One of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) biggest stars, Kazuchika Okada, might not be available for the promotion’s upcoming joint pay-per-view (PPV) with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), The Forbidden Door, this summer.

It was announced on yesterday’s AEW Dynamite that NJPW and AEW would be hosting the join PPV event from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26. Shortly after the announcement there was a huge buzz on Twitter about Okada appearing on the show, and who he could potentially compete against. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio recently reported on this.

Meltzer noted that the show was just now brought up to Okada as it was announced in Japan. However, his wife’s birthday is on the 28th of June, and that is June 27th in the United States. With that being said, it would be difficult for Okada to make the show and be back in time for his wife’s birthday.

While Meltzer did note that Okada “kind of” said he wasn’t doing the show, he could have been kidding. He then speculated that if Okada was a part of the show, it would be a perfect opportunity to re-introduce Kenny Omega and build up to a potential match – likely in September.

Omega and Okada have extraordinary chemistry with each other inside the ring, having competed three times in singles action against one another under the NJPW banner. Currently, Omega has a 2-1 lead in the rivalry, a number Kazuchika Okada is hoping to make even in a potential rematch.

The reports of a joint show involving AEW and NJPW have been confirmed.

During the April 20 episode of Dynamite, Tony Khan, along with NJPW President Takami Ohbari, announced “Forbidden Door.” This will be a PPV event that’ll be held inside the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on June 26.

Adam Cole interrupted Khan and Ohbari to announce he’ll take on Tomohiro Ishii on the April 22 episode of Rampage. This will be an Owen Hart Cup qualifier match. Jay White later made his way out and promised that the Bullet Club will have a presence at the show.

In a press release, Tony Khan expressed his excitement about doing business with NJPW.

“As the world continues to reopen, I’m making sure the Forbidden Door follows suit and we can finally give fans the dream events they’ve always imagined,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “The United Center was home to one of AEW’s biggest events of all time, The First Dance, where CM Punk made his return to wrestling after a seven-year hiatus. This summer, fans of AEW and NJPW can expect the unexpected during this extraordinary, first-of-its-kind pay-per-view between our two incredible companies.”

Takami Ohbari also chimed in, promising that NJPW talent will showcase Strong-Style to the highest degree.

“As we have done for more than 50 years, the power of pro-wrestling can energize people by fulfilling their dreams,” said Takami Ohbari, President of NJPW. “Now, it’s quite an important mission for us, the pro-wrestling industry as a whole. We are not only opening this door. We will show you NJPW’s genuine Strong-Style beyond the Forbidden door.”

CM Punk has dropped a big hint pertaining to a potential crossover show.

Tony Khan is set to make a major announcement on the April 20 episode of Dynamite. The AEW boss is known for having his share of big announcements. Back in March, he revealed that he is now the owner of ROH.

Speculation has run rampant on what the announcement will be this time. Ringside News has reported that there are plans in place for a joint show involving AEW and NJPW in Chicago this June.

The outlet made note that there’s no guarantee that the crossover show will be the announcement, however.

CM Punk seems to be having fun with the rumors as he has taken to his Instagram Stories to tease the crossover show. He even threw in the coin drop, potentially signaling an appearance from the “Rainmaker,” Kazuchika Okada.

SEScoops will keep you posted on Tony Khan’s major announcement and whether or not it will indeed be about the joint show with NJPW.

Tony Khan will make another “huge announcement” this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite.

The last time that Khan promised such an announcement, he revealed that he had purchased ROH Wrestling.

Rumors have been running rampant since last week, and one possibility has since started to make the rounds.

AEW vs. NJPW Super Show

According to the Super J Cast, AEW is set to run a cross promotional show with New Japan Pro Wrestling on Thursday, June 23rd in Chicago. While some have speculated about this being a stadium show, sources I have spoken to about the possible event have denied the stadium rumors and believe that it will take place at the United Center. That week is indeed clear on the United Center’s calendar of events.

New Japan’s Dominion event takes place on June 12th, and the G1 Tournament will begin in July and run through August. This joint show would be sandwiched between that and may end up leading to some AEW involvement in the G1.

This would not be the first time AEW has run the United Center. The company sold out the venue last August for the second-ever edition of AEW Rampage with the tease that CM Punk would debut on the show (and he did). Even more amazing, that event sold out after the company already had three events (Dynamite, Rampage, and All Out) in the Chicago metro two weeks later booked and on sale to the public.

