AEW is gearing up for a loaded episode of Collision this week. Their Holiday Bash in San Antonio also brought a familiar face to the show, who is under contract with another company.
Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net noted that Chase Owens is backstage at AEW Collision in San Antonio. He is not expected to appear on the show for AEW or ROH, but he is backstage.
Chase Owens currently lives in San Antonio, and is said to be visiting friends who work for AEW. Owens is not expected to participate on screen in any capacity on tonight’s Collision, or the ROH tapings.
Chase Owens is home for the holidays right now, but he won’t stay in Texas for long. The Crown Jewel of the Bullet Club is set to appear at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 18 and New Year’s Dash.
It’s good to know Chase Owens was able to get backstage and visit. Tonight’s episode of AEW Collision will be special in San Antonio, because it will see the return of Thunder Rosa to in-ring action, and her home city is bound to give her a rousing ovation.
You can check out the card for the December 23rd episode of AEW Collision below. Even if Chase Owens doesn’t show up during the broadcast, it will still be a packed two-hour broadcast.
AEW Trios Champions The Acclaimed vs. Top Flight & Action Andretti
Thunder Rosa & Abadon vs. Julia Hart & Skye Blue
We’ll hear from Christian Cage
Keith Lee vs. Brian Cage
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Claudio Castagnoli vs. Bryan Danielson
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Brody King vs. Daniel Garcia
AEW Continental Classic Blue League: Andrade El Idolo vs. Eddie Kingston
Today is the second day of New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s largest event of the year, Wrestle Kingdom.
This event will be streamed live on NJPW’s streaming service, NJPW World, and on Fite TV. English and Japanese commentary are available on both platforms. This event will have a reduced attendance capacity to comply with COVID-19 social distancing restrictions.
Start Times: January 5, 12AM Pacific, 3AM Eastern, 8AM UK, 5PM Japan, 7PM East Australia
Results
Four Way Match for the Provisional KOPW 2021 Championship: Toru Yano def. Chase Owens, BUSHI, Bad Luck Fale (7:34) Both BUSHI and Toru Yano were refusing to enter the ring, at first, but were forced to break up the pin when Chase Owens laid down for Bad Luck Fale to let him win. Owens and Fale worked together to abuse Yano, while BUSHI mostly tried to avoid getting involved. Yano tried to body slam Fale, who fell on top of him and nearly pinned him then and there. Fale and Chase double teamed BUSHI and put him down with the Grenade Launcher, but kept breaking up each other’s pin attempt. They argued with each other and the referee until Yano slid in, low blowed them both, and pinned the still down BUSHI. Toru Yano is the provisional KOPW 2021 Champion, but will only be crowned as such if he retains the trophy until the end of the year.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Suzuki-gun (El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Ryusuke Taguchi & Master Wato The tornillo that Master Wato pulled off on El Desperado might have been the most impressive he has looked since his return. He and Taguchi took advantage early until Suzuki-gun focused their team efforts on Taguchi, working his legs and cutting off the ring, and attacking Master Wato whenever Taguchi got even close to tagging him in. A hip attack from Taguchi gave him the room needed to rally, but Desperado and Kanemaru’s generous amount of tag team offense had him playing defense soon again. Taguchi tried for the Dodon, but El Desperado rolled through it for a near pinfall. El Desperado decisively finished off Taguchi with the Loco Mono straight punch, followed by Pinche Loco. Suzuki-gun retain the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships.
NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Shingo Takagi (c) def. Jeff Cobb (21:11) Shingo Takagi found himself in the rare position of being the smaller, weaker man in a singles match, as Jeff Cobb ate his strikes and returned heavier ones, and tossed the former junior heavyweight like a ragdoll. Takagi was forced to get creative, pushing Cobb into the ropes and using the bounce to finally take him off his feet with a backdrop driver. Cobb tried to retaliate with a crucifix powerbomb from the apron to the floor, but Shingo avoided it, knocked Cobb off the apron, and came hurtling through the air. You don’t often see a tope con hilo from Shingo Takagi. Shingo tried to follow up with the Noshigami, but Cobb was too heavy, and he picked Shingo up from behind to land a black tiger bomb. Feeling desperate, Shingo immediately fought back with a Death Valley driver, followed by a superplex. He gave a Pumping Bomber with such speed that, despite impacting Jeff, he couldn’t stop and fell out of the ring. He came back in and immediately looked to the leg, taking Cobb off his feet again with a dragonscrew leg whip, and then hoisting him in the air for Made in Japan, which earned a near fall. Shingo came running for another Pumping Bomber, but Cobb pushed him into the ropes, then caught him on the rebound to deliver Tour of the Islands. He was too hurt to go for the pin right away, and when he did, Takagi’s foot found the bottom rope, breaking the pin. He tried to take Shingo for another Tour of the Islands, but was blasted with one more Pumping Bomber! With the Last of the Dragon, Shingo Takagi retains the NEVER Openweight Championship.
