Welcome to our results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 19, the tournament final day.

Twenty wrestlers, divided into two blocks of ten, have competed against every other member of their block. Two men stand alone as the finalists from their blocks. Who will be the G1 Climax 29 winner: Kota Ibushi or Jay White? Who will receive the opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020?

View the full tournament schedule here.

Watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Day 19 Matches

Clark Connors & Karl Fredericks defeated Ren Narita & Yota Tsuji
The Los Angeles dojo team came out to unique music for the first time. Clark Connors submitted Yota Tsuji with a Boston crab at 9:53. Afterwards, a brawl between the LA and Tokyo young lions ensued and was broken up.

Jeff Cobb, Jushin Thunder Liger & Tiger Mask IV defeated Suzukigun (Lance Archer, Taichi & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
The former team came out to Liger’s music, which received a tremendous crowd response. Jeff Cobb pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru with the Tour of the Islands at 7:36.

CHAOS (Will Ospreay, SHO & YOH) vs. Bullet Club (Taiji Ishimori, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens)
Will Ospreay pinned Yujiro Takahashi after the Stormbreaker at 7:57.

Juice Robinson & Toa Henare defeated Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
Toa Henare pinned Shota Umino after the Toa Bottom (uranage) at 6:19. Following his victory over Moxley yesterday, Juice gestured as if he wanted the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship, and they stood each other down in the ring. Moxley hit him with the championship belt and then gave him a uranage through a table.

Hirooki Goto, Togi Makabe, Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma & Ryusuke Taguchi vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, EVIL, SANADA, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
SANADA pinned Tomoaki Honma after a top rope moonsault at 8:56.

Bullet Club (Bad Luck Fale, Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) defeated Tomohiro Ishii, KENTA & YOSHI-HASHI
When Tomohiro Ishii tried to tag in KENTA, KENTA moved his hand away and left the ring, then hit Ishii with the Busaiku Knee Kick and Go 2 Sleep. Tama Tonga pinned Tomohiro Ishii after that at 8:35. After the match, Katsuyori Shibata ran out and attacked KENTA as the crowd erupted. However, Bullet Club ganged up on Shibata and beat him down, and KENTA sat cross-legged on the laid out Shibata.

Suzukigun (Minoru Suzuki & Zack Sabre Jr.) defeated Kazuchika Okada & Hiroshi Tanahashi
This was a really hot tag team match, with the highlight being Shibata eating Okada’s strikes and asking for more, nearly finishing him off right then and there. Minoru Suzuki hit a La Mistica and then pinned Kazuchika Okada with the Gotch-style piledriver. Suzuki got on the microphone and said he wants the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

G1 Climax 29 Final Match: Kota Ibushi defeated Jay White
All of the Bullet Club came out to ringside with Jay White, but the referee told them all to leave, but Gedo stayed. He tried to interfere in the match almost as soon as the bell rang, and the referee threw him out too. Jay White controlled the match in the early going, frequently working over the right knee of Ibushi that he assaulted yesterday. Ibushi fought back time and again, but his comebacks were cut short by Jay going back to the knee, or Ibushi inadvertently hurting his own knee. White threw Ibushi into the referee and hit a low blow, and then Gedo came back out and gave White a chair, which he used to hit Ibushi’s leg. Ibushi rallied back and White’s strikes seemed to have no effect on him. Gedo tried to interfere, but Ibushi neutralized him and hit a Boma Ye on White. Rocky Romero pulled Gedo out of the ring as Ibushi hit another Boma Ye. White reversed the Kamigoye into a Blade Runner, but Ibushi hit a Kamigoye that White kicked out of. Kota Ibushi hit another Kamigoye and pinned Jay White at 31:01 to win the 29th G1 Climax.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

Welcome to our results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 11. New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continues today and will run until Day 19 on August 12.

Twenty wrestlers, divided into two blocks of ten, compete against every other member of their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The wrestler with the most points in each block will move on to a final match, with the winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

View the full tournament schedule here.

Watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Day 11 Undercard

Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Yota Tsuji defeated Tomohiro Ishii, Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura
YOSHI-HASHI submitted Yuya Uemura with the Butterfly Lock at 9:24. CHAOS stablemates Hirooki Goto and Tomohiro Ishii face each other for B Block points in the main event of Day 12.

Toru Yano & Ren Narita defeated Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
Yano attempted to sell his DVD to Jon Moxley. Shota Umino took 5,000 yen from the ring announcer and gave it to Moxley, who then paid for it, and then tried to roll Yano up as he was counting the money. Toru Yano rolled Shota Umino up for the win at 4:08. Afterward, he took back the DVD and fled. The undefeated Jon Moxley faces Toru Yano on Day 12.

Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) defeated Suzukigun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru)
Chase Owens pinned Yoshinobu Kanemaru at 7:39 after countering the Deep Impact and hitting a package piledriver. Taichi tried to confront Jay White after the match, but Gedo made sure Taichi was unable to get his hands on White. It’s Taichi versus Jay White on Day 12.

Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI) defeated Juice Robinson, Jeff Cobb & Toa Henare
Shingo Takagi pinned Toa Henare after a Pumping Bomber at 9:27. Shingo Takagi and Tetsuya Naito face Jeff Cobb and Juice Robinson, respectively, on Day 12.

Day 11 G1 Matches

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kota Ibushi defeated Bad Luck Fale
Fale used his backup, Chase Owens and Jado, to weaken Ibushi from the outset, having them attack him on the outside, and then grinded Ibushi down with his weight when he managed to make it back into the ring. Ibushi’s comebacks were foiled time and again by the Bullet Club until the referee had had enough, and Ibushi could finally rally. Kota Ibushi pinned Bad Luck Fale at 9:27 after a Kamigoye. Fale 2 points, Ibushi 8 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Will Ospreay
Notably, this was the first ever all-British G1 Climax match. Zack attacked Ospreay’s taped up neck and shoulder early on. Eventually, Ospreay rallied, and came close on several occasions, but Zack was able to catch him with submissions at crucial moments to get the win. Zack Sabre Jr. defeated Will Ospreay by submission at 20:02 with Hurrah! Another Year, Surely This One Will Be Better Than the Last; The Inexorable March of Progress Will Lead Us All to Happiness! Ospreay 4 points, Sabre 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Lance Archer
Archer dominated the match early on, attacking Okada before the bell and hitting him hard with unexpectedly athletic offense for his size. Okada fought back from underneath, but Lance was never subdued for long. It certainly was not a decisive victory, but Okada was able to catch him for the win. Kazuchika Okada pinned Lance Archer after a Rainmaker. Archer 4 points, Okada 12 points and currently undefeated.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: SANADA defeated KENTA
This was a high-speed fight between two outsiders. Despite being the larger man, SANADA often seemed outmatched when it came to striking and used more high-flying offense and creative counters to turn the match around. SANADA pinned KENTA after the Skull End into the top rope moonsault.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. EVIL
EVIL immediately went after Tanahashi’s knee to neutralize the High Fly Flow, which Tanahashi used to win his previous match against SANADA. It didn’t have a strong effect at first, but after a bad landing on a frog splash to the outside, he was noticeably slowed down. This was an all-out contest that had the crowd going wild. Hiroshi Tanahashi pinned EVIL after a High Fly Flow at 23:02. EVIL 6 points, Tanahashi 8 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