Other specifics of the show are not yet known, including how it would be covered for television or streaming, and the AEW/NJPW show might not even be the surprise that Khan reveals on Wednesday evening (that could be something else and the Chicago event might just be a straight reveal later on). A television/streaming deal for ROH is another possibility for Khan’s announcement.

June 23rd is the same night as the NBA Draft and one night after Dynamite airs live from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

• Tony Khan Talks Future ‘Bidding Wars’ Between WWE and AEW

AEW & NJPW Growing Closer In Recent Months

This would be the first time that AEW has officially co-promoted an event with another promotion, though they have worked with other organizations such as AAA, IMPACT, and of course NJPW itself over the last couple of years.

It was recently revealed that AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage will start airing on the NJPW World streaming service soon (exclusively for Japanese users), so a co-promoted show between the two organizations seems to be in line with what we see happening from a business perspective.

NJPW held an event on Saturday night in Chicago dubbed “Windy City Riot.” Though an event with AEW was not announced, several AEW stars appeared on the show. Jon Moxley worked with Will Ospreay in the main event and called out Hiroshi Tanahashi for the NJPW show in Washington, D.C. on May 14th.

Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

Juice Robinson appears to be done with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) when he contract expires later this month.

Robinson recently joined Wrestling Observer Live and revealed that his current contract with NJPW is set to expire on April 30, and when the time comes, he has not plans on re-signing with the promotion.

“I don’t have plans to travel back over [to Japan],” Robinson said (via WrestlingNews.co). “I am at the end of my contract. I did an extra three month extension and that ends April 30th so that will be that. I will not be wrestling under the New Japan banner any longer.”

Robinson’s initial contract with NJPW expired back on January 31, however, as he mentioned, he signed a three-month extension through the end of April. Now, Robinson is set to become a free agent, and there’s no telling where he could end up. However, it’s probably easy to guess where he won’t end up.

Aside from NJPW, Robinson also had a stint with WWE back in 2011. He wrestled for Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) when it was part of WWE’s developmental program, and even saw it morph into WWE NXT before departing from the company in 2015.

Robinson then joined NJPW in 2015, where he continued working for the next seven years, while also making appearances for Ring Of Honor (ROH). During his run with NJPW, Robinson captured the IWGP United States Heavyweight Title twice, along with an IWGP Tag Team Title win alongside David Finlay. Now that his time in NJPW is behind him, perhaps Juice Robinson has his eyes set on the likes of IMPACT Wrestling or All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Chris Dickinson has officially signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

On Tuesday, the “Dirty Daddy” posted a message on Instagram announcing the big career move.

“I am beyond proud to announce that I have officially signed an agreement with New Japan Pro Wrestling,” he wrote. “I’ve heard you all for years say I should sign with other companies and I appreciate everyone of your hopes for my success but this is what I’ve always wanted.”

Dickinson says his decision to sign with NJPW at this time was partially based on the easing of pandemic-related travel restrictions.

He intends to continue working independent dates in the US and overseas, but NJPW is now his home cmopany.

“With the companies expansion in the USA on the rise and Japan finally reopening, the future is brighter than ever,” he continued. “I am still available to work independently in the USA and internationally excluding Japan but NJPW is now home. Let’s continue to bring the highest level of pro wrestling to the world together.”

Congratulations to Chris Dickinson.

Jon Moxley Appears At NJPW Lonestar Shootout

Earlier today, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Jon Moxley made a surprise appearance at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Lonestar Shootout event. Moxley hit the ring shortly after Minoru Suzuki’s win over Killer Kross. Getting on the mic, Moxley touched on the fact that, despite dealing with some hamstring and concussion issues, he won’t miss the chance to step into a NJPW ring against Will Ospreay.

Moxley will face off against Ospreay at NJPW Windy City Riot in Chicago, Illinois on April 16, 2022. The former AEW World Champion vowed not to let pride get in his way of teaching Ospreay a lesson. Check out his promo below.

Charlotte Flair & Andrade Set To Be Married

WWE SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair has announced that she and AEW star Andrade are set to be married this summer. Flair broke the news during an interview with BT Sport’s Ariel Helwani. She noted that the wedding will take place in Mexico, and the couple have already bought a dress and set the date. When asked whether or not she would be taking time off for the occasion, Flair was noncommittal in her answer.

“Who knows? You’re acting like I’m gonna lose the title at WrestleMania [laughs],” said Flair (via WrestleZone). ” I think [he] would be a little angry with me if I walked down my aisle with my title.”

