NJPW President Harold Meij spoke to Yahoo!’s Japanese website and was asked if New Japan would possibly form a partnership with the newly formed All Elite Wrestling. Meij made comments relating to AEW’s “approach to “their presentation” of pro wrestling. The NJPW President felt NJPW would have to see how AEW was going to present their product. This was before making any sort of co-branding decisions.
Meij made the following comments, translated by @kakutolog:
“AEW is a new organization to start from now, and I do not know what kind of relationship we would [have]. I think that it is necessary to figure out what policy they would develop on pro-wrestling.”
It was initially reported that NJPW and AEW would be meeting after Wrestle Kingdom to discuss their positions going forward. It was believed that NJPW would not work with AEW and continue their relationship with Ring of Honor. One of the key elements to their decision is Kenny Omega.
The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion is still a huge part of New Japan’s plans. If the former Champion does move to AEW the company may wish to come to some sort of arrangement with the new upstart. Whether there would be any other sort of cross-promotion is completely up in the air at this point.
New Japan’s first ‘official’ brand tour has just begun. January’s Wrestle Kingdom was a historic event and the Fantastica Mania tour alongside CMLL drew some impressive crowds. The Road to New Beginning tour has begun and we’ll have the full results as and when the cards take place.
Here’s the results for the Road To New Beginning Saitama (01/26):
Yota Tsuji and Yeya Uemura went to a no contest
Toa Henare b. Ren Narita – Henare took the win with the TOA Bottom
Manabu Nakanishi and Hiroyoshi Tenzan b. Shota Umino and Ayato Yoshida – Tenzan took the win with the Anaconda Vice over Yoshida
Tanga Loa and Tama Tonga b. YOSHI-HASHI and Tomoaki Honma – Loa took the win after hitting Apesh*t on Honma
Toru Yano and Togi Makabe b. Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi – Yano took the win with a School Boy over Takahashi
El Desperado, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi, Zack Sabre Jr and Minoru Suzuki b. Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, SANADA, EVIL and Tetsuya Naito – Taichi took the win after hitting the Tensho Jujihou on BUSHI
Jay White, Gedo, Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori b. KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi, Kazuchika Okada and Hiroshi Tanahashi – White took the win after hitting the Blade Runner on KUSHIDA
New Japan has announced that a company legend will be making a small appearance at each of their US tour dates. Katsuyori Shibata is the head trainer of the company’s Dojo in Los Angeles. The former NEVER Openweight Champion will be addressing the crowds before each of the dates in Los Angeles, Charlotte and Nashville before bell time.
New Japan had to scramble and make huge changes to the tour recently. With the government shutdown in the United States the company were unable to get the necessary visas for their Japanese talent to perform in America. The cards will now feature almost exclusively US based talent. The company released the following statement regarding Shibata’s involvement:
“NJPW LA Dojo head coach Katsuyori Shibata will make a special appearance at each of THE NEW BEGINNING USA tour cities.
Shibata will address the crowd to welcome our fans attending the first NJPW US tour in Los Angeles, Charlotte and Nashville before bell time. There will also be an opportunity to photograph him in the ring.
Fans will have the chance to hear Shibata’s thoughts on the New Japan spirit — a wrestler trained in the New Japan dojo and now training new wrestlers as the head coach of the LA Dojo. We hope our fans will support the next generation of stars trained by Shibata.
Once again, we would like to express gratitude to our US fans and hope you look forward seeing the work put in by Shibata and the LA Young Lions before the biggest matches of their career.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling released the full lineups for the New Beginning in USA shows to be held next week. Fans might notice a lack of Japanese stars appearing on the shows. This is due to the promotion being unable to obtain Visas for their talent.
NJPW applied for Visas for several of their wrestlers back in November but have been unable to obtain them due to the ongoing government shutdown in the country.
Statement On New Beginning In USA Lineups
NJPW released the following statement on the matter:
“It is with great disappointment that we must announce that due to the ongoing 2018–19 United States federal government shutdown, we were unable to obtain visas for our Japanese talent who were looking forward to seeing our US fans at the New Beginning in USA,” the statement reads.