Wrestlers whose names are in italics cannot make it to the Final.

Welcome to our results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 5.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continued today and will run until Day 19 on August 12. Twenty wrestlers compete in blocks of ten against every other wrestler in their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The wrestler with the most points in each block will move on to a final match, with the winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

One can watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Undercard Matches

Jon Moxley & Shota Umino defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Yuya Uemura
Shota Umino pinned Yuya Uemura with a bridging fisherman suplex at 5:46. Afterwards, Moxley and Ishii got into a brawl until being broken up by young lions and staff. As Ishii left, Moxley took a chair and sat down in the middle of the ring, taunting Ishii. Ishii found his own chair and did the same on the outside.  Jon Moxley versus Tomohiro Ishii is the main event of Day 6 of the tournament, tomorrow.

Jeff Cobb, Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI defeated Juice Robinson, Toa Henare & Yota Tsuji
YOSHI-HASHI submitted Yota Tsuji with the Butterfly Lock at 9:30. Juice Robinson and Jeff Cobb shook hands after the match. Their G1 match against each other is tomorrow.

Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens) defeated Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma & Ren Narita
The main theme of the match was Toru Yano antagonizing Jay White with his wily chicanery. Chase Owens pinned Ren Narita after a package piledriver at 8:49. Jay White and Toru Yano are against each other in a G1 Climax match tomorrow.

Suzukigun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & BUSHI)
Minoru Suzuki pinned BUSHI after a Gotch-style piledriver at 8:35. It’s Shingo Takagi versus Taichi in the G1 Climax tomorrow. Although they were not in the same match, Tetsuya Naito fights Hirooki Goto tomorrow as well.

G1 Climax Matches

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: KENTA defeated Lance Archer
KENTA defeated Lance Archer by submission with the Game Over (omoplata crossface) at 11:58. This was the first time KENTA has used the Game Over since joining NJPW. A highlight of the match was Archer yelling “You’re not KENTA, you’re f**king Hideo!” which KENTA slapped him for. KENTA 6 points, Lance Archer 4 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: EVIL defeated SANADA
This match heavily centered around these stablemates being very competitive and familiar with each other, countering each other’s offense at every turn and using each other’s moves. After a hot finishing stretch, EVIL defeated SANADA by pinfall with the EVIL at 18:11. EVIL 4 points, SANADA 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada defeated Bad Luck Fale
Bad Luck Fale came out dragging Kazuchika Okada from the backstage area, denying him the ability to make his entrance. Chase Owens and Jado interfered on Fale’s behalf, but Okada managed to take them out on his own. Kazuchika Okada defeated Bad Luck Fale by pinfall with a prawn hold at 10:15. This was the first time Okada has ever defeated Fale in the G1 Climax. Okada 6 points, Fale 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr.
This was an unexpectedly frantic match, with both men immediately going for pinning combinations against each other, and Zack targeting the hurt arm of Tanahashi. After a technical match that kept the crowd on edge, Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Zack Sabre Jr. by pinfall with a jackknife hold at 13:56. Tanahashi 2 points, Sabre 0 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kota Ibushi defeated Will Ospreay
Ospreay’s neck and shoulder were heavily taped up and Ibushi attacked those areas with strikes, holds, and suplexes. Early on, Ospreay tried to wear down Ibushi’s hurt ankle, then transitioned to delivering his trademark offense, but was overwhelmed by Ibushi’s physicality. Kota Ibushi won by pinfall after a Kamigoye at 27:16. Ibushi 2 points, Ospreay 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

A Block

• KENTA – 6
• Kazuchika Okada – 6
• Lance Archer – 4
• EVIL – 4
• Bad Luck Fale – 2
• Kota Ibushi – 2
• SANADA – 2
• Will Ospreay – 2
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 2
• Zack Sabre Jr. – 0

B Block

• Tomohiro Ishii – 4
• Jon Moxley – 4
• Juice Robinson – 4
• Hirooki Goto – 2
• Shingo Takagi – 2
• Taichi – 2
• Toru Yano – 2
• Jeff Cobb – 0
• Tetsuya Naito – 0
• Jay White – 0

Welcome to our ongoing Live Results of NJPW G1 Climax 29 Day 3. This will be updated with results and new points standings throughout the event.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament continued today and will run until Day 19 on August 12. Twenty wrestlers compete in blocks of ten against every other wrestler in their block. They gain 2 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The most dominant wrestler in each block will move on to a final match, with winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in the Tokyo Dome in January 2020.

One can watch this event on NJPW World with commentary in either English or Japanese.

Juice Robinson, Toa Henare & Yota Tsuji defeated Hirooki Goto, Tomoaki Honma & Yuya Uemura
Toa Henare came out sporting a beard, but it’s not very full yet. Young lions Uemura and Tsuji came out showing aggression against each other before the match began, but did not fight for long. Goto and Juice, who have a match tomorrow in Sapporo, laid into each other with hard strikes and simultaneous lariats sent them both crumbling to the floor. Toa Henare was uncharacteristically fired up, ending Uemura’s comebacks with body shots and finishing him off swiftly. Toa Henare pinned Yuya Uemura after a Toa Bottom at 6:31.

