Posts Tagged ‘NJPW’

Yutaka Yoshie’s Cause Of Death Confirmed, Nothing To Do With Wrestling

The wrestling world has to mourn the unexpected loss of another colleague this week as Yutaka Yoshie passed away following an AJPW match in Takasaki City on March 10. The cause of death was initially unknown, but wrestling colleague Suwama has confirmed why his close friend passed away.

Suwama, who also was in the tag tournament Yoshie was participating in, rushed to the hospital following his match to be with Yoshie. Speaking with Tokyo Sports, Suwama was told by Yoshie’s family that he passed away due to arteriosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries.

Suwama said that the family notified him that “it was not caused by a professional wrestling match, so please don’t worry about it. Even in the snow, he was wearing short sleeves and shorts, and he was a cheerful and cheerful person. It was truly unexpected…”

Yoshie was only 50 years old and set to celebrate his 30th year in wrestling, making his debut in 1994 for NJPW.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mourns The Loss Of Yutaka Yoshie

2015 WWE Hall Of Famer Tatsumi Fujinami was actually a mentor of Yoshie, and commented on the sudden passing.

“I’m shocked. He also appeared at our house, and we were friends who worked together at Muga. I never expected to hear news like this. I never dreamed of that,” he said in a low voice. “I’ve been wrestling for more than 50 years, and he’s a memorable wrestler. When he wrestled with Muga, he was a great force, and he had character, so I guess you could say he was dependable. He worked hard as a member, and there were many fans of his, both locally and in the region, who cooperated with him.”

We at SEScoops would again like to send our prayers and condolences out to Yoshie’s family, friends and fans at this time.

Quotes translated via Google from Japanese.

AJPW Star Yutaka Yoshie Suddenly Passes Away Following Match In Japan

Some extremely tragic news coming out of Japan on Sunday as All Japan Pro-Wrestling Star Yutaka Yoshie has passed away. Backstage following his tag match on Sunday, Yoshie’s health “suddenly deteriorated” and was quickly taken to a hospital in Tasaki City.  Yoshie was only 50 years old.

Yahoo Sports reports that Yoshie teamed with Ryo Inoue to face Hokuto Omori and Ryoji Choi, but nothing notable stood out that may have seem to affect Yukata’s well-being. No cause of death has been discovered at this time. AJPW issued a statement following the passing of the notable talent.

“Yutaka Yoshie, who was participating in the Takasaki tournament held today, passed away on March 10, 2024. After Yutaka Yoshie returned to the waiting room after the game, his condition suddenly deteriorated and he was rushed to a hospital in Takasaki City, but he never returned home. We would like to remember Yutaka Yoshie’s achievements during his lifetime and pray for his soul to rest in peace. All Japan Pro Wrestling.”

The promotion also announced that the airing of those particular tapings will be postponed in light of Yoshie’s passing.

Hiroshi Tanahashi, who won the IWGP Tag Team Championships with Yoshie, took to social media to mourn the loss of his partner.

https://twitter.com/tanahashi1_100/status/1766829534484308462

Yoshie was set to celebrate his thirty years in the wrestling business as he was brought up training in the same class as Satoshi Kojima. He made his debut under NJPW in 1994.

We at SEScoops would like to extend our prayers and condolences to Yutaka Yoshie, his family and friends at this time.

Matt Riddle NJPW Title Defense Set For This Weekend’s MLW NYC Return

Major League Wrestling fans will be in for a special treat this Thursday. The company will have their pay-per-view MLW Intimidation Games at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City, New York. 

One of the featured matchups announced had Matt Riddle taking on Big Bad Tito. However, MLW has raised the stakes with Riddle putting his New Japan Pro Wrestling World Television Championship on the line. 

A press release from MLW shared that ‘The King Of Bros’ will have his first title defense against Tito. MLW CEO Court Bauer also acknowledged that the new championship match was possible thanks to the business relationship between MLW and NJPW. 

“The alliance between New Japan Pro Wrestling and MLW has resulted in this blockbuster title fight,” said Bauer. He continued, “I wish to thank Mr. Naoki Sugabayashi, Mr. Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Mr. Rocky Romero for brokering this title fight and allowing MLW and New York City the honor of hosting this world championship match. This cross-promotional championship clash signifies an era of exciting collaboration and competition in the world of professional wrestling.”

Riddle won the title by defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi at NJPW The New Beginning In Sapporo on February 23. The short-notice defense gives Tito an excellent opportunity to compete for his first NJPW championship in his MLW debut. However, the match style has also changed. 

Preview Of Matt Riddle vs. Big Bad Tito At MLW Intimidation Games

Longtime NJPW fans may recall that NJPW World TV Championship matches have a time limit of 15 minutes. This rule adds a new dynamic to Riddle’s match against Tito. 

MLW commented on the new match format and its uniqueness to the MLW Intimidation Games card. 

 “Adding a layer of intrigue to this highly anticipated bout is the unique stipulation attached to the NJPW World Television Championship,” said MLW. They continue, “With a time limit of 15 minutes imposed on all NJPW World Television title matches, both Riddle and Big Bad Tito will be under immense pressure to seize victory within the allotted time frame.”

Tickets for MLW Intimidation Games are still on sale for as low as 19.81 on Eventbrite. However, the new match stipulation could help lead to a sold-out show soon. 

NJPW Partners With Costa Rica Wrestling Embassy (CWE)

New Japan Pro Wrestling has announced a new partnership with the Costa Rica Wrestling Embassy (CWE). This collaboration will see NJPW stars making appearances for the company. 

CWE, established in March 2014, has previously collaborated closely with CMLL in Mexico in 2015. CWE is based in San Jose, Costa Rica. Here is the full announcement from NJPW:

New Japan Pro-Wrestling is pleased to announce it has entered into a working relationship with Costa Rica Wrestling Embassy.

Founded in March 2014, CWE has been working closely with CMLL in Mexico in 2015, and will now see several NJPW names appearing in CWE rings in future.

Look forward to more information to come!

NJPW also collaborates with CMLL itself for its Fantastica Mania series of events, which has been ongoing since 2011. In the 2024 iteration, seven matches took place from February 12 to February 19 in various Japanese cities including Osaka, Takamatsu, Nagoya, Chiba, and Tokyo.

In June 2023, an event called Fantastica Mexico took place in Mexico City, Mexico instead, as opposed to Fantastica Mania which only takes place in Japan.

Recently, WWE was reportedly in conversation with Japanese wrestling promotion STARDOM, which resulted in a deal (via Fightful). Things were also said to be looking good with WWE and AJPW’s current arrangement.

When it comes to NJPW, WWE doesn’t have any significant involvement with them, except for some interest from the American company in maintaining at least some connection with NJPW.

On the other hand, NJPW has a healthy relationship with AEW. They do an annual event, AEWxNJPW: Forbidden Door, and last year’s event drew the biggest live gate in company history

Kazuchika Okada Brings A Storm Of Excitement to WWE

It’s already raining in WWE. Raining talent, raining momentum, and raining zeros in the form of billions for a brand spanking new, state of the art streaming agreement with Netflix. Things are good for Triple H, Nick Khan, and The Rock up in Stamford, but a storm is coming. A rain storm. A rain storm of excitement. 

The Rainmaker.

Last week, New Japan Pro Wrestling announced that Kazuchika Okada would be leaving their company when his contract ends this month. Okada is a New Japan legend, multiple time heavyweight champion, and the man partly responsible for the company’s rebirth a decade ago.

This week, Monthly Puroresu reported that Okada was headed to WWE, a move that would shock the system in pro wrestling given Okada’s relationship with AEW and WWE’s poor history of booking top tier Japanese talent. 

A different WWE

WWE deserves all the criticism in the world for that ineptitude, but they are a different company today than they were a year ago. International expansion is a key maneuver to growth and has manifested itself in major PLE shows taking place around the world in places like Germany, the UK, and annual blood money extravaganzas in Saudi Arabia. In 2024, WWE is expanding that slate of shows to include major events in Australia and France. Japan is surely a smart play in that grand plan for WWE global dominance and Kazuchika Okada is the biggest Japanese star on earth to carry the WWE flag into the market. 

So, Okada makes perfect business sense for an expanding global company. The excitement doesn’t just reside in a corporate board room, though. Okada in a WWE ring and on WWE Raw or Smackdown weekly should jolt excitement for wrestling fans too. What would a Kazuchika Okada run look like in WWE? Let’s take a look.

The first thing that stands out for an Okada run in WWE is all the fresh matches he can have with top talent on the roster. That reality is the key reason why Okada to WWE is more exciting than Okada to AEW. There’s a lot of “been there, done that” for him in AEW — not so in WWE.

Dream matches galore

Roman Reigns is the first stand out opponent that comes to mind when making a Cody Rhodes-esque list of matches of Okada in WWE. Reigns is and has been the top dog in WWE and Okada was his equal in New Japan. A clash between those titans would generate global interest and would be an excellent in-ring showcase, too. Stylistically, Reigns and Okada are capable of having a classic.

Okada vs. CM Punk? There’s a match that nobody thought would ever happen. Even when Punk was surviving in AEW, he was disconnected from Okada and behind guys in AEW like Bryan Danielson for the big Okada crossover match. WWE certainly would have been the last company predicted to showcase the match, but now it’s more than a possibility. Okada and Punk is a match for the diehards. A true pro wrestling dream match that those who understand the history of both guys, understand why it’s as big as it is.

