New Japan Pro Wrestling officials announced several title matches for their upcoming Wrestle Kingdom 12 event. Kazuchika Okada defending the IWGP Heavyweight Title against Tetsuya Naito will serve as the main event.

— IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kazuchika Okada © vs. Tetsuya Naito

— IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi © vs. Jay “Switchblade” White

— IWGP United States Title Match: Kenny Omega © vs. Chris Jericho

— IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: Marty Scurll © vs. KUSHIDA vs. Will Ospreay vs. Hiromu Takahashi

— IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Title Match: Roppongi 3K © vs. The Young Bucks

— IWGP Tag Team Title Match: The Killer Elite Squad © vs. EVIL & SANADA

— ROH Title Match: Cody © vs. Kota Ibushi

Wrestle Kingdom 12 takes place on January 4, 2018, at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan.

One day after Chris Jericho attacked Kenny Omega in Fukuoka, Omega has returned the favor. Jericho was being interviewed at a Wrestle Kingdom 12 press conference when Omega struck:

Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho Wrestle Kingdom 12

Kenny Omega and Chris Jericho will face each other for the IWGP United States Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th, 2018. Omega is the inaugural holder of the belt, having won a tournament at the NJPW G1 Special in Los Angeles earlier this year.

Wrestle Kingdom 12 lineup:

1. Killer Elite Squad (c) vs. EVIL & Sanada – IWGP Heavyweight tag titles
2. Cody (c) vs. Kota Ibushi – ROH World Championship
3. Roppongi 3K (c) vs. the Young Bucks – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight tag titles
4. Marty Scurll (c) vs. Hiromu Takahashi vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA – IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
5. Hiroshi Tanahashi (c) vs. Jay White – IWGP Intercontinental Championship
6. Kenny Omega (c) vs. Chris Jericho – IWGP United States Championship
7. Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito – IWGP Heavyweight Championship

In case you weren’t aware, Chris Jericho made his long awaited return to New Japan Pro Wrestling this afternoon and laid a brutal beatdown on his Wrestle Kingdom opponent Kenny Omega.

Following his appearance Jericho mentioned that the Bullet Club inspired ‘Alpha Club’ t-shirt that he was sporting will be available to purchase soon via Hot Topic.

Coming soon to @HotTopic !! https://t.co/C8hfmv69dY

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) December 11, 2017

Jericho also appears to be ingratiating himself with certain members of the CHAOS faction in New Japan…Will Ospreay posted the following to Twitter from a karaoke bar with his “new best mate.”

Just singing Queen, Meat Loaf and The Beatles with my new Best mate. pic.twitter.com/PVzHjzFpzq

— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) December 11, 2017

Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance at Monday’s NJPW Tag League Final event on Monday from Fukaoka, Japan. Jericho ambushed IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega, delivering two codebreakers ahead of their January 4th showdown at Wrestle Kingdom 12. (Video)

Omega’s fellow Bullet Club members the Young Bucks and Cody Rhodes reacted on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mattjackson13/status/940209089597939714

From Edinburgh to London to Dublin to a Japanese hospital w/@KennyOmegamanX

Wild night

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) December 11, 2017

Jericho posted the following video on Instagram following the attack. Jericho mocks Omega, telling him it was a thrill to leave him laying in a pool of his own blood.

On January 4th from the Tokyo Dome, it will be Alpha vs. Omega – Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega – and he plans to show everyone once again why he’s the Best in the World at what he does. And yes, that’s Omega’s blood on Jericho’s face.

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

Chris Jericho made a surprise appearance at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Tag League Final and delivered a brutal attack on IWGP US Champion Kenny Omega.

In 6-man tag team action, The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) defeated CHAOS (SHO, YOH & Rocky Romero) in 6-man tag team action. After the match, another Chris Jericho video was shown on the big screen while Omega was in the ring. The lights went out and Jericho appeared in the ring behind Omega. Jericho attacked Omega drawing blood and hitting two codebreakers. (Video)

Commentator Don Callis entered the ring to get Jericho to back off. He received a codebreaker of his own. The Young Bucks hit the ring to tend to Kenny Omega, with Callis being is carried out on a stretcher.