Jeff Cobb & Ren Narita defeated Jon Moxley & Shota Umino
In their first tag team match together, Jon Moxley and Shota Umino came out through the crowd, with Umino wearing a Moxley t-shirt and carrying the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship on his behalf once again. Early on, Moxley and Umino beat down Ren Narita, with Moxley verbally instructing him for tag team moves. When Cobb tagged in, Moxley tried to catch him with the Death Rider, but Cobb stuffed his lift attempts. At one point, Umino managed to lift Cobb for a suplex, but this was only a minor victory. Jeff Cobb pinned Shota Umino after a Tour of the Islands at 4:53.

CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii, Toru Yano & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Bullet Club (Jay White, Yujiro Takahashi & Chase Owens)
Jay White pretended that he would begin the match across from his opponent tomorrow, Tomohiro Ishii, but allowed Yujiro Takahashi to start instead. All members of Bullet Club took turns bullying YOSHI-HASHI until he managed to get the hot tag to Ishii. When Jay White tried to roll out of the ring and away from Ishii, Yano forced him back into the ring, which pleased the crowd. After Toru Yano removed the turnbuckle pad, Chase Owens took it from him and tried to hit him with it, but nearly hit the referee instead, giving Yano the opportunity to sneak in the victory. Toru Yano pinned Chase Owens with a roll up after a low blow at 9:23.

Suzukigun (Taichi, Minoru Suzuki & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) defeated Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
Suzuki and Kanemaru attacked Takagi and BUSHI before the bell, as they are apt to do, leaving only Naito and Taichi in the ring. They are the main event of G1 day four tomorrow, and the majority of this match was Taichi working Naito over while their teammates slugged it out on the outside. Later, Shingo got the hot tag and ran wild before Suzuki cut him off. Shingo managed to tag BUSHI in, only for him to get finished off quickly. Minoru Suzuki pinned BUSHI with a Gotch-style piledriver at 8:33. After the match, Taichi pulled the Iron Finger from Hell out of his bag, teasing using it in his G1 match tomorrow.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Lance Archer [4] defeated Bad Luck Fale [2]
Archer wasted little time, immediately tackling Fale to the outside. They fought in the crowd area, throwing each other into chairs. In the ring, Archer’s shoulder tackles failed to knock Fale off his feat, but Archer climbed to the top rope and hit a turning crossbody on him. Fale hit likely one of the heaviest superplexes to ever occur in an NJPW ring, with Archer bouncing on impact. Fale hit the Grenade for a near fall. Jado attempted to interfere on Fale’s behalf, but Archer fought him off. Lance hit a football tackle and an impressive chokeslam on Fale. Lance Archer pinned Bad Luck Fale at 10:12 with the EBD Claw. Archer 4 points, Fale 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Will Ospreay [2] defeated SANADA [2]
Fast-paced wrestling began the match, with Ospreay soon trying to put SANADA in the Paradise Lock, but didn’t know how to do so and SANADA just kicked him away. SANADA then put Ospreay in the Paradise Lock, but Ospreay simply kipped up out of it, only to get it reapplied on him while getting tied up in the ropes, which he was unable to escape. Ospreay and SANADA seemingly had answers for each other at every turn, with neither one of them ever getting the upper hand for a long period. The fast-paced periods of match were impressive but difficult to describe in text. Will Ospreay pinned SANADA after a Stormbreaker at 17:06. Ospreay 2 points, SANADA 2 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada [4] defeated Zack Sabre Jr. [0]
In between periods of Okada using his greater weight to keep Sabre in the positions he wanted, ZSJ attempted to end the match quickly using pin attempts including a bridging Japanese leg-roll clutch. Okada asserted his dominance and hit the tombstone piledriver inside of ten minutes, but Sabre went after his right arm with kicks and submissions to turn the tide. It wasn’t enough, though, as Okada hit a rolling lariat followed by the Rainmaker to pin Zack Sabre Jr. at 12:01. Okada 4 points, Sabre Jr. 0 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: EVIL [2] defeated Kota Ibushi [0]
After a fiery opening exchange of strikes, EVIL grounded Ibushi through attacks at his bruised left ankle. This is to be expected, since Ibushi stated in an interview that this would be the only way to defeat him. Ibushi fired back with kicks using his right leg, but his trademark flying offense was visibly a struggle. After a stomp to the ankle which elicited a negative response from the crowd, EVIL went for a Scorpion Deathlock but Ibushi got the rope break. Ibushi soon pulled down his left kickpad and hit a Boma Ye for a near fall, then pulled down the right one as well, but EVIL cut him off. EVIL pinned Kota Ibushi after an EVIL at 19:11. EVIL 2 points, Ibushi 0 points.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Hiroshi Tanahashi [0] vs. KENTA [2]
Katsuyori Shibata joined the Japanese commentary table for this match. KENTA wrestled Tanahashi to the ropes and landed a slap to the face, only for Tanahashi to return the favor. KENTA continued to hold Tanahashi down with hard kicks and holds as the crowd rallied behind the NJPW flagbearer. Tanahashi had short bursts where he was making a comeback, but KENTA would continually deny him until Tanahashi caught his leg on a Go 2 Sleep attempt and attacked both with dragon screws. He went for the High Fly Flow and succeeded once, then went for it once more KENTA blocked it with his knees, and that was the beginning of the end. KENTA pinned Hiroshi Tanahashi with the Go 2 Sleep at 18:35. KENTA 4 points, Tanahashi 0 points.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

A Block

• Lance Archer – 4
• KENTA – 4
• Kazuchika Okada – 4
• Bad Luck Fale – 2
• SANADA – 2
• Will Ospreay – 2
• EVIL – 2
• Kota Ibushi – 0
• Zack Sabre Jr. – 0
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 0

B Block

• Hirooki Goto – 2
• Tomohiro Ishii – 2
• Jon Moxley – 2
• Juice Robinson – 2
• Toru Yano – 2
• Jeff Cobb – 0
• Tetsuya Naito – 0
• Taichi – 0
• Shingo Takagi – 0
• Jay White – 0

Yesterday, Kota Ibushi Tweeted photos of a badly bruised ankle he sustained in his G1 match with KENTA over the weekend. Ibushi did not report the injury to NJPW originally as he did not think the injury was too bad. After Tweeting out photos of his ankle yesterday, there were concerns Ibushi would have to miss dates on the upcoming tour.

According to a report from Wrestling Observer Radio, however, Ibushi plans on wrestling all of his scheduled bouts.