How about Okada against Cody Rhodes? The world saw this match at the NJPW G1 USA Special in July of 2017 when Cody was free on the independent circuit. Okada won the match and retained his IWGP Heavyweight Championship. Was it a taste of things to come? Not really. In 2017, there wasn’t a reason to believe the match would happen again in a major capacity for a big company, so it was what it was then. In 2024, Cody Rhodes is premiere level star for the biggest wrestling company in the world. Running the match back at a top WWE level has dollar signs all around it.

What else? Oh, Brock Lesnar. You could plaster “The Beast vs. “The Rainmaker” on billboards everywhere and it would pop as much as anything else WWE could book. My body hurts just thinking about this one. Brock Lesnar is the bigger man, but Okada can deliver his stuff as stiff as anyone. The two would beat the tar out of one another much like Gunther and Sheamus did at Clash at the Castle in 2022. What wrestling fan wouldn’t want to see that?

Hmm, speaking of Gunther? Gunther vs. Okada sounds like a dream match to me. Gunther has been the most well booked new act in the last five years in WWE and stands heads above the rest of the current, everyday roster because of it. He’s been treated as something special and a program with Okada would certainly reemphasize that point. The match would go a lot like a Lesnar vs. Okada match would go in terms of the tar being beaten out of both men. I’d be looking out for the chop battle. Okada can bring em. Gunther can too. WWE medical team, get the bandages ready.

Seth Rollins is a strong opponent for Okada. Rollins is a prototypical WWE wrestler and would be a good person for Okada to work with early in his run to adapt to the WWE style ring-wise, but production-wise too. Rollins is a pro and their names on a marquee could sell an event nicely for the company.

That’s enough matches for two years of Kazuchika Okada programs in WWE, but I’ll keep going because it’s fun to dream big. John Cena, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles again, Finn Balor, LA Knight, Drew McIntyre, Randy Orton, Shinsuke Nakamura, Logan Paul, Rey Mysterio, and heck even Dominik Mysterio all provide Okada with top level opponents. Up and coming NXT talent work opposite Okada too. Bron Breakker, Carmelo Hayes, and Trick Williams are future members of the WWE roster with whom Okada can work with. 

Honestly, it’s an embarrassment of riches. WWE legends, current top stars, future top stars? It’s all there for Okada on one rainy gold freaking platter.  

Okada WWE moments

It’s not all about the matches. WWE has built it’s brand on moments and Okada has a plethora of those waiting for him if he shows up. 

Okada’s first WrestleMania appearance will be huge. First, the notion of that happening was unfathomable six months ago, so the unbelievable turning into reality is a moment in and of itself. The spectacle of WrestleMania is enormous, though. Okada will get the shine in front of 80,000 plus and will check a bucket list item, while collecting a thick, thick check at the same time. 

This next moment likely won’t happen this year barring some kind of unforeseen circumstance, but Okada in the Royal Rumble will be forever a lasting memory. The pageantry of surprise Royal Rumble appearances is deeply rooted within WWE lore. John Cena had a big return at the event. AJ Styles had his moment in the sun thanks to the surprise of the Royal Rumble. Same thing with Edge and others. Okada would join those ranks and that’s some great company. 

Further down the road, Okada joining the WWE Hall of Fame is a moment. Again, unthinkable just a few months ago, but if he joins the company, why not? Okada will certainly get his New Japan flowers at some point, but proper recognition in the United States is essential. The WWE Hall of Fame has it’s issues, of course, but remains a strong way to solidify a mark on the wrestling business. It would be fun to see someone with ties to Okada’s Japanese history like Shinsuke Nakamura or AJ Styles do the induction, wouldn’t it? 

Gaze into the crystal ball

That’s how the crystal ball looks to me when gazing deep into Kazuchika Okada as a member of the WWE roster. Excited? You should be. 

Now, WWE has a history of completely botching international stars. If you’re worried about how Okada would be treated, you should be. WWE has to prove itself from that perspective, but Okada is the perfect star to do it with. 

Okada joining WWE is one of those rare “it works for everyone” moments in pro wrestling. As a company, WWE wins with him signing. They’d have access to an international megastar that lines up perfectly with thei
r global business strategy. Okada wins. He gets to expand his star power to the biggest wrestling company in the world and will do so while earning top dollar for his services. The fans win too. See above. The matches and the moments Okada can have in WWE speak for themselves.

It’s pouring ladies and gentleman. Okada in WWE? Let’s sing in the rain. 

Asia-Pacific Federation of Wrestling Announced, 5 Nations to Share Resources

The Asia Pacific Federation of Wrestling, a collective effort of promotions and countries, seeks to ensure the future of Asian wrestling worldwide. 

At a press conference held this week, the APFW was formally announced, with the following names representing the group: 

  • Japan: NJPW (Chairman Naoki Sugabayashi, Yuji Nagata), STARDOM (CEO Taro Okada, Mina Shirakawa)
  • China: DFW (Wang Bin)
  • Taiwan: PUZZLE (Touyu)
  • Thailand: Setup (Pumi)
  • Singapore: GrappleMax (Gregory Ho)

The Goals of APFW

The Asia Pacific Federation of Wrestling has three main goals that it hopes to achieve. With Japanese promotions leading the way in terms of talent, the first goal will see Japanese promotions loan talent to various Asian countries. The next goal will be for all promotions to have more showcase matches, thanks in part to the sharing of talent. The third goal is for an improvement in wrestling training, with the Federation aiming to send wrestlers to Japan for further training.

The APFW Comments

Representatives from all six promotions would speak at the press conference. You can check out their comments (courtesy of NJPW1972.com) below: 

“Over the last ten years, we’ve been able to hold events in Singapore and Taiwan, twice in each country. In all the venues, the reactions from the fans were huge and our wrestlers absolutely want to be back there very soon. We’ll be giving all we have to make this project successful.” – Naoki Sugabayashi

“There are a lot of people in Asia, a lot of them English-speaking, but in recent years NJPW has been focused on America when it comes to international expansion. I think we’ve been looking past a great opportunity in Asia, and I’m happy for us to take that opportunity.” – Yuji Nagata

 “We [STARDOM] recently passed one million YouTube subscribers with a lot of those views coming from Asian countries. Just as NJPW has built familiarity through TV, we’ve built a presence through videos and shorts. I hope we can continue to broaden the appeal of pro-wrestling and STARDOM in particular.” – Taro Okada.

“We at STARDOM aren’t really able to fly out rings to these countries, so to have the help of SETUP in Thailand and GrappleMax in Singapore was so important and made everything possible. I hope this alliance can help us bring women’s pro-wrestling onto a bigger global stage.” – Mina Shirakawa

“Thank you for the invitation to this alliance. PUZZLE has a history of wrestler exchange with other countries and companies, but I think in particular to have NJPW’s guidance to lean on is a massive step up for us. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity, and to work with NJPW on this first step of an event in April.” – Touyu

“Antonio Inoki taught the Chinese people about Japanese wrestling culture. That inspired me to bring that culture to Japan. I feel we’ve been able to grow the population of wrestling fans in China from 200,000 to 10 million. I think there are 2 million NJPW fans in China, but that’s out of a population of 1.4 billion. This alliance will, I feel bring the pro-wrestling audience in China to the tens of millions, and I’m grateful for the opportunity. Thank you.” – Wang Bin

“This partnership is not just about talent exchange, but the chance to share and learn from the best wrestling promotions in this world. Thai pro-wrestling has more than 15 years of history, so I think this is important for us. As you know with Muay Thai, Thai wrestling has a long history in combat sports, so I want to grow the culture of pro-wrestling in Thailand.”  – Pumi. 

Thank you to Bushiroad, NJPW and STARDOM for this invitation. I’m very happy to represent Singapore. We’ve always been very close to Japanese wrestling… As part of this Federation, I look forward to working with the members, learning from NJPW and STARDOM and working with the amazing partners here to really grow the wrestling culture.”  -Gregory Ho.

This news comes after the announcement of the United Japan Pro Wrestling promotion. Click here to find out more. 

Mercedes Moné Vows To Make IWGP Women’s Championship A ‘Global’ Title

After capturing the IWGP Women’s Championship at Battle in the Valley, Mercedes Moné promises to take the title around the world.

Speaking with the TMZ Sports, Mercedes Moné reflected on her huge title win last month. “That day was so insane,” she said, “but for it to be in San Jose just a little an hour and a half away from where I was born in Fairfield, California. I had my friends and my family there from legit my blood family and my family in wrestling was there to support me. It was a moment that I’m always going to remember.”

“The CEO” noted that defeating KAIRI for the championship was likely the second favorite moment of her entire career. Her performance there, though, also served as a defining mark in the new chapter of her career. As she turns the page on the Sasha Banks name, she looks to cultivate a legacy for Mercedes Moné as well.

“That day was so incredible,” she continued. “It was in front of a sold-out crowd that was just dying and waiting to see what I was going to do as Mercedes Moné. I had an amazing interest. I had an amazing partner in the ring, KAIRI. She gave me everything, she basically walked me like a dog. She threw me through a table, she threw money at me, she ’bout snatched me bald, but thank God I pulled through. I hit the Money Maker. I hit the one, two, three, and now I am the IWGP Women’s Champion, and I’m making this title global. I’m taking this title all over the world and not just in Japan. So, I’m excited. I’m excited to see what’s next for me in the world of wrestling.”

