New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced the full lineup and schedule for their Super J-Cup 2019. The Super J-Cup 2019 will be a single-elimination tournament between 16 junior heavyweight wrestlers. It is an historic tournament having taken place on an inconsistent basis since 1994, but this will be the first time that it is held in the United States. The field is as follows:

• Will Ospreay (CHAOS)
• Robbie Eagles (CHAOS)
• El Phantasmo (Bullet Club)
• Rocky Romero (CHAOS)
• Clark Connors (NJPW)
• Jonathan Gresham (ROH)
• Soberano Jr. (CMLL)
• Amazing Red
• YOH (CHAOS)
• BUSHI (Los Ingobernables de Japon)
• Ryusuke Taguchi (NJPW)
• Taiji Ishimori (Bullet Club)
• Caristico (CMLL)
• TJP
• SHO (CHAOS)
• Dragon Lee (CMLL)

These are the first round matches for the tournament, to take place on August 22, 2019 at the Temple Theater in Tacoma, Washington.

• Rocky Romero vs. Soberano Jr.
• Clark Connors vs. TJP
• Caristico vs. BUSHI
• Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Jonathan Gresham
• Robbie Eagles vs. El Phantasmo
• YOH vs. Dragon Lee
• SHO vs. Taiji Ishimori
• Will Ospreay vs. Amazing Red (main event)

Second round matches will take place on August 24 at the San Francisco University Student Life Events Center, in accordance with the bracket image above. The semifinals and final match will be at the Final event on August 25 at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, California.

Amazing Red will take part in the upcoming Super J-Cup tournament later this summer. NJPW confirmed the veteran performer and trainer will make his debut for the promotion as part of the tournament.

YOH and Bushi were also confirmed recently for the tournament. The updated list of participants is below.

2019 Super J-Cup Participants

1. Taiji Ishimori
2. Ryusuke Taguchi
3. Caristico
4. TJP
5. SHO
6. Dragon Lee
7. YOH
8. BUSHI
9. Amazing Red

Jushin Liger will be on the tour but not compete in the tournament itself.

Dates for the 7th edition of the Super J-Cup are below:

• 8/22/19: Temple Theater in Washington
• 8/23/19: San Francisco State University Student Life Events Center
• 8/25/19: Long Beach Walter Pyramid

Amazing Red To Debut For New Japan

“Amazing Red will make his first appearance for NJPW in the Super J-Cup,” an NJPW press release reads. “A 21-year veteran of the global wrestling scene, Red found a huge fanbase in the early years of Ring of Honor. Forming a tag team with AJ Styles, he won the ROH World Tag Team Championships in 2003, one of 23 championships attained in a decorated career. Red’s innovative and high-flying style inspired a generation of junior heavyweights in the United States and beyond.”

Super J Cup Previous Winners

• 1994: Wild Pegasus
• 1995: Jushin Liger
• 2000: Jushin Liger
• 2004: Naomichi Marufuji
• 2009: Naomichi Marufuji
• 2016: KUSHIDA

• NJPW Confirms 3 More Super J-Cup Entrants

We noted before that former TNA star The Amazing Red was booked for the WWE Cruiserweight Classic this summer but had to back out due to an ankle injury.

Red posted the following today about missing the tournament:

Thank you everyone for the kind words! Long story short, I got surgery done 3 times in One month… 1st one was done incorrectly, 2nd was to relieve pressure and stop infection, 3rd fixed it. Everyone who knows me knows that I wanted this more than anything, especially in WWE and especially now. I know that things happen for a reason and I trust God and what he has in store for me. I’m not quitting, ima stay being the hardest worker ever, i won’t stop… I need to make this dream come true, especially for my kids. For my #HouseOfGloryWrestling family… I’ll lead by example. #GodIsGood #PositiveVibes (thank you to all who helped me btw, vibes) #LoveYa

He posted some really graphic photos of what his foot looks like, you can check them out on Facebook.