SANADA def. EVIL (23:40) SANADA attacked EVIL with an uncharacteristic ferocity at Power Struggle, but on this day, in the Tokyo Dome, EVIL was ready with weapons. He tossed SANADA into the barricade, causing the timekeeper’s table (and the timekeeper) to be knocked over. He set up a table outside the ring and attempted to STO SANADA through it, but it didn’t take. Nevertheless, EVIL maintained control, partly thanks to aid from Dick Togo on the outside. He lifted SANADA to the top, then brought him crashing down with a superplex. EVIL applied a scorpion deathlock, but SANADA achieved a rope break. Despite this, he was too hurt to make a comeback, and EVIL landed Darkness Falls, but SANADA weakly kicked out. As soon as SANADA rose to his feet, EVIL barreled towards him, looking for a lariat, but SANADA pushed EVIL into the exposed turnbuckle that he himself was the cause of. Seeing his advantage slip away, EVIL pushed SANADA into the referee, allowing Dick Togo to make his presence known. The two performed the Magic Killer, and Dick Togo rose to the top turnbuckle for a senton, but SANADA kicked EVIL into the ropes, causing Togo to lose his balance and fall. From there, SANADA mounted his first major comeback, trapping EVIL in the Skull End. He went for a top rope moonsault, and then another, but EVIL lifted his knees on the latter. As EVIL distracted the referee, Dick Togo tried to come in and choke SANADA out, but SANADA freed himself and pushed EVIL into Togo, causing Togo to comically crash through the table that EVIL placed. With Togo out, SANADA hit EVIL with EVIL’s own finish hold, and then landed a top rope moonsault for the pinfall victory. No bloodshed, but victory nonetheless.
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: Hiromu Takahashi def. Taiji Ishimori (c) (25:31) At this point, Hiromu and Ishimori know what it’s like to fight each other very well, and often had a hard time making their moves work without being countered. Ishimori’s early strategy was to work over Hiromu’s arms, smart considering many of Hiromu’s best moves start with a fireman’s carry hold. His early attempt at the Yes Lock, with which he tapped Hiromu out at Summer Struggle, was thwarted by a rope break. Before Ishimori’s arm work could pay off, Hiromu was on the offensive, delivering multiple death valley bombs into the corner. Having already wrestled against El Phantasmo last night, Hiromu wasn’t as fresh as Ishimori, and he tried to finish the match early with the Time Bomb. Ishimori would slip out of it and land a Canadian Destroyer to stop Hiromu in his tracks. He kept Hiromu on his knees with the hardest elbow strikes that his compact but overdeveloped body could produce. With a La Mistica into the Yes Lock, Ishimori had Hiromu working for every centimeter as he wriggled to the ropes for one more rope break. Hiromu’s Victory Royale granted him a moment of respite, and he then bowled Ishimori over with a lariat, then drove him into the corner that still had no turnbuckle pad from the previous match. The Time Bomb connected, but Ishimori was not out yet! He tried once more for the Yes Lock, but Hiromu lifted him onto his shoulders and finally pinned Ishimori with the Time Bomb II. “Mr. Belt” is back in the possession of Hiromu Takahashi.
IWGP Heavyweight & IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match: Kota Ibushi (c) def. Jay White (48:05) It feels like Jay White has been a thorn in Kota Ibushi’s side for years. True, Ibushi defeated him to win his first ever G1 Climax, but he also lost to Jay, and became the first person to ever lose the G1 briefcase. The first ten minutes were almost all Jay, as he grinded Ibushi into the mat with strikes and holds. White cleverly cut off all of Ibushi’s comebacks, sweeping Ibushi’s legs out from under him when he tried for any sort of aerial offense. Gedo called for the Kiwi Crusher, and Jay tried to oblige, but Ibushi fought him off and rallied with a half nelson suplex, followed by the hitodenashi driver. His bicycle knee missed, and Jay was finally able to connect with the Kiwi Crusher for a near fall. He tried for his first Blade Runner, but Ibushi wasn’t having it. Jay tried to roll Ibushi into a pin with his legs elevated on the ropes, but the referee noticed it and refused to count the three. Angered, Ibushi ate Jay White’s elbow strikes and blasted him with kicks, forcing him into the fetal position. He growled for Jay to hit him harder, and would return every strike twice as hard. Ibushi shoved the referee away when they told him to let Ibushi up, but Jay White pounced with a low blow. He took control with repeated German suplexes, and brought Ibushi to the apron. Ibushi rocked him with a high kick and delivered his patented rope-assisted inside to outside German suplex. His first Kamigoye missed, and this gave Jay an opening for him to dump Ibushi on his head with suplexes. He tried again for the Blade Runner, but again Ibushi avoided it, and landed a Kamigoye flush, but Jay kicked out! With no hesitation, Ibushi ascended to the top turnbuckle and delivered a beautiful phoenix splash, but Gedo pulled the referee out of the ring. He tried to hit Ibushi with brass knuckles, but Ibushi caught him and obliterated him with a Kamigoye. Ibushi brought the referee back in, but Jay sprung with a Blade Runner, keeping Ibushi down until just shy of 3. Jay locked in the TTO leglock, but Ibushi crawled with all his might and made it to the ropes. Jay hit a cross-arm Bloody Sunday and tried again for the Blade Runner, and got blasted with a bicycle knee. Jay desperately tried again for the Blade Runner, but Ibushi leveled him with a lariat! He delivered a Kamigoye to the back of Jay’s head, then spun him around for another, and it was all over. Kota Ibushi is still your IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
Today, New Japan Pro-Wrestling released a video announcement made by NJPW of America CEO, Takami Obari. He discussed how NJPW wrestlers based in the United States are not currently able to travel to Japan to partake in NJPW events.
