Pro wrestling continues to once again become more integrated into the general tapestry of pop culture. WWE was at one time pretty much the only promotion to be referenced by most mainstream shows. That’s no longer the case. Turns out that New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) has fans amongst the writers of ABC’s comedy sitcom Black-ish.
The show uploaded a clip yesterday to promote last night’s episode. In it, the scene features a nod to The Shawshank Redemption. It also directly references New Japan’s premiere event, Wrestle Kingdom. It even name-drops two of the promotion’s top stars: Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada.
Black-ish x NJPW
After throwing his video game controller at the wall in frustration, Andre Johnson Sr. approaches the wall. He then tears away at a poster that had been hiding a hole. Understandably, he demands an explanation. He’s then informed how Junior and his brother were trying to recreate “the classic Wrestle Kingdom Okada-Tanahashi match.”
After attempting a Rain Maker, Junior accidentally threw his brother into the wall. The result was the unfortunate damage.
It didn’t take long for Okada to see the clip. He retweeted it, thanking the show for the “shout out.”
The promotion’s Twitter account, NJPW Global, also shared the clip, writing “Can’t be helped” alongside a shrugging emoji.
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