We have to admit, it’s pretty surreal to see Chris Jericho in a NJPW ring. Jericho and Omega will square off next month at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4, 2018 from the Tokyo Dome.

You can watch NJPW’s Tag League Final now at NJPWWorld.com.

https://twitter.com/MrLARIATO/status/940181540264448001

One of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s top stars will miss the remainder of the World Tag League tour. Hiroshi Tanahashi has suffered a right knee injury and has been pulled from the remaining shows.

The company released the following statement:

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Switchblade Jay White

At WrestleKingdom 12, Tanahashi is scheduled to face “Switchblade” Jay White.

Over the summer, several vignettes laid the groundwork for White’s return. White attacked Tanahashi last month after Tanahashi defended his IC title against Kota Ibushi, setting up the match between the two on January 4th.

White had been scheduled for the final show of the World Tag League tour on Monday in Fukuoka.

New Japan recently setup an English language YouTube channel and have sporadically been posting content aimed at fans in the United States and the UK/Europe.

The latest offering is an hour long interview with IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi. The interview was part of NJPW’s ongoing ‘Wonderland’ series but this is the first time that full English Language subtitles can be used.

Check out the video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI0T2W4ROPk

New Japan are currently hosting their final tour before the big January 4th spectacular from the Tokyo Dome. The ‘World Tag League’ sees performers from across the globe join forces to go for the coveted prize; a shot at the IWGP Tag Team Titles.

Jeff Cobb and Michael Elgin are one of the teams on the tour, Matt Riddle had previously been scheduled to join Cobb however New Japan officials reportedly nixed this plan due to Riddle’s past drug use.

It has now come to light that Elgin is not exactly a huge fan of his WTL partner, the tweet below from Twitter user MOses Malone shows private conversations between herself and Elgin exposing the bad blood and as you can see Cobb has replied…we’ll keep you updated as this situation develops.

I think I smell lovely

— Jeff Cobb (@RealJeffCobb) December 5, 2017

Hiromu Takahashi has announced the return of a popular LIJ member.

Darryl Takahashi has appeared only sparingly in Ring of Honor since being brutally assaulted by Bad Luck Fale during the G1 tour this summer.

According to recent posts by Hiromu, Darryl has either been reborn or it is his birthday. Either way “the Ticking Time Bomb” posted this bizarre celebration recently:

【HAPPY DAY】 pic.twitter.com/BfEN9XHCK1

— 高橋ヒロム / Hiromu Takahashi (@TIMEBOMB1105) December 4, 2017

Bad Luck Fale Destroys Darryl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqhVCajI13Y

Hiromu Takahashi is scheduled to challenge for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight championship in a 4-way match involving KUSHIDA, Will Ospreay, and current champion, Marty Scurll at WrestleKingdom on January 4th, 2018.

AXS TV has has announced that a 3-hour special featuring the top matches from New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 event will air on AXS TV on Saturday night, January 6th, just two days after the event takes place from Tokyo.

The special will feature the event’s three headline championship matches:

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

AXS TV will continue its coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 following the 1/6 special over five episodes Friday nights starting January 12th.

Here’s the official announcement:

AXS TV PREMIERES NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING’S BIGGEST SHOW OF THE YEAR—WRESTLE KINGDOM 12—ON SATURDAY, JAN. 6, 2018 AT 8pm IN A THREE-HOUR SPECIAL EVENT

Championship Battles Between Kenny Omega & Chris Jericho, Kazuchika Okada & Tetsuya Naito, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Jay White Air Saturday Night

Additional Coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 Will Premiere as Part of AXS TV’s Weekly Series Friday Nights at 8pE Beginning Jan. 12

Los Angeles, CA (Dec. 3, 2017) – As the exclusive U.S. television home for New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), AXS TV will premiere the promotion’s biggest show of the year, Wrestle Kingdom 12, in a three-hour special Saturday, Jan. 6 at 8pE/5pP. AXS TV FIGHTS CEO Andrew Simon made the announcement that the Wrestle Kingdom 12 national television broadcast marks the fastest turnaround time for the spectacular airing just two days after the event takes place at the Tokyo Dome. AXS TV’s Wrestle Kingdom 12 special will showcase the event’s three headlining championship matches: IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho, IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. G1 CLIMAX 27 Tournament Champion Tetsuya Naito, and IWGP Intercontinental Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White.