In the meantime, NJPW Strong will be a weekly show on NJPW World. Obari mentions that it’s difficult for US-based wrestlers to compete in Japan. Starting Friday, at 10PM Eastern, NJPW Strong will be presented on NJPW World.
It will begin with New Japan Cup USA 2020, an eight-man single elimination tournament, and the winner will be eligible to challenge for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship, currently held by Jon Moxley, at a later date.
The first round matches are as follows, and are scheduled for the premier episode on August 7th.
LEC presents the official NJPW Cup 2020 in the USA bracket!
New Japan Pro-Wrestling has announced the lineup for the first round of their annual springtime single-elimination tournament, the New Japan Cup.
NJPW has confirmed that the winner of the New Japan Cup 2020 will challenge Tetsuya Naito for his IWGP Heavyweight and IWGP Intercontinental Championships at Sakura Genesis on March 31st. All days of the New Japan Cup 2020 will be broadcasted live on NJPW World with an English commentary option.
Similar to last year, the field will consist of 32 NJPW wrestlers. The first round will take place over four events on March 4, 7, 8, and 9. The second round will take place over four events as well, on March 10, 12, 13, and 14. The quarter-finals will be held over three events on March 16, 17, and 18. Finally, the semi-finals will take place on March 20th, with the final match to decide the New Japan Cup winner on March 21st.
In the 2019 New Japan Cup, Kazuchika Okada took victory against SANADA in the final, and used the victory to challenge Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He would go on to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the G1 Supercard event at Madison Square Garden during WrestleMania weekend.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling is kicking off 2020 with their biggest event of the new year, Wrestle Kingdom 14. For the first time ever, Wrestle Kingdom will be a two-day event, with shows in the Tokyo Dome on January 4th and 5th. This event will be available to watch on their live streaming service, NJPW World, as well as Fite TV. Both platforms enable a choice between English or Japanese language commentary.
Day 1 of Wrestle Kingdom 14 took place on January 4th, and it made for a very eventful evening. Full results of the show can be read here and a shorter synopsis with key takeaways can be read here. Three matches from Day 1 pertained to the card of Day 2. An IWGP US Heavyweight Championship match has been scheduled for Day 2 in which Juice Robinson would challenge the winner between the title bout between Jon Moxley and Lance Archer, which ended up with Moxley the victory. Also, the “Double Gold Dash” will come to a head, as Kazuchika Okada and Tetsuya Naito left Wrestle Kingdom 14 as the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champions respectively, and will face off in the main event of Day 2. Their respective opponents, Kota Ibushi and Jay White, will also compete in a singles match.
Pre-show start times are the following. The main show starts one hour after the listed time.
(Pre Show) NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship Gauntlet Match: Los Ingobernables de Japon Win Teams: – Champions: Togi Makabe, Toru Yano & Ryusuke Taguchi – CHAOS: Tomohiro Ishii, YOSHI-HASHI & Robbie Eagles – Los Ingobernables de Japon: Shingo Takagi, EVIL & BUSHI – Suzuki-gun: Taichi, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru – Bullet Club: Bad Luck Fale, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi
The match began with the Bullet Club and CHAOS teams. CHAOS eliminated Bullet Club when Tomohiro Ishii hit a vertical drop brainbuster on Chase Owens. The Suzuki-gun trio entered second, but also fell to the CHAOS team as Eagles hit a small package hold on Kanemaru. With two teams dispatched, CHAOS finally fell to Los Ingobernables de Japon, the third trio to enter, after EVIL hit Tomohiro Ishii with the Darkness Falls. With LIJ the last of the challenger teams standing, the champions Makabe, Yano, and Taguchi entered to determine the ultimate winner. There was a close call in which Taguchi hit Shingo Takagi with the Dodon, which he used to finish off Jushin Thunder Liger yesterday, but Takagi kicked out. BUSHI sprayed black mist in Taguchi’s face and Shingo hit him with Made in Japan and got the pinfall victory to win the match. Los Ingobernables de Japon won the NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championships, putting another piece in place for every member of LIJ leaving Wrestle Kingdom 14 as champions.