Making The Title Global

Mercedes Moné IWGP Women's Champion

Despite her obvious deal with New Japan Pro-Wrestling now, Moné remains a free agent. With her title alongside her, she plans to explore markets beyond the realm of Japan, and beyond the wrestling scene itself. “Besides taking it on carpets, autograph signings all over the world, to Paris, I’m going to see what little promotions I can pop up to,” she said.

“I know next on my plate is April 8th and Tokyo, Japan for Sakura Genesis, I have a girl named AZM calling me out, so I’ve been putting the offer on the table [for] who’s next on the list. I want to see who’s ready for Mercedes Moné because I turned down to nobody. I’m always here for the check. I’m always here for the bag, and whoever has the biggest bag is where I’m going to go.”

Outside of wrestling, Moné recently brought her championship belt to the red-carpet for the season three premiere of The Mandalorian. Moné, of course, played the role of Koska Reeves in the series, so she wanted to “pay tribute to the character” — with a little bit of (championship) gold as well.

Jay White Defeated in “Loser Leaves NJPW” Match

At New Japan’s “New Beginning” show last weekend in Osaka, Jay White was defeated by Hikuleo in a “Loser Leaves Japan” match. On February 18, White was scheduled to face Eddie Kingston.

A few days prior to “Battle in the Valley”, Kingston issued a challenge to his opponent: if Kingston won, White couldn’t compete in any NJPW ring. “The Switchblade” accepted this stipulation and added one of his own. If he defeated Kingston, Kingston could never compete in New Japan or against any New Japan talent again.

After a hard-hitting affair, Kingston hit White with a Northern Lights Driver and pinned him. “The Mad King” left the ring and motioned for his music to be cut (it wasn’t) and tried to get the fans to start a “Thank you Jay” chant. As he was about to address the crowd, White was laid out by David Finlay. Finlay said “Fuck your era!” and said he was coming for everything White had.

What’s Next for Jay White

Jay White AEW Debut

White started in the NJPW dojo in 2015. After Gedo turned on Kazuchika Okda four years ago, they pushed White to the moon. He is a Grand Slam champion, holding the IWGP United States Championship, IWGP Intercontinental Championship, IWGP Heavyweight Championship, NEVER Openweight Championship, and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Of course, he also single-handedly sold out both Madison Square Garden and the United Center.

Where does a wrestler of this caliber go? WWE has interest in “The Last Rock and Roller”. While they are confident that they could land him, “that is hardly guaranteed at this point in time” according to Fightful.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, White stated “So much is possible. Impact, AEW, WWE—we’ll see.”

Should the leader of the Bullet Club head to AEW, he could continue his feud with Kingston. In IMPACT, he could reunite with Bullet Club brethren, Ace Austin and Chris Bey. KENTA is also in the IMPACT Zone from time to time.

New Japan Announces New Japan Cup 2023 Participants

NJPW’s annual New Japan Cup is back. 24 participants will compete over 16 days for a shot at the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Sakura Genesis on April 8. The tournament begins on March 5.

KENTA, Zack Sabre, Jr., Will Ospreay, Hirooki Goto, Great-O-Khan, Jeff Cobb, Tama Tonga, and Chase Owens all have first round byes.

New Japan Cup participants

Fo1tuK WIAIqhe

There will be two Cup matches to kick off the tournament, beginning with SANADA vs. Taichi and Tetsuya Naito vs. El Phantasmo.

Here’s how the rest of the first round bracket breaks down:

-3/6: Ren Narita vs. EVIL

Toru Yano vs. Mark Davis

David Finlay vs. Tomohiro ISHII

Shota Umino vs. Yujiro Takahashi

-3/10: YOSHI-HASHI vs. Kyle Fletcher

Shingo Takagi vs. Aaron Henare

Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher, also known as the tag team Aussie Open, will be making their New Japan Cup debuts. The most surprising snub is Hikuleo. Having just beat Jay White in a “Loser Leaves Japan” match at New Beginnings, it seems like the perfect way to build on his momentum.

Okada Pushing for Wrestling World Cup involving WWE & AEW

Wrestling promotions love having tournaments for cups or various other prizes. But there’s not one that involves various wrestling companies around the globe, especially the one involving the biggest promotions in the world.

The so-called “Forbidden Door” was been busted down with wrestlers having dream matches around the world over the last few years. WWE even allowed Shinsuke Nakamura wrestle in Pro Wrestling NOAH against Great Muta earlier this month. Of course, NJPW and AEW had their Forbidden Door pay-per-view last year.

Okada’s Idea for a Wrestling World Cup

Adam Cole and Kazuchika Okada

Enter IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Kazuchika Okada. According to an interview with Tokyo Sport, the champion said:

“We had an all-star event before, but last year we had the World Cup (soccer), and this year we have the WBC (baseball) and the World Cup (rugby). It would be interesting to have pro-wrestling matches between different countries and have Japan represent Japan. The World Cup in soccer was interesting, and I think the WBC will be stimulating,” Okada explained.

He continued, “I think there are such events overseas, but I don’t think there are any big tournaments. I think it would be fun to have a big event on a global scale. Maybe we could have a tag team with Okada and (Shinsuke) Nakamura, or Okada and (Tetsuya) Naito if they are asked to fight for their country. I don’t know if that would work. I think it would be interesting to include various groups. If necessary, I will go see (AEW president) Tony Khan and (WWE executive) Triple H. Even in this Tokyo Dome, there are AEW wrestlers (such as Kenny Omega), WWE wrestlers (Karl Anderson), and (Mercedes) Mone, who quit the WWE. Even New Japan is worldwide now, isn’t it? There are players from many different countries, so I would like to do something interesting. I feel like I really want to do it now that I’m talking about it (laughs).” (h/t Fightful)

At this year’s New Year Dash, Okada had a dream tag team opponent in Kenny Omega and they defeated Jeff Cobb and Aaron Henare. On February 21, NJPW and NOAH will have a crossover show. Okada will be facing GHC Heavyweight Champion, Kaito Kiyomiya in a non-title match.

WWE may have been more likely to be involved before Vince McMahon forced his way back into a position of power. Depending on who WWE sells to, Okada may have to wait on WWE ever being involved in something like this, no matter how awesome it would be for wrestling and wrestling fans.

NJPW Star Reveals 2023 Opponent Wish List

At Forbidden Door, fans who aren’t regular viewers of NJPW got introduced to a variety of talent. Even fans who don’t watch NJPW are familiar with names like Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, and Jay White.

One wrestler who made a name for themselves for their performance was the “Wild Rhino” Clark Connors. Connors was a replacement for Tomohiro ISHII in the four-way match for the All-Atlantic Championship. Connors didn’t have an easy task as he faced PAC, Malakai Black, and Miro.

Connors speared Miro through a table on the outside. He also hit his finisher, the Trophy Kill, on PAC. He firmly got fans on his side with a standout performance.

Clark Connors Reveals Wish List

Clark Connors AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door

Connors missed some time last year with an ongoing herniation injury. He detailed his experience in a Twitter thread last July. He returned to the ring in October against Minoru Suzuki.

On social media, Connors revealed his 2023 opponent wish list. The list is a who’s who across the wrestling universe, starting with one-half of the NJPW Strong and IMPACT tag team champions, Alex Shelley.

The rest of his list, read “Wild Style”:

-Lio Rush

-Ishimori, El Desperado, or Hiromu

-Joey Janella

-Trey Miguel

-EFFY

-“Session Moth” Martina (in a deathmatch…in Ireland)

-Chris Jericho

-ISHII or Shingo Takagi

-YOSHI-HASHI

-FTR vs. Connors and Gabriel Kidd

-Wheeler Yuta

-Orange Cassidy

All of these matches would be bangers and Connors could make a strong case for Wrestler of the Year.

Kenny Omega Addresses Absence From NJPW, ‘Astronomical’ Plans For His Return

Before he was All Elite, Kenny Omega was “The Cleaner.”

In late 2014, Omega joined New Japan Pro Wrestling, aligning himself with one of professional wrestling’s most dominant factions — the Bullet Club. Throughout his tenure, Omega racked up an impressive collection of titles, starting with the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship, before leveling up to the company’s biggest prize.

Omega’s last appearance with the company came on January 4, 2019 at Wrestle Kingdom 13 where he lost his IWGP Heavyweight Championship to Hiroshi Tanahashi in a grueling 39-minute match. Later that month, Kenny Omega’s contract with NJPW ended, and he moved on to his next venture in the development of a startup promotion.

The former champion soon makes his long-awaited return to NJPW for a special appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 17 against a familiar foe, Will Ospreay. There, Omega will also vie for the IWGP United States Championship. In anticipation of his return, Kenny Omega spoke with NJPW about his 4-year absence from the company he once called home.

“We always hear like ‘you’re the best in the world,’ ‘greatest matches of all time’. But maybe somebody else is the best in the world to somebody else. But to me, to truly the best, you have to be the best in all styles,” he said. “And to me, I’d never truly challenged North American professional wrestling. Not whole heartedly. I thought ‘for all the people that think I’m the best now, all the people that think I’m talented now, just you wait, because I’m going to kill it in America.'”

“I’m going to show everyone exactly why they call me the Best Bout Machine. Going to show you exactly why I was able to take small promotions and make them global. I’m going to take an upstart promotion that nobody knows existed, and turn it into the greatest competition to the greatest pro-wrestling promotion that anyone has seen in America for the past 50, 60, 70 years.'”

The King Want His Keys Back

Kenny Omega

The upstart promotion — famously known as All Elite Wrestling — quickly turned into a major competition for the dominant global enterprise, WWE. Since singing with AEW in February 2019, Omega took on the dual roles as an Executive Vice President and in-ring performer. In the ring, Omega soared into success, racking up singles, tag team, and trios’ gold in the span of three years.