Flair will defend her SmackDown Live Women’s Championship tomorrow night at Night One of WrestleMania 38 against Ronda Rousey in Dallas, Texas. It is expected to serve as the main event of the evening.

Jon Moxley and Will Ospreay are set to face off for the first time ever under the NJPW banner. 

Ospreay has been calling out Moxley, who responded today in a promo posted by NJPW. Moxley challenged Ospreay to face him at NJPW Windy City Riot on Saturday, April 16.

Moxley warned him in the promo that Ospreay’s words have consequences and while he may never have seen a wrestler more talented than Ospreay, it might be time for Moxley to beat some humility into him.

Ospreay first called out Moxley at a Revolution Pro Wrestling event last month and then again backstage on the New Japan Cup tour recently. 

Windy City Riot will air live on Fite TV as a pay-per-view from the Odeum Expo Center in Villa Park, Illinois. No matches have been officially confirmed for the show, but the following names are advertised to appear:

• Jon Moxley
• Minoru Suzuki
• Will Ospreay
• Jay White
• Tomohiro Ishii
• Tom Lawlor
• Jeff Cobb
• Juice Robinson
• David Finlay
• Yuji Nagata
• Fred Rosser
• JONAH
• Brody King
• Karl Fredericks
• Clark Connors
• Hikuleo
• Rocky Romero
• Doc Gallows
• Karl Anderson
• The Great-O-Khan

Killer Kross is slated to make his New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut in less than a month as the promotion released a new vignette to hype his arrival. 

The former WWE star will be working for the company on April 1st at Lonestar Shootout in Dallas, Texas. Kross issued a match challenge in the video and brought up Minoru Suzuki’s name so that could be a future match made. 

While with WWE, he was pushed as a top star in NXT and became a two-time NXT Champion. Alongside real-life fiance and on-screen partner Scarlett Bordeaux, they immediately got over with their entrance. 

However, while on the main roster, he treaded water due to booking. The company repackaged him a few different times including wearing a helmet during his entrance. WWE had been planning to repackage him again before he was let go last November. 

Kross has competed for Warrior Wrestling, MLW, WrestlePro and Future Stars of Wrestling since becoming a free agent. Here’s the current lineup for Lonestar Shootout:

• Ren Narita vs. Rocky Romero
• David Finlay, Juice Robinson, Daniel Garcia & Kevin Knight vs. Máscara Dorada, Yuya Uemura, Karl Fredericks & Clark Connors
• ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey vs. Jay White
• Chris Dickinson vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Swerve Strickland is All Elite but another prominent promotion was knocking on his door.

Back in Nov. 2021, Strickland was surprisingly released by WWE. He along with other members of the group, Hit Row were given their walking papers despite just being called up to the main roster.

While the release was abrupt, many were convinced that Strickland wouldn’t be out of work for long. That hunch was correct as he is now a member of the AEW roster.

NJPW Tried Signing Swerve Strickland

Appearing on Adam Silverstein’s Getting Over Podcast, Swerve Strickland revealed he was first contacted by NJPW (h/t Fightful).

“My first call was New Japan. I was on the phone with Rocky Romero and talked with Will Ospreay about it. That’s a little brother to me, he wants me to be over there as much as them.

“My cousin, Will Washington, who helped produce ‘Who We Are’ AEW album, he talks with Tony Khan frequently and does a lot of media scrums as well. He also does the Grapsody podcast with Righteous Reg and Phil Lindsey, shoutout to them. Tony Khan reached out to him because we’re family and was like, ‘what can we do about getting him here?’

“That was the bug in the ear. I was happy about interest being there really early on. I didn’t want to just show up there. I’m glad I had the 90 days. It gave me time to go out, travel, build a team, network, meet other people.

“I went to LA for 12 days and met so many people in the industry and outside the industry, in the music industry, fashion. I’m building a podcast team, a music team.”

Swerve made his AEW debut at the Revolution PPV. He’ll have his first match with the promotion against Tony Nese on the March 11 episode of Rampage.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the brackets for this year’s New Japan Cup tournament. 48 wrestlers will take part in the tournament this year. The brackets are below:

Top Left Side of Brackets:

1. Kazuchika Okada vs El Desperado
2. Master Wato receives bye to 2nd round.
3. Toru Yano vs Taichi
4. Hiroyoshi Tenzan receives bye to 2nd round.
5. Yuji Nagata vs Hirooki Goto
6. Dick Togo receives bye to 2nd round.
7. CIMA vs Taka Michinoku
8. Yoshinobu Kanemaru receives bye to 2nd round.