“Kota Ibushi got her in that match. His ankle swelled up real bad,” Dave Meltzer said. “He didn’t think he was hurt, he didn’t report an injury until his ankle swelled up real bad cause the New Japan injury report did not, in fact, mention any injury. Then yesterday, I think it was, he showed those pictures and I don’t know how he’s going to wrestle on Saturday and Sunday and this whole week but he’s going to be wrestling multiple matches this whole week on that ankle.”

• Kota Ibushi Shares Photos Of Injury Sustained Wrestling Kenta During G1 Climax

Kota Ibushi in the G1

Ibushi’s next tournament match will be on July 14th against EVIL. He’ll then take on Will Ospreay in Korakuen Hall on July 18th. Following that, he’ll take on SANADA on the 20th before having 7 days off before his next tournament match.

Kota Ibushi and the returning Kenta (recently known as WWE Superstar Hideo Itami) had a hard-hitting clash at New Japan Pro Wrestling’s G1 Climax’s opening night.

The two faced off on July 6th in Dallas. Their physical war has clearly affected both men, who still have the rest of the tournament ahead of them.

Ibushi took to Twitter in order to share the price he paid in his loss to Kenta. He uploaded two photos showing the extent of the damage he suffered. Heavy bruising and swelling are clearly on display.

In the tweet itself, he reveals that he was able to walk 100 steps. He sets himself the goal of being able up to 200 steps and promises that he won’t give up.

Ibushi is currently scheduled to compete in a match this coming Saturday. With Block B wrestlers headlining the show, Block A competitors usually open the card in a series of tag team matches.

He is still advertised as teaming with Young Lion, Yuya Uemura, and CHAOS’ Will Ospreay. The trio will be competing against Los Ingobernables de Japon members BUSHI, SANADA, and EVIL.

His next G1 tournament matchup takes place on Sunday, July 14th against LIJ’s EVIL.

Welcome to our ongoing Live Results of NJPW G1 Climax: Dallas.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s 29th G1 Climax tournament begins today and will run until August 12, with the winner getting an opportunity to challenge for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom 14 in January 2020.

Match results and points for each competitor will be updated throughout the show for each of the tournament’s nineteen events.

NJPW G1 Climax Dallas Results

Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) defeated Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH).
The bulk of the match were G.O.D. dominating the junior heavyweight tag team, with several hope moments for RPG 3K. Tama Tonga pinned YOH following a top rope powerbomb at 6:42.

Jeff Cobb & Ren Narita defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Shota Umino.
The focus of this match was on Cobb and Ishii, who are each other’s first opponents in the B Block. They hit each other extremely hard, and the crowd was very excited. Cobb pinned Shota Umino after a Tour of the Islands to end the match at 7:18. After the match, Ishii and Cobb continued to fight each other until staff pulled them apart.

CHAOS (Hirooki Goto & YOSHI-HASHI) defeated Bullet Club (Jay White & Chase Owens).
White received heavy boos from the American crowd. White is facing Goto in the main event of the first B Block show on July 13, and Goto looked strong in this match, overpowering Owens with relative ease. Goto pinned Owens following the GTR at 8:38.

Toru Yano, Juice Robinson & Jushin Thunder Liger def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi & BUSHI).
Most of the match involved the various wrestlers squaring off against their counterpart opponents, including a slugfest between Juice and Takagi, and Naito attempting to avoid Yano’s usual antics. The finish came when Yano delivered a low blow to BUSHI behind the referee’s back at 8:18.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Lance Archer def. Will Ospreay
Despite his loss, Ospreay got in a lot of offense on the heavyweight Archer and looked strong in defeat. The audience was rooting for Ospreay, but Archer kicked out of the Oscutter and managed to evade the Stormbreaker to get the victory. Lance Archer pinned Will Ospreay at 18:16 with the EBD Claw.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Bad Luck Fale def. EVIL
Bad Luck Fale overpowered EVIL with his superior size and strength early on, but EVIL managed to evade him at some points and land attacks of his own. EVIL took chairs out from under the ring, but Fale managed to use them against him. The referee was knocked out of the ring at one point and Fale hit a low blow on EVIL, and then finished him off. Bad Luck Fale pinned EVIL at 11:33 with the Bad Luck Fall.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: SANADA def. Zack Sabre Jr.
The match emphasized that SANADA could very much keep up with Zack Sabre Jr. with regards to technical wrestling. They chain-wrestled and transitioned through holds but at a fast pace that kept the crowd energized, leading to a “New Japan” chant at one point. Eventually the match escalated, leading to SANADA using his trademark offense to finish Sabre off, but Sabre kept catching him with submissions. SANADA pinned Zack Sabre Jr. with a bridging O’Connor roll at 21:12.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: KENTA def. Kota Ibushi
KENTA made a big impression in his first match in NJPW. This was a hard-hitting fight with many strikes, kicks, and angry faces. Ibushi went for a dive that KENTA countered, but Ibushi looked to hurt his ankle and was not moving as smoothly for the rest of the match. KENTA pinned Ibushi after a Go 2 Sleep at 20:51.

G1 Climax 29 A Block Match: Kazuchika Okada def. Hiroshi Tanahashi
The crowd gave one of the loudest reactions of the night before the two even touched. It’s hard to say novel things about matches between Tanahashi and Okada, since they’ve wrestled many times before, but this match was a first for this rivalry between the two. In all the previous times that they fought during the G1 Climax, the match ended in a 30-minute time limit draw. Okada putting Tanahashi away as quickly, relatively speaking, as he did, demonstrated that Tanahashi is now fully in the rear view mirror for Okada. Okada pinned Tanahashi after a Rainmaker at 22:04.

G1 Climax 29 Standings

A Block

• Lance Archer – 2
• Bad Luck Fale – 2
• SANADA – 2
• KENTA – 2
• Kazuchika Okada – 2
• EVIL – 0
• Kota Ibushi – 0
• Will Ospreay – 0
• Zack Sabre Jr. – 0
• Hiroshi Tanahashi – 0

B Block

• Jeff Cobb – 0
• Hirooki Goto – 0
• Tomohiro Ishii – 0
• Jon Moxley – 0
• Tetsuya Naito – 0
• Juice Robinson – 0
• Taichi – 0
• Shingo Takagi – 0
• Jay White – 0
• Toru Yano – 0

New Japan’s biggest tournament of the year will be taking place this Summer. The 29th G1 Climax will be starting in Dallas, Texas on July 29th with a tournament day set in the United States for the very first time.