“I think I’ve already made a big enough statement,” Omega said. Now, “The Cleaner” returns home for a special occasion, with some grand ideas.

“My return to the Tokyo Dome is supposed to be astronomical. This is supposed to be a celebration, a real homecoming. For all of you fans, wrestlers that have struggled for so long through this difficult time. And I understand that you guys have struggled with this for years now.”

“I know what you’re thinking- that I mean the struggle with the pandemic, no, no, no. The struggle that I’m talking about is the struggle that you guys have had to incur without me running the ship! Without Kenny Omega running the show, there’s been an absolute lack of charisma, an absolute lack of magic, an absolute lack of eyeballs watching the product. We need people watching, talking, discussing. We need New Japan parties again, guys!”

Accordingly, Omega vowed to be the “resolution” for fans “after years of hardship” they experienced without him in the promotion. At the January 4th event, Omega believes his win against Ospreay will give the people “something to really, really look forward to.”

“There’s a shift coming,” Omega declared, “and unfortunately for you Will, we’re shifting away from this experimental project that was Will Ospreay. And you gave it your best shot, congratulations. I don’t know what else you want from me, I’ll give you a pat on the back, a fruit basket, you did great. But it just wasn’t good enough, and it was nothing compared to the real deal. I’m sorry, Will, but you’re going to have to move on.”

“The king is coming back for the keys to the castle,” Omega said.

AXS TV Continuing Partnership with NJPW, WK17 to Air January 12

AXS TV has been partnering with NJPW to air matches every Thursday at 10 PM ET after IMPACT Wrestling ends. The matches are on a several week delay from the original airing.

AXS TV announced today that their partnership with NJPW will continue in 2023. They will begin airing exclusive coverage for Wrestle Kingdom 17 starting on January 12.


NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 Card

Kenny Omega

Wrestle Kingdom 17 is live from the Tokyo Dome on January 4th. After running for two nights during the height of the pandemic, it is back to a one night only event. New Year Dash will take place the following day.

NJPW’s biggest show of the year will feature a double main event with Kenny Omega vs. Will Ospreay. Jay White will put the IWGP Heavyweight Championship on the line against Kazuchika Okada.

The brand new IWGP Women’s Championship will also be defended. KAIRI will defend her title for the first time against Tam Nakano. Sasha Banks will be appearing at Wrestle Kingdom. It’s unclear what exactly she’ll be doing at the show, but she is expected to wrestle several dates for NJPW.

Both WWE and AEW will be represented at Wrestle Kingdom 17. Karl Anderson will put his NEVER Openweight title on the line against Tama Tonga. FTR is scheduled to face Hirooki Goto and YOSHI-HASHI for the IWGP Tag Team titles.

The rest of the card can be found here.

Ex-WWE Announcer Launching New Wrestling Promotion in 2023

American eXcellence Wrestling will launch in 2023. Former WWE announcer and current NJPW commentator, Kevin Kelly announced its launch on Sunday via Twitter.

The promotion’s inaugural event takes place just three days after Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 7 in Hamburg, Pennsylvania at the historic Hamburg Field House.

Kelly confirmed that the has a financial stake in the promotion. He also said that he hopes to do some podcasts about the promotion and how it came about, but mentioned the possibility explaining it in a Facebook video. He did reveal a little bit of why he wanted to start AXW including the “history of the building, Ron Fuller Welch and his Studcast inspired me to put on my ‘promoter hat’. My Sales experience, leading a team of entrepreneurs who love wrestling, will help.”

Kevin Kelly Offers Details on AXW

maxresdefault 2

Kelly has been offering a few details about American eXcellence Wresting on Twitter. First and foremost, it is AXW and not AEW “so we don’t get sued.”



The shows are live event only for now and Kelly will not be doing commentary for AXW. He did hint at the possibility “when things get cranked up.”

Hamburg Field House was home to the WWWF in the 1970s and 1980s. Kelly noted that the original lights hung by Vince McMahon, Sr. are still in use.


NWA referee, Jarrod Fritz has confirmed his involvement in the promotion. Fritz has also worked shows with NJPW Strong and Premiere Wrestling Experience (PWX) in Charlotte, NC, where Kelly has done some commentary work in the past.

Tickets for the first show are available at http://AXWTIX.COM.

Orange Cassidy to Defend All-Atlantic Championship in Dream Match

The winner of the triple threat All-Atlantic Championship match between Orange Cassidy, Luchasaurus, and Rey Fenix would get to defend the title in a dream match this Friday on Rampage.

Jungle Boy returned with a surprise attack on Luchasaurus to take care of him. PAC tried to get Fenix to use the ring bell hammer to cheat. Cassidy ended up pinning Fenix and immediately paid for it when PAC attacked the champion. “The Bastard” was about to live up to his moniker and attack Cassidy with the hammer when Katsuyori Shibata’s music hit (yeah, you read that right).

Following him out of the tunnel was Rocky Romero and Best Friends. Shibata also had a hammer in hand while PAC safely awaited on the other side of the ring. He needn’t worry because “The Wrestler” wasn’t coming for him, he was coming for the All-Atlantic Champion. Cassidy handed Shibata the contract and a pen, which he signed on the spot.

Shibata had Orange Cassidy’s back at Forbidden Door

Katsuyori Shibata

Shibata was last seen in AEW back in June at Forbidden Door. Will Ospreay attacked Cassidy and Shibata made the save. That makes it surprising that he wants to challenge Cassidy for his title.

Shibata hasn’t wrestled since January at Wrestle Kingdom 16. He beat his protege, Ren Narita. Last October, Shibata made his surprise in-ring return at the G1. He and Zack Sabre, Jr. went to a time-limit draw in a grappling match. Shibata stopped wrestling (he says he wasn’t retiring) in 2017 after suffering a subdural hematoma in a match against Kazuchika Okada, which left the right side of his body paralyzed.

His match on Rampage will only be his third match since that fateful day.

Stardom Unveils the New IWGP Women’s Championship Belt

With the IWGP Women’s Championship tournament in full swing, the championship belt was revealed today.

Round 1 saw two matches. Utami Hayashishita faced Himeka while Mayu Iwatani took on Momo Wantanabe. On October 23 at the 12th Goddess of Stardom Tag League, two semi-finale matches will take place.

The IWGP Women’s Championship was unveiled during the show. It was created by Belts by Dan, who has created belts for NJPW, AEW, NWA, and more. The belt fits in with other prestigious IWGP belts for NJPW. It is a mixture of classic and modern.

Stardom wrestlers coming to the U.S.

Mayu Iwatani

The inaugural IWGP Women’s Champion will be crowned on November 20 at the joint Stardom and NJPW show, X-Over. The title will be defended at NJPW shows in both Japan and the U.S. There’s a possibility the title will be defended at big Stardom shows as well.

Stardom wrestlers have been teased in a video for Rumble on 44th Street and The Night Before Rumble on 44th Street. The women who will be appearing have not officially been announced yet. This will be a great opportunity for U.S. fans that watch NJPW and NJPW Strong to see Stardom wrestling matches before the IWGP Women’s Championship match next month.

NJPW and WWE Share Touching Memoriam For Antonio Inoki

Yesterday, the pro-wrestling world learned that Antonio Inoki, the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, a former 12-time world champion, and respected Japanese politician, had passed away at the age of 79. Inoki’s legacy will forever be remembered, including in WWE, where he was an unrecognized world champion and entered their Hall of Fame in 2010.

Today both WWE and NJPW each shared their own touching memoriam to celebrate the life of Inoki, with each pointing out marquee moments in his prestigious career.

Statement From WWE

“WWE is saddened to learn of the passing of WWE Hall of Famer Antonio Inoki.

One of the key figures in the history of Japanese wrestling, Antonio Inoki was among the most respected men in sports-entertainment and a bona fide legend in his homeland.

Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1943, Inoki grew into a natural in-ring competitor. The incredible squared circle figure found his greatest success in New Japan Pro Wrestling, a promotion he founded in 1972. Over the course of the next two decades, Inoki built NJPW into the most successful wrestling company in Asia. Utilizing talented Japanese competitors like Tatsumi Fujinami and Riki Choshu, innovative high-flyers like Tiger Mask and Dynamite Kid and American Superstars like Bob Backlund and Vader, the young promoter created a product that was unique, influential and far ahead of its time. In addition to running the company, Inoki himself was one of the top stars in NJPW, carrying the championship and battling the likes of Stan Hansen, Tiger Jeet Singh and Hulk Hogan.

In his most-famous match, Inoki fought boxing legend Muhammad Ali in a rare wrestler vs. boxer match in June 26, 1976 – a contest that paved the way for the advent of Mixed Martial Arts, which would explode in popularity decades later. The bout also exemplified Inoki’s undying love and respect for professional wrestling. This passion for competition earned him the nickname “Moeru Toukon” amongst his peers, which translates to “The fighting spirit that burns.”

Inoki was also a tremendous ambassador for professional wrestling, bringing major events to places like Russia and China. And in 2010, WWE did the same by welcoming Antonio Inoki into the WWE Hall of Fame Class.

WWE offers it’s heartfelt condolences to the family, friends and fans of the squared circle legend and the wrestling world as a whole.

Statement From New Japan Pro Wrestling

“Antonio Inoki, founder of New Japan Pro-Wrestling, wrestler, promoter, politician and social activist, has died after a battle with amyloidosis. He was 79.

