbidden Door event on June 26, and signing Ibushi could possibly strain this relationship.

  • AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Surpasses $1 Million Gate

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Surpasses $1 Million Gate

    AEW has now hit its second million-dollar live gate and this time, some assistance from NJPW helped put it over the top.

    The joint show will be taking place inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. No matches have been announced at this time as AEW has their own Double or Nothing PPV to focus on, which is scheduled for May 29.

    Despite not having any matches announced, Forbidden Door sold out within minutes.

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door Already Reaches Milestone

    Back in March, Tony Khan announced that this year’s Double or Nothing show became the first AEW event to score a live gate of $1 million.

    The promotion has done it again with its crossover show with NJPW. This does not include the secondary market, where thousands of tickets are sold at inflated prices.

    Khan made the announcement during an interview with News 12 Long Island.

    “[Grand Slam] was almost the first million-dollar gate in AEW history, just came shy of that, but it was real close and of course, we set that record now, for AEW Double or Nothing Las Vegas, became our first million-dollar gate for live tickets, and now just hit it again for our partnership with New Japan, for our Forbidden Door show at the United Center.”

    Speaking of Grand Slam, Khan recently confirmed that the event will be returning this year at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, NY.

    It’ll be interesting to see if AEW can reach that million-dollar gate to become the third show in company history to pull off the feat.

  • Juice Robinson Was “Lying to Gullible Idiots” by Teasing NJPW Exit

    Juice Robinson Was “Lying to Gullible Idiots” by Teasing NJPW Exit

    New Japan Pro Wrestling star Juice Robinson says he was just working fans online with his recent talk about leaving the company.

    Just a few weeks ago, Robinson said his contract extension with NJPW was set to expire at the end of April. He said, “I will not be wrestling under the New Japan banner any longer” after then.

    We now know that was a premeditated lie. Robinson made a surprise appearance at NJPW Dontaku on May 1, joined the Bullet Club and attacked new IWGP United States Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

    “Rock Hard” Robinson spoke with the NJPW website this week and had a laugh at the expense of people who believed his talk of leaving NJPW.

    “Not that I owe anyone any explanation, but I was never going to retire,” said Robinson. “That was just me lying to a bunch of gullible idiots. People believe that if they read something on the internet it has to be true. So all I had to say is make sure it landed on the internet, and everybody believed it, hook line and sinker.”

    Robinson gets a shot at the IWGP United States Championship at the upcoming NJPW Capital Collision event from Washington, D.C. He’ll compete in the 4-way title match involving Tanahashi (c), Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay.

    NJPW Capital Collision

    The Bullet Club’s newest member says he will continue shaking things up for the faction, as Jay White has been doing.

    “He got rid of dead weight and brought in new blood,” Robinson said of White. “That’s where I come in. I’m the booster for Bullet Club, and with me there, I see Bullet Club going right to the top of the wrestling world.”

    Visit NJPW1972 to read their latest interview with Juice Robinson.

  • Update on Drama Between Kota Ibushi & NJPW

    Update on Drama Between Kota Ibushi & NJPW

    There is an update on recent drama between Kota Ibushi and NJPW.

    Ibushi recently posted a series of tweets in Japanese, which left many foreign fans confused due to mistranslations. While some alarming terms were seen through the translation tool on Twitter such as, “sexually harassing bosses,” things just didn’t seem to add up.

    It looks like we now know what has Ibushi peeved.

    Kota Ibushi
    (via NJPW)

    What’s Going On With Kota Ibushi?

    Bryan Alvarez took to Wrestling Observer Live to discuss what’s really at play here. Alvarez noted that he received this bit of info from Ibushi’s camp.

    Apparently, Kota Ibushi is none too pleased with NJPW as he feels the company is trying to rush him back to the ring. Ibushi suffered a shoulder injury after landing hard on a Phoenix Splash during his G1 Climax finals match against Kazuchika Okada back in Oct. 2021.

    Ibushi was initially planned to participate in this year’s New Japan Cup. He ended up being pulled from the tournament as he wasn’t ready to return to action.

    Bryan said he wouldn’t go as far as to say Ibushi blew his stack but he did say the “Golden Star” is simply frustrated with the situation. He doesn’t feel his injuries have fully healed but he’s being asked to return.