Bottom Left Side of Brackets:

1. Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Yoh
2. Bad Luck Fale receives bye to 2nd round.
3. Tetsuya Naito vs Yujiro Takahashi
4. Gedo receives bye to 2nd round.
5. Togi Makabe vs Jeff Cobb
6. Satoshi Kojima receives bye to 2nd round.
7. Tomoaki Honma vs Yoshi-Hashi
8. Kosei Fujita receives bye to 2nd round.

Top Right Side of Brackets:

1. Kota Ibushi vs Great-O-Khan
2. Taiji Ishimori receives bye to 2nd round.
3. Ryohei Oiwa vs Zack Sabre Jr.
4. Douki receives bye to 2nd round.
5. Yuto Nakashima vs Aaron Henare
6. Sanada receives bye to 2nd round.
7. Bushi vs Will Ospreay
8. El Phantasmo receives bye to 2nd round.

Bottom Right Side of Brackets

1. Tomohiro Ishii vs Shingo Takagi
2. Tanga Loa receives bye to 2nd round.
3. Chase Owens vs Jado
4. Tiger Mask receives bye to 2nd round.
5. Ryusuke Taguchi vs Evil
6. Tama Tonga receives bye to 2nd round.
7. Hiromu Takahashi vs Sho
8. Minoru Suzuki receives bye to 2nd round.

1st round matches will take place March 2nd, 6th, and 7th. 2nd round will take place March 9, 10, 12, and 13. 3rd round will take place March 14, 15, 17, 18. Quarter-Finals will be held on March 20 and 21. Semi-finals will take place on March 26th and the finals will be held on March 27th.

Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows have filed an interesting trademark considering their current rivalry with their former stablemates in Bullet Club. The Good Brothers have been in a rivalry with the Guerrillas of Destiny in Impact Wrestling as of late. The feud also played out on an NJPW show last summer.

Doc Gallows’ company “Wrestlemerica” and Karl Anderson filed to trademark “The BC” for wrestling purposes on February 10th, 2022. Michael E. Dockins is the attorney on record for the filing.

This comes at an interesting time, as The Good Brothers will defend the Impact Tag Team Championships against the Guerrillas of Destiny at No Surrender this weekend. The storyline is that Anderson and Gallows feel that Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and other members of the current Bullet Club should thank them for making the faction what it is today. Tama Tonga has been particularly unmoved by this sentiment.

Karl Anderson and Tama Tonga are 2 of the 4 founding members of the faction. Back in 2013, the group was started by Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Bad Luck Fale, Anderson and Tonga. Gallows would join the group later that year. Tanga Loa would join the group in 2016. Jay White joined the group in 2018 and is also involved in the faction that is active in Impact and NJPW’s American division.

After a very short free agency period, Bullet Club’s Tama Tonga has re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. Tonga took to Twitter recently to state that his contract with the promotion expired on January 30th, 2022. Confusing matters was that Tonga had included the hashtag #Misinformation along with his Tweet.

Recently on his podcast, however, Tonga revealed that he really was a free agent but has since re-signed with NJPW.

“It’s true. I was a free agent on January 30. I am now officially signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling,” Tonga said on the show.

Tonga is a founding member of NJPW’s Bullet Club faction along with Prince Devitt (Finn Balor), Bad Luck Fale, and Karl Anderson. He’s been with the promotion since 2010. Tonga has also been competing in Impact Wrestling as of late. His Guerrillas of Destiny team along with Tonga Loa will face the Good Brothers for the Impact World Tag Team Championships on the February 19th No Surrender show from New Orleans.

The last time Tonga performed for New Japan Pro Wrestling in Japan was the World Tag League tour in December. He was not on any of the Wrestle Kingdom shows on January 4th, 5th, or 8th.

H/T To Fightful for the above transcriptions.  

Jon Moxley has announced the date that he will make his long awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling.

The former IWGP U.S. Champion is scheduled to be part of the NJPW event in suburban Chicago, Illinois on April 16th. Moxley filmed a promo video for the promotion where it was announced he will be making his return. Tickets for that event go on sale Friday.