Hirooki Goto vs Jeff Cobb looked to be a match the company was building to on the tour. Yuji Nagata and Tomohiro Ishii were also expected to wrestle each other. Jushin Liger, Satoshi Kojima, and others were expected to make the trip.
“We are excited to still be able to share a great line-up with our US fans, regardless of visa issues. The IWGP US Champion, Juice Robinson, is defending his title against Barretta and The Great O-Kharn, who is flying in from England, will be debuting in New Japan! What’s more, this show will highlight the talent and potential of our Young Lions, who have been working hard in the NJPW LA dojo. We are looking forward to being able to celebrate the abilities of the exciting new generation of young NJPW wrestlers.”
New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the full card line up for their slate of upcoming shows in the United States. The tour, entitled The New Beginning USA, kicks off on January 30th at the Globe Theatre in Los Angeles.
The announced card, however, has left a number of NJPW fans unimpressed with the lack of any Japanese wrestlers. With wrestlers such as Jonathan Gresham, Colt Cabana, Shane Taylor, etc involved, it appears that NJPW is already putting their working relationship with Ring Of Honor to use. NJPW will be running their Road To The New Beginning tour in Japan between 01/26 and 01/30, which may explain the absence of Japanese talent on their USA run.
The main event of Night One (1/30) will feature a special tag match, advertised as ‘One Night Only’ that sees Roppongi Vice team up for the first time. Rocky Romero and Beretta have not teamed since Beretta moved to the heavyweight division.
New Beginning USA appears to also act as a showcase opportunity for members of New Japan’s L.A. Dojo, with many of their students making their debut across this tour.
The New Beginning USA 1/30
Alex Coughlin vs Clark Connors
Jonathan Gresham vs Tyler Bateman
Colt Cabana vs Shane Taylor
Brody King and Marty Scurll vs Davey Boy Smith Jr. and Lance Archer
Jeff Cobb vs Karl Fredericks
David Finlay vs Chuckie T
Tracy Williams and Juice Robinson vs Rocky Romero and Beretta
You can see the full cards for 01/02 here, and their 02/02 show here.
What do you make of this card? Will you be attending The New Beginning USA shows? Has this increased or decreased your anticipation for the event?
It wasn’t that long ago that Jay White was officially recognized as the new leader of Bullet Club. This revelation led to a mix of emotions from fans of NJPW and Bullet Club, given how relatively new he was to the Club itself.
Other people’s feelings on the matter didn’t faze Bullet Club itself, however, as Tama Tonga took to Twitter to proclaim White’s leadership to the world. That, in itself, acted as a seal of approval from the newly supposed ‘Good Guy.’
Speaking recently with Digital Spy, Jay White spoke about being elected Bullet Club leader. He also discussed training at the NJPW dojo, and about wrestling fans who might be looking for alternatives to WWE.
“I don’t know if people thought it was going to be awkward,” White admitted. “I’ve known those guys for years. I’ve got more claim to being one of the Bullet Club OGs than others may think because I was brought in by guys like Prince Devitt and Bad Luck Fale and I was there as a ‘young boy’ and I knew those guys.”
“A Lot Of Fans Complain, But They Never Try To Watch Anything Else”
Speaking of training at the NJPW dojo, White admitted that he was somewhat of a “blend” during his time there.
“To the Japanese guys, I’m a foreigner,” he explained. “To some of the new foreign guys, I’m almost like a Japanese person in terms of knowing their culture and their ways and how things are backstage. It depends who you compare me to, I’m like a blend of the two, I’m in between.”
He then claimed that New Japan’s product was “[…] more of a sport than a TV show. You see so many fans getting tired of the same WWE stuff. A lot of fans complain and complain, but they never try to watch anything else at all. The things that they’re often complaining about New Japan has and offers. So all those things you’re able to find with New Japan.”