– WWE has been reaching out to several former Superstars about rejoining the company in the coming months. With the WWE Draft taking place in approximately one month, additional talent is needed to fill out the RAW, SmackDown and NXT rosters. No word yet on who has been contacted, but it’s worth noting that former WWE performers Tajiri and Brian Kendrick will be part of the upcoming Cruiserweight Classic tournament and could very well be part of this initiative.

– Speaking of the Cruiserweight Classic, former TNA X Division Champion Amazing Red was originally scheduled for the tournament, but had to pull out due to injury. Red recently suffered a broken ankle that won’t be healthy in time for the first set of tapings later this month.

• All 32 Cruiserweight Classic Participants Revealed

– As reported over the weekend, Triple H stopped over in China after the UK Download festival. He was in China to oversee a WWE tryout camp.

Source: PWInsider.com

Veteran pro wrestler Sonjay Dutt recently appeared on Main Event Madness Radio to discuss a number of topics. Below are some of the highlights from the interview:

On working with Amazing Red & early days of the TNA X-Division: “It was great, I was very young. So when you’re young and you’re put in that type of position you know, there really can’t be anything wrong. Everything is cool you’re in a different environment, a lot of fun in those early days in Nashville.”

On his feelings on Sabu & Raven: “I loved it because I was actually one of the biggest ECW fans there ever could be. I was fascinated by ECW. I watched it religiously, everything, anything I could get my hands on. I knew everything about everybody and Sabu was one of those guys I idolized and looked up to growing up watching wrestling. So just getting to work with him was a dream come true.

“[Opinion on Raven] It was awesome. He actually helped get me my job in TNA. He was a big proponent for me, and we had a real good relationship.”

On if the X-Division could’ve helped TNA, and his feelings on how it is today: “Yea absolutely. I think that was one of the main reasons people were watching. It was unlike anything else on television at the time.”

“[On how the X-Division is Today] Yea it’s definitely not what it was. I dont think it ever will be. I dont think they care to make it what it was. You’ve got to enjoy what’s put in front of you i guess.”

Check out the complete interview at MainEventMadness.com.

• CM Punk’s UFC Debut Date, Ronda Rousey/WWE Update + FEDOR Is Returning!

– NXT Corey Graves is close to getting called up to the main roster. Graves’ gimmick is that he’s a cocky outcast who is a product of the underground music scene. He wrestled at this weekend’s WWE live events and was backstage at RAW.

– The “fans” who CM Punk spoke to at ringside during his promo on RAW were independent wrestlers “Adorable” Anthony Andrews and “Marvelous” Michael Stevens. They are local wrestlers work for RPW, AWN, and the Anarchy promotion.

– Now that the WWE vs. TNA lawsuit has been settled, a former TNA talent rumored to be headed to WWE is Amazing Red. The former X-Division Champion got a WWE tryout prior to WWE’s No Way Out 2012 pay-per-view, but the pending lawsuit kept WWE from signing him. The tryout reportedly went very well and Red has a few friends in WWE, including Matt Striker. He was recently pulled from TNA’s “One Night Only: X-Travaganza” PPV taping, which has added some momentum to this story.

(Partial Source: Prowrestling.net)

– Former TNA star Amazing Red was backstage at Sunday’s WWE No Way Out pay-per-view and was telling fans he had a tryout earlier in the day. Red was reportedly brought in by WWE announcer Matt Striker.

– With the upcoming 1,000th Episode of RAW and the new WWE ’13 video game both featuring legends from the Attitude Era, there has been talk of WWE doing an Attitude Era DVD set. Mick Foley tweeted about a possible Attitude Era DVD earlier this year and Booker T mentioned during No Way Out that he was recently interviewed about the era.

– Pop music icon & WrestleMania I celebrity Cyndi Lauper made her first WWE appearance on RAW in over 20 years. It was rumored that she was there to promote a new reality television show, but it was not mentioned. WWE did plug her new CD, “Bring Ya to the Brink.”