    Back in 2019, it was reported that Ibushi signed a “lifetime contract” with NJPW. Ibushi reportedly said he wanted to be with the promotion until he dies.

    Ibushi realized his dream of becoming the IWGP Heavyweight Champion back in Jan. 2021. He defeated Tetsuya Naito in the main event of night one of Wrestle Kingdom 15.

  • May NJPW Schedule On AXS TV Revealed, Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley Airing This Week

    May NJPW Schedule On AXS TV Revealed, Will Ospreay vs. Jon Moxley Airing This Week

    AXS TV sent out the following press release announcing the NJPW programming schedule for the month of May.

    The biggest detail is that this week’s episode (Thursday May 12th) will feature two matchups from the recent Windy City Riot event held in Chicago. This includes a classic encounter between Tomohiro Ishii and Minoru Suzuki, and the critically acclaimed first-time meeting between Will Ospreay and top AEW superstar, Jon Moxley.

    Other programming includes the Wrestling Dontaku pay-per-view from the end of April, an event that saw Jay White and the Good Brothers return to Japan, and Juice Robinson joining the Bullet Club. Full details are below.

    Full details can be read below.

    LOS ANGELES (May 10, 2022) – AXS TV, a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., closes out May with a fresh crop of New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) episodes—showcasing unforgettable moments from the trailblazing promotion’s landmark Windy City Riot event, followed by three weeks of coverage from NJPW’s iconic Wrestling Dontaku event, airing every Thursday at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

    The series puts the spotlight on world-class New Japan Pro-Wrestling action every week, delivering one hour of exclusive content compiling the absolute best moments from the promotion’s most recent broadcasts.

    The upcoming roster is as follows:

    May 12—Windy City Riot, filmed live from Chicago, Illinois on 4/16/22

    -NJPW makes its long-awaited Chicago debut with an epic evening, headlined by a dream match main event as the Death Rider and the Commonwealth Kingpin take their feud to the next level when wrestling legend Jon Moxley goes toe-to-toe with Will Ospreay for the first time ever.

    -The night also includes a bitter grudge match between two of wrestling’s hardest hitters, as longtime rivals Tomohiro Ishii and Minoru Suzuki seek to settle their differences in the squared circle.

    May 19—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22

    -AXS TV kicks off three weeks of exciting Wrestling Dontaku, which returned to its birthplace—the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan—for the first time since 2001 with a massive fight card that captivated the wrestling world. In this episode, Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens hope to ring-in the ninth anniversary of the Bullet Club, which was formed at Wrestling Dontaku in 2013, by seizing the Tag Team belts from newly-crowned champions Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan in a three-way showdown that also includes Bishamon duo Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI.

    -Then, the United States Heavyweight Championship is up for grabs, when Hiroshi Tanahashi and Tomohiro Ishii vie for the title SANADA was forced to vacate due to injury earlier this year.

    May 26—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22

    -AXS TV’s Wrestling Dontaku coverage continues with the last stop on the road to the Best Of The Super Jr. tournament, as reigning Junior Heavyweight Champion El Desperado defends his belt against Bullet Club assassin Taiji Ishimori.

    -And former friends meet as foes, when Tama Tonga seeks to become an NJPW singles champion for the first time in his career—and get revenge for the Bullet Club’s shocking betrayal, in the process—by taking on Bullet Club brawler EVIL for the NEVER Openweight Championship.

    June 2—Wrestling Dontaku, filmed live from Fukuoka, Japan on 4/28/22

    -Wrestling Dontaku closes out with a rivalry renewed, as World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada puts NJPW’s most coveted prize on the line against Tetsuya Naito for the second time this year, following The Rainmaker’s defeat at the hands of the Los Ingobernables de Japón boss in the New Japan Cup.

  • New Report Explains KUSHIDA’s Absence From The NJPW BOSJ Tournament

    New Report Explains KUSHIDA’s Absence From The NJPW BOSJ Tournament

    New Japan Pro Wrestling recently revealed the full list of participants in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors, one of the promotion’s most prestigious tournaments that rewards the winner with a future opportunity at the IWGP Junior Heavyweight title, currently held by Bullet Club’s Taiji Ishimori.