Inoki was born in Yokohama in 1943. Relocating with his family to Brazil at age 13, the promising athlete had been working on a coffee plantation when he was scouted by Rikidozan on excursion to the region and recruited into professional wrestling.

After making his debut on September 30 1960 under his birth name Kanji, his teenage years in Brazil would lead to him being renamed Antonio, with a legend being born in 1962.

In the wake of discord within the Japanese Wrestling Association following Rikidozan’s death, Inoki would depart the promotion, forming New Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 1972 before staging NJPW’s first event in Ota on March 6 that year.

As NJPW’s status grew, Inoki’s early career rival and former tag team partner Giant Baba would also become a promoter. In the face of his competition in All Japan Pro-Wrestling, Inoki would brand NJPW around the ideas of ‘Strong Style’ and ‘Fighting Spirit’. The rivalry sparked a boom in pro-wrestling that Inoki would be at the forefront of.

June 26, 1976 would see Inoki break new ground when he battled Muhammad Ali in the Nippon Budokan, a match credited with being the birth of what became mixed martial arts. From his martial arts fights, to bloody brawls with the likes of Tiger Jeet Singh, and an indomitable underdog spirit opposite the hulking Andre the Giant, Inoki blended an in ring versatility with an explosive charisma that made him the image of professional wrestling to generations both in Japan and worldwide.

Though Inoki would be active in ring until his Tokyo Dome retirement on April 4 1998, 1989 would see Inoki transition to the political arena, establishing the Sports and Peace Party and winning election into the Japanese House of Councillors on his first attempt. He would serve two terms in the Japanese Diet and was the first ever wrestler to serve in such a capacity.

Inoki would start NJPW’s 50th year celebrations on January 4 2022 with a special video message in the Tokyo Dome at the start of Wrestle Kingdom 16.

The thoughts and deepest sympathies of all at New Japan Pro-Wrestling go out to Inoki’s family, friends and fans.”

You can read our initial report on Inoki here.

KENTA 100% Agrees With Bobby Fish For Saying CM Punk Stole His Finisher

Add KENTA to the list of CM Punk’s enemies.

The NJPW star took to Twitter to respond to the recent interview comments made by former AEW talent Bobby Fish, who unleashed his true thoughts on Punk following the disastrous events from last Sunday’s ALL OUT media scrum and the backstage brawl that occurred afterwards. Fish’s full comments can be found here.

At one point in the interview Fish stated that Punk was in the wrong for stealing KENTA’s finishing maneuver, the GTS, and not even having the decency to give him any credit over the years. The former Undisputed Era’s exact quotes were, “Phil, you took a man’s finishing maneuver. Anyone who knows pro-wrestling knows that’s f***ed up. You weren’t even decent enough to change the name.”

KENTA Agrees With Fish

So how did KENTA feel about what Fish said? He tweeted out the quotes on his persona account and writes, “Hey Bobby. You Are 100% right.”

This isn’t the first time KENTA has made his feelings about Punk known. Ahead of Forbidden Door (prior to Punk breaking his foot) he wrote “It looks like the forbidden door won’t open for me But I’m totally fine as long as he pays royalty.”

That’s not all. Sometimes KENTA just goes off on Punk whenever he feels like it.

NJPW Music City Mayhem Live Results (7/30)

On July 30, Starrcast and New Japan Pro Wrestling held Music City Mayhem at the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, Tennessee. The event streamed live for $14.99 on FITE TV.

Current Card

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • No DQ: Jon Moxley vs. El Desperado
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Blake Christian
  • KUSHIDA vs. Alex Shelley
  • FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) & Alex Zayne vs United Empire (TJP, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis)
  • NJPW Strong Openweight Championship Match: Fred Rosser vs Big Damo
  • MLW National Openweight Championship Match: Davey Richards vs Rocky Romero
  • Shota Umino, Yuya Uemura & Fred Yehi vs Kevin Knight, The DKC & Ren Narita

NJPW Music City Mayhem Quick Results

  1. Fred Yehi, Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura def. Kevin Knight, Ren Narita & The DKC
  2. MLW National Openweight Championship Match: Davey Richards (c) defeated Rocky Romero
  3. NJPW STRONG Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser (c) def. Big Damo
  4. Hiromu Takahashi def. Blake Christian
  5. Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis & TJP (United Empire) defeated Cash Wheeler, Dax Harwood (FTR) & Alex Zayne
  6. KUSHIDA vs. Alex Shelley went to a time-limit draw
  7. No DQ: Jon Moxley def. El Desperado

Other Starrcast Shows

In the same vein, this year’s Starrcast event features four live wrestling shows. Black Label ProNew Japan Pro Wrestling, and Jim Crockett Promotions have events planned for this weekend.

Starrcast will also feature the following live podcasts:

  • Father James Mitchell’s “Midnight Karaoke”
  • The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast
  • Insight w/ Chris Van Vliet 
  • The Sessions w/ Renee Paquette 
  • One Last Ride For The Horsemen
  • 30 Years Later w/ Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart
  • Foley Is Pod w/ Mick Foley
  • Saraya: Turning The Page
  • Kliq This w/ Kevin Nash
  • What’s NeXT? w/ Johnny Gargano
  • The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy

Starrcast still has one live wrestling show remaining for the weekend. To see the schedule for the remaining events, click here.

Starrcast V: Schedule, Matches, Dates & Times, How To Watch

Starrcast is a pro wrestling fan convention. The event was created and established by podcast host and AdFreeShows.com founder Conrad Thompson.

The multi-day event included stage shows, live wrestling, photo opportunities, meet-and-greets, and more.

This is the fifth Starrcast convention with the others taking place in Chicago (twice), Las Vegas, and Baltimore.

Starrcast V General Info

This year’s Starrcast convention will take place from July 29-31, 2022 on the Nashville Fairgrounds in Nashville, TN. The event takes place during WWE SummerSlam weekend and is headlined by Ric Flair’s last match. 

Below, you will find a description of the event provided on the Starrcast website

“After a three-and-a-half year hiatus, STARRCAST, the wildly popular professional wrestling fan fest, is back and ready to rock the Music City. Often called “The Woodstock of Professional Wrestling,” STARRCAST V, in partnership with Thuzio, a Triller company, will take place at the world famous Nashville Fairgrounds from Friday, July 29th to Sunday, July 31st. The event will also be made available worldwide, exclusively on FITE.”

How To Watch

The following podcasts and stage shows can only be viewed through one of the three bundles:

  • Father James Mitchell’s “Midnight Karaoke”
  • The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast
  • Insight w/ Chris Van Vliet 
  • The Sessions w/ Renee Paquette 
  • One Last Ride For The Horsemen
  • 30 Years Later w/ Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart
  • Foley Is Pod w/ Mick Foley
  • Saraya: Turning The Page
  • Kliq This w/ Kevin Nash
  • What’s NeXT? w/ Johnny Gargano
  • The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy

Bundles

These individual podcasts can only be purchased as a part of the following bundles:

Roast Bundle – $69.99

  • Includes ‘The Roast of Ric Flair’ and the above podcasts

Last Match & Roast Bundle – $99.99

  • Includes ‘The Roast of Ric Flair,’ ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match,’ and the above podcasts

Ric Flair’s Last Match Bundle (with Plaque) – $199.99

  • Includes ‘The Roast of Ric Flair,’ ‘Ric Flair’s Last Match,’ ring used canvas piece in a Commemorative Limited Edition plaque, and the above podcasts

Individual Shows

The following shows can be purchased individually:

Black Label Pro – $9.99*

Game Changer Wrestling – $14.99*

New Japan Pro Wrestling – $14.99*

The Roast of Ric Flair – $16.99

Ric Flair’s Last Match – $34.99

A * means that the show can only an must be purchased as an individual event

Starrcast V Friday Schedule

Black Label Pro

Black Label Pro Presents: “The Gang Crosses The Line”

July 29: 5PM – 8PM CST (6PM – 9PM EST)

$9.99 on FITE TV

Tickets are sold separately ($20 – $75)

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • Steph De Lander vs Billie Starkz
  • Josh Alexander vs Kevin Blackwood
  • Konosuke Takehsita vs Nick Wayne
  • James Storm vs Bryan Keith
  • Shark Boy & Dan The Dad vs Violence is Forever (Dominic Garrini & Kevin Ku)
  • Jake Something vs Crowbar
  • Monster’s Ball for the Black Label Pro Championship: PCO (c) vs Levi Everett vs Calvin Tankman vs Joshua Bishop

Roast of Ric Flair

“The Roast of Ric Flair”

July 29: 8PM – 10PM CST (9PM -11PM EST)

$16.99 on FITE TV

Roasters:

  • Diamond Dallas Page
  • Eric Bischoff 
  • Tie Domi
  • Torrie Wilson

Game Changer Wrestling

Game Changer Wrestling Presents: “The People vs GCW”

July 29: 10:30PM – 1AM CST (11:30PM – 2AM EST)

$14.99 on FITE TV

Tickets are sold separately ($30 – $75)

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • GCW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs Blake Christian
  • Joey Janela
  • Bandido
  • BUSSY (Efffy & Allie Katch)
  • Gringo Loco
  • “Speedball” Mike Bailey
  • Masha Slamovich
  • Tony Deppen
  • Second Gear Crew

Father James Mitchell

Father James Mitchell’s “Midnight Karaoke”

July 29: 10:30PM – 1AM CST (11:30PM – 2AM EST)

Starrcast V Saturday Schedule

Convention Floor: 9AM-5PM CST (10AM – 6PM EST)