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks. The final show took place on the 21st from Japan’s Korakuen Hall.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be one of KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Korakuen Hall (01/21):
Barbaro Cavernario and Templario b. Audaz and Flyer – Cavernario took the win over Audaz with the Cavernaria
Atlantis Jr b. OKUMURA – Atlantis Jr took the win after hitting the Atlantida on OKUMURA
YOH, SHO, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima vs Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible ended in a no contest
MEXICAN NATIONAL TRIOS CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH – Forastero, Cuatrero and Sanson b. Angel de oro, Titan and Atlantis – Cuatrero took the win after hitting the Cuatrero Bomb on de oro
Ultimo Guerrero, Gran Guerrero and Namajague b. Soberano Jr, Dragon Lee and Mistico – Ultimo took the win with the Guerrero Special on Soberano Jr
THE MOVIE: “MY DAD IS A HEEL WRESTLER” SPECIAL TAG MATCH – Dragon George and Sweet Gorilla Maruyama b. Ginbae Mask and Gokiburi Mask – George hit the Dragon Maker on Ginbae Mask for the win
Volador Jr b. Caristico – Volador Jr took the win after hitting an Avalanche Spanish Fly
Last month we reported that Toronto musician Joseph Shabson said he scored music for a documentary on New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kenny Omega. The documentary is being worked on by HBO. However, it’s HBO’s Canadian department. Not to be confused with the team that worked on WWE Hall Of Famer Andre The Giant’s documentary last year.
While fans have only had the word of Shabson to go on, we now have confirmation, and a release date, for the documentary. Writer, assistant director, and producer Corey Erdman recently confirmed the project. Erdman revealed on Twitter (The Tweet has since been deleted) that the documentary will be named “Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story.” He also noted that it will be released on TSN on March 27th:
“I can finally talk about what I’ve been doing for a year. I have been writing/producing and assistant directing Omega Man: A Wrestling Love Story, on the brilliant @KennyOmegamanX. Premiering March 27 on @TSN_Sports. Watch the early trailer here: https://www.tsn.ca/engraved”
The Sports Network is not a channel available in the United States. There’s currently no news on how wrestling fans stateside can watch the documentary upon its release. But we’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Kenny Omega’s Free Agency Status
There has been a lot of speculation in regards to Omega’s future. His deal with NJPW is set to expire soon. Many assume the former IWGP Heavyweight Champ is All Elite Wrestling-bound (AEW). However, Omega recently noted that he’ll be wrestling on a “large international platform” in 2019. This led many to believe he’ll be going to WWE. It remains to be seen where Omega will end up, but expect the announcement very soon.
What do you think about Omega getting his own documentary?
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be one of KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Korakuen Hall (01/19):
Gedo and Taiji Ishimori b. Ryusuke Taguchi and Flyer – Ishimori made Flyer tap out using an Ankle Hold
Angel de oro and Titan b. Templario and Cuatrero – de oro took the win using La Mecedora on Cuatrero
BUSHI, Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito b. Fujin, Raijin and Toa Henare – BUSHI used the Rebellion on Fujin to take the win
OKUMURA, Forastero and Sanson b. Atlantis, Atlantis Jr and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger – OKUMURA used a Modified DDT on Atlantis Jr to take the win
Caristico, Barbaro Cavernario and Namajague b. Audaz, Soberano Jr and Volador Jr – Caristico took the win using La Mistica on Volador Jr
Terrible b. Satoshi Kojima – Terrible took the win using La Terriblina on Kojima
CMLL BROTHERS TAG TOURNAMENT 2018 WINNER vs CMLL FAMILY TAG TOURNAMENT 2019 WINNER SPECIAL TAG MATCH – Mistico and Dragon Lee b. Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win using La Mistica on Gran Guerrero
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Korakuen Hall (01/18):
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templario – Audaz took the win with the Cross Arm Breaker on Templario
Angel de oro and Titan b. OKUMURA and Forastero – Titan took the win with Titanica over Forastero
Toa Henare, Satoshi Kojima Fujin and Raijin b. Terrible, Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI and Shingo Takagi – Kojima took the win after hitting the Lariat on Terrible
Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero b. Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – Atlantis Jr took the win after hitting a Modified Sit down Powerbomb on Gran Guerrero
Caristico and Namajauge b. Flyer and Volador Jr – Caristico took the win with La Mistica on Flyer
Barbaro Cavernario b. Soberano Jr – Cavernario took the win with Cavernaria over Soberano Jr
CMLL FAMILY TAG TOURNAMENT 2019 FINAL – Dragon Lee and Mistico b. Cuatrero and Sanson – Lee used Desnucadora to take the win and the tournament
IWGP Junior Heavyweight, KUSHIDA, announced earlier this month his intentions to leave New Japan Pro Wrestling. His final match with the promotion will be on January 29th against Hiroshi Tanahashi. KUSHIDA is expected to end up with WWE.