Two of NJPW’s biggest stars Jay White and Kota Ibushi have talked about the upcoming tournament. White stated that the New Japan G1 needs him more than he needs the G1.

Kota Ibushi had some interesting comments regarding his match in the United States. “I want to show my usual wrestling. The same New Japan as we have in Japan” stated Ibushi. “What everyone calls ‘Strong Style’ is now evolving within me. Fans want to see the ‘Strong Style’ and I want to show today’s version of it within NJPW.”

New Japan’s next big show will be Dominion in Osaka, Japan. Three matches have been announced for the first card and they are as follows:

• IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Chris Jericho
• IWGP Intercontinental Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs Tetsuya Naito
• NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Taichi (c) vs Tomohiro Ishii

You can check out the full comments from White and Ibushi via the videos below:

New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) is currently on their ‘Road To Dontaku’ tour, post-G1 Supercard. This hasn’t stopped them from hyping their upcoming G1 Climax 29 event, which takes place from July 6th. The big difference from this year’s tournament compared to previous iterations is in the companies continued international intent, with the G1 kicking off from the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

With their Royal Quest show taking place in London later this year, and the G1 Climax beginning in the United States, New Japan are clearly still aggressively pushing into Western markets.

The company has now revealed four wrestlers who will be in Dallas on the first day of the G1 tournament.

IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada, IWGP Intercontinental Champion, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Jay White, will all be present for the show in Texas. The tweet added that they will be announcing the full list of tournament entrants at a later date.

G1 Supercard Fallout

All of the announced talents recently wrestled at the historic ROH/NJPW co-promoted G1 Supercard show.

The event took place last Saturday from Madison Square Garden in New York. It was during this event that both Okada and Ibushi would emerge victorious as newly crowned champions, defeating Jay White and Tetsuya Naito, respectively.

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced the latest star that will be joining their Royal Quest event in the UK. ‘Golden Star’ Kota Ibushi will be heading overseas to take part in the Copper Box Arena.

NJPW also recently announced that NEVER Openweight Champion Will Ospreay will be heading to the Copper Box Arena in London. Ospreay won the NEVER Openweight Championship at the Wrestle Kingdom show in January. The ‘Aerial Assassin’ defeated Kota Ibushi to claim the title and dethrone the Japanese star.

The company confirmed earlier this month that “Three” of their “top Japanese wrestlers have confirmed they will be on the card and they will be bringing New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s fighting spirit to the heart of the UK’s capital.” Those three stars were Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito and IWGP Heavyweight Champion Hiroshi Tanahashi.

NJPW aren’t strangers to the United Kingdom. They have held numerous events in conjuncture with other promotions. Most notably Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro) and Ring Of Honor (ROH). ‘Royal Quest’ will be their first major solo show in the UK.

You can find more information on their website, NJPW1972.com.

Kota Ibushi recently sat down with New Japan’s English Language site NJPW1972.com to discuss a number of topics. The ‘Golden Star’ recently confirmed that he would be staying with New Japan instead of heading to the new All Elite Wrestling promotion. Ibushi’s longtime Golden Lovers tag partner Kenny Omega decided to leave Japan. This was of course covered as part of the interview. NJPW stated that this interview would reveal Kota’s “real feelings” about Omega.

• Kota Ibushi Explains Why He Didn’t Sign With AEW

When asked about Omega leaving Ibushi replied “Kenny has his own path to follow and I support him with it completely. I’d like to see Kenny change the world with wrestling, but I don’t want to lose to him. I’m going to fight my battles with everything I’ve got. Looking back now, I think Kenny really overshadowed me in New Japan, right?” 

The interviewer then asked Ibushi if he felt that the team was a “50/50 relationship” as Omega has mentioned in the past. Kota had an interesting response, stating that “No. When I look at what he’s achieved, Kenny’s won the G1 and was IWGP Heavyweight Champion, two things I’ve never done. Because I felt that I was not on the same level as him, I was always conscious about linking arms and teaming-up with him.”

Check out the full interview here

Kota Ibushi is scheduled to be taking part in the upcoming New Japan Cup tournament. The winner of the tournament will go on to face Jay White for the IWGP Heavyweight Championship at the G1 Supercard event.

According to recent comments made by Kota Ibushi, he turned down AEW’s offer in late 2018. He also told Japanese media outlet, ShuPru, that he hasn’t spoken to Kenny Omega since Wrestle Kingdom.

NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of the article.

“The second I went, that would be the end of my wrestling career, I thought,” Charlton translated Ibushi’s comments as.

“What I realized (talking to AEW) was I really don’t care about money,” he continued. “‘(Kenny and I) haven’t spoken since Wrestle Kingdom. I think he wanted me in his corner in the main event but after what happened (concussion in his match against Ospreay) he was worried and said I should leave early. After that..”

Ibushi continued to say AEW wanted him to move to the United States.

“AEW said they just want me in their ring in some form. The ideal for them was for me to move to America and be there full time. I turned them down just after Wrestle Kingdom.”

Ibushi continued to say that if he went to AEW he feels it would be the end of his career.

“If I went it would be the end of my career. There wouldn’t be anywhere else to go after that. No step up, nothing left to do. That would be the last step to make, and after that things would just go down. Great money, but I want to keep developing.”

• Kota Ibushi Announces He’s Staying With NJPW, Entering New Japan Cup

Ibushi says he was in negotiations with AEW at the end of last year. ‘The second I went, that would be the end of my wrestling career, I thought’

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 20, 2019

Kota Ibushi announced he is staying in NJPW to the live crowd at the New Beginning in Osaka on February 11th. He recently was interviewed for ShuPro and stated he only wants to work for New Japan and he’d like to be on every card if possible.

NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, provided some translations of the article.

Ibushi interviewed in tomorrow’s ShuPro. ‘I want to wrestle exclusively for New Japan’ ‘if I can, I want to be on every card, every tour’ https://t.co/sda7hmkqe1

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 19, 2019

• Kota Ibushi Match Added To WWE Network

Kenny Omega Comments On Kota Ibushi And All Elite Wrestling

There had been some concern amongst NJPW fans and hope amongst AEW fans that Ibushi would sign with the new promotion. Kenny Omega expressed his hope Ibushi will at some point end up in AEW during an interview with Wrestling Observer Radio.