Major Wrestling Figure

The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast

July 30: 9AM-10:15AM CST (10AM – 11:15AM EST)

Podcast Hosted By:

  • Matt Cardona
  • Brian Myers
  • ‘Smart’ Mark Sterling 
  • Swoggle

Chris Van Vliet

Insight w/ Chris Van Vliet 

July 30: 10:45AM – 12PM CST (11:45AM – 1PM EST)

  • Featuring Claudio Castagnoli

Renee Paquette

The Sessions w/ Renee Paquette 

July 30: 12:30PM – 1:45PM CST (1:30PM – 2:45PM EST)

  • Featuring Bryan Danielson

New Japan Pro Wrestling

NJPW Presents: “Music City Mayhem”

July 30: 2PM – 5PM CST (3PM – 6PM EST)

$14.99 on FITE TV

Tickets sold on the Starrcast website ($35 – $149)

Here is the current card for NJPW Music City Mayhem:

  • No DQ: Jon Moxley vs. El Desperado
  • Hiromu Takahashi vs. Blake Christian
  • Clark Connors vs. Davey Richards

One Last Ride

One Last Ride For The Horsemen

July 30: 2:15PM – 3:30PM CST (3:15PM – 4:30PM EST)

  • Ric Flair
  • Arn Anderson
  • Tully Blanchard
  • Barry Windham
  • Lex Luger
  • JJ Dillon

30 Years Later

30 Years Later w/ Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart

July 30: 4PM – 5:15PM CST (5PM – 6:15PM EST)

  • Bret Hart on the SummerSlam 1992 main event with British Bulldog

Starrcast Is Closed for SummerSlam From 5PM – 11:30PM CST (6PM – 12:30AM EST)

Starrcast V After Party

The Offical Starrcast V After Party!

July 30: 11:30PM – 1:30AM CST (12:30AM – 2:30AM EST)

Tickets sold on the Starrcast website ($59 – $79)

Starrcast V Sunday Schedule

Foley Is Pod

Foley Is Pod w/ Mick Foley

July 31: 9AM – 10:15AM (10AM – 11:15AM EST)

Saraya (FKA Paige)

Saraya: Turning The Page

July 31: 10:45AM – 12PM CST (11:45AM – 1PM EST)

  • Saraya (FKA Paige) turns the page on her WWE career and looks at what’s next

Kliq This

Kliq This w/ Kevin Nash

July 31: 12:30PM – 1:45PM CST (1:30PM – 2:45PM EST)

  • Kevin Nash & Kayfabe Commentary’s Sean Oliver debut their new podcast

What’s NeXT?

What’s NeXT? w/ Johnny Gargano

July 31: 2:15PM – 3:30PM CST (3:15PM – 4:30PM EST)

  • Johnny Gargano discusses what’s next for him after his time away from NXT/WWE

The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy

The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy

July 31: 4PM – 5:30PM CST (5PM – 6:30PM EST)

  • Matt Hardy & Jon Alba discuss Matt’s time in AEW, WWE, and IMPACT Wrestling

Ric Flair’s Last Match

Ric Flair’s Last Match

July 31

  • Preshow at 5:05PM CST (6:05 PM EST)
  • Show starts at 6PM CST (7PM EST)

Musicians Hall of Fame & Museum

Tickets sold on the Starrcast website ($39 – $79)

As of right now, the card is as follows:

  • Impact World Championship Match: Josh Alexander (c) vs Jacob Faty
  • Rachael Ellering vs Deonna Purrazzo vs Jordynne Grace
  • Clark Connors vs Ren Narita
  • Killer Kross (w/ Scarlett Bordeaux) vs Harry Smith
  • The Wolves (Davey Richards & Eddie Edwards) vs Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin)
  • Rey Fenix vs Taurus vs Laredo Kid vs Bandido
  • The Von Erich (Marshall & Ross) vs The Briscoes

Kota Ibushi’s Shoulder Injury Is Getting Worse

Kota Ibushi is struggling with the rehabilitation of his shoulder injury and may be a long way from returning.

Ibushi & NJPW

Ibushi has been out of action since the G1 Climax Finals in the Fall of 2022. In his match against Kazuchika Okada, he suffered a shoulder injury. Kota was announced for the New Japan Cup, but was pulled from the tour.

In May, Kota took to social media to speak out about his frustrations with NJPW management. This led to NJPW holding a press conference addressing the comments and announcing punishments dealt to Kota and others involved.

Ibushi Injury Update

Though it is unknown when Ibushi will make his in-ring return, he did take to social media (translations via @thfeelite) to address his current injury.

When speaking about his shoulder injury, Kota said, “Sadly, my shoulder [injury] is getting worse. I have done my rehab according to the instructions and guidance [of my doctors and trainers] too. I’m not risking anything this time. 

Physically, it’s been 8 months and I still can’t do a single push-up, so. I’m making a calm decision. I’ll say it again and again, but I’m not giving up.”

Ibushi shared that his shoulder won’t move at all, and he “probably overdid it for many years.” Unfortunately, Kota also stated that he was doing better in December than he is now.

“If I wrestled now, [my shoulder] would dislocate in less than a minute. I’m sorry that it’s gotten worse and made daily life difficult, instead of having rested again for a little under a year. I will do everything I can to take care of my mother,” he added.

Kota Speaks On NJPW

Kota also made sure to once again express his issues with NJPW and the promotion’s handling of him. He says that the company announced that he would return on March 1 knowing it would be “impossible” for him to return so soon, labeling the move as a “scam.”

He also added that he never spoke to President Takami Ohbari. He also said that he thought it was “shady” of NJPW to upload photos of him while things are bad between them.

You can view the entire translated thread of Ibushi’s posts by clicking here.

Weekend Wrestling Results (7/1-7/3): GCW, PWG, STARDOM, NJPW, ICW NHB & More

This weekend, various wrestling promotions hosted Friday, Saturday & Sunday night shows. Game Changer Wrestling, ICW No Holds Barred, NWA, STARDOM, NJPW Strong, Freelance Underground, NJPW, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. all presented events from 7/1-7/3. 

We have compiled results for the independent shows below along with ways to stream them, if possible.

7/1

Game Changer Wrestling

Game Change Wrestling hosted its Gateway To The Death event in Sauget, Illinois. The event took place on July 1 at Pop’s Nightclub. The event aired on FITE TV.

GCW Gateway To The Death Results (7/1)

  • Blake Christian def. Gringo Loco
  • 2 Cold Scorpio def. Allie Katch
  • Ninja Mack def. Axton Ray
  • Nick Wayne def. Tony Deppen
  • Davey Richards def. Joey Janela
  • Jordan Oliver def. Dark Sheik
  • EFFY def. Delirious
  • Lucha Extrema Match: Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner, Matthew Justice & 1 Called Manders) def. Los Macizos (Ciclope & Miedo Extremo) and Jimmy Lloyd
  • GCW Ultraviolent Championship Match: Alex Colon (c) def. Cole Radrick
https://twitter.com/ashdabbath/status/1543080833354911746?s=20&t=jhGrO4OWAqa_3_LQL4ZnQw

ICW No Holds Barred

ICW No Holds Barred hosted its Volume 27 event in Maybee, Michigan. The event took place on July 1 at the US Military Veterans Motorcycle Club. The event aired on IWTV.

ICW No Holds Barred: Volume 27 Results (7/1)

  • SHLAK def. AKIRA
  • Bobby Beverly def. Kaplan
  • Tommy Vendetta def. Josh Bishop
  • Danny Demanto def. Randi West
  • Krule def. The Kirks (Brandon & Kasey Kirk)
  • John Wayne Murdoch def. Dale Patricks
  • ICW American Deathmatch Championship: Joel Bateman def. Eric Ryan (c) 
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1543059723720720388?s=20&t=jhGrO4OWAqa_3_LQL4ZnQw
https://twitter.com/marth555/status/1543063437449875462?s=20&t=jhGrO4OWAqa_3_LQL4ZnQw

7/2

National Wrestling Alliance

The most recent episode of NWA USA debuted on July 2. The episode is available on their YouTube here.

NWA USA Stream And Results (7/2)

  • Gaagz the Gymp def. BLK Jeez
  • “Magic” Jake Dumas def. AJ Cazana
  • NWA World Women’s Tag Team Titles: Kenzie Paige & Ella Envy (c) def. Allysin Kay & Marti Belle 

ICW No Holds Barred

ICW No Holds Barred hosted its The Pit 7 event in Maybee, Michigan. The event took place on July 2 at the US Military Veterans Motorcycle Club. The event aired on IWTV.

ICW No Holds Barred: The Pit 7 Results (7/2)

  • Neil Diamond Cutter def. Malcolm Monroe III
  • Isaiah Broner def. Aaron Williams
  • The Carver def. Satu Jinn
  • Brandon Kirk def. Darren McCarty

During John Wayne Murdoch’s entrance, he grabbed a microphone and explained that there was a stabbing outside the venue and that the remainder of the event is canceled. 

https://twitter.com/CatalKasey/status/1543121586190012416

STARDOM

STARDOM hosted an event on July 2. The event took place at the Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium #2 in Osaka, Japan.