Jushin Thunder Liger Retirement Match II:Hiromu Takahashi & Ryu Lee def.Jushin Thunder Liger & Naoki Sano (with Yoshiaki Fujiwara) Ryu Lee entered using his new, non-CMLL namesake for the first time, donning the ROH Television Championship and a mask with Liger’s horns. He held the rope open for Hiromu Takahashi, who was wearing half-Liger styled tights, as he made his entrance. The crowd was ablaze as Jushin Thunder Liger walked down the ramp for his final match. Hiromu tagged to Lee, but they double-teamed Liger as the crowed booed. Liger rallied with tilt-a-whirl backbreakers and was able to tag in Naoki Sano, who briefly rallied with surprising agility. The match went back to Liger and Hiromu, and Liger showed great fire against his junior heavyweight successor. Crowds came unglued for his comebacks and were thrilled with his kickouts. They did not want the illustrious career of Jushin Thunder Liger to end. But it did end, when Hiromu Takahashi hit the Time Bomb on Liger to pin the junior heavyweight legend in his final match. Liger briefly spoke on the microphone to the Tokyo Dome audience, his music played, and an era of pro-wrestling ended. Jushin Thunder Liger’s retirement ceremony takes place tomorrow at New Year Dash. (12:16)
IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match: Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) def.Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori & El Phantasmo) (c) Roppongi 3K rushed Bullet Club before the bell rang, presumably as payback for stealing their Super Junior Tag League trophies. Soon, the Bullet Club turned the tables with underhanded offense. In one of the most magnificent displays of ostentation, El Phantasmo hit a springboard backflip into a back rake. Theoretically, this match should have struggled to hook the crowd following Liger’s heartfelt retirement, but the crowds were solidly behind Roppongi 3K. Bullet Club attempted to do Roppongi 3K’s self-titled finish, but SHO countered it and the three-time Super Junior Tag League winners were able to take control. Phantasmo tried to get in a belt attack and a groin attack, but they were both foiled. Roppongi 3K hit a combination Shock Arrow and diving double foot stomp, to win the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Championships. (14:08)
Revolution Pro Wrestling British Heavyweight Championship Match: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) def. SANADA As is the theme of matches between Zack Sabre Jr. and SANADA, this was a match that was highly ground-based and full of counters, and counters of counters. Zack and SANADA traded control in holds and on the ground, with Zack becoming increasingly frustrated as he realized that SANADA did not succumb to his skill as easily as most others. He had promised to defeat SANADA by submission in the Tokyo Dome. SANADA took the match to stand-up and Zack couldn’t match him in that regard. Nevertheless, Zack deftly caught SANADA with a Japanese leg roll clutch to retain the British Heavyweight Championship. (12:32)
IWGP US Heavyweight Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) def. Juice Robinson Despite his rather comedic facial hair and entrance outfit, Juice rushed Moxley as he made his entrance with the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship that he had won less than 24 hours prior. Moxley was arguably at a disadvantage considering the danger of the Texas Deathmatch with Lance Archer that he went through yesterday, but he soon was dominating Juice with strikes. Juice had won a match against Moxley on one of the final days of the G1 Climax, but he looked worse for wear at first. He urged Juice to hit him harder, and then put him out of his misery. Jon Moxley hit the Death Rider to retain the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship. (12:48)
Then, Minoru Suzuki’s music started playing. He entered in his ring gear and gave Jon Moxley a Gotch-style piledriver. He held the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship above a fallen Moxley and left the ring.
NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Hirooki Goto def.KENTA (c) After an initial burst from Goto, KENTA kept throwing him out of the ring, eliciting heavy boos from the Dome audience. He pompously rubbed his boots in Goto’s face and kicked him while he was down, until Goto lost his patience and floored him with a single forearm. Goto was tired of KENTA’s constant belittling, calling him cute and not taking him seriously. KENTA briefly countered with kicks but Goto continued his momentum with the Ushigoroshi. A corner dropkick and a penalty kick, followed by a shotgun dropkick held Goto down for a near fall. KENTA went for the Go 2 Sleep but Goto caught his leg and headbutted him to the ground. KENTA had a second wind of furious strikes, but Goto powered through them all and delivered the GTR to win the NEVER Openweight Championship. (16:12)
Singles Match: Jay White def. Kota Ibushi This match involved the two losers of the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championship matches from Wrestle Kingdom 14 Day 1. Ibushi looked understandably disappointed as he entered, while Jay White seemed unfazed by his loss. White started the match in the lead, working over Ibushi while proclaiming that his people didn’t care about him anymore. Ibushi was not interested in being slowly worn down, and responded in his usual ferocious manner. He struck Jay down as if he were insignificant, and a wobbly White struggled to land a hit on him. White hit a fast Complete Shot and German suplex to give himself a moment of reprieve. He landed a Kiwi Crusher for a near fall as Gedo barked orders at him. White went for the Blade Runner but Ibushi blocked it with a high kick, and Gedo came in with a chair after the referee had been hit. He hit Ibushi on the back with it, but Ibushi turned around, unfazed, and felled Gedo with a slap to the chest. Ibushi hit an elevated sitout powerbomb on White, but the referee was still down. He left the ring to pull the referee back in, and hit a Kamigoye, but Gedo pulled the referee out of the ring. Gedo came in once again, and Ibushi caught him, but White used the moment to hit Ibushi with a chair, then hit the Blade Runner for the victory. (24:58)