    One name who was noticeably absent from that list was KUSHIDA, who became a free agent earlier this year following his release from WWE’s NXT brand on April 18th. While there has been no confirmation or official announcement, speculation is that the former multi-time Junior champion will return to NJPW at some point. However, a new report has surfaced explaining why he KUSHIDA’s name was off the list.

    According to the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, KUSHIDA did not want to return to NJPW and compete in the junior division, something he did extensively for the company during his first run between 2010-2019. The full quote from the report reads:

    “The tournament looks to be very strong for match quality, but it’s doubtful it can touch years past when Ospreay and Takagi were the top junior stars. It’s also notable no Kushida in the tournament. Kushida didn’t want to return and be classified as a junior heavyweight.”

    KUSHIDA hopes to follow the same path as former IWGP world champion’s Shingo Takagi and Will Ospreay, two top stars who worked there way through the juniors and onto the heavyweight division. This year’s tournament is set to begin on May 15th and run through the summer.

  • NJPW Superstar Jay White Gets Married

    NJPW Superstar Jay White Gets Married

    The Switchblade has tied the knot.

    NJPW superstar Jay White was married earlier today (May 6th) to his partner, whose name we cannot confirm at this time. The new was revealed by pro-wrestling historian Ciarán on Twitter. You can see the image below.

    White returned to NJPW at the promotion’s recent Wrestling Dontaku event in Japan after a lengthy run in the United States, which included stints with NJPW STRONG, IMPACT Wrestling, and AEW. He is set to challenge Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight championship at the June 12th Dominion pay-per-view.

    White has had an extensive rivalry with the Rainmaker, having defeated him in the G1 Climax tournament, and in a marquee grudge match at WrestleKingdom 13. Okada would get his revenge on White at the G1 Supercard pay-per-view in 2018 from the famous Madison Square Garden arena in New York, where he dethroned the Switchblade to begin another reign as world champion.

    White has also played a key part in the Undisputed Elite/Bullet Club rivalry that has been brewing in AEW in the absence of Kenny Omega. Both NJPW and AEW are set to square off against one another at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view this June from Chicago.

    Congrats to White and his beautiful bride.

    (Special thanks to photographer Taylor Gonzales for sharing the photo)

  • AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Tickets Sell Out Within Minutes

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door Tickets Sell Out Within Minutes

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door is a supershow that All Elite Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling will present together next month. Fans have been waiting for the two promotions to collaborate ever since AEW launched three years ago.

    On Thursday, pre-sale tickets went live for purchase which saw 11,000 tickets sold under 40 minutes. The remaining 3,000 tickets available for sale today sold out almost instantly.

    20,000 people were in the cue when the 11,000 pre-sale tickets went live. A limited amount of tickets, which we now know were 3,000 in number, went for sale and sold out today. This means that Forbidden Door will at least have 14,000 fans in attendance.

    AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door will take place at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. The event will be available live on PPV, the B/R app, and FITE.

    During the April 20 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan and NJPW President Takami Ohbari announced the event together.

    READ MORE: AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door: What The Card Could Look Like

    Ohbari even said that he isn’t opposed to having a second crossover event with AEW like Forbidden Door in Japan.

    Since Japan is now open to international workers and is even hinting at opening its borders to tourists, Ohbari said that there is potential for another event like Forbidden Door to take place in Japan.

    “Traveling between Japan and the U.S. is no longer a significant problem,” Ohbari said. “If Japanese fans are invested in this event and the demand is there, then there will absolutely be the impetus for us to take the next step of holding an event in Japan.”

  • Top Matches Set for NJPW Dominion on June 12th

    Top Matches Set for NJPW Dominion on June 12th

    New Japan Pro Wrestling is gearing up for NJPW Dominion.

    Dominion is New Japan’s next big event and its final PPV before AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door.

    Top matches signed for the show include:

    • IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White
    • IWGP Never Openweight Champion Tama Tonga vs. Karl Anderson
    • Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens will defend their newly won IWGP Tag Team championships against the United Empire’s Jeff Cobb and Great-O-Khan.
    • Shingo Takagi will put the KOPW 2022 trophy on the line against Taichi.

    NJPW Dominion 2022 takes place Sunday, June 12th from Osaka, Japan.

    For more info on this card, visit NJPW1972.com.