STARDOM Results (7/2)

  • Momo Kohgo defeated Lady C
  • Oedo-tai (Fukigen Death & Saki Kashima) defeated STARS (Mayu Iwatani & Saya Iida)
  • Syuri defeated Mai Sakurai
  • Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM) defeated Oedo-tai (Starlight Kid, Momo Watanabe & Ruaka)
  • Donna del Mondo (Giulia, Maika, Himeka & Natsupoi) defeated Tam Nakano, Waka Tsukiyama, Mina Shirakawa & Unagi Sayaka
  • Goddesses Of STARDOM Championship: STARS (Koguma & Hazuki) (c) vs. God’s Eye (Ami Sorei & MIRAI) ended in a 30-minute time limit draw.

ICW No Holds Barred

ICW No Holds Barred hosted its Volume 28 event in Maybee, Michigan. The event took place on July 2 at the US Military Veterans Motorcycle Club. The event aired on IWTV.

ICW No Holds Barred: Volume 28 Results (7/2)

  • SHLAK def. Eric Ryan
  • AKIRA def. Brandon Kirk
  • Satu Jinn def. Neil Diamond Cutter
  • Tommy Vendetta def. Bobby Beverly
  • Kasey Kirk (w/ Brandon Kirk) def. Dale Patricks
  • Krule def. The Carver
  • ICW American Deathmatch Championship: Joel Bateman (c) def. John Wayne Murdoch

NJPW STRONG

NJPW aired their newest episode of NJPW Strong on July 2 on NJPW World. The tapings took place on May 15 as a part of the NJPW STRONG Collision tapings at the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

NJPW STRONG Results (7/2)

  • United Empire (Aaron Henare, Great-O-Khan, Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) def. TMDK (Bad Dude Tito, JONAH, Mikey Nicholls & Shane Haste)
  • Jeff Cobb def. Willie Mack
  • Will Ospreay (w/ Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) def. Homicide (w/ Eddie Kingston)

Freelance Underground

Freelance Underground hosted its Blaze of Glory event in Joliet, Illinois. The event took place on July 2 at Cantigny Post 367 VFW. The event aired on IWTV.

FU Blaze Of Glory Results (7/2)

  • FU Independent Championship: Storm Grayson (c) def. GPA
  • Mojo McQueen def. Alfonso Gonzalez
  • Billie Starkz def. Katalina Perez
  • FU Tag Team Championships: The Brothers Of Funstruction (Ruffo The Clown & Yabo The Clown) (c) def. Pick N Pop (Darius Latrell & Koda Hernandez) and Joey Marx & Mason Conrad
  • Project MONIX def. Davey Bang
  • Joe Alonzo def. August Matthews and Gunner Brave
  • Laynie Luck def. Sandra Moone
  • FU Heavyweight Championship: Calvin Tankman (c) def. Shane Mercer

7/3

New Japan Pro Wrestling

New Japan Pro Wrestling hosted its night six of its New Japan Road tour in Tokyo, Japan. The event took place on July 3 at the Korakuen Hall. The event aired on NJPW World.

NJPW New Japan Road Results (7/3)

  • Great Bash Heel (Tomoaki Honma & Togi Makabe) def. Ryohei Oiwa & Tiger Mask
  • Suzuki-Gun (Minoru Suzuki, El Desperado & Yoshinobu Kanemaru) def. Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Master Wato & Kosei Fujita
  • United Empire (Great-O-Khan & Aaron Henare) def. Los Ingobernables De Japon (Hiromu Takahashi & BUSHI)
  • Los Ingobernables De Japon (Shingo Takagi, Tetsuya Naito & SANADA) def. LA Dojo (Clark Connors, The DKC & Yuji Nagata)
  • HOUSE OF TORTURE (EVIL, Yujiro Takahashi & Dick Togo) def. CHAOS (Hirooki Goto, YOSHI-HASHI & Toru Yano)
  • CHAOS (Tomohiro Ishii & Kazuchika Okada) def. Suzuki-Gun (TAKA Michinoku & Taichi)
  • KUSHIDA, Hiroshi Tanahashi & Alex Zayne def. BULLET CLUB (KENTA, Taiji Ishimori & Gedo)

Game Changer Wrestling

Game Change Wrestling hosted its Rock-N-Roll Forever event in Evansville, Indiana. The event took place on July 3 at the Evansville Coliseum. The event aired on FITE TV.

GCW Rock-N-Roll Forever Results (7/3)

  • Jordan Oliver def. Calvin Tankman
  • Tony Deppen def. Kerry Morton
  • Nick Wayne def. Axton Ray
  • Blake Christian def. Shane Mercer
  • Second Gear Crew (Mance Warner, Matthew Justice & 1 Called Manders) def. The Bloodfighters (Alex Colon, Dale Patricks & Akira)
  • Scramble Match: Nate Webb def. Alec Price, Carter Gray, Larry D, Yoya & Jimmy Lloyd
  • Cole Radrick def. Joey Janela
  • Billie Starkz def. Dark Sheik
  • The Rock N Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) def. The Rejects (John Wayne Murdoch & Reed Bentley)
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1543759761216258048

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla

Pro Wrestling Guerrilla hosted its event titled Nineteen in Los Angeles, California. The event took place on July 3 at the Globe Theater. 

PWG Nineteen Results (7/3)

  • Shane Haste def. Titus Alexander
  • Yuka Sakazaki def. Masha Slamovich
  • Davey Richards def. Kevin Blackwood and JONAH
  • Speedball Mike Bailey def. Buddy Matthews
  • PWG Tag Team Championship Match: Kings of the Black Throne (Brody King & Malakai Black) def. Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis) 
  • PWG World Championship Match: Daniel Garcia (c) def. Konosuke Takeshita

Weekend Wrestling Results (6/24-6/26): DEFY, HOG, STARDOM, XPW, Warrior Wrestling, WWR+ & More

This past weekend, various wrestling promotions hosted Friday, Saturday & Sunday night shows.

Blitzkrieg! Pro, Sean Henderson Presents, DEFY Wrestling, House of Glory, National Wrestling Alliance, STARDOM, H2O Wrestling, NJPW, ICW No Holds Barred, Xtreme Pro Wrestling, Women’s Wrestling Revolution, and Warrior Wrestling all presented events on June 27. 

We have compiled results for the independent shows below along with ways to stream them, if possible.

6/24

Blitzkrieg! Pro

Blitzkrieg! Pro hosted its 4th Annual Luau event in Enfield, Connecticut The event took place on June 24 at Old Country Banquet Hall. The event aired on IWTV.

B!P The 4th Annual Luau Results (6/24)

  • The CDC (Devantes & Juba) def. Locked And Loaded (50 Cal & Dan Barry)
  • Bobby Orlando def. Allie Katch
  • Dog Collar Match: Kirby Wackerman def. Bryce Donovan
  • The Haven (Jay Onyx & Shawn Knyte) def. A Message To You (Leary & Perry Von Vicious)
  • Anthony Greene def. Dirty Dango
  • Fans Bring Pool Toys: Logan Black def. Chris Benne (w/ Alex Cypher)
  • B!P Tag Team Championships: MSP (Aiden Aggro & The DangerKid) (c) def. Miracle Generation (Dustin Waller & Kylon King)
  • B!P Bedlam Championship: VSK (c) def. Alec Price
  • B!P Bedlam Championship #1 Contendership Ten Way Scramble Match: CPA def. Andy Brown, Angelo Carter, Evil Kip, Ichiban, Jeff Cannonball, Manders, Riley Shepard, Sammy Diaz & Travis Huckabee
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1540501508281831424

Sean Henderson Presents

Sean Henderson Presents hosted its I’d Do Anything event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The event took place on June 24 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.

SHP I’d Do Anything Results (6/24)

  • Marcus Mathers def. Reid Walker
  • Hardcore Match: Deklan Grant def. Chris Bradley
  • Cole Radrick & Jimmy Lloyd def. Dyln McKay & Ryan Radix
  • NWA Rules: Colby Corino def. Joel Bateman by referee’s decision
  • Death Match: Otis Cogar def. Louie Ramos
  • Scramble Match: Stan Stylez def. Casey Carrington and Mouse and Nick Grande and Riley Rose and Ryan Redfield
  • Austin Luke def. Steve Sanders
  • Matt Demorest def. Billie Starkz
  • Adonis Valerio def. Pancakes
  • Death Match: Alex Colon def. Conor Claxton
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1540518921241071616
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1540499252039892992

6/25

DEFY Wrestling

DEFY Wrestling hosted its Young Destroyers event in Seattle, Washington. The event took place on June 25 at Washington Hall.

DEFY Young Destroyers Results (6/25)

  • Nick Wayne def. Dante Martin
  • Daniel Garcia def. Trey Miguel
  • Interim DEFY World Championship: Christopher Daniels (c) def. Lee Moriarty
  • DEFY Tag Team Championships: The Bollywood Boyz (Gurv Sihra & Harv Sihra) (c) def. State Of Emergency (Miles Deville & Sebastian Wolfe)
  • PCW ULTRA Women’s Championship – Street Fight: Viva Van (c) def. Danika Della Rouge
  • Davey Richards def. Adam Ryder
  • C4 (Cody Chhun & Guillermo Rosas) def. Steve Migs & Ethan HD
  • Eli Surge def. Jordan Oasis and Sonico

House of Glory

House of Glory hosted its Judas event in New York City, New York. The event took place on June 25 at NYC Arena. The event aired on FITE TV.