Singles Match: Chris Jericho def. Hiroshi Tanahashi The video package for this match showed Tanahashi making a comedic parody of the video package that played when Chris Jericho challenged him in November, wearing Juggalo face paint and pretending to sing. Chris Jericho entered wearing the AEW World Championship, after claiming that Tanahashi would be granted an opportunity to challenge for it if he defeated him at Wrestle Kingdom, which was also shown in the video package. The most interesting part of the early stages of this match was Jericho attempting to flex his muscles at Tanahashi, which seemed to amuse him. Jericho used all sorts of unconventional tactics in this match, such as DDTing Tanahashi through an announce table and flogging him with his belt. Not the championship, the belt of his pants. Jericho went for a Lionsault but Tanahashi pushed him off the ropes, and then did a High Fly Flow onto him on the outside. Jericho tried to retaliate with the Codebreaker, but Tanahashi caught him and punished him with repeated dragon screws. Tanahashi went for a High Fly Flow in the ring, but Jericho blocked it with his knees, and then hit a Lionsault for a near fall. Tanahashi blocked the Judas Effect, but Jericho got him in the Walls of Jericho. He was in it for what seemed like forever, but broke the hold and hit a Sling Blade. Tanahashi went for the High Fly Flow yet again, but Jericho stood up in time and hit the Codebreaker in mid-air. Tanahashi blocked the Judas Effect again and hit a Codebreaker of his own for a near fall. Jericho rolled through another High Fly Flow attempt and reapplied the Walls as the crowd went into a frenzy. Jericho arched into the Liontamer and Tanahashi had nowhere to go. Chris Jericho defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi by submission. (22:24)
IWGP Heavyweight Championship & IWGP Intercontinental Double Championship Match: Tetsuya Naito def. Kazuchika Okada Before the two men even touched, the crowd was absolutely ballistic for this match once the bell rang. This was the match to decide the first ever Heavyweight and Intercontinental double champion, and a one-on-one encounter that had not been seen in two years. As the match began, Okada took advantage early, controlling the pacing and working over Naito’s neck. Naito briefly took control with his own neck attacks, but Okada’s big boot put him flat on his back. Okada hit the reverse neckbreaker, diving elbow drop, and then called for the Rainmaker with unexpected urgency. This Okada was not the same Okada who was toying with Kota Ibushi yesterday. Naito dodged the Rainmaker easily, but Okada compensated with attacking Naito’s damaged knees, including dropping him knee-first on a commentator’s table. Naito barely made it back to the ring before the 20-count and Okada leveled him with a missile dropkick as he made it back. Naito desperately turned the tables with his rope-assisted tornado DDT, followed by the Gloria. Okada blocked the Destino attempt, only for Naito to avoid the Rainmaker. Naito hit a running Destino for a near fall as the crowd erupted. He attempted another, but Okada blocked it and hit his signature dropkick. Naito blocked the Rainmaker with a slap to the face, only for Okada to follow up with a discus lariat. Okada hit a Tombstone piledriver and the Rainmaker, but Naito kicked out. Okada rallied the crowd as he picked Naito up for another tombstone, but Naito struggled out. Okada smashed Naito’s knee against the mat and was roundly booed for it. Okada hit a Rainmaker and held onto Naito’s wrist, then hit another. Naito countered a third rainmaker and hit a Destino for a near fall. Naito body slammed Okada in the corner and hit the Stardust Press for yet another near fall as the ring announcer called that 35 minutes had passed. Naito hit the Valentia and Destino to become the first ever simultaneous IWGP Intercontinental and Heavyweight Champion. (35:37)
As Naito was about to complete the roll call of Los Ingobernables de Japon at Wrestle Kingdom, KENTA came out of nowhere and attacked him. He sat on Naito’s chest holding the IWGP Heavyweight and Intercontinental Championships, then left. BUSHI came out to help Naito up, and carried him to the dugout with the roll call left incomplete.
New Japan Pro-Wrestling has just announced details for 2019 edition of their annual heavyweight tag team tournament, the World Tag League.
The last major tour of the NJPW calendar, this tournament determines IWGP Tag Team Championship challengers for the following year’s Wrestle Kingdom.
This year’s World Tag League will have a single block with sixteen teams. Over the seventeen day tournament, each team will compete against each other, earning 2 points for a win and 1 point for a draw.
All matches will have a 30-minute time limit. Los Ingobernables de Japon’s EVIL and SANADA have won the World Tag League for the past two years.
World Tag League 2019 Teams
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare
Juice Robinson & David Finlay
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana
CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI)
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls
Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA)
Los Ingobernables (Shingo Takagi & El Terrible)
TenKoji (Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan)
Great Bash Heel (Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma)
Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)
Suzukigun (Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi)
Suzukigun (Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer)
Bullet Club (Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale)
Bullet Club (KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi)
World Tag League 2019 Schedule
November 16Live on NJPW World
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
November 17Live on NJPW World
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Juice Robinson & David Finlay
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. EVIL & SANADA
December 1December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. EVIL & SANADA
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
December 2December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls vs. Chase owens & Bad Luck Fale
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
EVIL & SANADA vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI
December 3December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Toru Yano & Colt Cabana
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks vs. EVIL & SANADA
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
December 5December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks vs. Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. EVIL & SANADA
Shingo Takagi & El Terrible vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
December 6December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. EVIL & SANADA
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. Zack Sabre Jr. & Taichi
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer
December 8December NJPW World Schedule TBA
Hiroshi Tanahashi & Toa Henare vs. Hirooki Goto & Karl Fredericks
Satoshi Kojima & Hiroyoshi Tenzan vs. Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi
Juice Robinson & David Finlay vs. EVIL & SANADA
Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI vs. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa
Toru Yano & Colt Cabana vs. Chase Owens & Bad Luck Fale
Jeff Cobb & Mikey Nicholls vs. Shingo Takagi & El Terrible
Minoru Suzuki & Lance Archer vs. KENTA & Yujiro Takahashi
The match order for the final day on December 8 will be decided based on team standings as of the final day. There is no specific Final match to determine the winners. A de facto final match will be determined based on the highest ranking teams going into the final day.