According to a report in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, part of KUSHIDA’s decision to leave had to do with how he was being booked.
“One of the things with Kushida which led to his leaving for WWE is that early last year he wanted to go heel and join the Bullet Club,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “Gedo wanted him to stay in his place.”
The report continued to say his booking was likely not the only factor in his decision, however.
“That probably isn’t the only reason but it was part of it,” Meltzer continued. “He handled it professionally, working until 1/29, doing his clean jobs at the Dome and Dash, and because he handled it so professionally he’s getting his first career singles match with Hiroshi Tanahashi on his last night at Korakuen Hall.”
KUSHIDA Announces Departure From NJPW
Kushida announced he is leaving NJPW at a press conference in Tokyo earlier this month.
“As mentioned previously by Mr. Sugabayashi, I will leave New Japan Pro-Wrestling at the end of January,” KUSHIDA said. “Regarding this choice and decision, it was one made with the full co-operation and understanding of Mr. Kidani, Mr. Meij and Mr. Sugabayashi. It was a very big decision in my life and I’m thankful they understood. As for the future, I would like to see the wide world of professional wrestling with my own eyes, from one end of the earth to the other.”
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Chiba (01/16):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Forastero b. KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi and Titan – Foratstero took the win using a Triangle Choke-Hold on Titan
Fujin and Raijin b. Shingo Takagi and BUSHI – Fujin took the win using La Casita on BUSHI
Audaz, Soberano Jr and Angel de oro b. Namajague, OKUMURA and Barbaro Cavernario – Soberano Jr took the win after hitting La Bufadora on OKUMURA
Terrible and Tetsuya Naito b. Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Terrible took the win with La Terriblina on Henare
Caristico, Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger and Tiger Mask b. Templario, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero – Caristico took the win using La Mistica on Templario
Sanson and Cuatrero b. Atlantis and Altantis Jr – Sanson took the win using the Sanson Special on Atlantis Jr
Dragon Lee and Mistico b. Fyler and Volador Jr – Lee took the with with the Desnucadora on Flyer
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Gifu (01/14):
Audaz, Ryusuke Taguchi and Tiger Mask b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templario – Audaz took the win with a Reverse Arm Lock over Templario
Cuatrero and Taichi b. Flyer and Angel de oro – Cuatrero took the win after hitting the Abrazo Oso Invertida on de oro
Atlantis, Atlantis Jr and KUSHIDA b. Yoshinobu Kanemaru, OKUMURA and Sanson – Atlantis took the win with the La Atlántida over Sanson
Soberano Jr, Titan and Dragon Lee b. Forastero, Barbaro Cavernario and Gran Guerrero – Soberano Jr took the win after hitting the La Bufadora on Cavernario
Mistico, Volador Jr and Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger b. Namajauge, Caristico and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win with La Mistica over Guerrero
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting a Corriendo-style Destino on Henare
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Kyoto (01/13):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino b. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz – Templarino took the win after hitting the Modified Powerbomb on Audaz
KUSHIDA and Angel de oro b. Taichi and Cuatrero – de oro took the win after hitting the La Campana on Cuatrero
Flyer, Atlantis Jr and Atlantis b. Sanson, OKUMURA and Yoshinobu Kanemaru – Flyer took the win after hitting an Avalanche Spanish Fly on OKUMURA
Soberano Jr, Titan and Mistico b. Forastero, Barbaro Cavernario and Ultimo Guerrero – Mistico took the win after hitting a Swanton Bomb on Forastero
Namajauge, Gran Guerrero and Caristico b. Tiger Mask, Dragon Lee and Volador Jr – Guerrero took the win after hitting an Avalanche Michinoku Driver ? on Lee
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Henare
On April 6th, NJPW and ROH will perform in front of a sold-out Madison Square Garden. No matches have been made official for the event. There is a rumored main event match being talked about, however. The show’s potential main event was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio. According to Dave Meltzer, the rumored main event is Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Kazuchika Okada.