“Absolutely, by all means, we would love to use Kota,” Omega said. “I wish he was here all the time, he would be the perfect roommate, if he liked America. I’m probably going to relocate to America, as well. He actually has a wrestling school now, yeah, he’s got a wrestling school in Japan. We’re going to be supportive of that, he has a couple commitments of that as of now. But again, door is wide open.”

Omega would continue to say, however, that Ibushi likely won’t be at Double or Nothing. He is hopeful Ibushi will end up in the promotion at some point, however.

“Without even saying anything, I would expect to see him here in the future,” Omega said. “Not for Double or Nothing, or anything, but—I’ll say near future.”

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s first major event post-Wrestle Kingdom 13 took place today. ‘The New Beginning In Osaka’ took place from the Edion Arena in Osaka, Japan following their ‘Road To’ tour which took place in both Japan and America. The fallout of this event will undoubtedly shape New Japan going forward.

Approximately halfway through the show, fans were surprised by an appearance by one half of The Golden Lovers, Kota Ibushi.

Ibushi hasn’t been seen since he suffered a concussion at the hands of Will Ospreay. The two faced each other in a hard-hitting affair back in January during the Wrestle Kingdom 13 event. Their match would end abruptly after Ospreay nailed him in the back of the head with a violent elbow strike. The concussive blow would actually come before that, however, after a kick.

Kota took to the mic as the Edion Arena fell into a tense silence.

Thankfully, Ibushi was able to deliver good news as he not only announced he would be staying in New Japan Pro Wrestling, but that he would be making his return at next month’s New Japan Cup.

.@ibushi_kota "I'll stay New Japan Pro-Wrestling."
THE NEW BEGINNING in OSAKA (Feb 11th, 2019)
Sign up Now & Stay tuned to https://t.co/Tj7UBJ4PjP#njpw #njnbg #njpwworld pic.twitter.com/u3sYuFh6Wm

— NJPW WORLD (@njpwworld) February 11, 2019

The tension amongst the crowd was understandable. The last time an injured NJPW came out to address their health issues in such a manner, it was for Shibata to announce his unfortunate retirement from in-ring competition.

Ibushi: today, I have something to say to everyone. My neck, my head, it’s made everyone worry. I’m sorry. But I’m now able to speak in front of you all. #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

Ibushi: I WILL STAY IN NEW JAPAN PRO WRESTLING! #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

Ibushi: next month! I will be in the New Japan Cup! And I will win it! I’m not going anywhere and I will give it my all here in NJPW! Thanks for your support! #njnbg

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) February 11, 2019

New Japan Cup 2019

The New Japan Cup is a single-elimination tournament held every March. The winner of the 2019 New Japan Cup will go on to challenge a champion at NJPW’s upcoming G1 Supercard show in Madison Square Garden. That show is a co-promoted event with Ring Of Honor.

Kota Ibushi took part in a hellacious match against Will Ospreay at this past week’s Wrestle Kingdom event. Opening the show in the Tokyo Dome. Near the end of the bout Ibushi took a patented and violent elbow from Ospreay which many believed may have caused a concussion.

The actual ‘sell’ of the move was all part of the story, however Ibushi did actually suffer from a concussion. Earlier in the bout Ospreay hit a kick in the corner which caused the minor concussion, this lead to Ibushi being taken out on a stretcher. The stretcher spot was used to write off Ibushi from the upcoming tour. Ospreay will be unable to appear on the latest tour due to his WoS/World of Sport commitments, so this should hopefully lead to a further program between the two later down the line.

According to the Wrestling Observer things could’ve been much worse still. Ibushi suffered from an eye injury that was originally believed to be a detached retina. It appears as though this isn’t the case and whilst he is not 100% he is recovering and expected to be training again within the next few days.

Kota Ibushi is said to have suffered a concussion during his match with Will Ospreay at Wrestle Kingdom. Ibushi was taken out on a stretcher after the match by several of the New Japan young lions.

NJPW commentator, Chris Charlton, Tweeted out an update on Ibushi’s condition after the match. “Kota Ibushi suffered a concussion against Ospreay,” Charlton Tweeted. “His condition is not described as serious. More information to come.”

Ibushi lost to Will Ospreay in the opening match of the Wrestle Kingdom main card. With the win, Ospreay is the new NEVER Openweight Champion. Ibushi had defeated Hirooki Goto for the title on the final night of the World Tag league.

Kota Ibushi Vs Will Ospreay

Not long before Ibushi and Ospreay met at Wrestle Kingdom, Ospreay paid tribute to his opponent on Instagram. He posted a photo of the two from April 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Br-MImaFZCB/?utm_source=ig_embed

“You have no idea how much you helped me this day,” Ospreay wrote. “Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis.
To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life.
After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew that this was the match I wanted.
Now I’m under a week my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place in New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship.”

New Japan’s annual Tokyo Dome show is now underway. The stacked card could end up being one of NJPW’s best ever and we’ve got the results as and when they happen.

Will Ospreay defeated Kota Ibushi in the opening bout. Ospreay used the Stormbreaker to become the new NEVER Openweight Champion. Ibushi took a nasty bump against the ring post during the bout and there appeared to be a cut in his mouth. Ibushi was stretched out of the ring following the match.

Here’s the full card for the event:

• NEVER Openweight Championship Match – Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will Ospreay
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Suzuki-gun (Yoshinobu Kanemaru & El Desperado) (c) vs. Roppongi 3K (SHO & YOH) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi & BUSHI)
• RPW British Heavyweight Championship Match – Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zac Sabre Jr.
• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship Match – Guerrillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa) (c) vs. Los Ingobernables de Japon (EVIL & SANADA) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
• IWGP United States Heavyweight Championship Match – Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship Match – KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori
• Jay White vs. Kazuchika Okada
• IWGP Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship No Disqualification Match – Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito
• IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match – Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

New Japan Pro Wrestling’s biggest event of the year is only a few days away, taking place January 4th at Japan’s Tokyo Dome.

Over the past few months, fans have witnessed the card begin to take shape as feuds were developed and challenges made, leading to what has become a stacked card featuring some of the best performers New Japan has to offer.

It also appears the NJPW want to start as they mean to go once the event gets underway.

NJPW announcer, Chris Charlton, revealed via Twitter that Wrestle Kingdom 13 will begin with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. The two will be competing for Ibushi’s NEVER Openweight championship in a match that could steal the show — and that’s on a card featuring a number of matches that could do the exact same thing.

“#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.”