As the New Japan Cup tournament rolls on, we have yet to determine who the finalists will be.
These two wrestlers will face off for the opportunity to become the New Japan Cup 2019 winner on March 24th. The winner also earns the right to face Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. That match is scheduled for the NJPW/ROH G1 Supercard show in April.
One match, however, has been confirmed for the New Japan Cup Finals: Juice Robinson will defend his IWGP US Heavyweight Championship against Bullet Club’s Chase Owens.
The BC’s Crown Jewel
Owens upset Robinson during the first round of the tournament, defeating him on March 8th. He would pick up the clean victory after executing his Package Piledriver finisher. This victory eliminated Robinson and gave Owens legitimate claim to a title opportunity — a demand Owens has made abundantly clear with frequent post-match attacks on the US champion.
After a particularly vicious assault on 3/17, wielding the US Championship itself as a weapon against Juice, Robinson has finally agreed to a matchup against Bullet Club’s ‘Crown Jewel.’
Juice Robinson defeated Cody for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 13 event in January. He would go on to successfully defend the title against Beretta during the promotion’s ‘The New Beginning in USA’ show. Juice is the only person to be a two-time NJPW US champion since the title was established in 2017.
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.
Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens are back in Bullet Club. The two had been seemingly kicked out of the group by the Firing Squad last year and placed with the Elite on NJPW tours. They were accepted back into the faction earlier today at New Year’s Dash in Korakuen Hall, however.
“For months people have been asking what side are you on or why does chase still wear bulletclub gear. Well last night I answered ;) bc4life”
Yujiro Takahashi and Chase Owens Back In Bullet Club
Owens and Takahashi interfered during the NEVER 6-Man tag team championship match at New Year’s Dash. Their run-in allowed Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa, and Taiji Ishimori to keep their belts. After the match, Owens and Takahashi were accepted back into Bullet Club.
Chase Owens and Yujiro Takahashi Being Booked With The Elite
Even after members of the Elite began saying they were no longer members of Bullet Club, Owens and Takahashi never did. Owens Tweeted out “BC 4 Life” shortly after news broke the Elite were officially leaving Bullet Club. Takahashi seemingly never realized he’d been placed with the Elite, as evidenced by his comments on an episode of Being the Elite during the World Tag League tour. Takahashi and Hangman Page teamed together in the tournament.
“What’s up with Elite B*lls**t?” Takahashi asked Page on the BTE episode. “Am I supposed to be in it?”
“That’s not really up to me,” Page responded. “We kind of thought you’d be booked to be with the Tongans, to be honest. Maybe that’s why they don’t trust you completely yet.”
Cody, Hangman Page, the Young Bucks, Marty Scurll, and Kenny Omega are no longer part of Bullet Club. They announced the news officially on Chris Jericho’s cruise after months of speculation. The status of Bullet Club Elite members, Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi, is not as clear, however.
Owens and Takahashi were partnered with Bullet Club Elite after the Firing Squad attack in San Francisco. There has been some dissension shown between the two and Kota Ibushi on recent tours, however. Ibushi has refused to engage in underhanded tactics along with them during matches and offered up high-fives instead of “2-sweet’ing” them. Still, Owens and Takahashi are officially aligned with the Elite on the NJPW roster.
Following news that other Bullet Club Elite members were leaving the faction, Chase Owens Tweeted the following:
Owens has previously claimed to be from Tonga as well, though the validity of this cannot be confirmed. Regardless, Owens doesn’t appear to be dropping his Bullet Club affiliation.
Chase Owens & Yujiro Takahashi Bullet Club Status
Hangman Page and Yujiro Takahashi are teaming together in the World Tag League. Page addressed the division of wrestlers amongst the two factions with Takahashi on the most recent edition of “Being the Elite”.
“What’s up with Elite B*lls**t?” Takahashi asked Page on the show. “Am I supposed to be in it?”
Page then admitted to Takahashi that they figured he’d be booked to be with the BCOG faction.
“That’s not really up to me,” Page responded. “We kind of thought you’d be booked to be with the Tongans, to be honest. Maybe that’s why they don’t trust you completely yet.”
“I saw in the dirt sheet you guys are going to be sticking together?” Takahashi then asked.
Page then said the Elite had indeed made a pact but Takahashi warned him not to trust those, “greedy m**f**s”.
It sounds like Takahashi is warning Page about his fellow Elite stablemates. We’ll likely have to wait until 2019 to see what happens with Owens and Takahashi, however.