“While NJPW has delivered some of the greatest matches in wrestling history over the past year, we’ve seen viewership growth on AXS TV thanks to New Japan’s expansion in the U.S. and our commitment to air matches closer to when they take place,” said Simon. “With Wrestle Kingdom as their marquee annual event, we thank NJPW and TV Asahi for their support and are proud to kick off 2018 with this historic primetime Saturday night special featuring the dream match-up of Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho.”

AXS TV will continue its coverage of Wrestle Kingdom 12 following the special over five episodes Friday nights starting Jan. 12 at 8pE/5pP on the network’s award-winning weekly series, including the IWGP Jr. Tag Team Championship match between RPG 3K (Sho & Yoh) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), the four-way IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship bout featuring Marty Scurll vs. Will Ospreay vs. KUSHIDA vs. Hiromu Takahashi, and the ROH World Title Match between Cody and Kota Ibushi. The championship matches featuring Tanahashi vs. White, Omega vs. Jericho and Okada vs. Naito will also have an encore airing during this time.

Leading up to the Wrestle Kingdom 12 special on Jan. 6, AXS TV will air an eight-hour marathon of NJPW starting at 12pE/9aP. Episodes in the marathon will feature matches that set up the main card at Wrestle Kingdom, including Omega winning the IWGP U.S. Heavyweight Title versus Tomohiro Ishii at the G1 Special in USA; Omega vs. Naito in the G1 CLIMAX 27 Tournament Finals; Omega’s first U.S. Heavyweight Title defense at Destruction in Kobe; an encore of the three-hour King of Pro-Wrestling special headlined by Okada vs. EVIL; and two episodes from Power Struggle headlined by Omega vs. Beretta featuring a special appearance by Jericho.

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

Among the many talents currently in NJPW, Will Ospreay features as a young British professional wrestler who consistently puts on entertaining and high quality matches outside WWE.

If you’re unaware, check out The Aerial Assassin’s match up against Kushida:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI0Sfr9ZODA

In the last few hours though, Ospreay has featured on Twitter with a picture that highlights why he may be able to produce such fantastic spectacles.

What’s the point? You can make all the money in the world but if you can’t be happy, why do it?

That’s why I love NJPW. Always smiling, surrounded by the best guys in the world. I wouldn’t change this one bit. pic.twitter.com/4nwFPjAvog

— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) December 3, 2017

Will Ospreay suggests that money isn’t everything in the world of sports entertainment, which comes across as a veiled criticism to those who appear to “sell-out” by joining the number company in professional wrestling – WWE.  Ospreay implies that good wrestling comes from those who are happy, not necessarily rich.

An example of this might be Dolph Ziggler who has recently spoken out about his role in WWE.

Of course The Aerial Assassin isn’t stupid; the tweet is suggestive and extreme general, therefore any connection made is pure speculation, but it’s not too hard for onlookers to connect the dots.

But this doesn’t mean that Will Ospreay won’t eventually move on to the company, it is merely a comment on his lifestyle choices between happiness and money.  He also posted this tweet:

RAW debuted January 1993.
I wasn’t even born yet. ?

— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) December 3, 2017

As of writing, there have been no responses by WWE superstars.

Bonus:

Okada: “is that thing even real”?”
Me: “Yeah mate, his name is excalibur” pic.twitter.com/xiy9dPHkmB

— Will Ospreay • ????????? (@WillOspreay) November 30, 2017

Wrestle Kingdom 12 is set to take place on January 4th from Japan’s legendary Tokyo Dome. There are two matches on the card which have arguably driven more ticket sales and generated the most hype: Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada vs Tetsuya Naito.

Kenny Omega recently spoke to Yahoo Sports in Japan and commented on the buzz surrounding his upcoming match with Chris Jericho. He made mention of the mainstream U.S. appeal of this bout and how it could create a “double main event” feel to the show next to the IWGP World Heavyweight Title match.