Roddy Piper noted on Twitter that Lauper was brought in to update the WWE Universe on what she’s doing now and to also help promote the upcoming 1,000th RAW.

http://youtu.be/fZHq5hIegsw

– Several fans sent word that WWE did not draw a big crowd for for No Way Out at the IZOD Center. Several upper level sections were tarped off and there were a l ot of empty seats throughout the entire arena, even ringside. Attendance was estimated at under 12,000, not even close to a sell out.

– Former TNA star Amazing Red was backstage for WWE’s No Way Out pay-per-view on Sunday. The former X Division champion Red was telling fans at the arena that he had a tryout earlier in the day.

– It was announced at No Way Out that WWE will return to the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey for a RAW Supershow on October 22nd.

– Former WWE Diva Lita was in attendance for WWE’s No Way Out pay-per-view last night. She is reportedly dating WWE champion CM Punk. Hip-hop legend DMC of Run DMC fame was also in attendance with his family.

* LESNAR vs. TRIPLE H Storyline News, NEW WWE Title To Debut Soon

According to WWE sources at the site of tonight’s WWE No Way Out pay-per-view, former TNA star Amazing Red is currently backstage at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The 3-time X-Division champion was reportedly seen practicing in the ring this afternoon.

No word yet on whether Amazing Red has signed with WWE or will be appearing tonight’s PPV.

* More Backstage News From WWE NO WAY OUT

(Source: WrestleZone.com)

Matt Morgan finalized his commitments with TNA Wrestling at last week’s live event tour in Texas. At Saturday’s show in Houston, Morgan grabbed a sign from a ringside fan reading “Going, Going, Gone” and held it up to the audience.

Morgan expressed frustration with management during a radio station interview Thursday promoting the house show tour, saying his “beef is with the company.”

“I don’t feel like I’m getting what I’m putting into TNA,” Morgan stated on 102.5 FM The Bear. He then called himself the “ultimate head-turner in TNA” and said he’s tired of a “carrot dangling in front of my face.”

PWInsider.com has confirmed that there is interest from WWE in Morgan.

Meanwhile, Morgan wrote the following on Twitter today: “Texas yesterday, Connecticut today, who says u can’t go home!”

— The August 4, 2011 episode of Impact Wrestling scored a 1.14 cable rating, down from 1.20 the prior week and 1.26 on July 21.

Impact averaged 1,436,000 viewers over the course of two hours, down 22 percent from 1,794,000 on July 21.

It’s worth noting that the season premiere of Jersey Shore on MTV drew 8.8 million viewers.

— Amazing Red’s profile has been removed from ImpactWrestling.com’s roster page, thus confirming his departure from TNA Wrestling. The former X Division cited creative differences for his departure from the organization Thursday on Twitter.

Sangriento, a masked character Red portrayed, is still listed on the roster page.

source: PWInsider.com

Amazing Red announced this afternoon on his Twitter account that he has parted ways with TNA Wrestling. He cites creative differences for his departure from the organization.

Red wrote, “Heys Guyz, I just wanted to let Ya kno 1st…TNA & I parted ways do to the “creative has nothing for you” line, so we r gonna future endeavor each other right now.

“Thanks to my @ImpactWrestling famo & fans… Now “On to the Next one” (Jay-Z).”

Red, however, is still listed as a member of the TNA Wrestling roster on the organization’s official website.

Max Buck, who too parted ways with TNA, reacted to Red’s announcement with the following: “Within a year, you’ve now lost (Jay Lethal), (Jeremy Buck), (Max Buck), & (Amazing Red). C’mon now.”

Red wrote in the response, “Weird huh, (X-Division run).”

Red had been appearing as Sangriento as well as himself in recent months.

— The Wrestling Observer reports that Hulk Hogan was overheard saying at last month’s E3 Expo in Los Angeles that Vince Russo was to blame for the quality of Impact Wrestling. Hogan’s remarks were in response to fans telling him that Impact is bad.

Hogan was on hand for the event to promote his new video game, Hulk Hogan’s Main Event.