“When I think of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, I think of concussions. I think of swollen red chests. I think bruises and swelling,” Moxley said. “I think of sweat flying. I think of individuals digging down deep into their souls to prove who’s the best on that blue mat. The men who call themselves the best in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Shingo, Okada, and Tanahashi.”

He continued, “One thing has not changed. I am the boogeyman in New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and nobody can call themselves the best as long as I am lurking in the shadows. So I will be in Chicago on April 16. New Japan Pro-Wrestling, like you always do, bring your best.”

Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Yuji Nagata, Tomohiro Ishii, Jay White, Juice Robinson, David Finlay, Tom Lawlor, Jonah, Fred Rosser, and Brody King have also been announced for the event.

• Roman Reigns on Jon Moxley: ‘I Don’t Think He Owes Anyone An Apology’

Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson to Team In AEW?

This past Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite saw Moxley wrestle Wheeler Yuta in the opening match of the broadcast. Moxley had originally been scheduled to face Brian Kendrick, but that match was changed after some anti-semitic statements that Kendrick made in the past came to light.

After his victory over Yuta, Bryan Danielson made an appearance in the ring with Moxley. The pair had been scheduled to face each other at Full Gear last November until Moxley entered rehab for alcohol addiction and appear to be picking up where they left off.

Danielson proposed an alliance with Moxley, with the idea sounding as if the pair would train up and coming stars who aren’t taking wrestling seriously enough. Moxley thought about the offer in the ring and Danielson told him he could answer his offer at a later date.

And don’t forget to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has cancelled its events in January due to rising COVID-19 cases. Touring will resume in February.

The following events have been cancelled:

• Tuesday January 25th in Fukushima ?Toyota Crown Arena 
• Saturday January 29th at Korakuen Hall
• Sunday January 30th at Ibaraki?Kamisu Bousai Arena

The event on January 28th from Aichi has been rescheduled to April 18th.

The first event back will be the February 6th card from Chiba. The following night, NJPW is scheduled to be in Korakuen Hall with English commentary available on New Japan World. The next event for NJPW USA will be on February 17th, 2022 from the Vermont in Hollywood for New Japan Strong tapings.

Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Satoshi Kojima all missed shows on the most recent tour due to medical protocols.

“With a number of wrestlers presenting elevated temperatures or being in close contact with same, and in accordance with event protocols, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the difficult decision to cancel or postpone remaining live events on the schedule for January,” an NJPW press release reads. “We deeply apologise to fans for the inconvenience, disappointment and concern caused by this decision, and appreciate your understanding.”

Hiroshi Tanahashi has re-signed with New Japan Pro Wrestling. He announced the news recently on Twitter (translated):

“We have renewed the player contract with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. I will do my best.”

Tanahashi is one of the most decorated champions in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling. He is an 8x IWGP Heavyweight Champion, the most reigns of all-time. He’s defended the title 28 times and held it for 1396 combined days, both of those were records until surpassed by Kazuchika Okada.

Tanahashi is also a 3x winner of the G1 Climax tournament. He won the event in 2007, 2015, and 2018. Tanahashi is a 2x and current IWGP United States Champion. He’s also a 2x holder of the IWGP Intercontinental Championship.

The 45-year-old is coming off of having wrestled on all 3 nights of Wrestle Kingdom this year:

• Night 1: Tanahashi wrestled in tag action along with Rocky Romero & Ryusuke Taguchi. They lost to the Bullet Club team of El Phantasmo, KENTA, and Taiji Ishimori.
• Night 2: Tanahashi defeated KENTA to win the IWGP United States title.
• Night 3: Tanahashi teamed with Kazuchika Okada and defeated Kaito Kiyomiya & Keiji Muto.

Don’t expect Will Ospreay to do business with any promotion outside of NJPW anytime soon.

Ospreay competed in the main event of Wrestle Kingdom 16 night two. The night prior, Kazuchika Okada captured the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship from Shingo Takagi.

The storyline going into WK was that Ospreay was the self-proclaimed “real” IWGP World Heavyweight Champion since he was forced to vacate the title due to injury. He considered the winner of Okada vs. Takagi an interim titleholder.

Will Ospreay Slams Forbidden Door Shut

Will Ospreay fell short in his title match with Okada. During the post-Wrestle Kingdom press conference, the former IWGP king made it clear to reporters that he has no interest in wrestling for another promotion (via POST Wrestling).

“I apologize to the fans that want to fantasy book but I’m not walking through no forbidden door seeing that door is firmly closed for me. And, I’m not signing my life away to someone else so I can get fired eight months down the line.