Tetsuya Naito also spoke to Yahoo Sports and responded to ‘The Cleaner.’ Naito stated that “One, I’ve been through this. I’ve been called ‘double main event one. It doesn’t mean anything. It’s the semi main event.” Of course alluding to his previous G1 Climax 2013 win wherein he did not go on to main event the next year’s Wrestle Kingdom due to a fan vote.

He went on to say “Two, if you truly respect that you lost to me, then you don’t need to pull this ‘double main event’ stuff. If anything, cut the crap and say ‘let me be the main event’. Say what you mean. Third, you’re saying the US belt is now number two, not the IC belt. So you and Jericho and Jay White and Tanahashi should be the ‘double semi main event’ then, surely? Maybe the US title match is getting more focus abroad. But who will eyes be on at the Tokyo Dome?”

Naito responds to @KennyOmegamanX calling #njwk12 a double main event. 'One, I've been through this. I've been called 'double main event one'. It doesn't mean anything. It's the semi main event.' https://t.co/wamY2P3bjG

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 2, 2017

Credit to Chris Charlton for the translation

In case you weren’t aware…Chris Jericho will be making his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling when he faces IWGP United States Champion Kenny Omega at Wrestle Kingdom 12 on January 4th.

This once in a lifetime match appears to be making a huge difference to the sale of WK tickets, reports indicate that sales are up a staggering 80% from this time last year, that equates to 20,000 from October 25th – November 25th in 2017 as opposed to around 11-12,000 in 2016.

NJPW announces that 20,000 tickets have been sold for Wrestle Kingdom 12 in the first month of sales (Oct. 25 – Nov. 25), an 80% increase from last year, which would be in the 11-12,000 range. https://t.co/Z2RrzJikZF

— Evan (@EvanDeadlySinsW) November 27, 2017

Whether this rise can be attributed solely to Jericho/Omega can of course be disputed, however stars within the company, including ROH Champion Cody Rhodes are certainly attributing a major portion of the sales to the massively hyped match:

It's selling a lot of tickets. A lot. https://t.co/hE1khO0B84

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) November 25, 2017

– New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) has launched a new English YouTube channel, and their first video featured IWGP United States Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega. You can check it out here:

– In the latest video of WWE Superstar Sheamus’ official YouTube channel, the Irishman takes fans behind-the-scenes of the process of styling his signature mohawk:

Revolution Pro has announced the first name for their High Stakes 2018 show that will take place on January 20th from the legendary York Hall in Bethnal Green, London.

Japanese wrestling legend Minoru Suzuki will once again be gracing UK shores with his now confirmed appearance. Suzuki’s opponent has not yet been named however a slew of challengers has already been suggested by Rev Pro’s fanbase including fellow Suzuki-Gun member Zack Sabre Jr and rematches against Matt Riddle and Will Ospreay.

Suzuki recently appeared as part of Rev Pro/NJPW’s Global Wars co branded shows in both London and Walthamstow, he faced Hirooki Goto, Will Ospreay and Matt Riddle as part of the two day festivities.

High Stakes 2018
Saturday January 20th
HE'S BACK
Mailing list ticket pre-sale starts MONDAY 7PM pic.twitter.com/YnK7AQJBfQ

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) November 22, 2017

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) star Kenny Omega recently did an interview with WSVN-TV Entertainment reporter Chris Van Vliet to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics. “The Cleaner” discussed WWE telling he and The Bullet Club to stop using the “Too Sweet” gesture, and of course his Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Chris Jericho. You can check out the highlights from the interview here:

WWE trying to ‘cripple’ The Bullet Club by banning them from using the “Too Sweet” gesture:

“We don’t need Too Sweet. We never did. They think that by taking away Too Sweet they’ve crippled us somehow. Like ‘Oh, we’re really sticking it to them, now they’re not going to sell any merchandise.’ It’s not the case. We couldn’t care less.”

His Wrestle Kingdom 12 match with Chris Jericho:

“It’s a match that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time and I don’t mean particularly Chris Jericho, I just mean something of that magnitude. If I couldn’t be in the main event, which I couldn’t this year, I still wanted the chance to steal the show. I still wanted the chance to be the match that was talked about. So Chris Jericho has given me just that opportunity and together I really hope we can make even more headlines before the show and even after the show.”

As per the Wrestling Observer, there are several talents currently booked on the card for January 4th’s Wrestle Kingdom show that are actively pushing for the event to be shown on Pay Per View in the United States.