    Catch up on the rich history of NJPW Dominion with this video:

  • Booker T Says Most Fans Won’t Care About AEW Working With NJPW

    Booker T Says Most Fans Won’t Care About AEW Working With NJPW

    Booker T doesn’t believe the “Forbidden Door” event does anything for AEW outside of catering to its existing fanbase.

    AEW and NJPW have teamed up to create a joint PPV event, “Forbidden Door.” The event will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. No matches have been announced at this time.

    Booker T Not Sold On Forbidden Door Attracting New Fans

    Taking to his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker T said he doesn’t see the AEW-NJPW crossover show attracting new fans (h/t EWrestlingNews.com).

    “I do not think the majority of people here in the United States are clicking to go find Japanese wrestling. I just don’t believe that.”

    Booker said he understands that the existing AEW fanbase will enjoy the show but it won’t be making waves outside of that group.

    “They’re going to love it, I get that. The AEW fanbase, they’re going to love it,” Booker expressed. “But what I am saying is, outside of the AEW fanbase, there aren’t a whole lot of people are going to look at this like it’s a forbidden door because don’t too many people know about it but the AEW fanbase.”

    As of now, no matches have been announced for the “Forbidden Door” show. IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada has squashed speculation that he may not be able to attend the show.

    Big AEW names such as Bryan Danielson have also committed to being in action on the show. The Hardys have made it clear that they want to add the IWGP Tag Team Titles to their mantle.

    Tetsuya Naito has said that he won’t be calling anyone out and that he’ll let the AEW stars come to him. His status is a bit of a question mark, however, as he’ll be undergoing surgery on his right eye soon. Naito had a quick turnaround for a similar surgery back in 2019.

  • Okada Confirms His Status for Forbidden Door PPV

    Okada Confirms His Status for Forbidden Door PPV

    Kazuchika Okada says the upcoming Forbidden Door pay-per-view wouldn’t be much of a super-show without him.

    The reigning IWGP World Heavyweight Champion spoke about the upcoming PPV at Sunday’s press conference following NJPW Dontaku.

    Okada says he does not know what the format will be when AEW and NJPW make history on June 26th. It might be AEW stars vs. NJPW stars, it might be talent from both companies teaming up together. What matters is that he’s a part of it.

    “Well, of course I don’t know what shape that event will take, but the fact that we’re having this combined event at all means I should absolutely be a part of it,” he said (via NJPW1972.com).

    “There wouldn’t be much point in having a supershow like that if I’m not there.”

    – Kazuchika Okada

    Okada feels that New Japan Pro Wrestling will gain new fans from working with AEW, just like some NJPW fans will discover All Elite Wrestling.

    Okada on AEW

    Okada joked that he is certainly aware of AEW. He complimented them for having world class talent. However, there is always the opportunity to reach new fans.

    There are still many people who have never heard of AEW. He said that cuts both ways, and there are many people who will be seeing him for the first time, as well.


    “Whatever happens, I’m fully confident that those people will be leaving knowing how good I am. No matter who it might be, I think that a lot of people will get fired up, draw on that energy. There’ll be fans counting the days, not sleeping the night before, and that’s great. But anything more specific, I can’t really say at this point.”

    He added that he plans on walking into Chicago as IWGP World Heavyweight Champion.

  • Tetsuya Naito Undergoing Surgery On Right Eye Again

    Tetsuya Naito Undergoing Surgery On Right Eye Again

    NJPW star and former three-time IWGP Heavyweight Champion Tetsuya Naito will be having another operation on his right eye.

    Naito suffers from superior oblique muscle paralysis. As a result, Naito has been having issues with double vision. Tokyo Sports reports that the top NJPW main eventer will be undergoing surgery soon.

    Back in 2019, Naito underwent a similar operation.

    Tetsuya Naito recently challenged Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestling Dontaku. Okada successfully defended the gold.

    The good news for Naito fans is that it only took him 20 days to recover and return to the ring following his first procedure. Time will tell if he’ll need more or less time this go-around.

  • The Hardys Eyeing IWGP Tag Team Championship At Forbidden Door

    The Hardys Eyeing IWGP Tag Team Championship At Forbidden Door

    The Hardys have long cemented their legacy but they may not be done adding more hardware to their mantle.