“That’s the match I’ve heard,” Meltzer said referring to Tanahashi vs Okada. “I don’t think it’s official or anything. When I was in Japan that was what everybody was saying but I don’t know if that was more rumor and what would make sense. It’s kind of like if you don’t have Omega in the main event then you have to have Tanahashi and Okada.”
Tetsuya Naito was discussed as someone who could be put in the main event as well. Chris Jericho’s name came up in the discussion too.
Tanahashi vs Okada is one of the most storied rivalries in NJPW history, however. The two have met in 13 single’s match. They each have a record of 5-5-3 against each other dating back to 2010.
Some members of the Elite have specifically mentioned they will not be performing on April 6th. Cody had the following to say on the show to Sports Illustrated late last year:
“After 10 years with WWE doing ’Mania weekend and two more with ROH, I am leaving that weekend for the boys and girls of the WWE.”
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
The opening show took place in Japan’s Ehime Texport Imabari. One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Ehime (01/12):
Audaz, Ryusuke Taguchi and KUSHIDA b. Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino – Audaz took the win with a Triangle Choke-Hold over Templarino
Titan and Flyer b. Taichi and Forastero – Titan hit the Titánica on Forastero for the win
Sanson, OKUMURA and Yoshinobu Kanemaru b. Tiger Mask, Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – Sanson took the win after hitting the Sanson Special on Atlantis Jr
Ultimo Guerrero, Barbaro Cavernario and Cuatrero b. Soberano Jr, Angel de oro and Mistico – Guerrero took the win after hitting the Guerreros Special on Mistico
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Dragon Lee and Volador Jr b. Namajuge, Gran Guerrero and Caristico – Lee took the win after hitting the Patros Enel Pecho on Guerrero
Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, BUSHI and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – Naito took the win after hitting Destino on Henare
We’re hit the aftermath of New Japan’s biggest show Wrestle Kingdom. This means that the annual Fantastica Mania tour has now begun. Several of the top stars from Mexico’s CMLL promotion will be in the New Japan ring for the next few weeks.
The opening show took place in Japan’s Osaka Prefectural Gym. One of the biggest draws of the tour is that it will be KUSHIDA’s last, he is leaving NJPW and is likely signing with NXT.
Here’s the results from the show in Osaka (01/11):
Gedo, Taiji Ishimori and Templarino b. Tiger Mask, Ryusuke Taguchi and Audaz – Templarino took the win after hitting a Modified Power Bomb on Audaz
Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Taichi and Forastero b. Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger, Flyer and Titan – Forastero took the win using a Triangle Choke-Hold on Titan
OKUMURA and Sanson b. Atlantis Jr and Atlantis – OKUMURA took the win after hitting a Spinning DDT on Atlantis Jr
Cuatrero, Gran Guerrero and Ultimo Guerrero b. Angel de oro, Dragon Lee and Mistico – Cuatrero took the win after hitting the Cuatrero Bomb on Angel de oro
Namahage, Barbaro Cavernario and Caristico b. KUSHIDA, Soberano JR and Mistico – Caristico took the win after hitting La Mistica on Volador Jr
Shingo Takagi, BUSHI, Tetsuya Naito and Terrible b. Fujin, Raijin, Toa Henare and Satoshi Kojima – BUSHI took the win over Fujin using the BUSHI Roll
With the current climate in wrestling many independent stars are being locked into contracts as quickly as possible. WWE, All Elite, Ring of Honor, New Japan and IMPACT are attempting to get in as many guaranteed talents on the books to deter their competition.
One of the biggest names currently nearing the free agent status is Kenny Omega. The former IWGP Heavyweight Champion will be free of his New Japan contract on February 1st. The speculation is rampant…where will he end up?
According to the Wrestling Observer the ‘Best Bout Machine’ will indeed be joining his Elite comrades in AEW. Dave Meltzer even mentioned that “the word was that he [Omega] had already turned down the WWE offer.”
It’s also being speculated that AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling will indeed come to some sort of working relationship. Particularly with regards to Omega. With Chris Jericho having signed with AEW and his potential match with Hiroshi Tanahashi coming soon it would be in New Japan’s interest to work alongside AEW. This also calls into question how Kota Ibushi falls into the equation.