You can view the conversation between the two tag-team partners in the player below:
Here are the results from New Japan’s final event of the year at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan:
Ryusuke Taguchi & Yoshitatsu b. Jushin Thunder Liger & Henare – Taguchi took the win for his team after hitting the Dodon on Henare
Tomohiro Ishii & Toru Yano b. Yujiro Takahashi & BONE SOLDIER – Ishii hit the Brainbuster on BONE SOLDIER to take the pinfall victory
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Juice Robinson b. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens – Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop on Owens for the win
Yuji Nagata b, Manabu Nakanishi – Nagata hit the Exploder of Justice to take the win
Katsuyori Shibata & Tiger Mask IV b. Hirooki Goto & Jado – Shibata hit the Penalty Kick on Jado to take the pinfall victory
Hiroshi Tanahashi, Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, KUSHIDA & David Finlay b. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL, Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI – Kojima hit BUSHI with a Lariat to take the win for his team
Kenny Omega & Bad Luck Fale b. Kazuchika Okada & YOSHI-HASHI – Omega hit the One Winged Angel on YOSHI-HASHI to gain the momentum leading up to his IWGP Heavyweight Title match against Okada at Wrestle Kingdom.
Here are the results from the Road to Tokyo Dome show that took place 12/16 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan.
Yuji Nagata, Yoshitatsu & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Manabu Nakanishi, Tiger Mask IV & Henare – Taguchi took the pinfall victory over Henare
Tomohiro Ishii b. Chase Owens – Ishii took the pinfall victory in just over 8 minutes with the Brainbuster
SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & David Finlay – EVIL hit his namesake finisher on Finlay to take the pinfall victory for his team
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Juice Robinson b. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & BONE SOLDIER – Robinson hit the Pulp Fiction on Tonga to take the win leading into his match against Cody at the Tokyo Dome
Hirooki Goto & Jado b. Katsuyori Shibata & Jushin Thunder Liger – Goto took the win after hitting the GTR on Liger
Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi b. Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Jado – Yujiro took the win after hitting the Pimp Juice on Jado
Tetsuya Naito & Hiromu Takahashi b. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA – Takahashi took the win after hitting the TIME BOMB on KUSHIDA
Here are the results from New Japan’s World Tag League final that took place in the Sekisui Haim Super Arena in Miyagi:
Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay b. Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV – Finlay took the pinfall victory over Tiger Mask
Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi b. Manabu Nakanishi & Henare – Yujiro hit the Pimp Juice on Henare to secure the victory for his team
Yoshitatsu & Billy Gunn b. Chase Owens & BONE SOLDIER – Billy Gunn hit the Fameasser on BONE SOLIDER to take the win in just over 5 minutes
War Machine b. Brian Breaker & Leland Race – Rowe hit the Fallout on Leland Race to secure the win
SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Yuji Nagata – EVIL took the pinfall victory over Kojima after hitting his namesake finisher
Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI b. Katsuyori Shibata & Juice Robinson – Goto hit the GTR on Shibata to take the pinfall victory for his team
Tetsuya Naito & Rush b. Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA – Rush hit the Rush Driver on KUSHIDA to take the win, after the match Hiromu Takahashi came out to the ring and laid out KUSHIDA before accepting Naito’s offer to join Los Ingobernables
Kazuchika Okada & Tomohiro Ishii b. Kenny Omega & Hangman Page – Okada hit the Rainmaker on Page to take the win
World Tag League Final – Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma b. Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa – Makabe hit the King Kong Knee Drop on Tanga Loa to secure the win and make Honma/Makabe the first team in New Japan history to win the tournament in consecutive years
Here are the results from New Japan’s Destruction in Tokyo event:
Rocky Romero & Barreta b. David Finlay & Henare – Barreta hit the Dudebuster on Henare to secure the win for his team
Yuji Nagata & Manabu Nakanishi b. Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan – Nagata hit the Exploder of Justice on Captain New Japan for the win
Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma & Tiger Mask IV b. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima & Jushin Thunder Liger – Honma took the pinfall win after hitting the Kokeshi
Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & Gedo b. Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens – Ishii hit the Brainbuster on Tanga Loa to take the pinfall victory
Kyle O’Reilly b. Juice Robinson – O’Reilly took the win after hitting the Armageddon, he is now the next challenger for the NEVER Openweight title
Kazuchika Okada, YOSHI-HASHI & Will Ospreay b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi – YOSHI-HASHI hit the Karma on Yujiro to secure the pinfall victory for his team
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & EVIL b. Michael Elgin, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Ryusuke Taguchi – SANADA hit the Skull End on Taguchi to take the win
NEVER Openweight Championship Match: Katsuyori Shibata b. Bobby Fish – Shibata hit the Penalty Kick to take the pinfall win IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Match: BUSHI b. KUSHIDA – BUSHI took the pinfall win over KUSHIDA to become the 74th champion in IWGP JH history