“I ain’t going anywhere. I’m back in New Japan Pro Wrestling and I’m going to stay here until I main event another Tokyo Dome because I will and I will hold this championship once more.

“Until then, you can have it back. I don’t need your help, I don’t need any friends, I’ve got my brothers [United Empire]. This isn’t the last you’ve seen of me.”

Just hours after Ospreay’s jab at WWE’s release sprees, the company announced a new wave of NXT cuts. Office workers, coaches, writers, and talents have been let go.

Time will tell what’s next for Ospreay following WK 16. The United Empire members went 0-3 on night two of NJPW’s biggest event of the year with Great-O-Khan losing to SANADA and Jeff Cobb falling short against Tetsuya Naito.

Wrestle Kingdom 16 is set to be a three-night event for the very first time in the history of New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest show.

The traditional January 4th show took place with Shingo Takagi defending his IWGP World Heavyweight Championship against Kazuchika Okada in the main event.

The winner of that bout, Okada, would then go on to face Will Ospreay as the main event of Night 2 on January 5th.

According to Eastern Lariat, the attendance for Wrestle Kingdom Night 2 compared to Night 1 can only be considered a disaster.

The attendance for Night 1 of the event was 12,047 and Night 2 of the event was 6,379.

Wrestle Kingdom Night 2 Poor Attendance

There’s a number of reasons as to why the number was so low, as mentioned it is traditional for January 4th to be the date of the big event for New Japan.

Much like you see ‘casual’ fans decide to go to WrestleMania in the US, there may be a number of fans in Japan that opted to go out for the traditional 04/01 show.

Another reason for the abysmal number (comparative to Night 1) may well be the main event itself; which when you look into it objectively, falls on the shoulders of Ospreay as Okada was in the main event of Night 1.

Whatever the reasoning may be, it will be interesting to see what the attendance is for the NJPW vs NOAH event that will be taking place on Saturday 8th January.

Kazuchika Okada hopes that he can share the ring with Bryan Danielson and CM Punk before it’s too late.

Okada is gearing up for Wrestle Kingdom 16. He’ll be challenging Shingo Takagi for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Okada won the 2021 G1 Climax and if he defeats Takagi on Jan. 4, he’ll defend the gold against Will Ospreay on Jan. 5.

While Okada has a lot on his mind going into the big Tokyo Dome show, he isn’t afraid to look into the future.

Kazuchika Okada’s Dream Matches

Ahead of Wrestle Kingdom 16, Kazuchika Okada spoke to Sports Illustrated. Okada admitted that he wants to have matches with Danielson and Punk but he knows there isn’t a lot of time left.

“Danielson and Punk would make for some incredible matches. A lot of those dream match scenarios are about getting excited for the possibilities, and once the match is done, it’s done. So it is important to keep that excitement and anticipation, I think. Still, if we wait too long, they’ll both retire eventually, so I want to face them both while they’re still active.”

(Update) CM Punk has has since replied to Okada expressing interest in working together. Punk provided the address of Chicago’s United Center and says, “come see me.”

Danielson and Punk are currently members of the AEW roster. NJPW and AEW have been chummy as of late and once Japan allows foreigners to return without a quarantine period, Okada may get his wish.

Okada has had some classics against the likes of Kenny Omega, Hiroshi Tanahashi, Tetsuya Naito, and many more.

NJPW has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. There has already been rumblings about Wrestle Kingdom this year not being as heavily hyped as it had been in years past. Still, Okada is looking to remind fans of his legendary status.

NJPW has attempted to spice things up by adding a third night of WK on Jan. 8. That show will be a crossover with Pro Wrestling NOAH.

NJPW star Jay White has had enough of the questions regarding a potential appearance on AEW TV.

There was a lot of hoopla surrounding Jay’s status this year. After failing to capture the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 15, Jay cut a heavily praised promo during a press conference that led some to believe he may be done with NJPW.

Ultimately, it was revealed that Jay’s deal isn’t up and he ended up winning the NEVER Openweight Championship four months later.

Don’t Ask Jay White This Question

Chris Van Vliet got a chance to sit down with Jay White at the NJPW LA Dojo. During the interview, Jay went scorched earth on those who constantly ask him if he’ll be appearing on AEW Dynamite.

“They need to stop asking me about when I’m doing that because again like we just touched on, why would you wanna know in the first place anyway? Secondly, you think I’m really actually gonna tell you?