#njwk13 ‘s main card starts with Kota Ibushi vs Will Ospreay. An insane match to start that event, but it’s just as much a. Statement of intent for the year as it is for WK13. It’s starting huge and only getting bigger.

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) December 31, 2018

Describing it as a “statement of intent” couldn’t be more accurate. There’s no doubt that Ibushi and Ospreay will deliver something special and set the tone straight out the gate.

Wrestle Kingdom 13

IWGP Heavyweight Title Match: Kenny Omega (c) vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi

IWGP Intercontinental Title Match: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Tetsuya Naito

Kazuchika Okada vs. Jay White

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Title Match: KUSHIDA (c) vs. Taiji Ishimori

IWGP United States Title Match: Cody (c) vs. Juice Robinson

IWGP Tag Team Title Match: Guerrillas of Destiny (c) vs. The Young Bucks vs. EVIL and SANADA

RevPro British Heavyweight Title Match: Tomohiro Ishii (c) vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Title Match: Yoshinobu Kanemaru and El Desperado (c) vs. Roppongi 3K vs. BUSHI and Shingo Takagi

IWGP NEVER Openweight Title Match: Kota Ibushi (c) vs. Will

Pre-Show

Gauntlet Match to determine #1 Contenders for NEVER Six-Man Titles:

Ryusuke Taguchi, Toru Yano, and Togi Makabe vs. David Finley, Jeff Cobb, and Yuji Nagata vs. Best Friends and Hirooki Goto vs. Killer Elite Squad and Minoru Suzuki vs. Marty Scurll, Adam Page, and Yujiro Takahashi

WWE Network will be adding an intriguing bout to the ‘Hidden Gems’ section next week. WWE Network News reported that Kota Ibushi vs. Bobby Roode will be added to the streaming service. The match will be added on January 3rd, a day before New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom show. Ibushi will of course be defending his NEVER Openweight Championship at Wrestle Kingdom against Will Ospreay.

The bout took place during an NXT House Show in 2016. The Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California hosted the match on October 30th, 2016. The video is listed as being 22 minutes and 16 seconds long, so it could well be a decent match. A triple threat match featuring Shinsuke Nakamura will also be added next Thursday. Nakamura defended his then NXT Championship against Samoa Joe and Eric Young.

Here’s the full lineup of matches that will be added next week:

• Antonio Inoki vs. Larry Sharpe (Showdown at Shea, August 9, 1980)
• Jerry Lawler & Greg Gagne vs. Riki Choshu & Mr. Saito (AWA, May 14, 1988)
• Sting vs. The Great Muta (WCW Power Hour, September 1, 1989)
• Shinjiro Otani vs. Dean Malenko for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship (WCW Worldwide, May 18, 1996)

We reported earlier on Kota Ibushi speaking with NJPW1972.com ahead of his NEVER Openweight Championship bout against U.K. sensation, Will Ospreay.

Turns out The Sky King has also been ruminating on their impending clash at the Tokyo Dome come January 4th. The two will face off for New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Wrestle Kingdom 13.

Taking to Twitter, Ospreay uploaded a picture of the two of them together during friendlier, albeit bittersweet circumstances.

He took a moment to thank Ibushi for helping him through a difficult time two years ago when he sadly lost his friend, British independent wrestler, Kris Travis to cancer.
His match with Ibushi — who he refers to as an “inspiration” — helped to disctract him from grieving as the two shared a ring.

“You have no idea how much you helped me this day.

Only a few days before this photo/match, I lost a friend who helped me in British Wrestling, Kris Travis. To be in the ring with a man I would call an inspiration, helped me not focus on grieving but to celebrate his life. After this moment and how fans reacted to how we were in the ring, I knew this was the match I wanted.

Now I’m under a week from my dream match on the biggest stage of my life. For a championship that has lost its place on New Japan but now shall live up to what it should be, an Openweight Championship. What I’m saying is thank you for helping me all those years ago, but January 4th, 2019, my idol is my rival.”

https://twitter.com/WillOspreay/status/1078995804113813506

Ospreay was on track for a NEVER Openweight match against previous champion, Taichi, before becoming injured. Since then, Ibushi has bested Goto for the belt whilst Ospreay defeated Taichi to secure his spot as number one contender.

Kota Ibushi has rejected an offer from Hirooki Goto to face him for the NEVER Openweight Championship. Evidently, Ibushi seems unsure as to what the NEVER Openweight title is for and so he won’t challenge for it.

Ibushi sent out the following Tweet earlier today:

??????????????????????????????????????
never???????????????????????????????????…
?????????????????????????????????
??????????????
???…

??????

— ?? ?? (@ibushi_kota) November 11, 2018

Google translate offered up little help:

“Mr. Goto. I had a chance to speak directly in Okinawa yesterday, but I didn’t understand it very well. Can anything be done about the belt of Never, a free belt that can explode? To say that… What is it? I am anxious about what can be violent freely. I still don’t know. So… Reject!”

Chris Charlton translated a better description of what Ibushi said:

Ibushi still rejecting Goto’s invitation to challenge for the NEVER belt until Goto proves its worth. Goto has said NEVER represents freedom because you can represent it how you like but Ibushi doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) November 11, 2018

“Ibushi still rejecting Goto’s invitation to challenge for the NEVER belt until Goto proves its worth. Goto has said NEVER represents freedom because you can represent it how you like but Ibushi doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.”

NEVER Openweight Championship

Unlike most of NJPW’s titles, the NEVER Openweight title has no weight restrictions and is open to all wrestlers. The title is actually an acronym for “New Blood”, “Evolution”, “Valiantly”, “Eternal”, and “Radical” but it’s unclear what that means. The title was originally for wrestlers who were from outside NJPW but it eventually just became a lower ranked singles title.

Kota Ibushi has a chance to become the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion tomorrow at King of Pro Wrestling. Ibushi will wrestle Kenny Omega and Cody in a triple threat match with the title on the line.

At a recent KOPW press-conference, Ibushi teased putting his career on the line in the match. His comments were transcribed by occasional NJPW World commentator and author, Chris Charlton.

Wow! Ibushi: ‘Cody has a title, Kenny obviously is putting his title on the line. I have nothing to put on the line. So I want to put my wrestling career on the line here. That’s how much I want to have a legendary match.’ #njkopw

— chris charlton (@reasonjp) October 7, 2018

“Wow! Ibushi: ‘Cody has a title, Kenny obviously is putting his title on the line. I have nothing to put on the line. So I want to put my wrestling career on the line here. That’s how much I want to have a legendary match.’”