Chris Jericho is one of the proponents for a PPV option however there is some resistance within New Japan. NJPW World will be showing the event and company heads want the extra hype and press from Jericho’s involvement to boost subscribers for the on demand service. It’s also worth bearing in mind that January 4th will be a weeknight and the timezone difference would mean a start time of around 2am in the US, a potentially tough sell for Pay Per View companies…

Will you be watching on January 4th? Would you like a PPV option or will you be joining/using NJPW World for the event? Let us know in the comments

The Bullet Club appears to be adding to their ranks once again…

Stephen Amell, best known for his role in popular television superhero ‘Arrow’ has been unveiled as the newest member of Bullet Club. Amell was signed to host last night’s Ring of Honor ‘Survival of The Fittest’ event and he got involved during the main event, joining the Young Bucks in hitting a top rope IndyTaker (check out the video below).

https://twitter.com/blowcastle/status/931772731175178240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wrestlinginc.com%2Fwi%2Fnews%2F2017%2F1118%2F634222%2Froh-survival-of-the-fittest-night-one-results%2F

Amell has gone on record regarding his love for the wrestling industry and you may remember his involvement in WWE alongside ROH Champion Cody Rhodes. It is understood that Cody and Amell have kept in touch since Amell’s Summerslam appearance and this latest chapter in ‘Arrow’s’ wrestling career seems to raise more questions around the Bullet Club and ROH going forward.

The Bullet Club pic.twitter.com/7SQCPOY55a

— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) November 18, 2017

New Japan’s World Tag League begins tomorrow (November 18th) and the first night of the event will be available to stream live and FREE on YouTube.

The World Tag League is the last major tour on the road to Wrestle Kingdom in January. The tournament will see some high profile independent stars make their NJPW debuts, such as Sami Callihan and Jeff Cobb as well NJPW’s own homegrown talents.

Night 1 will feature the following matches:

• Hirai Kawato & Shota Umino vs Tetsuhiro Yagi & Ren Narita
• Raymond Rowe, Hanson & Tomoyuki Oka vs Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Leo Tonga
• Michael Elgin, Jeff Cobb, David Finlay & Katsuya Kitamura vs Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano, Barreta & Chucky T
• Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens, Hangman Page & Yujiro Takahashi
• Hiroshi Tanahashi, Togi Makabe & Henare vs Lance Archer, Davey Boy Smith Jr., & El Desperado
• Kazuchika Okada, Will Ospreay & Gero vs Tetsuya Naito, BUSHI & Hiromu Takahashi

World Tag League 2017 A BLOCK Match: Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI vs Minoru Suzuki & Takashi Iizuka

World Tag League 2017 A BLOCK Match: Juice Robinson & Sami Callihan vs EVIL & SANADA

NJPW WORLD’S Thanksgiving Special! See the opening night of World Tag League 2017 at Korakuen Hall on November 18 FREE!
Check it out live on https://t.co/3O4aCKfFO2

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 17, 2017

The Club, Bullet Club, Balor Club, and now Chris Jericho is starting his own club as well.

Jericho was on Twitter earlier and is asking fans for their opinion on a new T-shirt design to rival those of Bullet Club.

Would you guys buy this if it was a shirt? #AlphaVsOmega #TokyoDome #Jan4 #AlphaClub https://t.co/hBfzxue1Z9

— Chris Jericho (@IAmJericho) November 14, 2017

Chris Jericho at WrestleKingdom

A report from Tokyo Sports last week revealed Chris Jericho has received approval from Vince McMahon to participate at WrestleKingdom. Jericho himself confirmed this week that WWE is his home and he plans to return there in 2018.

New Japan Pro Wrestling have been releasing a number of high profile bouts from their back catalogue for free on YouTube over the past couple of months. The company’s latest free to view contest is the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match between Kazuchika Okada and Finn Balor (then Prince Devitt) from 2013.

The match is essential viewing for any WWE fan that has never seen Balor outside of his NXT/WWE run. As the first leader of the now world wide phenomenon that is the Bullet Club Balor would work as a vicious heel character, he would dissect his opponents and cheat using his stablemates in Gallows, Anderson and Bad Luck Fale to draw the ire of the traditional Japanese fans.