“And even if I do tell you, do you think I’m telling you the truth? If I tell you that I’m gonna be there this Wednesday, are you gonna believe me?

“If I tell you, ‘No, I’m not gonna be there this Wednesday,’ how do you know I’m telling the truth? That question gets me going as you can tell.”

Just for good measure, Jay was sure to drive the point home.

“Every single time, every interview, every signing, every appearance it’s, ‘When are we gonna see you here? Are you gonna do this?’ I’m not gonna f*cking tell you am I?”

This isn’t the first time Jay has gotten peeved over something AEW-related. During an interview with Fightful Select, Jay said he was none-too-pleased with false rumors claiming that he was in talks with AEW at one point this year.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

JONAH knows what’s it’s like to travel around the world as a wrestler and he’s got an idea of the big difference between western and Japanese fans.

The man who was known as Bronson Reed on WWE’s NXT brand found himself in the free agency market after being released. It didn’t take long for JONAH to find work as he was signed by NJPW and was allowed to take bookings for Impact Wrestling.

JONAH Details Culture Differences

It is undeniable that there are differences between western and Japanese crowds. JONAH already has experience working in “The Land of the Rising Sun” thanks to his time in Pro Wrestling NOAH.

During an appearance on Busted Open Radio, JONAH went over the key difference between western and Japanese wrestling fans.

“I did work with Pro Wrestling NOAH for about a year. Yeah, I lived in Japan for about a year.

“So, I know what the Japanese crowd is like and what the fanbase is like. I think the big difference is obviously wrestling fans in the western world, they love professional wrestling, they love everything about it but it’s almost like the Japanese fans watch it as a sport.

“So, they’re a little bit more engaged during the match. Promos and things like that maybe not so much but during the match, you can see that they’re with your every move.”

JONAH has wasted little time making his mark in both NJPW and Impact. At Battle in the Valley back in November, JONAH laid out both Juice Robinson and David Finlay.

He took things a step further over in Impact. At the Turning Point PPV, JONAH attacked Josh Alexander and left him bleeding from the mouth. The two will collide at the Hard To Kill PPV on Jan. 8.

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New Japan Pro Wrestling has revealed the lineups for Wrestle Kingdom 16 nights 1 & 2 on January 4th and 5th.

Night 1 – January 4th

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
  Shingo Takagi (c) vs. Kazuchika Okada
• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
  El Desperado (c) vs.Hiromu Takahashi
• IWGP Tag Team Championships
  Dangerous Tekkers (Zack Sabre Jr. and Taichi) (c) vs. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI)
• NEVER Openweight Championship
  Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. EVIL
• Katsuyori Shibata vs. TBA
• Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, and BUSHI vs. Will Ospreay, Great-O-Khan, and Jeff Cobb
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Ryusuke Taguchi, and Rocky Romero vs. KENTA, Taiji Ishimori, and El Phantasmo
• YOH vs. SHO
• New Japan Ranbo Battle Royal

Night 2 – January 5

• IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
  Winner of Shingo Takagi/Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• IWGP United States Championship
  Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. KENTA
• Tetsuya Naito vs. Jeff Cobb
• SANADA vs. Great-O-Khan
• NEVER Openweight Six-Man Championships
  EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi, and SHO (c) vs Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI, and YOH
• Four-way match for the KOPW 2022 trophy: (4 final entrants left from the battle royal on Night 1)
• Stardom Match
  Mayu Iwatani and Starlight Kid vs. Tam Nakano and Saya Kamitani
• IWGP Junior Tag Team Championships
  Robbie Eagles and Tiger Mask (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori and El Phantasmo vs. Ryusuke Taguchi and Rocky Romero

Night 3 will take place on January 8th from the Yokohama Arena will feature NJPW wrestlers take on wrestlers from NOAH.

Katsuyori Shibata is set to end his in-ring hiatus.

Shibata suffered a life-threatening injury back in April 2017. He took on Kazuchika Okada for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis. The match was a classic but Shibata injured himself after connecting with a headbutt.

Okada won the match and Shibata ended up collapsing backstage. He was rushed to the hospital and needed to undergo emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma. It’s believed that an accumulation of headbutts, which Shibata had used as a signature, was the culprit.

Katsuyori Shibata Returns At Wrestle Kingdom 16

Katsuyori Shibata has been trying to make an in-ring comeback and he will get his wish on Jan. 4, 2022. On the final day of the World Tag League and Best of the Super Juniors, Shibata announced that he will wrestle on night one of Wrestle Kingdom 16.