The comments were made in such a way, however, that they likely shouldn’t be taken as a literal stipulation.

NJPW King of Pro Wrestling Lineup – October 8th, 2018

•  IWGP Heavyweight Championship Match
  Kenny Omega vs. Cody vs. Kota Ibushi
• G1 Briefcase
  Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Jay White
• IWGP Jr. Heavyweight Championship
  KUSHIDA vs. Marty Scurll
• EVIL vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
• Kazuchika Okada, Toru Yano and Roppongi 3K vs. Tetsuya Naito, SANADA, BUSHI, and a new LIJ member TBD
• Tomohiro Ishii, Hirooki Goto, and Will Ospreay vs. Minoru Suzuki, Taichi and Takashi Iizuka
• The Young Bucks, Hangman Page and Chase Owens vs. Guerillas of Destiny, Bad Luck Fale and Taiji Ishimori
• Togi Makabe and Tomoaki Honma vs. Juice Robinson and Toa Henare
• IWGP Jr. Tag Team Title Match
  Desperado and Yoshinobu Kanemaru vs. Jushin Thunder Liger and Tiger Mask

Kenny Omega has twice offered Kota Ibushi a shot at his IWGP Heavyweight Championship title. On both occasions, Ibushi has not seemed interested in facing his partner. Following the Golden Lovers victory last night, Omega again offered Ibushi a shot at his championship. Cody ended up interjecting himself into the matter, however, and now there will be a triple threat match for the belt at King of Pro Wrestling.

In the backstage area after the show, Omega told the press, “The Golden Lovers can only face each other in a ‘legendary building’ that’s even bigger than Budokan”

.@KennyOmegamanX "The Golden Lovers can only face each other in a 'legendary building' that's even bigger than Budokan" #NJPW #FightingSpiritUnleashed pic.twitter.com/f2qpiBHnMl

— SoCal UNCENSORED (@socaluncensored) October 1, 2018

Kenny Omega vs Kota Ibushi – Legendary Building?

King of Pro Wrestling will be held at Ry?goku Sumo Hall in Tokyo. The venue holds just under 12, 000. The Budokan holds just under 15,000. Its possible Omega is referring to the Tokyo Dome as a legendary building that is bigger than the Budokan. For Omega and Ibushi to face each other in the Tokyo Dome this year, however, Omega would have to either lose the title beforehand or Ibushi would have to win the G1 Briefcase.

Omega will be looking to defend his title for a 3rd straight time at King of Pro Wrestling on October 8th. Omega has already defeated Cody and Tomohiro Ishii with the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line.

The New Japan Pro Wrestling ‘Road to’ Destruction shows are in full swing. IWGP Heavyweight Champion Kenny Omega and his ‘Golden Lovers’ tag partner Kota Ibushi faced CHAOS rivals Tomohiro Ishii and Will Ospreay at last night’s Korakuen Hall event.

The bout was stellar and was unexpectedly so for what is traditionally a ‘lesser’ show in NJPW’s scheduling. The ‘Road To’ shows tend to act as a series to build to the bigger events such as Destruction later this month. The company may be looking to up the ante with the expected drive in ALL IN subscribers getting the megashow at a heavily discounted price.

Omega took to the mic following the bout to discuss his upcoming IWGP Heavyweight Title bout. Kenny will be facing Tomohiro Ishii at Destruction in Hiroshima September 15th. Ishii earned the bout by defeating Omega in their G1 Climax tournament bout. Omega stated (in Japanese) that “My next defence will be against Ishii. Many American fans say that our G1 match was epic, the best bout from G1. My personal opinion…the best matches were all of Ibushi-san’s. Don’t you agree Ibushi-san?”

Check out the full results here from the show here

You can check out the show on NJPWWorld now. You can also check out full reaction from the September 7th ‘Road To’ show below via YouTube.

New Japan Pro Wrestling returns to Long Beach on September 30th, 2018. Only 3 matches have been confirmed for the show thus far, however.

The promotion has 3 big shows before Long Beach and will likely only announce more matches after the Destruction in Kobe event on the 23rd. In lieu of announcing more matches, NJPW has confirmed that several wrestlers will be apart of the show.

NJPW has just confirmed the following wrestlers for Fighting Spirit Unleashed on September 30th:

• Kota Ibushi
• Kenny Omega
• Evil
• Sanada
• Tetsuya Naito
• Tomohiro Ishii
• Kazuchika Okada
• Hiroshi Tanahashi

More Wrestlers Announced for Fighting Spirit Unleashed in Long Beach, CA!https://t.co/7OTwvRF4BM@tanahashi1_100 @rainmakerXokada @s_d_naito @KennyOmegamanX #njpw #njpwUSA pic.twitter.com/JHrWHopUpT

— NJPW Global (@njpwglobal) August 28, 2018

Fighting Spirit Unleashed Lineup

• IWGP United States Championship
  Juice Robinson (c) vs Cody

This will be Juice Robinson’s first defense of the title he won back in July. Following his title victory over Jay White, Juice only went 3-6 in the G1 Climax. He was sporting a broken hand during the tournament, however.

Robinson was trained by Cody’s father and often uses Dusty Rhodes’ trademark jabs during his matches. Cody defeated Juice at Wrestle Kingdom 11 on January 4th, 2017.

• IWGP Heavyweight Tag Team Championship
  The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) (c) vs The Guerillas of Destiny (Tama Tonga & Tanga Loa)

The Young Bucks won the IWGP Heavyweight Championships at Dominion in Osaka back in June. They then defended the titles against Evil and Sanada successfully at the G1 Special in San Fransico. Later that show, however, the Bucks were the victims of a beatdown at the hands of the Firing Squad.

The last time the Bucks were in the same ring as the Firing Squad, Tama Tonga, Tanga Loa and Taiji Ishimori defeated them and Marty Scurll for the NEVER 6-Man titles.

• IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship Tournament (Semi-Final)
  Will Ospreay vs Marty Scurll

Hiromu Takahashi was forced to vacate “Mr. Belt”, his name for the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship. Takahashi will be out of action for 9-12 months after sustaining a neck injury at the G1 Special in San Francisco.

The other semi-final match in the tournament will be between Bushi and Kushida on September 23rd.