Check out the match below:

Kazuchika Okada vs Prince Devitt IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE MATCH?July 20, 2013? NJPW Free Match of the Week. https://t.co/Nzv6JWIvGA

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 13, 2017

IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada recently spoke with Fox Sports Australia to talk about various topics. Here are the highlights:

His run in TNA where he was given a stereotypical gimmick:

“For me, [it was a] good experience. TNA doesn’t care about [having a] good match. But they taught me about character, for a TV show and for the cameras. So it was good for me to become ‘The Rainmaker.’ So, wrestling, being strong, having good matches? I learned that in New Japan. But as a TV character? TNA was good [for me].”

Chris Jericho coming to NJPW to face Kenny Omega and a potential match with Jericho:

“[I found out at] Power Struggle in Osaka. I didn’t know that news. I was in the locker room watching the show same as the fans. I thought, ‘Woah! What the?’ I’m OK. I just want to enjoy, as a fan, Kenny Omega vs. Chris Jericho.”

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Kazuchika Okada performed for Melbourne City Wrestling today in the main event of #MCWRain.

Okada defeated ‘The Business’ Slex in front of a sold out Thornbury Theatre in what was MCW’s biggest event to date.

During his time in Australia the ‘Rainmaker’ made some promises that will be massively beneficial to the Australian independent scene going forward, namely that he will be bringing in fellow New Japan Pro Wrestling stars Tanahashi, Naito and Kenny Omega to MCW “as soon as possible.”

Make of that what you will but this is a very exciting time for the Australian wrestling scene and it looks to keep getting bigger and bigger as time rolls on.

Are you based in Australia? Did you Okada in MCW today? Let us know in the comments…

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported #MCWRain! See you at Thornbury Theatre on 16 December for #MCWBattle! pic.twitter.com/gDffrc7MtA

— Melbourne City Wrestling (@mcitywrestling) November 11, 2017

Revolution Pro and New Japan Pro Wrestling are hosting two nights of international action in London this week. Night 1 of ‘Global Wars’ took place last night and the event is now available to purchase via Rev Pro’s On Demand service.

Here are the results from Night 1:

Undisputed British Cruiserweight Championship Match:  “All Day Star” Ryan Smile b. Josh Bodom & Bushi – Smile took the pinfall win to become the new Cruiserweight champion

Toru Yano & Gedo b. Lord Gideon Grey & No Fun Dunne

“Super King Of Bros” Matt Riddle b. El Desperado

“The Villain” Marty Scurll b. Tetsuya Naito – after the match Naito attacked the ring announcer and referee for the bout

“Blue Justice” Yuji Nagata b. Zack Gibson

CCK (Chris Brookes & Travis Banks) b. Rocky Romero & Yoshi-Hashi

Tomohiro Ishii b. Keith Lee

Hirooki Goto & “The Aerial Assassin” Will Ospreay b. Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr

GLOBAL WARS UK NIGHT 1 is up NOW on https://t.co/vhLx7kP8wf wrestling > sleep #GlobalWarsUK pic.twitter.com/lDQrVhu7LK

— Revolution Pro (@RevProUK) November 10, 2017

A recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter has detailed the timeline of events leading up to Chris Jericho vs Kenny Omega being signed for WrestleKingdom.

According to the report, Jericho was influenced by the build-up to Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather and wanted to do something similar. A match with Omega, he felt, would feel similar in that it is something fans thought they’d never see.

Relive the epic challenge that shook the wrestling world! #AlphaVsOmega! Where will you be January 4th?! #njwk12 live only on @njpwworld! pic.twitter.com/SVzbCY49aS

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) November 7, 2017

Jericho’s Secret Meetings with NJPW

Jericho ended up pitching the idea to NJPW commentator, Don Callis, who then pitched the idea to Omega. All 3 men involved are from Winnipeg and Callis’ podcast with Lance Storm is on Jericho’s podcast network.

Omega then pitched the idea to Gedo. In August, Jericho and NJPW officials arranged a secret meeting in New York. The deal wasn’t finalized until October, however, with Jericho’s videotaped challenge to Omega being filmed shortly after.