HOG Judas Results (6/25)

  • HOG Crown Jewel Championship: Charles Mason (w/ Carlos Ramirez) (c) def. Homicide
  • HOG Women’s Championship: Natalia Markova (c) def. Masha Slamovich
  • Evander James def. Michael Fayne
  • HOG Cruiserweight Championship: KC Navarro (c) def. Encore and Ichiban and Joey Silver and Mantequilla and Nolo Kitano
  • Carlos Ramirez def. Ken Broadway
  • Low Ki def. Lince Dorado
  • Hermanos Lee (Dragon Lee & Dralistico) vs. The Mane Event (Jay Lyon & Midas Black) went to a Double Count Out
  • HOG Heavyweight Championship Second Round Match: Jacob Fatu def. JONAH
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1540838943087788032

National Wrestling Alliance

The most recent episode of NWA USA debuted on June 25. The episode is available on their YouTube here.

NWA USA Stream And Results

  • NWA National Heavyweight Championship: Jax Dane (c) vs. Eric Jackson
  • Luke Hawx vs. Thrillbilly Silas (w/ Pollo Del Mar)
  • Austin Idol & BLK Jeez Set To Speak

STARDOM

STARDOM hosted an event on June 25. The event took place at the KBS Hall in Kyoto, Japan.

STARDOM Results (6/25)

  • 5 Star Grand Prix Qualifying League Block A: Miyu Amasaki defeated Waka Tsukiyama
  • 5 Star Grand Prix Qualifying League Block B: Ruaka defeated Lady C
  • Donna del Mondo (Himeka & Natsupoi) defeated STARS (Saya Iida & Hazuki)
  • Queen’s Quest (Utami Hayashishita, Saya Kamitani & AZM) vs. Donna del Mondo (Mai Sakurai, Giulia & Maika) ended in a 15-minute time limit draw.
  • Oedo-tai (Starlight Kid, Saki Kashima & Momo Watanabe) defeated Cosmic Angels (Tam Nakano, Unagi Sayaka & Mina Shirakawa)
  • God’s Eye (Ami Sorei, MIRAI & Syuri) defeated Momo Kohgo, Mayu Iwatani & Koguma

H2O Wrestling

H2O Wrestling hosted a two-part 6 F’N Years event. The event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The first event took place on June 25 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.

H2O 6 F’N Years – Night One Results (6/25)

  • H2O World Championship Match: Colby Corino defeated Deklan Grant (c)
  • Death Match: Matt Tremont vs. EFFY ended in a no contest
  • H2O Hybrid Championship Match: Billie Starkz defeated Adonis Valerio (c), Reid Walker, Steve Sanders, and Dyln McKay
  • Alex Stretch & Anthraxx defeated Kennedi Copeland & Mouse
  • Mitch Valley defeated Jeff Cannonball
  • H2O Danny Havoc Hardcore Championship: Lucky 13 (c) defeated Bam Sullivan and Cole Radrick
  • Fans Bring The Weapons Match: Jimmy Lyon Chondo & Mickie Knuckles defeated Chris Bradley & Kristian Ross
  • Ryan Redfield defeated Manders
  • I Quit Match: Marcus Mathers defeated Austin Luke

NJPW STRONG

NJPW aired their newest episode of NJPW Strong on June 25 on NJPW World. The tapings took place on May 15 as a part of the NJPW STRONG Collision tapings.

NJPW STRONG Results

  • David Finlay defeated Danny Limelight
  • Minoru Suzuki defeated Tony Deppen
  • STRONG Openweight Championship: Fred Rosser defeated Tom Lawlor (c)

ICW No Holds Barred 

ICW No Holds Barred hosted its NHB Volume 26 event in Newark, New Jersey. The event took place on June 25 at Heart Ballroom. The event aired on IWTV.

ICW No Holds Barred: NHB Volume 26 Results (6/25)

  • Joker def. Akira
  • Brandon Kirk def. Tommy Vendetta
  • Bobby Beverly def. Casanova Valentine
  • Kasey Kirk def. Joel Bateman
  • Homicide def. Colby Corino
  • John Wayne Murdoch def. Masha Slamovich
  • ICW American Deathmatch Championship Match: Eric Ryan (c) def. Bobby Beverly 
  • ICW American Deathmatch Championship Match: Eric Ryan (c) def. Matt Tremont 
https://twitter.com/shotsbymateo/status/1541052854072385536?s=20&t=knb0-k1yJ4WO_rCSw1-T7Q

Xtreme Pro Wrestling

Xtreme Pro Wrestling hosted its Beautiful Disaster Event in Pomona, California. The event took place on June 25 at The Derby Room. The event aired on FITE TV.

XPW Beautiful Disaster Results (6/25)

  • XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Kamille Brickhouse def. Deonna Purrazzo
  • XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Ludark Shaitan def. Lindsay Snow
  • XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Sage Sin Supreme def. Chelsea Green
  • XPW Women’s Championship Tournament First Round: Taya Valkyrie def. Steph De Lander
  • XPW Women’s Championship Tournament Final – Ladder Match: Taya Valkyrie def. Kamille Brickhouse and Ludark Shaitan and Sage Sin Supreme to win the vacant title.
  • XPW King Of The Death Matches Championship #1 Contendership Death Match: Alex Colon def. Ciclope
  • Death Match: MASADA def. Miedo Extremo
  • XPW King Of The Death Matches Championship: SHLAK (c) def. Big Joe
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1540917184163188736

6/26

Women’s Wrestling Revolution

Women’s Wrestling Revolution hosted its Aces High event in Worcester, Massachusetts. The event took place on June 26 at White Eagle. The event aired on IWTV.

WWR+ Aces High Results (6/26)

  • Armani Kayos def. Gal Barkay
  • Willow Nightingale def. Little Mean Kathleen
  • Davienne def. Paris Van Dale
  • Ashley D’Amboise def. Tiara James
  • The Administration (Damian Adams, Pedro Dones & Tina San Antonio) def. Clara Carreras & The Hispanic Mechanics (Jos A & Jos B)
  • Kennedi Copeland def. Anastasia Morningstar
  • Shannon LeVangie def. Damaris Dawkins
  • Jordan Blade def. Alisha Edwards
  • Kris Statlander def. Trish Adora
  • AKIRA & Masha Slamovich def. Alec Price & B3CCA
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1541195602180071425

H2O Wrestling

H2O Wrestling hosted a two-part 6 F’N Years event. The event in Williamstown, New Jersey. The second event took place on June 26 at H2O Wrestling Center. The event aired on IWTV.

H2O 6 F’N Years – Night Two Results (6/26)

  • Three Way Match: Anthraxx def. Bam Sullivan and Ron Mathis
  • Three Way Tag Match for the H2O Tag Team Championships: The End Game (Darien Hardway & Leroy Robinson) (c) def. Kaos Control (Cecilio Vega & Rocket) and WTF (Bruce Grey & Tyler Voxx) to retain the H2O Tag Team Championships
  • Mouse defeats Aiden Baal
  • Four Way Death Match: Brandon Kirk def. Cole Radrick, Drew Blood and Jimmy Lloyd
  • Death Match: Joel Bateman def. Louie Ramos
  • Death Match: Mickie Knuckles def. Jess Moss
  • H2O Hybrid Championship Match: Reid Walker def. Billie Starkz (c) to become the new H2O Hybrid Champion
  • Anything Goes Match: Matt Tremont def. Deklan Grant
  • Last Man Standing Match: GG Everson def. Chuck Payne
https://twitter.com/Aregularindyfan/status/1541183843054534658?s=20&t=knb0-k1yJ4WO_rCSw1-T7Q

Warrior Wrestling

Warrior Wrestling hosted its Warrior Wrestling 24 event in Chicago, Illinois. The event took place on June 26 at the Malcolm X College. The event aired on FITE TV.

Warrior Wrestling 24 Results (6/26)

  • Miranda Alize def. Heather Reckless
  • Mike Bennett def. Beast Man
  • Six-Way Lucha Scramble Match For The Warrior Wrestling Lucha Medallion: Gringo Loco def. Ninja Mack, Alpha Wolf, Dragon Bane, Golden Dragon and ASF
  • Frank The Clown interrupted Denise Salcedo, who was set to crown a Homecoming King and Queen. Maria Kanellis made the save.
  • Davey Richards def. ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor
  • Zachary Wentz, Myron Reed & Dante Leon def. Blake Christian, Nick Wayne & Fuego del Sol
  • Warrior Wrestling Championship: KC Navarro (c) def. Brian Pillman Jr
https://twitter.com/henryhorsestein/status/1541175844265234432

 

NJPW Cancels Events In January Due To Rising COVID-19 Cases

New Japan Pro Wrestling has cancelled its events in January due to rising COVID-19 cases. Touring will resume in February.

The following events have been cancelled:

  • Tuesday January 25th in Fukushima ?Toyota Crown Arena 
  • Saturday January 29th at Korakuen Hall
  • Sunday January 30th at Ibaraki?Kamisu Bousai Arena

The event on January 28th from Aichi has been rescheduled to April 18th.

The first event back will be the February 6th card from Chiba. The following night, NJPW is scheduled to be in Korakuen Hall with English commentary available on New Japan World. The next event for NJPW USA will be on February 17th, 2022 from the Vermont in Hollywood for New Japan Strong tapings.

Toru Yano, Tomoaki Honma, Minoru Suzuki, Taichi, Taka Michinoku, and Satoshi Kojima all missed shows on the most recent tour due to medical protocols.

“With a number of wrestlers presenting elevated temperatures or being in close contact with same, and in accordance with event protocols, New Japan Pro-Wrestling has arrived at the difficult decision to cancel or postpone remaining live events on the schedule for January,” an NJPW press release reads. “We deeply apologise to fans for the inconvenience, disappointment and concern caused by this decision, and appreciate your understanding.”