Here are the results for New Japan’s Road to Destruction event in Korakuen Hall, Tokyo:
David Finlay b. Henare – Finlay hits the Prima Nocta to take the win
Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens b. Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan – Yujiro hits the Pimp Juice on Captain New Japan to secure the win for his team
Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Satoshi Kojima, Jushin Thunder Liger & Ryusuke Taguchi b. Will Ospreay, Gedo, Rocky Romero & Barreta – Taguchi pinned Romero to secure the win for his team
Togi Makabe & Tomoaki Honma b. Yuji Nagata & Manadu Nakanishi – Makabe hits the King Kong Knee Drop on Nakanishi to secure the win
EVIL b. Juice Robinson – EVIL took the pinfall victory in this match
Kyle O’Reilly & Bobby Fish b. Katsuyori Shibata & Tiger Mask IV – O’Reilly got the pinfall after he and Fish hit the Chasing The Dragon on Tiger Mask
Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa – Ishii hit the Brainbuster on Tanga Loa to secure the victory for his team
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA & BUSHI b. Michael Elgin, Hiroshi Tanahashi & KUSHIDA – BUSHI hit the MX on KUSHIDA to take the pinfall win
Here are the results for New Japan’s Road to Destruction event in Shizuoka:
Henare b Hirai Kawato – Henare takes the submission win with a single leg crab
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima b. David Finlay & Teruaki Kanemitsu – Tenzan locks in the Anaconda Vice on Kanemitsu to secure the submission victory for his team
Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask IV b. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan – Nagata hits the Exploder of Justice on Captain New Japan to secure the win
Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa & Chase Owens b. Hirooki Goto, Rocky Romero & Barreta – Tonga hits the Gunstun on Romero for the win
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, Juice Robinson, KUSHIDA & Ryusuke Taguchi – Naito hits the Destino on Juice Robinson to take the pinfall victory for his team
Kazuchika Okada, Tomohiro Ishii & YOSHI-HASHI b. Kenny Omega, Bad Luck Fale & Yujiro Takahashi – YOSHI-HASHI hits the Karma on Yujiro to take the pinfall victory in the main event
Here are the results for New Japan’s Road to Destruction event in Niigata:
Henare b Hirai Kawato – Henare took the submission win with a Boston Crab
Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Satoshi Kojima b. Juice Robinson & Teruaki Kanemitsu – Kojima took the win for his team after hitting a Lariat on Kanemitsu
Katsuyori Shibata, Yuji Nagata, Manabu Nakanishi & Tiger Mask IV b. Togi Makabe, Tomoaki Honma, Yoshitatsu & Captain New Japan – Nagata hit the Exploder of Justice on Captain New Japan to take the pinfall victory for his team
Kenny Omega, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa b. YOSHI-HASHI, Rocky Romero & Barreta – Tama Tonga hit the Guerrilla Warfare on Romero to take the win
Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, EVIL & BUSHI b. Hiroshi Tanahashi, KUSHIDA, Ryusuke Taguchi & David Finlay – Naito took the win after hitting the Destino on Young Lion Finlay
Kazuchika Okada, Hirooki Goto & Tomohiro Ishii b. Bad Luck Fale, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens – Goto hit the GTR on Chase Owens for the victory
Ryusuke Taguchi defeated Gedo (Block A) – Taguchi wins Block A and advances to the finals
Bushi defeated Kushida (Block A)
Will Ospreay and Ryusuke Taguchi will face off in the finals of the NJPW BOSJ 2016 tournament, tomorrow June 7 at 5:30 a.m. EST, from Sendai Sunplaza Hall in Miyagi, Japan, which can be seen live on njpwworld.com including English commentary from Kevin Kelly and Steve Corino.
David Finley and Chase Owens have been announced for NJPW’s Best of the Super Juniors tour, they replace the recently injured Young Bucks.
New Japan recently took down the card for the two blocks of the tournament from their official website, it is believed that due to the Buck’s absence a number of booking decisions have had to be revisited however the card has since been re-uploaded to the NJPW website so these appear to be finalised.
Earlier today, NJPW ran a house show as part of theRoad to Power Struggle tour in Saitama, which aired live on NJPW World. The big news coming out of the show is that the Bullet Club announced a new member: Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Chase Owens. Owens, Kenny Omega, and the Young Bucks defeated Ryusuke Taguchi, Mascara Dorada, and the Time Splitters when Omega pinned Dorada after hitting the One-Winged Angel.
The NWA issued a press release today that included this note about Owens joining the Bullet Club:
The wrestling world was rocked when we recently received word from Japan that former NWA World Junior Heavyweight Champion “THE CROWN JEWEL” CHASE OWENS has joined the Bullet Club!
Does this signal the start of an NWA – Bullet Club Alliance? NWA President Bruce Tharpe has indicated that this is only the first of many controversial surprises to come involving the NWA.
Tharpe has served as the manager of Owens and the other NWA-aligned Americans like Rob Conway. He was a big part of Owens’ feud with Jushin Thunder Liger, cutting promos, interfering in matches, and so on.
– Virginia-based independent pro wrestler Chase Ownes noted on his social media accounts recently that he will be working his second official match for TNA at the company’s upcoming live event at Freedom Hall in Johnson City, Tennessee on March 1st.
– Expect a couple more matches to be announced shortly for the upcoming TNA “One Night Only: Outbreak” event, which is a co-promotion with Wrestle-1, scheduled for March 2nd in Tokyo, Japan.