The ‘Golden Star’ is of course intrinsically linked with Omega and NJPW can ill afford to lose The Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Kenny Omega, Hangman Page and Kota Ibushi in quick fashion. The two sides may come to an agreement but this remains to be seen.
Kota Ibushi took part in a hellacious match against Will Ospreay at this past week’s Wrestle Kingdom event. Opening the show in the Tokyo Dome. Near the end of the bout Ibushi took a patented and violent elbow from Ospreay which many believed may have caused a concussion.
The actual ‘sell’ of the move was all part of the story, however Ibushi did actually suffer from a concussion. Earlier in the bout Ospreay hit a kick in the corner which caused the minor concussion, this lead to Ibushi being taken out on a stretcher. The stretcher spot was used to write off Ibushi from the upcoming tour. Ospreay will be unable to appear on the latest tour due to his WoS/World of Sport commitments, so this should hopefully lead to a further program between the two later down the line.
According to the Wrestling Observer things could’ve been much worse still. Ibushi suffered from an eye injury that was originally believed to be a detached retina. It appears as though this isn’t the case and whilst he is not 100% he is recovering and expected to be training again within the next few days.
New Japan Pro Wrestling President, Harold Meij, recently took part in an interview with NJPW1972.com. During the interview, Meij commented about the departures of Kenny Omega and the members of the Elite. He also issued a response to his critics who say NJPW is currently too focussed on international expansion.
NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided the translations.
Meij: ‘Talent will come & go. That’s life. Half of Japanese people have had more than one occupation. More overseas. There are different life stages, priorities change. What counts is that while here, ppl shine as bright as possible & produce the best product possible for us’
“Meij: ‘Talent will come & go. That’s life. Half of Japanese people have had more than one occupation. More overseas. There are different life stages, priorities change. What counts is that while here, ppl shine as bright as possible & produce the best product possible for us’”
Harold Meij On NJPW Booking and Departing Talent
Meij has come under criticism from some NJPW fans as of late for what they perceive as focussing too much on appealing to international fans.
“I often see talk along the lines of ‘since Meij came in, they’re only looking at international, they don’t care about Japan.’ That couldn’t be more wrong,” Meij continued.
“New Japan has gotten to the stage that the world has taken notice of it and we can do these things abroad. I’m not pushing the company international; if anything it’s the other way round. I’m doing my job as a professional to fulfill very strong demand.”
We reported earlier this week that KUSHIDA would be leaving NJPW after 8 years. KUSHIDA is easily one of the greatest performers in the history of New Japan, let alone the Juniors division.
KUSHIDA lost his IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship at last week’s Wrestle Kingdom show from the Tokyo Dome in Japan. The former champion’s final bout for the company will come at the ‘Road To’ New Beginning show on January 29th against Hiroshi Tanahashi.
One of the top stars from the NJPW Juniors Division (as of now) Will Ospreay took to Twitter to talk the departure of KUSHIDA and what it means to the division going forward. The UK star stated “This is when opportunity can present itself. New Japan will need Junior Heavyweights. I could name 5 lads in the UK alone that would be a great addition. Time to step up lads.”
Ospreay is still technically classed as a Junior performer for the company. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ faced Kota Ibushi at Wrestle Kingdom for the NEVER Openweight Championship, meaning that he could compete against a ‘heavyweight’ star. It is likely that Ospreay will be moving into the heavyweight division going forward. This would mean that there are two open spots for the Juniors division in the company, exciting times ahead.
Many professional wrestling fans are anticipating where Kenny Omega will end up this year. “The Cleaner” recently dropped the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s (NJPW) Wrestle Kingdom 13. In a recent interview, Omega confirmed that he plans on leaving the promotion. WWE has made the longtime NJPW star a “fantastic” offer. However, it looks like Omega won’t be joining the WWE’s already stacked roster.
Per a report from Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, Omega is expected to be joining All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Omega can’t make the move until his deal with NJPW is up at the end of the month. An official announcement on Omega’s future likely won’t be made until February 1st.
It was also noted that NJPW found out about Omega’s intentions to leave the promotion through his interview with Tokyo Sports. They were not pleased with having to find out this way.