— TNA Wrestling has reportedly dropped Sangriento, a masked character billed from Tijuana, Mexico. The character, who was played by Amazing Red, was introduced shortly after WWE debuted Sin Cara. Sangriento is still listed on the TNA Wrestling roster page.

— TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson and WWE Hall of Famer Sunny are advertised to apepar at K & M All Star Sports at the Crystal Mall 850 Hartford Turnpike Waterford, Connecticut this Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visit www.kmallstarsports.net for more information.

— Sangriento, a masked wrestler hailing from Tijuana, Mexico, made his TNA Wrestling debut on this week’s episode of TNA Xplosion as he competed in a Three-Way Match against Chris Sabin and Jay Lethal. The masked luchador pinned Lethal after hitting the former X Division Champion with a springboard cutter.

Sangriento was brainstormed by Spike TV officials as they wanted TNA to introduce a character that would counteract Sin Cara of WWE. TNA considered various independent wrestlers for the role but decided on Amazing Red.

— Ric Flair underwent successful surgery yesterday to repair a torn rotator cuff. No word yet on how long he will be sidelined.

The WWE Hall of Famer suffered the injury in late January, during a match against Douglas Williams in Manchester, England. He delayed the surgery until his storyline was finalized at TNA Lockdown.

— Jeff Jarrett will be a special guest for the Nashville Sounds baseball game at their opener in Nashville, Tennessee tomorrow night at Greer Stadium. He will be in attendance as a guest speaker to promote the importance of reading before the game as well as signing autographs for fans with Sounds Mascot Ozzie.

source: F4WOnline.com

— Matt Hardy announced on Twitter that he is facing Sting for the first time tonight on TNA iMPACT!.

— A number of TNA stars are apparently upset with Jay Lethal’s sudden departure from TNA. The following remarks were written on Twitter.

Max Buck: “Ridiculous. Just ridiculous.”

Amazing Red: “…… ;( %&*$”

“Morale has just took a nose dive (SMFH).”

Jeremy Buck: “worst possible thing to happen to r locker room.

Tara wrote to Lethal: “Oh I hope this is just a rumor. Because I will miss you terribly.”

— Suicide has been added back to the TNAWrestling.com’s roster page.

— Championship Wrestling International is advertising Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, X-Pac, The Nasty Boys, Tatanka, Brutus Beefcake and many other big names for “Brawl At The Bush II” at the Brantford Civic Center in Brantford, Ontario on Saturday, May 14, 2011. Click here for more information.

— Northeast based independent wrestler Slyck Wagner Brown worked a dark match at last night’s iMPACT! taping at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. He lost to Amazing Red.

— After taping the Apr. 7 episode of iMPACT! yesterday in Orlando, Florida, TNA tapes the Apr. 14 episode today. It is the “go home show” for TNA Lockdown.

— The latest episode of TNA Xplosion features Eric Young vs. Robbie E (with Cookie)

source: PWInsider.com

— Daffney was removed from TNAWrestling.com’s roster page today, which would likely indicate that she has parted ways with the organization. Reportedly, she has been used sparingly in recent months because organization officials were waiting for her contract to expire.

— The Amazing Red and his cousin Joel Maximo are running the House Of Glory Wrestling School located in Ridgewood, New York.

— Mick Foley was spotted at a Boston University basketball game on Saturday.

— Former TNA personality Jonny Fairplay is scheduled to appear at Dragon Gate USA’s upcoming show in Burlington, North Carolina.

source: PWInsider.com

— There is heat on ODB over a comment she made online last month disparaging the Knockouts division.

After watching the Apr. 12 episode of iMPACT!, she wrote on her Facebook account: “Just watched from my DVR the Knockouts match. Wow, WTF is happening to our division?” This was in reference to a teased ‘Leather & Lace’ match between Angelina Love and Velvet Sky.

In another note, her contract expires later this year.

— Amazing Red has not been used much in recent months due to problems with his knee.

— There has been talk of bringing back squash matches to iMPACT! in order to get guys such as Rob Terry over.

source: www.f4wonline.com