It looked as if Shibata would never wrestle again but he has tested the waters since his head injury. Back in summer 2019, Shibata attacked KENTA for turning on his LA Dojo young lions.

He even took bumps from the Bullet Club members but nothing was aimed at his head.

Shibata then shocked the wrestling world on the final day of the G1 Climax 31 tournament. He had a surprise UWF rules exhibition grappling match with Zack Sabre Jr. The match went to a five-minute draw.

At this time, there is no word on who Shibata’s opponent will be at Wrestle Kingdom 16.

ROH star Shane Taylor spoke to the Battleground podcast ahead of his Final Battle match against Kenny King.

The Ring of Honor star discussed several topics during the interview, including how he plans on facing major Champions outside of the company going forward.

“I make no bones about it that I see myself as a world champion of any company” Taylor began. “As it stands currently, Hangman Page, Moose, Hammerstone, Shingo Takagi, somebody, somewhere is going to lose their spot. 

“I’m telling you right now. The next few weeks, enjoy the time that you have with your championship, enjoy your time at the top of the ladder, enjoy your time on the throne because in a few weeks, I’m coming to take it all from you” Taylor continued. 

“I forgot one. Will Ospreay. I can’t disrespect my guy like that because like he’s been saying, he’s the real IWGP World Champion, so I would be disrespecting him if I didn’t mention his name as well” the ROH star concluded.

Shane Taylor on World Champions

Here’s the full card for the PPV event tonight:

• Jonathan Gresham vs Jay Lethal
• ROH Tag Team Championships Match: The OGK vs The Briscoes
• Ring of Honor Pure Championship Match: Josh Woods vs Brian Johnson
• ROH TV Championship Match: Dalton Castle vs Rhett Titus vs Silas Young vs Joe Hendry
• Ring of Honor Six-Man Tag Team Championships Match: Shane Taylor Promotions vs The Righteous
• ROH Women’s Championship Match: Rok-C vs Willow
• Fight Without Honor: Shane Taylor vs Kenny King
• Homicide, Brody King & Tony Deppen vs Taylor Rust, Tracy Williams & Eli Isom
• Dragon Lee vs Rey Horus
• Chelsea Green and The Hex vs Miranda Alize and The Allure

New Japan Pro Wrestling talent Jonah shared his thoughts on WWE releasing him and why it surprised him.

Fightful’s Denise Salcedo spoke with Jonah about WWE cutting him from the roster in an interview yesterday. When asked about the morale in WWE, Jonah shared that the people are on edge and walking on eggshells. He admitted that he thought WWE would never release him. WWE had Johan wrestle on dark matches, and he thought the company wanted him on the main roster. However, The company released Jonah on August 6th.

” I mean, it’s definitely not good for morale. I’ve spoken to people that are still there, and it just puts people on edge. People walking around on eggshells and stuff like that,” said Jonah.

Jonah explained, “For example, when the first few rounds of cuts happened, which it’s never good when someone gets released. I was one of those people that were never worried about it. I was like, I’m set. I never thought I was going to be released, and from speaking to some of the higher-ups in WWE, they always said like you’re going to have a job for a long time. Not to worry, and then when I then when I was released, there’s people that are close with me in NXT and WWE that now are worried for themselves.”

Jonah Conversation with John Laurinaitis after his Release

Jonah shared that he still doesn’t know precisely why WWE cut him in the interview. He tried to ask Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis why WWE released him. However, Laurinaitis didn’t give him a clear answer and told Jonah that the door was always open for a return.

“…I spoke to John Laurinaitis, and ‘hey said we are releasing you. You have so many days non-compete’. I said, okay, cool, what is the reasoning for you releasing me,” said Jonah.

He continued, “…he gave me again a bit more blanket statement that didn’t help me at all. It was it’s a no for now, but the door is always open. I was like okay. I rather you tell me it was something to do with character or we didn’t like your size or we didn’t like how you moved in the ring. Whatever it is, because then I know I can work on it and change it.”

What’s Next For Jonah

While Jonah is no longer in WWE, he found a new home in NJPW. He is under a non-exclusive contract, allowing him to wrestle for Impact Wrestling. He made his Impact Wrestling debut at Turning Point on November 20th. Jonah will also wrestle for Pro Wrestling Guerrilla next year. Now working for other wrestling promotions, Jonah plans to show WWE their mistake.