NJPW “badly” wants to keep Omega, which could result in a partnership between NJPW and AEW. AEW has been making headlines for the past several weeks, especially after having already landed top stars like Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks.
All Elite will be holding their “Double or Nothing” rally in Jacksonville today at 5 P.M. ET. It will all go down from the West Club parking lot of the TIAA Bank Field.
What do you think about Omega possibly heading to AEW?
NJPW (New Japan Pro Wrestling) has an ambitious schedule for 2019 as they will hold several big events. These shows include an event at the American Airlines Center on July 6 in Dallas, Texas to kick off the G1 Climax tournament as well as traveling to England on August 31 at the Copper Box Arena.
It was announced that NJPW would be holding its The New Beginning USA Tour in Los Angeles on January 30 and Charlotte, North Carolina on February 1. With both shows already selling out, more tickets will be available in Los Angeles on January 15 at 10 am PT.
On Tuesday, the promotion revealed that a third city in the United States had been added to the tour where they will hold an event in Nashville, Tennessee on February 2 at the War Memorial Auditorium with tickets slated to go on sale January 15 at 10 am CT.
NJPW is coming to Tennessee!??
A Third City has been added for THE NEW BEGINNING USA tour – Nashville, TN
It was hyped in the press release that “The New Beginning USA series taking place in Los Angeles, CA on January 30, 2019, and in Charlotte, NC on February 1, 2019, has sold out, including the additional seats that were added for Charlotte. We are incredibly grateful of the support of our fans in the US.”
The promotion announced earlier this week that they would be holding New Beginning events in Sapporo that are scheduled to take place on February 2nd and February 3rd. On the flip side, the Osaka show is scheduled for February 11th. You can see the match cards for these events here.
After 8 years with the promotion, KUSHIDA is leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling. In his final match for NJPW, he’ll face IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Hiroshi Tanahashi, on January 29th.
“Wow. January 29, will be KUSHIDA’s Final NJPW Match: one on one with Tanahashi!”
KUSHIDA Leaving New Japan Pro Wrestling
Chris Charlton provided some translations of KUSHIDA’s comments from the recent press conference in Tokyo where he announced his departure.
“I will leave NJPW on January 31,” Kushida said. “This was an extremely tough condition made with Meij, Sugabayashi and Kidani. It was a very big decision in my life and I’m thankful they understood. I will head overseas and to see the world of pro wrestling.”
Kushida then said, “I am contracted with this company until the end of January so I won’t be talking much about beyond then. But it has been my dream for a long time to travel the world with professional wrestling. And that’s what I will be doing.
KUSHIDA To WWE Speculation
In December, a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter noted WWE’s interest in the junior heavyweight.
“Kushida is a name has been talked about for weeks and we’ve been hearing more and more about it,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “He’s under contract to New Japan until the end of January so we shouldn’t be hearing his name, but WWE has been more forward about trying to get people and not caring about contracts.”
Kushida lost the IWGP Junior heavyweight championship to Taiji Ishimori this weekend at Wrestle Kingdom. He has held the title 8x.
A lot has happened within the New Japan landscape since the end of Wrestle Kingdom 13, which took place January 4th.
The former IWGP Heavyweight champion, Kenny Omega, has candidly stated that he needs time away from NJPW. New IWGP US Heavyweight champion, Juice Robinson, has signed a multi-year deal with the company. Rocky Romero has also re-signed.
Now, “The Crown Jewel” Chase Owens has also officially re-signed with New Japan.
Taking to his Twitter account, Owens shared the news, stating:
“Happy to announce I have signed contract with njpw. #packagedrivereveryone2019″
There had been a lot of confusion regarding the status of Takahashi and Owens in regards to Bullet Club. Despite wearing BC logos and consistently adorning black and white, the two were adrift from the core group ever since last July’s G1 Special event in San Francisco.
That show would see the then-Firing Squad (comprised of Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Haku) assault the Bullet Club, including Takahashi and Owens, over internal frustration with Elite member’s Kenny Omega, Cody, and The Young Bucks. Their issue stemmed from Bullet Club having an uneven heirarchy due to the Elite’s very existence.
During the company’s New Year Dash event on 5/1, Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens were officially welcomed back into Bullet Club.