    On June 26, AEW and NJPW will team up for a special cross-promotion event dubbed, “Forbidden Door.” The action will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. No matches have been announced at this time but The Hardys seem to already have one goal in mind.

    The Hardys Want Gold In NJPW

    Matt and Jeff are looking to add to their already stellar legacies. In a new video posted by AEW, Matt said he and his brother have their sights set on IWGP gold.

    “The Forbidden Door event is going to be massive. It is going to be huge and blow people’s minds. There should be plenty of opponents for us to ‘DELETE! DELETE! DELETE!’ And you know what, Brother Nero? We never held the New Japan Pro Wrestling tag team titles. Maybe it’s time for a new expedition of gold. See you at the Forbidden Door.”

    Bullet Club members Bad Luck Fale and Chase Owens recently captured the IWGP Tag Team Championship at Wrestling Dontaku. They defeated previous champions Jeff Cobb & The Great-O-Khan as well as Hiroki Goto & Yoshi-Hashi in a three-way tag team title match.

    Please H/T SEScoops if you use any quotes from this article.

  • Juice Robinson Turns Heel, Joins Bullet Club (Video)

    Juice Robinson Turns Heel, Joins Bullet Club (Video)

    Juice Robinson has swerved the wrestling industry.

    It wasn’t long ago when Juice claimed he didn’t plan on re-signing with NJPW. He sounded a bit deflated during an interview on Wrestling Observer Live. His tone even left some fans concerned but it was all a ruse.

    During Wrestling Dontaku, a masked man attacked IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. The man then hit Pulp Friction and at that point, it was clear what was going on. The man unmasked and sure enough, it was Juice Robinson.

    Check out the heel turn below courtesy of NJPW World.

  • Kazuchika Okada Questions If There’s A Need For Him To Wrestle Kenny Omega Again

    Kazuchika Okada Questions If There’s A Need For Him To Wrestle Kenny Omega Again

    Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega have put on some classic matches under the NJPW banner. Omega’s bouts with Okada helped him become a worldwide star among fans. However, their rivalry ended when Omega left NJPW in 2019 to sign with AEW. 

    The top New Japan Pro Wrestling star has no problem running it back with Omega in the United States, but only if that’s what the fans want to see. AEW and NJPW will host their first joint pay-per-view event, AEW X NJPW: Forbidden Door, on June 26th. 

    While speaking with Sports Illustrated about whether or not he will wrestle Omega at the pay-per-view, Okada stated that if there’s enough support from fans for the bout then they will go in that direction. 

    “Is there still unfinished business there?” Okada asks. “I’ve already wrestled a lot of great opponents. It was an honor for me last month to team with Tatsumi Fujinami and wrestle against a legend like Yoshiaki Fujiwara. There are a lot of truly great professional wrestlers out there and a lot of possible dream matches. If running me and Kenny back really is a dream match, well then that’s definitely a direction to take.”

    Okada also stated in this interview that he feels confident the day will come when he wrestles CM Punk and Bryan Danielson.

  • New Japan President Open To AEWxNJPW Event in Japan

    New Japan President Open To AEWxNJPW Event in Japan

    NJPW President Takami Ohbari isn’t opposed to having a second crossover event with AEW in Japan.

    Earlier this month, Tony Khan and Ohbari announced a joint PPV event dubbed, “Forbidden Door.” This special crossover show will be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26.

    Forbidden Door 2?

    During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Takami Ohbari said that Japan is now open to international workers, making travel much less of an issue. Japan took extreme lockdown measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and it was more long-term than many would’ve liked.

    Ohbari says now the door is open for a potential Forbidden Door part two in Japan.

    “Traveling between Japan and the U.S. is no longer a significant problem,” says Ohbari, who also addressed whether there will be a follow-up event with AEW in Japan. “If Japanese fans are invested in this event and the demand is there, then there will absolutely be the impetus for us to take the next step of holding an event in Japan.”

    Ohbari went on to say that his main focus is on ensuring that NJPW represents itself to the highest order this June.

    “NJPW and AEW will open the ‘Forbidden Door’ together this June, but what lies on the other side is something we will all have to wait to find out,” Ohbari says. “One guarantee: I always say that NJPW’s wrestlers carry the pride and the fight of wild lions. Whomever they fight against, or whomever they even team with, they will carry a fighting spirit that is unmatched and unbeatable.”